Chapter 74: finishing up prep!

Lower Fire Month, 6th Day, 600 AGG

Yuriko was up to something.

Well, to clarify, the angel had been up to something for the past several days. Draudillon's trust in her partner's intentions was absolute, but that didn't mean all of their decisions were well-thought out. 'She's been flying about quite a bit. I've heard the castle chefs mention her spending more time in the kitchens too…'

What were they looking for in the Viridian Expanse? She had asked only to be met with apologetic refusals asking her to wait for the seventh day of the month.

Tomorrow. Or actually, maybe she could exercise some extra force tonight and wiggle it out of them—

The dragon queen pushed the idle contemplation aside with a cough and leveled a stern gaze at the merchants prostrating themselves before her throne. Only a fraction of her Royal Court was present today due to various obligations, but those involved in the subject about to be broached were all in attendance. 'Martin and his assistants still need time to conclude treaty talks with the Beastman Country too.'

"You may raise your heads."

While her trustworthy minister, or 'minion' as Yuriko would say, was absent, she would have to be extra cautious with how she answered them. That said, she had already reviewed the relevant notes to the point where the parchment was getting to be slightly tattered, so there wouldn't be any issue.

"Your Majesty's splendor truly knows no bounds! May your kingdom shine gloriously for centuries to come—"

If nothing else, these merchants had certainly mastered the art of verbosity. Should she cut them off and jump straight to business? 'No harm in letting them continue; souring relations just to start a few seconds earlier would be foolish.'

Everybody present was already accustomed to this sort of proceeding anyway.

"—in any case, I and my peers wish to discuss the recent proposals that were submitted a while ago, Your Majesty."

"Formal trade agreements, is that right?" The three merchants, one from Baharuth, Roble, and Slane each, nodded. "All of you should have already received my approval to use our roads and facilities given that the demands we set out are obeyed."

"O-Of course!" Perera, the slender man from Southern Roble who was speaking on behalf of a Marquis Bodipo, wiped his forehead with a handkerchief. "We've pored over the drafts and wanted to confirm a few things like the tariffs…"

'It speaks volume of the Marquis's opportunism if he's reached out to us before even the Holy Queen has.'

"Thirty percent."

"Your Majesty, that's borderline robbery—!"

"Have you forgotten where you're kneeling?"

"N-No, Your Majesty…"

"In any case, this will also cover the cost of your escorts," Draudillon gestured at the angels in the throne hall. Was Calca Bessarez thinking of petitioning her and Yuriko in person during the festival? She felt a twinge of sympathy for the monarch whose kingdom also suffered, and was still suffering, at the claws of demihumans; among the rulers she knew, they were one of the few she respected. "Think of it as shipping insurance and tariff bundled up into one."

"If Her Majesty puts it like that, then the Crown intends to take responsibility if the angels fail their duties?"

'As expected,' Gasparo, the one merchant who had remained quiet until now, didn't flinch under her and her Court's eyes. 'The people of the Theocracy don't mince words.'

"How dare you insinuate—" Draudillon silenced the incensed courtier with a graceful wave of the hand.

"We'll insure your properties to a certain percentage depending on their traits and value. Your Merchant's Guild has guidelines that can be applied to such, correct?"

"It's as Her Majesty says," Gasparo agreed. "We did not wish to assume that Your Majesty would continue to use guild specifications as a basis for her trade policies. The current route seems to cross through this 'Shatterstone Pass' which I've heard is fraught with largely unknown perils."

"Fortunately for us, the beastmen have plenty of maps," her Court spitefully chuckled at that. "Besides, Shatterstone is but one of many routes."

"It's also the shortest, Your Majesty. And the other roads… well, the other roads don't exist if I may be so bold."

That was right. In the past, the Beastman Country had only sent minor warbands to conduct small-scale raids because there was no easy path connecting the two countries. The natural obstacles that Lesser Dragonspine and the forests and marshes that surrounded its base posed a logistical challenge to anybody who wanted to deploy an army to the opposite side.

Of course, that didn't stop the beastmen thanks to the magical constructs of their cursed Archives—the same arcane wonders she had failed to secure because the damn demihumans couldn't keep out a thief. 'It is what it is. Hardly a great loss if we never based any of our infrastructure around it.'

