Chapter 12 Lizardmen
Harry had been talking animatedly with the Sous-chef in the bar of the 9th floor, teaching him about the wonders of firewhisky and butterbeer when he was interrupted mid-sentence by an oncoming [Message] of Entoma, saying the battle was about to begin. Exchanging farewells, he used the ring to go to his office, where a giant mirror awaited.
It's not like he had anything against the lizardmen, but Demiurge had suggested it would be a good idea to try to rule over them without the use of fear, as practice for the future. Harry had agreed because he figured he would have to stand with his own nation sooner rather than later, considering the information he had gathered from the Black Scripture.
There was still a powerful character in the Slane Theocracy, stronger than the captain of the captured Scripture had been. Harry thought she probably had a 94 level; and was in charge of the security of the other divine items their "Gods" had left behind.
The fact that she was half-elf had also intrigued him, considering the Theocracy was famous for their humanity-focused values. Then again, she was the offspring of an unwilling union between a "God-kin" human and the elf king, initiating the war in the first place, so there goes that.
The elf king was also another intriguing character. Harry was almost sure the elf was a player, so he was torn between initiating contact to try to form an alliance or capture him so he could experiment a few things… player resurrection being the main topic. While Harry himself wouldn't stay dead due to his Master of Death status, it would be crucial information in case he confronted future players.
Harry would rather have the alliance though, so he decided to speed up the plans for founding a nation. The other option was to make themselves known and be part of an already-existing country, the advantage being that they could shift the blame to them in case things went bad, but it would also mean their movements would be closely monitored and restricted, not to mention they would have to abide to the laws of said nation…
All things considered, getting his own would be quite better, which brought him back to the Lizardmen conquest. He had given free rein to Cocytus in his fight against them; so long the army was conformed of POP monsters with a level not greater than 50, since he considered it would be overkill otherwise. The troops of the Lizarmen were around 1,400 warriors, so Harry had ordered to cease the attack once it was either halved or if they surrendered, whichever happened first. Extermination was not their objective after all.
The fight was rather short, the odd-looking leaders of the clan, being the strongest and better equipped, were the only ones that had a small chance of surviving the slaughter that couldn't really be defined as "battle". Two of the reptile commanders had died in the fight, one that was covered with some sort of bone armor, while the other was small and had been throwing rocks of all things with some sort of slingshot. The attack stopped after that, Nazarik's troops momentarily retreating since they had already killed half of the enemy's army.
A few automatically generated monsters from Nazarik had died as well, most quite unnecessarily… he would have to speak with Cocytus about the information-gathering and preparation needed before initiating a battle. Those deaths could have been prevented if he had investigated the enemy's skills and the environment of the battleground. Harry would ask him to deliver a "Lessons-learned" report later.
Standing up, he stretched and went to his dress room to prepare. The plan now was to show some of their true power so the Lizardmen knew resistance was futile, and would be more receptive of Cocytus' governance. While Harry had experience leading groups of people, he didn't have the time to actually improve the reptilian's living conditions and knowledge. Besides, Cocytus was almost finished with the weapon-testing, so this should fill in that gap of sudden free time.
Harry wasn't good with anything related to fashion, so he simply choose to wear what the maid had picked for him, a dark emerald dragon-skin cloak over black trousers and a light green t-shirt; the black dragon-hide boots being the only garment that remained the same as usual. By the time he was finishing he received Albedo's [Message] informing that everything was ready in the lake, so he apparated to the designated place.
…and promptly blinked at the image in front of him. That was a staircase made of esqueletons? even worse, they seemed to be a mix of the undead Old Guarders, Nazarick Elder Guarders and Nazarick Master Guarders. Around 6000 of them, just to make a bloody staircase.
Harry had just asked her to make a more stable ground. He had expected a giant rock or something, nothing as elaborated as this… then again; they were supposed to impress the Lizardmen so this worked quite nicely.
Walking closer to the edge of the forest, he stopped once he was in the field of vision of his scared, reptilian audience. Then, Harry used a super-tier spell that could contain whatever substance the caster specified, from spells to elements; it could be used to nullify magic or to forcefully change the surroundings of the battlefield.
[Space typhoon: water absorption]
After the magical, bluish-white cocoon that had been surrounding him dispersed, the clouds in the sky were disturbed by the appearance of a whirlwind, all the water from the lake being suctioned upwards by the typhoon, which resulted in the area changing to dry ground. Huh, Harry didn't remember the area of effect being that large, he couldn't see the end of it from his position.
The whole ordeal had lasted only a few seconds, and he could hear screams of horror coming from the lizardmen. Some of the undead that had been waiting at the sides instantly moved to make a pathway with their lances, leading Harry to the awaiting staircase. He didn't wait for the lizardmen to be silent before advancing, the guardians walking behind him.
