"A surrender? His Majesty King Ramposa III's stance seems very... firm."
A fine wrinkle appeared on Lakyus's forehead. King Ramposa III had always been known for his kindness, a king who held fast to his ideals. Hearing the word 'surrender' come from his lips was a shock. It wasn't just a political statement, but an admission of a monumental decision, a decision that must have shattered a part of his soul.
"Gazef Stronoff," Lakyus said, her voice softer than before, "what is His Majesty the King's request?"
Their focus now centered on the core mission. Gazef Stronoff's expression turned serious, his face radiating sadness. He looked at Lakyus with heavy eyes. "His Majesty's request... should rather be called an entreaty. He hopes you can convey this message to that person—the Vanself family is willing to give up everything they own. They only ask for one thing: to be allowed to reunite and live out the rest of their lives as commoners."
"The family... reunited?" Lakyus couldn't help herself. A touch of emotion pierced her heart. Though only hearing Gazef's retelling, she could feel the weight of King Ramposa III's words. It wasn't a negotiation from a king, but a sincere plea from a weary and lonely father.
Gazef's eyes grew dim. He was lost in the memory of his conversation with the King. The Old King was now only a shell of his former self; a series of tragic events had eroded his self-belief. The familiar faces of his closest family had turned out to be hiding evil. The corrupt nobles of the Re-Estize Kingdom exceeded his imagination. And above all, there was the unmatched power of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick and the Church of Destiny.
Then, a sentence Kael had once spoken to him echoed, "Do you still feel capable of continuing to rule the Re-Estize Kingdom?"
That question shattered the King's remaining spirit. He realized that his life had been a pathetic failure. He failed to protect his family. Failed to manage his country. Failed to protect his people. Maybe Kael was right—he was not a worthy king.
He was too incompetent.
Now, the Church of Destiny was conquering the Re-Estize Kingdom through Count Eindora and Marquis Raeven, while the Great Tomb of Nazarick lurked in the shadows. The King and his nobles were incapable of facing either of them. Rather than clinging to the throne, becoming an obstacle to the march of history, and causing more casualties, it would be better to surrender. Allowing the transfer of power to proceed smoothly would reduce the suffering of the people.
The only sensible choice was the Church of Destiny. They were human, the same race, and therefore, more trustworthy. He could not expect the Undead of Nazarick—who had repeatedly attacked cities and harmed the people—to be benevolent rulers.
Of course, behind all these political considerations, there was his small, personal wish. However, granting it was not an easy matter. Not to mention his two sons who remained by his side and his two married daughters, his youngest daughter was now imprisoned in the Destiny Holy City's Magic Prison. Only the lord of that city could grant his plea.
That was why King Ramposa III did not make the request as a negotiation condition, but as an entreaty. He asked Lakyus to be the intermediary.
"I understand. I will convey His Majesty's plea," Lakyus nodded, accepting the task. "However, I can only be a messenger. The final outcome is beyond my control, so I ask that you be prepared."
"I understand. And I'm sure His Majesty will also understand you. Do your best," Gazef Stronoff gave a faint smile. As the King's loyal guardian, he hoped the wish could come true, but he also knew that too much hope would only lead to deeper disappointment.
"Oh? The Old King wants to make a deal like that? Just do whatever you want, whatever makes you happy."
Kael disconnected the magical connection with Lakyus, throwing the matter to the back of his mind. As long as Lakyus carried out his orders to control the Re-Estize Kingdom, the fate of the Vanself family didn't matter much to him.
Currently, his focus was on only one thing: the development of the combat legion mobilized from the Dragon Kingdom. Their numbers weren't large, only fifteen thousand soldiers. However, they were not newly recruited subordinates, but veterans who had fought in the Beastman Kingdom, possessing rich combat experience with an average level above LV30.
This group of fifteen thousand soldiers, led by higher-ups from Carne Village and E-Rantel, was now divided into groups of a hundred for intensive leveling training. Kael believed that in less than three months, their average level could reach LV50. This level, though 'barely' sufficient, could already serve as 'artillery' in a battle against level-hundred beings.
Do not underestimate this 'artillery'. Even a wild LV50 monster with a normal template in Yggdrasil could inflict damage that would wound a level-hundred Magic Chanter like Ainz. If this Dragon Kingdom combat legion reached LV50, their own combat power would far surpass that of the Great Tomb's combat maids. A group of a thousand of these soldiers might be enough to wipe out the weakest guardians like Demiurge or Aura like a wild BOSS.
"Fluder, one more."
Without turning his head, Kael reached out to the side. Fluder, who was always on standby, quickly took a magic scroll from a tray held by a nearby disciple and respectfully handed it over.
Through the scroll's special telepathic connection, Kael sent a 'release' to the other end of the communication, then tossed the scroll into the air. The scroll immediately activated, unfurling, and a magical flame appeared out of thin air, burning the scroll to ashes.
Magic activated!
Seventh Tier · Summon Army of the Dead (Modified)!
Skeletons, zombies, ghosts... thousands of low-tier Undead suddenly appeared in the grassland, and among them, three Death Knights with a level of LV35 also rose. Usually, a high-tier mass summoning magic only focused on quantity, and a Seventh Tier magic would have a hard time summoning monsters above LV30. But this scroll had surpassed that limit.
"Excellent, Fluder, you haven't wasted my training!" Kael turned his head, a satisfied smile on his face. Fluder smiled brightly, overjoyed to see his research praised, and humbly said, "This is all thanks to you, I just did my best."
"This isn't something that can be achieved just by 'doing your best'." Kael smiled and shook his head. After praising and encouraging Fluder, he instructed him to hand over the refined magic to the item production department for mass replication. With this new summoning magic, the training consumption of the combat legion would be drastically reduced, while the efficiency would be greatly improved.
"Good thing I caught this 'Pokémon' first, otherwise, just imagining it is a loss."
Kael mused, anticipating the future war. Leinas, Enri, and Fluder had now reached LV100. Lakyus and the members of Blue Rose were also close to reaching LV85 and LV70. In terms of high-tier combat units, his side was no longer at a disadvantage. The countdown to the destruction of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick had begun.
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