"You'll receive the honor of being trailblazers in that case. Exciting, no? To traverse and bring to heel a region even the demihumans could not."

"That may be so… excuse my impertinence, Your Majesty, but I've heard there were plans of building an outpost near the pass?"

Surprising how none of the three brought that up sooner. "Construction is currently underway. Is there anything else, or will that be the extent of your questions?"

The vast majority of the Draconic Kingdom consisted of farmers with livelihoods naturally tied to the land they cultivated. Because of how severely depopulated the eastern fringes of her kingdom was despite the angels' best efforts, shuffling peasants around became a necessity if she didn't want the east to devolve into an untamed wilderness.

Of course, the Royal Court and noble houses now had plenty of people to work with in the guise of refugees—a blessing if one didn't stop to consider the plight of those who'd suffered under the beastmen's ministrations.

"I believe that will be all," Gasparo glanced at his fellows who both shakily inclined their heads. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Draudillon waited for the three to be escorted out the throne room before continuing. "Since most of you present bear some stake in what was discussed earlier, are there any other concerns?"

As it turned out, her ever-steadfast nobles didn't have much in the way of immediate worries, but those they did were difficult to resolve. Matters like funds for new institutions and nascent industries, a lack of people to work their overgrown lands, and investments into the ventures planned for the Beastman Country.

Draudillon wished she'd assigned more administrators to aid the Treasurer. At the moment, she could only imagine how they were weeping under the heaps of documents dumped on them.

"The rest of you are dismissed," she bade the two Royal Guards follow her courtiers out the hall before slumping in the nigh onto two centuries old throne. "Blegh…"

"Blegh?"

"Blegh," Yuriko carefully closed the doors behind them and glided to where she sat. "Well, well, well. Look who we have here."

"Me!"

"You."

They plopped atop the throne's armrest, shifting a bit to allow her easier access to their side. Draudillon leaned against them and released a tired sigh. "Busy day?"

"Rather than asking if I had a busy day, you should ask if I hadn't," Draudillon's eyelids closed. "But I must admit I'm feeling somewhat more refreshed now."

"Yay," a gentle hand tenderly rubbed her head. "You've worked really hard today too, Drau."

"Puhaaa… and you? What have you been up to?"

"I, um, still preparing!"

"Still?"

"Mm, I have to find one last thing. Y-You don't have to worry though! I'm still keeping up with my studies and jobs—"

"Taking a few reprieves every now and then is fine," Draudillon firmly stated. "It's important, yes?"

"Mhm. It is."

"In that case, don't rush it," she rose from her throne and patted their cheek. "Do you have to leave now?"

"Sorry… I wanna get it done by tonight."

"I'll be waiting for your return then," Draudillon squashed the feeling of disappointment rising in her chest. It had been a long day, and she was looking forward to de-stressing. "Forget what I said about not rushing your task."

"No promises, but I'll try!" her partner giggled and brought out a cloth-covered basket emitting a pleasing aroma. "By the way, want one? Baked them a few weeks ago, and I forgot that I put them away, I think."

'A madeleine? So she's moving onto foreign cuisines now. I wonder if she'll ever decide to take this pastime to something beyond a mere hobby.'

Draudillon accepted the pastry and promptly put it in her mouth, savoring the buttery sweetness of the miniature cake.

"This is incredibly good…"


"You'd get the mother of all stomach aches if you ate this," Hamer separated a pile of innocuous berries from the soldier's collection. "It's got this kinda bitter smell, you see?"

'Or smell, I guess,' the once Gold-rank adventurer, now a specialist in the Draconic Kingdom under the service of the Dark Scale Dragon Lord, Draudillon Oriculus, watched the batch of trainees correct their errors.

"Like this, Sir?" Nadia, a sturdily-built woman not yet in her twenties, gestured at the redone categorizations. Hamer gave a grunt of approval and moved on to check on the rest of the group.

The people of the Draconic Kingdom learned quickly. They probably had to, if the alternative was getting munched on—although that seemed to be the usual outcome anyway.

"Once you guys are done, we'll do some more shooting exercises!" This was met with mixed responses: groans and cheers in equal amounts.

Hamer nodded to himself. It wasn't a surprise; some people simply had more aptitude for this branch of martial prowess than others. Furthermore, shooting training for rangers entailed more than merely pinning arrows to a target; they also needed to navigate difficult terrain while doing so.

