The Death Mage Who Doesn’t Want a Fourth Time

Chapter 378: The dukes’ pledge of loyalty, and graduating from fundamentalism

More than 360 bones, tendons, cartilage, nerves, blood vessels, muscles, fat, a brain, eyeballs, a nose, ears, lips, a heart, lungs, a stomach, a liver, kidneys, a pancreas, a small intestine, a large intestine, ovaries, a uterus…

Even with the ‘Metamorph’ ability, creating all of the necessary parts for a human body all at once, in an assembled state, was no easy task.

It was physically unpleasant and required a very large supply of nutrients over an extended period of time; because it required a constant intake of food, it also caused a constant sensation of indigestion.

The task was only two-thirds complete so far.

“This is my first time attempting it, so I thought I’d do it again if it went well, but… I don’t think I want to do this again anytime soon,” Mari groaned, speaking her honest thoughts.

Two arms with pale, unhealthy-looking skin extended from behind her and wrapped themselves around her.

“Thank you, truly… I will never forget what you are doing for me,” whispered a woman who looked a little older than Mari’s current mid-teens appearance.

This was a pale woman with long, flowing, wavy hair. The single eye, the nose, and the lips that could be seen through the gaps in her hair were well-proportioned; she could be described as a beautiful person.

But her overall vibe was influenced heavily by her whispered tone, the dark and damp atmosphere that enveloped her, and most of all, her pupils. They were dark, like a pure, boiled-down black, and yet they were filled with a piercing, mysterious light that shone fiercely, making no attempt to conceal itself.

Anyone who saw her would not think of her as beautiful, lovely, or sweet; instead, they would sense danger and avoid approaching her… and that danger was like that of a poisonous flower rather than that of an unsheathed blade. And if anyone were to look at her and Mari from behind right now, with no knowledge of what was happening, they would become certain that this instinct was correct – because the woman embracing Mari from behind had no lower body. Her upper body, from the waist up, was growing directly from Mari’s back!

However, this was no monstrosity – it was Bashas, the Goddess of Rain Clouds.

“Well, I’m doing this because you gave me your divine protection and promised that you’ll put in a good word for me with the other gods. And you even gave me your divine protection up front. So don’t worry about it, Bashas,” said Mari.

Bashas’s upper body half was growing out of Mari’s back because Mari was currently in the process of creating a physical body using ‘Metamorph.’

Bashas was a respectable goddess. Originally a woman who had accomplished great things by predicting the weather, her soul had ascended after her death, becoming a benevolent goddess. In the present day, she was only worshiped in a part of the Alcrem Duchy, and some considered her to be inauspicious, believing her to be a goddess who sent omens of heavy, disaster-causing rains. But she was generally known to be a compassionate goddess.

“Or should I be calling you Goddess?” asked Mari.

“Good heavens, no,” said Bashas. “You can call me by my name. You and I are like sisters, aren’t we?”

“Huh?” Mari uttered, looking confused. “Err, sisters, you say…?”

“I remember you saying that I’m a sister that you have split your blood and flesh for,” said Bashas. “I didn’t have many friends when I was a mortal, you see, so I’ve always wanted a kindred spirit or a true friend.”

Bashas’s reputation as a compassionate goddess did not preclude her from having a messed up personality, the kind that would be described in modern-day Japan as a ‘landmine’ or ‘heavy.’

“Why are you sounding like Arthur all of a sudden? You’re making me confused,” Mari said.

She recalled that Arthur, the potential hero chosen by Bashas – a young man with a fierce look but a pure, good heart – as well as his younger sister, both had the kinds of personalities that made them become attached to others very quickly.

Maybe Arthur worshiped Bashas despite her having few worshipers in the Alcrem Duchy because he felt like they had something in common, Mari thought.

