Gestation time and the movement of factions
After engulfing the bone fragment that contained Darcia's spirit, the root of life formed a sphere inside the cylindrical case and began quietly pulsing away.
"It will likely take about the same amount of time as it takes for a human baby to be born, but your mother will be resurrected with a new body," said Gufadgarn.
"So, ten months and a bit?" said Vandalieu, giving an emotional nod.
Approximately ten years had passed since Darcia was killed. Her spirit would only have maintained itself for about a hundred years, so Vandalieu had been working hard towards the goal of resurrecting her before then. He had placed his hopes in Vida's resurrection device in Talosheim, but as it had been destroyed, things had been quite difficult.
But now, Darcia would be resurrected in a little over ten more months. In fact, she had already been resurrected in the sense that she was now a living organism again.
Of course, Vandalieu felt the sense of not being able to wait that long. There were many things that he wanted to do with his mother and do for her once she gained a physical body again. But he knew that he needed to wait if it was going to take just ten more months.
He had the ability to cast spells like Inanimate Aging and Aging, which accelerated time around their targets. But there was no denying the possibility that using these spells could cause problems with Darcia's new body.
"I can't afford to risk delaying our reunion for a long time to come for the chance of speeding it up ten months… Speaking of time, what will happen to Mom's lifespan?" Vandalieu asked, this question suddenly occurring to him.
"It wouldn't be strange for her lifespan to become unlimited like ours," said Eleanora. "The root of life is compatible with Elves, who also have long lifespans, right? With a Dark Elf soul, materials from high-Rank monsters, Orichalcum bones and even the blood of a goddess… There's no way that she will live for only a millennium or two."
"There are already other races with unlimited lifespans, like Vampires and us Majin, so I believe that it is not out of the question," said Iris, agreeing with her.
It seemed that the two of them were already certain that Darcia would be resurrected not as a Dark Elf, but as a new race altogether.
"And Vandalieu, you can extend her lifespan for as long as you want, right? Just like you did to Zadiris and Tarea," said Vigaro.
Youth Transformation, which removed and reversed the effects of aging from the body. At first, Vandalieu had hidden the existence of this spell, but it was now known throughout the region inside the Boundary Mountain Range… because if one wanted to live a long life, transforming into a member of one of Vida's races would be more reliable than having their age reversed.
Those who already had long lifespans were not that concerned with extending their lives. Even if they died, their souls would likely return to Vandalieu, and they could simply become Undead if they still had an attachment to this world.
And as for the risk of this information leaking outside the Boundary Mountain Range… It wouldn't change the Amid Empire being an enemy nation, so Vandalieu had decided that it wouldn't make any difference.
"That is true, but Youth Transformation simply reverses aging; it doesn't increase the length of her lifespan," said Vandalieu. "It would be very problematic if her lifespan was extremely short."
"I believe it best you do not use it too much," murmured Zadiris.
"Yes, it would be problematic if she were to become addicted to it," muttered Tarea, looking away.
The two of them had experienced Youth Transformation before. It was supposed to be a medical procedure, but…
"Well, even if it is short, a few decades would be enough, right? If you think it's too short, you can use that time to research and find ways to extend her lifespan," said Zandia. "I'm sure things will work out; it's got to be simpler than bringing someone back to life to begin with."
Vandalieu nodded in agreement. Perhaps it was strange, but in this world, immortality was a simpler goal to achieve than resurrecting the dead.
"Incidentally, what will become of the Trial of Zakkart?" Zadiris asked.
Normally, Dungeons would continue to exist forever once they appeared.
But this was a labyrinth that was personally managed by Gufadgarn, the evil god of labyrinths, and it was through his power that it Teleported around the world. There was no guarantee that it would follow the same rules as other Dungeons.
As for the answer to Zadiris's question, it seemed that Gufadgarn would indeed stop managing the Trial of Zakkart. It was a normal Dungeon; it would continue to function even after he left it, but some of the trials… for example, the ones that involved the mind, such as the hollow image trial, would no longer exist.
In addition, some of the monsters such as Gufadgarn's embodiment would no longer appear.
From this point on, it would be an S-class Dungeon that existed in the Dark Elf nation.
"But if I come to manage the Dungeon once more, it will function as it did before," said Gufadgarn. "I shall move this workshop to a place of your choosing, Vandalieu. Please give me the command once you have made the necessary preparations."
It seemed that he was ready for the command to be given at any time.
"Then I suppose it would be best to have it connected to the workshop beneath the castle," said Vandalieu. "By the way, what will you do from now on, Gufadgarn? Would you like to build a church or statue for your worship?"
"Such honor is more than I deserve, my lord. But I shall not do this."
There was no church for Gufadgarn, the evil god of labyrinths. The Dungeons that he had created served as his churches.
The creation of labyrinths was Gufadgarn's authority as a god, and they were a symbol of his worship. The anger and fear felt by people that were threatened by Dungeons, the joy felt by those who earned their keep inside them and the sense of fulfillment felt by those who defeated the monsters inside them and grew stronger – these emotions became Gufadgarn's strength.
Several evil gods with the same authority as him, such as the evil god of demon castles, had been sealed away. Thus, much of the emotions that people felt towards Dungeons was directed to Gufadgarn. This was especially true ever since he had created the Trial of Zakkart and began Teleporting it around the world.
The truth was that Gufadgarn, like the evil god of release Ravovifard, was one of the gods who had successfully become more powerful than they had been during the age of the gods.
Leaving that aside, the question at hand was what Gufadgarn would do from this point on, now that he had refused to have a statue of him built.
"However, I shall ask permission to serve you at your side, just like everyone here," said Gufadgarn, standing close to Vandalieu.
"… What shall we do, Bocchan? If I am to be honest, I feel an odd pressure coming from him right now," said Sam.
It was only natural that Gufadgarn would want this now that he was Vandalieu's servant, but there were many problems with having a god so nearby.
Gufadgarn released a physical pressure into his surroundings. The only reason Sam and the others were not unperturbed by this was because they were considerably powerful themselves, and because Gufadgarn had erased his own presence as much as possible.
But even so, he would cause ordinary people nearby to be paralyzed or lose consciousness.
"Hmm, I understand your wishes, but –" Vandalieu began, intending to refuse Gufadgarn's request.
"Rest assured. I have used the Dungeon's monster generating function to prepare a vessel for myself with the appearance of a human. I will reside in this vessel once I have taken care of the Trial of Zakkart," said Gufadgarn.
"I see. That would work," said Vandalieu.
It seemed that Gufadgarn had made meticulous plans of what he would do once he found the next Zakkart.
"Even this form is not my original form," said Gufadgarn. "I was ordered by the first Zakkart to take a form that can be directly looked upon; this is the form closest to a human's that I could take with the power that I possessed at the time."
"Just curious, what was your original form?" Rita asked.
Gufadgarn contemplated for a moment before answering, unable to immediately explain his previous form using the language of Lambda. "According to Zakkart, I was a creature resembling a spider or scorpion but not quite like either, made of masses of colored glass that were heptahedrons and hendecahedrons in shape."
"H-hepta? Hendeca? Nee-san, what kind of shapes are those again?" Rita asked her sister.
"I don't know. Do you know, Bocchan?" Saria asked Vandalieu.
