Paradise of the Gods

"Anak, it's been a while. Is paradise comfortable?"

"Thanks to your Majesty's protection."

Anak Prothesia, High Priestess of the Temple of Ten Thousand Gods, stood with Leon until the final battle, when she fell at the hands of demons 180 years ago but she was not alone.

"Lord Gildus, Sir Antoine, you're all good."

Gildus the Holy Knight, Belton the legendary ogre slayer, and──

"Your Majesty."

"Emperor."

Argent Majesty Lionheart, Leon's ancestral Lionheart King.

Such legendary heroes stood before Leon.

Unlike those who lived and died in ordinary lives, they lived lives of honor and glory and went to be with the gods.

This was their paradise. Heaven and hell in earthly terms.

The afterlife, which, according to the Book of Ten Thousand Gods, is divided into a resting place and a place of soul purification.

"New souls must have come here, have you heard any rumors?"

Leon asked, referring to the dead trainees at the gate and Argent Lionheart said.

"The first new souls in 180 years. Rest assured, they are welcome."

'Indeed.'

Normally, entering the afterlife is a taboo for the living. But for Leon, who represents the gods of the Temple of Ten Thousand Gods, it was permitted.

"Ordinarily, I would greet the gods of the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods and seek to resolve this dispute, but the situation is urgent. I must borrow the wisdom of the ancestors."

"I will give you my friend Petelion."

The horse offered by the Ancestral Lionheart King of Argent was a stately, muscular black horse. The only difference was that it had wings.

Petelion, a celestial horse that only a few of the Lionheart Kings had ever handled, had died fighting a Demon Lord alongside the Argent Lionheart King.

Leon rides him and floats into the vastness of the sky.

In this paradise of the honored, the steeds that served them in life also live on.

As he rides across the open meadows, many knights' steeds recognize the king's and bow their heads.

Perhaps someday he and Stallion will ride through this place.

'No, not now, not without leaving a legacy.'

Leon sees this paradise as the last bastion of the gods, a community of shared destiny. As such, he allowed himself many of the taboos imposed on mortals.

"Over there, Lord Petelion."

-Purrrr!

Understanding Leon's words, the pegasus landed in the middle of the forest at the mouth of Paradise and the dark forest shook as he landed.

"Lion…Heart."

"The rightful Archduke of Dragonia."

"Lord of the Sacred Objects."

The voices echoed throughout the forest, and one need not look far to see that the dense giants around them were all Sages.

"I apologize for trespassing on your territory, Sages of the Forest."

"To you...."

"To the Lion King."

"All living things… are indebted."

"Even the gods."

"You need not be polite. The forest always welcomes you."

"Honorable, descendant of a dragon slayer."

"Heir to the lion's heart."

"For what purpose?"

"To visit- the paradise."

Leon was pleased with their reception and mouthed the name of a sage.

"I wish to meet the youngest sage among you, my friend Gunnar."

The forest moved and one of the sleeping giants stirred, revealing its features through the rough bark.

These forest spirits, called Tree Men, are the awakened selves of the oldest trees.

"Leon. My old friend."

Gunnar the Tree Giant was Leon's traveling companion from his days as an acolyte, and a comrade-in-arms in the Last War.

He bent down to his roots, over fifteen meters tall, and locked eyes with Leon.

"What brings you to me?"

"I need your seedlings."

"Hooo...."

Tree men who have risen through the ranks to become Sages of the Forest are given the opportunity to plant a "tree".

"You did not plant a seedling before you were laid to rest in the arms of Paradise so you must plant a seedling of your own."

"Is it…urgent?"

"This world, Earth, this king's home world, is being invaded by evil species. This expedition has shown me that their plot has reached alarming proportions."

Leon remembered the Daemon Gate in Queen Beatrice's Spero kingdom.

A gate tampered with by someone and a kingdom where the demons of pleasure ran amok meant one thing.

"They have sensed my presence and have begun to play tricks on me. They must have infiltrated this world as well."

"Just like the Empire…."

What makes demons so terrifying is not their strength, nor their infinite resurrection. It's that they corrupt humans, rotting them from the inside out.

Their ghostly movements had to be stopped, at least where Leon was active.

