Chapter 132: Is there anyone equivalent to an A-class adventurer present?
The Amid Empire's army that was occupying the Sauron region was troubled by the fact that the process of normalizing the new government system was not proceeding at all.
"What shall we do, Duke Marme? At this rate, our position in our homeland…" said a military civil official, inside the conference room of one of Duke Sauron's army's forts that had been seized by the Amid Empire's army.
A vein surfaced on the forehead of a middle-aged man whose hairline had receded to the top of his head. "Damn it, I don't need you telling me to know that!" he shouted hysterically, pounding his fist against the thick, round table.
He was Duke Marme… the cousin of the Amid Empire's current emperor, Marshukzarl.
Duke Marme had assumed the position of supreme commander of the Amid Empire forces occupying the Sauron Duchy in the spring of this year.
The political measures for occupation hadn't progressed for multiple years after the Sauron Duchy was occupied, and Duke Marme, the head of the Marme family of dukes that possessed a sacred bloodline, being connected to the imperial family of the champion Bellwood, took this position in high spirits, thinking that he would make the political measures progress rapidly.
However, he had come to the end of his rope soon after taking up this new post.
All of the "improvements" and "political measures" that Duke Marme and his retainers could come up with had already been tried by his predecessors. And this had led to the current situation.
Even when they were exempted from paying taxes in full for a period of time, or the infrastructure to maintain the highways were put in place, the people of the Sauron region would not yield to the Amid Empire. No matter how much time passed, they referred to the Amid Empire's army as the 'occupying army,' supported the resistance behind the scenes despite not showing any signs of rebellion on the surface, and they were waiting for the return of Duke Sauron's children, who had fled to the Orbaume Kingdom.
The political measure of discriminating against Vida's races like Beast-people and Titans, which were completely normal in the Empire, would not be applied for a long time due to the orders of Emperor Marshukzarl, and this had not caused any problems, at least on the surface. However, other political measures had caused problems to surface.
Trying to do something about it, the army that Duke Marme had brought with him were throwing themselves into things and running about, but the situation had only worsened.
"The people have a deep-rooted resistance to the construction of a Church of Alda and religious conversion, so we cannot gather workers. In fact, there have been conflicts between the people and the soldiers trying to recruit workers, devolving into bloodshed…"
The national religion of the Amid Empire, the faith that placed Alda, the god of law and fate, at the highest position - commonly known as the Alda religion. The political measure of converting the people of the Vida religion, which had flourished in the Sauron region, had not progressed at all.
"Again… It may be overbearing, but if you gather a dozen more armed soldiers, the commoners won't riot so easily. You should have received permission from His Excellency the duke, and you should have enough soldiers gathered. So why are you not doing this?" asked the grand chamberlain of the Marme family of dukes.
"No, that is… the first ones to act violently were the soldiers, the ones that belong to Duke Marme's army…" the civil official said.
"What?! Are you saying that those who belong to the duke's army conducted such behavior?!" the grand chamberlain shouted, seemingly having understood the situation now.
The pale-faced civil official continued his report. "Something about a Beast-person child falling into a puddle of water, sending mud flying onto one of the soldiers' shoes. When he tried to discipline the child, the child's parents apparently interfered, and… the blood rose to the soldier's head and he drew his sword. He punished the father on the spot before the other soldiers could stop him."
"So that was the cause of the rebellion. Has the grand chamberlain not taught the soldiers that they do not have the right to punish civilians?" asked a man who seemed to be the civil official's superior, covering for the civil official.
"Silence! It has not been long since those soldiers were recruited, and it is you civil officials who simply look at the numbers, say that there are not enough soldiers and then ask us to send more!" the grand chamberlain shouted.
"We did indeed request for more soldiers, but it is supposed to be the work of you military officers to decide who to actually dispatch!" the civil official's superior shouted back.
"SILENCE!" Duke Marme bellowed. "Are there any other reports?!"
"Yes! The reconstruction of the fort in the Scylla territory has been delayed. According to preliminary estimates, if we can have five earth-attribute mages and a team of military engineers dispatched, the delay could be reduced to the end of autumn, but…" another civil official reported.
"You bastard, didn't you say at the start of summer that 'the delay could be reduced to the end of summer?!' We've dispatched the valuable, skilled individuals among our mages, so what is the meaning of this?!" the grand chamberlain demanded.
"I-I'm terribly sorry! The gathering of materials and workers is not going well, so the construction work is not progressing."
"Damn, are there any other reports?!" the duke shouted, saliva flying from his mouth.
The pale-faced civil officials delivered their reports one by one. Complaints from the Adventurers' Guild, as well as petitions from every Guild - the mercenaries, merchants and mages - had stacked up like a mountain.
On top of that, the military officers reported things such as a lack of progress in the reformation of the resistance extermination squads that had been annihilated in spring, as well as increasing numbers of soldiers in the occupying army becoming unable to move due to illness, though they were not seriously ill.
As only half a year had passed since Duke Marme took up this post, these problems were not entirely the responsibility of him and his retainers.
All of these are due to the resistance's achievements… no, interference, thought Baron Cuoco Ragdew as he moistened his throat with black tea at a seat at the end of the conference hall, watching the duke's face growing darker and darker as if it was completely unrelated to him.
The Amid Empire's misgovernment of the Sauron Duchy had begun when they allowed two influential resistance organizations to form. The Sauron Liberation Front that was led by the Liberating Princess Knight and the Reborn Sauron Duchy Army that was led by Duke Sauron's son, Raymond Paris.
The two resistance organizations had become a source of hope to the local populace that the Amid Empire's army had tried to force to become accustomed to everyday life under occupation. This had maintained their desire to rebel against the empire.
Due to this, the Amid Empire's army had become unable to hire the local populace as workers to become new guards or build new forts and other military installations.
They had hired commoners after applying numerous checks, but members of the Reborn Sauron Duchy Army had a high rate of success in infiltrating the workforce and had continued to cause incidents to occur.
One might think that these problems could be solved if workers and necessary military personnel were brought from the Mirg shield-nation, whose national borders were close to the Amid Empire mainland, but this was no simple matter.
Rebels existed in both the Amid Empire's vassal nations, including the Mirg shield-nation, and the Amid Empire mainland itself. If they were to group up with the resistance, even the mainland's public order could become unstable.
Even if this weren't the case, the Mirg shield-nation still hadn't reorganized its army after it had lost much of its military strength in the expedition to the Boundary Mountain Range three years ago.
As for workers, bringing them from the Empire or its vassal nations would be a poor move as well.
First of all, this would plainly come with high labor costs. Alda, the god of the empire's national religion, taught that "those who work should be given appropriate rewards." Workers' wages could not be unjustly lowered.
And the workers of the occupied nation would think that their work had been stolen from them, causing an accumulation of discontent among the Sauron Duchy's commoners and the Workers' Guild. In the worst-case scenario, the new workers could clash with the commoners, leading to a riot.
Even if things did not progress that far, doing this would create more openings for the resistance to take advantage of.
Due to these various reasons, the national border on the Mirg shield-nation's side had been blockaded with travel back and forth across the border being heavily regulated, but this had caused delays in the transportation of goods.
The duchies of the Orbaume Kingdom had originally been independent before the founding of the kingdom, so they had become able to function independently to some extent.
But not everything was available in abundant amounts. Discontent was growing among the traders of the Commerce Guild that had been trading and making a profit because of this.
It wasn't only those who were involved in trading; because people could no longer travel back and forth to other places, the mercenaries of the Mercenaries' Guild, who normally traveled between battlefields like migratory birds, had become unable to earn a living.
The mages of the Mages' Guild now had difficulties obtaining materials needed for their research. The higher-ranking mages that the occupying army had deemed to be dangerous were already under surveillance, and research considered taboo by the Alda religion had been forbidden as well, so this was just adding oil to the flames.
The Adventurers' Guild didn't have as many complaints, but adventurers were also unable to leave the Sauron region. And adventurers of D-class or lower were more often employed by commoners and merchants than by noblemen. If they acted friendly towards the occupying army and became hated, their incomes would drop sharply.
And the occupying army did not have an unlimited number of personnel.
Duke Marme's personal army was quite large in size compared to other armies owned by noblemen. However, it wasn't as if he had brought his entire army to the Sauron region. He had needed to leave some of the army behind to maintain public order in his own lands. And if he had brought too many, he would have faced problems with upkeep costs and finding places for them to stay. That was why only a third of his army had joined the Amid Empire's occupying army.
However, the soldiers of the duke's army were falling sick in quick succession. They were staying in a place with a different climate for an extended period of time, so it was only natural that some of them would become sick, but… it seemed that it was the duke's fault for bringing an army that was normally maintaining the public order of a duchy on an expedition that they weren't accustomed to.
It wasn't as if there were no methods available to improve these problems. The resistance simply needed to be exterminated.
To say that things would go well if the resistance were to disappear would seem to be an excuse, but the resistance's interference was preventing the occupying army from freely gathering personnel and materials in the Sauron region, and as long as they existed, the commoners would never yield to the occupying army.
It wasn't as if things would go smoothly the day after the resistance was defeated, but the situation would certainly improve.
A good opportunity for that had come when Raymond Paris and his younger brother Rick Paris of the Reborn Sauron Duchy Army had been killed together.
If the Sauron Liberation Front had been destroyed as well, the Amid Empire's political measures would have progressed several steps forward by now. Duke Marme wouldn't have needed to take up this position, either.
However, the Liberating Princess Knight had gathered the scattered remnants of the Reborn Sauron Duchy Army into the Sauron Liberation Front, forming a single, very stable organization.
And the elite resistance extermination squad that had been assembled during the spring of this year had been annihilated by the elite squads led by the Liberating Princess Knight, so the chances of the occupying army being able to exterminate the resistance were slim now.
Especially with Duke Marme standing at the top, Cuoco lamented to himself as he listened to Duke Marme's shouting once more.