"… I don't know either, and wouldn't that shape be impossible to recreate with this world's laws of physics?" said Vandalieu.
Gufadgarn now had the form of something resembling a human-shaped Golem, but before he met Zakkart, his appearance had apparently been a grotesque one that caused damage to the minds of humans that looked at him.
"About my vessel, it is currently in a form that complied with the previous Zakkart's wishes. However, I can still make adjustments to it now," said Gufadgarn.
"I think it will be fine as it is," said Vandalieu. "I won't say anything other than wanting muscles, and I think it would be best for you to have a form that is easy to reside in."
"Very well."
Vandalieu would come to regret this decision later, but that was still some time away.
"Ah, one more matter. I am in possession of one sealed fragment of the Demon King. What shall we do with it?" Gufadgarn asked. "It seemed that you were using them during your conquest of the Dungeon."
Gufadgarn possessed power equivalent to one of the great gods, but back when the fragments of the Demon King were first sealed, he had not possessed much. And after the war with Vida's forces, he had created Vida's Resting Grounds and several other Dungeons, then fallen into a deep sleep from which he had only awoken a hundred years ago.
Thus, in the past, he had been entrusted with only a single sealed fragment.
"Ah, please give it to me," said Vandalieu.
"Very well."
It happened without warning, just as everyone was relaxing, having finished cleaning up after their meal.
Heinz glanced at the Magic Item that indicated the next location that the Trial of Zakkart would teleport to and saw that it had stopped reacting. "Hmm? Has the Trial Seeker run out of Mana?"
The needle, which was supposed to point continuously towards one spot, was now wandering aimlessly like the hands of a broken clock as Heinz turned the Trial Seeker in his hands.
Edgar, who had been whistling, stopped and looked at Heinz. "Well, it's fine, right? We already know where the Trial of Zakkart is going to appear," he said.
Indeed, the party already knew where the Trial of Zakkart would next appear, so there was little meaning in constantly having the Trial Seeker active.
Even so, since it didn't require that much Mana, pouring Mana into the Trial Seeker and checking the location where the Trial of Zakkart would appear had become a daily ritual for Heinz.
But the magic crystal inside the Trial Seeker was completely filled with Mana, unable to contain any more. Even so, the needle's response did not return.
"What does this mean? There is Mana in it, but it's not working," said Heinz, noticing that something was wrong.
"Is it broken?" said the Dhampir girl Selen, sounding worried.
"It is not an item that would be broken so easily, but… Heinz, please show it to me," said the Elf Diana who was a priestess of Mill, the goddess of slumber.
She was adept enough in the use of the Alchemy Skill to perform maintenance on Magic Items.
She examined the Trial Seeker.
Magic Items were generally far less easily broken than ordinary items. It depended on the item, but the Trial Seeker was something that would be fine even if worn during battle, as long as an attack did not land directly on it.
That was why even Diana seemed doubtful, but she began examining the Trial Seeker just like every other time she performed maintenance on a Magic Item.
"There is not even a scratch on the magic crystal, and there is nothing wrong with the magic circle drawn on it. Perhaps there is a problem in the contact between the needle and the magic circle?" she said, but in the next moment, her face turned pale. "This is… Why? This is strange, why… Could it be…?"
"Diana, what's wrong? Your face is pale as a sheet; did something happen to the Trial Seeker?" asked Delizah, the Dwarf shield-bearer.
Diana looked up, a shocked expression on her face. "It is… working as normal!"
"What?! … Don't make jokes like that, it's ill-omened. It's unusual for you to make jokes, though, Diana," said Delizah, giving a bitter smile at what she thought was Diana's joke.
But Diana's face was so stiff that it was difficult to imagine that she was acting.
"I am not making a joke! The Trial Seeker is functioning normally as we speak!" she said.
Heinz and his companions could not understand the meaning of her words right away.
No, perhaps they didn't want to.
The Trial Seeker, which was supposed to point at the place that the Trial of Zakkart would appear next, was functioning normally and yet not pointing at anything. This could only mean that there was no next appearance for the Dungeon.
But unable to refuse to think about the meaning of Diana's words forever, Edgar opened his mouth. "Could it be… the Trial of Zakkart was conquered. Bellwood's successor… Someone other than Heinz was chosen," he whispered in a daze.
With his words, the fact that the Trial of Zakkart would not appear here began to spread.
The members of the radical faction that Heinz had convinced to join the peaceful faction held their heads and stared at the sky as they shouted in grief.
"Th-that's impossible! There is nobody who is more fit to become Bellwood's successor than Heinz-dono!"
"Have the gods forsaken us?!"
"W-who in the world conquered the Trial of Zakkart? They could be from the Orbaume Kingdom, but if it is someone from the Amid Empire… With Bellwood's successor leading the charge, they could attack the Sauron Duchy once more – no, the entire Orbaume Kingdom!" said a servant of one of the noblemen supporting Heinz, chewing his fingernails in fear.
They were trying to keep themselves composed, but they were almost panicking as they imagined the worst possible future for themselves.
Selen called out to Heinz and his companions, looking worried. "Heinz-oniichan, everyone…"
She was happy that Heinz and his companions would not be risking their lives, but she also knew that they had spent a long time preparing to conquer the Trial of Zakkart.
She knew that this meant that they could no longer avenge Martina, who had passed away before Selen was saved by Heinz and his companions.
They were shaken, but she didn't know what to say to them.
The martial artist Jennifer stared at the valley surface where the Trial of Zakkart was supposed to appear, her eyes filled with regret. But she was the first to regain her senses; she gave a sigh and closed her eyes.
"… It's alright, Selen," she said. "It's not like we're going to die. Having your prey taken by someone else is something that happens to adventurers from time to time."
"That is right. I am sorry to the people who have supported us, but we have not failed a request or caused deaths," said Diana, agreeing with Jennifer as she knew that there was nothing to be done about things that had already come to pass.
But it wasn't that there were no problems whatsoever with the party not being able to face the Trial of Zakkart.
"That's true… We might not be able to do anything about Martina anymore. But there's the peaceful faction, the Church of Alda and all that. What are we going to do about them?" said Delizah with a deeply bitter expression on her face.
In addition to avenging Martina, Heinz and his companions had wanted to face the Trial of Zakkart so that Heinz could become the successor to the heroic god Bellwood, making the peaceful faction's views mainstream so that Alda's believers would be tolerant towards Vida's races.
Even in the Orbaume Kingdom, where Vida had many believers, there was a firmly-rooted prejudice against Vida's races that originated from monsters. Heinz and his companions wanted to eliminate that prejudice and create a world where Dhampirs like Selen could live freely.
And they had hoped that in the deepest chamber of the Dungeon, they would be granted an audience with Alda, the god of law and fate, and Bellwood himself, where they would be able to question them about Vida's races.
If Vida's races were evil, why had Alda given his divine protection to Heinz, who had joined the peaceful faction? He wanted to confirm the gods' intentions.
The fact that this was now impossible was no small matter.
"But the fact that someone has conquered it is something to be celebrated. There will be no more lives lost by those facing the Trial of Zakkart. It would be problematic if the one who has conquered the trial and become Bellwood's successor is a member of the radical faction and opposes what we are trying to achieve, but… we'll know soon," said Heinz.
