n

nWhen the Familiar Spirit sent after Gubamon activated the Familiar Spirit Descent skill was destroyed by Vandalieu, Hihiryushukaka, the Evil God of Joyful Life, felt both surprise and relief.

nHaving a bad feeling, he had immediately dispatched a weak, replaceable Familiar Spirit, minimizing the damage he suffered.

nIf he had dispatched his own spirit clone to save Gubamon, it was likely that he would be writhing in agony right about now, experiencing pain similar to having his flesh and bone smashed to pieces.

n“… I suppose he is destined to be broken like Ternecia now.”

nAs Hihiryushukaka had predicted, Gubamon had been defeated and his soul was in Vandalieu’s grasp. But in return, he had managed to acquire more information for Hihiryushukaka than expected as well.

nConsidering the overall benefits of Gubamon’s work over the past hundred thousand years, Hihiryushukaka thought that Gubamon might have been a capable subordinate god.

nBut seeing Gubamon go mad and kill his subordinates who were Hihiryushukaka’s believers, Hihiryushukaka had half-given up on Gubamon. Gubamon hadn’t offered his believers as sacrifices; he had simply slaughtered them and reduced their numbers too much.

nBut since Ternecia had been destroyed and Hihiryushukaka had no plans to obtain a replacement for her, cutting Gubamon off completely would have meant reducing the number of cards in his own hand.

nThat was why he had watched things unfold for a while, but thanks to that, he had learned that the Dhampir possessed dangerous skills other than the ability to break souls.

n“First, he possesses an ability that allows him to tame Undead. Because of this, the forces that Gubamon created were almost meaningless. Second, he has an enormous amount of Mana that is similar in quality to the Demon King’s allowing him to use the Demon King’s fragments masterfully.”

nThe ability to tame existing Undead created by others was a complete upgrade on Hihiryushukaka’s divine protection.

nThe volume and properties of Mana that allowed the simultaneous use of multiple fragments of the Demon King, something that would normally cause the Demon King Encroachment Degree skill’s level to increase instantly, burning through the wielder’s sanity and Mana and sending the Demon King’s fragments on a rampage.

nThe latter was extremely dangerous in particular. The Demon King’s fragments were powerful. There were differences between individual fragments, but a single fragment would allow the wielder to do battle against a hero equipped with Upper-class and Legendary-class arms made of Mythril and Adamantite.

nBut in the end, this was borrowed power. Gubamon and Ternecia had come up with ways to combine it with their own martial skills, but even so, it was difficult to say that they had used that power to their full potential.

nHowever, Vandalieu was using this power masterfully as if it came to him naturally. And in addition to the Demon King’s blood that he had acquired and the horns that he had taken from Ternecia, he even possessed the suckers and ink sacs that were supposed to be in the possession of Merrebeveil, the Evil God of Slime and Tentacles.

nThat god, who had been taken in by Vida, had only acted through the Scylla for the past hundred thousand years. Considering this, the Demon King’s fragments had likely been given to Vandalieu rather than stolen.

nThrough Gubamon’s eyes, Hihiryushukaka had seen that there was a Scylla Ghost among the Ghosts that followed Vandalieu.

nAnd now, with the Demon King’s carapace taken from Gubamon, Vandalieu possessed five fragments.

nThis was troubling news. The Demon King’s fragments were powerful individually, but they displayed even greater powers when multiple fragments were combined. This was only natural, as it was the Demon King Guduranis who had combined all of these fragments and led the evil gods, including Hihiryushukaka, in a difficult battle against the champions and even destroyed four of those champions.

n“And that Job is problematic as well. It seems that he acquired a Guider-type Job, just as Ternecia feared in the moments before her death. And he possesses the Hostility skill as well.”

nHostility was a superior version of skills such as Goblin Slayer and Dragon Slayer that increased the damage dealt by the skill owner against certain enemies.

nIts effect was simple; it increased the damage the skill owner dealt against all enemies.

nBecause of this skill, the reflected effect of the Demon Eyes of destruction had caused even greater damage to Gubamon. And unfortunately for him, he had activated the Demon King’s carapace and used his enhanced defense to try and endure his enemy’s attacks.