"Curse those lowborn fools! If they want requests, I have given them work as guards! If they don���t like it, they can go and hunt on their own in the Devil's Nests!"
"Your Excellency, what will you do if you do not take the Adventurers' Guild's concerns into account and they join forces with the resistance?" a civil official asked.
"Then send the requests to build the Church to the Adventurers' Guild as well! Even those savages should be able to transport stone!"
"Th-that would encroach on the domain of the Workers' Guild…"
"What domain have those who do not cooperate with us to spread the traditional holy teachings of Alda! Those heretics who worship a lewd, wicked woman!"
It's started again.
Cuoco was a traitor who sold information to the resistance organization, the Sauron Liberation Front, tempted by the delicious food ingredients they offered. However, he had another motive for betraying his country other than the delicious food.
Duke Marme becoming the supreme commander had been decided in the winter of last year, and after hearing this, Cuoco had guessed that the duke, as well as the other noblemen who had been dispatched at the time including Cuoco himself, had been chosen by the emperor as sacrificial lambs.
Duke Marme is too devout a follower of Alda, and he possesses strong connections to the Church of Alda in the empire. But he is ostracizing Vida so aggressively that even those in the empire think that he is too radical.
Even though worshipping Vida was forbidden in the Amid Empire, showing contempt for Vida herself was not encouraged. Vida had made the mistake of distorting the world's order by using monsters to give birth to grotesque races, but even so, she was a goddess who had created the world with Alda and the others, and she had fought against the Demon King.
In other words, for many Alda believers, Vida was a prisoner that deserved to be punished for her mistakes, and once she had atoned, she would one day return to her place as the goddess who ruled over the life attribute.
Despite that, Duke Marme denounced Vida as a lewd and wicked woman. There was a famous story among noblemen where he had encouraged the people of his land to leak information so that he could hunt down adherents of Vida, only to have the Pope reprimand him, asking, "What do you take the law to be?!"
That wasn't all. Duke Marme treated adventurers as lowborn individuals.
There were problems in his sense of values even outside of his religion.
The Amid Empire and its vassal states had a tendency to not use adventurers in its military activities. That was because there was a historical event in the past, before the foundation of the empire, where a nation hired large numbers of adventurers as mercenaries to fight a war against another nation, leading to a shortage of strength to exterminate monsters within the nation. Though they did not lose the war, damage caused by monsters increased in every region, causing the nation to fall apart.
That didn't mean that adventurers weren't trusted, but Duke Marme didn't care about these details; he discriminated against adventurers unjustly other than extraordinary exceptions such as the Thunderclap Schneider.
Still, if the region would stay quiet, then it would be fine. It is a family of dukes with a long history; the vassals are exceptional, but… the military officers, including the grand chamberlain… At the very least, the emperor should know that dispatching them here to the Sauron Duchy now would make things worse, and that things will not get better.
As Cuoco spent his time for the rest of the unproductive meeting immersing himself in his thoughts, Duke Marme's irritation reached a peak.
"Curse you, Marshukzarl! You set a trap for me, a duke, sent me to a troublesome occupied region, forced the Marme family of dukes to bear the failure of the political measures. A trick to solidify your own strength as the emperor!"
"Master, please stop referring to His Excellency the emperor without any honorifics!"
Surprisingly, it seemed that Duke Marme was thinking the same thing as Cuoco.
He couldn't destroy a family of dukes, so he's forced the current Duke Marme to retire. But he could easily destroy a family of barons that is swimming in debt. Well, if that's all, I don't really mind, but…
He would simply sell his mansion and household belongings, then repay his debt by working as an adventurer. He had always accommodated the Adventurers' Guild up until now, and he was quite confident in his own fighting strength.
His family had been on the verge of destruction to begin with, so he had resigned himself to this fate as well.
But if I make a bad move, I might be forced to live a life of faith as a priest, or they might announce that I have 'committed suicide as a way of taking responsibility.' I don't want that.
Eating delicious food was life. A modest life as a priest would be unbearable. Cuoco didn't want to die, either.
"Silence! All of this is because you cannot handle the resistance, is it not! Everything would go well if it were not for them!" Duke Marme shouted.
Personally, I would like if Iris-dono and the others could coordinate with the Orbaume Kingdom and take the Sauron region back while I am wasting my time here. I may fall from being a baron to a knight or even a mere honorary nobleman, but I would no longer need to repay my debt.
"Now that things have come to this… I have no choice but to summon the Fifteen Evil Broken Swords!" Duke Marme said at last.
With these words, the calmness in Cuoco's mind disappeared.
"The Fifteen Evil Broken Swords?! The secret force of fifteen knights under the emperor's direct control, said to have saved the First Emperor Balschmidt. Said to each possess strength not inferior, or even superior to A-class adventurers… they really exist?"
Cuoco was surprised, but it seemed that Duke Marme's decision was a surprise to his vassals as well.
"It's true that the Fifteen Evil Broken Swords would be able to exterminate the resistance, but they move only at the command of His Excellency the emperor. No matter how much of a right you have to the throne, I do not believe you can command them," one of the vassals said.
"I will lower my head to Marshukzarl! At this rate, I will lose my status as duke either way. With that being the case, relying on Marshukzarl will be better and result in shallower wounds to my family than being made to bear responsibility for defeat!" Duke Marme said.
This could be considered a pathetic judgement, one that involved discarding his pride. At the very least, it was likely a far better decision than trying to somehow solve things on their own.
But for Cuoco, this was a poor situation.
Iris-dono's skill is likely at the level of a Class or B-class adventurer. Considering her age, her ability is astounding, but… she will not be able to overcome the Fifteen Evil Broken Swords. There is no way that the resistance organization has any members equivalent to an A-class adventurer… at this rate, I will be unable to acquire that Ent syrup again! Cuoco shrieked to himself internally.
Meanwhile, Vandalieu and the others were on the move, heading for the Arachne village.
Gizania's village was apparently three days' walk from the marshlands. One might think that this wasn't such a great distance, but it was three day's walk at an Arachne's pace.
With a body height of three meters, her stride was far longer than a human's, resulting in her walking fast enough for Borkus to stop her.
"Gizania-jouchan, you walk too fast," Borkus said.
"My apologies, I'm feeling impatient… so I keep ending up walking too quickly," Gizania said as she stopped.
Her pace was not simply 'quick,' it was on the same level as a short-distance athlete sprinting at full speed.
One might have expected her movements to be dull due to her large size, but she manipulated her eight legs with skill, her claws kicking against the ground to propel her forward. And this caused almost no movement for her upper body.
"I understand how you feel, and it's not like we can't keep up, but… are all Arachne this fast?" Basdia asked.
"Yes," Gizania said, nodding. "As you can see, us Arachne have many legs, and everyone moves quickly. Large individuals such as myself struggle to make tight turns, but we are adept at running in a straight line to make up for that."
One might think it strange that the Arachne had never interacted with the Lizardmen when there were only three days' walking distance separating them, but it seemed that the distance was more like ten days' worth for a human or Lizardman.
It was impressive that the Noble Orc and his subordinates had chased after Gizania. In fact, considering their appearance, Orcs were relatively energetic monsters with exceptional charging ability, so perhaps they had been unexpectedly swift.
Of course, there were reasons the Arachne hadn't made contact with the Lizardmen other than distance. They simply had no need to advance into the marshlands.
The southern region of the continent, which was surrounded by the Boundary Mountain Range to the east and west, was shaped roughly like a long diamond. Talosheim was at the northern tip, and the marshlands were immediately south of it. The Arachne nation and the Noble Orc kingdom were where the continent was widest in the east-west direction.
Thus, the Arachne had more than enough land, not needing to advance into the marshlands that didn't suit their way of living. And since they were surrounded by nothing but Devil's Nests, there were no problems in obtaining food as long as they were strong enough.
Of course, it wasn't as if each race didn't have individuals with hearts desiring adventure. However, most such individuals had tried to cross the Boundary Mountain Range to the east and west rather than crossing the marshlands to the north.
There had likely been some who had set foot into the marshlands, but… at least in Talosheim's history, there were no records of members of other races coming from the south.
"So even Princess Kurnelia walks quickly?" Eleanora asked.
"Of course. The princess has a medium build, so she is far faster than I am," Gizania declared with pride.
It seemed that the Arachne, like the Scylla, took pride in their lower bodies that might look grotesque to other races.
"How fast, the princess…"
It seemed that what surprised Eleanora was not the Arachne race's sense of values, but the Arachne princess that moved extremely quickly.
"The fact that Arachne move quickly, is it surprising?" Gizania asked.
"I apologize if I offended you. It is very different from the image of Arachne that I had from things I heard on the outside," Eleanora said.
"By 'outside,' I suppose you mean the outside of the Boundary Mountain Range. The region ruled by the tyrannical god Alda… do they say that we are evil?"
"Yes, especially in the Amid Empire side to the west, where I was before," Eleanora said. "I heard things such as that Arachne create webs with their powerful threads and eat humans starting with their heads when they are caught, and that they pretend to be humans and seduce men to kidnap them. Arachne are generally thought to have bewitching appearances and behaviors."
The image of Arachne that Eleanora described was the kind that would be heard in the Amid Empire, where the Alda religion had a strong influence.
Gizania had a dejected expression on her face; it seemed that this had been worse than she had imagined. "That means… we are no more than monsters that disguise ourselves as women. How terrible; we are not known for what we really are, a race of brave soldiers and skillful masters of manipulating threads," she said in a disappointed tone.
"That's true, I didn't think that the Arachne was a race of brave soldiers," said Eleanora.
"To be honest, it's a surprise to me as well," said Vandalieu.
Indeed, it seemed that the normal image of Arachne was not one of warriors and soldiers.
This was true, even when Princess Levia was asked.
"The myths say that the Arachne are a race that fought alongside Vida and Talos, the one who founded our race, but… I remember that they used their threads skillfully to entangle the warriors who served Alda," she said.
