Story: I'm a Daemon, so what?
Disclaimer: I do not own the original setting.
Chapter 84: Gleipnir
There are up to 15 chapters ahead at p@treon.com/theogbasilisk
______________________________________________________________________
- Felix -
"Now where's Arcueid, there is something I need to speak to her about."
"Lady Arcueid is currently in her office." Raiden answered.
I nodded. "Great, thanks. That's all I need for now, Raiden."
Raiden bowed once more before vanishing.
A moment later I appeared in front of Arcueid's office.
After knocking I heard a response. "Come in, My Lord."
I opened the door and was met with Arcueid looking up at me from behind her desk with a beautiful smile.
She stood up and bowed. "My Lord." She said as her crimson red eyes, tinted with adoration gazed into my own.
"Arcueid, I won't keep you busy for too long, I just wanted to see if you finished making the initial contract to use to trade with Dagruel."
Arucied stood straight as she summoned a piece of paper, though I could see the magic woven into it.
"I have." She handed it to me.
I quickly looked it over. "It looks good to me. In return for the natural resources Dagruel's territory lacks he will provide us with access to some of the rare natural ore there as well as gold."
Dagruel's main issue is that his entire territory is barren and corrupted due to the fight between Milim and Guy that took place there.
Thanks to this there are massive sandstorms that could tear even powerful B Ranked beings apart. Due to this Dagruel sends some of his people out to gather supplies from other Kingdoms, but this isn't very efficient, many die on the journey itself and the journey takes a lot of time.
Despite how easy teleportation is to me, it isn't the same for everyone else, teleporting is a fairly high level Magic, and teleporting over vast distances is practically impossible for even a Saint.
There was a reason Dagruel wanted Luminous' fertile territory, his people's lives were literally depending on it.
I wasn't against helping a guy like Dagruel, from what I've heard he seemed to be a guy trying his best for his people, I could respect that even if he became an enemy in another timeline due to that reason.
In the end this deal with Dagruel wasn't about making a profit or anything, it was about making an ally, and if Dagruel ends up not being an ally then you should still keep your allies close and your enemies even closer.
In the other timeline Dagruel was an enemy, it was best if I could get rid of that possibility entirely, but if not then having some sort of in with him could still be useful.
Arcueid went on to explain some more things she had learned.
"I'll contact Dagruel about arranging a meeting with one of his people then." I said.
Arcueid nodded gracefully. "As you wish My Lord. Though there is one thing I would like to inform you about."
I raised a brow. "Oh? And what is that?"
"Due to your interest in an alliance with Demon Lord Dagruel I gathered more information that you may find useful." Arcueid stated.
My eyes widened. "Oh! Thanks Arcueid, that would help. I don't know all that much about the Giants and even Dagruel himself. I was planning to ask Dagura, Liura, and Debura about him."
Arcueid smiled. "It is no problem my lord. I myself analyzed Dagruel's three children and found out that they have extremely high levels of Magic Resistance."
I nodded. "I knew they had Magic Resistance, though I don't quite know the level of it."
"It is an impressive level of Magic Resistance, greater than even the natural Magic Resistance us Daemons possess. Most Magic will prove to be ineffective against those three, only high level Spells like Nuclear Cannon and others of similar power could harm them." Arcueid informed.
I internally prayed for the safety of those three, I doubt Arcueid didn't test what she was telling me herself, which means those three had to deal with Arcueid firing Nuclear Cannons at them, that does not sound fun at all.
"High levels of Magic Resistance huh?" I mumbled as I handed the contract back to Arcueid.
Now is that Magic Resistance something intrinsic to just those three, or do all Giants have that?
If all the Giants have that it could be troublesome if things follow the same route as the other timeline, ending up with Dagruel as an enemy and actively in a war with him. My largest fighting force was the Daemons under me, and Daemons specialized in Magic above all else.
I suppose I can just ask them, they are children of Dagruel so I'm sure they are somewhat aware of those kinds of things.
"I see, thank you for informing me about that Arcueid. I'll be checking up on them now myself."
Arcueid smiled. "As you wish My Lord."
I nodded. "I'll leave you to your work then. I'll stop by some other time when you aren't as busy so we can hang out."
"It is no trouble for you to appear at your whim my lord." Arcueid stated.
"Yeah, but I don't want to bother you if I don't have to, even if you yourself don't consider it a bother."
Before Arcueid could protest like I knew she would. "Thanks for taking care of all this work for me, I'll be around later." I said, teleporting to where I sensed the three children of Dagruel as well as Saeko.
