The Twelfth Research - Ascension Toward Glory (1)
When the Abyss moved its long-prepared pieces, the Essil Kingdom was plunged into catastrophe. Mountain orcs poured down from the highlands like a tidal wave, while inside the realm, demon worshippers stirred up the lowest classes and ignited open rebellion.
“Advance! Brave warriors of the mountain orc tribes! Human stew awaits us! Devour them all and reclaim our ancestral lands!”
The mountain orcs’ offensive that began in the great mountain range was utterly ferocious.
“Rise up! Oppressed serfs! All we have to lose are our chains! What we stand to gain are the noble ladies! Overthrow this unequal world where aristocrats hoard all the beauties and build a society of true equality!”
The sweet whispers of the demon worshippers spread like wildfire. The rebellion was led by Wolfgang the Noble Collector, a man hated as an irreconcilable enemy by the nobility yet revered as a savior of justice by the serfs.
“We will divide the nobles’ wealth equally!”
“Yeah!”
“We will farm the nobles’ lands in common!”
“Yeah!”
“We will share the nobles’ women as well!”
“““YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”””
Following the Abyss’s guidance, the arrogant masters were reduced to the lowest possible state. This was a pleasure the Sun God Church, which preached absolute obedience, could never grant!
“Your Majesty the Queen! Please show mercy!”
“Hmm.”
“Will you truly abandon Your Majesty’s own children who only rose up because they could no longer endure the tyranny of those wicked nobles?! I beg you, show mercy just this once!”
Yet the Warrior Queen Belladia arrived at the head of a great army in a single breath. She had already foreseen the rebellion through prophecy.
“I shall grant you mercy.”
“!”
“If you execute the heretics and lay down your arms.”
“It’s because of you bastards that we were manipulated in the first place!”
“That’s right! We’re innocent—the real problem was you!”
“You enjoyed it with us and now you—AAAAAAAAGH──!”
The peasant rebels responded to Belladia’s offer of amnesty by slaughtering the cultists themselves. They then discarded their weapons and prostrated themselves at the queen’s feet.
“We thank you for your mercy! Your Majesty the Queen!”
“Mercy? When did I ever promise mercy?”
“Pardon? You clearly issued a public amnesty decree—”
A joyful smile spread across the queen’s lips.
“I have no memory of such a thing.”
“…Your Majesty?”
“I command my army! Burn every village that participated in the rebellion to the ground! Impale every last resident—men, women, and children alike—on stakes!”
Show the entire populace an example!
The fate of those who dared rise above their station!
“G-good heavens…”
“To think Her Majesty possessed such resolve…”
“It’s so cruel I cannot bear to watch…”
Thanks to this, the people realized their queen was as beautiful as an elf on the outside, yet a vicious demon slumbered within.
Therefore.
Fear the wrath of Her Majesty the Queen!
Tellorian's Teachings Bear Fruit!
Experience +10
Legacy Points +1
90/100 until Level 32
Legacy Points: 32
“Drive the demon worshippers out of the villages!”
“Drive them out? Kill them! Kill every last one!”
“Our village contains only loyal and upright subjects who feel boundless gratitude for Her Majesty’s benevolence! Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty!”
Belladia’s scorched-earth operation achieved exactly what she intended. The momentum of the rebellion collapsed in an instant, and village chiefs who had previously tolerated the cultists formed militias to hunt them down.
“What of the mountain orc invasion?”
“The Guardian Duke is defending the border admirably.”
“Good. The real problem is the higher demons that will descend…”
The invasion of higher demons was an issue that exceeded the queen’s own capabilities. The northern kingdoms or the Empire might be able to confront them directly, but Essil’s national strength made that impossible.
“Master will handle that.”
Just then, Elenstra delivered a new prophecy.
“Your Majesty. The higher demons that had descended upon the surface are urgently returning to the Abyss. It appears a civil war has broken out among the devils.”
As expected.
Master always wins.
“Long live Her Majesty the Queen!”
“Long live the Guardian Duke, protector of the realm!”
“Harrington Dynasty! May you endure forever!”
Belladia returned to the royal capital and held a grand victory parade. Having earned the awe of all her people, no lord or village would dare defy her orders.
