Part 31

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Yes, I should have been looking for Zenith, but....

Her search was taking too long. And after the first descent into the dungeon, Roxy and I quickly returned. Considering how long it could take, we decided to get serious about preparations. I also needed to take care of the people I had already saved. The princess helped with finding a place to live, and I had the money. Thus, we were soon able to get a nice house in the capital. It was not a luxurious mansion, but it was spacious enough apartments. On the first floor we began to settle down, and downstairs we arranged a kind of a dormitory and the headquarters of the search group. As by this time new information about the missing people began to appear. There were a few more of our fellow countrymen who had been stranded, transported by disaster to unknown lands without any means of subsistence.

- R-rudy..." I heard a voice I had almost forgotten.

But as soon as I heard it, recognition was immediately thrust into my mind.

- Father...

Standing on the doorstep of our new home was Paul Greyrat. And behind him, holding onto a man's pant leg, stood a child the same age as Aisha. My little brother. And, you know, here I didn't feel any kind of kinship at all, like I did for Norn. On the contrary, the face of the boy with the running snot only caused some rejection and aversion. Anyway, I wasn't going to pay much attention to it.

- It's good that you're alive. - I nodded and tapped Paul lightly on the shoulder. - It's not surprising, though, because you're an experienced adventurer.

- And you-" Paul hesitated for a moment. - So you organised the search party?

- In a way. - Sigh. - Although, my primary goal was to find our relatives, not all the lost people. But it could be useful for information gathering.

- I see... I'd like to join that group. You don't mind, do you, Rudeus?

- I'm good. I've already found Lilia and Aisha. Of our family, only Zenith is left. That's right, you have your own family now. You can use the squad's resources to find her.

- Thanks, Rudy... and about Zenith, do you have any information?

- Yes, I know she's in the teleportation dungeon on Begaritto. Right now there's a search party being set up there.

- W-what? - His eyes bulged out.

- Don't worry, I'll save Mum. So you can concentrate on your new wife.

Strangely, Paul didn't seem particularly happy about this news. Nevertheless, he joined the posse. I thought he would want to keep his son in our dormitory, but his father rented a room in a hotel for a while. Turns out he found some acquaintances from Bueno who agreed to look after the kid while Paul was busy looking for him.

So I...

The next morning, I went looking for Zenith. Only before that, I just needed to relieve some of the stress that had built up. I could have done it with Roxy, but, I already missed Lilia and her gorgeous mature body. And her ripe, soft breasts, just amazing. They were big before, but they got even bigger during the pregnancy and, although Aisha was born and grew up, but her mum's tits are still just as big and attractive.

And Lilya was happy to help me relax.

Thus, the next day I felt just fine and got to work with much more productivity! First, using the marker on the map, I decided to find Gilen. She was in disputed territories, so it didn't take long to find her. And she's exactly the kind of person who could seriously help me in my search for my mother. With her flair and experience, plus, she herself was in the same group with Zenith once, so she should be interested in finding her.

Interestingly enough, when I found her, the girl wasn't exactly in need of help, but my appearance came in handy.

- Kill that bitch! Kill her!

- Where'd she go?

I didn't really know what was going on, I just saw Gilen literally slaughtering a squad of soldiers. And without much thought, I decided to immediately support my student-mentor. When the cat retreated after another attack, I dropped sharply and attacked the remaining soldiers with lightning bolts.

- Rudy? The swordswoman stared at me in surprise.

- Gilen, what did you have against those guys?

- They... they killed Phillip.

- Oh... I see. - I sighed.

- Rudy, you're alive.

With a faint smile, the cat came closer.

- Ah, you're glad about that, aren't you?

I only managed to grin before the cat picked me up in her arms and held me against her chest.

- Yes, you're strong, but I was still worried. Is Eris with you?

- She's in Asura's capital, with the others. I found some other people. Lily and Aisha. And Hilda.

- So Hilda is alive, then. - Sighed the cat. - Phillip would be pleased.

- Cyrus is alive too, he's on his way back to Fittoa.

- That's good news too.

- And another thing... I need your help, Gillen.

- With what?

- I know where Zenith is, but I'm having trouble locating her. She's in a dungeon and... well, we could use your help finding her.

- Zenith, so... okay, I'll help. - The cat agreed. - But, how did you find everyone so quickly?

- I had help, the empress of magic eyes.

- Magic eyes... yes, that should be something she could do.

Gillen herself possessed a magic eye that could see mana. But she also knew of several other eyes with other mystical properties.

And then...