nHe had deliberately chosen to receive attacks from a foe who possessed a permanent damage-increasing effect.

nIn hindsight, Gubamon might have had a better chance to win the battle if he had fought steadily using the space-attribute magic and martial skills that he was proficient with, rather than relying on the Demon Eyes of Destruction and Demon King’s fragment. Furthermore, if he had kept his subordinates ready and waiting instead of turning them into Undead, he would have had more tactics available to him, such as using his subordinates as decoys to buy time.

nIn other words, Gubamon had been continuously sabotaging himself from the moment he began killing his own subordinates to turn them into Undead.

nHe had gifted his enemy with more forces by turning his subordinates into Undead, had the power of his Demon Eye that he was overconfident in reflected back onto him by his enemy’s Abyss skill and activated the Demon King’s carapace, adopting a strategy of defending against the attacks of an enemy with a damage-increasing skill.

nConsidering the sizes of Gubamon and Vandalieu’s Mana pools, it was probably also a poor move to try and attack the Vampires who had once been Gubamon’s subordinates and the monsters that Vandalieu had produced from his body.

nGubamon might have been able to buy some time with this, but he had paid an enormous amount of Mana to do so. The amount of Mana that Vandalieu had spent to defend was larger than the amount that Gubamon had expended in terms of the raw numbers, but considering Vandalieu’s total Mana pool, it wasn’t a significant amount.

nThere had been no way for Gubamon to win a battle to the death where he was tightening a noose around his own neck.

nBut the problem was not Gubamon, whose fate had already been sealed, but whether Hihiryushukaka’s only remaining pawn, Birkyne, would be able to kill Vandalieu.

nBirkyne was inferior to Ternecia in offensive power and inferior to Gubamon in defensive power. Did he have any chance of defeating Vandalieu?

nAs a Pure-breed Vampire, Birkyne was equal to Ternecia and Gubamon in terms of power. He could use magic and martial skills to a high standard, and though it wasn’t suited for direct combat, he did possess a fragment of the Demon King.

nHis qualities were not those of a warrior or mage, but those of a conspirator pretending to be a strategist. In a way, he was a man who believed in himself.

n“… It would be difficult.”

nThe probability wasn’t zero, but Hihiryushukaka thought that Birkyne, who was inferior in fighting strength to the other two Pure-breed Vampires, had slim chances of defeating Vandalieu, who had already defeated both.

nVandalieu hadn’t fought Ternecia or Gubamon head-on. But his power had increased remarkably since the time he faced Ternecia.

nIf Hihiryushukaka asked himself whether Birkyne would be able to deal with Vandalieu’s development, he could only answer that it would be difficult.

n“But no matter how slim his chances of victory are, he must be victorious, or there will be no future for me.”

nNews of Ternecia’s defeat had already spread beyond the Bahn Gaia continent. Gubamon’s defeat would be well-known before long, too.

nIf people lost their fear of Hihiryushukaka, the Evil God of Joyful Life, and no longer saw a reason to fear him, only his own downfall would await him.

nFrom a mortal’s perspective, it might be a mere downfall in image, but for Hihiryushukaka and the other evil gods who were the remnants of the Demon King’s army, there was no purpose if they were not feared. Being treated with contempt would be their end.

nThe three Pure-breed Vampires had been very effective as billboards to instill fear, but… now, that had backfired on Hihiryushukaka.

nThere was also the option of simply fleeing, but Vandalieu, whose mother was a Dark Elf, would live between three thousand and five thousand years. It was difficult to imagine that Hihiryushukaka would manage to escape him for that long.

nWith that being the case, the best plan was to make a gamble while he still had a chance at victory.

n“I suppose I shall form a plan that works under the assumption that Birkyne’s plan fails.”

nHihiryushukaka turned his gaze towards Birkyne, who was still unaware of Gubamon’s destruction.

nTwo days after being abducted by Vampires, Iris Bearheart reappeared before her companions of the Sauron Liberation Front.

n“I’m happy that you are so vigilant, but isn’t it about time you believe me?” asked a wet-faced Iris.

