43

Chapter 43

The carriage slowly bumped over the unkept road of the Elf Kingdom capital. The lavishly decorated, bicorn-pulled transportation was too outlandish for the local populace to just ignore, and masses gathered to look at it passing by.

Buku looked at them through the painted window. There were far too many children and old people, compared to young to middle-aged adults, and even among them, the majority were women.

'This is what a long-lasting war does to a population. Even with their leadership replaced they wouldn't have enough workers to restore their economy to any sort of working status.' Buku mused and then turned to her adoptive daughter. "We will be there soon. Do you plan to assault him right away or are we playing a little charade?"

The only person besides them in the carriage was Rubedo, as an extra precaution in case the Elf King was a player and had set up some sort of trap.

"I will do as you wish, mother." the girl replied, looking out the window as well. She was playing with the Rubik's cube as usual to hide the nervousness.

"I did promise you that this is your fight, so it's up to you. But I would prefer to play around a little bit before they are crushed."

"What if I fail?" Zesshi suddenly asked, looking unsure about herself. All her life she wanted to kill her father and the moment of revenge was rapidly approaching. Now, moments before it would finally happen, she started to get cold feet.

"If he is stronger than you, which I seriously doubt is the case, Rubedo and I will step in and help you."

'I have to defeat him myself. I have to make her proud of me.' To rely on her mother and the angel would defeat the whole purpose of her overcoming this fear of inadequacy. This was the challenge where she could prove to herself that she could defeat her father on her own.

The outside view wasn't exactly a pleasant one either. Half of the crowd looked malnourished, barely standing on their feet. Their faces were full of fear and uncertainty. Buku opened the window and looked outside. The castle in the distance looked abandoned. Even the poorest parts of Re-Estize weren't this bad.

'Even Demiurge's reports don't give it justice. This kingdom is even more run-down than I could have imagined.' Buku mused, looking towards the castle.

"She has royal eyes!" Someone from the crowd exclaimed.

Not wanting to stir up the crowd, she pulled her head back inside the carriage and closed the window. There was no need to aggravate the poor masses even more.

Of course, the King knew about Zesshi coming and likely would try to establish some sort of control over her. At least that is what Buku assumed. Surely he wouldn't be that insane or stupid to believe that Zesshi would be happy to see him?

The carriage finally arrived at the palace gate and the guards opened it instantly, meaning that a guest arriving in a carriage was such a rare event they didn't even need to check who was inside.

Once the carriage stopped, all three stepped outside and were met with two figures awaiting them with no guard in sight. One was clad in decently polished plate armor that looked to be used for at least a century and the other was dressed in a worn-down robe.

"The prime minister and the general I assume?" Buku asked.

"Yes. We welcome you to the Elf Kingdom Lady…"

"I am The Goddess of War Bukuma and this is my daughter Zesshi. The King has invited her to the castle."

Rosdunne looked around and then said in a hushed tone. "Have you considered our proposal?"

The man could barely keep up his composure in the presence of the Goddess and could only hope she was willing to accept the proposed deal.

"We will take care of the King and you will maintain order while Nazarick takes over your country. Any duplicity or resistance will be met with a proper response."

"Of course. We will do everything you order us to do. We just ask for our people to be spared."

"If no one resists then they will have no reason to worry. My friend Blue Planet has already decided who will take the role of the next king and queen. Now lead the way."

Both of the elves bowed and led them inside. The palace's interior looked even worse than the run-down exterior. The empty halls had large patches of just plain stone, cobwebs in upper corners, and a disturbing lack of any kind of artwork usually found in a royal castle.

"This palace is a dump!" Zesshi remarked looking around.

"We do apologize for the poor reception but the budget has been a bit tight as of late."

"Somehow I have a feeling this place may not survive our little chat with the King." Buku said.

Both of their guides looked at each other with a clear understanding of what was meant by that phrase. If anyone remains inside they could easily become collateral damage.

"Thank you for the warning, Lady Bukuma." Rosdunne said.

For him, the plan was rather simple. Guide the three guests to the king's chambers and then evacuate everyone from the castle. There was no telling what kind of damage would be done to the already barely standing castle.