"What! I see… It could be that a hundred thousand years ago, there were few with large bodies like myself. However, it is likely that even Vampires and Ghouls are treated as monsters and persecuted on the outside," Gizania said.
"That's right… though in the case of Vampires, it's not so far from the truth," Eleanora said.
"… Yes, that is the case. It is half-true," said Zadiris.
The two of them had complicated expressions on their faces.
The Vampires of the Bahn Gaia continent were evil hounds serving the Pure-breed Vampires who served evil gods, while Ghouls ate the humans they defeated and kidnapped women, turning them into members of their own race and using them as tools to birth children. It seemed that neither of them could strongly deny Gizania's words.
"More importantly, I am interested in the Job called 'Samurai,'" said Basdia, changing the topic smoothly just before an awkward atmosphere settled in.
"'Samurai' is the recreation of the 'Bushi' Job left behind in historical records by the champion Hillwillow. In the world where Hillwillow and the other champions came from, there were many ancient soldiers known as 'Bushi' who excelled in the use of a hundred combat-related skills, especially proficient with the use of a single-edged sword known as a tachi," Gizania explained.
Note: bushi is another word for warrior/samurai, tachi is a Japanese longsword.
"A hundred skills?! As to be expected of the world the champions came from… so does that apply for you as well, Gizania?" Basdia asked.
"No, 'Samurai' is not a Job that reaches such heights. None have recreated a tachi, either. If I was a true Bushi, I would have been able to cut down my pursuers without requiring Vandalieu-dono's help. It is said that a true Bushi would be able to split an enemy cavalryman in half, along with the beast he used for his mount, with a single swing of his tachi."
"Split a cavalryman in half along with his mount… As I am now, I think I would be able to do that against an ordinary knight and his horse, but… what a terrifying world it must have been, having such warriors in large numbers."
As female warriors, it seemed that Gizania and Basdia were on the same wavelength.
… One is called a bushi when he excels in the use of every martial art, but I don't think that means one isn't a bushi because they do not excel in the use of every martial art. Also, I would think that cutting an enemy in two along with his horse is done with a zanbato*, not a tachi, Vandalieu thought to himself.
TLN*: 斬馬刀/zanbato is another sword. The kanji could be translated to something like horse-cutting blade.
And so, the party exchanged information as they proceeded for five days through the terrain where thickets, forests and grassy plains lay side-by-side in a checker-like pattern, defeating the monsters that sometimes attacked them.
And then the party arrived at the nation in which the Arachne race lived.
Name: Eisen
Rank: 8
Race: Skogsrå Widow
Level: 17
Passive skills:
Superhuman Strength: Level 8 (LEVEL UP!)
Rapid Regeneration: Level 7 (LEVEL UP!)
Status Effect Resistance: Level 6
Magic Resistance: Level 6
Physical Resistance: Level 6
Augmented Vitality: Level 7
Enhanced Physical Ability (Bark, Branches): Level 8 (LEVEL UP!)
Fruit Production: Level 10
Sap Production: Level 10
Branch Production: Level 10
Allure: Level 6 (LEVEL UP!)
Self-enhancement: Subordination: Level 3 (NEW!)
Active skills:
Unarmed Fighting Technique: Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
Throwing: Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)
Armor Technique: Level 3 (LEVEL UP!)
Spirit Siphon: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)
No-Attribute Magic: Level 1 (NEW!)
Earth-Attribute Magic: Level 1 (NEW!)
Life-Attribute Magic: Level 1 (NEW!)
Monster explanation:
[Skogsrå Widow]
This is thought to be a race that a Skogsrå can attain while having been tamed. Though the details are unclear, it seems that the Ent syrup purified from this monster's sap has a rich taste that ordinary Ent syrup cannot compare to.
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Chapter 133: Princess Kurnelia's vi~sit~
The area south of the marshlands had terrain resembling the continent of Africa that Vandalieu knew of, with clear air and red dirt.
However, it simply had some things that looked similar to the African continent based on what Vandalieu had seen on TV; it was actually quite different.
There were bands of forests, grass-covered plains and savannahs in a checker-like pattern, and there were no deserts. Also, there was a number of streams flowing from the marshlands and rivers flowing from the Boundary Mountain Range to the left and right, so it wasn't a dry land.
And although it was summer now, it seemed cooler than the highly humid marshlands… The truth was that Earth's Africa wasn't just a hot area; places that were elevated high above sea level were far cooler than Japan, but Vandalieu didn't know this, of course.
"Each of our cities is a nation. In other words, we have set up the city-states as we were taught," said Gizania.
According to her, all nations, including the Noble Orc empire itself, consisted of one large city, with the very rare exceptions of small-scale villages and settlements that didn't have towns.
This was because the surrounding areas were all Devil's Nests where monsters ran rampant, so small communities couldn't be maintained.
In fact, the monsters that appeared in this area were mostly Rank 4. It was just a single Rank above the areas around Talosheim and the marshlands, but if Rank 3 monsters were equivalent to bears and Rank 4 were like tyrannosaurus rexes, the difference in danger was very clear.
Even for Arachne and Noble Orcs, maintaining small settlements with non-combatants in such lands wouldn't yield enough benefits.
"Considering that, I suppose we were just blessed. We did make cultivation villages before we were destroyed," said Borkus.
"The risk of young warriors losing their lives against Rank 4 monsters is high, too," said Princess Levia.
"We also lived in a Devil's Nest, but… almost all of us were capable of fighting," said Zadiris.
"And most of the monsters around us were weaker than young warriors, or could be defeated by taking them on in groups. It's different here," said Vigaro.
"To tell you the truth, it would have been impossible for me to return this far on my own, even if I had not been wounded," said Gizania. "There are monsters that attack in groups, after all. This is all thanks to you people; I would like you to allow me to thank you once more… And is he alright? Ever since he separated himself from Legion-dono who appeared early this morning, he does not seem to be feeling well," she said, looking worriedly towards an ill-looking Kurt Legston, younger brother of Chezare and lieutenant-general (effectively vice-prime-minister) of Talosheim.
"I think he's fine. I gave him medicine, so I think he'll get better soon," said Vandalieu.
As for why Kurt was there, Vandalieu had returned to Talosheim once via Legion's teleportation to report the situation. Chezare had said that someone should be dispatched as a diplomat, so Kurt had been dispatched here as a result.
Via teleportation while buried in Legion's flesh.
As a result, he was now crouched over with a pale face, covering his mouth.
"I thought it would be better than having insects or seeds infest me and being equipped inside you, Your Majesty, but… it was quite bad," he said.
It seemed that being buried inside Legion placed a heavier mental burden on one than having insects crawl all over the body. Though when Vandalieu was hugged by legion, he was essentially half-buried and didn't think that it was unpleasant.
"I am supposed to be a civil official, but… Isn't Ani-ue more suited for this than I am? Though I do understand that both Your Majesty and Ani-ue, who is effectively the prime minister, cannot be absent at the same time," Kurt said. "Ah, on the way back, please infest me with insects. If possible, I would have wanted to go back using my own two feet, but crossing terrain that is crawling with monsters of Rank 4 and above would be impossible."
As he finished speaking, Kurt slowly managed to stand up; perhaps the anti-nausea medicine had begun to take effect.
"You alright? You can sleep if you need to," said Borkus.
"I'm not alright, but I cannot just stay asleep. Things have suddenly become more serious, and the people we are negotiating with are great in scale," Kurt said as he looked towards Gizania's still-distant but visible nation, named Zanalpadna like the god they worshipped.
Considering that there were tall walls to keep monsters out, more than twice as tall as Talosheim's walls, the nation of Zanalpadna was far larger than the city of Niarki in the Hartner Duchy, which had a population of a hundred thousand.
It was still smaller than Nineland, which had a population of a million, but it was quite a large-scale city-state.
"But is it alright for us to approach from the front?" Kurt asked.
"Should we wait outside?" Gorba suggested.
The two of them sounded uncertain. Human nations would at least guarantee the safety of any diplomats, even if there were no diplomatic relations established to begin with. But Zanalpadna and Talosheim hadn't even known of each other's existence until a few days ago.
However, Gorba and the rest of the Orcuses of the Black Fang Knights' Order were difficult to tell apart from the Orcs other than the fact that they were black. Their bodies were larger than ordinary Orcs, but there was no guarantee that they could be distinguished based on that.
"It's alright," Gizania declared, as if there was nothing to be anxious about. "Vandalieu-dono, for now, hold this and come with me."
From her pocket, she produced a necklace resembling a shiny, semi-transparent medal-like object with a glossy white thread attached to it, and then handed it to Vandalieu.
"What is this?" Vandalieu asked.
"This is a necklace, a medal made by shaving off the cast-off skin around my compound eyes with a string made of my thread," Gizania said. "This is called a 'necklace of deep affection,' and it is proof that the one who possesses it is close to a member of the Arachne race, which is me in this case. I have given Basdia one as well."
Large-build Arachne were apparently not very good at quickly using their threads in battle or for making traps, but that didn't mean that they couldn't produce threads at all.
Come to think of it, when had Gizania given a necklace to Basdia? It seemed that the two of them had found a kindred spirit in each other, beyond ordinary friends.
"Well then, I'll gratefully accept this," Vandalieu thought, wearing the compound eye necklace.
And then he tried to climb on Gizania's spider-like lower body… but was held in her arms below her chest.
"If you sit on the back, you will be hidden by my upper body," Gizania said. "Now then, let us go. Everyone, follow after me. Just in case, Gorba-dono and your followers, please keep your weapons lowered and your monster mounts calm, approaching slowly. Borkus-dono and Bone Man-dono… please make sure you do not remove your helmets."
There was a slight air of tension behind Gizania as she began walking.
Perhaps it was impossible to not feel tension when visiting the nation of an unknown race.
"… Could it be that Vandalieu-sama has done something again?" Eleanora wondered.