Someone had conquered the Trial of Zakkart, the most famous Dungeon in the world. Even if it had been conquered by someone from outside the Bahn Gaia continent, rumors of it would have spread quickly.
Because he had faced the Trial of Zakkart once before, Heinz knew that it was not a Dungeon that a nameless adventurer or knight could conquer. No matter what kind of miracles happened inside the Dungeon, it would be impossible for anyone weaker than an A-class adventurer.
Since such people would already have nationwide fame, the news of their success in the Dungeon would spread quickly. If they were like Randolf 'the True,' who hated drawing attention to themselves, they would not have faced the Trial of Zakkart in the first place.
"Well, you're right. There's nothing to be solved by making a bunch of noise here. Sorry for being all shaken up," said Edgar, the last to return to his senses. "Oi, you guys! I know it's rich coming from me, but calm down! Making a bunch of noise here is just a waste of time! Let's start preparing to move everything out!" he said to the people who were still in confusion, calming them down.
"Sorry for making you worry, Selen. Let's go back to the city for now. As for what comes after that, let's think about it there," said Heinz.
"Okay!" said Selen, giving an energetic nod.
Just as she took Heinz's hand and took a step forward, a pillar of light descended from the sky.
"Familiar Spirit Descent?!" Edgar shouted.
"No, it's not!" Heinz shouted back. "There's nobody there where the pillar of light descended… is that a Dungeon entrance?! Could it be… the Trial of Zakkart?!"
The pillar of light had descended right in the valley where the Trial of Zakkart had been supposed to appear. Within the pillar of light was a gate made of white stone that looked as if it were part of a temple.
"Oi, Heinz?!"
"No, it's not the Trial of Zakkart," said Heinz, shaking his head as he looked at the Trial Seeker. "The needle isn't moving, just like before. And that entrance has a different shape and color from the Trial of Zakkart, and the sign is missing."
"Maybe it was refurbished…? Or not," said Delizah.
Everyone had been excited for a moment, thinking that the Trial of Zakkart had appeared, but nobody could deny Heinz's words.
Normally, Dungeons did not undergo significant changes after they appeared, with the exception of gaining additional floors. At most, the structure of the labyrinths inside might change.
It was unheard of for Dungeon entrances to change their appearances. The only exception was the appearance of a sign at the entrance of the Trial of Zakkart, but that was about it.
Thus, the Dungeon that had appeared here was not the Trial of Zakkart.
"But then, what is that Dungeon? I've never heard of a Dungeon appearing with what looks like a Familiar Spirit Descent. There are almost no records of the actual moment of a Dungeon coming into existence being witnessed, but… aren't Dungeons supposed to appear in places where the land is contaminated with Mana?" said Edgar, but even now, he was walking towards the Dungeon's entrance.
He was confused, but he had his pride as a scout, and it was a scout's job to approach the unknown.
"There are Ancient letters engraved on the gate's surface… this is…"
The Ancient language was the language that had been used before the Demon King Guduranis appeared in this world. Today, there were none who made everyday use of this language; they were only ever seen on rare occasions when they were discovered on ancient ruins.
But Edgar and Heinz had learned how to read and write the Ancient language to some extent from the materials kept by the Mages' Guild and the mages who took care of them, thinking that it might be useful inside the Trial of Zakkart.
"If I'm not mistaken, it says… 'Only those who would become Bellwood's successor shall enter?!'" Edgar exclaimed.
These were surprising words indeed.
This Dungeon claimed to be for selecting Bellwood's successor, even though it was not the Trial of Zakkart.
But with that being the case, there was no argument for Heinz and his companions to not enter it.
The people around the Dungeon began murmuring amongst themselves once more, but Heinz simply stroked Selen's hair.
"Heinz-oniichan?" Selen said, looking up at him.
"I'm sorry, Selen. Our return to the city has been postponed," said Heinz. "Bellbotro, I'm leaving Selen with you until we return."
"Yeah, leave her to me!" said one of the nearby adventurers, placing his fist on his chest.
He was a trusted companion of Heinz's party, and Heinz had arranged for him to protect Selen while they were inside the Trial of Zakkart.
"Heinz-oniichan… See you later! Everyone, come home safe, okay?" said Selen.
"Yeah, I promise!" said Heinz as he and his companions disappeared past the gate to enter this new Dungeon.
In front of a charred Thunder Dragon corpse, there was a boy, who was in the process of becoming a young man, trembling with joy.
"Kuh, kukukuh, I… I have defeated a Dragon, a species that is feared even in this world, one that is resistant to lightning at that, without a gun or bomb or missile, with nothing but a sword, my spells and my own body! HAAHAHAHAH! I have far surpassed myself from my previous life!" the boy laughed, unable to contain his uplifted emotion.
He had a thin, lean body and wild-looking hair that stood on end. But his face itself looked somehow insubstantial.
He resembled a dark-natured boy that was undergoing training to become a warrior.
"As I am now, I can win! I can beat the Eighth Guidance, Murakami-sensei… No, that piece of shit Murakami who betrayed me, I can kill him! With the power that I, Hajime Inui-sama, now hold!"
The boy, the one who possessed the body of a boy and was laughing now, was the one who had once been called the 'Marionette' Inui Hajime in the world of Origin.
He had been reincarnated in Lambda in the body of a boy who would become an adult in a year and several months, and after that, he had received the divine blessing of Fitun, the god of thunderclouds. Now, he was acting under Fitun's commands, not Rodcorte's.
He used the Guilds only for changing Jobs, and other than that, he was spending his time killing and robbing from bandits and pirates in places that Fitun indicated to him, and hunting monsters in undiscovered Dungeons, improving his equipment with the treasure chests and treasure chambers inside.
Because of this, despite being an F-class adventurer, he possessed the ability of a first-rate A-class adventurer.
Ordinarily, such an adventurer would have been slain by bandits or monsters – no, they would not find bandits and undiscovered Dungeons so conveniently in the first place. Even if this was made possible through some miraculous good fortune, they would encounter at least three developmental walls obstructing their growth… no, an ordinary person would encounter more than ten.
This was only possible for Hajime because he already possessed some ability from his time in Origin, and, more importantly, because he possessed the divine blessing of two gods, Rodcorte and Fitun, which improved the rate of his development.
"Fufuh, as expected of a god of war. Fitun's divine protection is very compatible with me," Hajime murmured as he touched the pendant hanging from his neck… the gemstone that contained Fitun's spirit clone. "… So, Alda has finally started to make his move." He smiled as this information poured into him from the spirit clone inside the pendant.
As Alda was not a god who specialized in creating Dungeons, mimicking the actions of an evil god was hard work for him. It was likely that he had completed his task forcefully, using his authority as a great god of law to 'punish,' and his authority as a god to 'impose trials upon humans.'
Whether this would prove to be worth the effort depended on how much the Five-colored Blades developed, but Hajime had no interest in this.
The important thing was that this meant Alda had spent a significant amount of his power to achieve this.
"With this, Alda, the god of law and fate, can't descend upon the world and fight for himself! It would take a thousand years for him to regain his power… This means I can move about more freely! HAHAHAHAHAHA! While Alda's pawns are holed up in that Dungeon, I, Hajime Inui-sama, disciple of Fitun, will take Vandalieu's head… No, he doesn't die after losing his head. I'll turn every cell in his body into ash!" Hajime cackled like a madman.
