Carne Village, Re-Estize Kingdom
Flugel hummed as he looked at the distant form of Lugnica from afar. 'Looks like my hunch was correct. Lugnica still looks pretty mirage-like from afar.'
"Flugel!"
Flugel turned back to the children he'd been playing with, especially as Petra started tugging his hand. "Yes?"
"Do you want to leave already?" Petra pouted. Apparently, not only did Irlam Village rarely get visitors, they'd never hosted a 'Lord' who was okay with playing around with children instead of looking down on the peasants and demi-humans like nobles usually do.
The chief of Irlam had believed Flugel's story with little doubt. In his eyes, Flugel was the illegitimate child of a noble who'd been quietly 'relocated' when news of his lineage had come out. Thankfully, due to him being a bit of an eccentric and usually secluding himself to study magic, he'd been 'allowed' to use a different family name and be granted ownership over one of the spare castles.
Luckily, some of the guards and servants had willingly followed after him to serve under Flugel Pleiades's rule, explaining the presence of the ones that had arrived with him at Irlam Village.
"Not yet. Otto's still copying the maps we asked for." Flugel patted the little girl's head, raising an eyebrow at how she leaned into it. "Even after I leave, I'll be a regular here."
"What about your bodyguard?"
At her question, both Flugel and Petra turned at the sound of happy squeals, just in time to see Reinhard easily lifting two children in each arm while a fifth hugged his head from behind.
With Reinhard's accepting smile, divine handsomeness, immense patience with the children and quickly apparent physical strength, he'd become popular to the village much quicker than both Flugel and Otto had.
While Flugel did have the appearance of a noble while his wings were hidden away, Otto just looked rather lacklustre in appearance when compared to them and had little presence.
Just as Echidna had intended so when she had created him. A NPC created mostly for the purpose of swift getaways needed to be unnoticeable, after all.
"Reinhard is someone I'd completely trust with my own child." Flugel honestly replied as he hefted Petra up to his shoulders and carried the squealing child around as he surveyed some of the shops.
Thankfully, the money he had seemed to be of the same currency the new world possessed, allowing Flugel to indulge the child with some toys and awe her with his magic which was actually just his thankfully still working working inventory as he had no way of performing magic that wasn't tied to combat.
'Huh. I guess I'll make that a goal.' Flugel thought as he now sat beside Petra at the fountain in the middle of the town, eating some of the snacks he'd bought with her.
After a while, Flugel hummed in greeting as Otto appeared with a bunch of rolled up papers in his arms.
"Flugel-san, I have gotten the items you asked of me." Otto spoke as he laid one of the papers flat over his laps as he sat next to Flugel, revealing it to be a map. "It's a bit sketchy and inadequate compared to what we're used to, but this really was the best World Map I could obtain. Other than only detailing human nations, despite our confirmation of Beasthumans here, which are apparently known as demi-humans,"
Otto gave a short nod at Petra, whose dog ears flicked at the attention.
(KingVessel: I made Petra a doggirl. Deal with it.)
"It seems that this village is just a bit from the border that veers into the Slane Theocracy."
"Where are we on this?" Flugel asked, which prompted Otto's pointing finger to rise a bit upwards until it stopped a bit to the left of the dot marked 'Irlam Village'.
"I see."
"...just as I thought, you can actually read this, can't you?" Otto huffed. At Flugel's confused nod, Otto clarified. "Neither Reinhard nor I have been able to read any written material that hasn't been written in Lugnican. Nobody's questioned Reinhard, but I've been getting weird looks since I apparently looked educated and distinguished."
'I'm not supposed to be able to read this? Why would... I see.' Flugel grimaced in realization. "It's most likely because of that Quest I went on with Echidna and Minerva that one time. The reward was supposed to be a passive translation spell that would have let us read any discovered tomes and grimoire that were too high level to read. I guess it's still working even here, translating it so that my brain can comprehend it."