"There was the incident with Privel as well, so the possibility cannot be ruled out," said Zadiris. "He may have accidentally performed a courting ritual or something of the sort."
"Privel-jouchan will make a fuss, won't she. Gizania has eight legs as well," said Borkus.
"Not only was she making a fuss, she was increasing the number of different types of training that she's doing," said Kurt. "When His Majesty came back using Legion, he explained how he had saved an Arachne. It would be fine if this makes for good materials for diplomacy in the future, however."
The four of them were whispering amongst themselves, wondering whether Vandalieu had gained yet another one.
"Really? It doesn't seem that way to me. That's what an older brother or sister would do to their younger brother or sister. I don't sense any romance," said Vigaro, whose night-life had become more active since he became an Arch-Tyrant.
Kurt cast a suspicious look in his direction, but Vigaro had more experience with the opposite sex than anyone else here. Zadiris and Eleanora looked at each other, wondering if he was right.
"Gizania has apparently never had children before. Large-builds have long lifespans, and she turned down the recommendations of her mother and older sister, saying that she was still inexperienced and wanted to improve her skill in martial arts," said Basdia, who had become close to Gizania.
"I see, then -"
As Eleanora was about to say, "there's nothing to worry about," Basdia continued speaking.
"That's why she intends to face her life choices more seriously after this incident where she nearly died. Once she has finished repaying the debt to Van," she said.
"… Basdia, which side's views are you supporting?" Eleanora asked.
"I think it wouldn't be strange for things to turn out either way," Basdia said. "After all, she actually wanted to hear what giving birth to and raising a child is like."
The female warrior Basdia was a mother of a daughter. Her daughter Jadal was being looked after by Bilde, another mother who was Basdia's friend, while she awaited Basdia's return in Talosheim.
"Well, it is true that she was saved while she was in danger, so it would not be strange if things turned out that way. It seems that her lifespan is long, so a little age difference will not be a problem," said Zadiris, who herself had been saved from danger when she first met Vandalieu.
For Gizania, Vandalieu had appeared to be a fake bait on the stomach of a centipede rather than a prince on a white horse, but… it had certainly still been an impactful encounter.
"I suppose that's true. Now that I think about it, it's fine either way as long as Vandalieu-sama is fine with it," said Eleanora.
Basdia and Zadiris were Ghouls, who didn't have the concept of marriage and even now thought of their partners as those who helped raise their children, and Eleanora thought of herself as Vandalieu's servant.
It seemed that for them, it didn't matter which way things turned out.
"… An Alda believer hearing this would be so enraged by this that the blood vessels in their heads would burst, wouldn't they?" grumbled Kurt, who, as someone from a family of earls, had a firm, standard view of marriage.
"No, I'd be more worried about Kasim fainting. It'd make things quite a bit worse for him," said Borkus.
"Everyone's so brave," Gorba muttered.
"I'm sure they have lions' manes growing on their hearts," said another Orcus.
"Is it not hair that grows on the heart?* But I suppose it would not be strange for a mane to grow on Borkus-dono's heart," said Bone Man.
TLN*: To "have hair growing on the heart" is an expression that means to "have nerves of steel."
It seemed that the ones who were most nervous were the Orcuses and Bone Man.
With the Arachne being enemies of the Noble Orc Empire led by the usurper, Second Prince Bugitas, it was possible that Gorba and the other Orcuses would be mistaken for enemies if they weren't careful.
And it was highly likely that Bone Man would be attacked if it was noticed that he was a Skeleton.
The Arachne adhered to the Vida religion, which accepted Undead, but that didn't mean that they could tame them like Vandalieu. If a high-Rank Skeleton were to appear from outside the nation and approach, it was only natural that the Arachne would prioritize the defense of their nation rather than try negotiations that were extremely unlikely to succeed.
… The same should have applied for Borkus, a Zombie Epic Hero, and although he was wearing a full-face helmet, he didn't seem particularly nervous. Had his ability to worry stopped along with his cardiopulmonary functions*?
Unaware of the conversations going on behind her, Gizania approached the city's walls in a straight line.
As they approached, the walls looked to be made of heavy stone, but Vandalieu was reminded of the subtly-built stone walls of Japanese fortresses.
When he lived on Earth, he had only seen them on a screen and hadn't thought of them as being particularly beautiful. However, seeing them again in his third life, he noticed the beauty in the plain, unrefined pattern created by joining stones of different sizes together without leaving any gaps in between.
Because Vandalieu had created Talosheim's walls by turning them into Golems, they simply looked like single slabs of rock at a glance. Thus, they had no patterns, and that was why Vandalieu thought these walls were beautiful now.
But he also noticed something else.
"It looks like there's no gate or any entrance at all?" he said.
It seemed that there was no door or gate that allowed entry and exit. Would they be climbing over the walls like spiders?
"Because they're camouflaged. But it should be coming out soon," Gizania said.
A few seconds later, a part of the wall opened from the inside without warning. Several armed Arachne, as well as a female of a race that Vandalieu had never seen before, came out from within.
"Those walls have been created by joining stones together using Arachne thread. There are peeking windows and gates of various sizes hidden within them, though they look the same as the rest of the walls," said Gizania.
When Vandalieu looked closely, only a thin outer layer of the part of the wall that had opened up was made from stone.
There were some spiders that dug holes in the ground as nests and then covered them in lids that looked like an ordinary ground surface; perhaps this was something similar.
"Gizania-dono! You are alive!"
"It is good that you have returned; the princess has been distraught because she could not bring you back with her -"
"Wait! The fact that Gizania has returned is indeed good news, but we must first learn what the situation is!"
An Arachne considerably smaller than Gizania started running towards her, but she was stopped by four of the legs of the woman of unknown race.
Indeed, four legs.
At a glance, she seemed to be a tall human woman, but in addition to her arms and hands that had five fingers like those of humans, she also had arms with the joints covered in an exoskeleton, with scythe-like shapes at the ends of the wrists.
On top of that, she had what appeared at first glance to be a folded cloak but was actually a long pair of wings growing from her back, and her legs were those of insects from the knees down.
She looked like a combination between a praying mantis and a woman, or perhaps a personified praying mantis. Details of a race like this didn't exist in the records of the Amid Empire or even the Orbaume Kingdom.
But Gizania had given an explanation to Vandalieu and his companions, so they were aware of what this race was.
Empusa, one of Vida's races, which, like the Arachne, originated from a monster… and a goddess.
In the distant past, Zanal, the evil god of carapaces, and Padna, the evil god of compound eyes, left the Demon King's army and accepted the champion Zakkart's offer along with Fidirg, the dragon god of five sins, and Merrebeveil, the evil god of slime and tentacles.
But in the battles that followed, Zanal and Padna were attacked by the Demon King Guduranis and dealt heavy wounds that they could not recover from.
The two gods, who had originally been strongly attached to one another, overcame these heavy wounds by fusing into a single god.
After this, they became known as Zanalpadna, the evil god of carapaces and compound eyes. However, perhaps because he had originally been two separate gods, when he was requested by Vida to give birth to a new race, a pair of twins, one the founder of the Arachne and one the founder of the Empusa, were born.
Apparently, Vida and Zanalpadna had been very happy at having created two races while intending to create one.
And then the battle between Vida and Alda had taken place a hundred thousand years ago, leading to the current situation, but it was likely that no records of the Empusa race's existence were left because all of the Empusa in the Bahn Gaia continent had been wiped out outside the Boundary Mountain Range tens of thousands of years ago, or because they had escaped to places where the eyes of the other races could not see.
Unlike Ghouls, they were not thought of as monsters. Not even Bellmond who had become a Vampire ten thousand years ago, let alone Borkus or the Divine Spear of Ice Mikhail who were adventurers two hundred years ago, knew of their existence. Only Isla, who had lived for around thirty thousand years and was currently in charge of the Knochen fortress, had remembered hearing of old tales of monsters with this description after thinking carefully.
It was likely that they had been treated as monsters like Ghouls in the past and exterminated long ago.
Upon hearing this, Gizania had shuddered at how fearsome the outside world was.
"Myuze-dono, these people are not suspicious," Gizania said.
"It is not that I suspect them. The one you are holding, Gizania-dono, is a Dhampir, and the necklace of deep affection is hanging at his neck. And the Ghoul behind you also has the same necklace. However, I cannot allow them to pass without understanding the circumstances," said the Empusa named Myuze, who had a sharp gaze and hair gathered into a ponytail at the top of her head. It seemed that she was the captain of the guards of this gate.
"Of course, we will explain the situation," said Gizania. "There are many things that are difficult to believe, but I want you to listen until the end."
Myuze laughed. "It has been decades since I took up this duty. There are not many things that surprise me."
Myuze appeared to intimidating, but it seemed that she had a friendly personality. But as Gizania told her the details of the situation, her face gradually changed.
"What…! These circumstances! But such things are… however, insects and plants are entering and exiting the body of a Dhampir right before my eyes!"
As Myuze made all kinds of different expressions, Vandalieu was producing Pain and Eisen's branches from his body with Insect Binding Technique and Plant Binding Technique to prove that Gizania was speaking the truth.
It seemed that the Fur Worm Pain's head and Eisen's branches appearing between Vandalieu's clothes with clicking and creaking sounds made it impossible for Myuze to doubt Gizania's words.
"This child is a Spider Tamer despite not having received Zanalpadna's divine protection?!" one of the Arachne exclaimed.
"Wait, Spider Tamer and Mantis Tamer only allow the taming of spider and praying mantis monsters! They shouldn't allow the taming of worm-type monsters. And they wouldn't allow tamed monsters to go in and out of the body!" another pointed out.
The Arachne were just as surprised as Myuze. Based on their words, it seemed that some insectoid monsters that were considered to be untamable like Undead outside the Boundary Mountain Range could indeed be tamed by Arachne and Empusa who had gained the divine protection of Zanalpadna and acquired specialized Jobs.
