56
Chapter 56
Kanto's sudden second class advancement. I'm speechless.
Did he have some kind of epiphany during the village subjugation?
First, I checked his blessing.
[Soul of the Berserker: Gradually increases strength, speed, and stamina as combat continues. Stats increase slightly with each enemy killed. The latter effect is permanent.]
Oh, this is actually pretty good.
Seeing as it says 'slightly' rather than 'gradually,' the growth rate seems lower than the first effect, but the key is that it's 'permanent.'
Now, his stats don't just go up during battle; he gets a lasting benefit.
Since there's no mention of a cap, I can assume it's limitless.
A late-game carry who starts weak but grows stronger over time.
...I feel a strange sense of kinship.
Nah, we're not the same. Our ceilings are different.
No matter how strong Kanto gets, he'll probably only reach the level of a mid-tier demon.
We are in entirely different leagues.
I'm not even fully grown yet, and I knocked out a mid-tier demon—roughly level 7—with a single blessing.
Should I finish this first and then go check on him?
I walked around the fields with Rake and activated the 'Authority of the Storm and Rain God' blessing.
"The fields, in an instant..."
"He's—he's the God of Farming!"
"Work that should have taken months was finished this quickly!"
God of Farming is a bit... lacking. It makes me sound weak.
Since the Tribe Alliance's population had doubled overnight, I had no choice but to use 'rapid growth' for the first harvest.
The mental drain is staggering. I can't rely on this shortcut all the time.
Mental power is both my HP and MP. I have to be careful, or I'll be forced into a deep sleep.
- Let's head back.
I returned to the headquarters with Rake.
***
Kanto enters the altar with brimming confidence.
"Hahaha! A landslide victory, as always! They had all sorts of preparations, but once I used that civilized old man's magic thingy..."
"My name is Harry Francis Winston, you brat!"
"Harry... what? Too long! I'll just keep calling you old man!"
"You... you...!"
Harry's thin, frail arms tremble. At this point, I almost feel sorry for him.
- Your blessing has bloomed. Did you feel it?
"Bloom... what does that mean?"
- ...
This is why basic education is necessary.
"Chief Kanto..."
Paya, rubbing her forehead as if she had a headache, explained on his behalf.
"Ah! I definitely felt it! Instead of the mysterious power from the blessing building up and then disappearing, I feel it swirling inside my body!"
- Your growth will be slower than before, but your power will no longer vanish.
"Hahaha! Doesn't this mean I can get as strong as Chief Rake now?"
As he spoke, Kanto stole a glance at Rake, who was standing next to Totem No. 1.
To think he still has such a competitive spirit after being beaten so badly.
In terms of sheer grit, Kanto is a man fitting for a protagonist.
However, Rake's reaction was cold.
"Pfft."
She gave a short snort and simply leaned her back against Totem No. 1.
"...Enjoy laughing while you still can."
"Sure."
Rake didn't even look at him anymore.
Kanto's face began to flush, flickering red and blue like gaming LED lights.
Karma. Everything comes back around.
He teased Harry, so now he's the one being teased by Rake.
I hope he finally understands how Harry feels.
At any rate, I've learned that a blessing granted to only one person—shortened to an 'Individual Blessing'—can also grow.
I wonder if Paya's 'Path of the Elementalist' and Rake's 'Totem Guardian' will also evolve.
I imagined Tuntun-i growing as large as an airplane and Rake becoming a green monster from being too strong.
As expected of Loa Mallak's (not True Mallak) blessing.
It's incomparable to the boring skills of those Holy Knights.
I gave Kanto some vague praise and waited for the leadership to assemble.
After a while, Rachel, who had been handling administrative tasks, returned.
"Sorry I'm late."
- It's fine.
Rake, Paya, Kanto, Muri, Harry, and Rachel.
The entire leadership sat around the Round Table.
- Let's begin.
It's about time to subjugate the next region.
- Tell me everything you know about Blutan.
Blutan. A region located right next to Symphonia and Tivera.
"Yes."
Rachel nodded.
The group that joined the Tribe Alliance is a collection of civilized people who lived in hiding across Symphonia, Blutan, and Tivera.
Rachel, who led them, probably knows quite a bit.
