Hell Mode: Volume 6, page 30
“You are truly a rare treat—far too good for my son! Isn’t that right, Zeu?”
“O-Of course.”
“Come on, lad. Man up!”
Zeu seemed unfazed by his father’s reproaches. Meanwhile, Rena’s gaze danced across those assembled in front of her before finally fixing on Zeu.
“Is that...Prince Zeu?”
“That’s correct. You haven’t seen each other in a number of years, so it’s no surprise if you didn’t recognize him. However, yes, that is the man who will be your husband. He’s got a bit of a soft side to him, but I wish you the best.”
Rena nodded at the king’s words, then shifted her gaze over toward Shia before looking out at the rest of the nobles as if searching for someone.
“Beku isn’t here,” the king said, answering her unasked question.
Rena turned her gaze back toward Muza, the smile never leaving her lips. “I see.”
“I hoped to avoid dirtying that beautiful dress you’re wearing for our son today,” the king explained, smirking proudly. Rena’s smile gently faded in response.
“What are you saying, father?!” Zeu could not rip his gaze away from Rena even as he demanded clarification from his father, though the king merely grinned back at him.
“I see that His Majesty understands how I feel.”
“I certainly do. So, what do you think, Princess Rena?”
Suddenly, Rena slumped her head.
“Wh-What’s wrong? Are you tired from your long journey?” Zeu, uncertain of what to do, took a step toward his bride-to-be.
“Muza, you bastard!” Rena’s head jerked up and, using her long, supple legs, she kicked off the floor, causing her dress to flutter. Baring her menacing fangs, she drew a dagger from its hiding spot at the small of her back as she rushed toward the throne.
“Huh? Rena?” Zeu took a step forward and then froze as Rena bounded forward and slammed into the king.
“Hmph.” The king leaned back into his throne and reached out his hand, grabbing tightly to Rena’s dagger-holding hand.
“What?!”
“Your father warned me that you were quite strong-willed and to be wary of you, but I must admit, I’m quite surprised. Is this all you’ve got?!”
With a swing of his arm, the king threw Rena back ten meters. Her body spun through the air before hitting and rolling across the floor, all while Zeu watched blankly. However, upon noticing that she was not attempting to get back to her feet, he immediately dashed over to his bride-to-be.
Finally, the nobles and ministers gathered in the room began to panic as they realized just what was happening. The Albahalan guards drew their weapons on the royal guards from Brysen, leaving them unable to draw their own.
“What do you think, Your Majesty?” the Albahalan prime minister called out to the king. “Judging by the princess’s actions, I believe we have no choice but to call off the wedding.”
“There is no denying the fact that Beku caused the death of Brysen’s king, even if it did occur during the Beast King Martial Arts Tournament. In that case, it’s only natural that his daughter would seek revenge. That is why I have decided that she will marry Zeu in an attempt to stem any further animosity between our peoples—I don’t wish for Beku to be unnecessarily killed.”
In light of these circumstances, the king was willing to turn a blind eye to her actions in the hopes that she would now be satisfied.
The reason for the deteriorating relationship between Albahal and Brysen was that Beast Crown Prince Beku had killed Rena’s older brother, the Beast King of Brysen, at the Beast King Martial Arts Tournament three years earlier. The two kingdoms had agreed that the situation was inevitable, but Rena and the citizens Brysen remained unconvinced.
It appeared that Rena was unconscious, so Zeu wrapped his arms around her and hefted her up. The queen then turned toward the king, a look of alarm in her eyes.
“Are you sure about this? What if she attacks Zeu next?”
“What are you talking about? Have you forgotten how you attacked me on the night of our wedding?”
“I haven’t, but you’re different, Muza.”
The queen was also an Albahalan by marriage. In the past, she was an assassin who had tried to slit Beast King Muza’s throat as he slept. She had held a grudge against Albahal, the largest of the many beast kingdoms crowded together on the Garlesian continent.
Muza rubbed his throat, recalling the painful injury.
“Is that true, father?” Princess Shia, Zeu’s younger sister, asked.
“Yes, it is. And if you find yourself married off to another country, then you must do the same.”
“Of course, father!” Shia smiled cheerfully and made a stabbing gesture.
Seeing this, the King beamed. “You might not be able to kill them by slitting their throat, so you’d best aim for the heart.”
“Just what do you think you’re telling our daughter?!”
“What? I just— Gyaugh!”
The queen kicked Muza with such force that it sent him tumbling to the ground, a loud thud resounding throughout the throne room.
Several hours later, Rena awoke to find a concerned Zeu sitting next to the bed she had been placed in.
“Ah, I see you’ve finally awoken.” He sounded relieved.
“Zeu...” Rena let out a sigh and looked around the room. She took note of the fact that its windows were unprotected and that she was not restrained, indicating that she had not been taken prisoner.
“You have nothing to worry about. The king doesn’t intend to punish you for what you’ve done.”
Zeu held out her sheathed dagger.
“Hmph. I’m not interested in taking pity from my enemies.” She practically spat those words.