Meanwhile, Fitun's spirit clone, who was inside Hajime's mind, gave a bitter smile to himself. "I know that I am the cause of this, but he is getting carried away. That's the problem with youngsters…"
Fitun provided Hajime with advice and information through the pendant that contained his spirit clone. He was fooling Hajime, gradually entering Hajime's mind, brainwashing him and making their minds become one.
A human would not be able to withstand such a thing being done to him by a god; their mind or body or perhaps even both would collapse. But Hajime had a soul and mind that possessed divine power, given to him by Rodcorte. And his body was one that Rodcorte had created with his divine power.
There was no better vessel for a god to reside in.
"Kukukuh, our minds have already fused more than forty percent. With another year, this mortal will become my spirit clone… my incarnation. Alda, make sure you polish your pawns properly in the meantime."
Meanwhile, the Amid Empire's S-class adventurer… or rather, the 'Thunderclap' Schneider, who used that as a front while actually being a believer of Vida and helping Vida's races, was sitting in a certain old mansion in the western side of the continent outside the Boundary Mountain Range with his face in his hands.
He was glaring at the person sitting opposite him with a displeasured look in his eyes.
"I'm surprised you dare show your face in front of me. In a deserted place like this, no less. Why do you think I won't kill you?" he asked, his piercing stare fierce enough to make even the most seasoned warrior soil himself.
The person that this stare was directed at gave a calm shrug. "I guessed that you wouldn't kill me here. Now then, let's get straight to business. My son's protection… or rather, confinement. Won't you make use of it? With my will and the dagger that is a proof of my son's bloodline," said the person sitting opposite Schneider… the emperor of the Amid Empire, Marshukzarl von Amid.
After connecting Zakkart's workshop to Vandalieu's workshop beneath Talosheim, fixing it in place and recovering the corpses of the explorers that had been turned into ice and stone statues, Vandalieu and his companions returned to the Dark Elf nation alongside Gufadgarn, who now resided in his vessel.
The Dark Elf king Gizan, who had grown tired of waiting for them, as well as the Noble-born Vampires sent from Vida's Resting Grounds and the citizens all cheered upon their arrival.
"With this, our hundred years of hardship are over!"
"We'll have less work to do!"
Gizan and the other Dark Elves who had been in charge of selecting challengers for the Trial of Zakkart and treating their wounds after their defeat inside the Dungeon every year were greatly overjoyed.
It was a surreal fact that Gufadgarn was residing in a vessel right in front of their eyes, however. But Gizan and the others didn't notice Gufadgarn, and Gufadgarn had no reaction to their celebration.
Celebrations in every nation within the Boundary Mountain Range lasted for a week straight. Vandalieu would return to the capsule where Darcia was developing every hour, but the Dark Elf nation was clamoring over the news.
It had been decided that the Trial of Zakkart would remain in the Dark Elf nation as an S-class Dungeon for training warriors inside the Boundary Mountain Range. The harsh environments of the middle floors remained the same, but the tricky trials had been removed and the Dungeon boss had been changed from Gufadgarn's incarnation to a Rank 13 Demon and an Orichalcum Statue.
The Majin king Godwin was dissatisfied with the fact that the enemies inside the Dungeon had become weaker, but as Gufadgarn explained that he could not keep these trials in the Dungeon unless he maintained the Dungeon personally, he reluctantly accepted these changes.
As Dungeon Cards that allowed teleportation between the entrance and floors that one had already cleared were introduced, the overall difficulty of the Dungeon had been decreased significantly, but the Dungeon would go on to serve to assist the warriors of the southern region of the continent with their leveling and as a tourist attraction for the Dark Elf nation.
"You have acquired the Demon King's claws!"
"You have acquired the 'Violator' Title!"
"You have changed Jobs to Disease Demon"
"The Levels of the Rapid Regeneration, Chant Revocation, Strengthen Subordinates, Commanding, Artillery Technique, Group Binding Technique and Demon King Fusion Skills have increased!"
"The Parallel Thought Processing Skill has awaked into the Group Thought Processing Skill!"
With all said and done, Vandalieu felt tired. After the banquet, he went through the Job change that he had been putting off, created a Dungeon for the thousands of Demons that he had brought back to live in, stopped Nuaza, the head priest of the Church of Vida, from building an enormous statue of him –
"Oooooooh…"
"Boss, Group 3 is back," said Kimberley, having returned from leveling with the Ghosts. "By the way, which one is Boss?" he asked, looking in confusion at the red-black humanoid-shaped objects in front of him… the slime blobs that had separated from Kühl and taken humanoid forms.
The Ghosts that Vandalieu had brought back from Gufadgarn's Dungeon had weakened, so they had been split into groups and were leveling with Kimberley and Orbia.
"Ah, Boss is that one there that's doing the weird dance!" Kimberley said, pointing at one of the blobs that was wriggling about in a way that clearly ignored the limits of having a skeleton.
Vandalieu, who had been using the Demon King's blood to disguise himself as Kühl, showed his true form.
"… How did you know it was me? I was trying out movements that don't need a skeleton in place of doing stretches," he said.
"Well, it was easy to tell by following Gufadgarn's gaze while she's standing next to you," said Kimberley.
He was pointing at an Elf girl with silver hair and golden eyes.
Her age was similar to Zadiris's; she was a beautiful girl with a mystical aura about her.
"My apologies, Vandalieu. It seems that he followed my gaze to find you," said the girl.
The girl was Gufadgarn.
Why had Gufadgarn spent a hundred years creating a vessel in the form of a mystical-looking Elf girl? That was because Zakkart had desired this… or rather, Gufadgarn had taken his complaints and jokes seriously.
While Zakkart was still alive, he had achieved many things both on the battlefield and outside it, but that didn't mean that he had been constantly working. From time to time, he would do things like drinking with the other creation-oriented heroes and the people of Lambda that he was close with.
During such drinking sessions, he would complain that he worked in his workshop every day, but it was Bellwood, who risked his life on the battlefield, who received encouragement from the people and, more importantly, was surrounded by beautiful women.
He had once said, "I want to be good friends with a beautiful Elf girl or something, too."
And on another occasion, he had told Gufadgarn, who accompanied Zakkart 24 hours a day, to "at least stop trying to accompany me while I'm sleeping." He had found Gufadgarn creepy.
Gufadgarn had asked him what he should do to not be creepy, and Zakkart had jokingly replied, "If only you were a cute girl."
As a result, Gufadgarn, a member of a hermaphroditic race who had become a god, had thought that there would be no problem with creating a vessel in the shape of an Elf child that Zakkart would like.
As for why he had created a child, Gufadgarn had perceived "beautiful girl" to mean "beautiful female child," and "cute girl" to mean "cute child."
It was certainly not because Zakkart had been a pervert.
Gufadgarn had apparently wanted it to be a little younger, but he had settled for this form so that it would function properly as a vessel.
Incidentally, it was significantly weaker in terms of pure strength compared to the incarnation of his power that had served as the Dungeon Boss of the Trial of Zakkart, but it was still Rank 13.
Considering my age now, it's fine, but in the future… Will he follow me around in this form 24 hours a day even after I become an adult?
