The Death Mage Who Doesn't Want a Fourth Time

Chapter 246 - When a black, bubbling nectar fills the cups of the gods

The sensation of bubbles gently tickling the tongue ensured that the addictive sweetness of the caramel wasn’t overwhelming, and the result was a refreshing experience. Also, as each bubble burst, a unique fragrance burst forth and expanded inside the mouth.

Zuruwarn had consumed carbonated alcoholic beverages before, such as ale, but this beverage was different from those, and he became immersed in its flavor. Three quarters of his consciousness was swept away by it.

One of his four heads was busily gulping the cola from his personal cup, while a second was smacking its lips. A third let out a loud burp.

“Pardon me,” the third head said, before continuing to drink.

“So, this is cola… on Earth, the world where it originated, this drink and pizza are symbols of gluttony. It is a drink that drives people to depravity!” said his fourth head.

Vandalieu, the creator of the cola, gave a satisfied nod. “It’s good that you’re happy with it. To be honest, I was worried because it isn’t as fizzy as the cola on Earth.”

The aroma and flavor of the cola that he had created himself was almost identical to the cola on Earth that he barely remembered… No, he had used Gehenna Bee honey as the sweetener, so the flavor was clearly superior.

But there had apparently been a problem with the way he made it; it wasn’t as strongly carbonated. The carbonation wasn’t mild, but it was weak enough to feel insufficient compared to the carbonated drinks that he remembered.

He would later come to realize that he could solve this by increasing pressure during the process of carbonation - the process of dissolving carbon dioxide in the fluid.

He would likely be able to create proper cola by setting up a proper Golem factory to manufacture it rather than a prototype setup using barrels.

However, other than the carbonation, there was no problem with the flavor and aroma of the cola.

Kanako, Doug, Melissa and Legion had all given their seal of approval, saying that it had the same aroma as the cola they had consumed in Origin but with a better flavor… Unlike Vandalieu, the reincarnated individuals’ reference point was the cola of Origin rather than that of Earth, likely because they had consumed the cola of Origin so much that it had overwritten their memory of Earth’s cola.

If one thought about it, it was peculiar that cola’s existence was a common feature in two different worlds. But Earth and Origin were very similar worlds, with the only differences being the existence of magic and the presence or absence of a number of historical events. The tastes of the people and the ingredients that existed in the two worlds were therefore very similar as well, which was why similar carbonated beverages had been produced and become a global phenomenon in both worlds.

Indeed, cola was the same in both worlds, but they were manufactured by different companies.

“Also, it might be true that it’s a symbol of gluttony, but I think it’s an exaggeration to say that it drives people to depravity,” said Vandalieu. “And pizza can be healthy depending on what you put on it and how thin the base is.”

“Mmm. I was joking, of course. But you are fine with it being a symbol of gluttony?” Zuruwarn asked.

“It’s a fact that cola has a lot of calories. And the cost of the ingredients needed to make it is quite high, too.”

The sweetener Vandalieu had used was Gehenna Bee honey, which they had produced by gathering nectar from the flowers of Skogsrå like Eisen, Leshi, Monster Plants and Gante Ents. It was incredibly delicious, but this made the cost of the ingredients very high. Its current price was equivalent to not 100 yen, but 100 Lunas per glass (approximately 10,000 yen).

If one were to attempt to procure ingredients of the same quality in the Orbaume Kingdom, it would likely cost several thousand Baums (approximately 100,000 yen.)

Note: 100 yen is about $1USD. A 500ml bottle of Coke is typically 160 yen in Japan. 10,000 yen is about $100USD. 100,000 yen is about $1000USD.

“The manufacturing costs will go down if I manage to make it possible to mass-produce, and I intend to turn it into two separate products - a common variety that uses ordinary sugar as the sweetener, and a variety targeted at the wealthy, made with Gehenna Bee honey,” said Vandalieu.

“Even so, it sounds like it will be expensive. Sugar is not as cheap in Lambda as it is on Earth,” said Zuruwarn.

Indeed, sugar was highly valuable in this world. It was similar to paper; it wasn’t so exorbitantly pricy that ordinary people could never buy it, but using it on a daily basis would put a strain on one’s wallet. It was something of a small luxury item.

“… Do you intend to import the sugar needed for it from the Majin nation, like you are doing with rambutan fruits from the High Kobold nation?” asked Xerx, the God of Battle Flags.

“Yes,” Vandalieu said with a nod.

“There’s no need for you to be so reserved. I am sure you would be able to produce your own sugarcane or beet sugar in your own Dungeons,” Xerx said.

“That’s true, but we’re already importing sugarcane to meet our current needs. But I think it would be shameful to steal the local products of allied nations… That’s not something we should be doing in such times,” said Vandalieu.

It would be rather meaningless to steal wealth from allied nations when the entire empire was at war with Alda, the God of Law and Fate, and Rodcorte, the God of Reincarnation.