nHer companions had been pouring holy water over her the moment she had reappeared.

n“As you can see, the color of my eyes hasn’t changed. I haven’t got fangs, and I still have a pulse. I’m not a Vampire or an Undead,” she said.

nFinally, Debis and the others lowered their silver weapons that consisted of silver tableware.

n“Ojou… I’m so glad you’re safe!” Debis exclaimed.

n“I thought it was over. If you’d come back a day later, I would have been forced to become the princess knight!”

nWiping her wet face with a cloth that she had been handed, Iris returned the happy smile of her companions. She had made preparations so that things would remain in order even if she died at any moment, but she hadn’t desired death. She was truly happy at being reunited with her companions.

n“But Ojou, just how did you escape the Vampires?” Debis asked.

n“About that… Debis, everyone, the Sauron Liberation Front has always been acting with the resolve to accept both good and evil,” said Iris.

nFrom the point of view of those who currently ruled the Sauron Duchy, the resistance was undeniably a group of criminals. No matter what kind of high ideals they had, they hadn’t been able to get by through clean actions alone. They had even stained their hands with acts that ignored the principles of chivalry altogether.

nDebis’s betrayal of the slave merchant had been a spectacularly murky act for a member of the Mercenaries’ Guild.

n“But I have gained the resolve to tread through even murkier waters. Do you have the resolve to follow me?” Iris asked her companions.

nThe Sauron Liberation Front had made sure not to step over a certain line, but Iris’s companions gasped at her mentions of treading through murkier waters.

n“Ojou, could you possibly be speaking of making pacts with the Vampires?!”

n“Iris-ojou, we mustn’t! Those things, those Vampires that worship the Evil God of Joyful Life, I’m sure they have connections with the Amid Empire! They’re just going to make use of us and then sell us out to the Empire in the end!”

nIris’s companions had waded through murky waters numerous times, but making deals with the Vampires who worshipped the Evil God of Joyful Life was such a contaminated river that it made all of the past deeds they had done look like clear spring water.

nThey were beings who scorned and trampled over the most basic rules that even applied in the underworld. They could not be trusted to keep up their ends of any bargains. That was what Iris’s companions were trying to tell her.

n“No, they’re not the ones we’re going to be making a deal with,” Iris told them. “We’ll be making a deal with an organization led by the one who defeated Gubamon, one of the leaders of the Vampires who worship the Evil God of Joyful Life, and saved me. They offered me conditions and promised to offer us aid if these conditions are fulfilled.”

n“Gubamon? You mean a Pure-breed Vampire was defeated?! There’s no way…!”

n“But look, Iris-ojou was taken by Gubamon’s subordinates, but she’s safe and back with us now, so it might be true,” said Debis. “Iris-ojou, just who in the world is this monster who defeated a monster from the age of the gods and asked us to tread through murkier waters?”

nIris looked at her surprised companions as she answered. “Vandalieu-dono, a Dhampir with the Title of ‘Holy Son of Vida,’ who is responsible for slaughtering the Mirg shield-nation’s expedition army of six thousand in the southern region of the continent. The conditions that he offered are –”

nThe extermination force led by Mardock Zet had defeated Raymond and Rick, the Paris brothers who led the Reborn Sauron Duchy Army.

nHaving received this information, Kurt Legston decided that he should be happy about this.

nThe Paris brothers had been the most troublesome bunch among the resistance. The Sauron Liberation Front led by the Liberating Princess Knight was troublesome as well, but the Reborn Sauron Duchy Army led by the brothers had considerable organizational capability, and they were a powerful enemy with many former members of Knights’ Orders among their ranks.

nMany units that had underestimated them as another mere resistance group had suffered great losses.

nThis resistance organization had been exterminated, so as an unimportant part of the Empire’s army, it was something that Kurt should be happy about.

n“But it is quite surprising that two such important individuals were hiding in a place like this. And even more surprising was your skill that brought us their heads,” Kurt said with a smile, praising Mardock, who had come to deliver this report.

nKurt was truly happy from the bottom of his heart.

nNow quickly, allow me to get out of this small fort, make a triumphant return to the army’s headquarters and then receive my promotion in the Empire, Kurt thought as he offered Mardock a drink.

