Chapter 10. Goddess Ilias' journey to redeem the world commences!
A breakfast of sandwiches and herbal tea allowed us to calm down a bit. After that, it was time for a strategy meeting.
"Luka, before anything else, you need to take me to a high mountain. If I call out from there, my faithful servants will surely rush to aid me."
Ilias was eager to return, but... Luka's expression turned somber.
"Uhm... Ilias... that probably won't work."
"Why not? Even in this form, I can, at the very least, send a telepathic message to an angel. At worst, it would still be fine as long as I borrow some of your power."
Alice, meanwhile, was amused at Ilias struggling with her predicament. However, leaving the ones who cast the Six Ancestors' Great Seal on her unchecked presented a considerable problem, so for now, she just quietly watched.
"In that form, low-level angels won't recognize you. Or rather, in my world, the only ones who could identify you at first sight were Eden and Micaela. The other angels... thought you were a pretender and attacked.
"I-Is that true!? Are my angels so incompetent they would not even recognize their Goddess' plight!?"
Though Ilias was furious, it couldn't be helped. Weakened, and her form changed, she could provide no proof beyond her word. Alice, on the other hand, appeared to positively relish seeing her in such a situation.
"Kukuku... Those are quite the subordinates you have there, Ilias."
"Silence, vile Monster Lord! Do tell just how many of your subordinates actually know you!"
"Alice, please stop provoking her for now; we won't get anywhere like this..."
But even if Alice understood the importance of the topic, she was unable to suppress her exultation, poking fun at Ilias as a result.
"So, realistically speaking, our options are... to have you either come along with us or for you to go into hiding somewhere."
"Following you aside, a place I would be able to hide at does not... does not..." She wanted to say none existed but then realized one did, causing her face to go pale.
"N-N-N-No! You cannot possibly mean to send me to Micaela!? If I were to be struck by the Blade of Heaven in this form, not even a speck of dust would remain!"
Ilias resumed trembling with a pale face, Alice watching the scene in disbelief. Now that I thought of it... she was afraid of Micaela in the other world, too, wasn't she?
"Well, how about living in my house in Iliasvi— "
"Where anyone can come by as they please to murder me!?"
"...I guess that's true." After all, this Goddess had an absurd amount of enemies. If she were to be left undefended, she would surely be attacked. So the only realistic option left was...
"Then do you want to travel with us? At the very least, Alice and I should be able to handle any monster meandering about here, or anything short of Great Monster War-level monsters, for that matter."
"Hey, I have no intention of protecting her, you know."
"Come on, don't be like that, Alice... won't you do it as a favor to me?"
"Hmph."
'So we will be traveling together after all,' Ilias mused. 'I would need to gather information regardless, and Luka already invited me before this, too. Being with the Monster Lord as well is unpleasant, but her power, at least, is certain. I could use her as a distraction if I were to be attacked,' she schemed.
"Very well, Luka. I bestow upon you the honor of journeying alongside this Goddess. Protect me well, and I promise that upon retrieving my power, you shall be allowed a life free of any and all discomfort in heaven."
"...That is quite a lot of grandstanding for someone in need of protection," Alice said, astonished by her attitude despite being shrunk.
Luka, on the other hand, was already used to traveling in parallel worlds, so he only responded with a wry smile as he remembered just how naive he had been at the start. However, before heading to the nearest settlement, he realized one more important thing to take care of beforehand.
"Right, we should decide on an alias for Ilias."
"Why would I have to take on a fake name!?"
"If we were to call you Ilias in that small form, wouldn't any angels watching over the surface world react something along the lines of, 'How dare you assume that name!?' and attack?"
Though her face went red in protest, she could picture the scene Luka described all too easily, so with a sense of resignation, Lolias thought of a fake moniker.
"...Fine. It is with great reluctance that I hide my exalted name, but... as long as I remain in this form, you may call me Iris."
"Alright."
"Hmm, very well, little angel Iris."
"Grrr..."
