Interlude - POV: Rudeus Greyrat
I surrendered to the Dragon God.
Has some time passed since then, as for the reason for my surrender? I got badly beaten in our fight.
Even the final weapon Sara fired was only able to take off one of his arms; he survived even that.
And well, having become his ally, I needed to know a few things about his goals and who his enemies were.
But that was quite a lot of information. I needed to step back a bit and review all of it.
First of all, Orsted was a member of the ancient Dragon Race, brought to this era from the distant past by a special method of reincarnation.
There were two other unusual things about him: he was cursed and was under the influence of a "Secret Art." The curse made everyone in the world despise him.
The Secret Art had only one disadvantage: it made his mana regenerate very slowly.
In return, it made him basically invincible, since he would be trapped in a Time Loop until he killed Hitogami or died. The technique also hid him from the eyes of the God-Man.
Why did he come here from the past, curse and all?
Well, the God-Man murdered the first Dragon God through a twisted plot, which gave rise to insoluble grudge among those involved.
All the many Dragon Gods that followed lived only to seek revenge; destroying the God-Man was a goal shared by the entire Dragon Race. As a son of the First Dragon God, Orsted traveled to the future in order to fulfill that dream.
"Is that basically it?"
"Yes. You certainly understood all that quickly."
"How many times have you reset the Loop so far?"
"I stopped counting at the hundredth," he answered.
Two hundred years multiplied by a hundred would be… twenty thousand years? Just thinking about it is staggering.
"For now, I must have gone through that cycle hundreds of times, I suppose," said Orsted.
Anyway, that was a really crazy story, and considering he told me all of it, he seemed to trust that I wouldn't betray him for some reason.
Throughout the many Loops, the God-Man had probably done all kinds of horrible things to Orsted.
There were some things I still didn't fully understand, but I probably knew what I needed to about Orsted's past at that point.
Whatever the case, he definitely had something that motivated him to fight the God-Man. That made him the enemy of my enemy.
There were many other questions I needed to ask as well, and since he seemed willing to answer them, I didn't hold back.
I asked about the Laplace Factor, which led him to share the whole story of the Demon Dragon God.
To be honest, that guy was pretty impressive — he himself created the only weapon that was capable of killing him, and even dead, he somehow still remained alive, in a way.
Well, let's see if I understood correctly.
First of all, the First Dragon God sent Orsted to the future to kill the God-Man.
Laplace was one of the Five Dragon Generals at that time, but did he remain loyal to the Dragon God or join him after realizing the God-Man was not good?
He survived the death of the Dragon God and the destruction of his world, and fled to this one.
Once he was here, Laplace began to wander the world, teaching generations of Dragon Gods his secrets and perfecting his techniques so that he could end Hitogami someday in the future.
Then the God-Man set the Fighter God against him and put an end to it.
But Laplace used some last-ditch technique to save himself. Although he was split in half and lost his memory, he managed to live on as two separate individuals.
That was the general idea; it was kind of confusing.
Orsted still hadn't finished speaking.
"The Demon God Laplace retained the belief that his purpose was to kill all humans, as well as his huge knowledge of magical arts. And so, he united the Demons to eradicate humanity."
"The Technique God Laplace, on the other hand, retained his vast knowledge of martial skills — and a vague compulsion to pass his knowledge on to others. Consequently, he created the Seven Great Powers and devoted himself to refining his techniques."
The Technique God created the Seven Great Powers; I think I had heard of that before. It made sense, since he was number one on the list.
Anyway, it was from the Demon God that the Laplace Factor arose.
With that subject settled, I decided to move on to my next question.
"I heard that the Displacement Incident happened as a result of Nanahoshi's summoning. Can you explain in more detail?"
"There is much about those events that I still do not understand. This never happened before."
"Well, I am a reincarnated, and I was near the epicenter of the disaster when it happened. I feel there is some chance I caused it, somehow."
"I cannot deny the possibility, I admit. You, Rygar Adoldia, Nanahoshi and the Displacement Incident are all new additions to the story."
I already knew that the so-called Rygar was a reincarnated from the information Hitogami gave me, but I didn't know anything about the reason why we reincarnated.
Anyway, it seemed Orsted didn't know much about the Displacement Incident either.
Nanahoshi had come up with some strange theories on her own, but there was no need to get into that now. I felt like I had asked enough questions for one day.
Anyway, I felt I would be busy enough with Orsted's undertakings, so I asked for some funding, which he did not consider a problem.
Not that it was extremely necessary; if I was out of money, I just had to hunt some dragons and everything would be sorted again.
After we talked about various other matters, Orsted finally mentioned the most important thing.
"Alright, now, I would like to know what you and the God-Man talked about in the past. Tell me everything. Spare no details."
"Yes, of course."
I told him everything I could remember. Our first meeting happened immediately after the Displacement Incident.
After that, I saw him a few more times during my travels across the Desert, then in the Kingdragon Kingdom and right after we entered the Demon Continent.
