Chapter 135
Chapter 135
Chapter 135
Hall of Heroes (1)
Did I mishear?
"Excuse me, what did you just say?"
"Hm? Are you talking about the Rohans regular army being tied up in Iskar?"
"No, the name of the commander just now...?"
"Ah, you mean the Knight of Flames?"
Falsion stroked his chin, searching his memory.
"According to intelligence reports, he was attending Maha Empire Academy with excellent grades, but when the war broke out, he came down to help his father?"
"Hehehe..."
"Though young, he's quite capable. He's already successfully conducted several defensive battles, proving his abilities."
Good heavens...
How should this be packaged for such words to come from the mouth of an enemy prince?
Could it be that in the short time he was absent, Calline underwent both reformation and great awakening simultaneously?
'That's impossible!'
It's none other than Calline.
Calline is a bamboo-like existence who wouldn't change even if the world split apart and the underworld crawled out from beneath it.
For a moment, Rudian briefly envisioned the eastern border of Morian being completely destroyed, but he barely managed to regain his composure.
If he thought a little deeper, there was a somewhat understandable aspect.
'Derrick must be having a hard time...'
If there was only one possibility, it would be this.
The Iron Lion of Iskar, Derrick Winhousen.
Probably Derrick would have to lead the actual command and combat while keeping Calline as the nominal commander for such words to be possible.
'I should ask Lady Sonya to pay attention to him before I go.'
Rudian suppressed the anxiety stirring in one corner of his heart and finished his negotiations with Falsion.
In exchange for obtaining information, he told Falsion about one route leading to the southern continent, but it wasn't particularly regrettable.
The southern continent was practically no different from a demon realm anyway.
Whatever Falsion and the Golden Dawn achieved there would be their own capability.
***
Recently, the atmosphere of the Great Forest had been quite good.
After the demons became quiet, they had reclaimed considerable territory that had been pushed back, and the various races had voluntarily allied with the Golden Dawn, significantly supplementing their military strength.
"Then I'd like to head to the Hall of Heroes soon, would that be alright?"
"Y-y-yes... We'll do as you say."
The Elf Elder stammered severely while nodding his head up and down.
Moreover, it wasn't just the Elf Elder - all the elves around were lowering their gazes, soaked in awe and fear.
This appearance hadn't been just for the past day or two.
Rudian grumbled slightly toward the cause of this.
"Can't you suppress your aura a little more?"
"I want to too...but the elves are too sensitive to psychic powers, so I can't help it."
Maria, who was the cause, puffed her cheeks slightly as if it were beyond her control.
Elves who dealt with spirits and psychic powers were particularly sensitive to the energies they handled.
To them, Maria's power approached as more vivid terror than anything else.
You could tell by how that Elf Elder had even changed to speaking respectfully to Rudian.
'The Elf Elder knows about Giovanni's existence and yet acts like this...'
Perhaps he knew about Maria's potential, or even the power of the 'Green World' she had brought with her.
Or maybe both.
"S-s-soon, leaders from various places will arrive."
The fact that Rudian's party would enter the Hall of Heroes had already been communicated to the chiefs of each race through letters sent by the Elf Elder.
Werewolf Lord Musca.
Orc Great Chief Tarakan.
Troll Great Shaman Murmaya.
Even the guide, Dwarf Master Craftsman Bukar.
"However, there is one minor problem..."
"What minor problem?"
"Except for Murmaya, they all have quite belligerent personalities. When something like this happens, they always want to prove their qualifications."
Ah, I know that.
The battles with representatives of each race that were conducted as a kind of event before entering the Hall of Heroes.
Since they were all composed of strong individuals who surpassed Master or 8th Class level in the human world, Abel was able to gain quite decent harvest just from fighting them.
"Of-of course... If that person steps forward, it would naturally end quickly."
Naturally, if Maria stepped forward, all the chiefs of each race would be swept away.
But when such suitable opponents had appeared, it would definitely be a bit disappointing to just leave the situation entirely to Maria.
'Should I try having them fight?'