The King, as usual, was oblivious to the mood of everyone around him and just greeted guests with a smile.

"Welcome home my daughter, you have made me proud. And who are your companions?"

"I am Bukuma and this is Rubedo."

"I see the rest of the world has not been taught proper manners. No matter. Zesshi, was it? Join me at the table, we have your future to discuss."

The young half-elf twisted her hands into fists grinding her teeth but calmed down at the sight of her mother's reassuring smile. She could wait a bit, let the monster dwell in his ignorance. With a forced smile, she sat down next to her mother at the long table with drinks and snacks prepared.

'This had to be laced with something.'

Unfortunately for the Elf King, whatever plan he had to incapacitate or control her would simply not work because of the few items she could borrow from Nazarick's treasury. A necklace that gave almost absolute immunity to mind-altering effects and a ring that let her resist the effects of almost all existing poisons.

Also, she was given clear instructions to immediately speak up if something was starting to affect her, so she could be extracted back to Nazarick and treated.

It came as a surprise that neither wine nor the snacks had anything added to them.

"Since you have proven your worth to me you have the full privilege to return into my embrace and don't worry about your brother you killed, he was a useless weakling anyway."

"You are awfully full of yourself, you know that?" Buku said. It was amusing to speculate how long the King would be able to keep up his mask of politeness.

"I will permit this outburst since you serve my daughter but my patience has its limit even for a pretty thing like you." the Elf King said.

"How amusing. You don't even know who I am."

'He really is that ignorant! Holy shit! He has not even bothered to think up any kind of precautions. This may turn out to be easier than I imagined.'

"It doesn't matter to me."

"I will not let you talk with my mother in that tone!" Zesshi growled.

"Mother? Your mother was a human if I recall correctly. Only one worth my time so far it seems.."

"You rapist piece of shit!" Zesshi shouted standing up.

"Calm down and behave or I will have to discipline you! A granddaughter of the great God Alah Alaf should have better manners!"

"So you are just a son of a player. How disappointing." Buku said.

The King's twisted his face in anger. "Don't talk about things you don't understand, peasant."

There it was, the mask was falling off. One more taunt and he should be properly enraged to be put in his place.

Buku let out a mocking laugh as she replied. "You truly are pathetic. You didn't even bother to find out who was visiting you. A spoiled brat that came out of your worthless daddy knocking up some local elf a few centuries ago, you are not even a threat."

Buku could swear she saw a vein pop up on his forehead. Her remarks had hit home. Knowing that he wasn't even a player, it was rather safe to assume he would not be stronger than Zesshi.

"You will pay for that. An ignorant, stupid…" He snarled getting up and walking towards her. However, his tirade was interrupted with a loud boom as Zesshi's fist connected with the King's face and sent him into a collision course with the nearest wall.

He staggered to keep his balance and, in absolute shock, touched his broken nose, seeing his own blood for what seemed the first time in his life.

"You! What!? Wait…" Another swing from her daughter found its mark hitting him in the gut.

"Stop! I am your father, you ungra…" Zesshi hit his jaw with such force that her own fingers broke.

"You are not my father! You are fucking garbage!" she screamed, pummeling the elf whose cries of pain started to turn into whimpers.

Buku sat down on the nearest chair, observing the onslaught while sipping wine. A blood splatter landed on her leg plate as the room was slowly beginning to be decorated with the King's blood. Zesshi was just punching him indiscriminately, splattering the blood and breaking the bones. With a casual indifference, Buku picked up a napkin and cleaned off the blood from her armor.

"Zesshi! Stop for a moment."

Hearing her mother's command she snapped out of her rage and stepped back from the bloodied mess on the floor whimpering.

"Mother?"

"Your hands are hurt, let Rubedo heal you."

"Heal me." the Elf King let out a whimpering scream.

"Rubedo, heal him too."

"Mother, why?" Zesshi asked. Why would this bastard deserve any healing?

"Now, now, Zesshi, if he wants to play some more, why would we deny him that?" Buku said with a sadistic smile. Realizing her mother's intentions her face twisted in the same sadistic expression.

