Froilan and I weren't sure what to do next after all the revelations from a single soul who looked like they were in a daze. We knew something was definitely off.
What could possibly be the point of killing otherworlders and chaining up their souls?
[Answer: There's a possibility someone wants to become a Supreme Demon Lord.]
Huh? Supreme Demon Lord?
[Answer: Yes. A rare being, ranked higher than a normal demon leader. To ascend, they need to consume 1,000 otherworlder souls, which equals about 100,000 souls from Orion residents.]
Hot damn.
I turned to Froilan.
"Hey, do you know anything about a Supreme Demon Lord?" I asked.
He spat out his water and looked at me, pale.
"W-where did you hear about that?" he asked, fear clear in his eyes.
"I was just curious."
Suddenly, Froilan started sweating.
"Uhm, look Boss," he said. "There are eight demon lords in this world. Each rules their own nation. They're scary and powerful. The Supreme Demon Lord is the one who rules over them all, like someone dragged straight from the abyss. Combine the power of all eight, and you get that guy. Can you imagine how strong that is?"
I scratched my head. Seriously? I had no idea. I'd read about demon lords in books and yeah, they were strong.
"Why are you not trembling in fear? Are you an idiot, boss? People tremble just hearing the term 'demon lords.' But Supreme Demon Lord? Man, I'm about to piss myself."
Seriously? Why should I fear someone I haven't even met?
[Answer: You have the Conqueror's Dominion Skill Nullification.]
What's that, Cheru-san?
[Answer: It's an active skill that nullifies aura-based fear magic cast by high-powered individuals, especially when they invoke their titles or names. It's usually used to scare weaker beings.]
Oh, I see. Thanks, Cheru-san.
"Anyway, setting that aside, Froi, do you still want to look for another place to raise your boars?" I asked.
"No, not yet. I've decided to put that off for now. We need to check the crops first and plan out the route for our trade," he said.
As planned, we walked toward the crop field—only to find them starting to wither.
"Master, we're sorry. The rain hasn't come yet. It was supposed to arrive three days ago," said one of the farmers tending the field.
Froilan looked at me.
"Boss, if it's okay with you... we're going to lose a huge amount of profit if these crops die."
I sighed.
I looked up at the sky and raised my right hand. Dark clouds started to gather, swirling with the sound of electric energy brewing inside. A powerful gust of wind burst out around me, disturbing the nearby crops and trees across the quadrangle where I stood.
Then, I raised my hand and released the thunder strike brewing in the clouds. The roar of white lightning echoed as it crashed to the ground below.
"B-Boss, waittt! Are you sure this is gonna work? I-I think you're gonna fry the crops instead!"
[Answer: The amount of rain you're about to summon is equivalent to a storm from a signal number 3 typhoon.]
Ah! My bad.
I exhaled and deactivated my Wind, Water, and Electricity magic. Slowly, the massive storm cloud shrank and started to release a steady rain, just enough to water the crops.
Then I heard clapping behind me.
I turned and saw Raiden sitting in her usual seat beside the now-sleeping Froilan, with the farmers nearby and her maid serving her tea.
"W-what are you doing here?" I asked, stunned. She was supposed to be in Levaerûn.
"Well, I'm here. Does it matter?" she said casually, sipping her tea.
"But the barrier?"
"It's just a piece of cake for me," she said, thanking her new maid for the tea. "I'm amazed. You've already figured out how to combine different elements to create a much more powerful form."
She sipped again.
I shrugged and walked over to her.
"I was just trying to make it rain," I said.
"Didn't look like rain to me before you dispersed those thick black clouds."
"I overdid it."
"Tea?" she offered, pouring a full cup into another white teacup. "By the way, I came here to warn you," Raiden said calmly as she crossed her legs.
"To warn me? You shouldn't do that to the farmers and Froilan," I said.
"I just cast a shield to keep anyone from listening in, including the people I don't trust. That's why they fell asleep. You never know who might be eavesdropping," she replied.
"Okay," I nodded. "So what exactly made you leave your lair to come warn me?"
"This continent is under the jurisdiction of the First Knight. Can't you smell how rotten and disgusting the air is around here?"
Clueless, I said no.
Raiden squinted at me like I'd just failed a test. Then she sighed.
"This place is a murder capital. I can practically feel the weight of all the crimes committed here. It makes sense, though, the Knight is a necromancer, and everything around here reeks of death. But the pit, two hundred miles from here, is a different story. What really bothers me is that all the souls there belong to otherworlders. And not just any otherworlders, they were all previous heroes. I suspect someone is trying to become a Supreme Demon Lord," she said.
"How do you even know about that?"
"The Supreme Demon Lord used to be just a myth, or so I thought. But my master, Sora, once told me it's possible… if someone consumes at least a thousand hero souls. If that someone is a devourer with a high-level Devour skill, then yeah, it's doable. The Supreme Demon Lord is basically the Devil himself. The original one has been sealed in an Unlimited Seal for centuries by an ancient dark elf. Right now, that pit already holds the souls of 700 heroes. If it reaches 1,000, this world will fall into chaos. That's why you need to free those souls, Troy."
"Eh?! Why me? You're way stronger than I am!"
"Elemental magic can't damage a necromancer's dark magic, Troy. It has to be you," she said.
"Wait! Wait! I'm also an elemental magic user! I can't-"
"You're special, Troy. I'm sure you'll figure it out," she cut me off.
"That's not fair! I don't even know what kind of magic can beat necromancer magic!" I whined. It honestly felt like she wanted me to take out a Knight, and I knew I wasn't ready for that.
"Holy Magic," Raiden said casually.
"Holy Magic? What the hell does Holy Magic have to do with a necromancer?" I asked, panicking.
"Holy Magic is the only kind that can actually hurt a necromancer," she said as she sipped tea from her mug.
"I don't have that kind of magic!"
Raiden looked at me, scanning the area like she was searching for someone or something.
"Where are Fenrir and Hel? The ones you summoned?" she asked, clearly referring to my puppets, who were supposed to be my companions.
"Wait, how do you even know about them?" I asked, suspicious.
"Of course I know. I have eyes everywhere, remember?" she said bluntly.
"Ah..." I scratched my head. Right, I had left the two with Leland back at the farmland to guard those fruit-bearing trees. "I left them to watch over something," I replied.
Raiden stood up and flicked me hard on the forehead.
"Ouch! That hurts!" I shouted, rubbing the sore spot.
"Fenrir is a Holy Knight, stupid. You need him. And Hel too. So if you're planning to travel to another country, bring them with you! You're in enemy territory, the capital of this cursed continent. You better have some allies on your side. Levaerûn might be full of fugitives and lawless folks, but Zephyrus? Zephyrus is a damn country enslaved by the Necromancer. You need to bring them back."
"Okay! Okay! Just calm down," I said, raising my hands. "I'll go and get them back!"
"Good. And also... don't die yet," Raiden said before vanishing, along with the shield.
Froilan and the farmers suddenly stirred.
"Ugh. What happened?" Froilan mumbled, groggy.