Hell Mode: Volume 9, page 8
“Sh-She’s...” Shia murmured with surprise.
The rest of the No-life Gamers were very familiar with this stranger, and they all held their breath in silence. Sitting on a bed of straw for horses, her legs folded neatly underneath her, was a majestic, horned horse covered in scales—Falnemes, the Goddess of Arbitration.
I can only describe what I see. I had the residents take care of the stables, and now, the Goddess of Arbitration is right in front of me. The stable was meant for regular horses, but Falnemes was a bit larger, and the small space seemed too cramped for her.
“M-May I ask whatever in the world is going on, Goddess of Arbitration?” Allen inquired.
Falnemes did not answer immediately, instead slowly looking over each and every one of the No-life Gamers.
“Krena is not here,” she said, her gentle, feminine tone a far cry from Allen’s initial impression of her. She had apparently come searching for the young lady.
“She’s not. Shall I call for her?” Allen asked. Unfortunately, Krena was out farming iron golems with Dogora and the others.
“I see. No, that will not be necessary,” Falnemes replied. She lowered her head and wrapped it around her body like a serpent, curling herself into a ball before falling asleep.
“Huh? What’s going on here?” Cecil asked Allen. “Why is the Goddess of Arbitration sleeping in one of the stables?”
“Should we just look after her with the other horses?” Allen replied. “She’ll be like Haku. Let’s call her ‘Fal.’”
Allen feared revealing the truth to the other residents. If they began praying to her, Freyja would never be able to increase her power. Falnemes might suddenly disappear one day, but if she planned on staying for now, there was no reason to chase her out. If she liked it here, she was certainly free to stay.
“But this place seems too cramped for her. Let’s remove the divider so she can have two stalls to herself,” Allen suggested. He would ask the stableman to bring her straw and water, and to just generally treat her well.
“This is turning into one crazy island...” Cecil sighed.
“It’s all thanks to the power of Lord Allen!” Sophie praised happily, clasping her hands in front of her chest.
It’s not really my power, per se... Huh? What’s up with Rohzen? For some reason, the God of Spirits was on Sophie’s head, casting a forlorn gaze at the goddess without uttering a word. Allen had no idea what to say, so he decided to simply leave the deity be.
＊ ＊ ＊
Ten days later, Krena visited the stables with an armload of carrots.
“Fal, have you been eating well?” she asked.
“Miss Krena. Yes, I’ve been eating well,” Falnemes replied politely.
Krena offered one of her carrots to the goddess, saying, “You ate everything I brought you last time. Don’t worry, I brought you plenty more. Eat up!”
Falnemes stretched her long neck and ate directly from Krena’s hands. It seemed deities did not require the same meals as creatures in the Mortal Realm, but Rohzen ate meals heartily, so they could consume food if they wished.
Krena spent most of her time in the Rank S dungeon, but every now and then, she would return to Hardcore User Island to meet with the goddess and Haku, teleporting back and forth between the two. Conveniently, the cooldown of a King Me’d Bird A’s Awakened Ability was decreased. Instead of once a day, it could be used once an hour, allowing her to easily visit both locations.
The rest of the No-life Gamers gazed upon the wholesome sight of her and the goddess. But why is Falnemes here anyway? Allen wondered. He tried asking the God of Spirits, hoping that he would have the answer behind the goddess’s presence. The deity replied that perhaps Falnemes no longer had a place in the Heavenly Realm. She had been tasked with arbitrating deities who did not act according to Elmea’s wishes. Seeing her implied that a deity had done something wrong and was about to be punished—her very presence struck fear into many gods and goddesses. Perhaps she was not content holding such a position.
Merus had also mentioned that arbitrating other deities required one to follow extremely strict orders from the God of Creation. Falnemes’s battle with Bask might have taken a toll on the Goddess of Arbitration’s body, weakening her to the level of a Minor Deity. In any case, the God of Spirits had requested that she be allowed to rest on the island.