“Very well, though I do not think it is something you should concern yourself with,” said Xerx.

“I agree. Perhaps it would be better to create a cola factory in each nation and have each nation produce their own flavors. Local specialty cola - I think this could work,” said Zozogante, the Evil God of the Dark Forest.

“… Do you have the will to make a profit or not?” Zuruwarn questioned.

Fidirg, the Dragon God of Five Sins, suddenly looked up. He had been even more immersed in drinking cola than Zuruwarn.

“Five-head land?! Is this something related to me?!” he said in alarm.

Note: ‘Local specialty’ is ご当地/gotouchi, and ‘five-head land’ is 五頭地/gotouchi.

“I said ‘local specialty.’ Though it would include the great marshlands of the Lizardmen that you protect,” said Zozogante. “… Perhaps my Ghoul nation’s flavor would be Gante Ent flavor?”

He was absorbing cola through his roots, and his eyes that were attached to his branches like fruit looked like they were spellbound.

“Assuming that we are ruling out a tentacle flavor, would a rice flavor work?” wondered Merrebeveil, Evil God of Slime and Tentacles, guardian deity and mother of the Scylla.

“What would work with the nation of my children? Meat, or perhaps fat…” murmured Mububujenge, Evil God of Degenerate Corpulence, guardian deity of the Noble Orc nation.

“The local specialty cola of my children, who live by the sword…?! Is this not a more difficult problem than any fierce war?!” said Garess, God of Warriors, guardian deity of the Kijin nation.

“I do not think we can add thread or pieces of carapace to it. Perhaps it is necessary to send out Divine Messages and instruct our children to borrow the Holy Son’s wisdom?” said Zanalpadna, Evil God of Carapaces and Compound eyes, parent of the Arachne and Empusa races and guardian deity to their city that bore her name.

Multiple gods were all enjoying Vandalieu’s cola.

“Then should I tell Queen Donaneris myself?” said Vandalieu.

“That would be helpful,” Zanalpadna said.

“Alright,” said Vandalieu, and he decided to take advantage of the current topic to bring up the main reason he had come here. “Speaking of Divine Messages, I didn’t come here just for the cola-tasting today. I was hoping I could ask some questions about a Divine Message from Peria…”

“What do you believe that Divine Message means?” asked Ricklent, the Genie of Time and Magic.

But Vandalieu had already made a guess as to what the Divine Message meant.

“The goddess is sealed away on the opposite side of the planet from the Alcrem Duchy, in a strangely shaped or strangely colored valley, mountain or gulf. That’s what we think it means,” he said.

“You are likely correct,” said Ricklent, whose three forms - representing past, present and future - nodded in agreement.

“Peria is the goddess of knowledge, but she doesn’t like unintelligible riddles and wordplays. From a very long time ago, her favorite saying was that knowledge should be taught simply and accurately,” said Vida, the Goddess of Life and Love. “If textbooks were like indecipherable code filled with similes and metaphors, you’d feel sorry for the children having to study them, right? That’s why her Divine Message should be what she came up with after doing everything she could to make it as easy to understand as possible for the person receiving it. It would normally have been difficult to realize that the world is round, but… she likely thought it wouldn’t be a problem, since Juliana and the reincarnated children are with you,” said Vida.

“I see,” said Vandalieu.

It seemed that Peria, the Goddess of Water and Knowledge, was the type to prefer quizzes over mysterious riddles.

“Ricklent and Zuruwarn are actually the ones who often make difficult riddles,” Vida added. “They made a lot of riddles that were difficult but meaningless to solve during the age of the gods, after all.”

“That is because we were often asked to teach the people the truths of the world. I wanted to tell them, ‘I do not know, so think for yourself,’ in the most difficult way possible,” said Ricklent.

“I did so for similar reasons,” said Zuruwarn. “If they wished to attain techniques that even I did not know of, they would not stand even the tiniest of chances if they were not even capable of immediately solving the most difficult riddles I can create.”

Gods possessed great power and authority. They had been born before people, and they had created them. However, even today, they were not all-knowing and all-powerful, and they had not been born in an omniscient state.

Even the gods, who taught and guided their believers, learned over time.

And the gods did not teach and guide the people solely for the religious faith of the people that served to sustain the gods. If that were the case, humans would be no more than livestock.

If Ricklent and the others had intended to simply use the people as livestock, they would not have given them such advanced intelligence and the capability to learn and grow. They would have given them the bare minimum intelligence required to fear and pray to the gods, and limited their ability to learn - creating them as creatures that simply danced on top of the gods’ palms.

But looking at people now, it was clear that this was not the case. The gods had created mortals as beings who had the potential to one day stand beside them - or even surpass them.

“… I’m starting to understand why mages of the Mages’ Guild keep their secret arts and techniques to themselves,” said Vandalieu, suspecting that Ricklent and Zuruwarn were the source of mages’ secretiveness.