“It has been a while, Your Majesty.”
“It has been a while, Master.”
Master and disciple faced each other after a long time. Beside the Grey Sage stood a companion the Warrior Queen had not expected.
“You have changed tremendously in the meantime, Your Majesty.”
“You too have become unrecognizable, Archduke of Gehenna.”
“…”
“Ah, that’s right! You are no longer an archduke!”
Belladia smiled sweetly, her expression filled with pure malice.
“Moreover, you are no longer an archdemon.”
“…”
“However, I will not forget the demonic power you gifted me. It is a portion of the strength you possessed at your peak, so it won’t be long before I surpass you!”
The fallen cambion quietly bit his lip. Perhaps abandoning the authority of an archdemon had been a mistake after all.
“Master. Please command me on how I may assist you. Every ounce of power and status I enjoy today exists only because you created it.”
Having finished speaking, Belladia glanced at Tellorian, checking to see if she had phrased it correctly.
Clap, clap!
He responded with applause.
“Your earlier statement was excellent—the proper attitude when addressing a founding contributor. No one would have seen through Your Majesty’s performance. Continue exactly as you are doing now.”
At that, the corner of the queen’s mouth twitched.
“Many innocent lives were lost while suppressing the rebellion. Was that also acceptable?”
Tellorian nodded expressionlessly.
“In any case, we prevented demon worship, didn’t we?”
“We did.”
“From now on, the people will strive to ensure demon worship does not take root in their homelands. And no matter how dissatisfied they are with society, they will not turn to worshiping devils. Because Your Majesty will be far more terrifying.”
Whether terror or mercy.
They are merely tools.
What matters is the result.
“Your Majesty suppressed the rebellion and repelled the foreign invaders. The world will pay more attention to the achievements born from Your Majesty’s cruelty than to the cruelty itself.”
Therefore.
“Rejoice. You no longer need to hide your true nature. On the contrary, Your Majesty’s true nature will become the foundation of excellent governance.”
Belladia trembled with a sense of liberation. How long had she endured for this very day!
Belladia Harrington
The specimen has experienced ‘freedom.’
Research Clues 5/10
Experience +10
Legacy Points +1
Level Up!
0/100 until Level 33
Legacy Points: 33
“You told me before, Master.”
The queen spoke in an excited voice.
“Kill a hundred and you’re a murderer. Kill a million and you’re a conqueror. Starting today, I shall become a conqueror. I have the talent for it.”
He felt proud.
His disciple had grown so admirably in just a single year.
“Well done, Your Majesty.”
“Then let us return to the main topic, Grey Sage.”
Having spent so much time with Tellorian, Belladia could read his thoughts even from his impassive expression. The current Tellorian was clearly preparing for a battle of monumental importance.
“What assistance do you require?”
“Soon I must fight the vanguard of Hell.”
“!”
She had seen it.
The future in which the Archdemon of Destruction would descend.
Leading the vanguard of Hell.
“Of course, I will not turn the Essil Kingdom into the battlefield. If I did, there would be no people left regardless of victory or defeat.”
Interest flashed in Belladia’s eyes.
How entertaining would a battle against an archdemon be?
“However, when recruiting heroes to oppose the vanguard of Hell, I will need Your Majesty’s help. We must gather the finest knights and clerics and hire adventurers commanding the highest fees.”
He asked.
“But if Your Majesty assists me in this fight, even if we win, the price Essil must pay will not be small. Will you still help me?”
The wrath of the Devil King was a danger that should be feared. It was a threat that would make even the Empire and the North tense. A mid-tier nation like Essil might very well stagger beneath it.
“Now, now, brother-in-arms.”
“Guardian Duke.”
“Listening to you makes me rather upset.”
With a grunt, Rodrick Harrington shouldered his siege hammer.
“Since when has there been any question of helping or not helping between us?”
“…”
“Whether the matter is good or bad, we go together without exception. Whether the opponent is the King of the Seven Hells or the Sun God of Heaven, my answer remains unchanged.”
…
This was unexpected.
To abandon even his faith.
“I swear upon the honor of all Harringtons. Until the day our Harrington dynasty perishes, you and your direct descendants shall be bound by eternal friendship. Be sure to remember that.”
…
A smile formed on his lips.
