We had won the battle against the Beast and the Abyss had been cleansed.
The location of the Beast that we, Wild Tempest, had been requested to subjugate this time was the coast at the southernmost part of the Empire. The sea, which had been stained blood-red under the influence of the Abyss, had returned to a beautiful cobalt blue.
The Beast that had crossed over was Forneus, a Beast of depth 11. It was a giant flying shark that controlled storms. Although it wasn’t as strong as a Lord, it had more than enough power to easily destroy a city.
Its 100-meter-long gigantic figure that, until a while ago, was flying through the sky and going on such a rampage that the violent winds, thunder and hail that it had summoned had changed the coastal terrain, had become a corpse that was lying quietly on the water’s edge.
Stretching out before us was the view of the bright blue sky, the cobalt sea, and the brilliant rays of sunshine shining brightly down that we had won back in our desperate battle.
「Gahh~~, so tired~~!」
Kouga flung his broken sword away and then fell on his back on top of the white sandy beach.
「I, I really thought for sure that I was going to die this time……」
Kouga chest rose and fell rapidly as he tried to control his ragged breathing. The armor that he had worn had shattered to pieces long ago and he was practically naked from the waist up.
「I’m also at my limit……」
Following Kouga, Alma also sank to the ground feebly. Her face was deadly pale and she was so exhausted that it seemed like she might faint at any moment.
「Bo, both of you, are you okay…………Blerrrgghhh……」
Leon tried to say some words of concern, but threw up bloody vomit midway through. Then, he promptly crumbled to his knees.
Even though we had achieved a great result by defeating a Beast of depth 11, the three of them didn’t even have the leeway to feel delighted at the victory. My Skill, Battle Voice, had increased the recovery speed of their stamina and magic power, but even so, they had completely reached their limit.
To be honest, I had already exceeded my limit. It felt as if I would lose consciousness if I lost focus for even a moment. The only thing that was keeping me upright was my pride as the clan master. A person in a position of leading others couldn’t afford to show weakness.
「Return」
Hugo, who was standing next to me, said in an unruffled voice. Obeying his orders, all of the puppet soldiers that Hugo had deployed on the coast returned back to the ground. During the battle, Hugo had simultaneously controlled dozens of puppet soldiers to attack, defend, and provide support. Naturally, he had consumed the most magic power among all of us. However, Hugo didn’t show any signs of being fatigued. With that said, it didn’t seem like he was pleased with the victory and he was brushing off the dust on his clothes with a solemn expression.
「As expected from an A Rank. You seem to have regained the strength that you possessed in your heyday」
It had been two months since Hugo joined us. Hugo's fighting skills had improved with each battle. In this battle with Forneus as well, if not for Hugo, we would have been the ones who were defeated and we would probably be fish food at the bottom of the sea right about now.
But the man in question snorted in a disgruntled manner.
「Did you say that my current strength is on par with what I had in my heyday? Master, I don't mean to sound arrogant, but you’re mistaken. If I’m as strong as I was in my heyday, those three wouldn't have had such a difficult time. I’m feeling nothing but irritation at how inadequate my contributions were……」
Hugo didn’t seem to be lying and he looked vexed as he stared at Forneus’ corpse. It was truly pleasing to see how strict he was with himself. As expected, making this man my ally was the right decision. He was worth every bit of the time and effort that I had spent to do so.
The instant I loosened up when thinking about how dependable he was, a wave of dizziness washed over me. When I very nearly fell over, I caught myself by grabbing Hugo's arm.
「You shouldn’t overdo it. You can activate Skills without consuming magic power because of the Talker’s trait, but you can’t receive the effects of your own Skills. As you couldn’t restore your stamina during the desperate battle, you’re the one who is the most worn out」
「……I know that. Get away from me」
I shoved Hugo aside and stood on my own wobbly feet. Then I took a potion out from my item pouch and drank it.
「Using potions in a weakened state is harmful to the body, you know?」
「I’ll rather shorten my lifespan than show all of you a shameful appearance」
At my declaration, Hugo shrugged his shoulders with a troubled smile.
