Hell Mode: Volume 9, page 20
“I’m terribly sorry,” Allen said, trying to sound as apologetic as possible. “I would love to join in on the festivities, Princess Leilana, but we’ve got plans of our own...”
“Is that so? Then I suppose you’ll simply have to miss out!” Leilana replied happily. “I’ll celebrate with Thomas.”
Cecil shot Thomas a look, silently telling him to be careful to avoid any questionable situations, and he nodded back in agreement. It’s like sibling telepathy. Allen and Cecil then left, teleporting back to the Rank S dungeon.
“We’re back,” Allen said.
“That was quick!” Krena replied, welcoming them.
Their base was almost complete, and she had been in the training area. Since Hardcore User Island was developing smoothly, Allen wanted the army’s bases in Academy City and Rank S dungeon to undergo their own developments.
When the Gamers had met up for a meeting, Sophie and Cecil had claimed that spending all day in dungeons would hurt the army’s morale. Helping with base construction would be an excellent change of pace for them. Allen, who did not mind spending all day every day in the dungeon, did not quite understand, but it was important to listen to others.
And so, in addition to days off, soldiers were also allotted days to do some building. Having several of the same structures had seemed like a terrible use of space, so Allen had decided to tear down all the walls, leaving only two buildings standing. The rest of the ground had been leveled to create additional living spaces or training areas. Since a clearing was easily made by leveling the ground, Krena and Dogora spent their days off training there.
They would eat breakfast, do some morning training, head back inside to eat a hearty lunch, and then go out to train once more before returning in the evening. While the two had been training, Krena had mentioned that she was happy to learn that Dogora’s stats were higher than hers. Now, she could fight him without holding back.
Dogora had continued to raise his level and was now Lvl. 95. The training helped him to better wield two axes. Iron golems and Goldino were large targets, so accuracy was not particularly important against them, but if he came face-to-face with someone similar to him in size like Bask, unnecessary movements would be fatal.
Allen noticed Shia in the back of the training area, absentmindedly staring at people training.
“Oh, are you just spectating, Shia?” he asked.
“Huh? No, I’m done for now,” the Beast Princess replied. “I came to get everyone because it’s almost lunchtime.”
She seemed to be in a daze, though...
Shia loudly announced that it was lunchtime, and Krena rushed into the building at tremendous speed. She zoomed past Allen to head inside. Allen and the others then calmly stepped into the dining area, where they saw the soldiers who lived at the base bustling around while enjoying their lunch. The residents of Hardcore User Island were handing out food and busily walking around the area. They had been dispatched to the two bases from the island and were hard at work.
Someone had to make food and clean up in the Allen Army. At first, Allen had wanted the soldiers to take care of all the odd jobs themselves, but by the time he had assembled his troops and made a base for them, he had already spent over a hundred million gold. Given that it had taken such a hefty investment, Allen wanted them to focus on fighting. He had consulted Pelomas, the island’s governor, and the merchant had suggested using the island’s residents for these services.
Following Pelomas’s advice, Allen had set up a job listing, offering triple the average salary. Upon his doing so, people had flooded him in search of work. He had managed to hire those experienced in cooking and distributing food. The residents greeted Allen as he walked by, and he gave half-hearted responses as he made his way to a seat in a corner of the busy dining area. He wanted to dine with everyone in this cafeteria-like space and had rejected Sophie’s idea of eating in a more private area with only a few high-ranking soldiers.
A while after he took his seat, plates piled high with food were placed in front of him. Krena’s eyes sparkled with delight as she grabbed a hunk of meat and voraciously chowed down. Allen recalled the soldiers having been taken aback by her seemingly insatiable appetite at first, but when he looked around, no one seemed to be bothered anymore.
“Hmm? I don’t see General Rudo,” Allen remarked. “Is he talking to Albahal?”
“Seems like it,” Shia replied. “He’s been doing so since this morning, so it’s taking him quite a bit of time.”
