137 Chapter 117: The "King" of the Grassland
Reminder:
Ranmaru first appears in the prologue of this arc.
Baxley: Giant race in Erik's party
Amaira: Mutant leopard beastman in Erik's party
「Hmm!!! HMMM!!!」Ayer struggled to scream out from the top of his lung, though with Kibadios' small sheet of shadow wrapping around his mouth, it was not a surprise that "hmm" was all the sound he could audibly make.
「Enslaving an Ennead… Can Faye's Runecraft really do it?」Kibadios was a bit suspicious.
「Technically, no.」Answered Seri. 「But then, Ayer here isn't technically an Ennead either, is he? He's merely an Ennead soul residing in a homunculus body, which is why this collar works. If he was in his real body, the collar would be shattered into pieces already.」
「I see…」Kibadios nodded before turning toward the struggling otokonoko and gave him a ghoulish smile which easily sent chills down the trapped Ennead's spine.
「Now, with this slave collar on, you can give him 5 lasting commands, though I have to ask that one of them would be forbidding him from revealing what truly transpire within this dungeon to any outsiders.」Seri looked at the Astral.「After all, I am not supposed to be meeting with you, Zaeryn, let alone helping you tame an Ennead. If words get out, there will be war between the Astral and me… which would be a minor inconvenience for me.」
「Hah, so, what you're telling me is that I can force you and the Astrals fighting one another and just sit back to enjoy the fallout?」Kibadios grinned devilishly.「Why shouldn't I just let that happen?」
「Oh gosh! Why did I not think of that?」Seri rhetorically asked in a sarcastic tone.「You can totally do that, but trust me when I say that if the clash between us High Elves and the Astral ever happen without careful consideration, it could easily lead to the end of this world. Then, it'd just be Matelus who will be laughing since I was under the impression…」The Progenitor of the High elves turned to look at Uri 「... that now, just like eons ago, you have people you hold dear and want to protect at all cost so bringing this world to its probably deserving end, isn't something you'd wish for.」
「... End of the world?」Ectharen whispered to Wylan.
「... it's probably not our place to ask, Ectharen.」Wylan carefully studied Kibadios' companions, Gyo and Uri, though both gave off the same oblivious expression.
「Fine.」Kibadios turned to Ayer.「Heed my commands, Ayer! First, you are not to reveal what had transpired here and what Seri had done to anyone else. Second, you are not allowed to harm yourself or purposely get into dangerous situations without my explicit command… I will not allow you to kill yourself so your soul can return to the Modun」The hybrid grinned.「Third, you cannot harm me or any of my associates. Fourth, you have to always be truthful to me, obey me and fight for me. Fifth… you are to call me "Master" from now on.」
「Wow, you wasted one of your precious command on just making him calling you "Master?"」Seri asked
「Well, for him and his pride, that would probably be the worst command of the five, am I right, my lovely, unruly slave?」Kibadios could barely hide the devious smile from his face as he tore off the shadow that taped around Ayer's mouth.
「You…」
「Answer my question.」
「Yes… Master.」Ayer tried to avert his eyes to hide from the Hybrid's.