Three years prior, Rena’s older brother had fought against Beast Crown Prince Beku in the Beast King Martial Arts Tournament held in Albahal. Rena and her group were the only ones cheering on her brother; the rest of the stadium chanted Beku’s name. In spite of the one-sided support, Rena’s brother put his all into the battle until there was nothing left but his bloodied, discarded body. It was in that moment that Rena swore to herself that she would get revenge against the Albahalan royal family.
“Don’t say that, Rena.”
“What the hell do you know, born in this great kingdom and raised in a loving family?” She fixed Zeu with a steely glare as tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
Rena had heard rumors that, compared to his older brother, Zeu was something of a weakling. This was unbelievable to her, who had grown up in the smaller and comparatively weaker and less influential beast kingdom of Brysen.
As descendants of the beastkin who were once oppressed by the humans of Giamut, Zeu should have known that if he did not fight, he would, in turn, gain nothing. She could not help but wonder if he had been allowed to be so timid by hiding in the shadows of his father and brother. The mere thought of it enraged her. Zeu, however, merely sat there passively as she glared daggers at him, something which only fueled her rage even more.
“There’s nothing further to discuss. Give me back my dagger. It was left to me by my brother.”
Of course, Rena had no intention of returning alive. She was going to kill Beku—or King Muza in his place—even if it meant that she was stabbed to death in the process. And in the unlikely event that she achieved her goal unscathed, she did not have high hopes that she would escape the castle with her life. But that did not matter. If she could not avenge her brother’s death, her life had no meaning.
“I’m going to put an end to this.”
“But why? Who knows what good may come if only you continue to—”
“Why don’t you try saying that after you become king?!” Rena growled angrily, baring her fangs, before Zeu could finish his sentence.
“Well then, perhaps I’ll become king. Would that solve your problem?”
“A weakling like you?”
“Yes. If I become king, will that be reason enough for you to live?”
“How can you spout such stupidity? There’s no way you could become king. Not with your brother around.” Rena had done a significant amount of research into her enemy and knew just how strong Beku was. After all, he was well-known for his fighting prowess and loved by his people. He was even the youngest winner of the Beast King Martial Arts Tournament.
Zeu was another story entirely. Even being polite, he could at best be described as timid, and he had never won any of the tournaments. It seemed unlikely that there was anything this man could do to turn things around.
“I will become king. Just you watch,” he declared, holding Rena’s gaze. She could see a certain power in his eyes.
“You said that this dagger belonged to your brother, yes?” Zeu continued. “Then I shall swear upon its blade that I will become king. If the day comes where you believe I’ve broken my oath, then you can run me through with it.” He then handed the weapon back to Rena, who clenched her fingers around it.
“Wh-Why would you do this for me?” she asked, confused by the sudden development. She instinctively wrapped her fingers around his hand as she clasped her brother’s dagger.
Zeu continued to hold her gaze. “You’re too beautiful for me not to.”
“Huh?!” This left Rena at a loss for words, but she felt that she could see something familiar in his gaze. A moment later, she pulled the dagger—the physical manifestation of his oath—to her chest.
“When I become king, I want you to be by my side as my beautiful queen.” As Zeu said this, Rena was struck by just how serious he was. It all seemed a little ridiculous, in a sense.
“Ha ha, you’re an interesting one,” Rena said, chuckling from the bottom of her heart.
This was the first time in the past three years she had truly laughed. Considering how stupidly devoted the man before her was and that he had managed to elicit a mirthful laugh from her, she figured she might as well live a little while longer.
“So you’ll continue living for me?”
“Well, Prince Zeu, I trust that you’ll keep your oath.”
That is how Rena came to be Zeu’s wife.
＊ ＊ ＊
Several years later, though without children of their own, the two lived happily together as husband and wife.
One day, while Zeu was meeting with several bureaucrats, a furious Rena came barging into the meeting room. “Dammit, Zeu, this isn’t what we discussed!” She kicked the door open with such strength that it splintered, then pulled Zeu to his feet and threw him to the ground.
“Huh? Wha— Gah!” Zeu was still trying to process what happened as Rena mounted his back and yanked both of his legs back, making him look like a reverse shrimp. “What are you talking about, Rena?! Can’t we at least talk about this?! I’m sure I can explain and— Rena!” Zeu struggled desperately to explain as his face was crushed against the floor and his spine was twisted backward.
“I-I believe we’ll be calling it a day, then.”
“Yes, please stop by again tomorrow.”
Ever since the two had gotten married, it was an open secret throughout the castle that Rena was the one in charge in their relationship. The bureaucrats hurried out so as to not get involved in the couple’s drama, leaving Zeu and Rena alone.
“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?! Have you forgotten your promise?!”
Zeu paused for a moment to think over his response. “Ah, yes, Shia. There’s really nothing I can do about that, as it’s up to the king.”
Muza had recently ordered Shia to subjugate the Pontiff of Daemonism. The problem was that it was not just a subjugation order but a trial that would make her the heir apparent upon its completion. It was obvious that Rena was furious to hear that the Beast King had given Shia a trial before he had Zeu. And though Zeu had done his best to keep the news from reaching her, she had apparently caught wind of it.
