CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT: Live, Laugh, then Die.
Demiurge knocked on his Lords door.
"Come in Demiurge," Momonga said. Demiurge walked in, properly bowed out of respect to Momonga and his Queen Yuri who was currently, attending Momonga.
"Hello, Demiurge, what is it you wished to speak to me about?" Momonga asked as Demiurge took a seat across from him. Yuri was sitting crosslegged on Momonga's lap leaning back aginst him. Obviously, he was in his Dark Elf Form, so he had a lap to which she could sit. Demiurge smiled at Yuri and she nodded to him.
"Forgive me, My Lord, for one such as stupid as myself, I cannot see what you have in store for your future plan in a couple of areas that I would like some clearance on," Momonga's eye widened, Demiurge could not tell if his Lord was disappointed or possibly even annoyed at his lack of understanding... he regretted it so.
"Hmm, I see, well then go ahead Demiurge..." Momonga said politely, not acting annoyed at least. Demiurge was so glad he had not interrupted his Lord without need.
"Thank you Lord Momonga, the first is The Elf King. I heard you dispatched a Hanzo team to deal with him?" Demiurge asked, Momonga nodded.
"Yes, and last I heard they were in the position to annihilate his unit and take back the world item he has," Momonga said satisfied.
"Yes, My lord, it... I would humbly ask if you are going to simply destroy him, or use him to his full potential? This is one area I cannot see so..." Demiurge admitted his ignorance, for it would seem his Lord didn't want to use The Elf King properly... which meant the mistake was his for not seeing his Lords true intentions.
"Oh? His... I see, and..." His Lord was almost at a loss for words at his ignorance, Demiurge heart ached.
"Wait? What use would we have for him?" Yuri asked. Momonga grabbed her and kissed Yuri unexpectedly for some reason, Demiurge just adjusted his glasses while they finished. Momonga then cleared his throat.
"Demiurge, why not tell Yuri here his uh, possible use," Momonga said nodding with a dignified and all-knowing smile.
"Yes My Lord!" Demiurge was so glad he had not lost his Lord faith and would yet again still be trusted to explain in a fashion others may understand.
"Well, The Elf King had been gaining good momentum. The Dark Elf nation has joined him and added to his numbers. He is currently in the process of routing The Dark Dwarves... the point is he will be crashing upon the gates of The Holy Kingdom very soon and they will not be in any position to stop him or his growing army. This makes the perfect opportunity for The Holy Queen to ask for yet another favor of His majesty The Sorcerer King... and if she were in such a debt... we could quite literally ask her for anything." Yuri nodded finally understanding where the confusion stemmed from.
"So if we were to simply destroy him..." Momonga rose his hand to stop Demiurge.
"Demiurge, let me first say that I am profoundly proud of you," Momonga said nodding as he scratched his chin.
"My Lord?" Demiurge didn't understand. His Lord smirked.
"You see Demiurge, while I respect your plan making without equal... I was curious, to see if you just followed ordered blindly like a moron... or if you were brilliant enough to see an obvious "mistake" and if you would bring it to me, like a trusted advisor should, and not a simple Yes man." Demiurge eyes went wide. Of course, this had been a test! It all made so much sense it was almost... he just chuckled to himself at how well his Lord could hide something so... obvious from him, truly, Lord Momongas intellect was terrifying at best!
"So then... you had planned on using him as I had just explained from the beginning, and wanted to see if I would choose the bad choice simply because you "ordered it"... My Lord, I think you for taking the time to even bother testing one such as I!" Demiurge was truly humbled, but gladder that he had not failed his Lord in his eyes. That was the most important thing.
"So as you have passed this test, with flying colors I might add, I will allow you to contuine on with the correct plan, but Demiurge, just know, that I may test you again one day, so be ever vigilant for that!"
"As expected! Lord Momonga is the most gracious and brilliant teacher! Using even this important plan as stone to teach one as... ignorant as myself! I am truly humbled, My Lord!" Demiurge said bowing, renewed with respect and awe for his Lord.
"Then, have the Hanzo unit simply act as our eyes and ears, we still not lose track of him at least, and after he has stressed the Holy Kingdom..."
"You will go there personally to deal with him!" Demiurge said happily.
"What? Personally? Why not use our forces against him?" Yuri asked, again Momonga kissed her... Demiurge thought it was great to see their love was so strong!
"Demiurge..." he motioned to again. Demiurge smiled.
"Ah, well that would offer the biggest chance of having the Queen accept a secondary leadership role as she marries Our Lord, Making Him the official king of the Holy Kingdom. He will need to build personal relationships with the key figures there, if he just sent his army... it would be just another nation lending aid to another... should Our Lord go there in person..."
"... He can claim the throne and not just "another favor" after saving them," Yuri said nodding again.
"Correct." But Demiurge frowned. Momonga looked at him curiously.
