novelraw Chapter 90 : Chapter 90
Chapter 90 : Chapter 90
Chapter 90. Vampire Queen (2)
After a recess of about an hour.
I resumed the meeting, looked around the room, and slowly opened my mouth.
"I have a request."
Everyone's gaze focused on me.
There wasn't a hint of anticipation in them.
"I will find evidence, so please wait a few more days. We will provide you with the utmost convenience so that you will not be uncomfortable."
Protests erupted immediately.
"What do you take us for? Every minute is precious, so how long do you expect us to wait?"
"Are you serious right now? Shouldn't you have gathered the evidence first before calling us?"
"I think that will be difficult. It's true that you are the Hero who saved humanity, but you have no right to keep us here."
Kings who were friendly to me, such as Charles VII and Alboin, tried their best to defend me, but they couldn't go against the tide.
But it was a reaction I had already expected.
I nodded my head with a face that said it couldn't be helped.
"I have no intention of keeping you here. However, I would like to ask you for just one thing. We plan to open the hot spring as soon as the meeting ends. It's a free service, so please don't feel burdened and wait while you warm your bodies comfortably. We will send you off with transition magic, just as we did when you came from far away countries."
The attendees accepted my proposal, saying that much was not a problem.
But could they really leave this place?
I could bet my right wrist that it was impossible.
Because I had absolutely no intention of letting them go.
***
Amidst the steam of the hot spring spreading thickly.
The kings, prime ministers, and commanders-in-chief of each country began to immerse themselves.
At first, given the circumstances, they accepted the service as if they couldn't refuse, but.
Once they soaked themselves, their thoughts gradually changed.
As soon as the warm hot spring water touched their skin, it felt as if their fatigue was melting away.
The wrinkles on their foreheads, which had been tense, naturally smoothed out, and even the commander-in-chief, who usually never relaxed his expression, was soon seen leaning back and looking loose.
"Hmm, this is quite nice."
The prime minister of a central kingdom, who had been muttering bluntly, dipped his fingertips in the water and gently waved them.
The fine carbonic acid bubbles felt in the hot spring water stimulated the skin, and it felt as if it were sweeping away the fatigue.
The king of a small southern country, who had been quiet next to him, let out a deep breath and continued.
"I've never experienced water like this. I feel like my troublesome back has been cured in an instant."
He had simply soaked his body in the hot spring water, but the back that ached every morning moved smoothly without any stiffness.
The representative of a large western country, soaking in a golden hot spring bath, also gently closed his eyes.
"It feels like it's seeping into my very bones. It seems all the fatigue in my body is disappearing. To think there could be such a perfect hot spring."
The head of state of a lowland republic, who had been floating in the middle of the hot spring,
closed his eyes and was lost in thought, then suddenly uttered these words.
"I think it would be best for me to stay here a few more days before leaving."
The others who heard this also lightly opened their eyes and looked at each other.
At first, they had intended to leave as soon as the hot spring was over, but now it was different.
In a corner of their minds, the thought of 'just a little longer' began to take root.
Moreover, the service provided by the hot spring resort was truly the pinnacle of ecstasy.
By the time the hot spring bath was over, skilled attendants would offer soft towels, and exotic herbal teas and body-relaxing drinks were served in succession.
After relaxing in a large bath where fragrant flower petals floated, the best cuisine that could only be tasted here was laid out before their eyes.
The term 'sumptuous feast' was not enough to describe it.
"This is amazing! A feast like this is a delicacy that can never be tasted in our kingdom."
It was around that time that the king of a northern kingdom, who had wrapped his forehead with a towel made into two sheep's heads, raised his voice.
"Leaving this place is not a wise choice. The situation in our country may be urgent, but isn't it also important to properly restore one's body and mind? The king must be comfortable to properly rule the country."
Statements of agreement poured out from here and there.
"Of course. It wouldn't be polite to keep rejecting the Hero's request like that."