This was likely because Zanalpadna, the parent of the Arachne and Empusa, was one of the gods who had created insectoid monsters.
It seemed that the divine protections of evil gods and Jobs that could be gained as a result of the divine protections had not been investigated outside the Boundary Mountain Range. It was possible that these were simply considered to be the special abilities of monsters.
"This is… beyond my jurisdiction. I will request Her Majesty the queen to make a decision, so I would like you to wait here for a while," said Myuze.
"Yes, I understand," said Vandalieu.
Vandalieu and his companions had expected that they would be made to wait even if their story was believed, so they weren't particularly discontent. They decided to wait.
A being defying all common knowledge had shown up, calling himself the king of an unknown nation and offering reinforcements. Even with Gizania here, the fact that Vandalieu's words had been believed in the first place was a great success.
"Hmm, now then, someone report to Her Majesty the queen. Also, prepare some drinks and light snacks for our guests," Myuze ordered.
Two of the Arachne disappeared inside the gate. It seemed that one had gone to deliver the report while the other went to prepare drinks and snacks.
"While we're waiting, could I ask some questions?" Vandalieu asked.
"Of course, Shrine-Maiden-dono," said Myuze.
Vandalieu felt a slightly uncomfortable sensation again, but there was something that bothered him more, so he let it go without thinking about it too deeply.
"Could it be that you've acquired the Ninja Job, Myuze-san?"
Myuze's characteristic wings and sickle-arms drew attention, but what she was wearing resembled a kimono, though it was short in length. Chainmail-like underclothes (?) were visible as well, and there was a belt around her thigh holding throwing-knife-like projectile weapons.
That was why Vandalieu had thought that Myuze might be a ninja and asked her this question, but she shook her head.
"I have not. Someone as inexperienced as myself is far from a true 'ninja,' or even 'nin,'" she said.
Note: The nin kanji alone means like "endurance/patience."
"Vandalieu-dono, Myuze-dono and the others are Kunoichi," said Gizania.
It seemed that in this world's Job system, Ninja and Kunoichi had clear differences.
According to Myuze and Gizania, the Kunoichi Job was similar to the Samurai Job; it was a Job recreated from records describing ninjas left behind by Hillwillow, the champion chosen by Botin, mother of the earth and goddess of craftsmanship.
However, according to the information regarding ninjas in the records Hillwillow had left behind, it seemed that they were even more different from real ninjas than bushis.
"It is said that true ninjas were users of all kinds of illusionary spells and special techniques known as 'Youjutsu,' could run on the surface of water, used Magic Items known as 'furoshiki' to fly through the sky and transformed into giant frogs that could swallow a human whole when surrounded by enemies. Compared to that, I am very, very…"
Note: TLN: Youjutsu is usually translated to something like "sorcery" or "witchcraft" but doesn't seem to fit here. Furoshiki is a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth.
"Like 'Bushi,' nobody has ever become a 'Ninja,'" said Gizania. "It is said that Myuze-dono is the one who has come the closest to becoming a Ninja so far, but… I suppose it will be difficult without solving the mysteries behind Youjutsu and transformations into a giant frog."
It was possible that the champion Hillwillow had intended to never tell the truth regarding bushi and ninjas right from the beginning. Perhaps he had simply loved historical plays and entertainment works involving samurai and ninja-like action heroes.
It was possible that he had written records about these because he had wanted them to be included in plays that entertained the masses once Lambda became more peaceful.
For these to be passed onto future generations as records from a foreign world… perhaps this was part of how history worked.
"… In our nation, there is a race called Black Goblins. They and the Zombie Titan that is their instructor have acquired race Titles that include 'Ninja' in them," said Vandalieu, telling them about Braga and the other Black Goblin Ninjas in return for having been told about bushi and ninjas.
"Is this true, Shrine-Maiden-dono?! Do they really transform into giant frogs?!" Myuze exclaimed.
"Bushi, what about Bushi?!" shouted Gizania.
The two of them were very excited.
As they spoke, Vandalieu became aware of a noise that sounded like a rock drill chipping away at a boulder, as well as someone's shouting voice approaching from beyond the gate.
"GIZANIA-CHAAAN!"
"Princess! Please be more quiet!"
"The princess has gone mad! Stop her! You must stop her!"
Gizania and Myuze, who had become aware of the voices a moment later than Vandalieu, looked towards the gate in surprise. Just at that moment, the princess flew out from within.
"Gizania-chan! I'm so glad!"
She was a sweet-looking princess, around twenty years of age, wearing a white dress with subtle embroidery with her pink-blonde hair in sausage-rolls that resembled drills. With eyes wet with tears, she used her legs that were white like her dress to kick against the gate powerfully, leaping at Gizania.
"Princess Kurnelia?!" Gizania exclaimed in surprise.
"Myuze, take Van and run!" shouted Basdia immediately.
"Understood!" Myuze obeyed these instructions, snatching Vandalieu from Gizania and evacuating.
And then the woman who was apparently Princess Kurnelia landed on Gizania.
Gizania caught the princess in her arms but let out a groan. That was to be expected; Princess Kurnelia was an Arachne princess with the lower body of a spider. She was considerably smaller than Gizania, but even so, she weighed easily over a hundred kilograms. With such a heavy body flying at Gizania with speed, the impact would have been similar or even greater than a wrestler hitting her in the face.
"I'm so glaaad! I thought we'd never meet again! How could a younger sister die before her onee-chan!"
"No, but back then, my wounds were shallow, so having me act as bait was…"
"I'm so glad you're alive! I regretted not dragging you back with us by force so many times!"
It was a touching reunion. Though an ordinary-sized person would have had several bones broken if they had been caught up in it.
"… Onee-chan?" Vandalieu repeated.
"Oh, have you not heard? Gizania-dono is Princess Kurnelia's younger sister," said Myuze.
"We never heard about this. Though when I talked with her, it did seem that Gizania loved the princess like her older sister," said Basdia, who was standing near the spot that Myuze had jumped away to.
"Indeed, it would not be strange for Gizania-dono to forget to mention it," Myuze said, nodding. "Large-builds have longer lifespans and are more powerful than medium-builds, but because of this, their role is to protect the people of the nation, and they do not become involved in politics and religion."
It seemed that Gizania had kept quiet about being Princess Kurnelia's younger sister because in Zanalpadna, this was common knowledge, so it hadn't occurred to her to mention it.
Gizania was apparently not a princess knight, but rather a princess samurai.
Name: Gizania
Age: 35 years old
Title: None
Rank: 5
Race: Arachne Samurai (Large-build)
Level: 87
Job: Samurai
Job level: 90
Job history: Apprentice Warrior, Warrior, Swordsman
Passive skills:
Night Vision
Superhuman Strength: Level 3
Strengthened Agility: Level 5
Strengthened Attack Power when equipped with a katana: (Large)
Enhanced Physical Ability (Carapace, compound eyes, body fur): Level 3
Strengthened Attribute Values: Loyalty: Level 3
Active skills:
Katana Technique: Level 5
Armor Technique: Level 5
Unarmed Fighting Technique: Level 3
High-speed Travel: Level 3
Surpass Limits: Level 5
Monster explanation:
[Arachne]
The below information is the accepted opinion of the Adventurers' Guild and Mages' Guild outside the Boundary Mountain Range.
They are one of Vida's races, possessing the lower bodies of spiders and upper bodies resembling those of human women.
They have similar properties to spiders, possessing deadly venom and creating traps from threads they produce from their mouths. They are a ferocious race that even eat their own kind.
When they capture humans, they simply eat them if they are women and use them to create children if male, eating them afterwards or leaving them alive for a while to feed them to the children that hatch from the eggs later.
The above misguided information was mainstream in the past, but currently, the Adventurers' Guild and Mages' Guild possess more accurate information. However, some isolated villages and settlements and such still have these misguided ideas regarding Arachne.
Arachne are actually divided into four different types - medium-build, small-build, large-build and aquatic - and since each type has only females with the lower bodies of spiders, they are a unisexual race, but each different type has their own different biology.
Medium-builds are the most common among Arachne; they are exceptionally strong and agile, and they are capable of building dwellings and traps from the webs produced by their lower bodies. They possess venom glands and can inject it into those they bite with their fangs, but the venom is so weak that they have almost no effect on human-sized creatures.
The proportion of medium-builds that are mages is greater than humans, but below Elves.
They have lifespans of about three hundred years. Their base Rank is 3.
Small-builds are the second-most common type. Even after becoming adults, their upper bodies have young appearances and their lower bodies remain small, resulting in them being often mistaken for medium-build or large-build children. They use their threads in more diverse ways than medium-builds, and their bodies are light. Also, they possess the most powerful venom among the Arachne; a human who does not possess the Poison Resistance skill will become immobilized if injected with this venom.
Also, there are many small-builds who learn magic, but it seems that they are only able to cast basic spells.
Many of them have cheerful personalities. Their lifespans are approximately two hundred years, and their base Rank is 2.
Large-builds are few in number, and some smaller settlements don't have any at all. They have exceptional energy, stamina and power. However, though they are able to produce threads, they are not adept at handling them, and the venom in their venom glands has regressed so much that it has almost no effect. Also, most large-builds are not adept at using magic.
Their appearance is the most impressive among Arachne, but most large-build individuals have quiet, carefree personalities. However, there are a few exceptions to this.
They have lifespans of about five hundred years, and their base Rank is 4.
Aquatic Arachne are the type that are fewest in number, and some speculate that they have become extinct. They are the only Arachne that can build nests (houses) in and on the surface of water. They do not possess gills and rely on pulmonary respiration, but they produce air-filled pouches with their threads and place them underwater to secure air to breathe.
As sightings of aquatic Arachne are rare, precise information is not known, but it is thought that their lifespans and base Ranks are the same as medium-builds. Also, according to one theory, they are simply medium-builds that live in aquatic environments, and aquatic Arachne do not exist.