「That's more like it.」
「Now, one last thing.」Seri raised both her arms.「Since you are now King of the Grasslanders and the rightful owner of this dungeon, you will get to unlock the remaining levels of this place.」
「Remaining levels?」Wylan asked.「There are more than 3 levels?」
「Of course!」Seri nodded.「This dungeon was created by me with the assistance of Faye, you think we would only max it out at 3 mere levels?」
「then how many levels are there total?」Asked Wylan, before the Yves realized he was talking to the great Progenitor herself. 「...Seri sama.」
「100 levels. Well, technically, 101, given that this place is supposed to be the last level」Seri discreetly winked at Kibadios, reminding him of what were lurking beyond the darkness.「but since this place is off-limit, there are 100 accessible levels.」
「100 levels?」Ectharen was surprised at the complexity of the dungeon.「There are really 100 levels? Not even the Great Dungeons of the Eastern lands can compare with the sheer amounts of level this place possesses. Heck, I don't think the famous Astral Dungeon located in the theocracy can rival this.」
「Hah, of course! This dungeon is created by my own magic. You think those Astrals can compete with my magic?」Seri confidently patted her chest.「This place, can be thought of, as a Wonder of the World. Unlike during the trial, which this place was only supposed to be used as a coliseum for your fight to the death… that did not happen in the end anyways, in this fully unlocked form, as you descend down each level, the monsters and challenges you encountered would increase exponentially. Each level will have their own distinct environments, ranging from dark caves, to expansive grassland, to freezing tundra… you guys should give conquering it a try. Since the monsters would replenish themselves rather quickly… due to reasons」Seri turned to Kibadios, again trying to remind him of the fact that the strangely powerful monsters he encountered here were all born from the Essence of the God's Curse that got leaked into this world.「you will be able to not only train yourself, but also to gather scarce and valuable loots, just make sure to not die, since without the rings, you won't be able to be transported back to the real world.」
「... Seri sama!」called out Kuron.「If you share such connection with our people… would you please help us repelling the Yinese invaders from our land?」
「Ahh! That's right! If it's you and the forces of the High Elves, then those Yinese armies can definitely be defeated.」Ectharen's eyes suddenly lit up.
「Hah. Like I said to your previous King hundreds of years ago, when he asked me the same question: This is your homeland. If you're not fighting and giving your lives to protect it, then don't expect others to. Besides, now that you have your new King, shouldn't you place some trust in him?」
「Of course we believe in Zaeryn… Kibadios sama.」Ectharen flustered.「But…」
「Give it a rest, Ectharen dono. Seri wouldn't lift a finger even if you kowtow and begged her while smashing your head onto the ground… Trust me, I know that my people tried before.」Kibadios glared at Seri, who was now stepping through a portal that her magic had just conjured. Even after everything his Teacher had done, Kibadios still could not know whether she could be considered truly an ally… or someone who just used him for whatever her ultimate end goal was.
「...」Seri seemed to struggle to find parting words.
「...Before you leave, Seri…」Kibadios spoke up after a brief moment of hesitation.「Do you know Kaernas' rival… and dearest friend? The one whose existence had been erased? 」
「... Why do you ask?」
「What's my connection to that person?」Kibadios asked. After all, he could certainly put clues together much better than most of the shounen main characters do. Just not long ago, right after he defeated Adela, he had a dream… or rather, "experience" a moment between Kaernas and a nameless man, whose overwhelming power could somehow transcend time and space for him to be able to detect the hybrid's presence. If he had to guess, that person would be the one whose existence was deleted from the world… and if what Kiabdios "experienced" was truly a fragment of memories, then he'd somehow be related to either of the men in the memory: Kaernas or the Nameless man.
「... Who knows…」Seri smiled wearily.
「SERI!!! Remember this day! I will have my revenge!」Breaking the brief silence, Ayer ground his teeth loudly.
「Ah, Ayer… Maybe by staying by Zaeryn's side as his lowly slave, you'll find your way… just like your poor mother had hoped that you would.」Seri waved goodbye with her back facing the Ennead, before vanishing completely.
「Don't you dare mentioning that weak, pathetic woman in front of me」Ayer growled.「You ancient witch!!!」
「...」Kibadios simply remained silent as he watched Ayer raged.
「Welp. I don't know what's the history between you and that absurdly powerful elf, Boss, or between you and this trap… or between this trap and her for that matter.」Uri nonchalantly placed his hands behind his head while stretching his body leaning left and right.「But you've done it! You are now [King of the Grassland.]」As he finished his sentence, the Vice Captain quickly noticed all other Grasslanders were now dutifully kneeling down on their knees in front of Kibadios.
「「「Kibadios sama, we are at your commands!!!」」」The group declared.