'With that, all the important stuff was taken care of. Common sense... she could just learn while making various mistakes of her own. Regardless of what else one might say about her, Ilias did acclimate relatively fast back in my world,' Luka thought as he packed up all the luggage.
"Alright, now that we have a plan, let's get moving."
"Indeed, I cannot wait to taste the specialties on Sentora."
"To be forced to stain my feet with dirt—I will remember this humiliation, Black Alice, Promestein!"
And so, the journey of the strange trio began.
"W-Wait, Luka, Monster Lord!... Y-You are walking too fast!"
The road ahead was not without its difficulties.
"Despite being a port town that bears my name... it seems so utterly deserted."
It was the first town Ilias visited in the lower world. For such a town to bear her name... elicited anger and sadness in equal measure.
"Ah, how regrettable... to be unable to put the perpetrator of such an atrocity to death..." Due to the secret agreement with the Dark Goddes not to interfere directly, she had been unable to do anything but grit her teeth. And now, she did not even have the power to do anything.
Likely not happy about the situation either, Alice immediately went off to buy fried fish, shellfish, soup, and other such food from stalls around the area. It seemed that her restraint had suffered even further now that she had obtained some treasure. Watching that scene, a certain Goddess also became hungry, pulling on Luka's sleeve.
"Luka... Luka, can you hear me? I am currently speaking to you in a whisper. You are to offer up something of favorable flavor among these things."
"Alright, alright, I'll get something for you."
Having already expected something to that extent, Luka bought two skewers that looked good, judging by how they were cooked, their aroma, and the salt sprinkled on them. He then handed over the one that seemed more delicious out of the two.
"Hmm, having to bite into it directly, how barbaric... Munch, munch... Ah, delicious~"
She ultimately still seemed satisfied, which was the most important thing. With some relief, Luka also took a bite.
Ilias, meanwhile, curiously looked around the town. It was the first town she had seen since she had descended, and the perspective, as well as the things she saw, seemed entirely different.
When they happened upon a weapon shop, she asked for a dragon-scale bow. Considering her stature, melee combat would have been a reckless choice, which was apparently why she chose a bow. Fortunately, Luka was able to pay due to the treasure he retrieved from the cave, but he was still forced to part with a not insignificant sum.
"It cannot be helped due to my current weakness. Still, executing monsters with my own hands is an enjoyable prospect. Luka, once we cross over to Sentora, I will give it a try, and you shall aid me."
"Just so long as you don't overdo it, okay?"
With a wry smile, he went looking for a suitable ship. But even when Luka found a ship able to depart and told the sailors about Poseidon's Bell, the captain refused to set sail. Luka wasn't quite sure what to do as they had previously been easy to convince with the bell in hand, but a magical suggestion instilled by Alice allowed them to depart without further incident.
It was only an approximately one-day boat trip to the continent of Sentora. Alice and Ilias, both of whom were riding on a ship for the first time, seemed to have no particular complaints either, observing the ship and the sea with a curious look. Ilias, in particular, was happy to receive cookies and candies from the sailors due to her small and cute body.
"Fufufu, it seems a Goddess' overwhelming sanctity cannot be concealed so easily. Just look at all the tribute I received!" she said, happily eating out of a drawstring pouch full of candy.
Picking up the scent, Alice unceremoniously reached out her hand and snatched it from the side.
"Ah!? What are you doing!?"
"Kukuku... Quite delicious, I must admit."
"Return that at once! Give it back!"
Ilias jumped up to try to take back the bag that was held out of her reach but to no avail. Alice smugly looked down at her, stuffing her cheeks with candy... what a petty conflict.
"U-Uuh..." Ilias went teary-eyed, and a number of cold glares from all around pierced the Monster Lord.
"How awful..."
"What kind of person just steals from a child?"
"What a glutton."
Alice eventually returned the bag, feeling awkward, and went back to watching the sea with a huff. Incidentally, Luka was busy cooking, cleaning, and tidying the ship, taking full advantage of his skills as Flavor Emperor and Perfect Maid, as he had felt bad about making the sailors work without giving anything in return. As a result, both the sailors and the captain pleaded with him to keep working on their ship.
