Chapter 363: Reorganization (3)
Chapter 363: Reorganization (3)
What?
That was something I couldn't just let slide.
They’re erecting a statue of me in Yggdrasil? And painting a sacred icon of me in the Great Temple of Solaris?
I knew my reputation had soared and that my favor with Alfheim and the Cyclic Life had increased. As for Helena and Solari... well, they were probably just trying to show off as usual.
But even considering all that...
"Isn't a statue and a sacred painting a bit much?"
"Hmm? I actually think it’s rather modest, don't you?"
The one who answered my involuntary mutter was Iris, who was dangling from my neck.
"Think about it, Master. Even if you are in a weakened state, you defeated an Evil God. You achieved a feat that even the gods and the Hero Rahim failed to accomplish three hundred years ago."
"I mean, that’s true, but..."
"Even Iona, who merely fought conspicuously, was depicted in a sacred painting. There is no reason to leave you out."
"Fine. Let's say the painting is one thing. But isn't a statue going overboard?"
"Master, do you know what a statue signifies among elves?"
"No. Is it different from other races? Does it mean something more than just commemorating someone?"
"The meaning is the same. However, the weight is different. Elves are fundamentally a long-lived race, so while they pass down knowledge, they rarely leave records for the sake of passing down history."
If a grandfather tells his grandson a story about his youth, that’s a story from at least five hundred years ago. "Back in my day" refers to half a millennium in the past.
And if that grandfather tells a story he heard from his elders when he was a child? Then stories from a thousand years ago come pouring out effortlessly.
In such a culture, why would they need records? Unless it’s something truly monumental, they don't feel the need to leave a physical trace.
"Statues are especially rare. Why bother preserving a face when the person will likely be alive for several hundred more years? Besides, no matter how great a hero is, it’s difficult to remain flawless for a century."
"But my case is different, you're saying."
"Exactly. You are human, after all. ...Though it seems you've half-abandoned your humanity this time, that is how you are perceived publicly."
Furthermore, what I had achieved this time was saving Alfheim from the brink of destruction.
It was a major event, one of the most significant in the long history of the Great Forest. Considering its importance and the short lifespan of humans, it wasn't strange for people to suggest preserving the feat in a physical form rather than just through oral tradition.
Hearing that, I had no choice but to resign myself to it. Honestly, hearing that they were building a statue and painting a sacred icon of me was a bit embarrassing... but it wasn't something I should ruin the mood by forbidding.
"Ahem. Well, if it can't be helped, then so be it. Let's just get to the training room quickly. I have a lot to test."
"Master. The corners of your mouth are twitching, you know?"
"……."
To be honest... I felt a little. Just a tiny bit good.
*
When I arrived at the training room, everyone had finished warming up and was about to leave. The timing was perfect; the entire training area was empty.
Thanks to that, I was able to test everything I wanted, even firing off large-scale magic.
The results exceeded my expectations.
It wasn't just that my mana capacity had increased; it felt as though my very tier as a mage had ascended to a new level.
Thanks to my strengthened grip on mana, controlling magic became effortless. Moreover, though it wasn't explicitly stated in the status window, the quality of my mana had become purer than before, which in turn improved its efficiency.
Additionally, thanks to my enhanced vitality, the frequency and output of my Blood Magic had increased. I also realized that the three traits synthesized to create the Dragon Heart hadn't completely vanished.
For instance, the mana capacity and recovery speed from Endless Mana were replaced by the inherent performance of the Dragon Heart. Of course, the effects were much stronger now.
And Resonance, the secret technique of the Lintblum Core, had become a passive ability. Even without concentrating, the Dragon Heart automatically caused the surrounding mana to fluctuate whenever I used magic.
Of course, if I used it consciously, the effect of the Resonance became even better.
Finally, Origin Regression. Honestly, I had been quite worried about this. I wondered what I would do if I could no longer use Dragonification, which had served me so well.
Well, it was all useless worry. Dragonification was still possible. In fact, it had become even stronger.
If the previous Dragonification only involved growing horns, my eyes turning into vertical slits, and a few scales appearing on my body...
After obtaining the Dragon Heart, not only did my horns and eyes transform, but wings and a tail sprouted as well. The area covered by scales had also increased.
The difference in specs was as significant as the change in appearance... but I couldn't test everything for fear of collapsing the training room if I went all out.
"Still, this is enough. Let's call it a day."
I’d be able to verify the rest in actual combat soon enough.
With a sense of pride, I deactivated Dragonification, only to see the women staring at me blankly.
I thought I might have to explain everything again, but fortunately, Iris had already finished explaining while I was testing things out.