"You're the only one alive who can take these things from the Underworld, and that's good. I can trust you with it."

Gunnar gladly handed Leon his seedling. The tiny seedling, barely ten centimeters tall, looked fragile, as if it could snap in the wind.

"The moment you plant this, you'll attract the attention of the evil ones. It'll be dangerous."

"I'm prepared for that."

Accepting the seedling, he hurried back to the temple. This was the world of the dead and no good could come for the living to linger among them.

"It has been a pleasure to see you, my old friend."

Gunnar's voice echoed through the forest.

* * * *

Leon was about to return with Gunnar seedlings.

"Lord Leon."

"Sir Gratas."

Holy Knight Gratas, the Giant Slayer, is a Holy Knight two generations older than Leon and a friend of Leon's mentor, Sir Gordic.

He is also the author of the Holy Knights' army training manual.

But that was not all. Saint Anak and the 13th Lionheart king, Argent Majesty Lionheart also came to him.

"What can I do for you all?"

Leon asked, and Argent spoke for them.

"After much discussion, I have decided to give you something you need right now. In this world, there are limits to holy power, so there are limits to what you can do."

King Argent Lionheart placed a set of reins in Leon's hands.

"This is...."

"The reins of a master trainer who can control even illusory beasts. When I died, I entrusted them to you, and you buried them with me."

"Hmmm...."

Leon knew the value of this treasure, which is why he wanted the Lionheart King to hold the reins as he rode through the paradise of the gods.

For no soul can take possession of a treasure once it has passed into his possession.

"My turn."

Holy Knight Gratas approached and handed Leon a book.

"What is this?"

"I have heard that you are training your soldiers from scratch. As King Lionheart, I imagine it must be frustrating to not have the elite of a proud kingdom."

The book Gratas handed him was no ordinary book. It was carefully woven from leather, and reeked of holy power.

"It's one of my lifetime's worth of training tips, and I hope it helps."

"How to Catch a Giant with a Serf…? Isn't it a training manual from the legend of Lord Gratas, something so valuable?"

"Hehe, no big deal."

"Indeed, a book compiled by the legendary Holy Knight is a holy relic in its own right. I was skeptical since it was only a story, but are you saying that you really captured a giant with serfs?"

"Three hundred of the five hundred died."

"Who cares about the lives of serfs?"

Rather, it was the effective use of those barbarian bums that was the achievement.

As he held the gifts from King Argent Lionheart and Gratas, he was approached by Saint Anak.

"I will give you my necklace."

The symbol of the Lionheart Kingdom is a necklace shape of a crossed sword and Leon knew its value better than anyone.

"The holy relics of saints are treasures that can only be passed on through saints. How can I receive this?"

"Who would argue with the Acting High Priestess of the All-Seeing Eye? It will protect you before the Holy Sword's restoration."

Leon hesitated for a moment before accepting her gift. Tradition requires flexibility in times of crisis.

Anak holy object would only be used once, but it would be of great help at a critical time.

"Thank you, everyone. I will put your gifts to good use."

And with that, Leon returned from the paradise of the gods to the realm of the living, carrying a seedling, a holy book, and a treasure.

* * * *

When Leon opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the items in his hand.

The holy book of Lord Gratas, Grail Knight, the reins of the 13th Lionheart King, Argent, the holy relic of Anak, Saint of Light and Justice, and finally, the seedling of the sage Gunnar.

The other treasures were precious but Leon needed to find a place to plant the Seedling of Gunnar as soon as possible.

'The President of the Association will send new trainees. I will train them and finish a minimum unit.'

Recruiting more soldiers is not the only issue. If soldiers are support, knights are the mainstay. The Association president has presented a great opportunity, but Leon didn't have enough knights right now.

'For him....'

Leon turned from his seat and headed for a room in the Ten Thousand Gods compound. He knocked on the door, a rare practice for him, and waited for the other party to respond.

"I am King Lionheart, will you allow me to visit?"

There was no answer, just the door opening of its own accord, waiting for him to enter.

Leon would have gladly walked through this door. But he didn't.

"You won't come in?"

"Because you won't let me."

This is how Leon shows respect. You don't go into the bedroom of royalty uninvited.

"You're a proper gentleman, come in."