Vandalieu's heart sank as he came to this realization. He decided to blame it all on Bellwood.
"Leaving that aside, Boss, you seem kind of tired but you look unoccupied," said Kimberley.
"Yes… after I made a Dungeon for crop cultivation, production of palm wine is going well, and I'm making progress in transforming my blood to make useful, special pathogens. I'm also making progress on a plan for an amusement Dungeon based on the beach floor in the Trial of Zakkart," said Vandalieu.
Half a month had passed since Vandalieu and his companions returned to Talosheim. Less than a month had passed since they left the Trial of Zakkart. With the goal of producing palm wine, Vandalieu was using his ability to turn his own cells into pathogens with the effects of the Disease Demon Job, creating and distributing a virus that would infect and exterminate microbes and fungi that caused diseases in plants. Of course, he was making use of selective breeding as well.
With Group Thought Processing, which was apparently the superior version of Parallel Thought Processing, Vandalieu could use a part of his consciousness to manipulate the virus remotely with the Long-distance Control Skill, adapting the sizes of the bacteria and viruses he created.
The Job title sounded dreadful, but it was a very useful Job.
As for the new Jobs that had been available… Demon Ruler, Creator and Demiurge would likely have been useful Jobs as well… Perhaps Demon Ruler had appeared because the Demon Tamer Job had already been discovered by the Majin race? But what in the world was the Demiurge Job?
Also, what is the 'Violator' Title? I don't remember ever being called that… No, now that I think about it, Zuruwarn called me things like 'violator of boundaries' and 'one who violates the boundaries between good and evil.' Maybe that's what it's referring to? But why did I gain the Title only now? Well, I did violate more national boundaries and did some good things and bad things after that.
Vandalieu did not realize that its meaning was that of a mythical trickster.
In any case, Vandalieu set these thoughts aside and returned to the topic at hand.
"I'm currently investigating the biology of the original strain of rice we brought back from the Trial of Zakkart, and Kimberley and the others are working hard in leveling the Ghosts. But I was wondering what to do with the leftover bodies… They won't become Undead heroes unless the bodies are possessed by their original spirits, after all," he said.
Without their original spirits, they would simply become Zombies with above average physical abilities.
He could make ordinary Zombies out of them, but he would feel bad for Rapiéçage and Yamata, who were looking forward to gaining more patchwork friends. Thus, he hadn't touched any of the corpses, including Martina's, and he was leaving them until he thought of an idea for what to do with them.
"My apologies, Zakkart," said Gufadgarn.
"Ah, no, it's not like I was blaming you. Don't worry about it," said Vandalieu.
"Why not just leave them to Luciliano? He's about that age as well, right? In terms of finding a bride, I mean," said Kimberley.
"Kimberley, I have remained silent until now, but you realize that I am still present?" said Luciliano. "Though I would be delighted to have them left to me, leaving this talk of a bride aside."
"… I want to begin preparations to go to the Demon Continent, but it would likely end in disaster if I don't ask the people from the Storm of Tyranny where to go," Vandalieu muttered as he stared at the corpses, which were still in their stone and ice statue forms.
Even though Vandalieu would be able to use Legion's Teleportation to return, it would be problematic if he got lost and ended up at a different continent or island.
"If possible, I want to meet Zantark and Farmaun on the Demon Continent before Mom is resurrected," he said as he glanced at the root of life inside the capsule… where Darcia was floating in the liquid within.
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'With a serious expression on his face, Luciliano observed his experimental subjects… small animals, busily mating inside their cages.
There were a variety of different kinds of subjects, from mice, rabbits and small birds to frogs, snakes and insects. Some of them were monsters, though they were all Rank 1 such as Horned Rabbits and Big Frogs that were the size of dogs.
These were not unusual creatures to use as subjects for experiments and observation. However, it was their pairings that were strange.
Mice were mating with insects; rabbits with snakes and Horned Rabbits with Big Frogs… the experimental subjects were mating with species that they would definitely not mate with in the wild.
However, the even more bizarre thing was that none of these experimental subjects were alive in the normal sense.
This was a cross-species breeding experiment using Undead animals.
"Progress is smooth… or is it? They are copulating," Luciliano murmured to himself as he took records of this bizarre experiment that believers of Alda would immediately denounce as a desecration of life.
"That is delightful. Vandalieu has taken another step towards uncovering life's mysteries," said Gufadgarn, an evil god who resided in a vessel with the appearance of an Elf girl.
She was as expressionless as Vandalieu, whom she worshiped, but she was unexpectedly talkative. There was a fanatical glow in her eyes.
"A new generation given birth to through the reproduction of Undead implanted with Life Gold, a new material that Vandalieu has created… If this experiment succeeds, Vandalieu's name will be engraved on yet another page of history," said Gufadgarn.
It seemed that almost everything she said was related to Vandalieu.
In any case, this experiment that Luciliano was making recordings of was an Undead breeding experiment.
Normally, no matter what kind of creatures Undead had been while alive, they would not be able to reproduce, and their desire to do so would be weaker.
This was not always the case when people became Undead while possessing strong feelings of attachment and love for a certain individual of the opposite sex, but… Even then, their lust would simply be converted into hunger, and what they desired was to suck away that person's essence.
As their bodies have died, it was only natural that they would not be able to create offspring… but that was what Vandalieu was trying to change.
The magical metals Life Gold and Spirit Silver, which he made by pouring death-attribute Mana into gold and silver. He transplanted these into the organs of the Undead experimental subjects and ordered them to mate.
And this experiment had already seen some success. Undead that had been of the same race or of similar races while alive had successfully reproduced.
Now, Vandalieu was conducting experiments to determine whether the second generation would develop normally, and whether Undead of different races could reproduce with each other.
"Still, there is a long way to go. Apparently, Master's final goal is to allow the Ghosts, who are Astral-type Undead with no bodies, and Living Armors, to produce offspring," said Luciliano. "Our immediate goal is to allow reproduction not just between Undead, but between an Undead and a living person as well. Unfortunately, living experimental subjects do not mate at master's command."
The purpose of this experiment was not to have Undead repeatedly mate with each other to produce the strongest Undead or invent a way to create new servants without having to use corpses.
It was to allow Talosheim's Undead such as Borkus, Rita, Saria and Princess Levia to have children as well. Thus, it was only natural to set high goals.
"Could this not be solved by capturing bandits and such from outside the Boundary Mountain Range?" Gufadgarn suggested.
"… That is likely to work, but I would personally be unwilling to watch them reproduce," said Luciliano.
"Then allow me to fulfill that role. For the sake of achieving Vandalieu's monumental work," said Gufadgarn.
"With your current appearance, I do not think that is a good idea, but… Incidentally, do you not need to go to Master whom you love so much?" Luciliano asked.
This breeding experiment was being conducted in Vandalieu's workshop beneath the castle, but as it would not be a good influence on the development of Pauvina and the other children who often came here to play, a wall had been built to separate this section from the rest of the workshop.
And right now, Vandalieu was not here.
"I am here at Vandalieu's command. He informed me that an extremely sensitive conversation between parent and child is happening, and that he wishes me to keep away for the time being," Gufadgarn replied.
Hearing this, Luciliano immediately guessed what kind of conversation was happening outside this chamber. "Ah. Zadiris and Basdia."