But that wasn’t quite correct.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I was just so happy. We can’t rush these things, can we? We have to start with being friends and getting to know everything about each other! … But you have so much trust in me, and I have so much trust and love for you that I’ve given you my divine protection. So I think that at this point, we’re already more than friends,” said Bashas. 𝐑ÅNȏＢЕṩ

It was Bashas who had seen the potential in and given her divine protection to Arthur because he was a pure, kind-hearted young man who was among the most talented among her few believers, and also had much in common with her.

With some more thought, Mari realized that Arthur, who had been a strong but ordinary hunter before receiving Bashas’s divine protection, had no way of knowing what her personality was like.

If anyone were to see Bashas’s actions or hear her speak, they might wonder whether it was really alright for a goddess to have such a personality.

The question even crossed Mari’s mind, though for just a moment. But she quickly changed her mind as she remembered the boy she worshiped as a god, who was the guardian of the little girl she called ‘Mama.’

And it doesn’t seem like her being similar to Arthur is causing any harm. She’s a goddess, and the things she’s saying… Well, she’s a goddess, Mari thought.

She didn’t know Arthur particularly well. The first time she’d had a proper conversation with him was when he had come to her with the request to create a vessel for Bashas – in other words, recently. But she had heard about his personality from others, and because he was a one-dimensional character, he had been easy to understand even just from a brief meeting.

And because she would be going through the trouble of using ‘Metamorph’ to create a body for Bashas, as she was doing now, Mari had asked about her in detail.

Darcia had said, “According to Vida, she gets lonely easily but she’s a good girl.” Talos’s opinion was, “I think she’s quite the good woman!” Luvesfol had almost never met her, so his opinion wasn’t of much value… The general consensus regarding Bashas was positive, with no warnings that one should be careful around her or stay away from her.

Now that Mari thought about it, the fact that Bashas had become attached to her so easily was perhaps only natural, since she had already received her divine protection.

As she pondered this, with Bashas connected to her back in a way that made it impossible for her to escape, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Vandalieu entered, pushing a wagon full of food. “I’ve brought you more servings, Mari.”

“Thank you! Itadakima~su!” said Mari.

“Bashas, how are you feeling?” Vandalieu asked.

“I’m feeling very good. The vessel my beloved Mari is creating for me is wonderful,” Bashas replied.

Mari’s initial plan had been to create Bashas’s body on her own and surprise Vandalieu, but… creating an entire person’s body on her own was more difficult than she had thought, so she had let him in on the plan to get his help.

However, Vandalieu was surprised by the sight of Bashas’s upper body protruding from Mari’s back, so it could be said that she had succeeded in surprising him.

“I’m quite surprised. I didn’t know you two were so close,” Vandalieu said.

It seemed that his surprise was different from what Mari had intended.

“Well, there was a lot to think about. It seems like there’s no problem worshiping multiple gods in this world, anyway,” Mari said.

Lambda was a world in which multiple gods worked together in order to maintain its existence. Thus, it was considered normal for people to worship multiple gods, unless they were clergymen who worked at Churches.

However, things had happened in reverse order compared to most people in Mari’s case – she had first accepted the request to create Bashas’s vessel, then started worshiping her in order to become able to gain her divine protection.

“… Vida, Talos, and even Bashas herself – none of them have ever told me this, but is this kind of worshiping really okay?” Mari asked.

The knowledge she considered common sense came from Earth and Origin; she seemed to be a little concerned that her way of worshiping gods might be considered dishonest. And it wasn’t just any god – she was right in front of Vandalieu, the main being that she worshiped.

“I don’t think there’s any problem with it. If you were working at a Church and living a life of worship, it might be another story, but that’s not the case for you, Mari,” Vandalieu said, speaking his thoughts as Mari’s friend and guardian.

In this world, where gods bestowed their worshipers divine protections and sent familiar spirits to their aid, the aim of gaining tangible benefits was a part of worshiping the gods.

Of course, there was also the path of undergoing harsh training to temper the body and mind in order to support the hearts of the people, and no small number of people chose to go down that path. However, even if that weren’t the case, there was no need to feel any shame about it.