That was not all that had happened in the past ten days. Pelomas had tackled dungeons while managing the island and had received a class promotion. He was now a Magnate. Hopefully, he was one step closer to being a stronger man, in accordance with Fiona’s wishes. Aware of Pelomas’s resolve, Allen had decided to reduce the workload of the Magnate as much as possible by having each town come up with at least some of its own policies.
The Talentless Raven and Rita had helped Pelomas clear the class promotion dungeon, receiving the Talents of Swordsman and Thief, respectively. Milci had gone from Cleric to Saint.
“Are you going to ask Miss Fiona out on a date soon?” Allen asked.
“Y-Yeah. But if possible, I’d like to train in the dungeons a bit more first,” Pelomas replied. He could not pluck up the courage to tell Fiona how he felt just yet and wanted to gain a few levels with the elves first.
I feel like he’s the only one really enjoying his youth, Allen thought. He was busy developing the island, and with most of its residents squared away, he had recently started to farm in the Rank S dungeon.
He first wanted to obtain rings that increased stats by 5,000 for all five thousand members of the Allen Army. He also wanted to outfit them with hihiirokane weapons and armor, or perhaps even adamantite ones if he could get his hands on them. Those equips would allow everyone to stand their ground against Rank A monsters.
“Shia, how’s it been since your class promotion?” Allen asked.
The Beast Princess had maxed out her skills and become a four-star Beast Fist King. She had maxed out her level as well, and was training fifteen hours a day to raise her skill levels.
“I’ll be meeting with the Beast King soon. It’s all thanks to you, Allen,” Shia replied. Her goal was to strengthen as many skills as she could before she met with her father. She had been called to attend the conference of the Five Continent Alliance, and the rest of the No-life Gamers would be there as well.
“All right. Let’s all go to Muha Town,” Allen said.
Through his Shared vision with Merus, he could see many refugees in Fabraaze hoping to move to Hardcore User Island. Today, they would immigrate to the island, and Allen had had the entire No-life Gamers party assemble for this event. They rode atop Bird Bs and headed to Muha Town, a place slightly smaller than Élan Town. The homes there had been built with dome-shaped roofs made with dried bricks of mud. While this island lacked a desert, Allen wanted to make each town as familiar as possible to its residents.
The moment the party arrived, Merus teleported the immigrants to the island. These refugees came from towns including Rukoaque and had managed to evade the clutches of the daemonic incarnations. Much like the residents of Fabraaze, these immigrants had called the oasis cities within the Muharino Desert their home, and they murmured in awe at the island.
“I-Is this our new town?”
“That mountain must be where the benevolent Goddess Freyja resides.”
“It’s quite cool here, just as I was told.”
“I brought them here,” Merus reported to Allen.
“Thank you,” Allen replied before turning to the future mayor of Muha. “Hello. You must be the mayor.”
Once again, Allen had taken the liberty of selecting the mayor of the town. He had had a Spirit A sneak into the refugee camp of the dark elves and choose an elderly person who seemed like a good leader. Just as he had done before, he gave a general description of the island once everyone had settled in, and Hardcore User Island’s population grew.
＊ ＊ ＊
Ten days had passed since residents had come to settle in Muha Town. Five thousand refugees had flooded into Carl Town from the former Republic of Carlonea, leaving only the three thousand merfolk of Crevelle Kingdom. Since the merfolk required water to survive and a lake had to be created from scratch, it was taking the longest to build. This afternoon, the conference with the Five Continent Alliance would be held.
“Are you guys ready?” Allen asked his party as he stood in front of the room that led to the final floor boss.
“Yep,” Dogora said, voraciously gnawing at a chunk of meat on the bone that he had brought for lunch. Recently, his appetite had grown more ravenous, but no one was sure if it was because he was a growing fifteen-year-old boy or because he had become a disciple and entered Extra Mode.
The last time Allen had seen the Baukis emperor was around the time of the Daemonism debacle. Just like that time, magic ships containing people who would attend the Five Continent Alliance had gathered at the Giamutan Empire. However, with the right conditions, Allen and his party could teleport using Bird A and thus had no need to use the magic ship. For that reason, he had decided to farm iron golems until the last second.
