Chapter 143
Chapter 143
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Talent Recruitment (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A low voice echoed chillingly, as if it could freeze space itself.
[Earth... how intriguing.]
But it was merely a sound produced by the vibration of mana, not a voice from flesh and blood, so there was no way to discern the emotions contained within.
'Hoo... damn it, how did I end up in this dogshit situation...? Why did things turn out like this?'
Andrew Weaver plastered a servile smile on his face and kept bowing repeatedly, but inwardly, he was spewing every curse he could think of.
His head felt like it was about to explode from the immediate reality staring him down, the shift in attitude from Siana—who had been his protector up until now—and his worries about what lay ahead.
'Still, judging by the situation, they probably won't kill me. ...As long as I don't die, it's fine. Just don't die.'
Unfortunately, he'd recently spent a fair amount of points strengthening his unique skill, so he couldn't 'return' to Earth and escape right now.
But how had he gathered karma all this time?
By sticking with the Oath of Reverse Heaven and providing them the information they needed, he'd safely racked up a tidy sum of points, hadn't he?
'Yeah, actually, this might work out better. If the Immortal King is starting to make moves, it'd be more advantageous to side with him than the Oath.'
Some were still optimistic since the full-scale invasion hadn't begun yet.
But anyone with even a shred of insight knew the current Immortal King posed the greatest threat in history.
'Especially that mobility and stealth—it's fatal for oversized powers.'
No barrier could impede his movements, and no tracking could pinpoint his location.
With just those two abilities, the game was already over.
The traditional anti-Immortal King strategy of tying down the undead army with a coalition force and sending in a death squad to finish it had been utterly blocked from the start.
'Right! The Oath of Reverse Heaven is just shrinking back and playing it safe, watching the Immortal King's moves. Might as well join up with him now. The points would be even sweeter, right?'
Seeing Siana fawning over him like that, it seemed he could prove his usefulness through her.
And if he gathered enough karma points like that...
Saaah—
Suddenly, the biting chill intensified, making Andrew shiver involuntarily as he cautiously lifted his head to look ahead.
And then.
'Eek! Fuck, you scared me!'
The Immortal King had closed in right up to his face, scanning him from every angle, and their eyes met head-on.
His eyes clenched shut on instinct, and his head dropped low again.
The vicious skull laid bare by the shattered mask and the fiercely blazing eyes seared themselves into his mind with brutal intensity.
He'd only glanced straight at it for a split second, but his heart was pounding like mad.
[Hmm.]
No, even now, up close, the terror ravaging his mind made it a struggle to stay sane.
Without the mental strength he'd built strengthening his unique skill and the support of Clear Mirror Still Water, he might have passed out on the spot.
And that experience only solidified his resolve further.
'...Yeah. I've gathered enough karma now. As soon as I have the return points, I bolt straight to Earth.'
His opponent was the Immortal King, the very incarnation of death.
There was no guarantee that being spared now meant he'd be safe forever.
Better to seize the chance and bail than regret it later.
Thud—
"Eek?"
A hand clad in black leather gloves clamped down on the crown of his head.
Even through the gloves, the rigid hardness and icy sensation amplified his dread in an instant.
[Ahh—don't worry. I have no intention of killing you.]
Hans continued in a nonchalant tone.
[It's just a light restraint. Wouldn't want things getting troublesome if you tried to run, right? Kekeke.]
"Ohoho, most wise words, Your Majesty. Please proceed as you desire."
Siana's fluttering presence beside him was grating, but Andrew had no room for other thoughts right now.
"I-Immortal King? Hans? Gugh...!"
[Not Hans.]
Black magic pierced straight into his mind in an instant.
[My name is Hannibal Strauss.]
In that emotionless voice, he could've sworn there was a hint of irritation—
And so, the Earth-born awakener 'Andrew Weaver' found himself bound to the Immortal King.
Time passed.
While Hans, having peacefully recruited talent via a home visit, was in the midst of interviewing them...
Sss—
A hazy smoke coalesced beside them, taking the form of a woman.
[Your Majesty... as commanded... the purge is nearing completion...]
The raids, focused mainly on major noble houses and underworld organizations, were proceeding smoothly under Olivia's command.
It had started as a way to draw some attention, but since they'd begun, using them as examples wouldn't hurt either.
'How is it that the Empire, supposedly the strongest nation, has corruption levels beyond imagination? Though maybe my modern standards are a bit too strict...'
Selecting targets was pure self-satisfaction anyway.
He'd overcome it now, but the obsessive trauma from back then wasn't something that had simply vanished.
'I never once thought of myself as righteous while deceiving the entire continent.'
This was nothing more than a selfish criterion to protect his own heart, not for others.
...While Hans was briefly lost in thought, Olivia—who had come to report—locked eyes with Siana.
"Ah, hi? Olivia? Long time no see?"
[Siana...]
After three hundred years, they greeted each other warmly.
Having held similar ranks and duties in the former undead army, their bond was particularly close compared to others.
[How are you still alive...? I was really hoping you'd finally croaked...]
"Oh my, happy to see me too? But do you ever wash those clothes? You always seem to be wearing the same outfit."