“And I also have ulterior motives for worshiping gods – it’s a part of my pursuit of my own happiness. I’m saying it’s fine, so it’s fine,” Vandalieu said.

“It’s as Vandalieu says. Don’t worry about it, my beloved Mari,” said Bashas.

“Thanks, but I’m not sure I want to be called ‘beloved Mari’ in front of other people,” said Mari. “And the way you’re embracing me is a bit…”

“Now that you mention it, she doesn’t have any clothes yet,” said Vandalieu, coming to the late realization that Bashas wasn’t wearing anything. “Let me weave some.”

He produced threads from his mouth and began weaving her some clothes.

“By the way, isn’t it about time for important talks over in Orbaume? I was sure it would be a Demon King Familiar that would be visiting us,” said Mari.

“To me, being here is more important, so I prioritized being here,” he said, still continuing to produce threads and weave them into clothes. He was skillful enough to surprise a silkworm.

“Ah, that makes me very happy,” Mari said in delight. “But it’s a council that even the king and the other top officials are attending, and you’ve got the most important role, so I feel bad for them that it’ll be a Demon King Familiar that will be there rather than the real you.”

“I know. I wanted to bring your food and check how the two of you were doing, so I’ll head over there as soon as I’ve weaved Bashas some clothes… Just to be perfectly clear, this isn’t a proposal of any kind. It’s just a present. Okay?” he said, drawing a defensive line to prevent the same situation that had happened with Deeana.

He was happy that he now had a daughter, but children weren’t supposed to be conceived without planning. He still had the bones of the Beast-god Ganpaplio.

“P-propose?” Bashas said, turning red and giggling uncontrollably as she buried her face into Mari’s hair.

“Bashas, your legs are done so we can separate now,” said Mari. “And Van, I think you’ve just brought trouble on yourself.”

“I get the feeling that I have,” said Vandalieu as he continued spinning his threads.

Orbaume, the capital city of the Orbaume Kingdom, had met an unprecedented calamity in June. Loss of life had been minimized, but most of its buildings had sustained heavy damage; there was so much damage all over the city that it would have taken an untold number of years for the people to return to their normal lives.

Under ordinary circumstances, the entire city would have been abandoned and another city made the capital.

And yet, in just three months, most of the buildings had been completely repaired or rebuilt… Not just the castle, the outer walls, and the buildings belonging to the Guilds and large-scale companies, but the residences of ordinary citizens as well.

And the slum district, which had been deemed a societal problem until June, had taken in a variety of businesses as tenants, becoming reborn as a commercial area known as the Zakkart District.

Orbaume hadn’t been restored to its original state. It was now more prosperous than it had ever been, and as a city, it was bursting with life.

But it had come at the cost of Demons and Undead becoming a part of its populace.

“Grandma, you’re all better now!” a child said.

“Yes, I can even carry you all and take you up into the sky,” said the child’s grandmother, who had been an elderly lady with a crooked back before the incident, but was now a winged Demon. “I won’t let you treat me like a frail old woman anymore,” she said, flying into the air with her daughter and grandchild on her shoulders.

“M-mother, don’t be too reckless, okay?!” said the Demon’s daughter in concern.

Elsewhere, a man deliberately bumped his shoulder against someone on the street. “You bastard, my shoul…” he began to growl, but changed his tone mid-sentence. “I’m so sorry for bumping into you! I’ll be more careful from now on!”

“No, no, I’m the one at fault,” said the person he’d bumped into – a Demon with horns protruding from his head, shoulders, knees, and elbows, who had previously been a timid youth. “Did my horns hurt you? I do have a cover on them, at least.”

“Not at all!” the man’s younger brother said to the Demon. “I’m telling you, Aniki! That trick isn’t going to work anymore!”

These Demons and Undead were those who had tragically lost their lives during the incident in the capital, then undergone pseudo-reincarnation at Vandalieu’s hands to be reborn as Demons.