"There may be many important things right now, but it's not good to rush too much either."
"I don't want to return to the kingdom. Where else could there be such a paradise on earth?"
Thus, one by one, their resolution to leave began to fade.
At first, they had intended to leave as soon as they finished their bath, but now they couldn't even grasp when they should leave.
***
Right after Frank succeeded in keeping the representatives of each country.
Anonymous and Noemi finished their preparations to leave.
"Wouldn't it be better to travel to the Demon King's Castle all at once rather than flying?"
"I agree. There's no need to waste our strength from the beginning."
"Let's get back as quickly as possible. That way, we won't cause any trouble for Dad."
"Stop stating the obvious and proceed with the transition magic."
Thus, the two of them moved to the vicinity of the Demon King's Castle in an instant.
However, they didn't move to the interior of the Entrance to Hell where they had gone before.
Doing so would take forever just to get up.
But what was this?
"Huh? Why is the Demon King's Castle gone?"
Noemi pointed at the ruins with a dumbfounded face.
Where the Demon King's Castle should have been, only collapsed debris was visible.
Anonymous was also surprised.
"What? What happened here?"
It wasn't just the Demon King's Castle that had collapsed.
A part of the vast forest had disappeared without a trace.
And below it, countless footprints were imprinted.
"What in the world is this......"
Noemi couldn't continue her words, but Anonymous nodded, saying it was actually a good thing.
"Thanks to this, we can easily find where they went. Let's move, Noemi."
"Yes!"
The footprints clearly pointed west.
Noemi climbed onto the back of Anonymous, who had transformed into a dragon, and held onto her scales tightly so as not to fall off.
"I'll be racing at top speed, so hold on tight."
"Don't worry."
Soon, the two of them, who had become a single dot, flew westward at a tremendous speed.
***
Meanwhile, the situation in Luminia was desperate.
"Kuaak!!"
The enemies were not a single race.
They had the commonality of having turned into undead, but from dark elves to beastmen.
All sorts of races were mixed together, slaughtering the vampires.
Their eyes looked sad, but their bodies were relentless.
"Keok."
"Uaaah!"
"Please, anyone, help...!"
A one-sided slaughter.
Vampires were among the most difficult to deal with among the Demon Tribe, but to the Demon Tribe members who had turned into undead, they were nothing more than a piece of prey.
Nevertheless, the queen of the vampires, Noctavira, did her best to defend the castle.
"Block them! We must block them!"
She thought she had cut down as many as she could, but their numbers were endless.
Moreover, even the undead she thought she had killed rejoined the battle with their bodies split in two.
The situation was heading for the worst.
"Hiiieek!! I-I can't do this anymore!"
"Do not desert your post! Get a grip!"
Some panicked vampires tried to escape by turning into bats, but to the undead, it was nothing more than a fleeting amusement.
Among them, there were quite a few individuals with wings who could fly.
"Kkeuak!!"
They inevitably fell and became prey for the undead on the ground.
But the truly surprising thing was just beginning.
The Lich King, who looked like their leader at a glance, gestured towards the fallen vampires.
"Arise, my people."
An intense magical power that seemed to crush the ground.
The Lich King's eyes were full of ridicule for the vampires.
An attitude of Composure(yoyuu), as if it were a battle that was already over, no matter how much they struggled.
Then, the vampires with their bodies half torn apart stood up and began to join the enemy's great army.
They indiscriminately attacked the vampires who had been their comrades just a moment ago.
"Te-Tenebris! It's me! Your friend...... Kkuaak!"
Their numbers grew larger and larger, and just when it felt like further resistance was meaningless.
A powerful magical energy was felt from the eastern sky.
The Lich King, sensing danger, quickly raised his hand and stopped his troops.
"Everyone, be on guard! This is not a magical power you can face."
As soon as those words ended.
A massive pillar of fire began to pour down in a straight line.
It wasn't an ordinary dragon's breath.