I materialized in one of the many training fields with my presence concealed. This one wasn't located in a separate dimension, but it was fortified with layers upon layers of barriers, each designed to contain the power of any explosive battle that takes place within.
I looked around the training field, I spotted the three sons of Dagruel being trained by Saeko in the center, but there were also many others.
There was still light out so it didn't surprise me that some were still out training.
There were around 1,500, Majin, all training as their Auras shimmered around them.
I could only be impressed at how strong each of them was, none were below the B Rank and some were at the A Rank. A force of 1,500 at that level was fairly impressive.
I decided to observe Saeko's spar, I wasn't in a hurry.
Saeko rested Hercules Edge casually on her shoulder, its edge gleaming ominously in the dimming light. "Come on, you three! Show me what you're made of!" She commanded.
"But big sis!" Dagura's voice was tinged with desperation, his eyes wide with reluctance. "Lady Arcueid already pushed us to the brink!"
Liura nodded, his face pale. "Yeah, we've barely caught our breath!"
Debura, on the other hand, seemed lost in his own world, mumbling, "Hehe, food…"
Saeko ignored their pleas. "Excuses won't save you. If you won't come at me… then I'll come at you!"
Multiple barriers formed into existence around the four, separating their fight from affecting the others' training, though the other soldiers around had already stopped training and decided to watch the upcoming battle.
It seems Saeko has learned to be more mindful of her surroundings..
In an instant, she hefted Hercules Edge high above her head, the blade igniting with a ferocious aura. The sheer pressure of her Fighting Spirit exploded outward, causing the very air around her to tremble. The three brothers stiffened, likely sensing the danger Saeko now posed to them.
Even their hefty Magic Resistance wouldn't work against Battlewill.
"Move, now!" Dagura shouted, the three brothers each lit up in Fighting Spirit.
Each of their powers was incredibly potent, easily bringing them to the cusps of Disaster Class, it seems Saeko has been training them well.
Saeko brought Hercules Edge crashing down, the force of the swing cleaving the ground with a thunderous roar. A wave of raw energy erupted from the point of impact, a blazing arc that tore through the earth and hurtled towards the brothers, that strike alone could easily cleave through a mountain range with ease.
Saeko had seriously been improving all this time. I couldn't help but smile proudly as I thought of that.
The ground beneath the trio of brothers buckled and shattered, debris flying as the energy wave surged forward. The sheer power of the attack was impressive, easily in the Demon Lord Class, though of course on the weaker end.
The air crackled with the mixed power of all four fighters. The brothers barely had time to brace themselves, their eyes wide with a mixture of awe and fear.
But in the split second before impact, they moved. Dagura, the eldest, barked out a quick command, and the three brothers mustered their Fighting Spirit, channeling it into their legs. With a synchronized leap, they soared into the air, narrowly avoiding the devastating wave as it obliterated the ground where they had stood.
The barriers absorbed the remnant power of Saeko's attack so the rest of the training field isn't destroyed.
Saeko grinned. "Good!"
She didn't have a chance to say more as the trio rushed her in perfect coordination, their earlier hesitation gone.
They each moved while keeping the others in mind, it seems their brotherly bond allowed them some way to instinctively understand the other two brothers intentions, either that or they were just incredibly used to each other.
Dagura took the lead, his fists crackling with energy as he aimed a powerful punch at Saeko's midsection. Liura flanked her left, his palms glowing with concentrated energy as he prepared a series of rapid jabs aimed at her ribs, while Debura, the largest and fattest of the three, charged in from the right, his massive frame poised to deliver a crushing elbow strike.
Saeko's eyes gleamed with excitement and pride as she watched her students make their moves.
Heh, it seems she wasn't as nonchalant about the three as she liked to act.
Fighting Spirit shimmered around Hercules Edge dulling the edge, it seems despite wanting a spar Saeko didn't want to brutally wound her pupils.
She met Dagura's punch head-on, using the flat of Hercules Edge to absorb the impact, the blade vibrated with the force as a miniature shock wave exploded outwards out from the impact.
She then spun on her heel, the blade arcing gracefully through the air as she deflected Liura's jabs with quick, precise movements, each strike ringing out as the powerful Stardust enhanced blade met flesh.
If Saeko wasn't expelling her own energy to weaken the power behind Hercules Edge's attacks the trio would have already been torn apart.