「Everyone of Wild Tempest, thank you for your hard work. And congratulations on the subjugation of Forneus」
All of a sudden, I heard a cheerful voice behind me. When I turned to look, there stood an old man in a tailcoat. It was Harold, a Seeker Guild inspector and our person-in-charge.
「As I had thought, all of you are outstanding. As an inspector, I’m truly pleased」
「I don’t need your flattery. More importantly, the Abyss has been cleansed. You can let the evacuated people back into the city」
A short distance from where we were was the port city of Soldiland. It was the city where Kouga had once lived as a gladiator. However, the town had been closed because Forneus had crossed over. Until the subjugation was completed and the city made safe again, the residents had evacuated to a campsite a distance away from the city.
「The fact that the Abyss has been cleansed has already been communicated to my subordinates in the evacuation camp using mobile communication devices. The evacuees will likely be able to return to the city before the end of the day. To them, all of you are heroes. Your clan will probably receive a grand welcome if you stop by the city」
「Kouga, what do you want to do?」
When I brought up the subject with Kouga, he waved his hand while still lying down on the ground. It seemed that he was indicating that he had no intention of going to the city. It appeared that Soldiland only held bad memories for him.
Her eyes shining, Alma was going to say something to Kouga, but it appeared that her brain wasn’t working because she was too tired, so she wasn’t able to say anything in the end.
「That’s how it is. We’ll just go back to the city that we're staying in without stopping by Soldiland」
「Understood. I’ll arrange for a carriage to send everyone back from here」
Harold nodded with a smile.
「However, would you mind taking my carriage, Noel? I would like to talk to you about upcoming matters」
「A talk, huh? Alright, let's do that」
The things that he wanted to talk to me about were probably quite important. I consented and then turned my gaze to Leon.
「Leon, I’m leaving the rest to you. The Supporters are coming to collect Forneus’ corpse, so please take care of that. I’ll take Harold's carriage and head back to the city first」
「...... Un, understood. Leave the rest to me」
Leon was utterly exhausted, but he thumped his chest and replied.
「Master, should I accompany you as a bodyguard?」
I shook my head at Hugo's suggestion.
「It’s alright. This old man is strong, you see?」
When I jerked my chin in his direction, Harold bowed respectfully.
「I’ll take full responsibility and escort Noel to the city. Please don't worry」
†
†
Harold, who was sitting in front of me inside the moving carriage, took out some documents from his bag.
「This is your clan’s next request」
Looking through the documents that he handed to me, my eyes immediately widened in surprise and the corners of my mouth crept up naturally. I had finally gotten my hands on the request that I had been waiting for the whole time.
「Depth 12, Lord」
A Beast's threat level was rated in terms of depth, and the greater the number, the more dangerous it was. And those of depth 12 and above were called Lords because they were especially powerful.
「Harold, I’m grateful to you. As you had promised, you’ve been giving us good requests the entire time. Among them, this one is the best. That’s because, under normal circumstances, it’s impossible for a clan that has been created for less than half a year to receive a request for a Lord, isn’t it?」
I also understood why Harold had been so particular about where he handed me the request. Wild Tempest was widely-known as a major clan, but there were many who were of the opinion that we still lacked the strength to receive a request for a Lord. If the Seeker Guild issued a request in defiance of those voices, it would affect their credibility as well.
Of course, there would be no problems if we won, but if we lost, Harold's position would probably become quite precarious. It would be fine if he was merely expelled from the Seeker Guild, but there was a possibility that he would be severely punished by the country.
「It's still too early to thank me, Noel. As the name suggests, there is a clear distinction between the strength of a Lord and a mere Beast. It’s depth isn’t much different from the Forneus that your clan defeated this time, but the actual difference in strength is as large as that between an adult and a baby. It’ll inevitably be a much more desperate battle than any that you’ve gone through so far. Are you going to accept this request in spite of that?」
「Of course. I don't see any reason to decline」
I answered immediately.
Certainly, it was unlikely for us, who had struggled against Forneus, to win against the Lord. The odds of us winning were 10,000 to 1, no, they were probably 100,000,000 to 1. But that was if we fought normally. As I looked through the documents, I had already thought of a strategy with a high chance of success.