Luciella, Gray, Elvin...
He suddenly became curious about how much these three had grown in the Great Forest during the past time.
***
Naturally, the party raised both hands in accepting Rudian's proposal.
And not long after, the chiefs of each race came to the Elven Forest, leading small groups of attendants.
"Krahaha! I never thought a human who realized the ancient truth would appear in this era!"
"It doesn't matter who it is. I'm just fulfilling the covenant."
"Well, it's a bit concerning that they don't have the white stone, but since they've kept their promises well, we should keep ours too."
"Still, guiding them without seeing their skills is unthinkable!"
As their interests aligned, the confrontation was arranged within less than 30 minutes of their first meeting.
Luciella would face the Orc Great Chief, Gray the Troll Great Shaman, Elvin the Dwarf Master Craftsman, and finally Rudian would handle the most dangerous Werewolf Lord.
"A human woman who knows what a sword is."
"Your sword is also truly that of a warrior."
"Hahaha! I like you even more!"
The Orc Great Chief, holding a massive glaive in his hand, looked down at Luciella with a genial expression.
"It's regrettable that I couldn't fight that human, but you should be able to provide a sufficiently satisfying fight."
"Since someone is watching, I won't go easy."
"Naturally!"
BAAAAANG!
The Orc Great Chief, who let out an unidentifiable strange roar, immediately rushed at Luciella.
Since both preferred close combat and power struggles, a truly spectacular bloody battle began with shock waves of all kinds smashing the surroundings.
"Uoooooo!"
"Chief! Win!"
"Separate bone from flesh!"
The orcs under the Great Chief erupted in cheers.
'They're doing well.'
Not only Luciella, but Gray and Elvin were also showing good fights.
Especially Elvin, despite not yet reaching the Master level, showed no signs of being pushed back by the dwarf's earth-splitting hammer.
"Hehehe, it's like facing a great elven warrior!"
The Dwarf Master Craftsman, who was handling both magic and psychic energy simultaneously, let out a hearty laugh.
"But you're still inexperienced!"
"The inexperienced thing would be your short stature, old man!"
Even while facing a massive war hammer that seemed like it would turn you to mush if it grazed you, Elvin shouted boldly.
As nearly a thousand mixed-race beings gathered in the Elven Forest were enjoying an unexpected festival...
-Master.
'...I know.'
Rudian, who had been conversing with Musca the Werewolf Lord, turned his gaze toward someone on the opposite side who was looking this way.
'You're watching, Baal.'
***
As Rudian said, in a valley quite far from the Elven Forest, a young man with burning red hair was quietly observing the situation.
Because he was so quiet, the subordinates around him couldn't hide their anxious expressions.
"Um, Lord Baal..."
"What is it, Jagan?"
At Baal's counter-question, Jagan's body trembled with a start.
Honestly, he had expected a Demon King of similar level to Crosel to come, but he never thought the true master of the demon realm would come personally.
The absolute ruler who had purged not only the Seven Seats but also millions of demons against his own will.
At first, the demons of the Great Forest trembled in fear, thinking they might be annihilated for the crime of losing their superior.
But unexpectedly, Baal showed a normal response while organizing the forces, and since then had spent time observing the opponent like this without any particular activity.
Jagan, whose nature was that of an aide, still offered the best advice he could in the current situation.
"Shouldn't we break the agreement with Rudian Belstad made here soon?"
"......"
"The most troublesome ones have now withdrawn from the Great Forest, and now only small fry exist. If we mobilize all the remaining demons, it's possible to sweep the Great Forest clean."
Of course, this was under the premise that Baal's overwhelming force would back it up.
Then Baal asked quietly.
"So, what happens after we sweep the Great Forest clean?"
"Well, of course... Wouldn't we have to search for traces of the Seven-Colored World in the quieted Great Forest?"
Jagan's words were logical.
After all, that was the mission of the demons dispatched here in the first place.
At Jagan's words, Baal asked mockingly.
"Jagan, do you know who the ultimate enemy we must overcome is?"