「Hmm, Wylan.」Kibadios thought for a brief moment before calling out to the Yves.「I have something I'd like your help.」
「Anything, Zaeryn… I mean, Kibadios sama!!!」Wylan's face quickly brightened up when he realized he would be of use to his God King.
「Well, first of all, all of you here are to conceal the fact that I'm Zaeryn to outsiders. I will explain to you the details later tonight about my circumstances, but I'm sure you all know… To the Astrals and their followers, I'm an anathema…As a matter of fact, Ayer, did the Astrals reveal to any mortal that I'm Zaeryn reincarnation yet?」
「...」The blond Astral gritted his teeth, trying to stay silent, though the collar on his neck quickly compelled the otokonoko to spit out an answer.「No! Not that I know of. When I left for the Modun, it's still our policy to simply observe you for now… M.. M… Master.」
「I see.」Kibadios nodded.「So yes, do not let it slip out that I'm Zaeryn's reincarnation. At least, not yet.」
「「「We understood, Kibadios sama!」」」
「Secondly, Wylan, the favor I want to ask of you is this:....」
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Just like Kibadios' harem, the people of Alsen have eagerly gathered around their town's center, awaiting the coronation of their chosen King. Despite the grave situation they were facing, with their enemies gathering and preying upon their settlement, everyone who came to cheer for their leaders came with a smile on each of their faces. Soon enough, as the sun rose high up on the cloudless sky, the festive air became more apparent as the people continued to laugh and share gleeful conversations with one another. The orphan kids in the caravan that were under the care of Falkors for a brief day or two also showed up, excitedly chatting among themselves, betting whether if either "the cool hybrid brother" or the "warm, attentive beastman brother" would be their king. Of course, as kids, they did not realize that Falkor, their "warm and attentive beastman brother," was technically not a King Candidate.
「So, we've been here since the morning… how do we know that someone had cleared the Trial?」Reuk asked as she leaned her breasts against the marble rail, looking toward the dungeon gate.
「I asked Kailos dono and he said the elders told him that once a King is chosen, supposedly, the entrance would be glowing in golden light.」Haden answered.
「I see…」Reuk nodded.「So, like that?」The former Elf pointed toward the glowing dungeon entrance. The chattering quickly died down as all of those presence fixed their gaze toward the center of the town square.
「Someone has earned the title of "the King"」Ren whispered.「Do you think it'd be Kibadios?」
「Of course! Either of the other Heads can beat our Master, even if they team up.」Ryuu reminded the elf.
「Ahh, but you can never know.」A familiar voice spoke up next to the dragonoid.
「Haa?? You think Master would lose to those two?」Ryuu was irritated, though as he turned to his side to confront whoever had just made such a comment, the dragonoid was taken aback at the appearance of someone he did not expect.「Ashura??」
「What are you doing here?」Ryan quickly unsheathed his sword since it was his instinct as a hero to always be vigilant when facing against a Great Demon Lord.
「What are you guys doing? Raising your weapon against my Lord? Don't you remember that technically, your Master has become my Lord's sworn brother?」An ogre child, a reincarnation of the famous Ranmaru, dressed in full samurai clothes, scowlingly reminded the group. Although Ashura appeared to completely let his guard down, the orge child standing next to him was already assuming an aggressive stance, preparing to strike back against anyone who would dare to attack his Lord.
scowlfully
「Ah, don't be mad, Ranmaru. They're just a bit awed by my intimidating aura.」Ashura grinned as he combed his hair backward with his hands.「But all of you, pay attention. You're about to witness the coronation of the King of Grassland, an event that has not happened for hundreds of years.」
「Ashura sama, don't just leave us behind like that!」Baxley breathed heavily as he, Amaira, and Erik rushed after Ashura.