It enveloped everything with a high heat that seemed to vaporize the atmosphere.
The earth melted as if the sun itself had been vomited out, not just flames.
The fire, which seemed to break the boundary between heaven and earth, dyed the world red, and flames hotter than lava rotated in a spiral, relentlessly sweeping the surroundings.
Hwarurururu.
A scene as if the gates of hell had opened.
Unquenchable flames engulfed everything.
Nox, who had been protecting himself with a barrier while the undead turned into ashes instead of regenerating, frowned.
‘What is this? Could that be Anticus?’
Dull black skin.
Blood-red eyes.
Eight giant wings.
A figure as if the primordial disaster had descended.
That ominous dragon was none other than Anticus herself, known as the queen of dragons.
But something was strange.
On Anticus' back, a girl who looked like a human woman was riding.
She was holding a magic crystal ball in her hand, as if she were transmitting the scene here to somewhere.
Even while that was happening, his subordinates were dying endlessly.
"Uoooooooh!"
But their faces looked happy.
They were filled with joy at the fact that they no longer had to live as Nox's slaves, even while being burned to death by the flames.
Nox frowned and shouted loudly.
"Tch. If I had stayed a little longer, I could have had the vampires in my hands as well. All troops, retreat!"
Soon, the undead who had been running straight ahead turned around and began to return the way they came.
However, even while retreating, Nox stared intently at the sky.
‘If only I could make that dragon my subordinate......’
A wicked smile was plastered on his lips.
***
As Nox had expected, this scene was being transmitted somewhere.
However, the scene of Anonymous firing a powerful breath was blocked.
This was because he didn't want the representatives of each country to get any wrong ideas after seeing Anonymous' otherworldly power.
Noemi's strategy was effective.
The representatives of each country, who had witnessed the tragedy of Luminia with their own two eyes through the magic crystal ball, seemed to be in great shock and each said a word.
"Wh-What is that. It's truly a scene from the apocalypse."
"Goddess. Please lead us on the right path."
"Horrible. Why are they killing each other?"
"Was what the Hero said true? How could such a tragedy......"
I too was speechless at the overwhelming military might of the undead legion.
‘It's a scene I've never seen in the game. Who on earth is that guy?’
Then, suddenly.
This thought crossed my mind.
His appearance seemed a little different from the information I knew, but that imposing physique and menacing face were similar to Nox, the final boss of the original PP.
‘Could Nox have turned into a Lich King?’
Primus alone was a headache, and now Nox too?
My head was throbbing as if it would break.
However, through this scene, I was able to achieve my initial goal.
Even without me opening my mouth, the representatives of each country first brought up this topic.
"Wh-What should we do? If there's any way, please let us know."
"I'll do anything. You are the only one who can lead us as one."
"I take back what I said earlier. We want an alliance...... an alliance that will never be broken."
This was a change that happened in less than two days after Anonymous and Noemi left this place.
***
Noemi looked down at the retreating undead and said.
"Even if they're Demon Tribe members who turned into undead, it seems they're no match for you, Master."
But Anonymous frowned, saying that wasn't the case.
"What I just did was my maximum output. And now, I don't even have the strength to fly."
At the same time, Anonymous' altitude began to gradually decrease.
As she said, she no longer had the strength to maintain flight.
Eventually, she fell right below the vampire's castle.
Thud!
Noemi absorbed as much of the impact as she could with a barrier, but not only she, but Anonymous as well, could not avoid injury.
"Ayaya. It hurts."
Anonymous, who had turned back into a human, spoke with a sorry face.
"Cough. I'm sorry."
Bright red blood was flowing from her mouth.
And in front of the two of them, a woman appeared.
The owner of this place.
Noctavira had revealed herself.
However, her expression was filled with admiration, as if she had met a savior.
"Ooh! The legend was true! A dragon has saved us!"
That gaze was not a normal one, but was so eerie that it was similar to that of a fanatic.