'Need to finish up that report on their progress,' in accordance with the army's new policies, specialists had to track the development of those assigned to their tutelage. If someone completely lacked an inclination towards a vocation, they would be cycled to another group—repeating this process until a suitable job was found. "Ercan! You take Serikka, Demir, and Fethiye! Nadia, take Atif, Nasirl, and Immel!"

Two particular markers that they were commanded to focus on included the troops' capacity for Martial Arts and special 'skills' that were said to develop in accordance to a person's strength and needs.

The whole situation was nostalgic in a way. His old mentor, Surshana guide her soul, taught him in a similar manner; although, she was never in charge of this many people. To be fair, it took some time for the soldiers to warm up to him, an ex-adventurer.

'Can't blame 'em,' these were folks who had spent decades being predated upon by the beastmen: decades where most adventurers simply left them to their fates out of self-interest. "Spread out and take your positions!"

Hamer too, had been one of those adventurers—a 'dirty mercenary' he often heard whispered behind his back. Honestly, what did they expect him to do? An old man in his late-thirties wouldn't stem the beastmen hordes one lick. 'Only fucking crazies stayed. Like that Cerabrate fella and his team.'

Resentment surged within his breast. If only he too had the same heroic potential! The same pedigree that distinguished the common man struggling to acquire a modicum of power from those who crossed and touched heaven with ease! The sturdiness of arms that allowed mortal humans to stall armies!

If he too had that kind of strength then of course he would've stayed to defend the Draconic Kingdom! The sole reason for his team's hesitance to join the frontlines was because that would be a waste of their lives. What good was it to die a useless death for a doomed kingdom?

For that reason, he chose to join the Guild instead of being conscripted into the army. Spending his life traveling the lands, taking safe extermination jobs, escorting villagers, merchants, the occasional noble… that was the kind of life he wanted, not dying a dog's death to some sack of fleas.

The weak cursed the strong, and the strong scorned the weak.

That was how the world worked everywhere he went.

"Specialist Makarine!"

'Ugh… what's this now?'

He turned towards Sergeant Zorla's voice and promptly froze. "Lady Yuriko wishes to speak with a ranger! Fortunately, you were the nearest one!"

Zorla bowed to the Goddess—in the name of the Six and all the other lesser gods, it was the Goddess—before striding over to him, clasping him on the shoulder as they leaned in to mutter in his ear: "Don't fuck this up, specialist."

"Yes Sir," Hamer fought the urge to roll his eyes. 'No shit, idiot.'

"Hamer Makarine?" The ranger gulped in nervousness. All the tales of her he had heard fell far, far, far short of the real deal. "That's you, right?"

"Yes! Hamer Makerine at my Lady's command!" He fell to one knee on the forest floor. To speak less of her ethereal, untouchable beauty and melodious voice, the very fact she was occupying this space in front of him felt like he was kneeling before an unfathomable tree whose canopy pierced the clouds to envelop the stars.

"Mmm, you've been a ranger for a while then?"

"From childhood, Lady Yuriko," words began pouring out his mouth without pause. "A neighbor in my village took me in after my father was killed in a raid, and then I joined the Adventurer's Guild after she passed on into Surshana's embrace. There my team and I eventually became evaluated at Gold-rank performing monster exterminations, escort duties…"

His sudden outpour was hard to explain, or perhaps it was only because the one who asked him was the Goddess. Who in the Draconic Kingdom, citizen or not, would dare to refuse her answers?

"…now I serve in the army as a specialist. My old comrades have either chosen to migrate to the surrounding countries or take up positions within the retinues of noble house's."

"Oh, so you're one of the mercenaries Drau talks about," the angel mumbled to himself, but not soft enough to escape his sensitive ears. A bead of sweat rolled down Hamer's forehead. 'Drau?' That was referring to Queen Oriculus, wasn't it?

"I'm sorry for your loss," she raised her voice in sincere regret for him, a stranger she was meeting for the first time. "I could try to resurrect him, but Drau said I need to follow procedure or it'll get really messy…"

"Uh-Uhm, it's no problem. I wouldn't want to cut in front of others, Lady Yuriko. An adventurer like me is used to this sort of thing, after all."

'If they're that close, then what does it say about the Dragon Queen's authority?'