At least that was what Flugel believed. What he didn't realize was that any {Majestia Royal} Player would've been able to read it just fine, as the New World existed as an aggregation of many aspects taken from various games and previous Players over the centuries. The New World's language and currency were evidence of a previous Player of {Majestia Royal} influencing history.
"Fascinating." Otto breathed. "Just what grand magic was it that it not only transcended worlds, but also altered your language skills?"
'Let's not also forget that also it ripped me from my home, gave me a body that matched that of my avatar and brought you guys sentience.' Flugel sighed wryly. "Let's just shelve that. Show me the other kingdoms here."
"Right." Otto's finger trailed higher on the map. "Up here is the Argland Council State, made up of several races of demi-humans. According to rumor, it may have dragons serving as the nation's councilors."
"Are we talking intelligent-type dragons like Volcanica or Beasthumans with draconic features?"
"The man who told me this was unsure of it himself." Otto shrugged. "The area west of this mountain range is known as the Re-Estize Kingdom. On the other side of the mountains is the Baharuth Empire, which appears to engage in war frequently."
Flugel frowned. "How frequently?"
"Usually once a year." Petra perked up as both Flugel and Otto looked at her. "Papa says that it's a 'kingdom full of blood hungry maniacs' and they like to fight the soldiers in Re-Estize."
"I see. Thanks, Petra. Now I know who to send there if I have to." Flugel chirped, causing the little girl's tail to twirl in happiness.
"Now, which territory are we in, exactly?" Flugel turned back to Otto. "It'd be nice to know which kingdom I'm currently living in."
"Technically we're in the Re-Estize Kingdom." Otto replied. "But we are close enough to the border that Slane Theocracy citizens are known to pop in now and then, even if very rarely."
"Like them?" Petra hunched in on herself as she clutched Flugel's sleeve in worry, causing both males to notice the approaching group of soldiers in armor.
"Speak of the devil..." Flugel whistled as many of the villagers outside startled at the sight of the soldiers and promptly began to rush into their homes, with Petra herself being carried away by one of the worried civilians.
"Milord, what shall we do about them?" Reinhard was at Flugel's side at the moment, shielding Otto from sight as the merchant surreptiously put the maps away into a pocket dimension.
"Don't start anything." Flugel whispered back as what seemed like the leader of the group got off his horse and approached him, along with a weirdly dressed woman with hair split in black and white followed him with a large double-bladed scythe in her hand.
"I am Goras Musik, captain of this squad." The captain introduced himself after he reached them and got off from his horse.
"..." The woman said nothing, humming lightly as she fingered her scythe while constantly switching her appraising gaze between Flugel and Reinhard.
"...and this is Lady Zesshi Zetsumei." Goras finished as soon as he realized that the woman wasn't going to introduce herself anytime soon. "Forgive my rudeness, sir..."
"Flugel. Flugel Pleiades." Flugel smoothly replied as he crossed his legs, easily falling into his gaming persona while he pointed to his side. "And these are Reinhard and Otto, my aides."
"Lord Pleiades." Goras bowed a bit. "I apologize for interrupting your day but I have a query regarding that."
Goras turned and gestured at the fortress still shrouded in mirage afar. "Would you happen to have any knowledge regarding that, sir?"
Flugel blinked, then hummed while crossing his arms before finally nodding in realization. "Of course, I do. It's mine, after all."
*BAM!*
Before Goras could react, Zesshi instantly charged forward and threw a hastily caught punch at Flugel's head, the shockwave of her hit shattering the fountain behind him.
"Hmm... You appear to be suitably strong." Zesshi hummed, excitement filling her previously empty eyes. "Between the three of you, who's the strongest?"
"Me." Flugel replied, shoving the woman back and surreptiously shaking his wrist. 'If not for my increased reflexes, she might've taken my head off with that.'
"Then I challenge you to a duel, Flugel Pleiades." Zesshi declared as she swung her war scythe around. "If I defeat you, the three of you shall die and everything you own will be taken by us. If you defeat me, then I shall become your's."