"And that's how you use magic to deprive your opponent of his sight in a multifaceted way. As for how to convert the magical energy..."
"Like this?"
Luka learned Demon Eyes of Darkness.
With the sun setting beyond the horizon and night settling over the ship, Luka learned another skill.
"Indeed. You are quick to learn, as always. Needless to say, eyes provide a great deal of information, and as such, disabling them is a useful tool against many opponents... However, since it is a quite popular method of interference, you can be safe to assume that high-level monsters likely have countermeasures in place."
"Figures. Even back over there, status effects like these didn't really work much against strong opponents."
"Ah... Once again, you learn such techniques steeped in evil... but very well. You may use that power to vanquish monsters."
Though annoyed at learning a monster's skills, it seemed she was willing to accept it as long they were still aimed at them. Ilias had wanted to impart some skills of her own but was disappointed upon hearing that he had already learned quite a few angel skills in his world.
As they were spending such a leisurely time, all of a sudden, the sea began to rage. As if the quietness that had prevailed until just now was just an illusion, a stormy wind began to blow around them. However, thanks to Poseidon's Bell, the ship was entirely unaffected. I had experienced its protection once before, but the two who had not, seemed considerably impressed.
A whirlwind approached, carrying a figure within. The three of us looked toward the bow, where it touched down and dispersed, a beautiful Yoma remaining in its place.
Alma Elma appeared!
"You are..."
"The Queen of succubi, Alma Elma!"
Luka eyed her cautiously, and Ilias shot her an angry glare while Alice stood to the side, her arms crossed as she watched.
"I see... so you are that human. Fufu... as expected of someone Alipheese took a liking to... you look delicious... and that little girl over there, might she be an angel? I've always wanted to try gobbling one up~."
"How dare you call this Godd—"
"Iris!? Shh, shh!"
I frantically blocked her mouth as she was about to call herself a Goddess. Even if she had a particular dislike of succubi, her identity being found out right now might lead to Alma Elma making a serious attempt to eat her.
Alma Elma watched with amusement, licking her lips, and then looked toward Alice.
"Lady Alipheese. In accordance with your orders, we may exterminate any of those Heroes that bring harm to monsters as we see fit... May I assume the execution of those orders is acceptable?"
"...I make no exceptions. Ultimately, I am merely observing this ang... vam... chime... hu..man."
For some reason, she hesitated a lot while declaring me a human.
"Heh... I don't think that's the case, but understood. That's how it is, Luka-boy. I won't let you pass through these waters."
"...As for my part, I'd like you to stop sabotaging the ships. What you are doing is causing trouble for far more people than just Heroes, part of them losing their livelihoods over this. At this rate, the hatred of monsters will just unnecessarily increase."
My words caused her eyes to narrow.
"As much as you may say that, the Heroes produced in Ilias Temple cause mayhem all over. If they keep springing up, no matter how many of them we exterminate, the only choice we have left is to stop their source, no?"
"...The baptism won't be occurring for a while regardless, but... I guess neither of us is willing to cede our point no matter what. So then..."
"That's right. You'll have to try forcing me to see things your way, won't you?" She giggled, seeming unconcerned.
Perhaps she hadn't heard all the details from Granberia since, even though she was displaying some level of ability, she was still clearly holding back, about to the same extent as our fight in the Colosseum. If she were to get serious, I might be at a disadvantage with my current equipment, so... better strike before she does!
"The story of a hero. Traveling the world, bonding with spirits, and defeating evil. His name was..."
Luka told an Epic Tale! The party is filled with courage!
"Oh my, do you think you can just leisurely chant in front of your opponent?"
Alma Elma used Demon Eyes of Charm! It did not affect Luka!
"H-Huh?"
Since the chant hadn't exhibited any obvious result, Alma Elma had decided to just casually try to charm him but was surprised to find it completely nullified. But it was only to be expected that, since he was currently fighting alone, and thus any debilitating status effects could prove fatal, he activated every immunity ability he had. Neither charm, seduction, trance, paralysis, nor sleep could affect him now. Amidst Alma Elma's surprise, Luka closed the distance.
