Episode 895: Captain’s Duty
[oh…….]
Andes Necrail spent time in a corner of the Dalehin fortress.
I sensed a number of non-human presences nearby.
It was because Lord Dumal, acting on Verden’s orders, had summoned the aliens to the city to create a residential district for them.
Of course, for now, only intelligent beings, including some vampires who have been granted permission to coexist with society like Dumal’s relatives, have visited Dalehin.
The more sudden the change, the greater the backlash.
It would be a problem if a humanoid variant were to roam freely in the middle of the street right now, but if a variant with which coexistence is not permitted were to enter, it would not end merely as a disturbance.This would be especially true if it were an undead creature that hated the living.
For that reason, Andes had to live in seclusion without revealing himself to other heteromorphic beings.It goes without saying, but the same was true for demons, who were not included at all in the list of new heteromorphic beings for coexistence due to the opposition of the Luas religion.
[There is nothing you can’t eat, but you really like fruit.]
Crunch crunch!
[I prefer apples the most.]
The shadow demon eagerly gobbles up the apple pieces thrown by Andes.Its pitch-black, mist-like form has a mouth beneath the two eyes floating above it. The shadow turned sharp, taking the place of teeth.
[Where on earth does what we eat go, and why do we have the habit of eating? Now that I have completely excluded religious interpretations, there are more than a few things that cannot be clarified.]
Andes held a pitch-black quill pen and scribbled letters in a notebook.
I had defeated demons a few times during my lifetime, and a saint had told me stories about his experiences with demons, but I hadn’t paid much attention to them… However, sinceI will be living with a shadow demon for the time being, I decided to take a closer look at the characteristics of the demon race.
Since I had already introduced the prisoners to Verden, there was nothing in particular to do.
Until the Dark Warton Magic Tower acknowledged the existence of Andes as a partner capable of coexistence, they had to operate in unseen places as before.
And—it was the moment when thick clouds blocked the sunlight and cast a shadow.
Death was near.
Even after becoming undead, he could not forget the sensation of death. Andes felt the chill just before undergoing the ritual of immortality in his own body.
Even from a distance, it was enough to make my bones shiver. Now that you are this close, it is beyond words terrifying.
Not just the undead, but even demons.
Reindel Nexreon spoke from the window where the sunlight had briefly vanished. He had crossed over to the Central Continent as soon as he received the messenger sent by Verden.Eyes imbued with the concept of death saw through Andes’ true identity.
“I see. Now I understand why Verden included the undead among the creatures to coexist with. Is it because of a shred of anxiety that you didn’t come looking for me first?”
[I postponed our meeting because I was not sure how you would react upon seeing me. The hierarchical relationship between the Demonic Way and existence. If you were to make up your mind right now, I would vanish without even being able to resist.]
“I suppose I’ll be able to resist.”
Reindel approached and sat down diagonally opposite Andes. The Shadow Demon stood there blankly. Reindel did not even glance at the demon anymore, as if he had absolutely no interest.
“Andes Necrail, the first Necromancer and founder of the Darkwarton Magic Tower, the Black Sage. You, who should have been buried eight centuries ago, have been resurrected as an undead and are roaming about. Surely, this was done to guard against the resurrection of the ancient king. As a descendant, I shall hear what you have prepared for the past few hundred years.”
[Of course I should. However, before that, there is something I would like to ask as an invitation.]
“Are you talking about the beings, or beings, that have recently been resurrected?”
[As expected, you realized it. That’s right.]
Somewhere on the continent, perhaps something summoned from death by the glory of the corpse. Reindel would be the only one holding a clue about it.
“That is exactly what I was planning to do. I hope you make sure to tell Verden about it later. It seems the former king isn’t the only problem.”
[It’s not just the old kings that are the problem? What does that mean?]
“I don’t know anything. If it’s Verden, there might be something in store for him. Probably. To be frank, he is the man I have the highest expectations for. You must be here because you judged him that way, too.”
