Chapter 386

Chapter 386

For Sale. Fallen Lady. Never Used.

Episode 386: Guest From The North

For a while, we were incredibly busy.

I had no time as I was getting used to the Dragon Heart and simultaneously learning the magic I received from Rebecca.

Carla, perhaps noticing something from the fact that my Lintblum Core had transformed into a Dragon Heart, began research on the Lintblum Mana Breathing Technique.

Elisha and Iris further refined their recently grasped visions.

Faye also gained a lot this time, so she barely slept and locked herself in her workshop to digest it and incorporate it into her research.

Iona, having drunk my blood for a long time, seemed to have some changes occurring in her body and spent the whole day contemplating her inner self. Of course, she also properly managed her professor duties.

Lastly, Helena and Solaris seemed to be stimulated by the appearance of the corrupted Carla, who wielded great power even after the Grotesque Proliferation had been extinguished.

It goes without saying that they were so engrossed in practicing their divine power that they even reduced their prayer time.

Even just this was enough to fill our daily schedule, but it didn’t end there.

The fact that I defeated the Grotesque Proliferation was witnessed by many, and the Levantin Empire and Alfheim extensively promoted it, so everyone knew.

However, the fact that the Boiling Silence was also extinguished was not separately known… until Rebecca testified.

Of course, at first, the reaction was mostly disbelief.

It was natural. The Grotesque Proliferation was defeated because various conditions aligned, and with the help of Alfheim and the Circulating Life.

But suddenly, a group of fewer than ten people charged in and took down another Evil God in just a few days? No matter how much Rebecca testified, it wouldn’t be easy to believe. I would feel the same way.

However, the story changed when the Circulating Life, who had belatedly lent me Mistletoe, gave additional testimony, and the followers of the Boiling Silence under interrogation rapidly weakened, even losing their divine power in severe cases.

As everyone began to believe, the already considerable interest in me soared to the sky.

“Seriously, this is too much trouble… why are there so many events?”

“Shall I massage your shoulders, Master?”

“No, I can rub my own shoulders, so just massage my lower back where my hands don’t reach.”

With those words, I collapsed onto the bed. Soon after, I felt Carla’s touch.

Carla, who had climbed on top of me, began to firmly massage my back and waist.

“Um… but Master. If you’re having such a hard time, wouldn’t it be okay to just refuse some of these calls? The training you’re doing now is also important.”

“Yeah. It should be fine if I say I can’t go because of training. However, the war situation isn’t bad right now, right? At times like this, I need to go around and show my face.”

Fierce battles were still raging in the central and western parts where the Levantin Empire was holding its ground, the eastern part where the United Divine Orders and the alliance of small and medium-sized countries were united, and Nidavellir, the dwarf kingdom.

However, not in the south. That’s because we achieved complete victory by killing the Grotesque Proliferation.

However, Alfheim’s burden was that much greater, so we couldn’t send any support… Crasius is different.

They originally received a lot of investment to counter the forces of the Grotesque Proliferation. But they didn’t actually have to fight properly. And they didn’t send proper reinforcements either.

In other words, they were in a state where they had conserved a considerable amount of their forces.

Normally, they would keep quiet and conserve their national power, but in this world, there is a hegemonic power that has devoured half the continent… the Levantin Empire.

If I side with the Levantin Empire and show my face here and there, the Empire will use me as a hero to put political pressure on Crasius.

That’s why I’m being called around so much these days.

“Still, it’s a relief that I have teleportation. It’s impossible for me to use it multiple times in a row like Professor Iona, but I can do it once or twice.”

“How long has it been since you learned it, and you’re already so skilled… I sometimes wonder if there’s really any difference between low-level and high-level magic for you, Master.”

“Well, that’s…”

Isn’t it thanks to the status window and the Dragon Heart’s adjustment?

“I understand why you continue to show your face at events even though you’re tired, Master. However… do you think Crasius will listen just because of that?”

“They have to listen. They have no choice.”

Wasn’t it possible for them to arm themselves like they are now because the Levantin Empire spared no material support due to my strong insistence in the first place?

At first, the Kingdom of Crasius pretended not to know because they were at war with the forces of the Sovereign of Arrogance…

In the first place, the Sovereign of Arrogance was just a temporary filler who came to plug the gap while the Grotesque Proliferation changed their destination to Alfheim.

Now that the Grotesque Proliferation had failed, they would have already retreated and scattered in all directions.