Rudo had regularly been in contact with the Country of Beastkin and had reported that today’s meeting would decide the next Beast King. Currently, Beku, Zeu, and Shia all had a claim to the throne, and one of them would be chosen as the next monarch. Muza and the other ministers had gone through several rounds of discussions.
Allen had determined that he could do nothing even if he visited Albahal. He had had Rudo take one of the communication magic tools from the Adventurer’s Guild so that he could receive contact from Albahal. This was part of the reason Allen was unable to celebrate Thomas’s class promotion, but it seemed Rudo had not returned yet.
“Ooh, lunch!” Luke said excitedly. “I’m so hungry!”
He walked toward Allen and the group with his tutor-slash-attendant behind him.
“Lord Luketod, we still haven’t finished your morning studies,” the dark elf tutor nagged.
It was the usual scene: Luke tried to ditch his lessons, and his tutor desperately tried to hammer information into him.
“All right, all right,” Luke replied. “I’ll do it after lunch.”
As Allen looked over Cecil’s shoulder to glance at Luke, her skirt lifted up, allowing the world to see what lay beneath it. Huh. Granny panties.
Cecil gasped and froze for a second before she whirled around, locking eyes with a grinning Luke. It only took a moment for her to understand what had just occurred.
“I-I’ll kill you, you perverted brat!” Cecil screamed.
She lunged forward and chased after Luke, her face twisted with demonic anger.
Chapter 12: The Woes of the Royal Family
“Stop! Get back here!” Cecil roared.
“No way! Go away, Miss Granny Panties!” Luke teased.
“I-I’ll kill you!”
The furious Cecil chased after the dark elf boy, but the dining area was teeming with Allen Army soldiers out for lunch. Needless to say, Cecil could not run around freely. In contrast, the little dark elf could easily crawl under tables, pop out to taunt the noble lady, and flee.
“Oh, King Olbaas...” the dark elf tutor sighed, burying their face in their hands.
I’m sure the tutor is afraid for the dark elves with a future king like that, Allen thought.
Luke was full of energy today too. The dark elf boy was older than he looked, but he resembled an eight-year-old boy. His personality matched his appearance, as he was always being mischievous and looking for trouble. He loved playing pranks like lifting Cecil’s skirt and touching her butt.
Luke had targeted others before. When he once dared to lift Krena’s skirt, he was caught in the blink of an eye. “You can’t do stuff like that!” Krena had scolded while tying him up and hanging him from a tree. It was a new side to her that Allen had not seen before.
When Luke had touched Sophie’s butt, the elf had smiled and twisted the boy’s arm. Allen had needed to go in and calm her down. The Summoner did not want the elves and dark elves to wage war against each other over a boy’s mischief.
Meruru was not ever targeted, perhaps because she looked to be the same age as Luke, and the ever-vigilant Shia never allowed anyone to get behind her. But with Luke’s mischief, I was able to see a new side of all the other ladies.
After some time, Cecil emerged, covered in dust and her hair a mess. Carrying a similarly filthy Luke under her arm, she returned to where Allen and the rest of the party were seated.
“Hey! Let go of me, Cecil!” Luke wailed.
“And why should I?!” Cecil shouted back. “You know what you did!”
She threw the boy into his seat, and a black weasel that was eating on top of the table swiftly moved on to his lap. Cecil glared at Luke before sitting beside Allen with a loud thud.
“Kings come in all sorts of forms,” Allen mumbled as he watched Luke’s tutor leave the dining area with slumped shoulders. “But that’s nothing new.”
“What are you on about?” Cecil asked. “Aren’t you the commander in chief? You should scold him for what he did.”
“But he’s a kid.”
Allen had carried his teachings from his previous life, where boys would be boys. This level of mischief was not enough to bother him. He watched Luke greedily chug his soup straight from the bowl, etiquette be damned as he splashed the area around him, and started to understand why King Olbaas had entrusted his son to the No-life Gamers.
