Chapter 470
Chapter 470. To a New Land
Well, it seems I got separated from Arthur and the others, and I’m having a hard time reuniting with them, it’s Zilbagias here.
…Well, technically, it was Leila who flapped her wings and searched for Arthur, while I just rode on her back… So it’s a bit unethical to act like I struggled.
So, here we are.
I’m basically just a freeloader who left almost everything to Leila and did nothing myself.
Arthur and the others, who sank to the bottom of the lake along with the Kraken, were now lost, and if I moved carelessly, there was a chance that Arthur might return and we’d end up missing each other. So I continued to circle the sky for a while.
At one point, I fell ill due to poison while Leila was flying, so I had Ante change into a human form to take on the symptoms for me.
“O-ho! This is the pain of lowly species’ deadly poison!♡ I’m dying!♡ I’m really going to die!♡”
I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself!
Ultimately, we managed to reunite thanks to Bishop Lexar surfacing quite far away and unleashing lightning magic into the sky — and it was sharp-eyed Leila who spotted it.
Leila flew just above the water’s surface, dragging her tail, as Arthur and the others climbed aboard. Quite the picture! Although I can slip through physical barriers, I can’t fly as a ghost.
I wonder about species that originally have wings… Can bird or winged insect ghosts fly? Enma never covered that in class. It seems like they’d only end up being weak souls…
But wait? If I prepare bird ghosts for flying and a high-ranking spirit hangs onto it, wouldn’t they fly normally…?
If anything, wouldn’t dragon spirits or undead have no problem with flying…?
…….
Stop it! Stop thinking! The disadvantages of being used by Enma outweigh any perks I could gain!!!
“It wouldn’t be surprising if she’s already getting involved, just keeping it hidden.”
I really don’t want that… I don’t want to think about it. I need to come up with a countermeasure… or I’ll just have to get super strong and eliminate her.
“Hey hey, I’m back!”
“I’ve taken care of things successfully, Alex-kun!”
That aside, Arthur and Bishop Lexar looked lively. I was worried I might have wasted their magical power unnecessarily, but…
“They’re lively even though they’re dead!”
Ha ha ha… Not really funny.
But looking at them, neither Arthur nor Bishop Lexar seemed worn out. The other Vampire Hunters looked to be okay too.
Just a couple of them seemed to have a distinctly diminished presence…
They were looking pretty dazed, so I subtly recommended they take a rest as remains. Once they settled down to sleep, what Bishop Lexar had said was about how “the key to prolonging the spirit’s state lies in how naturally one can live.”
……That seemed plausible. The essence of undeadification is that the soul transforms and becomes something non-human. The holy silver curse tries to forcibly fix it as close to their previous lives as possible.
If they naturally have strong magical power (having ample space for their soul) and a strong will, can’t they minimize the burden of fixing with the holy silver curse…?
Nevertheless, transforming this many strong magic users into spirits would yield insane amounts of magical power.
Previously, when I turned vampire victims into spirits, they all just slept together as remains… but the Vampire Hunters are on a whole other level. I don’t have enough bones to accommodate them all.
Actually, the top-notch Arthur didn’t seem to fit, so I decided to let him inhabit Avalon. It’s just right… ha ha… with Arthur’s arm, I’ll extract the bones, and Arthur will transform Avalon to absorb them. It’ll work just like Barbara’s stabbing sword!
“Wow, we’ve really expanded our group!”
Barbara said while casually lounging on Leila’s back.
I’m firmly strapped into the saddle, but seeing Barbara and Arthur just chilling so casually in the roaring winds of flight makes my sense of reality wobble.
“Say, Barbara, aren’t you going to become a spirit?”
Arthur glanced at me.
“No. She’s a Sword Saint.”
“Since my magical power is non-existent, I probably wouldn’t last long as a spirit!”
Barbara shrugged while still lying down.
“If I host you in the body I made with full effort, you could still use your legendary Sword Saint skills even in undead form. That’s why… I’m having you conserve your strength.”
“Wow! That’s amazing!”
“Conversely, are those warriors transformed into undead by the Demon Lord’s army not able to use their legendary skills?”
“It seems if their existence shifts too much even during their lifetime, it becomes impossible. Especially since all of Enma’s subordinates will start using necromancy as the Undead King, the reasoning behind that really isn’t friendly.”
“I see… that makes sense.”
Bishop Lexar nodded in agreement.
I think I’ll pass along some knowledge about necromancy to everyone when I get the chance. Unlike me, who was thrown straight into battle with only the basics of a Hero, he’s a proper higher-tier magician among humans, so there might be new discoveries to be made.
“By the way… regarding our next destination, do you have any particular plan in mind?”
Bishop Lexar looked at me with intelligent eyes.
“No, not specifically. I thought about flying to the eastern edge of the continent and hunting Night Elves before the Demon Lord’s prince exile news spreads, but…”
“Hmm… if possible.”