"Quite an unfair negotiation, considering how little I know of you." Even as he said that, Flugel was already cracking his knuckles as he stepped forward, a wide smile growing to match his opponent's. "How about this? If I win, I'll tell you what I really want of you."
"I accept."
"L-Lady Zesshi!" Goras stuttered. "He managed to catch your punch so easily! Perhaps, you should-"
"If you don't stay out of my way," Zesshi turned her head to glare at Goras. "I'll split you from your head to your groin."
Goras gulped, instantly falling silent.
"Rein, Otto, keep the soldiers occupied. I can't fight her right in the middle of the village." Flugel said as he began to hop from foot to foot for a warmup. Moving his arms and neck, he began using radio calisthenics to loosen his limbs. The moment he was done, Flugel stomped hard enough to crack the ground and shot off.
"Wha-?!" Zesshi wasn't able to react quick enough to stop her face from being grabbed before he flew off away, instantly clearing the entirety of Irlam and keeping a strong grip on Zesshi until they reached a nearby empty mountain range that he then proceeded to smash her into from two hundred meters in the air.
As Flugel landed, he switched his current 'noble' clothing for the familiar battle attire he had. 'I think we're far away enough, now. No innocent bystanders for miles- Eh?'
Flugel frowned when his {Presence Detection} and {Scry Alert} both went off. "Is someone spying on me? Where- There you are."
Directing his searching gaze upwards, Flugel frowned as he raised a threatening fist upwards. "Getting peeped on is usually something guys are guilty for, not pretty ladies like you. Now, how about you knock it off or get better at making me not notice you before I retaliate accordingly?"
Divining Room, Capital of the Slane Theocracy
The 'Thousand Leagues Astrologer', 7th Seat of the Slane Theocracy's Black Scripture recoiled in fright as she promptly halted her divination. "He sees me?!"
This had happened twice, now!
First was whomever had wiped out the Sunlight Scripture, who had actually managed to send back a psychic curse over 200 leagues away directly back to her and render the woman unable to move for a whole week straight.
Then just as she recovered and was asked to check in on the Extra Seat, another one had noticed and warned her off.
It didn't help that in the brief bit she'd seen, he had clearly manhandled the strongest of their Scripture.
Where were these monstrous individuals popping up from?!
Carne Mountain Range, Re-Estize Kingdom
"Ha... Ha... Hahahaha!" Zesshi leapt out of her crater, filled with too much delight and energy for a person who'd just been slammed into the side of a mountain at breakneck speeds. "You actually overpowered me! I couldn't fight your grip at all!"
Flugel said nothing but entered into a combat ready pose, prompting Zesshi to eagerly do the same.
"Extra Seat of the Slane Theocracy's Black Scripture, Zesshi Zetsumei."
"Imperial Sage of the Dragon Fortress of Lugnica, Flugel Pleiades."
"Now then..." The atmosphere around Zesshi shimmered as her grin grew battle hungry, her war scythe practically humming with her bloodlust. "Shall we get around to trying to kill each other?"
"Sure." Flugel's golden wings burst out from behind, {Angelic Grace} brightening the area around him. "Bring it."
Zesshi blurred from sight, instantly about to slam her war scythe into Flugel's neck from behind. However, Flugel reacted just as quickly, slamming the back of his crackling fist against her weapon and diverting it away.
*THOOM!*
Nearly forced away from each other, neither paid much attention to the nearby mountain that was shattered apart from the shockwave of their clash nor did they stop at that single clash, every clash of theirs detonating storms of wind and cleaving gouges through the earth.
It was truly a battle humans had no place being.
"You really are amazing." Came the quiet, thoughtful voice of the Half-Elf before Flugel. "Even though I've been swinging at you with almost all of my might, I haven't been able to do more than destroy your gloves and bruise your knuckles."
"Those gloves were super durable and expensive to get." Flugel pouted. "I could've dipped them in lava and they'd have probably been fine after!"
Zesshi dashed forward again, leaping up to slam down her war scythe into Flugel's skull. To her amazement, Flugel clapped his arms against the sickle blade, stopping her dead despite the immense power she'd put into the strike.