“What do you mean there’s nothing you can do about it?! Why the hell do you think you’ll have a chance at the throne if you’re just going to stand idly by and not receive a trial of your own?! The only way you’ll be able to become king is by overcoming your own trial!” Rena then pulled even harder on his legs.
“Ouch! That hurts! You’re really hurting me!”
“Get your ass down to see the king!”
Zeu swore he could hear his spine creaking in between her shouts.
“F-Fine, I’ll go to the king to receive a trial of my own!” As soon as he uttered those words, Rena released her grip.
“All right, then get going!”
“Huh? Right, of course. I’ll head there right away!” Zeu had originally intended to put it off until the following day, but after seeing the way Rena was baring her fangs at him, he hurried out of the room and was on his way.
After nearly half a day, Zeu had still not returned. His place at the dining table sat empty, and eventually Rena went to bed alone. She had no idea how long she had been in bed when suddenly she sensed a figure in the darkness and was jolted awake. Her eyes immediately met Zeu’s.
“You’re late.”
Something about the situation seemed oddly familiar to Rena, like it had happened once before.
“I was granted a trial by the king,” Zeu whispered.
“R-Really? That’s great!” Rena sat up and reached out to pull Zeu into a hug. There was something strange about his behavior that she picked up on even in spite of the darkness, however, causing her to freeze before she could.
“I’ll have to leave you behind for a while.”
“Why are you talking to me like I’m a stranger all of a sudden? Just what kind of trial were you given? It’s not something like...like...” Rena could sense that the trial he had been given was no easy feat, but his next words were completely beyond her wildest assumptions.
“I’m to clear the Rank S dungeon.”
“What?! No way! The Rank S dungeon is unclearable!”
Rena was aware that the Rank S dungeon was an unexplored dungeon that had existed since thousands of years before the founding of Albahal. Many beastkin from across the Garlesian continent had headed there and never returned—the royal family being no exception. Many promising princes had made their way to the Rank S dungeon and lost their lives. No matter how heroic a beastkin was, assigning them the task of clearing it was even more terrifying than being given a death sentence.
“Alas, this is the trial I’ve been granted.”
Rena quickly sprung up from the bed. “That’s unbelievable! I’ll talk to the king myself!”
If Zeu were to die in pursuit of fulfilling his promise to her, that was ultimately no different from him not keeping it at all. She felt guilty that the pressure she had put on Zeu and his desire to be true to his word had led to this situation. However, before she was able to leave the room, Zeu stepped in front of the door to stop her.
“The king’s word is absolute. I must complete my trial.”
“But there’s no way you could ever do that!”
“Just who do you think I am?!” Zeu shouted, his voice echoing around the dark bedroom.
Rena’s legs gave out from under her as she stared blankly ahead. This was the first time Zeu had ever raised his voice at her.
“Zeu...?”
“I will become king, and you will be my beautiful queen. Did I not swear this to you?”
With that, Zeu left for the Rank S dungeon in order to make Rena his queen.
Side Story 2: The Story of Pelomas
This is the ending of the first chapter of Pelomas’s story.
Around the time Allen and the others were preparing to challenge the final floor boss, Pelomas was getting ready to graduate from the commercial school he attended while also running the Pelomas Whaling Company. On this particular day, Pelomas was sitting in a room located within the Ratash palace and negotiating with a Giamutan diplomat. The diplomat had brought with him a man by the name of Maruman, one of the wealthiest merchants in the entire Empire of Giamut who was known by many as the “real estate king.” Pelomas, on the other hand, was accompanied by the minister of commerce and Chester, a wealthy merchant who owned several luxury inns throughout the Kingdom of Ratash. Chester was also the father of Fiona, the woman Pelomas loved.
Officials passed two contracts between the groups facing one another across the large table. Once both parties had signed them, Maruman breathed a faint sigh of relief.
“I expected no less from the owner of Ratash’s oft-praised Pelomas Whaling Company. You conduct yourself brilliantly. Were you a citizen of our country, it would probably only be a matter of time until the emperor sought an audience with you.”
“I could hardly dream of the emperor granting an audience to a young person such as myself.”
The agreements the two parties had made involved the opening of two Pelomas Whaling Company outfits in Giamut. The first would deal in weapons and armor. Right around the end of summer the year prior, Elder Filamehl of Rohzenheim had reached out to Pelomas to let him know that they had increased equipment production and were hoping to begin transacting sooner than originally planned.
This move was in preparation for another invasion of the Five Continents by the Demon Lord Army, which was expected to happen due to the Demon Lord Army’s theft of Freyja’s divine vessel. The carapaces and fangs taken from the corpses of the dead insect-type monsters that had attacked with the Demon Lord Army were easier to utilize than mithril, which was currently difficult to mine and process. Granted, they were inferior, but nevertheless, they could still produce high-quality gear.
While it was great to see the increase in equipment production, there was little demand in Ratash at the moment. The country had already managed to secure mithril equipment and had previously received an abundance of weapons and armor from Rohzenheim. In light of that, the Pelomas Whaling Company would act as an intermediary to export the equipment to another party, the Empire of Giamut. If they were to suddenly flood the market with supplies, however, the counterparty would almost certainly demand a discount.