After that, I saw him again when we were arriving at Gaslow Province to rescue my parents, just before crossing the Sea to the Celestial Continent, and immediately after we received the news of Paul's death.
We also met while I was preparing to face Orsted. Ten times in total.
I gave Orsted as many details as I could remember from each conversation, including what the God-Man ordered me to do and how his instructions played out.
I basically followed most of them, although some harmed me; in general they helped more than hindered.
It was only when I received a mysterious letter from someone called the Immortal Fairy that I realized Hitogami was targeting my family and my descendants maliciously.
And then, he told me to kill Rygar and Orsted.
With no other option to protect my family, I obeyed and began to prepare for our battle.
It was during that process that he visited again to give me all kinds of advice.
He told me information about Rygar, and told me the little he knew about Orsted. He also gave me ideas on how to weaken Rygar's forces.
It was also thanks to him that we were able to finish the Magic Armor so quickly.
Orsted listened in silence while I spoke. He did not ask any questions. He remained completely silent until I finished.
"And that's all," I said. "Did you understand anything from all that?"
"I understood practically everything about how he was using you."
Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, since I was talking to Orsted.
"He used you to change the course of history," said Orsted.
"History?"
"Yes. Normally, the hand of fate is so strong that certain things must be immutable, but he found a way to circumvent that, using you and Rygar Adoldia."
"Because our destiny is too strong?"
"Precisely."
"Couldn't you do the same thing, if you wanted to?"
"Yes, but I cannot see his goal in altering history so much."
"Isn't it to avoid being killed?" I asked.
"Don't take his words too seriously. Anyway, there is one thing I know for sure," said Orsted.
"What would that be?"
"Hitogami's plans were unfolding normally until Rygar did something that turned the board. You said he hid himself from the God-Man's sight?"
"Yes, Hitogami seemed extremely agitated the last few times, even darker. That started right after I received the letter; he seemed anxious to kill you and Rygar Adoldia as quickly as possible."
Orsted thought for a moment.
"Did he tell you why?"
"Not exactly, nor did he know precisely, since he could no longer see him, but he mentioned that his death was closer than ever due to the Beast God's actions; he wanted me to act quickly."
"I see... that's surprising. If his death is closer, it means the Beast God may possibly create a way to reach Hitogami earlier than expected. I can't imagine how he would do that."
Well, that guy is an ultimate monster; he was probably a great scientist or fighter in his life on Earth, really not something to compete with.
"If he is going to do that, why not ally with him?"
Orsted frowned.
"Rygar Adoldia holds immense resentment against me; that would be difficult."
"Hm, why does he hold resentment?"
"I killed a close friend of his, because that friend would be a problematic apostle in the future. At that time I didn't know what he would become; if that had been the case, I wouldn't have minded sparing Reidar to keep a friendly relationship."
I fell silent upon hearing that. I couldn't say I really disagreed with the Beast God's point of view; if Orsted killed someone very close to me, like Roxy, I would also probably seek revenge.
Of course, I would probably die doing it. But Rygar seems to have some real chance of succeeding in his revenge.
"And what if Rygar kills you before reaching Hitogami?"
"That is unlikely, although he is very skilled, I would still defeat him fighting seriously. But if it happens by some great coincidence or change, then the Loop would simply return."
That made me a little nervous; after all the Apocalypse Beast had the support of an entire Kingdom, could Orsted fight against that? I suppose I'd better not question it.
Anyway, Orsted seemed to place great importance on the Beast God's role, so I suppose we wouldn't come into direct conflict if he didn't attack first.
"In any case, in order to steer the future toward a course more beneficial to me, you will change your current trajectory."
"I'm not good at that 'guess what my opponent planned' thing," I said. "Do you really think we can win this?"
"Yes, Hitogami is not invincible. I am only one step away from finishing him." He seemed confident about that.
It seemed more like he was reassuring himself than me. In any case, he intended to win.
"Then, let's change the course of the near future," said Orsted.
"Near future?"
"Yes." He paused, then continued: "We will make Second Princess Ariel Anemoi Asura queen of the Asura Kingdom."
"Alright."
So we were going to give our support to her? Wonderful. In fact, I was thinking about how I wanted to help her. If this was my first mission, I would do it gladly.
It seemed to have been a good decision to ally with Orsted.
Orsted continued his explanation:
"Originally, Ariel Anemoi Asura would become queen. Her course was protected by a strong destiny, as if it were predestined."
It wasn't very hard to believe that looking at her now.
Ariel's position had only improved in recent times.
She had Perugius as her political ally, had a Sword God and a North God as her blades, and even had excellent advisers at her side.
"For her to become queen, Ariel needs the support of three people," explained Orsted. "The first is the guardian mage Derrick Redbat."
Right, that guy was really responsible for most of Ariel's successes.
"Derrick is highly intelligent and ambitious as well. Even without the Displacement Incident, Ariel was destined to one day meet Perugius. And as you should know, it was Derrick who convinced Perugius to join her."