nMardock, whose face was wrapped in bandages, emptied the cup given to him before speaking. “Not at all. I lost many ofmy subordinates in the process. This is all the result of their work.”

nTLN: There is random katakana in Mardock’s speech where there shouldn’t be, though the sentences are all pronounced the same way and are normal as far as grammar goes. I interpret this as him having stiff, unnatural-sounding speech but I don’t really know how to convey this in translation… something like italicizing random words might be the English equivalent.

nMardock’s tone of speech was strange due to his injuries, but Kurt felt more discomfort at the words that he had spoken. Was Mardock the kind of man to say such admirable words?

nIt was true that nearly half of Mardock’s unit had died. As a unit, these losses were enormous, and it was likely that many of the victims had been with Mardock for a long time. This was why Kurt didn’t consider it completely unnatural that Mardock was thinking about the men who had been sacrificed.

nBut would he show these emotions to Kurt, to whom he had been thoroughly unpleasant towards up until now?

nI was certain that he would at least say something like, “For you to not notice such large figures hiding in a place so close by, you must really enjoy engaging in unarmed combat with the documents on your desk.”

nTaking no notice of Kurt’s suspicions, Mardock changed the topic of conversation to an entirely different one.

n“Come to think of it, are you aware of the incident in which a Hurricane Dragon’s roar was heard several days ago?” Mardock asked.

n“Yeah, since we could even hear it from here,” said Kurt. “But nothing strange has been happening, so I suppose it is just their mating season, or perhaps a territorial conflict with another Dragon.”

nWhat is this about, all of a sudden? Kurt wondered, growing more and more suspicious.

nBut Mardock continued speaking. “… If I were to tell you that the Dragon’s roar was a sign that something crawled out from the other side of the Boundary Mountain Range, what would you do?”

n“Mardock-dono? What are you saying?” Kurt asked.

nMonsters crawling out from the other side of the Boundary Mountain Range. This was a phenomenon that occurred several times a year in Kurt’s homeland, the Mirg shield-nation. These were mostly monsters that lost the battle for a place in the mountain range and wandered outside after being expelled.

nHowever, a monster that would cause a Hurricane Dragon to roar, a monster that would threaten not only this fort but the existence of the entire Sauron Duchy, had never emerged from the mountain range.

n“There is no way that is possible,” Kurt said. “If that was true, then we would have bigger things to worry about than the resistance. We would need to send a message to the army headquarters right now, send out requests to summon A-class adventurers –”

nSuddenly, an unfamiliar noise came from the wooden door behind Kurt. He immediately turned around, and then opened his eyes wide in surprise.

nA small silhouette so black that it looked as if it were enveloped in the darkness of the night itself had entered the room by breaking through the office door that was made of rotting wood.

n“In this world, windows are usually wooden doors, so the ‘outside the window!’ joke can’t be used, can it?” said the small silhouette that was covered completely in black with a flat tone that was very out-of-place.

n“Your Majesty, I cannot understand that joke.”

nAnother figure completely covered in black, about the size of an adult man, entered the room after the smaller one.

n“Th-thieves!” Kurt shouted. “Mardock-dono, the soldiers at the front –?!”

n“I shall have you be quiet now.” Mardock produced a dagger from his pocket and placed its blade at Kurt’s neck. “The men at the front have already been replaced by my subordinates.”

n“Mardock, what are you playing at, you bastard?!” Kurt demanded.

nHe had been personally distrustful of Mardock, but Mardock was supposed to be exceptional as a soldier. Kurt was more bewildered than angry at Mardock’s betrayal.

nIn this situation, what purpose was there in betraying Kurt, who was nothing more than the commander of a small fort?

n“Actually –” Mardock began.

n“I’m not Captain Mardock, you knooow,” said another voice, finishing the sentence.

nA familiar-looking man emerged from Mardock’s back like a larva emerging from its chrysalis.

n“You’re from the extermination force…!” said Kurt.

nKurt didn’t remember the man’s name, but he had been a scout of Mardock’s unit. Kurt had seen him a few times, but he had always maintained a stiff expressionlessness, perhaps because he was earnest or perhaps because he was simply a gloomy individual.