Twisting the war scythe aside, Flugel grabbed Zesshi by her collar and dragged her close, slamming his forehead against hers hard enough to crack her skull.
"Ah~!" Zesshi staggered back, blood trailing down her face and entering her lips. "You made me bleed. For the first time in decades, an opponent finally made me bleed!"
"I'm guessing you're not used to losing." Flugel winced as he patted his own forehead. 'I think my own cracked a little.'
"Hehe... I honestly can't remember the last time I lost a battle and I've fought lots." Zesshi slowly started to twirl her war scythe. "Which only increases your worth as my opponent! Of every one I've ever fought, one the Captain of the Black Scriptures have ever lasted this long! In fact...!"
Umbrageous energy wafted all over Zesshi's left side while luminescent energy surged off her right, blurring the outline of the Half-Elf's features as darkness and light erupted all over her form and distorted Flugel's view of her. "Let's see how well you can withstand my magic as well!"
"Wow... That's some crazy energy she's putting off. If that's how she's going, I better step it up myself." Summoning the Dragon Mantle of Volcanica to his hands, Flugel instantly donned, shuddering as his Class instantly changed from {Imperial Sage} to {Draconic Transcendent}.
Instantly, the air was flooded with Flugel's {Draconic Power} as holy blue flames blazed off his shoulders, his usually brown eyes glowing sapphire in the masked cowl of Volcanica's face. "Here I come, Zesshi Zetsumei!"
"Come and give it to me, Flugel Pleiades!"
Rather than people, it was like two forces of nature glared at each other in humanoid forms. One of native Elven twilight, the other of foreign Draconic divinity.
"[8th Tier Magic: Twilight Maelstrom!]"
"[Ambience of the Azure Dragon God: Prominent Nova!]"
And then the mountain range the two had been fighting on promptly ceased to be as unadulterated power utterly devastated everything for miles and reduced it all to cooling magma.
Well, everything that hadn't been vaporized in an instant.
Carne Village, Re-Estize Kingdom
Goras Musik had never felt as small as he did at today.
He had used to believe that there were three irrefutable facts in the world.
The sun rose from the east to the west.
Rain always fell downwards.
Zesshi Zetsumei of the Black Scripture was undefeatable.
Fact #3 had been ruthlessly trampled like an unfortunate stable boy underneath a stampede of frenzied bulls.
"Here you go." Lord Flugel gently laid down the unconscious and heavily injured Zesshi Zetsumei and leaned back to stretch his back as if he had not just defeated a top combatant (if not the top combatant) of the Slane Theocracy. "She's unconscious now, but you guys should probably get a healer or something for her."
Not a single soldier responded, their unblinking eyes focused on Lady Zesshi.
Goras didn't blame them.
"W-Wait." Lady Zesshi weakly (Weakly?! That word should've never existed in a sentence with her unless comparison was involved!) clutched at Lord Flugel's leg. "Y-You're the one."
"What?" Lord Flugel went down on a knee and sat her up so that he could listen closely while looking at her. "What did you say?"
"You're worthy! You're the one I've been searching for!" Lady Zesshi declared with utter joy in her eyes as she leapt up into his arm, forcing him to carry her like a bride. "YOU'RE THE WARRIOR WHO BESTED ME! THE ONE WORTHY OF GIVING ME A CHILD!"
"..." Lord Flugel looked completely stunned by what he just heard.
It was understandable as Goras himself didn't understand any better.
"Milord, what is your response to this?" The redhaired guard finally spoke as he placed a hand on his boss's shoulder. "Personally, I believe that if you are willing to marry her, the others should be alerted before you give your answer."
That seemed to snap Lord Flugel out of his funk. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's not get Priscilla and the others involved just yet. I mean, her ears might be cute and all-"
"You think... my ears are cute...?" Lady Zesshi whispered silently, a look of disbelief on her- Wait, she was blushing?!
Goras wasn't the only one who furiously rubbed his eyes at the sight.