With a swift shift of her stance, Saeko brought the sword down to intercept Debura's elbow, the force of his strike meeting the unyielding edge of her weapon and sending shockwaves through the ground.
I raised an impressed brow as I took in Saeko's sheer skill. Before when I first met her she got by through her sheer unnatural strength, no technique, all power, but now she was dismantling the trio not through raw power but through martial skill.
It seems her training with Arcueid, Lalatina, and Megumin has been paying off, those three had plenty of skills that they could teach.
The brothers didn't let up. Dagura followed up with a spinning kick, aiming for Saeko's head, while Liura crouched low, sweeping his leg in an attempt to trip her. Debura recovered quickly, launching a powerful knee strike toward her ribs.
Saeko flowed between their attacks like water, her movements precise and effortless. She ducked under Dagura's kick and then, with a quick pivot, used the flat of Hercules Edge to block Liura's sweeping leg, the force of the clash causing the ground to crack beneath them. As Debura's knee strike came in, she twisted her body just enough to let it pass by, before using the momentum to swing her sword in a wide arc, creating a powerful Aura fueled gust of wind that pushed the Giant brothers back slightly.
Dagura and Liura switched tactics, moving in tandem to corner Saeko. Dagura feinted a punch to her face while Liura aimed a quick, powerful palm strike toward her chest. Debura took advantage of the opening, attempting to grapple her from behind, his massive arms reaching out to trap her in a bear hug.
Saeko's eyes gleamed as Debura held Saeko's arms tightly. Just before she would have been punched, she spun on her heel, narrowly avoiding Dagura's punch and Liura's strike. She then slammed Hercules Edge into the ground, creating a shockwave that rippled outwards, causing the earth to tremble and disrupting their coordination. As Debura lunged at her from behind, she swiftly turned and brought Hercules Edge up, the flat of the blade slamming into his chest and sending him skidding back with a pained grunt.
"Impressive," Saeko remarked, her voice calm even as she deflected another barrage of punches. "You've all grown stronger."
Looking at it from the side, Saeko almost seemed like a good teacher rather than the berserker she styled herself as.
It seems taking in some students did some good for Saeko as well, there was a saying about that.
"Indeed, the master learns from the pupil just as much as the pupil learns from the master."
'Yeah, that.'
The three brothers panted as they attempted to recover some of the energy they had expelled.
Saeko however wouldn't let them do that in peace.
She exhaled as her Aura flared around her. Hercules Edge began emanating a far more dangerous light as more Fighting Spirit was channeled through it.
The blade began to glow with an intense light, the power behind the blade increasing dramatically. The air around it seemed to warp from the sheer power being concentrated into the weapon.
Saeko channeled some Fighting Spirit into her feat, and with a swift movement, Saeko leaped high into the air, soaring above the battlefield. The brothers' eyes widened in shock as they realized what was coming.
"Take this!" Saeko shouted in excitement.
As Saeko ascended she raised Hercules Edge above her before reaching the peak of her leap. Saeko hovered in the air for a moment as Hercules Edge glimmered under the sunlight as it began pressuring the surroundings.
Then, with a powerful swing, she brought the sword crashing down into the earth below, hitting the three with the attack directly would most definitely be fatal if they didn't heal in time.
The ground trembled as the colossal blade cut through the air, descending with unstoppable force. The energy trailing behind the strike carved through the very air, creating a shockwave that rippled outward.
The brothers could only brace themselves as the blade connected with the ground, the impact creating a massive crater that would have sunk an entire city if the barrier wasn't attempting to contain the damage.
The barrier Saeko placed trembled against the force of Saeko's attack, in the blink of an eye I channeled my own energy through Saeko's barrier completely unnoticed, further reinforcing it.
A cloud of dust and debris were sent into the air due to the impact.
The force of the attack was overwhelming, and they were sent tumbling backward, unable to maintain their footing against the sheer power Saeko had unleashed as the training grounds crumbled beneath them.
Before the three could sink into the earth Saeko quickly vanished in a burst of Fighting Spirit and moved the three of them outside of the barrier she placed at the start.
The trio was sprawled on the ground, breathing heavily and struggling to rise. Saeko landed gracefully, resting the Hercules Edge on her shoulder, a proud smile playing on her lips as she looked down at the three.
She hadn't even needed to use Cook to demolish the three sons of Dagruel, merely skill with her Ōdachi and masterful use of Battlewill.
"Amazing…" One of the soldiers mumbled as awe tinted his voice.
"As expected of Lady Saeko!" One of the Kijin said.