In other places, there were what appeared to be groups of Skeletons – split entities belonging to Knochen – walking across streets, letting out low groans. Ghouls, who had officially been recognized as a race created by Vida, were purchasing meals at food carts. Caravans of Centaurs, who had apparently been allowed to leave the lands that had been designated as their autonomous territories, were astonished by the sights they were seeing in Orbaume.

This may have been the price of recovering from the incident, but it was one that Orbaume had gladly paid.

“Come to think of it, Mother, there’s a rumor that the Boundary Mountain Range moved, closing off the border between the Sauron Duchy and the Mirg shield-nation. I wonder if it’s true?” said the woman whose mother had turned into a Demon.

“What nonsense are you spouting? It is simple for that person to move a mountain range,” said the Demon.

The Demons believed that it was only obvious that Vandalieu had moved the mountain range.

But that was not the case for King Corbitt and his subordinates, who had gathered for a council in Knochen Castle.

“The mountain range has moved. When I first heard this news, I thought my steward had lost his mind… I never imagined that it was actually true,” King Corbitt muttered.

“I wish you had at least let us know in advance so we could make preparations,” one official grumbled.

“No, I think that in itself would have caused us much trouble,” said another.

Marshal Dolmad laughed out loud. “Personally, I consider it quite auspicious, as it seems that I will be able to retire sooner.”

“Even if you had been notified in advance, it wouldn’t have made a difference, would it?” said Meorilith.

She was not even an honorary noble, and yet she was present at this council. Now that she had retired from her position as the principal of the Hero Preparatory School, she was nothing more than an ordinary commoner in terms of social status. But leaving her job didn’t erase her skill as a former A-class adventurer or her personal connections.

None of the nobles gathered here were able to speak to her with disrespect.

“What do you mean by that, Meorilith-dono?!” an official exclaimed.

“Hmm, saying that it wouldn’t have made a difference might have been going too far,” said Meorilith, taking her original statement back. “Politically, it would have made a mountain of difference. By notifying you lot in advance, the Demon Empire of Vidal could have taken the stance of showing you consideration. And you lot would have gained the track record of… making the Demon Empire of Vidal show you consideration.”

The noble who had objected to her statement let out a vexed groan as he fell silent.

“I see. No written records would be made of it, but such practices between negotiators and people in charge form trust. I must remember that for the future,” said Vandalieu, nodding seriously several times as he pondered this information. “Prior notification is quite important then, isn’t it, Sensei?”

“I’m not your Sensei anymore. I’m just a hired adventurer now, at least until I’ve repaid the debt I owe you and your friends,” said Meorilith.

She was here to repay her debt to Vandalieu and his companions – the debt of Vandalieu agreeing to graduate from the Hero Preparatory School after only around half a year, whereas other students were required to attend for at least a full year. This also applied to Pauvina and even her party members, including Reinhardt.

In order to repay that debt, Meorilith had left her position as the principal of the Hero Preparatory School, returned to being an adventurer, and offered her cooperation.

Of course, Vandalieu and his companions had not requested that she do this. She had done this of her own free will.

“You don’t need to be so conscious about it. Pauvina and the others accepted that it was about time for them to leave, too, given the current circumstances,” said Vandalieu.

“As a lowly educator, that can’t be where I draw the line. And besides, I believe you need me,” said Meorilith.

She was a former A-class adventurer; her abilities in combat would be useful to Vandalieu, but not to the point of making her presence necessary. After all, there were plenty of others among his companions who were as powerful as A-class adventurers.

However…

“Vandalieu, I believe that you’re already aware of this, but… you are ignorant when it comes to politics. The fact that you forgot to give prior notice before moving the mountain range is proof of that,” Meorilith said.

Vandalieu and his companions were greatly lacking in political ability. In particular, there was a lack of members with the mind for politics who were also able to oppose Vandalieu’s opinions rather than being his fanatical supporters.