"Well, that's naturally..."
"At least right now, Rudian Belstad is not an enemy. Right now we're competing through a wager, but...ultimately, he and I are destined to face a common enemy."
Well, that suspicious fellow would probably reject any extended hand strongly, but Baal was someone who knew patience.
Until he achieved true growth and could face the gods head-on...
"I'm thinking of giving him one fragment. Even if he doesn't want it."
Baal lifted the red gem hanging around his neck.
An artifact that the Demon God had transferred to him, understanding his will.
At the same time, the finest gem he had never expected came to mind.
An innocent human maiden with orange hair.
"Yes, the wager doesn't matter at all."
If he could save his people from the fate of destruction, Baal could do anything.
"Isn't that right, Gabriel?"
Baal looked toward the far southern end, speaking the name of a former adversary he had once fought more fiercely than anyone else.
***
The confrontations with the chiefs of each race resulted in defeats for everyone except Rudian.
But that didn't mean the process was bad either.
"It was truly a close battle."
The Troll Great Shaman, with red blood streaming all over his body, politely raised one hand in salute to Gray, who was collapsed before him.
Gray let out a frustrated cry.
"D-damn! That vitality is really cheating!"
"Klklkl... I can't guarantee what would happen if we fought next time. It was truly tremendous talent."
The magical battle between the Troll Great Shaman and Gray was truly evenly matched.
In terms of individual capability, the Great Shaman had the advantage, but Gray fought on equal terms with the Great Shaman based on various artifacts and real-time evolving combat sense.
But what decided the victory was the tremendous vitality beyond common sense that the troll race possessed.
That abnormal recovery ability that could instantly regenerate even when limbs flew off and hearts were pierced far exceeded the level Gray's magic could endure.
"Really regrettable."
Elvin also fought quite well.
"You're the first to damage my hammer like this."
"...It's an honor."
"I mean it sincerely. That last strike was truly threatening."
Elvin's final strike, where psychic energy and magic fused, cleanly cut through the tip of the Master Craftsman's hammer made of black mithril diagonally.
Of course, he collapsed from exhaustion afterward, but the Dwarf Master Craftsman felt the fear of death in that moment.
"And..."
Finally, Luciella.
Actually, among the three, the person who came closest to victory was Luciella.
During her time in the Great Forest, she had reached the complete level of Sword Master and engaged in a truly life-or-death bloody battle with the Orc Great Chief.
But that match ended in a truly absurd way...
-Krahaha! Human woman! You're absolutely amazing! How about it, would you like to be my mate?
-Wh-what did you just say!
When the Orc Great Chief suddenly courted her, captivated by Luciella's fiery swordplay, she uncharacteristically fell into confusion and lost her breathing rhythm during combat.
And she was defeated futilely by the Orc Great Chief's strike that targeted that opening.
"......"
She was currently sulking in a corner, wrapped in self-reproach for making such an absurd mistake and regret for losing so futilely.
While Rudian's party had left their seats to comfort her, the chiefs were having drinks and chatting amicably about the recent confrontations.
"You went too far, Tarakan. Was there any reason to go that far in just a fight?"
At Troll Great Shaman Murmaya's reproach, Great Chief Tarakan laughed heartily and spoke boldly instead.
"Hahaha! A confrontation is naturally meant to determine victory and defeat! I had noticed the woman was already in love before the fight even started."
Tarakan, who had downed the victory liquor, spoke to Dwarf Master Craftsman Bukar, who had been competing with him.
"But even though you mocked that human man for being short, you let him live well."
"What does it matter? It's not like I insulted his shoulders. Height is hardly even a provocation."
If Elvin had insulted shoulders instead of height, there probably would have been no guarantee he'd be maintaining human form intact by now.
Bukar laughed heartily and turned his head to the side to look at the werewolf who was the only one defeated in this confrontation.
"Honestly, I'd like to try fighting that Rudian fellow who made Musca look like that."
"Well, that's..."
Everyone's eyes turned toward the silver-maned werewolf lying there, completely battered.