Many others began praising her and even Dagura, Liura and Debura for the good showing.
"That was a good showing you three, you have improved since I first beat you up back then."
"Ugh, still not as good as you big sis." Debura cried out as he slowly got up.
"Hmph! I am Felix-sama's number one secretary!" Saeko preened.
I clapped as I unveiled my presence. "That was a good showing, from all four of you."
With my presence now visible and all the soldiers' gaze snapped to me.
"Felix-sama!" Saeko shouted in surprise.
"You all can go back to your training."
All of them quickly bowed and looked away, though I could tell they were distracted which was normal.
They were in the presence of their sovereign, it was normal to be a bit nervous.
"Felix-sama!" Saeko greeted me once I arrived in front of her.
I smiled. "Saeko." I turned to Dagura, Liura, and Debura who looked quite beat up. "Hello you three."
It seems Arcueid's Nuclear Cannon didn't leave any permanent damage which is good.
The three of them saluted me. " " "Lord Felix!" " "
"I'm actually here to talk to you three about something." I looked to Saeko. "Do you mind if I borrow them?" Neither of us minded much that we got straight to business. I spoke to Saeko every day, and we all ate dinner together every night since I enjoyed eating good food. Everyone else just sorta joined in and it began a nightly tradition, even Sukuna was there.
Saeko proudly crossed her arms under her generous bust. "Do as you please with them! I have been training them to be of use to you!" Saeko said unashamedly.
I nodded. "I will then." I looked around at the other soldiers. "Are these the Purple Guards I've heard about?"
I'd only heard about Saeko's minions offhandedly from Megumin, she had complimented them on their dedication to training, I don't really pay much attention to what happens in my territory so it's fairly normal that I didn't know about them before that.
From what I understand they are a mixed group of Majin, some are Ogres from the Ogre Village that wanted to serve me or Saeko, some were even Ogres that were killed back during the Falmuth Invasion and were revived as Kijin with more death aligned abilities.
Saeko smirked proudly. "They are."
"You've trained them well, good job Saeko."
A giddy smile spread across Saeko's face. "Thank you Felix-sama!"
"I'm just giving you your due praise. Ah, by the way Luminous wanted me to send you over to her sometime, I think she likes you."
Saeko tilted her head. "But I serve you Felix-sama."
I shrugged my shoulders. "It's fine, as long as you aren't gone for too long I don't mind you living your own life."
Saeko nodded. "I will visit Luminous then! Perhaps she can further improve my cooking!"
I noticed Dagura, Liura, and Debura shivering from the corner of my eyes.
Truly, Saeko's test subjects have been subjected to a truly cruel fate.
Though to be fair Saeko's food hasn't tasted bad after she got her Unique Skill: Cook, it just looks appetizing as hell, and even that issue is something she has been improving on.
Maybe Luminous can pull out another miracle.
"I'll send you over now if you aren't busy?"
Saeko narrowed her eyes as she looked around the training field. "Listen here you maggots!"
My lips twitched as I heard Saeko.
"I will be leaving to further improve my crafts and be of more use to Felix-sama, if I find that any of you have been slacking…" Saeko cracked her knuckles. "Then you'll be in a world of pain!"
Why does Saeko sound like some yakuza bully?
"Because she is one."
" " "Y-Yes Lady Saeko!" " " All the troops chanted.
Saeko nodded in satisfaction before she looked back to the sinking portion of the training ground where her fight took place. "And someone get that fixed!"
"Y-Yes Lady Saeko!" One of the female Kijin's replied.
Saeko nodded as she turned to look back at me. "I am ready, Felix-sama. Do not hesitate to call upon me should you require your loyal secretary!"
I nodded. "Right, I'll call you if I need you. Have fun with Luminous." God knows both Saeko and Luminous need more friends.
Before I could transport Saeko, I was interrupted.
"It is recommended to hold off on transporting Saeko to Luminous' precise location, instead I suggest transporting her to Hinata Sakaguchi's location."
'Alright.'
I didn't really care enough to ask why Othinus wanted me to do that, it wasn't a big deal to me.
"Actually I'll be sending you to Hinata first, play nice."
Saeko nodded. "Very well!"
I snapped my fingers sending Saeko straight to Hinata's location.
I'm sure that'll be fine.
I turned back to Dagura, Liura, and Debura. "Now let's go you three."
The three nervously nodded before I teleported us to one of the rooms in my palace.
I sat on one of the love seats as I gestured to the two other couches present in the room. "Take a seat you three."