n“I am Kimberley, formerly of the extermination force, Commandant Kurt Legston~.” The man had become quite transparent, but he was now giving a twisted smile, a grin that exposed his teeth.

nAs Kimberley emerged, Mardock collapsed onto the ground like a piece of rotten wood, but Kurt found himself unable to move.

nKimberley was far too close for Kurt to try anything.

nKurt was the third son of the Legston family of earls that had served as marshal for generations, but he himself didn’t possess the fighting strength of a hero. He wasn’t particularly strong compared to the average knight.

nI might have been able to do something if I had some more space and my weapon and shield were nearby, but… Well, I was completely defeated the moment the captain got close to me, Legston thought.

nBut even as he gave up hope, his mouth asked another question on its own. “… To think that Mardock was possessed by a Ghost. What about the other members of the extermination force?”

n“No, Mardock is the only one who has been taken over by a Ghost’s Possession skill. I’m just manipulating the others,” said the small, black figure.

n“That makes no difference to me,” said Kurt.

nIt seemed that over a dozen enemies had entered the fort. The morale of the soldiers holed up in the fort had never been high to begin with, and it was unlikely that they had felt any sense of caution towards Mardock and his men who had made a triumphant return after taking the heads of two important members of the resistance.

nThinking about future improvements that would likely never be made, Kurt turned his gaze towards the small figure. “So, what’s your goal? Surely you’re not going to tell me that you’re after my head,” he said in self-deprecation.

nThe small figure shook its head as it answered. “No, our goal is you. But with your head still attached, if possible.”

nA pale smoke rose from the small figure, and the blackness that looked like the darkness of the night rapidly began to disappear. What was left was a white Dhampir child.

nKurt himself had never seen this child before, but he remembered a top-secret order that he had been given ‘just in case.’

n“You are Vandalieu?!”

nVandalieu blinked in surprise at the fact that his own name had come from Kurt’s mouth. “Why do you know my name?” he asked.

n“… It is a name told to me by the top brass of my homeland,” said Kurt. “After doing all of those things… slaughtering the entire expedition of six thousand men, sending over half of them back as Undead and then destroying the cultivated land using the Undead and deadly poison, did you think that we would not be cautious of you?”

nAnd for Kurt, Vandalieu was the killer of his older brother and the reason that he had been demoted.

nHe had wondered what kind of monster Vandalieu would be, but Vandalieu’s appearance was truly that of a child. He had a well-featured face that could pass for a girl’s, a doll-like expressionlessness and wax-like skin that didn’t look like it belonged to a living person at all.

nBut he was a monster to be feared.

nKurt had heard from Thomas Palpapek, the Mirg shield-nation’s marshal, that this monster haunted the southern region of the continent beyond the Boundary Mountain Range. Top secret orders had been issued to the commanders of the forts, checkpoints and garrisons near the Boundary Mountain Range, to be followed in the event that Vandalieu was discovered. Those orders were to report the Dhampir’s appearance to the homeland and then prioritize avoiding battle and keeping casualties to a minimum.

nBut Kurt hadn’t been seriously vigilant about this, as he hadn’t expected that the Dhampir would appear in the former Sauron Duchy to the north of the Boundary Mountain Range.

nHe would never have dreamed that Vandalieu would come to the former Sauron Duchy in order to obtain rice.

n“I see. Well, I suppose any place under the Empire’s rule would at least do something like this,” said Vandalieu, satisfied with this explanation. “So, this is the business that I’ve even gone as far as to use my ‘ink’ to sneak in here for… I want to recruit you.”

n“Recruit me, you say?” Kurt repeated, doubting his own ears. It seemed impossible in a variety of ways; he found it difficult to believe that he was even that valuable an individual. But then he voiced the greatest of the questions that he had. “Can’t you do that after killing me and turning me into an Undead without making all this effort?”

nConsidering the expedition army’s transformation into Undead and Kimberley’s transformation into a Ghost, there was no doubt that the boy in front of Kurt’s eyes could tame Undead. So then, why was he going out of his way to recruit a living soldier of an enemy nation? Wasn’t this some kind of trap? Kurt couldn’t trust Vandalieu at all until these questions were answered.