Reindel rested his chin on his hand.
“Then I’ll go first. As a courtesy for the invitation.”
First Necromancer.
and.
A necromancer of the time.
Spanning a staggering 800 years, two necromancers began a conversation in one era.
* * *
The marvelous conqueror.
The sixth captain’s name is a tribute to the achievement of overcoming wondrous unknowns such as the Tomb of the First Demon King, the Desert of Silence, and the First Magic Tower, and,like the other captains, is a symbol implying a unique duty.
“How about it, Dappajja? Do you like the name?”
Daricia, the Watcher of the World, clasped her hands together with a look of great anticipation. She had no doubt that Verden would, of course, be satisfied.
Verden thought.
I don’t have any grand sentiments.
The meaning isn’t bad, either.The sound of it is also nice.
There is nothing particularly negative about it.
It was merely slightly less impressive compared to the nickname “Destroyer of Fate” that was often mentioned, including merely ‘your’ surface will.Of course, Verden never actually spoke of such things.
“I like it.”“Ah! I knew it. I worked hard to come up with it in my own way. I took into account not only the pronunciation but also the spelling in detail—”
Daricia is chattering away like a squirrel munching on something. She is the first person I’ve met who likes naming things more than just a hobby.
Legrit crossed his arms.
“You must understand, Verden. Even the Watcher is trying to name a captain for the first time. In the past, he always ended up giving up halfway through.”“Kalad. There was a name for him, too. It is a pity. May innocent rest be upon the humanity that has succumbed to this ordeal.”
A candidate who challenged the tomb of the first Demon King and met his end trapped in the first power room.Verden personally recovered Calrad’s belongings.
Even though the topic of the deceased came up, there was no peculiar awkward atmosphere.
For not only the six captains but also for those affiliated with the Ark who worked for humanity, life and death issues were always common.
Rather, the very act of avoiding the words of the dead was considered disrespectful. Even in death, they are recorded forever as members of the Ark.
Acetro said.
That’s enough small talk, let’s get to the main topic.
Immediately after the sixth captain’s coronation ceremony, a captains’ meeting was convened.The venue was the Exodium chairman’s office.
The reason these six captains gathered together was to inform the new captain of the duties that would be passed down through generations.While they were at it, they also shared the mission each captain held.
It was a kind of self-introduction time for the new recruits.
It was then.
“It is my… duty… to…… destroy…… the… enemies…… of… humanity…….”
The exterminator of calamity was the first to reveal his duty.
When he, a man of few words and accustomed to silence, readily spoke up, the other captains, excluding Verden, could not hide their surprise.
“Now, if you want to speak with the Exterminator, I think all you need is Verden.”“That makes sense. In any case, since the Exterminator spoke first, we will proceed in order starting with him.”“It’s my turn right now.”
Eres smiled a truly youthful smile.
As I mentioned before, the duty of the Watcher of the North is to guard the ice that sealed the Giant of Frostium. It is the long-standing family business of the Royal House of Prohas. However, I haven’t been able to marry because I haven’t found a suitable person yet. It is about time I reached the age where I should be having children.
The sacred sword Nivis and the Watcher of the North are currently inherited by bloodline. And the successor of Nivis never dies of natural causes.
However, if Eres is killed unexpectedly, his bloodline is severed.
In that case, the special magic circuit that was bound to Prohas’s family, just as it was before Nivis was created in the Ark, would come to dwell in other Northerners.An unidentified phenomenon. Thus, the seal on Frostium would continue.
“The watchers are quite strict. At this rate, he might end up living as king for hundreds of years.”“Hmm? Is that something Legritt should be saying?”“Of course not. But maybe things are different now?”
Legrit bared his fangs.