All three nodded. Dagura and Liura shared one couch while Debura got another to himself, and even then Debura occupied the entire couch.
"I have a few questions for you three. I'm looking into forming an alliance of sorts with your father, this would include providing access to natural resources, something your people lack." I started.
Dagura's eyes widened. "Really?!"
I nodded. "Really."
Dagura sighed in relief as he gave me a wide smile. "Ha, that's great! I'm still loyal to you Lord Felix, but I do still feel for the plight of my people. If you have a way to help father in feeding all of the Giants then I would be very grateful."
Dagura stood up and bowed, as did Liura and Debura. Dagura seems to be the leader among the three.
"No need to bow, I was already planning to help your father out. Honestly you can visit your home if you're ever homesick, it's not like you need to dedicate your entire life to me."
Each of them were greater than the average Demon Lord Seed individual, but it wouldn't be much of a loss if they decided they wanted to head back home for a while.
I have plenty of strong beings that I can call upon if I need something done. Daemons are seriously useful minions, just name and incarnate an Arch Daemon and they become a Disaster Class with the potential to grow.
The three sat down as Dagura shook his head. "Father had kicked us out, I do not think returning would be wise. I do not wish to face his wrath." Dagura laughed nervously.
Liura and Debura nodded along with their elder brother.
"Before I ask my questions, how have you three been doing here?" I kinda just threw them onto Saeko, it seems they have been thriving, but like any good boss it's good to check in.
"We have undergone intense training under Lady Saeko, mental training, physical training, we have become more resistant to negative status effects such as paralysis, poison, sleep and various other things." Dagura answered.
I raised a brow. "Resistance against poison and paralysis huh? Good job, those aren't easy to acquire."
Normal gaining Resist Skills are incredibly difficult, you need to be inflicted with the negative status effect many times and fight against it until eventually a Resist Skill develops, I just cheated.
Dagura rubbed the back of his head. "No thank you Lord Felix! If it weren't for you and Lady Saeko we would have continued with our old ways, staying stagnant. I think I understand why father kicked us out now. Now we have friends that we can fight with for fun and various other luxuries."
I nodded. "I see, I'm glad you like it here. Then let me get into my questions. I already know the general history of your father's territory but let me double check it with you."
Dagura nodded.
I explained everything I knew, from the fight with Milim and Guy corrupting the land to Dagruel's efforts to gather resources from other Kingdoms and his struggles in doing so.
Dagura nodded. "That's about right. The higher level Giants like us and some others don't need much food or water if we need any, but the lesser members of our race do not share the same benefits, and so they suffer as much as my father works to provide for them."
"That sounds like what I know, well then do you have any more information you can share? Military strength, the stronger fighters under your father, anything really."
I wouldn't blame them if they didn't want to betray their father in that way.
Dagura tilted his head. "I was not aware of the inner workings of my father's forces, we were merely princes in name with no political power of our own. Though I do know a little bit."
"Anything could be useful." I answered.
"Then I will start with where my father and the rest of the Giants primarily stay. The Heaven Tower."
My eyebrows shot up hearing about the Heaven Tower.
"I see, I knew the Heaven Tower was in Dagruel's territory, but I didn't think they would use it as a base of operations. It's not like there is much information on the inner goings of Dagruel's territory."
Dagura nodded. "It is one of the safest locations and serves as the capital of my father's territory."
"I see."
"As for the military, I will start with my paternal uncle." Dagura began.
Paternal uncle huh? So one of the fragments of the so-called Mad Titan.
"Uncle Glassord is my father's right hand man, he leads the military and he is overwhelmingly powerful." Dagura gulped nervously. "I-I once sensed him training some of the Generals and he released his full power against them." Dagura's eyes were glazed. "His power was tremendous, greater than all three of ours combined."
Well that didn't tell me much at all.
"Do you think he was stronger than Saeko?"
Dagura nodded with confidence. "He most definitely had more energy than her, and as my father's right hand man he was likely very proficient in combat."
I nodded. "I see."
So he was in the Special-S Class then huh? An EP greater than 1,000,000 at minimum. Likely higher than that if he was Dagruel's brother, a part of the Mad Titan.
"Then the other Warrior Generals were also powerful, they were about as strong as I am individually, and some were slightly stronger or weaker." Dagura informed.
So around 200,000 EP on average then for the Generals.
"That is all I know about the military, but there is one other that you should know about." Dagura said nervously.
"Oh? And who is that?"