Leon crossed the threshold of the queen's bedroom. And…he notices that the air in the room has changed.

Just breathing in the air made him dizzy, it was a power of corruption that seduced the rational…nay, the living. Although not as much as before, still, a man would have her at the drop of a hat.

"Queen Beatrice, I apologize for keeping you here in such humble quarters."

"It's nothing for an exiled queen, Your Majesty Lionheart, and I hope you'll just…forgive my rudeness."

Every gesture was deadly.

Indeed, the next Lord of Pleasure was an ill-fated talent, not that she can help it.

"The divinity within you is suppressing the essence of corruption… but not completely. For the time being, we must balance it."

"Divine power…Your Majesty does indeed possess much power."

"The gods love me and a king as beloved as I am can do many things."

Beatrice smiled at his unquestioning assurance and he handed her some wine. It was a tribute from the Association, but Leon was not much of a drinker.

"Is this a farewell drink for the knights?"

"Because it's all I can do."

Beatrice stared at the crimson liquid in her goblet with a weary gaze.

"Couldn't your majesty have had them as vassals?"

The Death Knights may be ghosts, but they are not without power.

If Leon hadn't sanctified their souls on the spot-no, if he'd made the knights his servants on the condition of sanctification-who could have refused, the Queen or the Death Knights?

In all the wars of history, each Grail Knight ascended, one by one, as they were destroyed by evil ones.

Leon could have done it but he didn't.

"To use the dead is an affront to them. How could I dishonor them and take advantage of their ghosts?"

"Even if the end is destruction?"

"Then I will ascend with honor."

What an old-fashioned, upstanding man.

Beatrice knew the difference between this alien Lion King and herself.

The Lion King refused to compromise even in the face of destruction and demanded justice.

The victor is not the wise one, but the one who stays true to his convictions, is the difference between her and himself.

"You've been in this world for two days. Have you adjusted?"

"I think I'll need more time. This is…different from my world."

Back on Earth, Beatrice was eagerly guided and introduced by the Association staff and realized that it was a very different world.

The internet, cars, airplanes…all of these things are shocking to her. Leon was an inhabitant of a world not unlike her own.

"You don't have to adapt."

"Why?"

"We are proud and follow our own laws. A king must enforce his rule wherever he goes. The lawless ones simply follow the king's path."

"The mindset of an invader?"

"Not quite. To benefit the people through righteous teaching, it is the enlightenment of the Lionheart King."

Beatrice smiled bitterly at the man's shamelessly enormous confidence. Well, at least he could handle the insanity of fighting demons for hundreds of years.

"I'm guessing demons aren't the only thing you're up against."

"Indeed. This king has a noble quest from the Gods of Heaven and Earth."

Leon patted his chest and addressed the queen.

"Therefore, I ask you, Magician Queen of the Spero Kingdom, to join me in this king's cause."

Beatrice knew that Leon had triumphed over the demons in the end, so much so that they feared him.

"I am indebted to you, and how can I not repay you?"

Beatrice covered her chest and bowed respectfully. It was the least she could do for the benefactor who had saved her and her knights.

"But there is one thing."

The queen's violet eyes glowed darkly.

"Teach me the power to destroy the Archdemons of Pleasure."

The Queen has lost her kingdom.

History has repeated itself for a hundred years, and all but the most loyal knights have fallen.

The queen of a ruined kingdom was unable to fulfill her duty to protect it and her only remaining duty is to seek revenge.

Knowing her intentions, Leon gladly accepted the offer.

"I'll do anything to kill those filthy parasites, and it thrills me to see their souls extinguished by the holy arts they fear."

"...Uh-oh."

Indeed, the Holy Law, the only way to destroy a demon, was what Beatrice coveted.

"In my kingdom, demons are executed by boiling them in a cauldron. They keep coming back to life, so it makes sense to traumatize them."

"Wise, for they are selfish and filthy. Have you ever driven an awl under a demon's nail? That's when they scream the loudest."

"I've skinned them and rolled them in a field of nails."

"Hahaha, that's very creative."

The two deepen their conversation.

"Hahahahaha...!"

"Hoo hoo hoo hoo...."

The demonic butchers' laughter spreads, merry and eerie.