There was Chezare, but as an Undead, he had a tendency to do as Vandalieu bid him to, and although he had been a military officer of the Mirg shield-nation in the past, he had not been a civil official. His younger brother Kurt had also been a military officer, so he was still a step short of being a political expert.

They received advice from Duke Hadros Jahan and Duke Takkard Alcrem, but they were his friends and also dukes of the Orbaume Kingdom. They were not people who were in positions that Vandalieu could easily discuss national politics with.

Meorilith was not a civil official, but she had long-lasting connections with the nobles of Orbaume due to her position as the principal of the Hero Preparatory School, and even had experience in mediating negotiations and resolving troubles. That was why she was necessary to Vandalieu.

“I am grateful for your instruction and encouragement, Sensei,” Vandalieu said.

“How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me ‘Sensei?’” Meorilith sighed.

The nobles breathed a sigh of relief as they watched her in action.

Ordinarily, those who were lacking in political knowledge were easy marks for them… They could trick them into being useful or give them advice in order to earn favors, among other things.

But that was certainly not the case when the person in question was the ruler of a powerful nation whose military strength greatly exceeded their own.

The sheer magnitude of his ignorance of customs was liable to cause unexpected troubles. And it would be irreparable if those troubles were to develop into fatal situations… such as war.

No matter how broad-minded Vandalieu was, even if Darcia was the incarnation of Vida, these concerns would always exist.

And there was one more role that the nobles were hoping that Meorilith would play.

There were two men glaring at each other, their anger clashing against each other and making those around them hallucinate that the space around them was being distorted.

“She’s a good, proper woman. Leaving such a good woman, you’ve really withered up, haven’t you, my great senpai?” taunted the ‘Thunderclap’ Schneider.

“Unlike you, a brat who is perpetually in heat and fools around with women, she and I are both adults,” retorted Randolf ‘the True.’

“Who are you calling a brat? I’ll be seventy in less than ten years. Have you forgotten that humans age differently to Elves? And I don’t recall fooling around with any women! I take proper care of all of them!”

“It’s about time you woke up and faced reality. Do you think that there are any elderly humans who behave like you? Or perhaps it’s only the bottom half of your body that’s young, and your mind has gone completely senile? Spend more time nibbling your vegetables and stop commenting on other people’s love lives.”

This conversation sounded like two thugs snarling at each other, but one was the S-class adventurer born in the Amid Empire, and the other was the S-class adventurer who hailed from the Orbaume Kingdom. The nobles were entirely incapable of stopping their quarrel.

Randolf was at least tolerable. He had connections to important nobles, and everyone knew that he was not the type of person to go on a rampage after losing his temper.

But the same was not true for Schneider. It was the first time he was meeting nobles of the Orbaume Kingdom, and there were well-known rumors that he had once, in an act of pure rage, beaten a noble to death on a main street in broad daylight. Even after that incident, he had been known to pick people up by the collars of their shirts and hurl them into the sky if they angered him, regardless of whether they were nobles or not. These rumors were not unfounded; they were firmly based in reality.

The nobles of the Orbaume Kingdom still lacked the resolve to try to keep such a dangerous man under control. They had quietly kept their distance from the two, waiting for the storm to pass by, but there were no signs that it would end.

As S-class adventurers who previously worked for two nations that were enemies, the connection between them was by no means shallow.

Indeed, they had run into one another on occasion at the border between the Mirg shield-nation and the Sauron duchy, which had always existed until just a few days ago, and there had been indirect clashes as well due to the commissions that they were carrying out at the time – such as one seizing an asylum seeker that the other was supposed to escort to a safe location, or one rescuing a prisoner of war before the other could even begin their commission to escort them under guard.

They had never directly resolved their conflicts, so their vexation at being bested by one another had likely been smoldering over the years. But given that Schneider had well and truly left the Amid Empire’s side, it would be terrible if they were to have a direct showdown now.