"The earth's rumble in my hand—Earth Diamond Fist!"
"ACK!?"
Alma Elma took 50851 damage!
Imbuing his fist with a succubus' weakness, earth, he struck a powerful blow against her stomach, causing her to bend inward and be blown away... but she quickly rose back up.
"Aha...Ahahahahah, I see. So that's why Granberry wouldn't talk to me, and Tammy was being so vague."
"...Hmph. It is your own fault for being so careless despite noticing that, idiot."
"Forgive me for showing you such a shameful sight, Lady Alipheese. Yes, yes, next time, I will be sure not to hold back. Sorry about that, Luka-boy; restraining oneself has to have its limits, right? I will make sure you are properly entertained next time, so let's leave it at that for today, alright?"
In a flash, she approached Luka and planted a kiss, separating just as quickly as she came.
"T-That's fine and all, but... would you stop it with the storms now?"
She giggled at his red face, but it went ignored for the moment.
"Let's see... I wouldn't really feel like stopping normally... but you said something about the baptism not happening for a while; is that right? I don't think Luka-boy would spout such a silly lie... might that little angel be related in some way?"
As Alma Elma turned to look at her, Ilias shivered and hid behind Luka, fearing that the wicked fox might come get her if she made some careless remark. Instead, she tried her best to repel Alma Elma with only a glare.
Seeing that, Alma Elma giggled once more, causing Ilias' anger to bubble up.
"Well, since I lost, I don't really have any right to refuse, so I'll stop for you, Luka-boy... I won't hold back next time, so do your best to get your equipment in order, alright?"
With a final thrown kiss, she disappeared in a burst of wind just as she came. The storm stopped moments later.
"...Ah... I somehow managed to pull through..."
To be honest, a serious fight on this ship wouldn't merely be troublesome but might have caused it to sink altogether. Along with my lack of confidence in my equipment, It was a relief she had retreated for now.
"It appears Alma Elma has also taken a liking to you. How nice for you, Luka. You sure are popular."
"Yes, how nice for you."
"Could you two not give me such stony looks while saying something like that!?"
Even though the match between Hero and Heavenly Knight had not met a proper conclusion... The ships being able to travel between continents again was enough cause to celebrate, I thought as I watched the once more quiet sea.
Meanwhile, at the Monster Lord's Castle.
"I'm back~. Luka-boy beat me up~."
"...So you went to see Luka, too. Let me guess, you went at him half-heartedly and met a painful counter?"
"Ohohoh, a cute lad, isn't he? So strong and tasty, he's good enough that I might just seriously decide I want him as my lover."
"Eh!? You already had a taste, Tammy?"
"..."
Alma Elma was surprised, along with unexpectedly sincere frustration, while Granberia stared at Tamamo with a considerably grumpy face. Knowing this, the fox decided to throw even more fuel on the fire.
"Yep, as thanks for some Aburaage and Inarizushi, I let him enjoy my cute and pretty fluffy tails, and then, I wasn't really able to hold back, you see..."
"...So, how was his equipment?"
"It was much better than the iron sword and regular clothes he had when you met him, but I'm sure he'll find something better still."
"I see." That was all Granberia asked before turning on her heel.
"Oh? Where might you be going?"
"...Considering how much you two seem to have enjoyed yourself, I am going to test how much his new equipment is worth." With that said, she disappeared, having used her teleportation magic.
"Oh my, there goes Granberry, off to fight for personal reasons again. I wonder if everyone isn't a bit lacking in awareness of their position as a Heavenly Knight?"
"The same goes for you, doesn't it?"
"Haha~ I guess you might be right about that, Tammy. Also... might you know an angel called Iris? She seemed to be rather fond of Luka-boy."
"...Iris, you say?"
An angel she did not know... or rather, judging by the sound of the name...
"How intriguing... Would you tell me some more?"
...
What might become of Ilias with Tamamo finding out about her so quickly!?