"You have more?"
"Ah, well yes, um... this is about the upcoming... "demonstration" you will be having on The Katze Plains in a few days..."
"Yes, I've been asked to cast the first spell to "begin the assault". Demiurge nodded.
"And... I was curious as to which spell you would be choosing?" Momonga clicked his tongue.
"This would have been a good opportunity to use The Dark Young... but that's already been done so..." He was right. His demonstration of power was still talked about and sang by the bards. Ever since that killing of the Demihumans the name of Momonga had grown.
Unfortunately for the nobles of the Re-estize Kingdom, none of them took the songs seriously, thinking the numbers were closer to "10,000 AT BEST". Princess Renner had reported on noble say "no caster could change the course of a single battle, no matter what some dumb Bard sings!" So it seemed a more... local demonstration was still needed to sway the minds brave, ignorant and stupid.
There was also a rumor going around that it was many upon many "hidden casters" all acting as one so "Momonga could reap the credit and fame" it never ceased to amaze Demiure how stupid humans could be when they fooled themselves from the truth.
"Well, I only ask because I was curious... for your plan to work Your Majesty will have to make... a substantial impact on all those who are left alive to view it."
"Yes... "A spell so powerful nobody would ever think to oppose me" is that right?" Momonga asked in Ironic fashion.
"Correct... yet these people you will be slaughtering are... well, mostly just peasants and farmers, forced to be there against their wills. What most would call "innocent" as they have no choice to be there... my point is, Lord Peroroncino is certainly going to take issue with this "slaughter of countless innocence." Demiurges aid frowning deeper. While he explained Momongas plan to the... less gifted Lord Peroroncino, he absolutely knew this day was coming and that Peroroncino could prove to be a problem. Momonga sat in thought for a moment, probably figuring out every possible reaction Lord Peroroncino would have.
"You're right... he won't see the bigger picture and in truth... I'm not very excited about killing them either... but it's a necessary sacrifice to ensure no one tries to revolt in the future..." Momonga started thinking aloud. He sighed.
"I... will deal with Jin when that time comes..."
"My Lord... it's not his temper tantrum that worries me... in the worst-case scenario... I mean the very worse that I shudder to think about... What if he chooses to stand against you, My Lord?" Momonga scoffed openly.
"What? Like... attack me to save the lives of the farmers?" Momonga shook his head.
"No, My Lord, I do not think he would ever do that... in this "worse case" scenario... he would simply blend himself in among them... meaning you would kill him if you tried to wipe out the whole army..." Demiurge said gravely. Momonga thought in silence at this, terrible prospect. That would indeed be a problem.
"I will think about this issue more, I'm sure Jin can be made to see reason..." Momonga nodded. Demiurge frowned and bowed, not entirely convinced "words" would work here.
"So, is there anything else Demiurge?" Momonga asked, his whole mood seemed to be ruined suddenly.
"No, My Lord, that was all,"
"Okay then, relay my orders to the Hanzo unit to just follow and keep tabs on The Elf King." Momonga said. Demiurge nodded and excused himself. Yuri soon followed Demiurge out.
"Oh, Yuri! I figured you and Lord Momonga would be..." but she shook her head.
"We had planned on that but he said he needed to do something and excused me," Demiurge looked her over.
"I see..." Well I shall see you later, I think I'll go pay The Dragon Queen a visit, I need to be cheered up," he admitted.
"Oh, you fancy her do you?" Demiurge shrugged.
"To be honest... I don't know how I feel about her, which is very unsettling as my own emotions are the one thing I've always been able to understand," Demiurge said scratching his chin.
"Don't tell me you love that one?" Yuri asked in surprise. He laughed but caught himself in front of his Queen.
"No, My Queen, I do not have that capacity... but she does make me feel something I don't understand... so by rendering her a pile of blood and pain I will seek to understand this, foreign feeling that I have for only her,"
"There may be another way." She said. He looked at her confused.
"As a demon, you lack many things a "heart and soul" can bring to light, not all things are black and white after all," Yuri said. Demiurge waited for her suggestion.
"Ask Lord Peroroncino to use [TRUE POLYMORPH] on you. Have him make you human. Then cast your thoughts to this "anomaly of emotion". Maybe with a different point of view and frame of mind, you could reach a less... unfortunate answer." She finished. He thought for a moment. The old him would vomit at the thought of being human, but he knew his maker and all his Lords were once so... so he was less put off by this notion than he may have been in another reality.
"I... will certainly take that under consideration... thank you, my Queen, for thinking of a possible solution to my dilemma, I can see why My Lord choose to marry you!" Demiurge said with total honesty, Yuri smiled and patted his shoulder.
"You are the most loyal man in Nazarick Demiurge... if that were possible that is. (giggle) So take it easy on yourself and look for things that bring you happiness outside of work, this was My husbands' first lesson he taught me when... my instinct to clean and be a maid takes over," Demiurge's eyes went wide with acceptance.