Didn't this mean the human Dragon Lord could act with impunity and dominate the entire region if she so desired? He doubted even Baharuth's mighty legions could pose more than a mild nuisance to the Goddess's heavenly host.

"A mercenary's life would be pretty tough," she inclined her head in agreement with his statement. "Drau doesn't bring up that part a lot, but—hrm."

"Err, mercenary is a little…" He couldn't find the right words to respond with. It seemed the Dragon Queen's champion had already made up their mind on adventurers. "E-Excuse my rudeness, but by 'Drau,' you were referring to Her Majesty?"

"Hmmm…" The Goddess considered him with a blank stare for a tad longer before jerking her head away. "Yeah. Forget about it. It's not important. I need some help, and everybody says rangers are good for this sort of thing."

'Surshana's bony ballsacks,' Hamer cursed to himself. 'She definitely dislikes me… and judging by her words, Her Majesty too.'

The latter wasn't surprising. Being an adventurer usually entailed garnering the ire of authority figures for various reasons: dissatisfaction with guild prices, needing to rely on lowborns to do what they couldn't, their 'selfishness' in refusing to tie themselves down to the Crown to name a few.

But for the Goddess, the Lady of Wings, an existence who stood above adamantite adventurers—no, heroes—as an ordinary person would above an ant to express her prejudice…

It was worrying. Worrying enough to make Hamer wonder if it would be safer to just annul the contract he'd signed with the Draconic Kingdom and run for his life. 'Calm down. You're overthinking things. She hasn't talked shit or anything. In fact, hasn't she been pretty damn polite?'

Hell, she even offered to resurrect his old man—

"—hellooo?"

"Yuh-Yes!" He snapped to attention, back straightening and hand brought up in a salute. "Hamer Makarine at your command!"

"Um… you said that already," her mouth twisted to one side. "Anyway, think you could help? If you're busy, that's okay. No pressure."

'No pressure, my ass!'

"Right! Uh, of course! How may I assist you?"

"What kind of tree do you think would look the nicest? I would look for something myself, but I'm pretty bad at divination, you see."

'What?' The unexpected question caught the ranger off-guard. For what unfathomable reason would they require a 'nice looking tree?' 'They say she can cast mythical magic of a caliber unseen since the Eight Greed Kings. Could her request be for some type of spell component? A ritual location?'

Whether it was or not, Hamer was certain that he did not have the expertise to give a satisfactory answer; thus, with such a sentiment in his heart, he touched his forehead to the grass and apologized.

"Lady Yuriko, forgive my lacking knowledge, but surely this question is better suited for someone with an eye for art or magic—"

"You're a ranger, aren't you?"

"I, that is, yes! But what Lady Yuriko is searching for is not something an average ranger can—"

"Can't you give it a shot at least?" She silenced his protest with a softly worded plea. "Please?"

With that, all routes of escape were now closed off.

"Yes, my Lady. I'll do my best!" Thankfully, there was a decent clearing fairly nearby. Being near her was taking years off his lifespan with how fast his pulse was racing. More than just her beauty, her presence alone exerted a formidable pressure. "There should be one in our vicinity."

Either he had fatally misremembered the layout of the forest, or being in close proximity to his guest made it difficult to properly pathfind, but it took them a few hours before finally reaching the glade. 'We must have walked for a kilometer… having to deal with all those monsters on the way too—she's not angry, is she?'

"Is that it?" Guess not. "That's a, um, I dunno actually."

"A willow, my Lady."

Of the ones he'd seen, this particular tree stood out. It was not taller than its neighbors, nor did it have some outstanding trait visible at first glance. In spite of the willow's apparent normalness, he couldn't help but to be drawn towards it.

"It looks nice," the Goddess pleasantly hummed. "I've never seen one before."

'Really? A primordial existence has never seen this type of tree?' Maybe the place they came from didn't have any.

"Alright!" She pumped a fist. "Let's get it dug out!"

"By ourselves, my Lady?" Hamer blanched as he realized his statement could be construed as an insult. "Uh, that is, I wonder if we should ask some soldiers for help."

"I don't wanna bother them with this. Think it'll be okay if I called over some nearby angels?"

"Though I'm sure my Lady is already aware of this, many of them are assisting with the military's training operations. However, it's not a problem if they need to attend to—"

"No, no, I get the idea… good thing I've got a bit of mana to spare!" She raised an arm and began chanting incantations of power, every one of them an exaltation to the heavens that she commanded.