Just as Rubedo's healing spell repaired his broken face and stopped the bleeding, Zesshi resumed her relentless pummeling. Each time the damage her father received reached critical levels he would be healed, again and again.

For Buku, it was like watching an artist remake her art numerous times. Just as Zesshi broke her worthless father, Rubedo healed him again and again.

His pleas grew more desperate. It took hours for the enraged daughter to get tired as the revenge decades in the making came into fruition. The King's speech lost coherence halfway through and he didn't even try to stand up anymore, just laying down and receiving the punishment.

When the sun started to set, Zesshi finally sat down on the chair, panting. She had her revenge. The broken mess on the floor had received enough from her. Demiurge would be the one to administer his long-term punishment as Zesshi couldn't even stomach to read the details of what the overly enthusiastic archdemon had planned. The only thing that mattered was that she knew the bastard would spend the rest of his life in unimaginable agony.

"Thank you mom, for letting me do this."

"I promised you you would be the one to put him in his place." Buku said, walking behind her and slightly leaning down to hug her adoptive daughter.

"What now?"

"Our part is mostly done. Planet will lead the takeover of the country, but you can stay and help him if you want. Maybe some of our old friends from Slane will decide to poke their heads out to see what has happened here."

"If Lord Blue Planet wishes my help, I should stay."

"He is a bit too gentle of a soul sometimes to do things that need to be done. Besides, I think your fan club will be thrilled to hear what you did with the King."

"Mom!"

"Oh don't be shy. You are becoming an idol." Buku teased.

Zesshi crossed her arms looking down showing clear dissatisfaction with the teasing. Buku let her go.

"You can't just sit in dark corners all the time. A friend or two outside the Apostles would not hurt you know. I think we can go now as well. There is nothing more we need to do here. Rubedo, take the garbage, and let's go."

The waiting outside was the most nerve-wracking experience Rosdunne had ever experienced. Surely the King would lose but what proportions would the battle take. The rest of those stationed in the castle were outside with him, Ailpein included.

The minutes ticked by and the run-down building still stood.

"Why are we outside, what is happening?" one of King's concubines asked. Even with her broken expression, there was fear in her eyes.

"You will find out soon enough. For now, stay close to fireplaces, so you don't get cold."

Luckily the palace still had enough firewood to keep the small staff warm outside, but he still had to worry about where to find a place for everyone to stay in case the castle didn't survive the conflict. Just like everything else, the courtyard was just as run down. At least the King's concubines had somewhat decent clothing and could safely be outside during the winter. At least that much was given to them.

He couldn't just reveal what was happening before it was clear the King was defeated. There still was a possibility of an unfortunate outcome, and it was better that only he and Ailpein pay for it and that all who were with them standing outside could return to how things were.

As the time passed by in silence there suddenly was a loud noise from inside and the palace lightly shook on impact.

'The fight had begun. If it gets worse I will have to move anyone out of the courtyard.'

The castle still stood, even though some faint sounds came from inside. What exactly was going on, was hard to tell. The group stood and waited, minutes turned into hours. A few casters present reignited the flames just as the guards gathered more firewood. All the concubines were seated closest to the fireplaces. Many of them were in various stages of pregnancy.

Few of the young guards ran inside despite the danger and came out with some food for them.

As they waited in silence, the sun slowly started to go down. He was about to give in and return to the castle when the main doors flung open with the Goddess and the child of the King emerging. The King's daughter was covered in blood, way too much blood in fact.

Behind them emerged the angel with the metallic wings dragging a bloody pulp by the leg and leaving a faint trail of blood behind. What remained of King's robes were in complete tatters and his face was a bloody swollen mess. If not for the faint moans he let out each time he was dragged over the ruble littered in the courtyard, Rosdunne would have assumed he was dead.

He quickly ran to the Goddess and kneeled.

"What should we do now?"

"Take care of your people and await Blue Planet's arrival. I would suggest you inform local rulers about what is coming. We will not play around if someone tries to provide an armed resistance."

"Of course. I will do as you wish."

"Good." Buku said, turning to Rubedo. "Toss that garbage into storage so we can go."

Unceremoniously, the beaten body was shoved into a small compartment at the back of the carriage as all three figures got in and rode off.