nBut it wasn’t Vandalieu who answered Kurt’s question.

n“It’s because I recommended it,” said the larger figure, who had remained silent after the first words it spoke when it first entered.

nA thin smoke rose from the figure. The Demon King’s ink that had been used as camouflage disappeared, revealing a deathly-pale face that Kurt knew very well. Kurt’s jaw almost dropped onto the ground.

n“Ani-ue, Chezare-ani-ue?!”

n“I received your letter before the expedition army departed, but it’s been three, no, four years since we last talked directly? Or should I say that it’s the first time? It seems that you’ve aged considerably since we last met.” Chezare’s gaze wandered as if lost, and then he shrugged his shoulders as if finally giving up on something. “Ah, it’s useless. I can’t remember what kind of face I made when I talked to you. Did I have a politer tone? Leaving that aside, have you gotten married yet?”

n“… That is the face, Ani-ue. After you became an adult, you did have a politer tone, however,” said Kurt. “The marriage proposal I reported in my letter was canceled after the expedition army was defeated and I was demoted.”

n“I see. That’s convenient for us,” said Chezare. “So, you were wondering why we made all this effort to recruit you, weren’t you?”

n“I would like you to apologize, Ani-ue, even if only as a formality.”

nFrom Kurt’s point of view, the words and behavior of the Undead before his eyes were exactly like those of his older brother, to the point that they were exchanging these words so naturally.

nKurt was a believer of Alda; it was only natural for him to believe that Undead were evil beings. But he couldn’t deny that this was certainly his older brother.

n“The reason is because there is a possibility that your personality and memories will be damaged when you become an Undead,” Chezare continued. “It’s only natural, since it’s something that happens after you die. I’ve changed quite a lot myself, haven’t I?”

n“No, that is not… No, you have indeed changed quite a lot,” Kurt agreed. He felt that there was something decisively different about his older brother compared to when he had been alive.

nWhile he was alive, Chezare would have never infiltrated a fort of the enemy army for any reason.

n“There are some who become more useful after becoming Undead; that’s true for me and Kimberley. But that doesn’t mean it will be true for you. That’s why His Majesty has come to recruit you.”

n“If I refuse, will I be killed and turned into an Undead?” Kurt asked with a bitter smile.

n“Yes,” Vandalieu replied. “It’s already been decided that this fort will fall, so that’s what will happen.”

nThere wasn’t any use in lying, so he answered honestly. The act of slaughtering six thousand people from Kurt’s own nation and returning them as Undead might have been a defensive battle followed by a counterattack from the perspective of Vandalieu and his allies, but from Kurt’s point of view, these actions were likely the act of a fiend.

n“So, this is how you’ll be treated if you accept my recruitment. My nation doesn’t have an aristocratic system yet, so I can’t guarantee you a court rank, however.” Vandalieu handed Kurt a document.

nKurt took it, but before even looking at it, he gave Vandalieu a bewildered look. “Didn’t you think that I would be enraged and refuse you? You are my brother’s killer.”

n“I did,” said Vandalieu. “That’s why I prepared plenty of fighting forces before coming here.”

nPrincess Levia, Orbia and a large number of other Ghosts appeared around Vandalieu for a moment, and then disappeared again. Realizing that the creepily-smiling Kimberley wasn’t the only Ghost around, Kurt’s expression stiffened.

n“But Chezare has told me that you’re a calm, patient person,” Vandalieu continued. “If you still hate me, then it can’t be helped. It’s fate that we’re speaking face-to-face like this, so I would accept if you were to challenge me to a one-on-one duel. Would you like that?”

nWith his expression still frozen, Kurt thought… The strength left his face and shoulders as he gave his answer. “I shall decline. I am thankful for your consideration.”

nEven if they were to duel, Kurt did not feel like he could win against the child before his eyes. Chezare and Kimberley had been looking at him to silently urge him to decline as well, but the marshal’s secret written orders had also read, “Avoid fighting him at all costs.”