In the past, the dark elves had lost a battle against the elves and were banished from the continent where Rohzenheim was located, forced to find shelter in the southern region of the Galiatan Continent. Though not the king at that time, Olbaas had been sitting on the throne for quite a while, rebuilding ties with elves, helping the dark elves repopulate, and doing what he could to restore his species to its former glory.
As king, Olbaas’s greatest challenge had been having children. Allen was not privy to the details, but just as there were high elves who protected the World Tree in Rohzenheim, there were also high dark elves who protected the World Tree in Fabraaze. These special types of elves could not easily conceive children. Luke had been the king’s first child after many attempts, and the boy had thus been raised quite spoiled. Then, Sophie, the favorite to become the next queen of Rohzenheim, had appeared with Rohzen, the God of Spirits, and thwarted the daemonic incarnations with a small team and a few Summons.
Olbaas had suspected that Allen, who was in the same party as Sophie, was the savior of the world that Rohzen had prophesied. When the king had then seen Rukoaque being destroyed along with the Demonic Deity, he might have thought that the future of the dark elves could be easily snuffed out.
There was still hope to be had, however. For some reason, Faable, the subject of their worship, had taken a liking to Luke, and Olbaas had guessed that there was some reason behind it. The king had entrusted his son to Allen in hopes of finding an answer.
“Food’s good today too!” Luke shouted.
“Don’t shovel food into your mouth. You can choke,” Faable warned.
“You’re right. Thanks.”
He petted the weasel’s head, his hands grubby from the soup and the juices of other stews, but the Sovereign of Spirits did not seem to mind one bit. She began cleaning her silky, black fur. This was their usual exchange. Sophie said not a word as she stared at Luke.
“I’m sure you had a phase like that too, didn’t you, Sophie?” Allen asked.
“No, never,” the elf princess replied coldly.
Really? He glanced over at Volmaar, who had been her guard for years. The elf had surely noticed the Summoner’s gaze, yet he refused to meet it. Perhaps Sophie’s childhood was not to be discussed. Hmm, I guess royals are expected to have a certain level of etiquette and elegance. I wonder if there was any of that in my previous life. Let’s see... Yeah, when I was a snot-nosed kid playing in the sandbox, I remember seeing kids my age getting up onstage to perform traditional plays and properly introducing themselves to large audiences.
In this world, Allen had been able to interact with Sophie, Shia, Luke, and other royals from various nations and species. Much like the kids in his past life who had gone onstage at a young age, royals likely carried woes and struggles that no commoner could possibly imagine. That was the way of the world. His mind wandered to the selection of Albahal’s next Beast King. I wonder if it’ll still take some time... He had heard that the next monarch would be chosen in the morning, and that King Muza would personally announce the next king early in the afternoon.
“Did we make it?” Keel asked as he entered the dining area with a buzzed Meruru.
“Yep. No news yet,” Allen replied.
The group had made plans to meet for lunch, which had left them free to do as they pleased until then. Keel had been offering healings at a nearby church, and Meruru had been drinking at a nearby tavern since morning. He had lent her a shoulder and set her down in a seat before going to get some food.
“Dogora, you mustn’t just eat meat. Have some vegetables and bread as well,” Shia said.
“Hmm? Yeah, got it. Hey, wait!” he cried.
Dogora, who had meat in both of his hands, gave a troubled response as bread, vegetables, and fruit were laid out in front of him. He reluctantly ate the other foods.
Allen had seen this exchange a handful of times since the Five Continent Alliance conference. Maybe it’s because Dogora saved Shia. The Beast Princess had challenged Beast King Muza to a duel in order to gain her independence. As her father had pummeled her, Dogora had stepped in to protect her, fighting in her stead and getting beaten to a pulp.
It seemed Shia was appreciative of Dogora’s bravery. Beastkin were an emotional species who wore their hearts on their sleeves. Shia was no exception, and right now, her emotions, which went beyond extreme gratitude, were directed at Dogora.
“Are you guys at it again?” Keel asked wearily, standing behind the pair and holding a wooden tray piled high with food in both hands.