"『Summon Angel Third』.『Summon Angel Third』.『Summon Angel Third』…"

Without further preamble, the Goddess weaved a flock of angels into being. With each word, light shaped itself to better suit the needs of the divine: mana became sanctified plate, wings, halos—all that constituted the holy messengers followers of the Six knew as 'angels.'

In a minute or two, a flight of bulky angels all bearing a pair of heavy, brutal gauntlets stood silently arrayed before them. Their appearances reminded Hamer of the Archangel Flames the clerics and priests of the Theocracy enjoyed employing, but these ones lacked the furious flames that burned underneath their helms and upon their wings. 'Plus those big ass gauntlets instead of swords too.'

"… and that should be enough!" She pulled out a large bucket and a handful of shovels from seemingly nowhere. "Alright, you guys get to uprooting that tree! Make sure to not damage anything!"

'Just what kind of angels are these?'

"Archangel Suppressors," Hamer jolted in surprise. Had he muttered his thoughts out loud? "They're stronger and bulkier than Archangel Flames—I'm guessing you've seen those before—but slower."

The Goddess laid the shovels on the ground where the Archangels picked them up, attuned to their master's intent without need for any spoken speech. "Alright, let's get closer just in case you can tell them when they're messing up."

"Me?"

"There's nobody else here," her brows scrunched in confusion. "I thought rangers knew stuff about trees and all."

"M-My Lady, I fear that you might be confusing my profession with a forester's."

"Oh…"

"Well, I do know a few basics," he hurriedly gestured at various sections of the willow. "First we'll want to prune the roots, I think? Got to do that and dig it out…"

It sounded nonsensical even to him, but the Goddess clapped her hands in—applause? "Okay, so a sword angel for cutting!『Summon Angel—eh?"

The cause for her surprise was soon made clear in the form of grass reaching out to grab the Archangel Suppressors. Their clumsy attempts to dodge were easily foiled as the willow's branches joined the verdant blades in entrapping them.

'Run,' his head and body were filled with that single overwhelming imperative. 'Get outta here!'

"『Ease Heart』," Hamer blinked as the strange fog clouding his mind gave way to confused clarity; his feet halting in their tracks. "『Greater Mind Protection』."

Half a heartbeat later, an aura of light flooded the glade, centered on the Goddess, and Hamer found his spirit invigorated with a resolute resolve beyond what her first two spells already imparted upon him. In this state, he believed that he could remain calm even in the face of an Ancient Dragon.

'One debuff removal and a buff. Then is this light some kind of ongoing area of effect spell? A passive trait of the divine?"

"You got charmed," the Goddess pushed him behind her with a firm arm, sharpened gaze stuck to the tree. "Doesn't look like they're hostile. Better safe than sorry though."

'Uoooh…' Hamer's face heated up. He was no stranger to being protected during his tenure as the ranger of Salamander's Claw, but the confidence in her posture and voice was like nothing he'd seen or heard before. 'Get a hold of yourself; wouldn't want to be lynched for blasphemy.'

The Archangel Suppressors eventually all broke out of the grass, beaches, and roots that entangled them—dropping their shovels in favor of their empyrean gauntlets as they prepared for combat.

"If you don't show yourself in five seconds, I won't hold back," she raised an open palm at the willow. "One… two… three—"

"I've yet to meet an outsider as brazen as you," the tree, no, the creature residing in the tree interrupted the countdown. "You would speak of killing me in front of my face and still have the audacity to act as if I'm the unreasonable one?"

Out the trunk of the willow appeared a fae-like woman with bark for skin and long, verdurous willow leaves for hair. Fathomless green eyes glared at the two of them: the dryad's disapproval the very embodiment of nature's ire.

" 'Kill?' We weren't gonna do that!" The Goddess argued. "We were gonna put you in a bucket with dirt and everything!"

"You were going to rip my roots and leave me to languish," the dryad retorted. "And how would you like it if some stranger forced you to move elsewhere without any thought for your own desires?"

Sweat rolled down Hamer's neck in fat beads. Wasn't he the person who provided faulty advice? Was the venerated nature spirit to suffer for his misdeeds? Going by difficulty ratings, this willow dryad didn't appear to exceed forty-five. 'Fifty-four at the most.'