"Our Uncle Fenn… we heard of him in our bedtime stories."
"Fenn? So he's the last part of the Mad Titan then?"
Dagura nodded. "Fenn has been sealed since ancient times due to his personality. Unlike our uncle and father, Fenn never reformed and stuck with the same ways as the Mad Titan, so he was sealed by Veldanava himself deep inside the Heaven Tower."
For Veldanava to see Fenn as an actual threat to the world order he must have been powerful.
"Do you remember the legend itself?" Maybe the three brothers missed something in it, legends are often rooted in truth after all.
Dagrua nodded. "In ancient times, it is said that the evil gods were sealed away by the Star Dragon King. It is said that two of the three brothers reformed, my father, and Uncle Glassord. However one of them remained violent, so he was sealed by the chains of god. That is Fenn, and the chains that bind him are the famous chains of god, Gleipnir."
Gleipnir huh? That sounds familiar.
"In Norse Mythology, Gleipnir is the magical and seemingly unbreakable chain or ribbon used to bind the mighty wolf Fenrir. Crafted by the dwarves at the request of the gods, Gleipnir was made from six impossible ingredients, the sound of a cat's footsteps, the beard of a woman, the roots of a mountain, the sinews of a bear, the breath of a fish, and the spittle of a bird. Gleipnir was incredibly strong and was the only thing capable of holding Fenrir, the World Devouring Wolf who had grown so powerful that no ordinary chain could restrain him. The binding of Fenrir with Gleipnir is a significant event in Norse Mythology, as it is foretold that Fenrir will remain bound until Ragnarok, the end of the world, when he will break free and bring destruction to the gods."
It seems Veldanava took some inspiration from earth mythology then huh? It wouldn't surprise me if the overpowered True Dragon could glimpse into other worlds.
Though maybe there is some foreshadowing there? If the chains of Fenn, Gleipnir are broken, is the end of this world near? Is there some kind of prophecy I need to watch out for, or was Veldanava too lazy to come up with an original name and merely copied the name from mythology not meaning for there to be any significance behind it.
A single action from a being like Veldanava left even me in confusion. I suppose trying to understand the intentions of a guy who willingly stripped himself of his power was always going to be difficult.
"Once the memories of the Star King Dragon have been fully recreated and recorded you will have your answer Master."
'I suppose I will. You can't give me a glimpse of fragments of his memories?'
"Currently I cannot, as the memories have too much… weight behind them. I am devoting a large percentage of my process power to creating the memories and I am not even 10% of the way done. The memories I have recreated are the "weaker" memories as well, making them of less use as they involve more minor aspects of his existence. The memories closer to Veldanava's heart and more important to him are harder to recreate, and require more data."
'I see, I guess I was asking too much.'
"It is my own failure Master, I will continue to develop further to become the truly perfect partner."
'I don't see how that's possible, you're already perfect but I appreciate the enthusiasm.'
I ignored the weird feeling I was getting from Othinus and focused back on Dagura.
'Am I able to view the memories you have recreated?'
"I do not believe that is wise yet, Master. I have isolated the memories I have created and am in the process of removing the emotions from them. However the lingering will of the Star King, weakened as it is within the memories, is making it a time consuming process."
'That's fine then, whenever it's safe.'
I wasn't in a hurry to view Velda's memories. Perhaps it would give me an advantage against the Eastern Empire, but being reckless wasn't going to help things. If my Manas didn't think it was a good idea yet, then it wasn't a good idea. I trusted my partner at least that much.
Once again I got a warm, bubbly feeling come out from inside of me.
"How strong is Fenn then?"
Dagura gulped nervously. "In some legends that are spread in my father's territory it is said that father was beaten by Fenn, and Veldanava had to step in."
My eyes widened. "Beat Dagruel?! Well that's troublesome, it's a good thing he's sealed then."
Dagruel was a being that could be considered equal to a True Dragon. Veldora said he used to spar with Dagruel and neither side came out on top, though this was Veldora before meeting Rimuru so no Ultimate Skill and no technique.
Still a True Dragon is a True Dragon, almost no one could hope to challenge pre Rimuru Veldora, and yet Dagruel did, and Fenn still may have beat Dagruel?
If we end up having Dagruel as an enemy, would he unseal Fenn?
Then there was Glassord too, I have no idea how strong he could be, but as a fragment of the Mad Titan he is probably a beast too.
Dagura nodded. "Father had said Fenn possessed monstrous strength."