As this topic was deeply related to Ghouls' Ranks and race titles, he did have some interest in their conversation. However, he knew that if he was present, he would make some inappropriate remark and an iron claw or some other fearsome attack would be directed at him.
"I shall ask Master about it later," he decided.
Having prepared several people's worth of soda made by combining fruit juice with carbonated water, Vandalieu sat between a very tense Basdia and Zadiris.
"Mother, what I have not been able to tell you up until now is that my Rank also increased inside the Trial of Zakkart," Basdia confessed, looking tormented.
"I see," said Zadiris, giving her a weak smile. "The fact that you were unable to tell me… It is that, is it not? Your race title after your Rank increase…"
"Yes, it's queen. My new race title is 'Ghoul Amazoness Queen.' That's what it says on my Status," said Basdia.
Ghoul Amazoness Queen.
A being considered to exist only in legends, a Rank 10 queen who commands Ghoul Amazonesses. Basdia had acquired this race title after her Rank increase.
"Basdia, just to be sure… You were not a princess before you became a queen? You did not become a Ghoul Amazoness Princess before you became a Ghoul Amazoness Queen?" Zadiris asked.
"I didn't," Basdia replied. "I was a Ghoul Amazoness Chief before; I became a Ghoul Amazoness Queen without being a princess."
"I see…"
Mother and daughter sat in silence for a while, sorrowful expressions on their faces. The liquid inside their glasses swirled about.
"I'm sorry, Mother. To think that I would be denying your dream, your hope," said Basdia.
"No, you do not need to concern yourself about that, Basdia," Zadiris said softly. "I was foolish to think that I would naturally go from princess to queen if my Rank increased."
Zadiris was currently a Rank 11 Ghoul Wizard High Princess. She was concerned about the fact that her race title contained 'princess' despite the fact that she would be three hundred years old next year and the fact that she had not only a child, but a grandchild as well.
Due to the special characteristics of her race, her physical development had stopped in her early teenage years, but she had once been the matriarch of a hundred Ghouls. Even after migrating to Talosheim, she was a distinguished master of magic among Ghouls.
Was it not strange for such an individual to be a princess?
That was why she had troubled Quinn, the Gehenna Absolute Queen, and Eisen, the Skogsrå Empress. She had worked hard to increase her Rank and go from princess to queen, and earnestly requested Vandalieu to alter parts of the costume she gained when she used her transformation staff to transform.
"In fact, I am the one who should apologize. I am sorry for making you so concerned about me, Basdia. I am genuinely happy that your Rank increased," said Zadiris. "And I am proud not only of your race title, but the fact that you have become a representative for the Ghouls."
"Basdia has recently been holding classes for the Ghouls who migrated from the Sauron Duchy, teaching them combat techniques and various other things. I think you're outstanding," said Vandalieu.
"Mother… even you, Van… I was just doing these things because Mother, Vigaro and Tarea are busy," Basdia said, blushing.
Zadiris gave a bitter smile and lowered her head, apologizing not only for herself but also for the other two who were not here. "We are truly sorry," she said.
The three of them were supposed to be in central positions as the elders among the Ghouls, but all of them had been too busy with their own problems, so that role had been taken up by the young Basdia.
Vigaro had been absorbed in his combat training, while Tarea's duty was to smith arms in her workshop and guide the other members of her craftsman team.
Of course, now that they were citizens of the nation called Talosheim, they no longer had the responsibility of ruling over the other Ghouls. They had been formally given positions like 'mage of the imperial court' and 'military officer,' but they hadn't been assigned duties, nor were they receiving salaries.
Even without taking these things into account, perhaps it is the perfect time, Zadiris thought.
"But unlike Vigaro, Tarea and I are old. It may be time now," she murmured.
"What?! Van, you need to use Youth Transformation on Mother!" Basdia exclaimed.
"Yes. Please lie down," Vandalieu told Zadiris.
"It is not that I have grown too old; I was merely thinking that it may be time for the next generation to take over!" Zadiris said indignantly, putting an end to Basdia and Vandalieu's mistaken idea that she had suddenly aged significantly. "My age has been reversed by the boy, but if I were to look important forever, the young ones would be left with nothing to do. And… even if I were to try and organize something, it would likely become an information session or class about magical girls."
"The 'Magical Girl Zadiris' is popular with Jadal and the other children, after all," said Vandalieu.
Zadiris's gaze became distant in response to these words. The sight of her shouting a password and causing her transformation staff to form a costume out of liquid metal had made a big impact on Talosheim, becoming widely-known among the children and young people.
So much so that she had acquired the 'Magical Girl' Title.
"Mother, you are at the center of attention for all young female mages, not just Jadal and the other children," said Basdia. "Apparently, the fact that you become stronger when you transform is important."
It seemed that even in this world, everyone wanted the ability to transform. However, the transformation staves created by Vandalieu were Magic Items that were exceptional not only in appearance, but performance as well.
The costumes appeared to be nothing more than pieces of fluttering, thin cloth, but the defense they offered surpassed that of most suits of armor, and they offered various effects such as bonuses to magic use and increasing Attribute Bonuses.
Perhaps because they were so highly functional in battle, it was not only small children but young women as well who wanted to become magical girls.
Of course, no matter how well transformation staves functioned in battle, they were nothing more than supportive items. An ordinary person equipping one would still be an ordinary person in a magical girl costume with just a higher-than-average defense.
"I have become quite accustomed to being treated as a magical girl, and it does not seem that my race title will change from princess to something else with another one or two Rank increases. I have resigned to the fact that I will have to steadily improve myself for the next ten years, but… If I stand out too much, my name will be left in history as the founder of magical girls, and I may forever be unable to escape being a magical girl," Zadiris murmured. "That is how it is, so I am relying on you, my daughter."
"I understand," said Basdia. "I am sure it will be easier than what you experienced when you led our village, and if it's just for a decade or two, then I'll do my best."
For Ghouls, who had lifespans of three hundred years, ten or twenty years was not that long.
"But I want you to play with Jadal when I'm busy," Basdia said.
"Yes, leave that to me. She is my adorable granddaughter… However, I would like to be spared from having to transform while I am outside," said Zadiris.
Zadiris was reluctant to transform outside of battle, but it seemed that she found it hard to refuse the requests of her adorable granddaughter.
"It seems that we have resolved the issues, so let's take a break," said Vandalieu.
The other two nodded in agreement and they all began drinking their soda. The healthy, carbonated fruit juice was popular enough to have its own specialized stalls selling it. The people of Earth and Origin might have found it a little lacking in sweetness, however.
Even though Vandalieu had managed to reproduce carbonated water, he hadn't been able to reproduce things like Coca-Cola, as neither he nor Legion knew the recipe.
As Vandalieu was trying to recall the flavor of Coca-Cola, Princess Levia, the First Princess of the old Talosheim who was now a fire-attribute Ghost, appeared.
"Your Majesty, as you're taking a break now, I have a report to make. It seems that a letter has arrived," she said.
It seemed that she had been present and waiting for a good time to speak.
"A letter?" Vandalieu repeated.
He had distributed Goblin communication devices to the leaders of all of the nations inside the Boundary Mountain Range, like Godwin of the Majin nation and Queen Donaneris of Zanalpadna.