nAnd Kurt had never particularly hated the ‘Monstrosity’ that had turned the tables on the expedition army.

nThough he had felt seething emotions upon first hearing the news, once he calmed down and thought about it, he had realized that the Mirg shield-nation had simply lost a war.

nIt had invaded enemy lands, been completely defeated and then suffered an invasion in return. Excluding the Undead, these were events that had repeated themselves in history over and over again.

nIt wasn’t as if he felt no grudge at all, but after talking to the Undead older brother before his eyes, even that grudge had grown weaker. It might have been different if his older brother had been rotting and letting out groans of suffering, but Chezare was almost exactly the same as he had been while alive other than the deathly-pale color of his skin.

nPerhaps as an Alda believer, it was proper for him to be burning with anger, but before being a believer of Alda, he was a military man, a commander.

nThe king of the enemy nation had personally come to meet him and offered him a chance to change sides before killing him. This was a prestigious thing, and in this situation, he had essentially already been defeated.

nConsidering these facts, Kurt had no time to be enraged. Anger simply got in the way of his work.

n“But what will happen if I sell out my subordinates and betray my homeland?” Kurt asked.

n“The details regarding that are written in the document,” said Vandalieu.

nKurt lowered his gaze to the document in his hands to find that the details were indeed written there.

nIf Kurt accepted Vandalieu’s recruitment, all of his subordinates’ lives would be spared.

nAnd there were promises that would be fulfilled if the Mirg shield-nation went to war with Talosheim, the nation that Vandalieu ruled, such as actions being taken to persuade the Legston family to join Talosheim’s side.

nIf all of the promises written here were kept, they were extraordinarily good conditions for Kurt.

nHowever, there were also some points that concerned him.

n“Why have you gone out of your way to write, ‘I will definitely kill Thomas Palpapek, and this is not negotiable?’” Kurt asked.

n“He has connections to the Vampires who worship an evil god, and he is one of the masterminds behind my mother’s death,” Vandalieu replied.

n“… Would you care to tell me about this topic in more detail, ‘Your Majesty?’”

nIt didn’t take long for Kurt to renounce his faith in Alda and swear loyalty to Vandalieu and his nation while still alive.

nMonster explanation:

n【Skogsrå】

nA plant-type monster of which none currently exist in Lambda other than Eisen. She appeared as a result of her Rank increasing from being an Immortal Ent, and this race name was given to her because her appearance is similar to fairies that appear in legends that Vandalieu heard in Origin. There are also similar legends on Earth.

nTheir base Rank is 6.

nThey are beautiful women with green skin, but the skin on their backs is replaced with bark, and several branches grow from there. Also, they possess tails similar to those of cows for some unknown reason.

nThere are no other Skogsrå in Volume 5, so it is difficult to inspect them as a race, but because Eisen was formerly an Immortal Ent, she possesses powerful regenerative abilities and a great resistance to status effects. When she was an Immortal Ent, she swung her branches and roots to fight, so she has acquired the Unarmed Fighting Technique skill. She has also learned the Throwing skill from throwing her fruit.

nShe can extend the branches on her back to use them as weapons, and produce fruit from them. Also, her sap can be used as an ingredient for a high-quality syrup. The wooden clothes that she wears were actually created by her, and can be replaced at any time.

nOther than her simple fighting strength, she is also surrounded by a charm similar to that of a high-class prostitute due to her Allure passive skill, and she can touch any creatures she seduces to attack them with Spirit Siphon.

nAlso, it is thought that she can become capable of using earth-attribute magic, life-attribute magic or perhaps both.

nShe looks similar to a human in appearance, but she is essentially a plant, so she can survive for a long period of time as long as she has water and sunlight. However, she is also capable of eating.

nIncidentally, it is a mystery as to why she only ever says, “Eat.” It is thought that her vocabulary will grow in the future.

nShe secretly participated during the battle against Gubamon, and with the Experience Points gained during this battle, she has developed into a Rank 7 Huge Skogsrå.

nAs the Adventurers’ Guild has never identified Skogsrå, the parts used as proof of extermination, how dangerous they are and the tradeable materials that can be obtained from them are unknown.

n