Chapter 329: Yggdrasil (3)
Chapter 329: Yggdrasil (3)
“If you aren’t too tired, would you like to discuss the war situation over a cup of tea? For the record, I am exhausted.”
“???”
“I am… exhausted…”
Her hollow eyes looked as if she might hang herself right then and there if she wasn't rescued from this paperwork hell.
I knew from H&A that she was a character suffering from chronic fatigue, but seeing it in person was something else entirely.
Overwhelmed by a spirit that was either pathetic or impressive—I couldn't tell which—I nodded blankly.
“S-Sure. But there aren't enough seats for everyone to sit…”
“Seats can be made.”
Milone spoke as she tapped the floor with the tip of her toe. I felt a surge of pure water-attribute mana.
Is that the same technique I saw at Nidhogg?
Creeeak.
As if confirming my suspicion, chairs began to sprout from the floor moments later.
Usually, people don't bother making seats for slaves, leaving them to stand, but perhaps she had already heard that I cherished mine.
I nodded, seeing exactly enough chairs for everyone in the party.
“…This should be enough.”
“I shall also prepare some light tea and refreshments.”
At those words, Eda, who had been standing at a distance, began pulling out tea sets and leaves from a corner of the office.
It seemed this wasn't their first time doing this; they moved in perfect sync without needing a single word.
I sat down with a faint smile of gratitude, and my companions settled in around me.
Finally, Milone took the seat opposite me and let out a long, heavy sigh.
“Phew… Ah, my apologies. That was quite rude of me to do in front of a guest. Now that the paperwork is out of my sight, I suppose I just let my guard down…”
“You look exhausted; it’s understandable. I know it wasn't intentional, so it’s fine.”
“Thank you for your generosity. I suppose the fatigue has just caught up with me, as I haven't been able to sleep properly due to some unexpected problems lately.”
“Just how long have you been awake…?”
“Hmm. Exactly 235 hours, 14 minutes, and 32 seconds.”
“…….”
It was impressive that she could track time as accurately as a biological clock, but it was even more horrifying to realize she had been awake for nearly ten days.
You’re going to die like that…
No matter how much divine grace she received from the Cyclic Life upon becoming Chancellor, sleep is still essential.
Fay is also the type to bury herself in work while cutting back on sleep, but even she isn't as bad as Milone. Thank goodness for that.
Anyway, while everyone except Milone fell into a stunned, solemn silence, Eda finished her preparations and placed teacups and snacks on the table.
The rising steam and the spreading fragrance elicited involuntary admiration. Noticing our reaction, Eda added a brief explanation.
“This tea is made from moss that grows on the roots of the World Tree. It slightly increases one's mana capacity… but its primary effects are physical recovery and mental stabilization.”
She spoke as if it were nothing special, but the energy radiating from it was substantial.
Having personally experienced the effects of traditional Elven liquor on the way here, I was certain.
That tea was practically at the level of a semi-elixir.
Right. Even modern people drink coffee when working overtime; there was no way Milone was powering through on sheer willpower alone.
This level of doping was only natural.
While I nodded to myself, Milone, seeing my admiration, spoke in a somewhat proud tone.
“I’m glad it’s to your liking. In that case, let me share my personal blending method with you.”
“A blending… method?”
“Yes. If you mix it in a one-to-one ratio with a stamina potion like this, you can see immediate results.”
As she spoke, Milone pulled out a top-grade potion from somewhere and poured it in—glug, glug, glug.
It must have been a horrific sight to an expert’s eyes, as Fay’s eyes widened and her legs began to tremble.
Of course, given her timid personality, she was merely fuming inwardly and couldn't bring herself to say anything.
“Now I feel like I can live again…”
She seemed to have thrown proper usage and dosage out the window, but the effect was certainly undeniable.
Milone’s complexion improved visibly. Though, her dark circles remained as prominent as ever.
With a hollow laugh, I also took a sip of the tea. It was a strange sensation—the heat sliding down my throat was immediately replaced by a surge of vitality.
As expected, it really was at the level of a semi-elixir. The scent was even better.
After savoring the tea for a moment, I slowly spoke.
“You mentioned a problem. If it’s a problem occurring at this timing, it must be the cultists.”