Lady Yuriko had slaughtered legions of beastmen warriors and lords, many of whom could snap this pitiful spirit like a dry twig.

He had to speak up. Take responsibility before the Goddess grew sick of the dryad's disrespect.

"I wouldn't like that," Hamer exhaled in relief. Of course the deity wouldn't. Was she not the oversoul of piety and virtue? "Um, sorry. Didn't know there was a person living in this tree…"

"Even if there was not, you should cure yourself of ignorance before attempting again. Now that you know, please refrain from disturbing me any further."

"Okay, okay, but one question! What's your name?"

"Neralyn, but why do you care, interloper?" The dryad frowned, its long hair of elongated leaves agitatedly swaying even in the absence of wind. He hadn't expected it to be so forthcoming; perhaps it was because the spirit lacked social experience.

"Ehhh, it's normal to ask though? Like when you meet somebody, you'd ask for their name, wouldn't you?"

"Is that so…" Neralyn's dark green eyes narrowed. "Yet you yourself have not given your own, interloper."

" 'Cause you didn't ask."

"…"

"I'm Hanami Yuriko!" The Goddess extended her hand to the dryad who impassively stared at it. "But you can call me Yuriko!"

"Will you leave my tree alone if I call you that?"

"I'd leave it alone even if you don't," she lowered the proffered arm, letting it hang awkwardly by her side. "Sooo—"

"Out with it, Yuriko."

"Geez, it's like talking to Drau when she's super grumpy… wait, I could do a picnic instead," The Goddess muttered under her breath. Hamer noticed she brought up Queen Oriculus quite often: confirming his suspicions regarding her relationship with the draconic royal. "Tomorrow night, is it okay if I set up stuff around this clearing? And is it okay if I bring another person along and hang paper slips on your tree—"

"Hmph."

Neralyn melded back into the trunk of the willow without another word, leaving him and the Goddess to blink at the unmoving tree. "You think that was a yes?"

"I can't say for sure," dryads were tough to comprehend for seasoned rangers and druids who spent years living among a few, much less an ex-adventurer like himself who never stayed in any one place for long. "Nature spirits all have their differences, but I suspect that this one wouldn't mind as long as you don't cross the line."

"That makes sense. What's the line though?"

Hamer shrugged. Actually, wasn't he getting a tad too casual with the Goddess? "Each dryad is different in the same way humans are different from each other, although I suspect keeping their home 'pure' could never hurt."

"Pure, huh?" she glanced away from him and towards the tree. "Maybe I should ask Drau—no, it's supposed to be a surprise…"

'Agh, I'm no good at this sort of thing.'

"I'm sure it'll be okay," he hoped his attempt at reassurance wouldn't fall flat. "Worst comes to worst, you can just leave if they ask you to. Prepare a backup spot, yeah?"

"Good idea. A backup spot sounds smart," that was seemingly sufficient to restore the Goddess's mood. "You've gotta get back to work, right?"

"Another specialist can temporarily take charge of my trainees—"

"No, it's fine! Thanks for your help," Her arm vanished in a purple rift that appeared out of nowhere, seemingly rummaging around for a couple seconds before pulling it from what he assumed was an unfathomably advanced storage space. "I baked a bunch of these a few weeks ago, but they're still fresh! Promise!"

A powerful gust of wind swept across the forest glade, swaying his hair, the grass, and the leaves nearby. "Take care!"

Hamer numbly accepted the basket of pastries shoved into his hands and watched the Goddess take off, piercing the canopies to vanish as quickly as she'd popped up.

"I didn't even do that much…" Were the deities all this capricious? "Didn't know she'd be so easy to get along with though."

The ranger took a bite out of the—he wasn't quite sure what it was exactly, but it easily crumbled in his mouth. His face twisted in a grimace as he chewed while fighting the urge to gag and spit the confection on the ground.

"Way too sweet…"


AN: Hello everyone! I'm back with another shoutout: "Misfits and Mischief" by heron_zone. It follows an OC who has some Nazarick affiliation but that group will not show up in the near future, so you get a fun (and sad) adventure of her in the NW interacting with the NW cast! It's got some good canon characterization, and I found myself really enjoying reading it.

And of course, thank you all for continuing to read Fallen Down!