He hesitated slightly.
“Could you check on the situation at the northern front?”
“…Isn’t that the front where the bishops were summoned?”
“Right. If vampire hunters like us are being called out, it must be rather urgent, or perhaps, there’s been a vampire sighting on the battlefield…Besides, we, the power that was meant to be included originally, are now missing, so…”
Ugh…
You mean to say I need to make up for that?
“Ah ha ha! Well, since it’s a hole you blasted open, it’s only fair you’re the one to fill it!”
Ante cracked up.
I’ll settle this later.
“Gah! I took on the symptoms of poison for you, and you’re as ungrateful as ever. Cough cough, ugh, it’s so painful…!”
You’re lying, you were enjoying it! The only time I’ve seen you truly suffering is when you’ve gotten utterly drunk and exposed your embarrassing self!
“Ahhh!”
Ugh, don’t thrash around inside me! As if I’m not already nauseous enough!!!
…Well, I am aware I’m taking it out on you. My apologies.
“Hmph…!”
Ante snorted shyly.
—On a serious note, what do you think about going to the northern front?
“Of course, it’s not the best option. After such a big performance, it wouldn’t be prudent to get close to the Holy Church, right? Ideally, we’d stay hidden in a remote mountain until the tension cools down.”
Honestly, I think that would be best too.
But that’s what Arthur’s ancestors told me: “While you’re still a Hero, defend one or two nations.”
Well, even if I do defend them, there’s a real chance of them being invaded and obliterated by the Demon Lord’s Prince later on…
“O-ho! I find that very intriguing, you noble Hero King!”
Yeah, yeah…
“In that sense, the reinforcements coming here posing as Heroes probably wouldn’t think we’re the actual Demon Lord’s Prince. Perhaps it’s safer than running away to the eastern edge of the continent. Besides, if we’re found out, we just have to wipe them all out and escape. Someone as powerful as Arthur wouldn’t still remain among the allies, would they? If we kill heroes and priests, we can incorporate them as spirits, and it’ll be fine!”
Ante laughed heartily, but—
“So, if I go to the northern front, I have one condition.”
Suddenly, his voice turned cold as ice.
“—Don’t hesitate next time. Ditch any sweet thoughts of wanting to let them live. If found out, kill them immediately.”
…Understood.
Next time, I won’t mess up.
“The north, huh… that’s the front where I was as well.”
Unaware of our thoughts, Arthur gazed off into the distance.
“I think the dwarves have fortified their defenses, so compared to other fronts, their combat power must be thicker, but was there something wrong?”
The northern part of the continent is a rugged mountainous area rich in mineral resources, and it’s where the dwarves’ kingdoms are densely packed.
Dwarves, huh…
“…Yeah, let’s head to the north then.”
I steeled myself.
“I happened to be looking for a skilled dwarf blacksmith too.”
“Why’s that?”
“Well… Adamas broke…”
I pulled out the faded blade from its sheath just a little for Arthur to see.
“Eh, is that… wait, Alex, could that spearhead be…?”
“Yeah… it’s the Adamas I put to sleep…”
“Ah… Did I break it with my strike… I’m sorry…”
“No, no!! There’s nothing to apologize for!! It’s my fault…”
Awkward atmosphere.
…And so, our next destination was decided to be the northern front.
What we’ll specifically do or how we’ll handle it once we arrive is unplanned, but I definitely want to sort out Adamas.
“Even though the vampire issue has been resolved, it seems the damage from aquatic magical beasts has been increasing lately, which I’ve been concerned about. I’m glad we managed to take down the Demon Lord of Aulitos here. The lake should calm down a bit now…”
Arthur said, gazing at the lightening eastern sky, almost like he was talking to himself.
“Now I can depart without any lingering regrets…”
For a moment, he hesitated.
To say there are no regrets—
It shouldn’t really be true…
Ah, the night is about to break.
“Arthur, and Bishop Lexar too…”
I was hit with a choking feeling in my chest, but I still spoke up.
“It’s starting to get dangerous, so… we should head back.”
Both of them looked puzzled.
“Ah… I see.”
Eventually, Arthur smiled faintly.
“I can’t see the sun anymore…”
Like smoke scattering, Arthur, Bishop Lexar, and Barbara were drawn into their respective vessels.
In an instant, the lively figure on Leila’s back vanished, leaving only me.
“—We’re heading north!”
Leila turned her neck and changed direction.
Basking in the brilliant morning sun — we departed from Aulitos Lake.
Our destination is the northern front.
The kingdom of the dwarves.
――――――――――――――
The Demon Lord’s Prince Righteousness Arc concludes here.
Before diving into the Northern Front arc (tentative), I intend to rapidly fire between perspectives of the Demon Lord’s Kingdom and the Holy Puppy. Stay tuned!
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