They’re just uselessly prideful beings, so wouldn’t they each be fighting where they want to fight? It’s probably not even a level that can be called an army.

Anyway, in that situation, as I became more famous and my position grew, the Kingdom of Crasius began to watch my movements.

“If Alfheim, which was on the verge of destruction here, denounces Crasius’s selfish behavior, that’s the end of it. They will have no choice but to send reinforcements to the east.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Right now, the forces of the Evil God are stronger than expected, so they were just momentarily intimidated. Beastfolk are fundamentally a bellicose race, right?”

Did you get scared? Pfft~ This guy got scared! If we keep gently provoking them like that, they won’t be able to stand it and will eventually rush out.

What if well-equipped reinforcements from Crasius are added to the Eastern Front, which is somehow evenly matched?

If things go well, we might be able to push them back here, and if we go further, we might even disrupt the plans of those heretics who are in the process of unsealing the Evil God.

Wasn’t the east the place where the Cardinal of Intolerance and his followers are? They were robbed of their undead warehouse by me and Iona before.

If things go really well, we might be able to drive out his forces from the east before the Cardinal of Intolerance even descends.

He probably isn’t as weakened as the Boiling Silence, so we won’t be able to kill him after taking him out of the seal… but we should be able to keep the seal under control.

I properly retrieved Mistletoe and put it in my inventory.

If we attach it to the seal of the Cardinal of Intolerance, he won’t be able to recover his power or project his divine power to the outside anymore.

And if we get a chance, it would be best to throw the seal itself somewhere beyond the dimensions.

“Well… things in the world don’t always go as planned, so it probably won’t work out this well. Still, just being able to hinder the descent of an Evil God is enough.”

“If there’s no Evil God who can single-handedly change the war situation, it’s worth a try. But what about the apostles?”

“Evil God apostles are definitely annoying. Since they use the divine power itself from when they were mere followers, they quickly become accustomed to the apostle’s power, and if we miss the timing, they’ll become strong in an instant.”

But not just anyone can become an apostle. No matter how strong they are, what’s the point if they don’t have a vessel to receive that power?

We could forcefully create an apostle, but such a being wouldn’t be able to properly exert its power and would quickly die, so there’s no need to worry.

“Even though apostles are strong, they’re not on the same high level as Evil Gods. Even if you don’t reach the level of an archmage, you can kill them if you hit them hard enough.”

“…You sound like someone who has experimented to see exactly how hard you need to hit to kill them.”

“Ahem.”

In the early days of H&A, there were really many attempts.

For example, trying to instantly kill an apostle by maximizing the power of a single blow, or blocking even instant-death-level high-power gimmick patterns by focusing entirely on defense, or investing everything in evasion and wandering the battlefield in just underwear.

Some succeeded, but far more failed.

Unfortunately, it feels like we were testing the limits of the game system, so most of that information can’t be used now… but we can still glean some indirect information.

Apostles are treated as demigods, so you can damage their divine bodies, but they are not completely transcendent beings, so they can be injured by ordinary attacks.

“Got it? An apostle’s weakness is that they die if you separate their head from their body!”

“No one survives having their head cut off!”

“Well, wouldn’t Professor Iona be able to? Her heart would still be intact.”

“Professor Iona is a vampire!”

“What? Are you saying Professor Iona isn’t even human?! That’s really harsh, Carla…”

“Ah, no, why did it sound like that…?!”

A flustered Carla stammered and shook her head vigorously.

I chuckled, thinking about how easy it was to tease her, but only for a moment. Carla, realizing it was a joke, continued in a slightly sulky tone.

“…I always think this, but you’re too mischievous, Master.”

“So? You don’t like it?”

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it.”

Carla pursed her lips and resumed firmly pressing down on my back.

I was chuckling at her blatant reaction when suddenly…

Bang!

The door burst open roughly. As Carla and I turned simultaneously, there stood Faye, gasping for breath.

“Hoo, Junior! Big trouble! Hide me!”

“Huh? Where would you hide here…? More importantly, why all of a sudden?”

“A guest is coming!”

“Oh… Senior Faye had friends?”

Faye shrieked at me, who was tilting my head in confusion.

“Friends? I don’t have any! A retainer! My father’s retainer has come to pick me up!”

“What?”

Who dares to try and take my gloomy, petite, big-breasted, beautiful, intellectual girl away from me?!

“By the way, Senior Faye, you were aware that you didn’t have any friends?”

“YAH!!!”

Faye shouted with a choked expression.