So, basically, he is Ariel's golden boy.
"Derrick continued to advise her after that, leading him to assume the position of prime minister in the end."
Prime minister? That's a very important position.
Well, that point at least is saved.
"The other key person is Eris Boreas Greyrat, although now she calls herself Eris Adoldia."
"Eris Boreas Greyrat?" My eyes widened. "The Beast God's second wife, the Dragon Knight Eris?!"
This woman's fame had spread a lot lately, as had many heroes of the Gaia Kingdom.
Those who met her on the battlefield and survived to tell the tale often called her the Crimson Terror.
She frequently fought alongside a huge fierce Red Dragon.
"Originally, the Asuran guard had chosen her for her sword skill. She joined their ranks, and it was thus that she met Luke. The two were to be married."
I was still bewildered by how different things had become.
Orsted continued:
"The Eris Boreas Greyrat I knew was a skilled swordswoman, although less so than her current self, but she still reached the level of Saint. Despite her beautiful appearance and impressive status, her fiery personality earned her the epithet of Red Lioness; she seems to have gained a similar title this time."
Well, it seems she outdid herself this time.
"Eris and Luke worked together to protect Ariel from assassination countless times, guarding her on her path to royalty."
"In other words, there is no one who took Eris's place?"
"Correct."
"All right, but it seems there were no major problems with Eris not being there to protect her, right?"
"Indeed. The fact that Ariel still lived is proof of that. At one point, I suspected that Hitogami might be secretly supporting Ariel, since it was all so easy. Although having Eris at her side also meant that Ariel had the support of Philip Boreas Greyrat and Sauros Boreas Greyrat."
They were also victims of the Displacement Incident.
"Fine, but you said there were three people. Who is the last?"
"Tristina Purplehorse."
Right, a name I had never heard before.
"She is the daughter of high-ranking nobility, House Purplehorse. She was kidnapped when she was eight. The High Minister Darius Silva Ganius keeps her as a sexual slave."
That name was not unfamiliar to me. I was sure he was supporting the first prince. But an eight-year-old sexual slave, huh? What a bastard.
"Tristina would have been secretly disposed of, but, luckily, Ariel saved her. Even with her status, Darius could not escape reprimand for having confined a daughter of House Purplehorse for years. He lost his position as a result of the scandal, which also marked the fall of First Prince Grabel."
So the first prince's name is Grabel.
"All right," I said. "So, where is this Tristina in this timeline?"
"Dead."
"..."
That certainly was some bad news.
Orsted continued:
"Although it's problematic, there are still other ways to bring down Darius and gain the support of other nobles, but it will be more complicated to achieve."
Darius had several enemies, and they didn't care about the details of his scandal. All they wanted was an excuse to get rid of him.
As long as they could tell the public that he forcibly kidnapped the daughter of a high-ranking aristocrat, that would be enough to strip him of his status.
"This country is really a nest of snakes and rats."
"I agree. However, it is precisely because these dishonest people reside there that Asura holds the greatest power in the world. It would be so even if the land they lived on were not so abundant... although the current Gaia Kingdom is probably on its way to change that."
That made some sense.
"Even so," he continued, "we have to remove Darius one way or another. With him gone, we will have no problem with the rest of the opposition."
"Is he really such a powerful figure?"
Orsted nodded.
"It is not an exaggeration to say the current king could not hold his throne without Darius. If Ariel somehow cannot remove him from his current post, then it will be up to you to kill him."
"I understand."
I didn't care in the least about killing him; he was an evil minister, anyway. If my opponent was such a pig, then he couldn't even be considered human.
"And what will happen to Ariel if we fail?"
"She will die, I'm sure."
I believe repeating that so many times made him insensitive to the outcome.
I didn't care if he was more focused on winning than the path to get there, but if Ariel died, there was a good chance a few more of ours would get involved.
Orsted did not linger on the subject.
"Don't worry about the other prince, I'll deal with him alone. In about 3 or 4 months, the news should arrive that the current king fell ill; begin your preparations before that and alert Ariel," said Orsted.
"Understood."
"Take this." He pulled a scroll from his pocket and handed it to me. I unfolded it and saw a magic circle that had been drawn on it.
"What is it?"
"A Guardian Beast summoning circle."
I was impressed that he had made it so quickly.
"Put your mana into it and imagine something that will protect your family. It can even be a word. That should be enough to summon something you need."
"Will such a vague image really be enough?" I asked.
"Your mana reserve is enormous. You will gain a better partner that way than if you tried to summon something specific."
Well, if he was saying it, it was worth a try.
After that, I said goodbye to Orsted and returned home.
The next day, I went to the Garden under the watchful eyes of the whole family. It was time to summon a Guardian Beast!
-----
Hello! If you want to support my writing, check out my subscription P@treon
By subscribing, you will get access to up to 20 advanced chapters of the Webnovel and polls to decide various things about the story.
Your support will encourage me to continue writing more chapters! Check it out here: pa treon.com/DaoistJunkYard