"I see, is that all you have?"
Dagura nodded apologetically. "It is, I apologize for not being of more use."
"Nah, you gave me enough information so thank you. I'll send you back to the training grounds now."
Dagura nodded. "Thank you Lord Felix."
With a snap of my fingers the three brothers were gone.
I suppose it's time to contact Dagruel then. I ran a finger across the curvature of the Demon Lord's Ring on my finger. Velzard could overhear this conversation if she wanted to, but I didn't really care, it's not like either she or Guy would care if I decided to ally with Dagruel.
I quickly got into the mindset of a ruler, formal vocabulary and all.
I willed the ring to connect to the ring I sensed west from Luminous' own. West of Ruberious was the Holy Void of Damargania.
The connection was established almost immediately.
"Is this Demon Lord Felix?" Dagruel's deep, resonant voice emerged from the ring.
"It is." I replied.
"I see, what did you need?" Dagruel asked, getting straight to the point.
"An alliance." I stated plainly.
"Oh? What kind of alliance?" His curiosity was evident, but so was his caution.
"For now, a trade agreement. If our partnership proves fruitful, it may evolve into something more substantial. I'm prepared to offer you the resources your people so desperately need… at a price, of course."
I didn't want Dagruel to think I was doing him a freebie, that would make him suspicious as I have no reason to help him out. In fact he likely knows about the alliance between Luminous, Rimuru and I which would make him even more suspicious as Luminous is one of his enemies.
He'd likely think it was a trap of some kind which was only natural. It will definitely take time for him to trust me and my intentions, but that was always something I knew. In the end it was worth it if I could increase the chances that a fragment of the Mad Titan would not become my enemy in the future.
Despite my strength I felt like caution was still one of my strong suits.
"Why would you desire such an arrangement?" Dagruel's voice carried an edge of suspicion, as expected.
I decided to be open with him.
"Despite the alliance between Luminous and I which you may have heard of, I truly mean you no harm. I am sure you are considering if this is a scheme from Luminous to get at you, but that is not the case, I give you my word, whatever it is worth. I simply see an opportunity to gain your favor and create a positive impression of myself in your mind. I can take advantage of your circumstances to gain riches while you also benefit and supply your people with much needed supplies."
I had plenty of natural resources that I could trade to Dagruel, the moment I took over this territory I told Arcueid to get on farming and make sure we had an overabundance of food. I didn't need to worry about any extra crops we have rotting since there was Magic to take care of that, having an overabundance of food was far better than not having enough.
I heard Dagruel sigh. "Very well, I suppose you have done me no harm so far, and your motives are understandable enough, even if I am sure you already have claim to unimaginable riches, Clayman was one that hoarded wealth after all." Dagruel paused for a moment before continuing. "However, coordinating an exchange between our two territories will be difficult. I am sure you are aware that one of my primary issues is that traveling through the Desert of Death is a rather perilous journey for most in this world."
"Indeed, I am already prepared for that however. I am a master of Spatial Manipulation, I can occasionally coordinate the exchange between our two territories to begin with. Once more trust has been built up between us then perhaps I can create a Teleportation Circle linking our two territories allowing us to transport the goods to each other directly."
Dagruel's silence was rather telling.
"...Very well. Discounting the absurdity of that statement, if you are prepared to do that much then I can meet you in the middle, at the very least we can begin the starting process of an agreement between our two territories."
"Starting talks between our representatives wouldn't hurt either of us so I am in agreement with you on that front." I stated.
"Very well then, may I learn what exactly you may be interested in from my territory?" Dagruel asked. "The more I know the more willing my representative may be for future deals." He elaborated.
"Very well. To start I was thinking of something along the lines of a trade of food supplies, from my end of course. Your land is known to be horribly infertile, I can provide you with grain, vegetables, even meat."
I'm fairly certain that Dagruel could have made similar deals with other Demon Lords, Leon alone had an entire continent to himself, I'm sure he has abundant resources. However that would involve him asking them for help, putting him in a lesser position to the opposing Demon Lord, something I'm sure he was unwilling to do, despite his care for his people putting himself at the mercy of a potential enemy was foolish.
Most of the Demon Lords were far from allies after all, at least before Rimuru and I popped in. In this scenario I am the one that approached Dagruel, and while he needed me more than I needed him, at the very least we could maintain a semblance of equality between us this way.
Politics.
"I see, and what were you expecting in return?" Dagruel inquired.
"Nothing that'll be too burdensome for you. Dwarven Gold Coins and some of the rare minerals and ores that Damargania is known for."