“Correct. Recently, the frequency of small-scale skirmishes across the Great Forest has increased. To be honest, up to this point, it was something we could have anticipated based on the warnings from the Levantine Empire and the feats shown by Duke Lindelheit….”
“But the cultists are always the ones to subvert those expectations.”
Even I, who knew the future through H&A, had been blindsided more than once or twice. No matter how competent Milone was, it would be impossible to prepare perfectly.
Milone sighed again and nodded.
“You catch on quickly. It makes me feel like I chose the right person to ask for advice.”
“You’re flattering me too much. Anyway, what exactly happened? Did our allies lose contact as if they suddenly evaporated? Or is the undead army swelling at an exponential rate? Perhaps they’re playing a game of territorial conquest, nibbling away at the domain of the Lord of Life within this Great Forest. I doubt the greenskins are a concern since they can't use their full strength here, but surely it’s not something like an aerial structure bombarding us from the sky? The Noble Reign faction is quite troublesome…”
I listed the invasion scenarios I had experienced as if muttering to myself, but Milone’s face showed no significant reaction.
…It’s not what I’m thinking, is it? Please let it not be that.
But as if betraying my desperate inner hope, the scenario Milone uttered was the one I least wanted to consider.
“There were similar skirmishes at first. But the ones causing problems now are from a completely different cult.”
“Don’t tell me…”
“Countless succubi. Tentacle-type monsters covering the ground. And those who command goblins, who are despised even by their own kind…”
“…It’s the Ugly Prosperity.”
“Yes. Until just a few days ago, the kin of Ugly Prosperity were attacking the Nersia Kingdom, but now they are massing toward the Great Forest. They are currently staying in the east, merely dismantling nearby units, but there is no telling when they will begin a full-scale advance.”
Of all things, it had to be Ugly Prosperity. Since they usually prioritized the Nersia Kingdom, I had hoped otherwise, but my bad premonitions always seemed to hit the mark.
This time, I was the one letting out deep sighs, prompting Iona to tilt her head and ask.
“What is it? What’s the deal with Ugly Prosperity that has Student Yandel so troubled? They’re certainly annoying, but in terms of pure combat power, they’re a bit behind the other cults.”
“Ah, Professor Iona, you fought alone during the War of the Gods, didn't you? Then you might not know. Vampires have a particularly good compatibility against Ugly Prosperity.”
Ugly Prosperity.
An Evil God who uses lust as his power, and the one who originally takes the broken Carla as his Apostle.
While the direct combat power of his Authority is relatively low, there are few living creatures free from lust, making him incredibly tricky to deal with…
However, since his Authority is based on lust, it fails to show its full power against those with unique constitutions, like vampires, whose lust and appetite have merged into bloodlust.
…Conversely, it displays a power akin to a disaster against races with strong sexual drives.
For example, the Beastkin.
It’s not that Beastkin are literal animals with heat cycles, but the story changes when they are exposed to the Authority of Ugly Prosperity.
Regardless, they are a race with strong instincts to match their strong bodies, so they cannot easily resist.
What happens when the Beastkin, who basically rely on physical abilities to fight, are saddled with all sorts of debuffs?
What if their minds are clouded by surging lust, dulling even their unique wildness and intuition?
They would be pushed back without even being able to put up a proper fight.
And does it end once they are pushed back? Not a chance. There’s a reason for the Evil God’s name.
They never kill the prisoners they capture. Those who can be swayed are given a baptism and made into believers. Those who cannot… are thrown into breeding farms.
Men are milked until they are shriveled husks or become playthings for those who enjoy sodomy.
Women are forced to repeat pregnancy and childbirth until the very moment their lives end.
Naturally, that cycle is drastically shortened to anywhere from a week to a month by the Authority of Ugly Prosperity, and the growth of the children born this way is also unnaturally fast.
Children who receive the baptism of Ugly Prosperity from birth naturally become excellent soldiers and join the Evil God’s army. Since they are based on Beastkin, their basic combat power is guaranteed.
The "lucky" cases are those who, instead of being dragged to a breeding farm, become portable dildos or onaholes to serve as equipment for the various units…
Either way, the end result is the same.
Becoming a lump of meat with nothing left but lust after their minds have collapsed. That is the only fate for a prisoner captured by Ugly Prosperity.
Truly a Hitomi-esque Evil God.
And now, that Ugly Prosperity is targeting the Ero-Elves.
Light have mercy…