「Ahh, I did not miss it yet!」Hurriedly arriving to the town square was Kailos.「... Kibadios」
「「「They're here!!!!」」」The crowd busted into celebration as they noticed the 3 King Candidates, along with their retainers and Uri, suddenly reappeared in front of the dungeon. 「「「We finally have another King!! Who would it be??」」」
「....I've successfully come back with the Proof of Kingship, the mythical death mask of Zaeryn sama, in hand!」declared the Yves while holding the golden death mask of Zaeryn.
「It's…」「It's!!!」
「Wylan sama!!!!」The House of Yves' members were ecstatic as they learned their leader had apparently claimed the title that has been left empty for hundreds of years.
「So, Wylan sama was able to come out on top, huh?」The members from other Houses, though initially disappointed it wasn't their own Candidates, still quickly cheered together with the rest of the town citizens. After all, although they belonged to different Houses, they all shared an unbreakable bond as natives of the Grassland. This very bond was the reason why, despite appearing fragmented, the people of Monas Kye were able to come together and fight off any invasions into their lands for millenia.「Wylan sama!! Wylan sama!!」
「What?? How can Master lose to that 4 eyes?」Ryuu couldn't believe his eyes.
「Where's Master, though?」Maia looked around, trying to find the adult version of Kibadios, but of course, she was looking in vain.
「Gyo dono is there.」Rowan pointed out.
「... Hmm, even Uri is there with them, as suspected.」Erik pointed out.
「But our Captain is nowhere to be seen.」Amaira, the leopard beastwoman, noted.
「... Ehto… who's that kid standing next to those two?」Ren asked, though deep down, he already had an inkling.
「Master!!!」Yuusei, being a half beastman, was the first to sniff out Kibadios' scent. Since he, too, possessed two distinct racial forms, the mutant hybrid quickly deduced that his Master had most likely reverted back to his full incubus form since both his horns were replaced with a distinct incubus' tail. He broke away from the crowd and rushed to his Master without a second thought. Of course, coming with him was Nu since he could recognize his Owner's presence from miles away due to his unique Nen aura.
「Ahh, ahh, yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine Yuusei. You too, Nu. I'm surprised you realized who I am in this form.」Kibadios patted the mutant hybrid as the boy leaned in and rubbed his face against his master's skin as a greeting while Nu popped up and down the incubus' head.
「「「That's Master?」」」His harem was shocked at their Master's new appearance.
「Ho? Looks like my sworn brother got shrunken.」Ashura smiled, though his attention was more focusing on Wylan and the way he carefully held his golden mask on his hand, as if he was safe keeping it for someone, instead of triumphantly wearing it to assert his right to the Kingship, as most would have done since such a move would not only cement his ownership of such a valuable relics, but also boost the morale of the people since their newly crowned King could be considered as their god incarnate.
「Wylan…」Such peculiarity was also picked up by Kailos.「You're really not going to wear it in front of the people here, huh? But why?」
「All hail Wylan sama, our new King!!!」One of the people shouted
「All hail Wylan sama!!」
「Wylan sama will lead us to victory!!!」
「Wylan sama!!!」
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「Kibadios sama, is this really okay…」Standing next to their true king, Wylan discreetly whispered to the hybrid.
「I don't mind. Just enjoy the moment and act like a King, Wylan.」Kibadios whispered back. 「This is all according to my plan.」
「Understood, Your Majesty.」Wylan slightly nodded.
「Master?」As the citizens of Alsen cheered and celebrated, Kibadios' harem quickly rushed to him.「What happened? Why are you looking like this?」
「Yeah…」
「Gyo san?」「Uri san?」 Maia and Rowan turned to the other two, longing for an answer.
「Well, we encountered someone rather troublesome opponent within the dungeon and Kibadios sama exhausted himself fighting so at the end of the battle, he suddenly reverted to his incubus form. Since the race of Incubus aged a bit slower than Ogre… he pretty much turned into his younger form.」Gyo explained.
「But, who else could have push Kibadios sama that much?」Ryuu broke his intense embrace with his Master, only to ask the obvious question.