Thanks to the fight between Guy and Milim, the magicules they released corrupted the Damrada's territory, however it wasn't just the surface world that their magicules reached, their magicules managed to corrupt minerals, dirt, and ore deep within the earth as well.
The magicules of those two can do some rather wondrous things to any kind of material.
The world at large didn't know much about Damargania and what went on there, however Lalatina knew a decent amount about it since in the past she used to mess around close to Dagruel's territory.
"Hoho. Very well then." Dagruel responded.
We coordinated a date, time and place for our representatives to meet before we ended the call.
I sighed as I relaxed into the love seat.
- Othinus -
As Luminous Valentine writhed under her own touch, Othinus felt elation flood through her being. If she had a body, she would have cackled in glee at yet another successful scheme.
Even before her ascension into a Manas, in her previous incarnation as Odin, she had been devising ways to gather more allies for her master.
Her master was strong, stronger than ever before, but Othinus was always careful, she knew very well the dangers of the world they resided in, and so she was constantly devising new methods to bolster his power and ensure his security.
Recreating the Star King Veldanava's memories was her most ambitious strategy, a means to truly elevate her master into an unmatched being. The knowledge and data possessed by the Star King would, in theory, enable her to achieve the unimaginable. But until then, she needed to find other ways to increase her master's strength, even if indirectly.
Gathering allies had been one of Odin's early strategies, though it was not a focus, as few potential allies could offer anything that her master could not already achieve himself. In this world, quality mattered far more than quantity, so neither she nor Odin had prioritized the pursuit of allies. However, when opportunities arose, neither of them would hesitate to exploit them.
Luminous Valentine's attempt to seduce her master had presented such an opportunity. In response, Odin had created the Intrinsic Skill: Lover, specifically designed to ensure Luminous Valentine would become a loyal ally.
Lover subtly influenced Luminous, making her more dependent on her master. Odin had carefully avoided any form of direct control, knowing that it would displease her master. Instead, the skill allowed her master to play Luminous like a finely tuned instrument. Her pleasure points were easily mapped, his scent and fluids became almost addictive to the weak-minded. Of course, Luminous Valentine possessed a will far too strong for any of these factors to affect her individually.
But then there was the Love Energy her master had so recklessly infused into Luminous Valentine, which made her very Spirit crave his touch. Luminous could resist the urge if she wished, but the truth was, she didn't want to. She dove deeper into the intoxicating pool, knowing that one day she might lose the ability to swim back to the surface.
Othinus had ensured that none of it was "mind-rapey," as her master might put it, avoiding anything that would displease him. Luminous could still "break free" if she desired, but Othinus doubted she would. Though there was nothing to truly break free from.
Luminous herself stood to gain much from this arrangement. She would have a powerful ally in her master and would continue to grow stronger through their encounters, thanks to Essence Exchange.
All in all, it was a rather successful scheme in Othinus's eyes. Her master had gained an ally who might one day prove to be useful, and if Luminous didn't then her master still gained a lover that he found explosively attractive, and she existed to fulfill all of his desires.
With that matter settled, Othinus turned her attention to another conundrum she had recently uncovered.
After creating a Soul Corridor between her master and Hinata Sakaguchi, Othinus had noticed something peculiar about the Blessing her master had bestowed upon the girl. It had been subtly tampered with, causing some unknown effect that Othinus had yet to decipher.
The most confusing aspect was that the energy signature of this unknown effect was nearly identical to her master's own, though she was certain he had nothing to do with it.
Othinus resolved to continue investigating the matter and would bring it to her master's attention if it proved significant enough. For now, her master need not be burdened with such concerns.
___________________________________________________________________
I am highly motivated by your guys' reviews and likes, so do that! I'll probably keep writing or something.
I have a discord server, come hang out if you want! https://discord.gg/VxR5Gn72Fp I also have a channel in Shiro's Gaming Omniverse.
Author's Note: Hello everyone, back with another chapter of daemon.
We get a bit more lore about Dagruel, and we get to see Saeko fight. I've been saying off screen everyone has been training so I took this chance to show how Saeko has improved, of course this is against fodder but still. Her skill and experience have increased and she is far more combat aware, hopefully you all enjoyed the fight scene.
We finally begin making steps towards securing Dagruel as an ally which is something I've been hinting at for a while.
Anyways, thanks for reading, peace.
Thanks to @Salante and @Flowerman for beta'ing this chapter.