Chapter 7: Secretum

"Do you always sleep that much, Tsain?" Rigrit inquired, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity as she gazed upon the dormant dragon. It wasn't long before the mighty creature stirred, its eyes opening to reveal its lizard-like pupils.

"The sleep you mean is different from mine. I suppose you have come to ask for aid." Tsaind stated, observing Rigrit's reaction.

"Yes, the demon has proved too much for Blue Rose to handle. Evileye's words were very concerning, and I saw the destruction it caused with my own eyes. A crater as big as a village, only caused by one of the demons' spells." Rigrit reported each word adding to the Dragon Lord's interest.

"I see. It was a wise decision to return to me." The Platinum Dragon Lord responded, turning his attention briefly to his armor. "I believe it is time I use the armor once more. We will help. I suppose Red Drop and Blue Rose will already be assisting us. Yet that won't be enough. The other Dragon Lords will heed my call for aid, yet it is up to them to decide whether to help us or-"

Tsaindorcus seemed momentarily distracted, his gaze fixed on the horizon before he continued.

"It seems we have visitors. From the Slane Theocracy no least." The Platinum Dragon Lord commented, at which Rigrit raised a brow.

"The Theocracy? Here? What in the world would they want?" Rigrit raised an eyebrow at this unexpected development. They did not have the best relationship with them since he was a dragon and Rigrit, a friend of his.

"They do not seem to come for a fight. At least from their numbers and strength. Perhaps I should listen to what they have to say. Especially in such dire times." Tsaindorcus mused as he granted the newcomers entry.

"I don't trust them a bit. And you know that." Rigrit retorted, casting a wary eye toward the entrance. A robed man, concealed by a hood, entered the hall, positioning himself before the Platinum Dragon Lord.

"I thank you for allowing us entry, Platinum Dragon Lord. I am Raymond Zarg Lauransan, Cardinal of Earth from the Slane Theocracy. And I have come in peace." Raymond stated, bowing respectfully toward the ancient entity before turning to acknowledge Rigrit. "I greet you as well, Rigrit Bers Carau, One of the 13 Heroes." Rigrit, arms crossed, shot a skeptical glance at the Cardinal, her disdain for the Theocracy evident.

"Speak, human from the Theocracy. Why have you come? Surely not for the company." Tsain inquired, his way of speaking different from when he was talking to Rigrit before.

"I suppose I will come straight to the point." Raymond replied, removing his hood and meeting the Dragon Lord's gaze. "We both know of the danger to come, and if we don't act quickly, we might all be consumed by its darkness. The reason for my visit is simple: I propose a temporary alliance between us two." Raymond proposed, at which Rigrit seemed surprised.

"How come the Theocracy asks help from a dragon nonetheless?" Rigrit asked, taken aback.

"You may think so. Yet we will put such differences aside and fight together with other people of this world for the sake of its survival." Raymond argued, hoping to persuade both Rigrit and the Dragon Lord, who had remained silent since the Cardinal began speaking.

"Mmh, yet you have wished so long to see us extinct. And now you come crawling at my door and ask for aid?" Tsain's tone grew increasingly intense with each word, his patience waning.

"You are right, I cannot deny it. But, consider this. With the help of our Scriptures, we might have a bigger chance of defeating the demon. And after that, we may go our separate ways once more." Raymond proposed, carefully choosing his words.

Tsain, who had been at rest, rose to all his legs and approached the Cardinal, casting a shadow over him.

"And you think that will be the sole purpose why I will accept your 'temporary alliance'? For you to have our help against the demon, you must do the following. Cease all persecutions of non-humans immediately, and I might consider giving you the aid of the Argland Council State and myself included!" The Platinum Dragon Lord countered the offer. His voice doubled in intensity as he grew more serious.

"That…That is something we could do. If it is needed, I will stop any persecution of demi-humans immediately when I return home." Raymond replied, sweat forming on his brow.

Yet the True Dragon Lord did not appear satisfied with this response

"You seem confident in your ability to lie, yet I smell it all over you. You humans think yourself intelligent enough to outwit me? The Theocracy has long looked down on non-humans. If you don't change, then we do not need you here! Now, I believe it is time for you to leave this place until you fulfill that requirement!" The Dragon Lord growled at the Cardinal, his eyes shining with a platinum glance as white-blue fire rose from his mouth.

"Of course." With a short bow, Raymond acknowledged the Dragon Lord's decision and hastened toward the exit. He concealed it well, but the fear that washed over him when the Platinum Dragon Lord issued his request was more dreadful than he had anticipated.

'Of course, he would ask such a thing of us! I was mistaken. An alliance between us will not happen!'

After the Cardinal had left the confines of Eryuentiu, Tsain resumed his usual posture and returned to his conversation with Rigrit.

"I suppose that was it. They will not accept it to leave non-humans alone. I believe we do not need their help. Who wants an ally that is ready to pierce their sword through you only to, in turn, kill the enemy as well? I believe we are much better off without their aid." Tsain concluded, his words prompting a chuckle from the Necromancer, who found the dragon's cunning to be endlessly surprising.