「Wild Tempest doesn't know the meaning of defeat. Even if our opponent is a Lord, we’ll easily swallow it whole」
When I declared that, Harold’s eyes widened, and then he smiled.
「That part of you is exactly like your grandfather. He was arrogant and didn’t know the meaning of fear. And yet, I was always strangely convinced that he could win. ……Heh, good grief, even though you look nothing like him, you’re exactly the same inside. Blood kinship is truly a scary thing, isn’t it?」
After speaking nostalgically about the past, Harold straightened his back.
「The individual identification of this Lord is『Noble Blood』. It’s a Beast that stands at the apex of all Vampire types. Its incredible power can even bend『space and time』to its whim」
Vampire types were Beasts that excelled in using magic Skills. And Noble Blood, who could use all magic Skills, had the ability to even manipulate space and time.
「The Lord in question has already crossed over. We of the Seeker Guild are preventing the expansion of the Abyss, but you’ll only have one week on account of that. We request that Wild Tempest arrive on location within a week and subjugate the Lord in question. Is that alright?」
「I accept that request」
I nodded and returned the documents to him. I had finished memorizing their contents.
「The requirements for being selected as Regalia(Seven Stars) are outstanding financial strength and achievements. With regards to financial strength, your clan seems to have resolved that, but your clan still lacks achievements. However, the day that your clan successfully defeats a Lord, your clan will have obtained the qualifications to reach the stars」
「And then, we’ll finally be nominated as a candidate for Regalia, right?」
「Yes, that's right. However, you’ll face a problem then」
Harold leaned forward and clasped his hands together on top of his knees.
「There are seven positions in Regalia. Even if Wild Tempest is nominated, if your clan cannot surpass the current Regalia, your clan will never become one of the Regalia. And in the current Regalia, every one of the clans is extremely outstanding. With regards to subjugating Lords, that’s something that all of them have gone through not just once or twice. No matter how much momentum your clan has, it's definitely impossible to overtake them in less than three months」
「I know that」
I turned away from Harold and looked out the window. The horse-drawn carriage was heading to the city where we were staying in for this expedition. At this speed, it would take about two hours for us to arrive at our destination.
「Harold, there’s something that I want to ask you about」
With my eyes still turned away from Harold, I spoke.
「Supposing that there is a vacated position in Regalia, is it possible for us to become one of the Regalia right away?」
「It’s impossible. That’s because the selection of Regalia requires the Seeker Guild to narrow down the candidates and then obtain permission from the royal family. Even supposing one of the Regalia disappears suddenly, it’ll still take at least one month before a new Regalia is selected. However――」
Harold lowered his voice and continued.
「Now is the time when we must prepare for the crossing over of the Variant. If a position suddenly becomes vacant, it’ll have to be filled right away, won’t it? In that case, chances are very high that Wild Tempest will be selected. There’s still time until your clan’s next assessment, but your clan is already significantly more popular than the other major clans. If you also succeed in subjugating a Lord, it’s fine to think of it as a done deal」
I couldn’t help but smile at Harold's reply.
「Thank you, Harold. That’s what I wanted to hear」
In other words, it was clear what I needed to do.
「……Noel, I have an idea of what you're going to do, but please try not to be too reckless. No, I'm not worried about your clan, but even I, who is trying to support you, can’t possibly sit idle and watch if it looks like you’re going to bring harm to the imperial capital」
「Hmpt, I know」
By the way, I said as I turned back to look at Harold.
「It's about three months until the Variant crosses over, isn’t it? Surely there’s no way that the time period will shorten again, right?」
「I can't promise that definitively, but there should be no mistake that we have three months left. The enormous amount of mana needed for a Variant to cross over will likely gush out of the ground three months later. Once every few decades to a century, the volume of the mana flowing deep inside the ground——namely, the ground veins increases, and when its speed exceeds a certain value, it gushes out of the ground. The expected date for that is roughly three months later. And this is something that we cannot change as well」
「That’s because trying to forcibly manipulate the ground veins may end up causing large-scale tectonic fluctuations, right?」
The ground veins flowing through the earth were the just like the blood vessels inside humans. If there were problems with them, it would cause earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and pollute the land. If that happened, even if it wasn’t encroached upon by Abysses, the land would become a world where people couldn’t live.