What all Arachne types have in common is that the carapace of their lower bodies is hard like armor, allowing the use of Armor Technique. In addition, there are claws growing from the tips of their legs, so they can dash up cliffs as fast as they can run across rocks and trees. When these legs are used as weapons, they receive the effects of the Unarmed Fighting Technique skill.
Also, if the tip of a leg is cut off, it returns to normal after a single molting.
Their only weakness is the spider abdomen of the lower body where the carapace is soft, but large-builds have fur that is harder than it looks protecting this area. Also, even if this area is damaged, it causes significant bleeding but will not result in a fatal wound.
Arachne molt once a year; small-builds are considered adults after molting ten times, medium-builds after fifteen and large-builds after twenty.
Because they are defenseless during and immediately after molting, Arachne do not allow anyone to be present during the process except for those they have great trust in.
They generally do not eat people or members of their race as a food source; they have a strong sense of companionship and they are highly sociable. Males they accept as spouses are viewed as companions and are treated with care.
They are an oviparous race, and when they have partners and are currently not raising any children, they lay numerous eggs at once with a frequency of about once every ten years.
When their Ranks increase, they gain race titles such as Arachne Soldier, Arachne Scout and Arachne Knight. However, legends say that some individuals that increase their Rank after fulfilling certain requirements can become a member of a different race altogether.
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Chapter 134: Visit to Zanalpadna
It took about ten minutes for Princess Kurnelia to calm down.
"I am terribly sorry for losing my composure in front of you, honored guests. I am the ninth child of Queen Donaneris of Zanalpadna, First Princess Kurnelia. From now on, let us ensure our relations are…"
Though there were some subtle differences in her etiquette from ordinary noble ladies, she bent her eight legs and bowed gracefully. There was indeed elegance in her movements.
"Princess, I believe that this is impossible to smooth over," Myuze said.
"… Is it~?" Princess Kurnelia said in a miserable-sounding voice as she slumped onto the ground helplessly.
Indeed, even though her younger sister who had become bait for the Noble Orcs and left to an unknown fate in order to allow everyone else to escape had returned, she had performed a flying body attack with her body whose lower half alone weighed easily over a hundred kilograms, embracing her younger sister so powerfully that any person caught up in it would have been seriously injured.
It was quite difficult to smooth that over.
Though none of Vandalieu's companions said anything.
"Princess… Even though it has been delayed due to the war and should have already happened by now, you will be married, so you must be more calm," said Myuze.
"But since our negotiations with the Lizardmen were obstructed, Mother said that we have no choice but to continue the negotiations or pray for Zanalpadna's descent… And just as I was persuading Darling thay we cannot afford to lose Mother, I heard that Gizania-chan had come home, and I couldn't help myself… but I'm glad you're safe! Without any missing arms, legs or compound eyes!" said Princess Kurnelia, touching Gizania here and there to make sure she wasn't wounded.
"Princess, please stop!" said Gizania, seeming embarrassed, but in the end, she couldn't do anything about it.
"It seems that Princess Kurnelia gets along well with Gizania," said Basdia, nodding in approval at how close the sisters were.
"I get the feeling that they get along too well, but… I knew that what is common sense here would be different from the common sense that I know," said Eleanora, almost groaning as she kept her eyebrows from rising.
Eleanora seemed to have thought of what a relationship between a normal princess and her younger sister with no right to the throne would have been like in a human society, causing an uncomfortable feeling that she couldn't shake off.
In human societies, neither individual would show their true feelings like this in front of the other, and nobody would have expected it to be possible for Princess Kurnelia and Gizania to have a good relationship with each other.
After all, one was a princess who would marry the first prince who was supposed to have become the king of an important allied nation, while the other was someone who would never be called princess due to the fact that she was born later than her sibling.
"That's probably because there has never been diplomacy and war of the kind that you and I have in mind, Eleanora. Not until the coup d'état in the Noble Orc empire, that is," said Vandalieu.
The Noble Orcs and Arachne had both originally been races that worshipped Vida, and the sense of companionship and union had continued long after the wise Emperor Buugih's rule.
This was probably completely different to the tragic, complicated and mysterious diplomacies, wars and power struggles that occurred in human societies.
The fact that the rulers of the existing group of city-states had been monsters like Noble Orcs and races created by Vida was one of the main reasons for this.
No matter how intelligent monsters were, strength was an important characteristic as a standard to measure oneself and others. And there was no guarantee that the rankings in strength would keep the current ruler's bloodline continuing.
That was likely why authoritarianism based on bloodlines like human royals and noblemen hadn't taken hold. Of course, strong parents usually produced strong children that inherited their characteristics, so they were still respected in this society.
But even so, there was no concept of "valuable new blood."
"And Myuze just said 'politics and religion,' so I'd assume that there are roles that govern religion in Zanalpadna and the Noble Orc Empire as well as roles that govern politics," said Vandalieu.
"That is correct, but a king is such a being, is he not? Shrine-Maiden-dono, you are a shrine maiden and a king at the same time, are you not?" said Myuze, agreeing with Vandalieu's words as if they were obvious.
It seemed that in this group of city-states, including Zanalpadna, the king was one who ruled and also acted as head priest.
Vandalieu did wonder if it might be best to separate church and state, but gods existed and they would send Divine Messages to reprimand the rulers if they did anything stupid, and if their actions were terrible enough, their divine protection would be removed and they would be chased from their throne. Thus, there were no problems.
"Indeed, I'm the 'Holy Son of Vida,'" said Vandalieu.
The same applied for him. The effects of his Title were so beneficial that even if one told him to separate church and state, he would have to refuse.
"By the way, you can let go of Vandalieu-sama now, you know?" said Eleanora.
"Oh, how imprudent of me! I felt a strangely comforting sensation and I forgot," said a startled Myuze as she handed Vandalieu to Eleanora.
Eleanora didn't raise him into her arms; she quickly put him down.
Vandalieu-sama doesn't move when someone is holding him, so when he doesn't speak, he looks like a doll, doesn't he? she thought.
As Vandalieu didn't show much facial expression and had a weak presence, he gave off a strong doll-like impression if he didn't move on his own.
And it looked very bad for the representative of Talosheim to be lightly carried around by citizens and royal family members of Zanalpadna, a nation that wasn't even an ally yet.
Even though Zanalpadna was friendly, it was still a nation that had no diplomatic relations with Talosheim.
An elderly person appearing to be a mage came from within the gate and began speaking. "Everyone, we apologize for the princess having made a terribly shameful display. Also, we would like to express our gratitude for saving Gizania-sama. I am Bakota, a mage who serves Queen Donaneris. Err, Queen Donaneris has instructed that the guests from Talosheim should be brought to the castle, and… that her foolish daughter should be taken away by Myuze-dono."
"Taken away, no way~!" Princess Kurnelia complained.
"Princess, this is an order. Hurry and get walking," said Myuze.
With the words of the chief mage… one person who was likely equivalent to a court mage in human nations, Princess Kurnelia let out a pitiful noise as Myuze took her away. Right in front of guests from a foreign nation.
"… Perhaps we don't need to be so concerned about that," muttered Eleanora, one of the few people with common sense that had been brought on this journey.
"I'm begging you, please be concerned about it. I can't do anything on my own," said Kurt, who was unmistakably someone with common sense as well.
"My shoulders don't get as stiff as when I negotiate with human royals and noblemen, so I feel like it's fine," Vandalieu said to the two of them.
Incidentally, it seemed that nobody had mistaken Eleanora for Vandalieu's mother this time.
This was because nobody had noticed that she was a Vampire, as she was standing plainly in the sunlight, and even if they had, they would think it strange for her to refer to Vandalieu as 'Vandalieu-sama' if they were mother and child.
The total population of Zanalpadna was about a hundred thousand. This could be broken down into about ten thousand Arachne, seven thousand Empusa and about a thousand members from other city states who had been adopted into Zanalpadna's families, such as Noble Orcs, High Goblins, High Kobolds and Ghouls. The remaining eighty-two-thousand were people known as the 'citizens.'
And within the city's walls, there were many buildings that were very strange compared to those of ordinary cities.
There were countless large towers lined up in rows, and those were apparently private residences. Vandalieu had thought that there might be buildings resembling Japanese houses, since there were Samurais and Kunoichi, so he was surprised by what he saw.
It seemed that Arachne and Empusa larger than people, as well as humans, Dwarves, Beast-people, Titans and other races adopted from other nations, lived together in these towers.
Incidentally, there were almost no Elves. Apparently, many of them lived in other city-states instead.
"I see. Arachne and Empusa are races of only women, so it's ordinary for them to live alongside members of other races to preserve their races," Bone Man said in a tone of comprehension, watching humans and Dwarves going back and forth on the main street.
Incidentally, he was still keeping his face well-hidden under his helmet, of course.
Among the people were other Noble Orcs who had escaped with Prince Budarion, so if Gorba and the other Orcuses of the Black Fang Knights' Order under his command were seen to be with Gizania, Myuze and Princess Kurnelia, there would be no problems. The diatryma monsters they had tamed were being looked at from a distance, but surprisingly, didn't seem to be feared.
But deciding that the same wouldn't apply for an Undead, Bone Man was continuing to pretend to be a human wearing armor and a helmet. For now, it was still only Gizania who was aware that he and Borkus, who was also wearing a helmet, were Undead.
This was because when they had temporarily returned to Talosheim before, Fidirg, the Dragon God of Five Sins, and Merrebeveil, the Evil God of Slime and Tentacles, had been consulted. As a result of their advice, it had been concluded that it would be best to report this directly to the queen, who was also the head priestess for Zanalpadna, the Evil God of Carapaces and Compound Eyes.
"I believe it is likely that Zanalpadna was able to receive Divine Messages from Vida-sama, unlike me."
"As far as I've heard, she retained enough strength to stay active after the battle of a hundred thousand years ago."