The two women exchanged soft smiles and friendly banter, but unfortunately, their conversation didn't last long.
[Then we'll take our leave. For now, Siana, wrap things up here and join us. I still have a lot to ask you.]
"As you command."
Siana bowed politely in response to Hans's words.
He'd granted her a reprieve in case she might prove useful later, but with the binding already in place, escape was impossible anyway.
Of course, the same went for Andrew.
And when she straightened up from her bow, Hans and Olivia had already vanished from the spot.
The Immortal King's barrier that had enveloped the mansion had evaporated without a trace as well.
They had arrived and departed just as abruptly.
"......"
"......"
But Siana and Andrew remained speechless for a long while.
For fear that carelessly opening their mouths might reach the Immortal King's ears.
Murmur murmur—
The silence broke only when the fainted people inside the mansion began stirring one by one and the whole city bustled to restore order.
"...Sis, I'm disappointed. Selling me out without a second thought like that."
"Ha, Andrew? If you wanted to die early, you should've just said so sooner."
Andrew clamped his mouth shut at the sharper-than-expected retort and glanced at her warily.
Siana irritably ran a hand over her face, let out a deep sigh, and trudged off to handle the situation inside the mansion.
"Looks like we're switching flags out of the blue. Never imagined things would turn out like this."
As she quietly grumbled, he sidled up behind her and chimed in agreement.
His tone was still cautious, ever mindful of prying eyes.
"No helping it, right? I don't know how he caught on, but once those eyes are on you, there's no escaping."
In truth, despite the restraint, he was still banking on 'return' and figured he just had to tough it out for a bit.
'I can always slip back to Earth later. What's he gonna do if I hop to a whole other dimension?'
No way the binding extended across dimensions.
Unless the Immortal King chased him across dimensions himself, Andrew had never heard of beings from other dimensions showing up on Earth before coming to Outerica.
"Still, I like that this Immortal King is handsome. I'm pretty picky about looks."
"...Huh?"
Andrew blinked and tilted his head as he trailed quietly behind her.
Wondering if he'd misheard.
"Honestly, the previous Immortal King was... pretty far from handsome. Think about it, Andrew. Stuck in a horde of stinky undead with no eye candy—how's that motivating?"
"Uh... y-yeah?"
"In that sense, welfare in this unit's not bad. Of course, best to bail on army life if you can."
As one awkward line after another left him stumped, he seized a pause to carefully speak up.
"Uh, sis. By handsome, you mean that guy we just met... Immortal King Hans—or Hannibal?... right?"
"Obviously? Who else would I— Ah! Right, you're human."
She glanced at Andrew, shook her head pityingly, and sighed.
"Not recognizing that perfect cranium, those charismatic eye sockets and gaze, that sturdy jaw exuding strength. Human aesthetics are so primitive. Well, that's why they're easy for me to handle."
The succubus Siana gently swept back her pink locks and flashed a bewitching smile.
In truth, her own appearance was the epitome of human ideals, but people were naturally drawn to what they lacked, weren't they?
"Sigh, anyway! Andrew, head back to your room and pack your things. Things are gonna change a lot, so brace yourself."
"Y-yeah... got it."
All Andrew could do was mutter emptily.
And so, the stormy night that had brought so much upheaval to them passed.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Krung! This is wild. Monster numbers have noticeably dropped these past few days, huh?"
The northernmost tip of Tulik Kingdom, the Steel Citadel.
Harley, dressed in his usual physique-flaunting outfit, snorted and scanned the surroundings.
All around him were mountains of monster corpses piled up over time, but the number he'd taken down this time was markedly fewer compared to days ago.
"Could this be related to the Rohan Principality incident too?"
Crunch— crunch!
He popped magic stones into his mouth one after another, chewing as he frowned.
If it wasn't just internal issues crumbling the border defenses but someone deliberately herding the monsters, that made it far more serious.
'Tsk, Siana in the Empire had nothing to do with that incident.'
Even using the info she'd known to track the ringleader of the Rohan mess—the so-called 'Revolutionary'—had yielded nothing, as expected.
"Impressive, as the rumors say."
"Is that the famous Dragonoid Harley? Thought the stories were exaggerated..."
As Harley entered the citadel with a dissatisfied look, the by-now-familiar reactions greeted him.
From those who already knew him to the newcomers, gazes filled with awe and caution poured his way.
"Welcome back, bro!"
"Great work today, bro!"
The mercenaries bowed their heads in greeting as he passed—a familiar sight now.
...Even though they all looked far older than him.
'I'm still twenty in Earth years, and it's only been about two years in Auterica...'
But after repeated surgeries to become a fine savage warrior, Harley's appearance fully justified the 'bro' treatment, leaving him no room to protest.
He simply waved them off.
And when he emerged from his room after a shower, a message had arrived for him.
A very special one, dispatched from Tarac Temple and relayed through the mercenary guild to Count Aonia.
'It's finally here.'
Of course, he already knew exactly what it said before even checking.
After all—
It was an invitation summoning Harley, selected as a candidate for the 'Hero Party,' to the Roselia Main Temple in the Holy Land.