Rosdunne turned to the shocked castle staff and announced.

"We are not at the mercy of the King anymore. You can return to the castle and gather into the western wing.."

"Is it over? The monster is gone?" One of the concubines asked, tearing up.

"Yes, as you just saw he was defeated and taken away. For now, go take a rest and I will explain the future of our nation tomorrow."

‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›

The whole situation in the courtyard of the imperial palace was hectic, to say the least. Lia was given a tent to stay in as she was not in the next group that would be sent to the Elf Kingdom. The literal mountains of food and warm clothing were packed into crates and loaded onto carts.

As someone with a smaller stature, she was mostly tasked either to bring water and food to those who carried crates.

The castle yard was larger than some towns she had been in and the castle itself was an unbelievable sight. From a distance, it already looked impressive but up close she could see all the decorations and engravings in the stone.

Both the undead and the volunteers worked tirelessly to get everything in order. Many showed signs of exhaustion but didn't stop, even with the liches suggesting to do so. All of them knew how dire the situation in the elven lands was and did not want to stop.

'Are you ready to help them?' She asked her spirit friends. The uncounted masses of tiny spirits responded with a positive feeling. Surely it would be more beneficial to buff everyone than just walk to the staff kitchen and carry the food.

Lia unstrapped her Lute with a smile and started to play. The momentary distraction was met with weird stares. Unconcerned, she played on as more and more floating lights appeared around her and quickly moved, finding their targets amount the exhausted workers.

Feeling the influx of energy they started to work faster than ever. Seeing the results of her playing the music, even the liches gave her curious looks.

As Lia strummed the lute, she clearly overheard one of the liches say to another.

"Mark that one. Lord Blue Planet might be interested in meeting her."

'Meeting with a God already? Do they value my talent that highly?'

Even if her current audience didn't cheer her up while she was playing, the satisfaction was much greater. She was helping with the workload immensely and people sure appreciated it.

For a few days in a row, she played nonstop almost all day. Her friends helped to keep her fingers in one piece as such a prolonged strumming started to tear them down.

When finally the team she was part of was marked to be next traveling to the elven lands, she could sigh in relief. As much as she loved to play music, even the best things could start to wear you down if overdone.

Even though she had seen the dark void appear many times, walking through it was another case entirely.

"Don't be afraid, kid. The Empire uses that magic constantly; it's completely safe." an older elf beside her said.

With a few light, frightful steps, she was on the other side. Another large open area filled with carts and mountains of supplies. The town around her looked recently built with the small chimneys smoking.

'Doesn't look that bad."

"Liadan!?"

She froze. That voice! She turned to see her father running towards her.

"Stay away from me!" She shouted, making him stop in his tracks just as she started to hum. She had developed a habit to respond by humming whenever she felt threatened. Her friends circled around ready to defend her.

"Liadan, I am so sorry." Earan said standing some distance away.

"Leave me alone!"

"Wait! Please wait." Earan said, taking a careful step closer. "I will not bother you. I understand that you don't want to see me or your mother but at least let me guide you to Lord Blue Planet. He is waiting for you."

Lia looked at him with her arms crossed while still humming. What if he was lying? What if this was some kind of trick to give her off as a prize to the King. As she contemplated what to do, her friends came to her aid once again and told her to go with her father.

"Fine." Lia finally said and approached her father.

For a moment, both of them walked in silence. Her attention was caught by the undead workers who were paving the central street chipping away the frozen ground to lay the polished stone blocks in place.

A lot of elves worked outside as well. Far too many of them had the black and white eyes of the King. Lia eyed them questioningly. The sight was simply too bizarre to ignore

"The children the King discarded. Your mother and other former concubines organized them into a resistance group." Her father said.

'They took mother instead of me!' As much as she wanted to think it was karmic justice, she couldn't stoop so low. There was a certain coldness in her father's voice as well. Even with a few quick glances, she could see the scars on his hands and face. Both of her parents had paid heavily for what had happened decades ago.

"What happened to my mother after I left?"

"The King's men took her. She didn't tell me the details. It is not your fault; it is ours."