"Even if she failed to receive Divine Messages, there were several other gods with her, so one of them should have been able to receive one."
As Fidirg finished speaking, Merrebeveil continued from where he left off.
"However, we have no knowledge of the events that occurred outside the Boundary Mountain Range for… tens of thousands of years, at least. Even if the Arachne outside the Boundary Mountain Range worship Vida-sama, they would not worship Zanalpadna. It is likely that she could not protect the Arachne and Empusa outside the mountain range as she desired, so they deliberately let their faith die out," she said.
"Races that worship powerless evil gods are just monsters to the guys on Alda's side."
"If it's just Vida -"
"Add -sama to her name," Merrebeveil warned Fidirg.
"Hyih?! My apologies, Merrebeveil-anego!(Note: This is a humble honorific meaning 'older sister.') I merely thought that it would be easier to escape harm at the hands of those on Alda's side if they only worshipped Vida-sama!"
"Th-that is why if we receive a written certification from the queen who has likely received Divine Messages from Zanalpadna, the rest of them should be convinced as well!"
The current policies had been decided as a result of this discussion that had also revealed the relationships of power among those who had changed sides during the war. It was a request to a god in a time of need… though the phrase's meaning was different to its meaning on earth.
Unaware of these circumstances, Princess Kurnelia began explaining some things to everyone, including Bone Man.
"It is as Kotsujin-san says, but it also means that the mistresses, the Arachne and Empusa, protect the citizens," she said.
(Note: Kotsujin-san - The Japanese pronunciation for Bone Man; Princess Kurnelia is unaware that this name literally means "bone person")
In the battle between Vida and Alda a hundred thousand years ago, Vida's subordinate gods and the evil gods of the Demon King's army switched sides, and the god of war Zantark fused with an evil god. And the races created by Vida fought under her command. However, there were also humans, Dwarves and Elves who believed in Vida as well.
The ones who survived the battle escaped here, to the inside of the Boundary Mountain Range, along with Vida's races.
"A short while after that, the humans apparently built independent settlements in this region, where Zanalpadna lies," said Princess Kurnelia. "Though we were allies, they live differently to us so it was better to live separately, even if we conducted trade with each other. At first, things went well that way, but…"
"According to the records, Devil's Nests began spreading abruptly within the Boundary Mountain Range, and powerful monsters became prevalent," said Bakota, continuing Princess Kurnelia's explanation. "It is likely that when Vida raised the Boundary Mountain Range higher to protect her children from Alda, she filled it with thick Mana, causing numerous Dungeons to appear. As a result of repeated monster rampages as they emerged from the Dungeons, this place became a world where only those with the strength to fight can survive."
Zanalpadna and the other gods had also created Dungeons for their children who worshipped them, but they had been unable to control the Dungeons that had appeared naturally, far away from the settlements. The monsters in those Dungeons had increased in number, and the people of the distant past had concluded that Devil's Nests had spread rapidly due to the monsters from those Dungeons.
"… Now that you mention it, there are a lot of monsters inside the mountain range for a place that is supposed to be a refuge," said Vandalieu.
The Boundary Mountain Range that acted as a wall that separated the area within it from the outside world. Until hearing Bakota's explanation, Vandalieu had never questioned why even the area within the mountain range as well as the mountain range itself and the skies above it were filled with Devil's Nests where monsters were rampant.
"This is what's called not thinking critically," he whispered to himself.
"Mmm, I did not feel that anything was out of place," said Zadiris.
"We haven't lived outside a Devil's Nests, after all. What about you, Borkus?" asked Vigaro.
"Actually, it was thanks to the monsters and Dungeons that we Titans of the old Talosheim prospered and went from being a settlement to a nation," said Borkus. "Well, it was apparently tough at first, though."
Bakota laughed. "Indeed, for those who are capable of hunting monsters, Devil's Nests and Dungeons are blessings."
Monsters, which developed faster than ordinary beasts, yielded ingredients and components for food, clothing, arms and even Magic Stones that could become ingredients or fuel for Magic Items. Even plants grew quickly, producing fruit and other edible products within a year.
In addition, Dungeons produced already-made metal products and minable metal resources that could be processed, without limit. The treasure chests inside even contained Magic Items and Potions.
Environments filled with Devil's Nests and Dungeons were unparalleled blessings to the powerful.
In fact, just like the Titans of the old Talosheim, the Arachne, Empusa and Noble Orcs and other races had hunted monsters and cleared Dungeons to acquire all sorts of goods.
However, the humans and Dwarves hadn't been able to do this.
"We don't consider humans, Dwarves, Elves, Titans and Beast-people to be weak," said Gizania. "In fact, I would not even pose a threat if I was faced with Bakota-dono's magic. However, humans and Dwarves have a greater portion of non-combatants compared to us, and it takes time for them to become able to defeat the monsters in this area, so it seemed that they had no way to cope."
"I see, they are Rank 4 monsters to begin with, after all," said Eleanora.
Rank 4 monsters were monsters that could be defeated by even by a veteran D-class adventurer alone. And a D-class adventurer was something that most people could become with an ordinary amount of talent and hard work.
However, that didn't mean that young people with no experience in real battles could reach D-class in a short period of time.
Even Titans and Beast-people, who were races created by Vida with exceptional physical capabilities, needed to become adults and gain several years of experience after that… while producing numerous casualties and wounded, in order to become able to fight Rank 4 monsters.
"That was when our ancestors and the ancestors of my darling decided that the races with the strength to fight monsters would protect them," said Princess Kurnelia.
"Ever since then, we have been called 'citizens,' and we have coexisted up until now by supporting the races that are our guardians," said Bakota.
In other words, the Arachne and Noble Orcs had upheld their noble duty, while those being protected supported them through production-related work. It seemed that this class system had formed naturally.
Zanalpadna was a maternal-bloodline society; each tower had a single Arachne or Empusa family living in it, with several citizen family members living with them.
Arachne and Empusa apparently shared the adopted wives and citizen men that were husbands.
"… Bufuh? Harems?" said Gorba.
"This is bad, Kasim's probably going to say that he wants to move in here," said Borkus.
"No, I don't think it's as good as it sounds," said Vigaro.
"I vaguely understand what you are trying to say, but as Vigaro-dono says, I do not believe that it is something to be envied by outsiders," said Myuze. "The first duty of those we adopt into our families is making children with our women. The rest is the same as the citizen women. The only difference is perhaps that they do more physical labor."
In Zanalpadna, it was generally Arachne and Empusa that took up leadership roles. Even if humans and Dwarves tried to become warriors that hunted monsters or soldiers that protected the nation, they would be of no use unless they were at least as strong as medium-strength adventurers.
And the Arachne and Empusa were prioritized, as it was easier for them to receive Zanalpadna's divine blessing.
That was why it was desirable for men to be involved in production-related work.
"There are also cases where the men cannot work outside because there are many women in the family that they are being adopted into. Raising the children is hard work, after all," said Princess Kurnelia.
She was referring to what was known as full-time house-husbands.
"That's… normal guys would be happy with it, but Kasim and Zeno wouldn't like that environment," said Vigaro.
Raising children while surrounded by women, not needing to work. In a way, this was an ideal lifestyle. However, this wasn't an environment that would be welcomed by Kasim and Zeno, who still intended to climb to new heights as adventurers.
"Mages such as myself are valued highly even though we are men, and we can join the line of battle in times of emergency," said Bakota. "Empusa, as well as large-build and small-build Arachne, are not very adept in the use of magic. Even medium-build Arachne are no more well-suited for magic than humans."
Bakota, who had climbed to the position of chief mage despite being a man, acknowledged that those like him were exceptions to the norm.
"However, while it is certainly true that men are in a weaker position than in the Noble Orc empire, they are really treated with care. If they were not, none would come from other nations to be adopted into our families, and it would be impossible to maintain the nation," said Gizania.
Incidentally, the children born in Zanalpadna between Arachne and Empusa with their husbands of other races were almost all born as the race of their mothers.
Normally, the children of Vida's races were born as the mother's race or the father's race in equal ratios, and in the case of Noble Orcs, children were almost all born as Noble Orcs.
However, in the city states south of the marshlands, including Zanalpadna, a hundred percent of children were born as the race given birth to by the god worshipped in that nation.
An Arachne and Noble Orc couple would have Arachne children in Zanalpadna, but the same couple would have only Noble Orc children if they were in the Noble Orc empire.
"If this Kasim-dono is searching for a partner, I believe it would be best to find a woman to adopt, rather than be adopted himself," Gizania said.
"Indeed. I will ask him myself when we return," said Vandalieu. "By the way, though I'm changing the subject -"
Since talks of marriage were proceeding without the person in question present, Vandalieu decided to forcibly change the subject. Kasim's desires were unclear (It would be troublesome if a formal marriage interview was decided, only to find later that Kasim didn't like women with eight legs or four arms). Vandalieu questioned whether it was really alright to meddle in Kasim's business when he hadn't asked for it.
"Though I'm changing the subject, the people of the city don't look very gloomy. In fact, they're looking lively, even though the outlook is supposed to be bleak with the war," Vandalieu said.
Indeed, the faces of the people of all races were not very gloomy. There was some tension, nervousness and fatigue showing, but some of them were looking at Vandalieu and his companions with expressions of anticipation, and there was no small number of people expressing their welcome with cheers and applause.
This was despite the fact that they had been cornered and desperate enough for reinforcements to send a messenger to negotiate with the Lizardmen, whom they had never communicated with before.
"That is because of you and your companions, Shrine-Maiden-dono," Bakota and Myuze said simultaneously.
"Because of us?" Vandalieu repeated.
"That is right," said Myuze. "Gizania-dono, who was thought to be lost, has returned safely, and it seems clear to them when they look at you that we have gained reinforcements that are our last ray of hope."