"Again, you bless me with knowledge, and from our Lord no less... thank you," He bows again before excusing himself to ponder what the two had told him. Demiurge realized he had to go to The Dragon Kingdom anyway, his performance was all ready to begin soon! He cast [GREATER TELEPORTATION] and was gone.
Queen Draudillon Oriculus looked on at the two armies. The Troll army sent by The Great Minotaur Nation had arrived a few hours ago and were lining up to engage the Demihumans. The numbers were overwhelmingly in favor of The Demiuhmans, but one troll could easily make up for untold Demihumans if he avoids fire or acid. She tried to go over the numbers in her head... and if it were just these two forces, the Trolls would win. But she knew a player had yet to reveal himself, and...
"Hello Lady Draudillon Oriculus," a voice said from behind her.
Right on time.
"Is it time to so see you in action? You promised me a good show!" She said, acting like the small child she appeared to be.
"Indeed... but we have a little time for that yet... In the meantime, can ask you something?' He asked, as he produced yet another bottle of wine that she loved and could not find, no matter how much gold she was willing to spend. She immediately poured them each a glass, and handed it to him.
"Of course," she answered, taking a sip of the marvelous wine.
"Why not just do it? I've made my intentions... painfully clear... why not just burn your people and destroy both armies right now? You know I would not stop you." Demiurge asked, casting his gaze out upon the swelling mass of bodies gathering to oppose his beastmen hoard.
"Well, that would be the predictable thing to do right? Or rather... something someone, as you would put it, "less intersting than myself" would do. Am I correct?" he snickered.
"Answering a question with one is rude My Lady," he jokingly said. She shrugged and finished her glass and poured another.
"Okay then... I've come to terms that my people will die. I hate it. But I'm too weak to stop it. So killing them in the most painful way possible, just out of spite, does not suit me... it never really did. And I guess... I'm hoping you or your Lord finds a use for me and my people and chooses to spare the whole lot of us." she honestly answered. he seemed to be thinking about something.
"Sadly... I think I may have found a use for you," Demiurge said frowning. She perked up and looked at him.
"And what is that?" He smiled and shook his head.
"Surprises are half the fun of knowing me." He reminded her. She thought is this was a better thing that 'round the clock torture she assumed he'd have planned for her.
"Anyway... it seems all the pins are set up." Demiurge said as he vanished. She saw him appear off in the distance above the Troll army.
Demiurge looked down upon the Trolls. They were all looking up at him in wonder. The Beastmen just howled in triumph as their Leader had appeared. He clapped his hands together and rubbed with a smile. He floated directly in the center mass of them, he ignored the volley of spear-like arrows that bounced off of him uselessly. He rose his hand up in the air and cast [METEOR FALL].
The sky turned red and opened up as a huge ball, big as a small castle came hurling out of the tear on the sky. The sheer heat coming from it sent the Troll into a panic. The molten rock surged past Demiurge as he smiled. there was no reason to use this spell whatsoever, but as he felt like impressing Queen Draudillon Oriculus... he decided to "flex" a little... as Lord Peroroncino would say.
The giant ball of death slammed into the center of the Troll army. Many of them were incinerated immediately and the fiery impact made a large explosion. Countless troll bodies flew to burning pieces as debris and bodies flew in every which direction as a deafening explosion erupted out.
Queen Draudillon Oriculus's eyes went wide with horror. The dirt and smoke the shot up sent down a shadow that covered her castle. She had no words to explain what she had just seen. Demiurge had obliterated the entire troll army with a single... unimaginably powerful spell. While Draudillon Oriculus had understood she stood no chance against Demiurge, that fact was driven home even harder.
The carnage below was beyond satisfying. He noticed a handful of Trolls at the very back had survived the shockwave and were running back the way they came. That would do just fine, news of this would reach Yelkis Olliver Sage and he would learn what he had just picked a fight with. Demiurge looked at the castle where Draudillon Oriculus was watching him. ge offered he wave then cast [GREATER TELEPORTTION] and was gone.
From far off six women watch. The eldest daughter of The Queen of the Wyvern Riders had flown her unit her to investigate the Beastmen and troll armies. They stood in silent shock, not believing what they had seen.
"We... have to get back to Motivia and report what we just saw to the Queen!" One of the Golden guard flyers mentioned to her commander. Jelena Rodusk glared angrily. She was next in line to be the Queen of the Wyvern rider nation, but if this thing was allowed to roam free... she would have no Nation to inherit. they all jumped on the backs of their Myrvrns and flew off the toward their home city.
Yet when Jelena would arrive she would only find chains as her sister Esmelie had usurped the throne and quickly had all her sisters, and rivals, arrested and executed immediately, as well as their wyverns, husbands and children.