“Well, I’m sure you already know. My duty is, quite literally, to explore the unknown. I hand over any artifacts or new trials discovered in the process to the Ark. Just like the First Magic Tower. In a word, you could call me a pioneer for the Ark—that is, for humanity. Let’s stay together forever. As intimately as we were in the Desert of Silence.”
Legrit raised a hand and bent and straightened her fingers toward Verden. The characteristics of a dragon were visible in her hand, forehead, and eyes.
“You’ve completely accepted it, and now you’ve changed so blatantly. Aren’t you ashamed?”“I am a little ashamed.”“Anyway… *cough*. Well, the duty of the Watcher of the World is ‘discernment.’ Using the eyes of the world, I distinguish whether the person I observe is suitable as a candidate or a member of the Ark before deciding to recruit them. I dispatch personnel to assist a candidate who has overcome a trial but is severely injured, observe the scene of the trial, or even monitor enemies like Gluttony. Unfortunately, I’m not omnipotent, though.”
To observe a specific being, Daricia must look at it once. Separately, she is also unable to distinguish beings such as transcendents.There are limitations,just like the Sky Dragon Aerodon used as the material for the Eye of the World.
“My duty is deeply connected to the Regulator of Balance.”
Acetro nodded.
“My role is to predict the candidates’ likelihood of overcoming trials and to orchestrate precarious challenges suited to their respective levels. Including this, all research for the Ark is my duty.”
The Watcher of the World is the Eye of the Ark, andthe Regulator of Balance is the Head of the Ark.
The two captains mentioned above were the core of the trial system established by the Ark after it acquired the Ark.
“From that perspective, Verden, the duties the superior has assigned you are somewhat different in nature from ours.”“In what way?”“They are ambiguous.”
Whoosh.
Legrit unfolded the letter of appointment written personally by the leader of the Ark. She quietly recited Verden’s mission as written in the letter.
“Sixth Captain, Verden. Uncover and define the wonders of the world.”“…….”“Whether it is an enemy of humanity or not.”
It was a short duty, like Eres.
However, unlike Eres, it was not intuitive at all but implicit. The other captains only vaguely understood its true meaning.
“He said you would know what that meant. Did you understand?”“Of course.”
Verden received the letter of appointment.
Lugard was already aware of what was happening behind the scenes.
In the past, he received ownership of the Ark directly from the First Demon King, and recently, he encountered a strange old fanatic hiding in Gargant.Judging by the story, it seems he even engaged in a brief battle with the old man.
And… even the fact that I have a connection to all those secrets.
Wonder.
The wonders Lugard spoke of referred to significant secrets that had not been revealed to the world. At the end of them lie the first Demon King and ‘you’.In other words, Lugard wants to uncover the truth contained within the wonders through Verden and find out if that truth is harmful to humanity.
If I were to tell it its fate, how would the Ark react?
You must be careful.
You must not be mistaken.
The Ark is a group that serves the human species, not an organization that grants freedom to humanity.Even if freedom through force was affirmed, that was only under the premise that what Verden declared at the coronation ceremony was beneficial to humanity.
If fate judges that it is more beneficial to humanity, it amounts to wielding the sword in the opposite direction.
“Of course, the transcendent being created by the first Demon King has a strong will to resist, just as they pursue their own ideals, so there is almost no chance they will meekly accept their fate… … .”
The problem is that there is wonder in Lugard as well.
The first adventurer.Ark.The Eye of the World.Gamma.
This place is filled with the arrangements of the First Demon King. I have no idea what on earth he intends to do. That is why I have no choice but to release the information slowly.It was a relief that Regrit kept the secret as promised.
Acetro said.
“Since you say you are aware of your duties, I suppose we don’t need to explain further. Apart from personal obligations, there are various common duties, which I will convey in writing later. The situation on the continent is serious.”“I have one question.”
Verden asked the five captains.
“The glory of the corpse is seeking to resurrect the ancient king, and the signs are imminent. Does the Ark intend to prevent the resurrection of the ancient king in advance?”