That was why the nobles were staring at the person who had brought Schneider to this council… Vandalieu, pleading with their eyes for him to stop them. But Vandalieu took no notice of their eye signaling.

“I understand that the two of you are good friends, but the council is about to begin, so let’s be a little quieter,” Vandalieu said to Schneider and Randolf.

He didn’t see Randolf and Schneider’s quarreling as a problem. After all, he felt no killing intent in the glares they directed at one another.

And so, he saw their exchange of glaring and angry words as nothing more than a small verbal argument and showed no concern whatsoever.

This was where Meorilith and Lissana came in.

“Randolf, if you’re going to treat him like a child, then don’t behave so childishly yourself. I’m working here, so stop causing me unnecessary trouble,” said Meorilith.

“Schneider, if you’re going to claim that you’re an elderly man, then please at least learn to have some of this little thing called ‘composure,’” said Lissana.

Randolf and Schneider scowled and turned away from each other, putting an end to their bickering.

Those who had been kept out of the council chamber due to the fury radiating from Schneider and Randolf were finally able to enter.

“Now then, it seems that everyone who wishes to attend has gathered, so can we begin this joint council between the Demon Empire of Vidal and the Orbaume Kingdom?” said King Corbitt, before any further trouble could occur.

“Let us do that,” Chezare agreed. “We shall now begin the council.”

With that said, this was no ordinary council – its purpose was to ask questions and offer suggestions to Vandalieu and the Demon Empire of Vidal.

… Under ordinary circumstances, they would probably have been discussing what measures to take against the Holy Nation of Amid and the Farzon Duchy, but the main nobles of the Orbaume Kingdom believed that it was more important to deepen ties with the Demon Empire of Vidal than worry about the enemy nation that was separated from them by a mountain range and the duchy of their own nation that was hostile but isolated.

“First of all, there are a few things I would like to announce,” said Vandalieu. “The new mountain range has been named the ‘Ark Mountain Range.’ With the cooperation of Duchess Elizabeth Sauron, I plan to carry out city development and build temples along the mountain range.”

Envious gazes from the other dukes and their representatives gathered on Elizabeth, who looked nervous as she sat in her seat.

Up until now, the Sauron Duchy had been the only duchy whose land shared a border with the enemy nation… It had been the spear that the Orbaume Kingdom pointed at the Amid Empire, and it had been its shield against it. But with this, it was now the gateway between the Orbaume Kingdom and the vastly powerful nation that was the Demon Empire of Vidal… It was the point through which trade would be conducted. The benefits this would bring to the Sauron Duchy were unfathomable.

“Next, I would like to build embassies for my nation and yours, but a certain condition must be met,” Vandalieu continued.

This caused a stir among the dukes and their representatives.

“T-truly?!” one exclaimed in disbelief.

“Oh my! What is this condition that you speak of?!” asked another.

The building of embassies meant the establishment of public locations to build relations of trust and, at the same time, gather information.

The information gathered through an embassy would be invaluable in learning how to best form relations with the Demon Empire of Vidal, which had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

However, the stirring dukes hesitated when Vandalieu named his condition.

“If the Holy Nation of Amid or the Farzon Duchy engages in war with our nation, as our allied nation, you must join the war,” Vandalieu said.

He was confirming that the dukes of the Orbaume Kingdom were willing to go to war with the Farzon Duchy… a duchy with elite, capable adventurers who had even worked in their own duchies up until just a few months ago.

Knochen’s split entities immediately began handing out forms. If signed by the dukes and stamped with the coats of arms of their houses, they would become officially binding documents.

They would not be bound by magic or curses, but ignoring the oath written on them would be a decisive act of betrayal… something that was not an option against the Demon Empire of Vidal.

“G-giving an immediately reply right now would be–” one of the dukes’ representatives stammered, attempting to give the only natural response – requesting more time to make the decision.

But he was interrupted by four dull thudding noises.

“Will this do?” asked Hadros.

“I’ve signed it. Go ahead and check,” said Elizabeth.