Favors should be received with favors.
“Understood. Then please recruit heroes to face the archdemon. In exchange, Your Majesty must remain in the capital. Your person is too precious.”
Belladia frowned at that.
“While Father and Master fight the devils, I am to sit in the capital soothing whining citizens? Is that truly the conduct of a queen?”
Blatant dissatisfaction.
Why was she being excluded from such an interesting fight?
“If you are dissatisfied, produce an heir as quickly as possible.”
“…”
“Without an heir the dynasty can never be completed. Bear many children quickly, and have those children bear even more children.”
The queen let out a deep sigh.
With a very regretful expression.
“Very well. I shall let it pass this time.”
“A wise decision.”
“Guardian Duke Rodrick, recruit heroes from both inside and outside the kingdom who will spread their fame by opposing the devils. I shall focus on defending the realm.”
With this, they began preparations to confront the expeditionary force of Hell with the full support of the Essil Kingdom. The Archdemon of Destruction was an overwhelmingly powerful enemy that made all previous foes seem insignificant by comparison.
The Archdemon of Destruction is one of the few genuine transcendents even within Hell. As an archdemon specialized in combat, it could easily tear apart lesser gods.
It was fortunate they still had a reasonable amount of time to prepare. The ritual to summon the archdemon’s true body to the surface was complicated, and even after the summoning, it would take time for the Devil King to locate the point of interference.
However, now that the Devil King has begun a serious search, it is only a matter of time before the eavesdropping location is discovered. They have already narrowed it down to the clue that the mastermind is a mortal mage.
The time given was three months.
They had to finish all preparations before then.
First, an objective assessment of the enemy is necessary. As for how strong the Archdemon of Destruction is…
Level 85 Archdevil.
As powerful as an ancient dragon.
Divine Rank 5.
It possesses authority equivalent to a lesser deity.
When facing such a monster, anyone below level 50 is of little help no matter how many there are. I am an exception because my class and stats are completely broken.
Therefore.
They needed to gather transcendents capable of opposing an archdemon.
Aeltanar.
I have understood the situation.
How much of your wounds have you recovered?
The body is roughly half. Divinity is nonexistent.
Half was faster than expected. However, a basilisk’s special abilities would not work on an archdemon, so the two of them facing it alone was impossible.
They needed another ally.
One powerful enough to confront an archdemon.
It has been a while, Belkan.
It has been some time since I last heard your voice.
I wish to receive repayment for saving your race.
…
I understand.
But Belkan was a man who repaid favors in equal measure.
What assistance do you require?
I will use your ancestors’ sacred mountain as the battlefield.
…
I also hope you will participate in the battle.
To be honest, that is quite a burdensome request.
He understood. The request was to lure an archdemon into the sacred land of his race and wage the decisive battle there.
However, it is appropriate repayment for saving my race.
…
Let us meet at the sacred mountain.
Thank you. I will see you at the sacred mountain.
Main tank: Silver Serpent.
Hybrid: Shaman King Belkan.
Ranged dealer: Lore Master Tellorian.
We’re missing a main healer and a close-range dealer.
Lore of Life
Legacy Points: 18
Well.
He could serve as the healer himself.
The problem is the close-range dealer.
Recruiting Olgoldugolro would be ideal, but her level was only 30. No matter how excellent an Enlightened Troll’s stats were, they were not enough to face an archdevil.
“Mortal! What are you pondering so deeply?”
That’s right.
Let’s use this guy as the main dealer.
That had been the plan from the beginning.
Advanced Specimen: Lucifeles of Gehenna
Mythic Research Unlocked: The Repentant Cambion
Ascension Toward Glory (Research Topic, Mythic)
Only a soul that has experienced the most terrible evil can ascend as the most noble soul.
Research Content
Each time the specimen acquires nobility, research clues accumulate. Conversely, the closer the specimen approaches its demonic nature, the more research clues are lost.
Research Rewards
Removal of the apocalypse trigger caused by devils
Acquisition of the Lore of Heaven
“By the way, Tellorian.”
However.
He would have to change his class first.
“Judging by that expression, it looks like you’re cooking up another wicked scheme…”
A cambion was a trash class.
But a paladin was an overpowered class.