Allen gazed at Keel, implicitly telling the Apprentice Pope to keep his mouth shut. This was not the first time that Shia had taken care of Dogora. The Beast Princess had begun her training in the Rank S dungeon and had tackled the final floor boss with the rest of the party. She was training daily by farming iron golems, and when the Gamers split into two groups in hopes of increasing efficiency, she always joined Dogora’s group.
Luke had also managed to farm in the Rank S dungeon, having successfully received a class promotion to Dark Wizard. He was a debuffer, but it seemed his spells did not work on the golems on the lower floors, as golems were resistant to debuffs and Luke lacked the Intelligence to cast more powerful spells. As of late, he had been training on the final floor of the Rank S dungeon to raise his skill levels.
As Allen recalled the current state of affairs, he noticed Dogora give Shia a “Are you my mom?” look, and the Summoner hastily butted in.
“Dogora, you should eat some bread if you’re planning on training in the afternoon,” Allen remarked.
“Yeah?” Dogora asked.
“Meat will help you bulk up, but bread will give you the energy to be more active. There isn’t a type of food that you can go absolutely without, and it’s important to eat a well-balanced meal. But since you’re still growing, you can add more meat into your diet.”
“Huh. Makes sense.”
Though Allen was not sure Dogora had completely understood his explanation, the Destroyer still reached out and munched on some tough bread. Shia frowned and shot Allen a seething glare. Okay, so she seems mad. Dogora had refused to listen to her advice, and she was angry that he had taken Allen’s. If you want him to do what you say, you just gotta convince him.
“But he really is late...” Cecil murmured.
Allen checked the clock. Maybe Zeu was given the throne and Rudo can’t bring himself to report the bad news back to us. The rhinokin had looked after Shia ever since she was young and had become captain of her beastkin squad. Allen surmised that he was in denial of the result, and the Beast Princess had failed to attain the throne.
Just then, there was a loud bang! The doors of the dining hall flew open, and Rudo dashed into the room in a panic. Oh, speak of the devil. Wait, is something wrong? Everyone in the dining area was focused on Rudo’s noisy entrance, and when the general spotted Shia, he shouted as loudly as he could.
“Beku— Crown Prince Beku has started a revolt! The Beast King has been attacked!”
“What?!” Shia yelled as she leaped to her feet. “That can’t be!”
A new ordeal had just begun in Albahal.
Chapter 13: Turbulence in Albahal
Today, a new Beast King would be crowned. Rudo had headed to the Adventurer’s Guild to use the communication magic tool to receive the news. Unfortunately, however, the rhinokin had returned with tidings of a revolt in Albahal.
“Is my father all right?!” Shia asked, forgetting to use Muza’s title.
She still worries about her dad even though he clobbered her just the other day, Allen thought. And it sounded like her mother had already passed. The Summoner could not understand why Shia valued her father so much. Mia, presumably Shia’s late mother, had never been mentioned again after the battle between Shia and Muza.
“He’s fine,” Rudo reported. “He was injured in the revolt, but the Corps healed him. The revolt has apparently already been suppressed. Your Highness, I think it best that we go elsewhere before discussing further details.”
“Right,” Shia replied.
There were many soldiers gathered in the dining hall, including some of the beastkin from Shia’s squad. They had all narrowed their eyes with suspicion at Rudo’s mention of “Crown Prince Beku” and “a revolt.” However, it was imperative to confirm the situation first, and Allen suggested that they all move to their personal conference room.
“I don’t even know where to begin...” Rudo muttered as he took a seat. He still needed time to organize his thoughts.
Wait, so it’s not just that Beku started a revolt? What’s going on?
“S-Start anywhere! Tell me everything!” Shia ordered hastily.
“If the revolt has already been suppressed, it’d be best to start from the very beginning,” Allen interjected. “How did it happen, anyway?”
The current king was deciding on his successor, so there had to have been some trigger for the revolt. To find that trigger, they had to first figure out the entire timeline of events.
“Very well. I shall start from the top,” Rudo replied.