"Yeah. Reminds me of Satella-tan and Emilia-tan, both of them being Half-Elves like you." Lord Flugel casually revealed, he at least knew two other halfbreeds and held them in fond esteem. "But still, I'd like to know why you want a child from me so badly."
"Because a child born from the both of us would be of immeasurable strength!" Lady Zesshi declared, her mad smirk making a return.
Lord Flugel frowned. "And how would you treat such a child?"
"I would raise and train them up to at least match my strength. And then..." Lady Zesshi's dark smile turned into a snarl. "Together, we would lay waste to the Elf King."
"...and what if they weren't good enough?" Lord Flugel's face was frighteningly blank right now. "What if a child between us couldn't live up to those expectations? Would you still love them?"
"Huh?" Lady Zesshi made a confused expression, with Goras seeing the warning signs that she couldn't. "I'd just cast them aside."
"You... would really do that?"
Goras really wished Lady Zesshi could've been held in a way that she could see a few of his soldiers making hasty 'shut up!' motions.
"If my child won't be as I want, I'll just make another." Lady Zesshi callously replied.
This time, even Lord Flugel's subordinates winced at her answer. Therefore, it was with little surprise that Flugel just dropped her out of his arms, letting her fall to the ground.
"Right, there's absolutely no way I'm making a child with you." Lord Flugel scoffed. "You... might be one of the worst ever women to ever be a mother without actually getting a child to raise, and there's no way I'm letting any child of mine suffer under you, weak or strong."
"What?!" Lady Zesshi shrieked as she desolately clutched at Lord Flugel's shirt. "Why?!"
"A woman who cannot love her child unconditionally, has no right being a mother in the first place, especially if she's actually gunning to be one." Lord Flugel declared strongly as he pried off Lady Zesshi's fingers. "That's how Naoko Natsuki did it and I'd like that someone as horrible as me turned out great so far thanks to my mom. In terms of beauty, I'll admit that you're desirable. But's that's your only good point to me right now. If I had to choose between a random average-looking village girl and you to make a mother, you wouldn't even rank as a choice."
"Is that so?" Lady Zesshi growled, her hair shadowing her eyes as the war scythe in her hands creaked, causing Goras and his soldiers to cautiously backstep.
"Yes, that is so." Lord Flugel replied with the air of someone who could (and had) beat her into submission. "If you want to become a mother of my child, go get an attitude check."
"So be it." Lady Zesshi hissed, raising her war scythe until it rested against Lord Flugel's throat. "Then I shall prove myself to you. I will gain this 'unconditional love' and become far worthier than your own mother! Then you will recognize and impregnate me!"
Lord Flugel tilted his head. "...ok."
It was at this point that Reinhard picked up Lord Flugel, tossed him over his shoulder and dashed through what looked like a breach in space that had been created by Otto.
"I'm so terribly sorry. It's just that Flugel-san is an illegitimate noble and Zesshi-san's answer might have upset him." Otto revealed, causing Goras to finally understand why Lord Flugel had been infuriated with Lady Zesshi's intent to cast aside her child if it had been 'born wrong'. "Feel free to be as honest as you want in whatever report you want to give back to your superiors. We will react accordingly."
And with that, Otto closed the portal.
Stats
Beelzebub Brigade
Name: Hakugei
Level: 90
HP: 1,000,000
Race: Mabeast (Whale)
Title: Mabeast of the Eradicating Mist
.
Name: Ōusagi
Level: 90
HP: 1,000,000 (1HP per killer rabbit)
Race: Mabeast (Jackalope)
Title: Mabeast of the Ravenous Horde
.
Name: Kurohebi
Level: 100
HP: 1,000,000
Race: Mabeast (Serpent)
Title: Mabeast of the Corrosive Poison
KingVessel: Daphne didn't make NPCs like normal people. She made the three great Mabeasts instead. In Subaru's game, the 'monsters' in it are the other Mabeasts instead of standard fantasy ones. Give me your reviews!