Harry had used all the anti-information magic he could think of before Cocytus delivered his attack, so only the authorized Mirrors of Remote Viewing would have been able to watch it unfold. This way, he didn't have to worry about an enemy spying their movements, so he had all the guardians except Victim, Sebas and Pandora come with him.
Harry had also applied two very useless data crystals on his person. One was [Red carpet] which only made the entrance of the user more dramatic, a red carpet appearing in front of the user so his feet never touched anything else; the red material disappearing from behind him with every step he took. The other one was [Descending Lost Star] with a similar useless effect, which only served to project more his magical aura, highlighting his close surroundings with white, smokish energy.
The staircase was quite tall, so he simply used [Mass Fly] to arrive faster at the top, blinking in surprise for the second time that day when he saw the throne made of bones that awaited him. So Demiurge not only did unspeakable things to obtain the skin used in parchment (he knew the demon's personality, there was no way those bipedal sheep were not intelligent creatures, not with how happy he seemed when questioned) but he had used some of their bones to craft this… peculiar furniture.
Harry knew its crafting probably wasn't easy, since he had worked with a carpenter as a hobby in one of his first lives, but did it really had to be made of bones? Damn you Demiurge. It's not like he could remain standing though, given the circumstances, so he sat down gracefully on it before using his next spell.
[I wish for: Stardust Herald] immediately followed by [Reckless Summon], a spell that allowed the caster to bring ten copies of the last summoned creature, but they would only have 80% of the power level of the original.
Eleven creatures appeared almost at the same time, ethereal humanoid phantoms that had blue fire instead of flesh, the only solid features being the hands that were holding the dark great swords, as well as the helmet that covered their heads. These were the same creatures that he had summoned to warn them of the incoming attack, so the Lizardmen recognized these beings.
The Heralds levitated down to pass on his message, requesting the leaders to come forward. Shalltear's single clap dissipated the low-level creatures once they had delivered his missive. This at least, they had agreed to do previously in their reunion.
Several Lizardmen saw this, and their tails thrashed violently, obviously scared in front of such enemy.
"—Don't be afraid. Don't disgrace us in front of our opponents."
One of the leaders yelled to them, their posture immediately changing to stand up straight and thrust out their chests. After that, the one that had shouted and another one came closer until they were just at the base of the staircase. The air felt dry, and it seemed to be affecting them in a similar way a [Poisoned] status would, their movements slow and heavy. They had been fighting just one hour before, so they were probably physically and mentally exhausted, not to mention hurt.
"We have arrived! I am Shasuryu Shasha, representative of the Lizardmen, and this is the greatest hero of the lizardmen!"
"I am Zaryusu Shasha!" Same last name, they were family then?
They were looking up at him, standing proudly even under the circumstances. Harry felt respect for the dignified way in which they stood up against him, even when they had a clear disadvantage. Ah, he really didn't like acting the villain role.
"Our master feels you have not adopted a sufficiently respectful listening posture." came the sweet voice of Albedo from his side, even when Harry hadn't really done anything to imply that. The succubus didn't even let them answer before addressing Demiurge, the demon responding to the silent request with a commanding "[Kneel]."
The brothers fell to their knees, unwillingly following the order. Their eyes opened in panic as they tried and failed to change their current position, Demiurge answering with a smirk and a "[Do not resist]"
Harry felt bad for them; he really hoped his plan worked in the intended way. Letting them raise their heads, he accepted their surrender before letting them know he would not be ruling them personally, and that they would answer to Cocytus instead, making a hand motion to indicate the giant insectoid.
"Also, I would like to speak with you and the other leaders on my domain. Be ready tomorrow for when Cocytus comes." he ordered simply before adding "That is all I wish to say. I shall look forward to our meeting."
"A moment please, w-what will happen with the lake?" the lizardman hurriedly asked, the worried eyes of Shasuryu meeting his own.
"Hmm? I merely wished to avoid staining my cloak in the marsh. I will dispel the magic once I return." he replied casually at the same time he stood up, opening a [Gate]. "Farewell, Shasha lizardmen"
Once they returned to Nazarik's grounds, he ordered Cocytus and Pandora to monitor the lizardmen movements, watching out for any suspicious actions. In the meantime, Harry went to the Throne room, preparing the ritual magic he was going to need for their visit.
On the next day, Harry was seating in the throne when the leaders arrived, Cocytus entering first as their guide. He didn't know if the insectoid had said or done anything, but the reptilians seemed speechless as they knelt in front of him, the albino one actually trembling.
Once they raised their heads, Harry proceeded to strongly suggest them to keep an eye on their people, since betrayal or rebellion wasn't something Nazarik would act kindly at. The more Harry spoke, the more clouded their eyes seem to get, which told him his ritual was working. [Heartfelt Appeal] was a smoother version of [Domination Mantra], working on a subconscious level. The effect was not immediate, but it made the victim much more gullible, receptive to external influence. Even better since they would think it was their own decision, accepting it easily.