Gilen became another being who learnt about my teleportation magic. But this girl I trusted, so I didn't see it as a problem. Things got more interesting when we teleported to Begaritto. My hiding place was located not far from the teleportation dungeon. And that's where my surprise guest was waiting for me.

- R-rudi... don't move... - Gilen muttered through clenched teeth.

I looked perplexed at the cat, who suddenly just froze in place. Her body was tense, the warrior's muscles were not beautifully bunched up from this extreme tension, and she seemed to be ready to enter a desperate battle at any moment.

And that made me feel uncomfortable.

- I am not your enemy, Rudeus Greyrat. - A man's voice sounded a little hoarse.

Only then did I realise that part of the wall and ceiling had been breached.

Someone found my hiding place and broke in here.

- I knew I'd find you here. Somewhere around this time, yes....

Out of the semi-darkness of the cave, a tall man in a white robe walked towards me. He gave off quite an oppressive vibe all by himself. And even his gaze. They were not human eyes, but snake eyes, with an unconcealed menace in them. But, when I used the scan, I did feel a little sick to my stomach.

Orsted

Wash dragon level 999

Health - divine

Mana - depleted to the level of a king of magic

Strongest skill - max level in several combat skills

Mood - strained to the limit.

Note - he's the strongest of the world's powers, the dragon god Orsted, his only weakness is his extremely low mana recovery

But wait, a cesspit dragon? The system seems to be somewhat dismissive of this creature.

- You have to listen to me. - He said.

- Y-yes... of course. I am listening. - I swallowed nervously.

- Hmm, Gilen Dedorudia is here too... so you two are already together....

- Hmm?

Walking over to the teleport platform, he sat down on the stone whip and looked me in the eyes.

- I need your help to defeat our common enemy Hitogami. - He gave out.

- Erm... Hitogami? A common enemy? Yeah, that bastard sure has a lot of enemies....

I've almost forgotten about that guy.

- You should be wary of him. He's probably already using your father the way he used Supard.

- What?

- You're his priority, and so are your children. Your daughter and future children are in danger.

- Awww...what...what...what does he want with my children? - I was genuinely taken aback.

- Because of your origins, you are quite unique to this world. That makes you invulnerable to certain curses, and that extends to your descendants.

- My... origin...

It's like he knew who I really was.

- I'll help you free Zenith Greyrat. She's in the heart of the dungeon, imprisoned in crystal.

- What? Where did you--

- We need to talk in private.

- А...

I looked back at the cat.

Well, at the very least, this guy is clearly not hostile. The other thing is that Gilen still stayed still and couldn't even move.

- This is my curse. Everyone who sees me experiences a numbing terror. But you are not subject to some of the rules of our world. - Orsted explained.

- I see. Gilen, I think I should really talk to this guy. And it seems he can't be completely frank in front of you. Wait for me here, I'll come back to you when I'm done.

Putting my arm around the girl, I stroked her head, trying to calm her down a little. But it didn't help much. Still, I cared a great deal about what Orsted was talking about. And, as I said, I left the cat in the hiding place, going outside with the dragon-god.

And even then he told me his story.

- This is not the first time we've met, Rudeus Greyrat. - He said. - You would have learnt about it in the future, but I will break it now. It's all about my special rebirth technique. Every time I die, I am reborn again in my past, two hundred years ago.

- Hmm.

- The first time we met, you killed me.

- What? I was even more shocked.

- I was careless and didn't expect such a powerful attack. The destructive power of your offensive magic is staggering. And, I was careless, I shouldn't have attacked you that time.

- You attacked me?

- Yes, I mistook you for Apostle Hitogami. That was my mistake. And, in this life, I apologise for it again.

- Um... okay... so it was the first time. But from what you said, it sounds like there was a second time? A third time?

- Only the second. - He frowned. - My previous reincarnation. That time, I specifically sought you out to learn more and, we became allies. We had a common enemy. But, we didn't succeed. Hitogami outplayed us.

- How did he do it? - I asked him.

- He used your brother. One of the main problems we couldn't solve was your son.

- My kids again?

- Your son was Laplace.

- Whoa, wait, wait, what? I'm the father of a demon god? Yeah.

- That's not a problem now. Knowing about his rebirth, we can fix that problem right away.

- I don't like where this is going.

- I see. - Orstead sighed. - 'Then, you should study this.

The dragon pulled out a rather heavy book from a small pouch.

- What is it?

- Your writings. I have written down the spells and theories you taught me in your future. There's a spell that determines the sex of a human foetus.

- Oh, so I can choose the sex of my future child?