"I know it is not my fault." Lia said harshly.

There was a bittersweet smile on Earan's face as a response to her outburst.

'She has her mother's temper. At least she managed to take good care of herself and not get into trouble.'

Lia looked weirdly at her father's expression and asked. "What?"

"I'm just glad you are ok. When the report about the girl with a rare talent came in, I knew it was you."

"Why are you reading reports meant for God?"

"I am Lord Blue Planet's assistant."

"Why would he come here and make you his assistant just like that?"

Earan fell silent. Did she really need to know? She wasn't a child anymore and even before running away, Liadan knew the horrible things that went on in the world. Above all, he didn't want to give the impression that he looked for sympathy.

"I didn't meet my God here."

'Father clearly is hiding things. Should I ask more? Do I even care?' Why was all the resentment and anger melting away so quickly? Lia looked away from her father and turned her attention to the castle ahead. A far cry from the imperial castle in Nazarick. It was still bigger than her old family home.

'I am home. I should ask what has happened.'

"Where did you meet Lord Blue Planet?" she asked, not wanting to sound too eager.

"In the Slane Theocracy."

"But why…oh." Lia shivered at the revelation.

"Don't think about it too hard. It's in the past now." Earan said, catching himself using a cold tone once again.

'Father was a slave and mother was given to that monster. If I would have known I could…What could have I done? Nothing! If I had stayed they would have given me instead of mom. Why do things have to be so complicated?'

"Dad, if I would have known… I'm sorry."

"It is not your fault. We had no right to trade your future for our safety. We paid for our own transgressions." Errands said as they passed the castle gate. The two death knights guarding the entrance saluted at the presence of Earan as the appointed local ruler.

As someone who still needed to get used to the undead monsters everywhere, Lia stopped with a gulp and then caught up to her father, who waited for her a few steps ahead.

"Sorry." she mumbled.

"You get used to their presence."

"Dad, they reacted to you!"

"Oh yes. I guess I should have to tell you as well. Lord Blue Planet chose me and your mother to oversee the Elf Kingdom as the King and Queen when Nazarick fully takes over."

"Seriously?" Lia stopped and turned to face Earan. "But what about the current King?"

"Lady Bukuma and her Apostle Lady Zesshi took care of that. The old King has been taken to hell." Earan said with a rare smile but quickly snapped out of it. "We should hurry and not waste Lord Blue Planet's time."

Realizing that her reunion with her father had dragged on a bit and that she was stalling a meeting with a God, Lia picked up the pace and followed Earan through the castle halls.

Stopping at the large double door, her father motioned for her to go in. Lia took a deep breath and pushed the doors open. A large stone figure sat on a chair that was made out of vines. The moment she stepped inside the room all her friends, hundreds of them, appeared all around her.

Just Lia stared in amazement as the light encircled the God and danced around him happily.

"They told me about you." he started, extending his hand, letting the small lights rest on it. "Your friends. I believe this is not a mere coincidence that you are the daughter of Earan and Muirin."

"How?" Lia mumbled completely forgetting she was supposed to kneel before God.

"My aura let them manifest. They made it more dramatic than they should, but you can't blame spirits for wanting to have some fun."

Lia smiled, "They sometimes are mischievous." The aura of the God felt so warm, so welcoming. Absent-mindedly, she took a step closer, wanting to bask in it. Her friends whispered to her that she had found her calling, but it was not their decision; she already knew in her heart that it was meant to be.

Silently she kneeled and lowered her head waiting for a response.

"Are you sure you want to be my Apostle?"

"Yes. I feel it is what I should be."

"Rise and come sit, there is no need for formalities." Planet said, making another chair out of thick vines.

The girl quickly stood up and took the offered seat.

'More like her mother than her father.' Planet chuckled to himself.

"What should I do now?" Lia asked, sinking into the soft chair. It was hard to imagine how a chair made out of such soft vines was so sturdy and could hold not only her but a God made out of solid stone.

"I will go to reinforce the border with the Slane Theocracy, so that no more elves end up enslaved by that horrible nation. I would like you to accompany me, as many fighters could use relief from their exhaustion."

"Of course, my Lord. It would be an honor."