Thus, if the message was short, they would contact Vandalieu using the communication devices made from shrunken Goblin heads rather than writing a letter. There was a limit to how long the devices could be used to talk because of the amount of Mana in the devices, but even then, they often made complicated requests through these devices.
This was because Vandalieu could use the Labyrinth Creation Skill to teleport to the nearest Dungeon, which meant that he could make visits on the same day as long as he had time.
Therefore, being contacted by letter was a rare event.
"Is it from another nation, or from Vida's Resting Grounds? Maybe the Pure-breed Vampires or the ancient Majin awakened from their petrification?" said Basdia.
"It may be the people of the Storm of Tyranny that you are waiting for contact from," said Zadiris.
Basdia and Zadiris's suggestions were the only possibilities that Vandalieu could think of. The communication devices did not work properly around Vida's Resting Grounds, perhaps because it was the center of the boundary that protected the Boundary Mountain Range from the forces of Alda, the god of law and fate. The people around Vida's Resting Grounds and the adventurer party in the Amid Empire known as the Storm of Tyranny were the only ones that Vandalieu could think of who would try to contact him in this way.
"It's neither; it's from the Undead that are standing guard in the Sauron region," said Princess Levia. "It seems that there was a letter written by people whose names sound like they are reincarnated individuals."
"… I'm surprised they used a method as ordinary as a letter to contact me," said Vandalieu.
In the Sauron region ruled by Rudel Sauron, who had recently been named the new duke, there was a forest that the duke's influence did not reach. It was almost completely a Devil's Nest, and three adventurers had set up camp inside it.
They were an unusual trio – Two Elf girls and a dark-skinned human boy. They were roasting the skewered meat of the monsters they had hunted on an open-air fire as they discussed their own future.
"We have cloth to use in place of paper, so let's keep sending letters for the next month. There hasn't been any reply, but it's important to keep it up," said one of the girls.
"Kanako, we've already used half of it this month. You're not gonna tell us to keep it up until winter, are you?" said the boy.
"Doug, November comes after October. It will still be autumn," said the other girl.
"November around here is as cold as the winter we know," the boy retorted. "Melissa, you want to keep camping out here in this gear and join the Undead after we freeze to death?"
These three adventurers were the reincarnated individuals who had written Vandalieu a letter.
The Elf girl who seemed to be leading them was the 'Venus' Kanako Tsuchiya. The other Elf girl was the 'Aegis' Melissa J. Saotome. The boy was the 'Hecatoncheir' Doug Atlas.
After separating from the Bravers organization in Origin, they had separated from their group again in Lambda, the one led by the 'Chronos' Murakami Junpei.
"You're right. There's a limit to how warm we can keep ourselves with magic, so let's head back to the town temporarily before it gets really cold," said Melissa.
"Hmm, I suppose it cannot be helped. I want to keep the chances of the townspeople noticing what we're doing as low as possible, but there is no point if we freeze to death," said Kanako. "Let's try again after we make all the preparations for winter."
"So, you intend to keep going in winter as well after all?" Doug asked incredulously.
"Of course," Kanako replied, giving a strong-willed nod. "We will keep going until we get a response from him."
Doug gave a deep sigh. "It feels like we're on a deserted island, trying to get help by putting letters into empty bottles and throwing them into the sea."
"I think our chances of getting a response are higher than that," said Melissa. "What comes for us isn't guaranteed to be help, though."
The trio had separated from Murakami and the others who had accepted Rodcorte's request to kill Vandalieu. The objective of Kanako and her companions was to defect to Talosheim, the nation ruled by Vandalieu.
The three of them had died in their previous lives to death-attribute Mana that had gone out of control. They did not believe that they could win against Vandalieu.
With that being the case, the most dangerous place to be in this world was with Murakami, who intended to fulfil Rodcorte's request and kill Vandalieu. Thus, the safest place in the world was by Vandalieu's side.
They had also decided that it would be dangerous to try and keep themselves hidden from both parties.
After all, in Origin, they had pretended to be allies of the Eighth Guidance, who worshipped Vandalieu, and later betrayed them. They had also been present when the 'Death Scythe' Konoe Miyaji attacked Vandalieu.
It wouldn't be strange for Vandalieu to already consider them enemies.
By hiding, they might cause Vandalieu and his allies to be more wary of them and chase them down persistently.
If that was the case, wouldn't they be more likely to survive by pressing their foreheads against the ground and kissing his feet to surrender than by making a poor attempt to hide?
That was what the three of them believed.
They also believed that even if they were not accepted into Talosheim, Vandalieu would not chase after them once they told him that they had no hostile intentions towards him.
However, the three of them had been struggling to make contact with Vandalieu.
"Hey, how about coming up with a plan that's more reliable than throwing letters from the sign outside the place?" said Doug.
"No way," said Kanako, rejecting this suggestion immediately. "I'm definitely not going past that sign."
"Why not?" Doug asked, frowning but not angry.
"Because once we go past the sign, the Undead will acknowledge us as enemies. It's uncertain that they will relay our words to him, and it's possible that they might pick up the letters that we threw. And, according to rumors, there's an unidentified head-hunting demon inside," said Kanako.
"And if we stay on this side of the sign and don't do anything hostile, we'll be safe," Melissa added. "We've already talked about this. Did you forget?"
What Kanako and Melissa spoke of was the information that had been spreading among the adventurers of the Sauron Duchy ever since Vandalieu occupied the former Scylla region.
Several groups had tried going past the sign at the boundary of the former Scylla territory since then, including Duke Marme's army, and none of them had returned.
However, all of those who had not stepped past the sign had returned safely.
From this information, the Guilds had determined that this forest was just a Devil's Nest with nothing more than weak monsters, as long as one did not step past the sign.
However, these three were reincarnated individuals. Even now, despite going against Rodcorte's desires, they could use their cheat-like abilities normally, and still possessed his divine protection and fortune.
Over a year had passed since they began going through job changes at the Adventurers' Guild, and their abilities were getting close to those of A-class adventurers.
As long as the mysterious head-hunting demon didn't appear, they would manage to hold their own against Rank 4 and 5 Undead. But what the trio feared was not fighting against Undead.
"The worst-case scenario is if we accidentally defeat some of the Undead, right? I remember, we decided that Vandalieu might kill us to take revenge for the Undead if we defeat them," said Doug.
This was the scenario that Kanako feared the most. In any other part of the world, nobody would think of taking revenge for Undead.
No, the same would be true even if they weren't Undead. A nation's leader would have to be mad to jump into battle in order to avenge sentries that had been dispatched on the frontlines.
But Kanako and her companions had observed Talosheim, even though it had only been for a short while. From what they had seen, they didn't think that this would be out of the question. In that city, Undead smiled just like the living, sharing tables and raising cups of alcohol together.
And from the information that they had received from Rodcorte, Vandalieu conversed normally with Undead, treating them as companions and forming bonds of trust with them.
Even in Origin, where both science and magic existed, Undead appeared on very rare occasions. However, with only two exceptions, Undead were nothing more than beasts that saw all living as their prey, or insane creatures that unleashed their hatred upon everything in sight.
One of those exceptions was the one with the codename 'Undead,' who had saved the others who were being used as experimental subjects despite dying and becoming an Undead… Vandalieu himself.