「That's right. Measures can be taken to delay its occurrence, but even those have their limits. All we can do is to prepare for the decisive battle that will occur three months later, I suppose」
「Fighting and destroying enemies; such is the entirety of the history of mankind since the dawn of time」
「It's barbaric, but it’s exactly as you said, isn’t it?」
Harold laughed and then corrected his expression.
「Noel, for a short while, I’ll no longer be the person-in-charge of Wild Tempest. My substitute has already been selected」
「What did you say?」
I frowned at the sudden revelation.
「That’s pretty sudden, isn’t it? ……Is it caused by the fact that you’re giving the request for the Lord to us?」
「No, that’s not it. I’m going to leave the imperial capital and take command at the location where the Variant is expected to cross over. In addition, the purpose of having me taking command there is also to prevent sabotage by other countries. The young ones aren’t reliable, so that was why I, who is the best, got roped into doing it」
Good grief, Harold said as he shook his head.
「Therefore, for the subjugation of the Lord, please go with the substitute」
「If there are such circumstances, then I suppose that it can’t be helped. So, who’s the substitute?」
「It’s my granddaughter. She’s still young, but she’s excellent even if I leave out my bias for my own blood」
「Your granddaughter, huh……」
Did he say her name was Marion? Harold had bragged about his granddaughter to me previously, so her name had stayed in my memory. She should be the person-in-charge of Hundred Demon Parade, the 3rd Star of Regalia. Yes, that was the clan in which Lioud Edin, one of the strongest in the imperial capital, served as the clan master.
「I’ve finished handing over everything already, so she should be able to perform her duties without a hitch. If there are any problems, please inform me」
「Got it」
When I nodded, Harold took out a red brooch from his pocket.
「This is a gift from me」
「This is……」
What he handed to me was a red brooch in the shape of a double-edged sword. It was my first time seeing the real thing, but I knew what this brooch was.
「The clan emblem of Bloodblade Federation, huh……」
「That's right. It’s the clan emblem of that legendary clan in which your grandfather, Over Death——Brandon Stollen held the role of raid captain. Of course, it isn’t a replica. It’s the real thing that was distributed to the members at the time」
「The real thing, you said? ……But whose was it?」
「It was your grandfather’s」
At Harold's words, I looked up.
「Brandon retired as a Seeker for the sake of your grandmother. When he did so, he returned the clan emblem to the clan master at the time, but the clan master gave it to me, who was their person-in-charge. He said that he wanted me to hand it to Brandon if he ever returned. As they had parted after a quarrel, it was probably hard for him to say on his own accord that he wanted Brandon to come back. In the end, Brandon never returned to being a Seeker though」
「I see……. Something like that happened, huh……」
I grasped my grandfather’s keepsake——the clan emblem of Bloodblade Federation tightly in my hand. From the tip that was digging into my palm, I felt as if a blazing heat was being transmitted into my body.
「That’s why it’s something that you should hold on to」
「Thank you. I’ll treasure it」
Harold smiled cheerfully.
「Noel, good luck」
「Yeah, you too」
Harold and I shared a firm handshake.
Why such a huge jump from “10,000 to 1” to “100,000,000 to 1”? That’s because “10,000 to one” is a saying that means very unlikely in Japanese and Noel went from using the saying to their actual odds.
If you’re an avid reader of asian fantasy novels, you’ve probably come across the term “dragon vein” before. The ground veins are probably something like that, and kanji-wise the character for dragon in 竜脈is replace with the character for ground, resulting in 地脈.
Looks like we’ll get to see Marrion, who disdains weaklings, meet Noel, who has the weakest Job. Will sparks fly? I’ve mentioned this back when Marrion first appeared in Part 2, but I’ve been looking forward to their meeting the entire time.
By the way, I did say that this Part starts with a bang, but that’s actually next chapter onwards, alright? How much has Noel and gang grown in the last 2 months? But they had a really tough time against a depth 11…… Are they going to be able to win against a Lord? It’s going to be an exciting fight so stay tuned!
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