"Master is truly becoming a dragon now..."
"Oh my? That’s only natural for my partner."
"Ju-Junior! This time, just a little bit of the wing membrane and tail tissue!"
"Dragon Heart... Student Yandel has become even tastier!"
"Lord! At this rate, Brother Yandel might truly be able to strike down all the Evil Gods!"
"Husband...! You really intended to bring the heads of all the Evil Gods as your dowry?"
Each of the women congratulated me in her own way.
...They are congratulating me, right?
At least Fay and Iona seemed more interested in the side benefits.
I chuckled and put away my staff. Then, I shrugged my shoulders with a light tone.
"Alright, then next, let's go hunt Boiling Silence."
"……Huh?"
Carla, who had been clapping brightly, tilted her head in confusion.
"Exactly what I said. Next, we’re going to take down Boiling Silence."
"...Right now? And just us, Master?"
"Of course not. I don't mean right this second, nor just us. I’m just saying that next time, we should deal with Boiling Silence instead of some other Evil God."
I explained the strength of Boiling Silence as I had seen it in H&A and our current situation. I also pointed out that nothing had happened despite there being several clear opportunities for an ambush, but everyone still looked unconvinced.
This was the same for Helena, who was usually full of zeal to strike down the Evil Gods and their followers.
"Hmm. I understand what you're saying, Brother. But the problem is that we don't know where Boiling Silence is, nor what kind of traps might be at its stronghold."
"That’s true."
The Hero Rahim sealed the Evil Gods. So, what happened to those seals that no one is maintaining them now?
The answer is simple. It’s not that they aren't doing it; it’s that they can't.
During the latter half of the Great War, the Allied Forces were clearly at a disadvantage. The Hero's party had to sneak into the Evil Gods' strongholds like assassins and barely managed to succeed in sealing them.
However, they lacked the strength to guard those seals, so the sealed Evil Gods eventually fell into the hands of the cultists and vanished to unknown locations.
Currently, only high-ranking cultists of each sect—and even then, only a few—know the locations of the seals.
Those people are hard to capture alive, and even if you do, you wouldn't be able to extract information because of the immense magical geases placed upon them.
However, there was one exception. And that was Boiling Silence.
In H&A, true to being the Evil God representing the Great Sin of Sloth, it never left the area even after breaking free from its seal. It simply led its army with Fiona, whom it had granted immense authority, at the forefront.
As a result, the subjugation battle for Boiling Silence naturally took place in the land where it was sealed, so I remembered the location of the seal vividly.
"Of course, just knowing the location doesn't solve everything. It’s impossible to even wound a god through ordinary means."
"Yes. And we can't use the same method as this time again. I don't know where Boiling Silence is sealed, but it certainly won't be within the World Tree's domain."
"Therefore, I plan to enlist the help of the Chairman and Sir Havel."
"...Ah!"
Helena's eyes widened as she realized something.
A seal is a prison to confine an Evil God, but at the same time, it is a fence that blocks external interference. If it weren't, the cultists would have broken the seals long ago.
However, if it’s Rebecca, the one who performed the sealing, there should be a way to attack the Evil God inside without breaking the seal.
And if it’s Havel, a Sword Master, he should be able to cut down Boiling Silence.
"Well, I’m not saying we should do it right now, but it’s an important matter, so I’m telling you in advance. We have other things to do first, anyway."
"By 'things to do first,' you mean..."
"First, since Chancellor Milone is setting the stage, we need to prepare for the reinstatement of Elisha and Iris. After that, we have to clear a dungeon I was promised before. Senior Fay has a lot of research to do lately, so I should at least get her a reference book."
"Were you really planning to clear a dungeon for me, Junior...?"
Fay’s eyes sparkled behind her messy bangs as if she were moved.
I was curious to see her reaction when she found out that the dungeon was the laboratory of Paracelsus, the Great Alchemist... but surprises are better for things like this.
I suppressed the laughter that kept trying to leak out and continued.
"There are many other things to do, but the most important one is separate."
"Oh? What is it, dear? My Master and I will help you with anything."
I grinned at the sound of Elisha's voice, which had become significantly more affectionate since coming out of the time distortion.
"Sex."
"……Eh?"
"I've held back for too long. You said you'd help with anything, right? I'm looking forward to it."
"……."
Elisha froze solid, likely imagining all sorts of things. Iris, sensing danger, hid behind Elisha and shouted in a panicked voice.
"I-I never said such a thing! Just stick to bullying Elisha!"
Nope~ You two are a set.
Don't you dare try to sell out your disciple.