"So you gave him an impossible demand in purpose. You did not want an alliance with them in the slightest." Rigrit noted, her amusement clear.

"I will ask some of my fellow Dragon Lords, and that will be enough. If the Slane Theocracy wishes to join the fight, they might do so on themselves with no aid from our side."

'Just like back in my world, the poor never stop getting used and abused by the rich.' A certain somebody pondered as he walked the streets of the Re-Estize capital, filled with sick and homeless people left and right, the stench of death almost visible.

Criminals seemed to lurk around every corner, and not a single guard was in sight.

'I feel anger, yet no sympathy with those here. Perhaps because I am now a demon and not a human anymore. Yet I will free them from their masters and replace them with me.' Ulbert reflected, determined to fulfill his goal.

'Conquering this world is no hard feat. I have barely met any resistance, and even if strong opponents come to fight me, I have the Seven Evil Lords with me as protection.' Additionally, he possessed his own personal realm, Hell, a sanctuary where he could escape, or so he thought.

As he walked, a man casually tossed a bag onto the street, its weight suggesting hidden contents. Curiosity piqued, he sent a Shadow Demon to investigate, but it yielded nothing.

'What is that?' Ulbert questioned himself. Curious, he sent a Shadow Demon to slit it open, yet nothing came out.

'Well then.' He mused and proceeded past it, only to feel a hand grip his own.

Glancing down, he beheld a frail, wretched hand reaching out from the bag, a beaten and sickly girl hidden within. Her blonde hair concealed her face, but Ulbert surmised that her visage likely mirrored the rest of her pitiful form.

'It seems she is asking for help. TouchMe would have helped her immediately, but I am not him.'

He continued to scrutinize the girl, studying her as his thoughts swirled.

Suddenly, a burly, scarred man emerged from a nearby house, the same individual who had discarded the bag onto the street. He was bulky and had a beard and a scar on his face. Perhaps a veteran soldier who turned criminal.

"What do you think you're doing?" He demanded in a threatening tone as if Ulbert had touched his property.

"What happened to this girl?" Ulbert inquired, his back still turned to the man.

"That is not of your concern. Now scrap off!" The man shouted. However, Ulbert remained standing, turning to face the man and revealing his ominous mask, his eyes aglow with a sinister crimson hue.

"I shall retrieve you of her burden." Ulbert declared, seizing the girl and hoisting her over his shoulder.

"W-Wait! You can't just take her! They'll kill me! Eight Fingers, I'm in deep with them. If they find out, they'll end me for sure." The man pleaded for his life, but Ulbert regarded him with utter disgust.

"You see yourself as the victim here? But perhaps I can help you out." Ulbert mocked. In a feigned gesture, he reached for his belt, and instead of coins, he brandished a dagger that found its mark between the man's eyes.

'I believe I can even do that much without the right job classes. But what to do now…'

He chose to return to the inn where he was staying, despite the countless stares he garnered while carrying the girl's lifeless body.

Arrived at the inn, he made his way to his room. Seeing that Blue Rose was not present at the moment was even better for him. He would not need to explain any of his actions.

He had purposefully taken the room far from any other, which also cost more than the regular ones, yet Ulbert had much to spare.

Inside the room, he gently placed the girl on the bed and contemplated his next action.

'Letting her back on the streets alone would not end well for her. I do not think she has any parents left or any siblings…Why do I do this? I just did exactly what TouchMe's slogan was!'

From his inventory, he retrieved a health potion, uncorked it, and poured it over the girl's frail body. Her wounds began to mend, yet she remained as skinny as before. It seems a healing potion cannot heal thinness.

'I guess she needs some food.' Ulbert surmised.

Returning moments later with a bowl of soup, he found the girl in the same position he had left her, unresponsive.

"I have food. You might eat it." He said, yet the girl did not react.

'She must be still asleep. Perhaps exhaustion is the cause.'

Ulbert waited patiently, employing a gentle fire spell to keep the soup warm, anticipating the moment the girl would wake up.

'I, Ruler of Hell, Grand Demon of Catastrophe, decide to help a girl I randomly found on the street? I cannot explain it; perhaps my past influenced this decision.'

As he recollected his life on Earth, anger washed over him. His parents had died, and the insurance payout had been insufficient, barely covering their legal obligations.

'Perhaps kindness is not always shown by the just, but also by the ones deemed evil.' He mused, his thoughts drifting as he awaited the girl's awakening.

He removed his mask, not wishing to startle her upon her awakening. His unblemished face was now revealed to potential onlookers, though none remained besides himself and the girl in his room.

Suddenly, he detected a sound emanating from the girl, her eyelids fluttering open as she gazed upon Ulbert with tired eyes.

At her reawakening, Ulbert greeted her with a warm smile.

"You are finally awake."

discord . gg / h6cpJ5d3xh

Here's my discord invitation code. Join if you're interested in becoming a proofreader of my next chapters, or you just want to hang around. Both work.