"There is no rush. You probably want to spend at least some time with your parents before we leave."

"My parents…I guess. They…"

"I know what happened. Your father told me. I know it is not easy to forgive and I won't say you have to, but at least give them a chance to atone for their mistakes."

Lia sighed heavily. On one hand, she was still angry and wanted to just get away from them as much as possible but on the other, they were still her parents, even with all their faults.

"I guess I can give them one chance."

‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›

Lakyus and her team followed the Goddess they had sworn to serve. Even Evileye and Gagaran were on board with it. At first, she was worried the team would split up with only twins remaining by her side, but her worries turned out to be unfounded.

Today's worry was of a completely different nature. Since her team had volunteered to be deployed in the Roble Holy Kingdom, Lady Ankoro promised to get a blessing for them from the Emperor himself.

The idea of being near the God of Life and Death terrified her, even though she had met him before. But back then she knew him as a powerful human caster who saved Re-Estize from an archdemon. Of course, there was a rumor that the whole thing was set up by the God of Trickery but she had not seen any concrete proof about it, even if Renner, his Apostle, was involved.

Not wanting to think about her former friend, she returned her attention to Lady Ankoro, who was walking a bit ahead of them. She looked more nervous than usual.

"I apologize for asking my lady, but can we really just visit the Emperor like that?"

"He told me I can bring you all to him for a blessing, so everything will be fine." Ankoro said.

Lakyus could swear she also heard Ankoro mumbling "I hope so." quietly. But, for the sake of her own nerves, she passed it off as just hearing things.

'Everything will be fine. We will receive blessing and be off to Roble helping with the defense of coastal cities… What if he sees the darkness in me and exploits it? Can I resist the calling of the darkness?'

Ankoro knocking on the door returned the young priestess to the present moment. The room they entered clearly wasn't the throne room as she expected but a vast office. The Emperor himself sat behind a massive table with an angel standing in the corner of the room.

"Ankoro it is good to see you. What brings you to me today?"

"Hey. I, um, you said you could give a blessing to the Blue Roses." Ankoro said, turning to face the team with a nervous expression. Just in case, Lakuys kneeled with the rest of the girls following her example. The angel already eyed them with suspicion because of their hesitation.

"Of course. I believe Lakyus is your Apostle?"

"Yes. I-Is that a problem?" Ankoro asked, shrinking down.

Ainz, noticing how anxious she was becoming, tried to defuse the situation. "No, not at all. I'm glad you came to visit." and stood up with a practiced motion slowly walking around the chair towards the kneeling figures. "But I think she could use some empowering. If I'm not mistaken, Lakyus, as your Apostle, would be the highest-ranked Nazarick's member stationed in Roble."

"B-but what about Neia?"

"She will provide assistance when needed, but she has other responsibilities as well."

"Lakyus, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you would have to be in charge." Ankoro said.

"I will make you proud, my lady." Lakyus said with determination.

'This is my chance to show I am worthy of the title.'

"It's good to see you are so determined to spread my friend's name. Do you accept the gift, Lakyus?" Ainz asked.

"Yes, your imperial highness."

Ainz put his hand on the girl's forehead and not only increased her potential but greatly increased her power. Each time he performed the spell, it got easier to control it. The young priestess barely could even react to the sudden pain as it was already over.

The sudden jolt of the most intense pain she had ever felt almost made her go into shock, but luckily the pain stopped just as fast as it started. To avoid screaming, she sharply exhaled. The influx of power was noticeable. Lakyus felt a connection with the light like never before, and her muscles felt like she could wrestle Gagaran with ease.

Next came the blessing. She could sense some kind of symbol forming on her back, giving her new abilities. At least it didn't come with the jolt of pain like the empowering.

Predictably, the audience with the Emperor ended there and, after saying goodbye, the Blue Roses were on the way to the meeting area. Even though Lakyus would be the highest-ranked Empire servant to go to Roble, most of the actual planning was left to Queen Calca and the liches, giving her more time to spread the influence of Lady Ankoro, who, compared to the other Gods, severely lacked it.

While they walked towards the hall where the volunteers gathered Evileye asked.