- Yes. If all your children are girls, none of them will become a Laplace vessel. He can only be reborn as a man.

- Um, well, let's keep that in mind. And yet, as it's all too improbable....

- It also records your developments in healing magic and how you healed your mother.

- Zenith... did something happen to her?

- She was cursed by the teleportation dungeon. The imprisonment in the crystal robbed her of her senses and reactions. It took you years to find a way to heal her.

- Damn it.

- Hey, if we were allies... how many wives have I had?

- Five. - Orstead replied succinctly. - Sylphiette, Eris, Roxy, Kishirika and Ariel.

- Ah... wait! Ariel, the princess of Asura? And Kishirika?

- Yes.

- No, no, wait, Kishirika, she's ancient, and she has a fiancé.

- I don't know the details, only that you defeated her fiancé in battle and she became your wife.

- Umm... shit...

That information was like a powerful punch in the face. Overwhelming.

- And, I will repeat my request. Rudeus Greyrat. I need your help in the battle against Hitogami.

- Umm... nda, hell... wait... I still have to verify the truth of your information... You said that I'm not subject to some of the rules of this world. Do you know why?

- Yes, you were reborn here, but your spirit came from another world. You told me about it.

- Hnnn... so... so... no, wait, is there something that you could only find out....

- You want your mother as a woman.

- SHUSH! - I bawled my eyes out.

- I know you were in a secret relationship with Zenith... it seems after she was healed. Or you took advantage of her condition...I'm not sure. But afterwards, you met in secret, even though Gilen knew about it.

- Gilen... what about her?

- She was one of your concubines.

- Wait a minute, so I had concubines in addition to my wives? How many?

- I don't know. - The dragon shook his head. - I didn't count... probably a few thousand.

- Um... what?

- You said that each concubine increases your powers.

- Ah... yes, it does... but damn it, did I really start collecting that many... concubines for the sake of it?

- It was to defeat the Hitogami. But I think you enjoyed it.

- Holy shit. No, that's just fucked up. And for some reason, I even believe you. Fucking hell, that's just fucking crazy.

It's kind of hurtful. I'm being genuinely, to the core of my being, fucked up. And this guy's standing there, and he didn't even raise an eyebrow.

- As the king of Asura, you announced a royal viewing and gathered women from all over the kingdom....

- ALL! Enough, I get it!

Yes, I would hardly do that now. But, I could easily imagine doing such a thing in the future. I could easily believe it. But that future me, it turns out, was a daredevil. Thousands of concubines, huh? That guy definitely has royal ambitions! With powers like that, you could be the father of an entire nation, literally. Right now there's humans, beastmen, demons, dwarves, elves, whatever. And in the future, there will still be Rudeusians.

Shaking my head, I glanced at the book Orstead had given me.

- Wait...

And there it was, ticking off the last of my doubts.

I just glanced at a few theories and spells, took a quick look at the notes. And I recognised my own reasoning in them. I mean, not really, it was clearly something more advanced than what I was learning now. But the very construction of the theory of magic, it was all so familiar. As I glanced through the notes, it was as if I had read my own thoughts.

- I believe you, Orsted. - And I want to learn more about Hitogami. But first... we need to rescue Zenith.

- Nothing will happen to her. - The dragon decided to reassure me. - She's in the dungeon crystal and she's safe there. Even after a hundred years, if she stays there, she'll be safe.

- Erm... okay...

And so it was that this truly fateful meeting took place.

As it turned out afterwards, that was the reason for Hitogami's hostility. Orstead was his mortal enemy. But, he was alone. The curse of the dragon god prevented him from cooperating with anyone. But with me, he was able to find common ground. We became allies, and then my children joined this alliance, who also did not experience existential terror at the mere sight of the dragon god. And that co-operation was the undoing of Hitogami.

Human God...

According to Orsted, the current Hitogami killed the former god of men and took his place. He is now trapped in the Sixth World, a dimension of emptiness that connects all facets of the Sixth World. But to get to him, it is necessary to collect certain seals that the dragons keep. Perugius has one seal. Orsted has several seals that belonged to now deceased dragons. And the last seal is in Laplace's possession.

Yes, Laplace was also a dragon. Hitogami killed the former demon god and the dragon Laplace took his place.

Back to the God of Men. His greatest advantage is his ability to see the future. He can foresee his own demise and knows that his doom is foreshadowed by our alliance with Orsted, and my children. That's why I became his target. What's more, as it turns out, the teleportation disaster is also his fault! Well, partly. I don't know what provoked the cataclysm, but according to Orsted, Hitogami was the one who set it up so that it became the disaster that the god of men wanted to destroy me with.