「Ah, nothing, just an arrogant Ennead.」Kibadios grinned.「I tamed him though. I'll show him to you guys later.」
「「「「「WHAT???」」」」」 The group was completely shocked.
Standing not a few steps away from the group, Falkor's eyes suddenly stretched wide open as he caught sight of a familiar person who blended in the large celebrating crowd.「That's… Maryana?」Falkor already has been donning a rather elated expression ever since they got transported out from the dungeon, knowing that Monas Kye's rightful King had finally been crowned by the mysterious leader of the High elves herself. Yet, the moment he noticed the sight of his missing wife, Falkor was elated beyond words. 「Maryana chann!! You're really here?」Falkor grinned and vigorously waved at the strangely aloof woman standing guarded at the back of the crowd. Yet, to his surprise, the moment the woman noticed he was trying to communicate with her, she suddenly vanished into thin air. 「Huh? Maryana?」Falkor was taken aback at his wife's strange behavior. As the crowd rushed toward the Heads of the Houses and especially Wylan, Falkor instead struggled to make his way through the mass to catch up with the disappeared woman.
「That was…」Although swarmed with all the attentions from his harem, Kailos, and the House of the Horns' members, and lastly the general public, Kibadios did not fail to notice Falkor's brief interaction with the disappearing woman.
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「Please report to Adeus sama that Zaeryn had gotten out of the dungeon. He seemed to have reverted into his Incubus form for some reason.」The doll personally created by Adeus, who had assumed the identity named Maryana for almost 10 years now, muttered into a transponder as she quickly made her way down an empty street.
「Maryana!!」Falkor, who finally caught up to the doll, desperately called out.「You're Maryana right? Why are you running away? Are you afraid that the people who would notice you're not a demihuman? Don't worry Maryana! They won't discriminate against you. Come with me! Ectharen knew that you're a human already. He can help us…」Since his wife was a human… or rather, unbeknownst to him, a doll being made into an appearance of a human, obviously Falkor misunderstood that the woman was merely trying to hide her presence from the citizens of Alsen.
「... Who are you?」Maryana, after being reactivated back to being a doll servant for Adeus, had her memory of the time she spent with Falkor completely wiped out.
「What are you saying? You're joking right?」Falkor tried to laugh, though he was unsure of what was going on.「That's not funny, Maryana.」
「I don't know you. But if you insist on following me, I have an order to eliminate anyone who gets in my way.」The woman monotonously replied.
「Maryana, stop scaring me!」Falkor tried to reach out to the woman, though for her part, she had quickly responded by taking out a small dagger in her hand, ready to strike.
BAMMM!!!
「Falkor san!」Ryuu crashed landed inbetween the husband and wife, with one hand wrapped tightly onto the red head beastman's wrist, preventing him from advancing any further while the other hand pointing his lance toward the frozen doll.「Don't. She's not your wife… rather, not anymore. She's clearly a doll spying on us.」
「A what?」
「...」Knowing she would not be able to fight against Ryuu, Maryana took out a dozen smoke bombs and threw them all onto the ground, creating enough distraction for her to slip away. Of course Ryuu tried to catch up with her but as she retreated, the doll planted several more explosion traps along the escape route, which greatly hindered Ryuu's effort.
「Tsk… Damn it. I lost her.」
「Ryuu dono!!!」Falkor, not understanding what had just happened, rushed after Ryuu. Thinking that Ryuu mistook her for the Yinese Empire's spy, the beastman tried to clear the misunderstanding.「Please don't hurt her!! She's not a spy. She's my wife, she meant no harm.」
「No, Falkor… You don't understand.」The hybrid, who had finally arrived at the scene, spoke up from behind the beastman.「She's our enemy.」
「Zae… Kibadios sama? What… do …you mean?」Falkor's voice was trembling.
「I'll explain everything tonight at the meeting of the Houses.」Kibadios declared.