The conference would be held in Beltias, the imperial capital of Giamut. Since the Demon Lord Army’s invasion had been temporarily stopped, now was the perfect time to gather for a discussion. Ever since Allen had become a Rank S adventurer, he had been requested by Guildmaster General Makkaron to attend these Five Continent Alliance conferences, but it was then that Elmahl had sent out a distress signal. Allen had been too busy helping the people there and had skipped the meetings.
The No-life Gamers teleported from the final floor of the Rank S dungeon to the town on the first floor. It was a decent distance away from the entrance to the second floor, but it was the only place where Allen had been able to get two plots of land for 150,000 gold. This base was mostly used by the beastkin and dark elves of the Allen Army, the former group having decided to first receive class promotions before leveling up in nearby Rank B dungeons. There were also a few from the latter group who needed to level up.
“Good, Shia and Luke are here too,” Allen said.
Shia was lost in her thoughts with her fist clenched as she looked up. “Ah, are we going already?”
“Yeah, but it’s not like we’re going to war or anything.”
Shia looked as though she were steeling her resolve in preparation to head to the battlefield. She’s just meeting her family, right?
“I know,” she replied. “All right. Let’s go.”
She punched her hand and stood up to head out with Allen and the rest of the party. The Beast Princess would be meeting the Beast King of Albahal along with Beast Prince Zeu. Zeu, with the help of the Ten Heroic Beasts, had fought the Demon Lord Army in Rohzenheim, forcing the enemy to retreat, before going on to fight in the Central Continent. He had utilized Albahal’s greatest weapons, the Ten Heroic Beasts, to their fullest extent and created mountains of monster corpses.
While it was uncertain if his valiant deeds were thought of highly or if there was some political ploy in mind, the Empire of Giamut had started to push for Beast Prince Zeu as the future Beast King of Albahal. He had been personally invited to the conference instead of going as an attendant of the Beast King. That might have lit the fire of rivalry within Shia’s heart, as she was gunning for the throne as well.
Allen turned to Luke. The dark elf was still a young boy, and he had been away from his family; he had, rightfully, been a bit nervous in the beginning, but he had managed to blend right in with the rest of the dark elves. He had followed them and the beastkin to the dungeons and increased his levels, allowing him to gain some confidence. It’s great that Luke’s getting used to the army. Once he’s matured a bit more, I’ll add him to our party and have him get stronger through actual combat.
Like the other dark elves, Luke had finished three Rank C dungeons and was currently tackling Rank B dungeons. With a party of forty-eight, they had an advantage in sheer numbers, as well as being equipped with rings that raised their stats and having the support of Allen’s Summons. They were blazing through dungeons at an alarming rate.
Faable, the Sovereign of Spirits, was having her dark fur petted by Luke, a sign that she had accepted him.
“Have you packed your things?” Allen asked.
“Yep. I’m ready,” Luke replied.
The young dark elf spoke rather casually with Allen and the rest of the party. He might have looked like an eight-year-old, but he was already fifteen, much like Allen. And though he was a royal with Faable by his side, his first experience with the No-life Gamers had been a game of ogre. Perhaps that game had been essential in deepening their bonds.
Once everyone had gathered, they used Bird A’s Awakened Ability, Homing Instinct, to teleport into a magic ship that was headed for Giamut. It did not matter if the magic ship was moving; as long as there was a nest there, the user could teleport to it without fail. The No-life Gamers landed in a wide room where Pelomas was counting gold.
“Sorry to have made you board this magic ship by yourself,” Allen said to Pelomas.
Scribbled-on papers were scattered across the room. The merchant had been tasked with determining the cost of paying wages to an army of five thousand.
“Don’t sweat it,” Pelomas replied. “I needed the time to calculate costs anyway. You’ll need roughly 150,000 gold coins a month. If they all receive class promotions, your expenses will nearly double.”