“Ah, the Knochen-san that’s over there, please take this,” said Duke Birgitt.

“Good grief,” sighed Takkard.

The four of them had signed and stamped the documents without any hesitation whatsoever.

Seeing this, the other dukes and their representatives knew that they’d been had.

Ordinarily, the contents of formal discussions between top-ranking officials were decided to some extent before the discussions took place. Their officials and envoys spoke frequently to discuss matters beforehand.

Thus, under ordinary circumstances, preparations would have been made for a council like this.

That was why these were no ordinary circumstances. Vandalieu… and the Demon Empire of Vidal, had imposed a test of loyalty on each duchy – to ensure that they would not join Alda’s side at the last minute.

We have already taken into account the possibility that not every duke will be able to respond immediately. From the very beginning, we intended to give them time to think and allow them to respond later, but… I didn’t expect that even Duke Birgitt would make his response now. Perhaps he predicted that this would happen? wondered Takkard, the one who had come up with this plan.

“W-wait! I’m going to stamp the document right now!” Duke Lucas Hartner shouted hastily.

“There’s no need to rush. You don’t have you give your response right now; I don’t mind waiting until after the council,” said Vandalieu. “Of course, it would be problematic if a war were to start before you gave your response.”

“It’s fine! Take it now!” Lucas said, handing over his stamped document.

“The Corbitt house makes its pledge. Here is the proof!” said King Corbitt, handing over the document that he, too, had hastily stamped.

With the addition of these two, six dukes had submitted their documents. It was likely that the other dukes would follow suit soon.

And with this, the test of loyalty had been passed.

“Now then, this is my last announcement… My religion, ‘Vida fundamentalism,’ will now be simply known as ‘the worship of Vida,’” said Vandalieu.

“Does that mean that you are becoming ordinary Vida worshipers?” asked one of the dukes.

“No, it’s simply a change of name. There is no change to our principles and doctrines,” Vandalieu said.

Vandalieu had been preaching what he had called ‘Vida fundamentalism,’ but that was not because he was a Vida fundamentalist. It was simply that calling it the ‘peaceful faction’ or ‘co-existence faction’ was too similar to the faction led by Heinz – Alda’s peaceful faction.

He couldn’t stand the thought of people assuming that they preached similar things just because their names were similar.

But Heinz had already returned to the Holy Nation of Amid. The presence of Alda’s peaceful faction was fading rapidly everywhere except for the Farzon Duchy.

And Vandalieu and his companions had already shown their power. With that being the case, there was no need for them to hesitate in declaring that they were the true worshipers of Vida.

The worshipers of Vida in human society might consider it arrogant for them to declare that the Vida worship in the region within the Boundary Mountain Range was the ‘true’ one. However…

“The things we preach have already been explained in our stage performances. Thank you for your understanding,” smiled Darcia – the incarnation of Vida, standing right behind Vandalieu.

There wasn’t a single worshiper of Vida who could claim that their worship of Vida was more correct than that of the faction that included someone who was capable of summoning Vida herself upon her body.

And so, the inaccurate term ‘Vida fundamentalism’ ceased to be used.

Monster explanation (Written by Luciliano):

Dark Emperor God’s Skeleton Knight

The race title of Bone Man, who has reached Rank 15. His appearance differs little from that of an ordinary Skeleton, but the hardness and flexibility of his bones surpasses that of Orichalcum.

If one considers the ‘Dark Emperor God’ to be Master, then it seems that Bone Man could now be considered as a heroic spirit who serves Master.

As if to prove that he has transcended the boundaries of ordinary Undead, anti-Undead light-attribute spells are now less effective against him than before.

Thus, given that he possesses a physical body, it is perhaps more accurate to categorize him as an Undead-type demigod or a demigod-type Undead.

With that said, it would be premature to decide Bone Man’s classification when he is the only one belonging to it. It is likely that other Undead like Bone Man will come into existence in the future; it would not be too late to decide upon the classification then.