By the time he was done speaking, he was reaching the time limit he had imposed on the ritual, the effect beginning to slowly dissipate. Once Harry felt the spell had completely disappeared he dismissed them, opening a [Gate] so they would not have to take the long path, Cocytus following after them.
He was glad the second ritual wasn't needed, that would have been a disaster. Harry had placed the runes for [Domain of the true Monarch] in the room, so everyone with a level under 60 was incapable of dealing damage. It's not like they couldn't attack, but it wouldn't have any effect unless they used a World item.
This one didn't have a time limit and he didn't see any problem with its presence so he let it be. Leaving the Throne room, he was walking leisurely back towards the bar, fully intending to finish his explanation of the firewhisky and butterbeer when he heard a female, inebriated shout saying "Another!"
Curious, he got closer to the bar's door, stopping just before arriving at the entrance so he could take a peek. He could see Shalltear's seated form, an empty jar in her right hand as the Sous-chef came closer to give her a more delicate cup of alcohol. She was, obviously, the source of the shout.
Can vampires even get drunk? Wasn't that considered as a negative status? Harry wondered mildly as he saw the depressed state of the guardian. He stood immobile for a moment before looking at both sides of the empty hallway.
Satisfied no one was in the proximity, he concentrated on the appearance he wanted to take, his features changing easily to match his thought. The shapeshifting came naturally to him, since it was one of the Djinn features, so it was over in less than a minute. Confident in his disguise, he entered the bar without verifying his appearance.
He had taken the form of one of the male servants, and was confident he had replicated the details of his features because he had a hand in his design. Harry hadn't wanted to create a NPC, since he felt it wasn't his place to create a living being, even less when it was just for fun… but the other members of the guild had asked for advice in certain areas, so he had contributed in a few things. Appearance, skills, classes, races… only once he had meddled with personality, and it hadn't been much.
"One beer please" he ordered as he sat down at Shalltear's side, before turning slightly to face the guardian
"Good evening Shalltear-sama" he was surprised when the vampire didn't answer, too busy mumbling things under her breath. She didn't seem to have noticed his presence, since she had her unblinking gaze fixated in her cup.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" she apologized over and over, and didn't get out of the trance until the Sous-chef placed Harry's beer on the bar. Her red eyes looked at the beverage for a moment, before finally noticing him.
"Oh, it's Nero. It's been a while…"
"Indeed, Shalltear-sama" he greeted with a small smile before his expression became worried "Please forgive my prying, but what is the problem? Why are you acting this way?"
The vampire sniffled loudly; taking Harry's jar of beer and emptying it in one go. Sous-chef looked at her disapprovingly for a moment before taking the empty glass and turning around to serve another.
"No big deal... No... I made a serious mistake, that's why I'm looking for comfort in alcohol, like the pathetic failure I am." she said with her gaze lowered, before she started to apologize again, this time with the words "Hadrian-sama" thrown in the mix.
…of course this was his fault; he had yet to give a punishment. He had been busy this past month, taking information from the members of the Black Scripture, being an adventurer, and supervising the various projects that were running in Nazarik. As such, he had quite impressively forgotten he was supposed to punish her.
Sighing, he knew there was nothing he could do to help her, since she wasn't allowed to even talk about what had happened. None of them could, he had ordered their silence because he was aware the other NPCs wouldn't let her live it down. The last thing the vampire needed was to be reminded of her mistake over and over again.
Harry had used glamour charms and [False Data Life] to hide his injuries until they fully healed on the night, so the rest of Nazarik didn't know anything about it.
"…I don't know what's going on, but if there's something I can help you with just let me know" he spoke softly before trying to change the topic. Shalltear ignored all his attempts at starting a conversation however, so he just drank the beer before leaving.
Harry couldn't have known he had accidentally punished her already. While he had cleaned the very characteristic blue blood of the Djinn from his person and Albedo, he had done nothing to remove it from Shalltear's pointy weapon, the others knowing immediately she had dared to hurt him. Even worse because the order he had imposed didn't let her explain or defend herself in any way, Albedo and Aura forced to stay similarly silent.
AUTHOR NOTE:
Sup! How are ya?~
Poor Shalltear, still paying for Harry's mistakes. Don't worry, gotta fix it up soon ;) I kinda wonder how she would react if she knew she ignored Harry, or that he called her "Shalltear-sama" haha.
Personally, I never liked volume 4 on the novel, I considered it boring since most of it was written from the lizardmen point of view. I know Kugane Maruyama had wanted to write from the "oppressed" perspective, and he did so quite successfully, but I just like Nazarik so much~ I sort of missed them.
I was tempted to completely skip the whole thing, but managed to do this really summarized chapter for them.
As always, thanks for reading, hope you liked it & reviews make my day most of the time. Thanks a lot for them! I think I haven't received any negatives since the Lamp chapter, which makes me incredibly happy. Next chapter is gonna be an Omake, because I feel like writing it ~
See ya!