There were no Lizardmen among Vandalieu's party. However, they were all individuals that could not be thought of as being from Zanalpadna or any of the other city states.
And since Zanalpadna only interacted with certain other city states, it was likely that the presence of these "strange people" had been interpreted to be "unknown reinforcements."
"And as for why the people are so lively… I believe that it is because the princess gathered attention by shouting my name as she ran at full speed from the castle to the gate," said Gizania.
"Ah… that would indeed cause people to see what has happened," said Vandalieu.
"I-I'm sorry? But I didn't knock anyone over, you know! I used my threads to run past everyone from tower to tower!" Princess Kurnelia objected.
"Princess, that is to be expected," Myuze pointed out.
Zanalpadna's castle had the appearance of multiple towers having been jumbled together. But with numerous Arachne and Empusa climbing up and down their walls, they looked more like anthills than towers.
"Can you not get inside this castle unless you can walk on its walls or fly through the sky?" asked Vigaro.
"So, we have no choice but to wait at the entrance?" said Vigaro.
It seemed that they had a bad feeling as they looked at the peculiar Zanalpadna-style architecture.
"Come to think of it… could it be that you can't do either?" asked Princess Kurnelia.
It seemed that Vigaro and Borkus were right. The towers that families lived in were also inhabited by citizens such as humans and Dwarves, so there were stairs and slopes.
However, such considerations hadn't been made for the castle. Most of those working here were Arachne and Empusa, or those who could use magic like Bakota.
"Could we ask those of the Black Fang Knights' Order to wait outside? The members of the castle will carry Borkus-dono and the others inside," said Bakota.
"Fugoh, alright," said Gorba.
It was decided that Gorba and the other Orcuses would wait near the castle with their tamed monsters. They were all monsters that couldn't be seen in Zanalpadna, so without their tamers nearby, nobody would be sure how to handle them.
Though it seemed that there were specialized tamers for spider or mantis monsters at the stable.
"Now then, Shrine-Maiden-sama -" said Bakota.
Vandalieu could use magic, and he could even crawl around walls and ceilings without it. He intended to say so, but -
"Well then, I shall."
He ended up being carried by Myuze for some reason.
"No, Van can move around on his own, or even we could carry him…" Basdia began.
"Basdia, leave this to Myuze-dono," said Gizania. "It seems that she has something to request of him."
"Is that so? Alright, then."
"Why are you agreeing to it… I could just hold him and fly up," said Eleanora.
Vandalieu listened to this conversation behind him as Myuze carried him.
"Shrine-Maiden-dono, I actually have something I wish to earnestly consult you about…" Myuze said.
"Is it about ninjas?" Vandalieu asked.
"How do you know this?!" Myuze whispered, skillfully keeping her voice quiet despite being surprised as she climbed the walls with her sickle-arms and legs. "But our discussion will be quicker if you know! I wish for you to tell me about the ninjas in Talosheim that you mentioned! If possible, it would be best if you could teach me their training methods…"
It was a goal and a dream to one day become a ninja, not only for Myuze, but for all who possessed the Kunoichi Job. It seemed that Myuze had been unable to help but jump at the chance at a clue to reach that goal.
"It's a race title rather than a Job, and they can't transform into giant frogs, but if you're alright with that, I'll tell you how they train," said Vandalieu. "But it might not be anything special, you know?"
"That will be plenty! Well then, take this. It is a symbol of our promise," Myuze said with a smile covering her entire face as she produced a familiar necklace from her pocket and gave it to Vandalieu.
"A necklace of deep affection?"
"This is the Empusa version of that. We polish the sickle portions of our body rather than compound eyes, and the thread is something that I received from an Arachne that lives in the same house as I."
It seemed that Empusa molted as well.
"Well then, I will gratefully accept this," said Vandalieu.
Second connection, get. Though it was uncertain as to how useful a connection with Myuze would be, as she was merely the captain of some gate guards, unlike Gizania who was the younger sister of the princess.
Though even without such calculative motives, Vandalieu was happy that emotions of deep affection were being expressed towards him, so it wouldn't bother him if the connection wasn't of any use.
"Now then, this is the queen's chamber. Once I hand Princess Kurnelia over to Queen Donaneris, I believe I will be returning to the gate, so I humbly request that you do not forget our promise," Myuze said.
"I understand," said Vandalieu.
The queen's chamber that Myuze had carried Vandalieu to had something strangely Japanese about it. The floor resembled tatami mats.
Vandalieu felt slightly nostalgic for a moment, thinking that they were real tatami mats, but quickly realized that they weren't. Arachne threads had been weaved into a tatami-like pattern and stained with dyes made from plants.
Internally naming this 'thread-tatami' in his mind, Vandalieu turned his gaze towards the two people who stood out among the Arachne and Empusa in the queen's chamber… though there wasn't a physical throne, there was one medium-build Arachne that seemed to be the most important figure, and a somewhat gentle-looking Noble Orc who maintained an air of dignity despite being covered in bandages and having lost an eye and one of his arms.
There were also several people who were members of races that Vandalieu had never seen before, but these two were likely the most important people here.
The two of them returned Vandalieu's gaze, especially the one who was likely the Arachne queen, who was staring in surprise at the two necklaces of deep affection hanging from Vandalieu's neck. It seemed that the connections were having an astounding effect.
And then, Vandalieu bowed his knee against the thread-tatami floor in greeting. "I am the king of Talosheim who rules the lands to the north including the marshlands, the Eclipse King and Holy Son of Vida. I thank you for granting me this audience -"
"Wait!" exclaimed the person who seemed to be Queen Donaneris, interrupting Vandalieu's self-introduction.
Vandalieu looked up instinctively in surprise. "… Ah, I should be on both knees, shouldn't I. It's a tatami floor, after all."
"No, that is not it! I am in a position where I cannot possibly express enough gratitude to you, someone who has saved my daughter's life, and is even the king of an entire nation! I should not even be allowed to hold my own head above yours; I request that you spare us from the shame of allowing you to press your forehead against the tatami!"
This was Vandalieu's first time conducting diplomacy, so he had thought that he should be polite, but it seemed that he had been too polite. He looked around and saw that the Noble Orc and other Arachne were flustered as well.
"Your Majesty, it's unwise for kings of nations to lower their heads to one another so easily," said Kurt, who had been carried up by another Arachne.
"Please tell me that earlier. I was never a king before I became king," said Vandalieu.
"… I understand what you are trying to say, but the same is true of every king until their coronation ceremony," Kurt pointed out.
As Vandalieu corrected his posture, a visibly relieved Queen Donaneris let out a sigh and began to speak once more.
"I thank you for saving my daughter. I am Donaneris, the one who rules this nation that worships Zanalpadna. Due to Divine Messages that our god sent to me, I know of you, and that you are the Holy Son who will face great trials."
Name: Myuze
Age: 70 years old
Title: None
Rank: 6
Race: Empusa Kunoichi
Level: 59
Job: Kunoichi
Job level: 35
Job history: Apprentice Thief, Thief, Assassin, Dark Fighter
Passive skills:
Superhuman Strength: Level 3
Night Vision
Strengthened Agility: Level 6
Strengthened Attribute Values: Duty: Level 4
Enhanced Physical Ability (Carapace, sickles): Level 6
Active skills:
Camouflage: Level 3
Unarmed Fighting Technique: Level 7
Throwing: Level 5
Armor Technique: Level 3
Silent Steps: Level 8
Lockpicking: Level 2
Trap: Level 3
Surpass Limits: Level 5
Assassin Technique: Level 3
No-Attribute Magic: Level 1
Mana Control: Level 1
Wind-Attribute Magic: Level 1
Monster explanation:
[Empusa]
The below information is a summary of the descriptions in the Literature Manuscript of the Ancient Times, which was restored by the mages of the Mages' Guild in the Amid Empire.
They are a female-only race of monsters with the characteristics of praying mantises, and their typical Rank is 4. They are highly intelligent but also ferocious, and because they act in groups unlike regular praying mantises, they are highly dangerous.
In addition to regular arms, they also have a pair of arms that have sharp sickles from the wrist onwards, and they manipulate these skillfully with the Unarmed Fighting Technique skill.
They have wings growing from their backs, but like praying mantises, their ability to fly is limited. They are mostly used for gliding.
Also, some of them are capable of using 'Camouflage,' allowing them to blend into their surroundings like praying mantises.
As they are a unisexual race, they require males of other races for mating, but Empusa only desire human males and males of Vida's races. For this reason, they are considered to be more dangerous than Orcs.
After mating, abducted men are eaten to provide the nutrition necessary to lay eggs. Following this, Empusa lay one or multiple eggs, which hatch after approximately a year. Children molt repeatedly, becoming adults after approximately ten years.
They are long-lived for monsters; some individuals have lived for over two hundred years.
Occasionally, children of the male parent's race are born from the eggs. It is thought that if these children are girls, they are immediately eaten, while males are raised until they are old enough to breed.
The existence of higher-Rank races such as Empusa Berserkers, Empusa Slayers and Empusa Assassins has been confirmed; they are extremely dangerous monsters.
However, it seems that they are inadept in the use of magic; it is fortunate that there are almost no Empusa Mages.
Their sickles can be used as weapons just as they are, and their tough carapaces and bones can become materials for armor, while their wings can be used as an ingredient for Alchemy if turned into a fine powder.
Also, the Magic Stones that can be harvested from their hearts are well-suited for creating wind-attribute Magic Items.
However, Empusa have not been seen in the Bahn Gaia continent for several centuries. It is thought that Empusa have been successfully eradicated in this continent.
It is truly fortunate that the eradication of a race of such evil monsters has been successful. For some reason, Empusa are not monsters that appear in Dungeons, so the Bahn Gaia continent will never see Empusa again unless some foolish tamer brings them from another continent in the future.
However, the possibility of Empusa having survived in the southern region of the continent beyond the Boundary Mountain Range, where monsters run rampant, cannot be ruled out.
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