NOVEL NEXT Chapter 209 - Divine Cat Mii-chan Strikes at the Weakness of an Absolute Power
209 Divine Cat Mii-chan Strikes at the Weakness of an Absolute Power
Rettou-san listens to my story while sipping ale.
“This is troublesome. The fact that signs of darkness are already visible is bad news.”
“Why is it bad?” I ask.
“When one succumbs to darkness, they become slaves to their desires. Nero, do you know how people become stronger?”
“Is it related to the vessel of the soul or skill mastery?”
“Did you hear that from the gods? Well, that’s right. Now, how do you cultivate it?”
“By defeating monsters?”
“Not just monsters. Anything living. And if you defeat someone with a large vessel of the soul, you grow more easily.”
It’s like a video game. You gain more experience by defeating stronger enemies than weaker ones.
“Once, there was a country that summoned a false hero. To make the false hero stronger, they had him fight criminals and grow in power, but despite them being criminals, the false hero couldn’t bear killing people. His heart slowly broke, and he fell into darkness. Once he fell, he craved power so much that he wasn’t satisfied with just criminals. He began killing the soldiers of the country. No one could stop him once he awakened as a hero. As a result, within just three days, the capital city was left without a single inhabitant.”
That’s a terrible story. Since Rettou-san is telling me, it must be true.
“Could the same happen to him?” I ask.
“If a false hero falls into darkness, he can become a threat greater than the Demon King. After all, he has the power to defeat a Demon King.”
“Hmm. Power that can defeat a Demon King… What exactly is a hero? Is it only heroes who can defeat the Demon King?”
“Nero, you don’t get it? Well, let me explain…”
Summing up Rettou-san’s explanation: the Demon King is like a false hero, summoned by monsters or manifested through someone’s desire for a Demon King. Even Rettou-san doesn’t know exactly what aids this summoning, but it seems only something with godlike power can pull it off.
The Demon King undergoes both soul and body modifications. Even if someone from this world could defeat his body, they can’t destroy his soul, and given time, he’d just resurrect. Only a hero, whose soul and body have been altered by passing through the divine realm, can destroy that soul.
“So, does that mean… I’m kind of on the path to becoming a hero too?”
“Mii?”
“On the path? You’re right in the middle of it. In fact, thanks to your divine companion, you could even be considered a true hero.”
Seriously?! No way… If I face the Demon King, I’d be squashed flat in seconds. No doubt about it.
“You’ve got a false hero as an ally, right? So no problem. Just go and take him out,” Rettou-san says casually.
“Mii.”
“Even Mii-chan’s in on it? There’s no way I can do it!” I protest.
Both Mii-chan and Rettou-san are grinning. T-they were joking… That scared me.
“Anyway, the false hero is a real problem. You’d better train the one near you hard. Staying close to your divine companion should give them some benefits, too.”
“Are you planning to use them to take down those who’ve fallen to darkness?”
“Who else is there? If the humans of this world try to handle it themselves, there will be massive casualties. The Demon King would enjoy that.”
That must be the plan. Whoever this Demon King is, they play dirty.
“Aren’t you going to help, Rettou-san?”
“Huh? Why should I? This is something the humans brought on themselves. I have no obligation to intervene.”
“But wouldn’t it be troublesome for you if the Demon King gains more power? You do have an alliance with Hildenburg, after all.”
“Not at all. Whether the Demon King exists or not, it makes no difference to me. I’ve already given Hildenburg flying dragons. That’s more than enough help.”
That’s the kind of thing only an absolute powerhouse can say… Whether it’s humans or monsters, Rettou-san seems indifferent.
“If the human race is put in a tough spot, you won’t be able to drink alcohol anymore…”
“W-what?!”
“There’ll be fewer people fishing, and no one will have the luxury to make delicious food anymore.”
“Mii…”
“Ugh…”
“The Divine Cat Trading Company was thinking of producing alcohol too. We just finalized the increase in production of the miso used on this fish.”
“Mii…”
“Fine! I’ll help, alright? But I’m not getting involved in any human wars. And I can’t directly intervene. It’s a promise made with the gods since ancient times. Higher-ranking dragons must remain neutral.”
“Thank you,” I say with a grin.
“Nero… You’ve got guts, threatening me like that. You’d make a good merchant. Your divine companion is quite something too.”
“Mii~♪”
So, since Larukun is considered my personal companion, he’s not counted in this. It seems Rettou-san will send a few dragons as reinforcements when we fight the Demon King. The condition, however, is that I have to be present. That means I’ll also have to fight the Demon King…
“Of course. Who else is going to land the final blow on the Demon King?”
He’s right… Makes sense. But it’s weighing heavily on me.
Oh, and there’s one more condition. I was asked to take in two more dragons at the Divine Cat Trading Company. That’s a request I couldn’t be happier about, so I gladly accepted.
By the way, I can summon the dragons by calling on a scale Rettou-san gave me. I now have the ultimate summoning ability!
“Don’t forget the alcohol, alright?”
“Mii~!”