At the rate they were going, it was equivalent to Allen purchasing two plots of land near the Rank S dungeon every month.
“I expected as much,” Allen said. No surprise there.
The Allen Army consisted of five thousand people. Needless to say, they had to make a living somehow, and a good chunk had left their families behind to enter the war. Allen having the noble goal of saving the world from the Demon Lord did not mean that he could not pay his troops. He had amassed an army of people with Talents who had enjoyed a certain level of status before they were drafted. It was imperative that he compensated them based on their skills. Everything required money, and Pelomas had carefully calculated their wages before handing his report to Allen.
Basic Monthly Wages for the Allen Army
10 gold per person
Additional Monthly Wages Based on Talent
Two-star Talent: 20 gold
Three-star Talent: 40 gold
Additional Monthly Wages Based on Rank
5 gold for leaders (10 subordinates)
10 gold for captains (100 subordinates)
20 gold for colonels (500 subordinates)
50 gold for generals (1,000 subordinates)
100 gold for commanders (several thousand subordinates)
Pelomas claimed that the last bit would serve as a great incentive to motivate troops to clear dungeons. That kind of thinking was very fitting for a man who had a squad of mercenaries. Since Allen had generously provided weapons, armor, and rings, as well as sending out his Summons as support, the Allen Army was clearing dungeons at breakneck speed. Any gold and items eligible for exchange that were found in a dungeon were given to the Allen Army. After totals were calculated, the troops that had cleared the dungeon were given thirty percent of the profits as a bonus, and the remaining seventy percent was given to the soldiers developing the island and others who could not fight but were managing the place.
As a point of reference, Zenof, the captain of the Granvelle City knights, was paid fifteen gold a month, while Leibrand, the vice-captain, received ten. And those numbers came after House Granvelle had increased wages upon becoming a viscountship. Allen had confirmed as much with Viscount Granvelle back in Ratash, as the Summoner had wanted to use Granvelle’s wages as a base for the Allen Army’s.
Pelomas had a squad of two hundred mercenaries, operating under the name of Pelomas Whaling Company Mercenary Corps. Every member had been registered as an adventurer. They had all immigrated to Hardcore User Island and renamed themselves as the Pelomas Whaling Company Guards, and were receiving the same wages as before.
Since almost all of them had Talents as well, about five thousand gold a month was required to pay this force. Pelomas had claimed that he managed to avoid being in the red by having them clear dungeons and make money. The Pelomas Whaling Company Guards also required wages befitting their Talents and roles.
The island still did not have any industries and could not make foreign currency just yet, but it still required money to support the residents until they could get on their feet. Allen had calculated all those costs and determined that he had enough money.
The beastkin soldiers of Albahal had received money from the country to fight against Daemonism. Ultimately, that debacle had caused them to lose a thousand of their soldiers, and the Beast Kingdom had given families who had lost their loved ones bereavement pay. However, the remaining two thousand soldiers had decided to join the Allen Army with Shia, so Allen had told Albahal that it no longer needed to pay them. The Summoner had relayed the same information to Rohzenheim and Fabraaze as well. Shia had looked inexplicably relieved once she had stopped receiving wages from her home kingdom.
Allen and his Hardcore User Island would be in charge of covering all expenses and costs in hopes of shutting out any outside investments. He wanted to reduce the risk of his power being transferred elsewhere, and with a bit of effort, he knew he could make between three and five hundred thousand gold in a flash.
“We will arrive in Beltias, the imperial capital of Giamut, shortly. For your safety, please remain seated, as the ship will shake when we land,” came an announcement from a magic tool that was mounted on the wall.
The magic ship slowly landed in the imperial capital. As Allen and his party disembarked, a luxurious carriage with a squad of knights in front greeted them.
“We’ve been waiting for you, Lord Allen and party,” the knight said. “Please allow us to guide you into the imperial palace.”
The lavish carriage rolled along, taking the No-life Gamers to the palace.
Chapter 4: The Five Continent Alliance Conference