The second was the Zombie soldiers that had been created by Isis and commanded by Valkyrie; these two were members of the Eighth Guidance who had been rescued by the Undead. At least while they were under Valkyrie's command, the Zombie soldiers had not been like beasts; they had fought with sophisticated coordination.
The death attribute was involved in both of those exceptions. With that being the case, the Undead affected by the death attribute in Lambda should be treated in the same way as those exceptions, along with the reasons for their appearance. That was what Kanako, Doug and Melissa had decided upon.
"It doesn't seem that Murakami or Asagi have noticed that, though," said Melissa.
"That's probably because they decided that Vandalieu and the Eighth Guidance are crazy, even before thinking things through about the Undead," said Doug, taking a skewer and taking a bite of the perfectly-roasted meat. "When you watch Zombie movies, there are always characters that make a big fuss about how Zombies are just sick humans so they can be treated and returned to normal, and that Zombies have rights just like humans. To Asagi and Murakami, Vandalieu just looks like one of those characters. They think that if Vandalieu is manipulating the Undead, it's possible that he is making them act like they have personalities. That what Valkyrie was doing was like playing with dolls, and what Vandalieu is doing is no different."
Melissa and Kanako stared at Doug.
"Doug, haven't you become smarter than you were in your previous life?" said Kanako.
"Perhaps this world's food has some nutrients that are good for the brain," said Melissa.
"… I see exactly what you guys think of me now," Doug sighed.
"No, no, it was a very interesting view on things," said Kanako.
"Playing with dolls is a terrible way to put it! It is the real thing!" said a voice from very close by.
Kanako, Doug and Melissa froze. And then they noticed that two people were present on the very edge of the light of their campfire.
In a way, these two were people that they knew, but at the same time, this was their first meeting.
"I-it seems that you got our letter. Umm, should I say, 'long time no see?'" Kanako said nervously, managing to recover from her shock.
"Yes. Long time no see, Tsuchiya Kanako-san. Excluding the time when I destroyed 'Death Scythe,' it's been ten years? No, you weren't there when I was killed in my previous life, so has it been thirty years?"
"For us, it has been a year and a few months! Well, depending on the person, that's certainly long enough to say 'long time no see!'"
"I'm glad to see you again… or so it's socially polite to say, isn't it?"
The two newcomers sounded as if they were starting a casual chat.
"I'll introduce myself again. I'm Vandalieu. This person wearing the black cloak is Legion, who were previously the Eighth Guidance. You're the 'Venus' Kanako-san, the one over there is 'Aegis' Melissa-san and he's the 'Hecatoncheir' Doug-san, is that correct?"
Having seen the letter that Kanako's group had apparently written, Vandalieu had decided to meet them and talk.
Of course, he had considered the possibility that the letter was a trap. He had only called out to them after finding them with his Lemure familiars and making preparations.
"Incidentally, I have already told my companions of this location. If you try anything, several hundred Undead will flood into this forest," Vandalieu said.
"I mean, it's only normal to be that wary. By the way, why did I hear voices that sounded like Valkyrie and Isis from the one over there… Legion-san?" Kanako asked.
"We're being considerate towards you. Our current appearance is very shocking," said Legion.
They had used the Form Alteration and Size Alteration Skills to transform into the rough shape and size of a human, then put on a hood and cloak to conceal their appearance. This was done out of consideration for Kanako and her companions so as to not frighten them.
Vandalieu had come here to hear what they had to say, so it would have been problematic if they had started panicking.
"So, about your desire to defect… Why do you want to do that?" Vandalieu asked his former classmate Kanako, who had completely changed from who she was when she was on Earth except for her appearance and age.
It wasn't as if Vandalieu had been particularly close to her, but she seemed to be the leader of the trio, and he hadn't ever spoken to the other two reincarnated individuals since their time on Earth, either.
However, it was almost certain that Kanako's personality had changed drastically since she was Vandalieu's classmate.
"When 'Death Scythe' attacked me, I did notice you desperately forming a cross with your arms," Vandalieu added.
That act had been quite comical, but it was probably another sign that Kanako had changed.
"Ah, you noticed! I'm so glad. The truth is, we cut our ties with Murakami and his group," said Kanako, smiling.
On the other hand, she also felt that Vandalieu was a completely different person from when he was Amamiya Hiroto on Earth. She was shaking on the inside.
This was something that she knew because she was exchanging words with him directly, but it wasn't just his appearance… his very existence had transformed.
We've had military training and survived a lot of battles, but even then, he was able to approach us without us noticing. Assuming that's a death-attribute spell… Even if you take that out of the picture, I don't think we could defeat him, Kanako thought.
Kanako and her companions had trained in military-style close-quarters combat. Even from their point of view, the atmosphere surrounding Vandalieu was bizarre.
He was merely standing there, but there was a terrifying lack of openings. His appearance was younger than them… it was that of a child. But Kanako couldn't feel any sense of inexperience about him.
I'm sure his Attribute Values and Skills are far higher than ours. Not only for unarmed combat, but various other things as well. Well, he is definitely a senpai when it comes to this world, but… the one next to him, Legion? That one's presence is strange, too.
These were not ones to turn into enemies – Kanako, as well as Doug and Melissa who had been engulfed in Vandalieu and Legion's presence, became absolutely certain of this now.
Kanako gave a rough explanation of how they had died after the Eighth Guidance were wiped out. She kept quiet about some things to use for negotiation later, however, such as the fact that the 'Avalon' Rikudou Hijiri was the one who had been pulling the strings on everything.
"Hmm. If I managed to crush people who were trying to research the death attribute, then collecting all that death wasn't a waste. It's unfortunate that it ended up being something like an indiscriminate act of terror, but that wasn't the result of our intentions," said Pluto.
"Yes, that's why the three of us thought that we don't want to make you our enemy, because we don't want to die anymore!" said Kanako.
"Leaving Kanako and Melissa aside, I feel a little strange about Doug thinking that way. You were something of a berserker, weren't you?" Legion asked.
"… That voice, it's Shade, isn't it? It's true that I like fighting. But that wasn't a fight; it was more like a catastrophic disaster. No different from a hurricane or an earthquake," said Doug. "And battles are fought in order to win. I'm not stupid enough to try and fight when there is no chance of winning."
Legion were actively engaging in conversation with Kanako, Doug and Melissa. This was to make sure that there were no lies in their words.
Because Legion had worked with them for several years, they knew them well. They had kept an eye on Murakami's group because they knew that they would become enemies once again in the future.
The same applied for Murakami's group, but it seemed that Kanako and her companions were a little bewildered by the disguised Legion.
It seemed that they had accepted that they could hear multiple voices coming from Legion, but they were surprised that there was no anger or hatred in their tone and behavior.
However, Kanako and her companions were hesitant to confirm the reason for this. During their hesitation, Vandalieu changed the topic.
"I see. I understand your story," he said. "In other words, you have nothing to do with the three people who are still hiding over there, right?"
"There's someone there?!"
Kanako and her companions turned around and saw nothing, but… after a few moments, as if resigning themselves to the fact that they had been detected, three more people of about the same age stepped out of the trees' shadows.
"Man, we were trying to find a good timing to come out… Long time no see, Amamiya," said one of the three… the 'Mage Masher' Asagi Minami, with a bitter smile on his face.