She mentioned that the Demon Triumvirate resided in Blutan.
The Demon Triumvirate.
A grand name, but it simply refers to three mid-tier demons sharing rule over a single region.
Three mid-tier demons. It'll be a nightmare if I can't take them all down at once.
The next piece of information was just as critical.
"Mid-tier demons die after sending coordinates, as a spell cast by sacrificing their own lives."
She added that this information came from a Holy Knight.
Apparently, there was a Holy Knight who provided great help to the civilized people two years ago.
"Our survival is thanks to him; he defeated the demons and saved the people—a truly honorable and brave soul."
So there were people as active as George's Raid Party.
- What happened to that Holy Knight?
"He said he had to go to the Capital to end the war, and then he vanished, leaving us unable to repay him."
She credited that man for her ability to lead the refugees.
- Do you know the Holy Knight's name?
"I can't forget him... I still love him to this day."
Rachel gently closed her eyes as if reminiscing about those times.
"He told me his name was Kozaburo, and I remember it clearly."
- ...
She remarked that it was a strange name, given by an assassin who once pursued justice.
- I see. Got it. Let's move on.
I've heard enough; my head is spinning.
Who do you think you are, Emiya Kozaburo?
This crazy bastard. He was roleplaying in real life, not just in the community?
Just how obsessed is he with being Kozaburo?
It's a bit bittersweet, though.
A man who acted with such a sense of purpose two years ago became a pathetic troll who only posts bait in the Capital.
What did he see there? Did he face an unbeatable enemy and fall into despair?
Or was he just exhausted? Or perhaps he developed PTSD?
Considering he killed Atomic Rex, who grew several times faster than a Holy Knight, he must be quite the fighter.
Of course, there's no guarantee that a level 7 Holy Knight is equivalent to a level 7 chimera.
The Capital is far, and there's much to do here. I'll think about it later.
- Do you have any information on the mid-tier demons of Blutan?
"I've never seen them myself, nor have I heard anything... shall I bring the people from Blutan?"
- Do that.
Seventeen civilized people entered the Altar.
Though they tried their best to explain what they saw in Blutan, there was no particularly useful information.
I'll organize the information I gathered today.
1. Blutan is ruled by the Demon Triumvirate.
2. Mid-tier demons die after transmitting coordinates.
3. The Holy Knight who helped Rachel's group is very likely a Melee-type Spy.
4. Blutan has three mid-tier demons and twelve low-tier demons.
First, regarding point one. It's a bit shocking, but not enough to despair.
My Totem of Confusion works on mid-tier demons. If I can gather all three in one spot, it's game over.
The problem is it won't be that easy, but since they all live in the city, it's not impossible.
Besides, my blessing isn't the only way to stop a mid-tier demon's coordinate transmission.
Harry's Magic Interference Device also proved its effectiveness in the last battle.
Mid-tier demons are now enemies that can be overcome.
Point two is useful.
It explains why the mid-tier demon saved the coordinate transmission until the very end.
Since it's a spell that costs their own life, they wouldn't use it unless they were facing death.
Even mid-tier demons feel the fear of death.
Even in a difficult situation, they won't use it if they see a chance of winning. This can be used strategically.
Let's skip point three.
Point four. I have no particular thoughts on this either.
Perhaps because it's a smaller region than Symphonia, there are fewer villages and low-tier demons.
It should be easier than I expected.
Overall assessment? Doable.
It's not like I'm going to march straight into the city and fight.
This time, I can pressure them by slowly eating away at their territory.
Combining all the info, the condition for coordinate transmission is the appearance of a force that threatens the demon forces.
More specifically, it should be the appearance of a force capable of overwhelming the mid-tier demon controlling a region.
They probably won't send coordinates just because a few low-tier demons were killed.
If they do, well, I'll just have to run the hell back to Symphonia.
- Let's call it a day.
I dismissed the leadership.
It's almost time to prepare for the next war.
***
The next day.
"A Warp Gate has been installed in the Symphonia sewers!"
Harry, who had rushed to the altar, spoke after catching his breath.
With absolutely no warning, he had discovered it while having the civilized people clean the sewers.
- Let's go.
Carried in Rake's arms, I headed underground with the leadership.