In the end, I agreed to make this alliance.

Hitogami was definitely my enemy. And he was definitely not the kind of person that could be negotiated with. I mean, you can negotiate with him, but you can't trust him. Orsted, on the other hand, turned out to be quite manageable. Moreover, my notes from the future, which he gave me, should have a better effect on my development.

But in the meantime, we set out to save Zenith.

Except that we had to leave Roxy and Gilen outside the dungeon, as they could not work in a team with Orsted. At the same time, the search for Mother herself became an easy walk. The dragon god went through the dungeon like a battering ram, demolishing all obstacles. At the very end, we encountered a huge monster, but the dragon simply tore the giant hydra to pieces.

And finally, I found her.

- Mum...

Zenith was encased in crystal like a block of ice.

But freeing her was no problem. Especially with Orstead's help. And after that, his words about the girl's condition were confirmed. Zenith seemed to come to her senses, opened her eyes, but she didn't speak, didn't even look at me. She didn't react to anything. It was as if she had become a living doll. And yet she was alive. And thanks to Orsted, I knew she could be healed. Perhaps I should have waited and sorted out the records first, but I just couldn't leave her here! Even if she's in this condition, I just need to take care of her.

And so, you could say, another chapter of my life ended and a new one began. The crisis phase was over, but now we had to deal with Zenith's ailment. However, we had enough time for that.

Our confrontation with Hitogami, on the other hand, did not need to be rushed. The active fight with him should begin only after almost a hundred years, and until then, there is only preparation. In any case, we must wait for the revival of Laplace, who had the last seal from the void world. And, at the same time, Hitogami himself is limited in his abilities. He can't influence events directly, only visit creatures' dreams and give advice. Although, as it turns out, unlike other races, the people of this world automatically have trust in the god of men. This effect is akin to Orsted's curse, only, as it were, in reverse.

And that's why he was able to deceive my father....

I wasn't entirely sure, but...

As it turned out, Paul wasn't looking for his new wife. He was following Hitogami's orders and searching for ancient artefacts that could help him defeat me.

- So it's true... you really are his servant... - I met Paul at one of the places where one of the artefacts was supposed to be hidden.

Orstead pointed it out to me. It wasn't even an artefact, to be precise, but the remains of one of the ancient dragons. Even after thousands of years, its bones hold powerful magical power, capable of being a catalyst for a powerful poison. Hitogami would tell my father how to make a poison that could kill me for sure. The spirit of healing would save me from ordinary poisons. After all, thanks to Orsted's notes, I was able to improve this magic so much that the spirit could now practically raise the dead, as long as the death was very recent. In fact, I had made a dramatic leap, reaching divine rank in healing and detoxification magic. And not just in those areas.

But, back to my father....

- Erm... no... no... I don't know... I don't know what you mean, Rudy... - Paul turned pale.

- You shouldn't trust Hitogami, father.

- I don't... ohhh... - He sighed tiredly. - 'Yes... you're right... you're not my son, are you?

- I told you, Hitogami can't be trusted. He uses a curse that makes people have unreasonable trust in him, but he's a liar and a manipulator. And his goal is to kill me and my descendants. Because we're a threat to him because of our talent for magic. Not that I'm proud of it, you're not exactly the best father, let's be honest. But I really am your son.

- You're lying. You just used my child as a shell for your rebirth! You destroyed my family. You took away my Zenith... you took my daughter! And I will never forgive you for that, you monster.

- Is that how you see it? But you destroyed our family. I didn't force you to cheat on your mother. On the contrary, I tried to stop you from doing it, to prevent you from making a mistake.

- You just wanted to take Lily for yourself! RAAH! Damn it, if you hadn't interfered then, we would have lived happily with Zenith and Lilia... they would both have been my wives... then.....

- Father, are you listening to yourself?

- Let this be the last thing I do, but... I will cut your life short, I will save my family from you, Rudeus!

It was a dead end.

Based on Orsted's words, I assumed that even in the case of humans, Hitogami's power of persuasion isn't absolute. But in the case of my father, it seems that the intrigues of the god of men had fallen on fertile ground. Paul harboured a grudge against me, but Hitogami's words explained everything to him, and my father became convinced that I was to blame for all his troubles. And finally he attacked me.

About a week later I came back and pulled Paul out of the ground where he was contemplating his behaviour. Yeah, I didn't kill him, just beat him up and buried him in the ground.

- How was that? Have you thought about it?

- Rudy, I'm sorry. I was wrong. Your father's a fool.

Well, there you go.