"What did the Emperor do to you?"

"I'm not sure, but I surely feel stronger than before."

"Just that? No intrusive thoughts?"

"No, I don't think so. Besides, why would the Emperor brainwash me if I already serve one of the Gods?" she asked with a burst of quick laughter.

'What if he fed the darkness inside me? No, I am stronger than that. Lady Ankoro has my back and she would not have allowed that to happen!'

The vampire eyed her suspiciously for a moment and then turned her attention to the crowd ahead of them. Spotting familiar faces, Lakyus led her group to them.

"Gazef, Brain, it is nice to see you both again."

"Heard you got yourself a sweet position." Brain casually responded.

"Yes. Lady Ankoro chose me to represent her." Lakyus said and looked at the crowd again. There were a lot more people than she expected, especially when considering that only humans could volunteer. Even Evileye had to put on her mask again. "I didn't expect to find so many people here, to be honest."

"Most are followers of Lady Bukuma and Lord Peros, but there are few mages from Lord Tabula's sect as well." Gazef said, joining the conversation.

"Is anyone here from Lord Ulbert's sect?" she asked just in case. Knowing the duplicity of his most devoted follower, she would avoid anyone following the God of Trickery like the plague. Any sane person should.

"I don't think so. Luckily, our old friend Renner is also nowhere to be seen."

Lakyus couldn't help but notice that Gazef practically spat her name. One of many manipulated by the monstrous former princess of Re-Estize.

"That's probably for the best."

"Just in case you meet her, watch your back."

"Thank you for the advice. I will." Lakyus said with a slight bow.

'I will have to meet her sooner or later again. The Apostle meeting is in two weeks. I hope the rest of them are better than her.'

For now, she could look forward to some action as the reports said the coastal villages and cities were frequently attacked by various sea monsters. Her new homeland's ports were well protected by the regular armies and didn't need extra protection, but the human kingdom was faring rather poorly against the increasing assaults.

Bonus Story - The Student.

Cocytus stood with a training sword in his hand in the sixth-floor arena just as his tiny student prepared for an attack. Despite her small stature, she was shaping to be a very dangerous opponent in close combat.

When the giant insectoid found out that he had been granted the privilege to train the princess Splendora in close combat, he couldn't have been more excited.

With the determination of a seasoned warrior, she charged Cocytus using her wings to reach her teacher's midsection. Predictably, he parried it with relative ease and said.

"AGAIN. YOU ARE SIGNALING YOUR ATTACKS TOO MUCH."

Splendora let out a cute, high pitched growl and charged again, launching a series of rapid strikes.

"THAT WAS BETTER. BUT AIM MORE FOR MY WEAK SPOTS."

"I will!"

Splendora was a fast learner but, even with all the progress, she was no closer to landing a strike on him. After another series of attacks, Cocytus swung his sword at her. At the very worst, she would get a light bruise if the completely dull sword connected with her. Even though she was just a few months old, she was already comparable to a floor guardian in raw power.

'One day I will not be able to even provide a meaningful resistance to her.' Cocytus mused as she easily dodged the attack.

He went for another attack, but his student easily countered it with another dodge and went for a counterattack.

"MUCH BETTER."

"I will defeat you!" Splendora shouted with determination.

"DO NOT ANNOUNCE YOUR VICTORY BEFORE THE BATTLE IS WON!" Cocytus remarked and used her momentary distraction to attack.

The training sword missed the princess by a hair as she performed a desperate evasive maneuver to not get hit.

"No fair, uncle Cocytus."

'She called me an uncle.' Cocytus exclaimed to himself in sheer joy. Unfortunately for him, a tiny distraction was all Splendora needed. With a blink of an eye, she was past his defenses and struck his head with the dull training sword.

The hit proved to be strong enough to make him dizzy and the giant insectoid fell backwards, hitting the ground and making a cloud of dust. Splendora landed on his chest pointing the sword at his face and announced.

"Victory is mine!"

"GOOD JOB PRINCESS. USING THE OPPORTUNITY WHILE YOUR OPPONENT IS DISTRACTED." Cocytus responded to the Splendora who was beaming with pride at her accomplishment.