“That is likely true. I have heard that mages in today’s era often choose to worship myself, Zuruwarn or our subordinate gods,” said Ricklent. “I personally would prefer those who receive Divine Messages to decipher them on their own, however.”

His honest opinion was, ‘I am not the god who sent the Divine Message, but do you not think it to be cheating to ask me for answers?’ It seemed that this was the reason that he (or she) had spoken relatively little so far.

“Well, Vandalieu is special in the fact that he is able to come to us and question us directly. Would it not be unreasonable to expect him to not do something in order to decipher a Divine Message, when he is perfectly capable of doing it?” said Zuruwarn, seemingly more tolerant of Vandalieu’s approach.

But he was a mood-driven God, so perhaps this was more because he was in a good mood after having tasted the delight of cola rather than his opinion differing from Ricklent’s.

“… It seems that you have already discovered the answers you seek on your own, so I shall overlook it,” said Ricklent. “But why have you come to ask us about the Divine Message when you have already found these answers?”

“I wanted to confirm things with you just in case, and I was hoping someone could tell me if they know who is slumbering there,” Vandalieu replied.

He had come to the gods’ Divine Realm bearing gifts not to ask for the meaning of the Divine Message, but to ask what would come after they reached the place it mentioned.

He had already sent Cuatro and her crew to serve as a marker for teleportation and carry out reconnaissance, but it would be better to obtain as much information as possible beforehand.

“I see. If that is the case, I shall tell you,” said Ricklent.

“… You’re so delighted that I can barely recognize you. Are you really allowing him to ask us gods?” said Vida.

Like Vandalieu, Ricklent appeared to be expressionless, but according to Vida, he had suddenly become in a very good mood. All three of his forms began answering her question.

“My sister Vida, what I saw as problematic is the thought of asking the answer directly from the gods. In this case, it is merely a matter of information gathering, and I see no problem with gods providing information,” they said.

“Umm, I’ve always thought this since a very long time ago, but I don’t really get that part of you…” said Vida.

“Vida, it is a simple matter of preference, so thinking so hard about it will not get you anywhere no matter how many heads you have. There is not a single god who is not fixated on their own preferences and rules,” said Zuruwarn, patting her shoulder lightly with his tail.

Meanwhile, Ricklent produced a book from somewhere.

“Partway through the battle against the army led by the Demon King Guduranis, I too used up all of my power and fell into a slumber, so I do not know the details of what happened around then. But I have observed this world since I awoke fifty thousand years ago, and more so recently now that Zuruwarn has taken charge of other worlds,” said Ricklent. “What Peria’s Divine Message refers to is the land that is no longer known by its original name, the land that none set foot in. The Demon King’s Continent.”

“The Demon King’s Continent… a separate continent from the Demon Continent that Zantark and the others are on?” Vandalieu asked.

“The Demon King’s Continent is the land that the Demon King Guduranis gained control of first, the land from which he began his invasion upon this world. It is the land where the Beast-God Ganpaplio, the Colossus God Zerno and the Dragon-Emperor God Marduke were destroyed. It is the place in this world that is the most corrupted by dark elements, and it is the place where Guduranis was defeated by Bellwood,” Ricklent explained.

“The Demon Continent is just a big continent with all of its land and its surroundings covered in Devil’s Nests. It was the site of fierce battle during the war against the Demon King, which caused the corruption to advance. Neither I nor Alda had the strength to stop the Devil’s Nests from spreading after the Demon King’s defeat, so they spread across the entire continent,” said Vida. “That ended up working in our favor, though, since Zantark and the others used it to hold off the attacks of Alda’s forces.”

The Demon King’s Continent was almost never mentioned in myths and legends. The battle against the Demon King had been fierce, and the corruption had been so great that the continent lost its original form and ecosystem.

Perhaps even the champion Bellwood had decided that purifying the Demon King’s Continent would be impossible; the continent was not even mentioned in legends telling the tales of his deeds following the recovery of the Demon King’s fragments.

Both Alda and Vida’s Churches taught that it was a forbidden land, and there was not a scrap of information about it or its location even in the Mages’ Guild’s archives.

That was why most humans in the present age had forgotten its existence or mistakenly thought that the Demon Continent was the Demon King’s Continent.

“That is where our sister Botin, Mother of the Earth and Goddess of Craftsmanship, is sealed away,” said Ricklent.

“So, it’s Botin after all, not Peria?” said Vandalieu.

He wasn’t surprised that the slumbering goddess was Botin rather than Peria, even though she was the one who had given Juliana her divine protection and sent her a Divine Message.

He had imagined that it might be a goddess other than Peria herself, as the Divine Message had said ‘a goddess’ rather than ‘I.’ He hadn’t mentioned it up until now because it had been possible that Juliana had misinterpreted the Divine Message or the Divine Message hadn’t come through completely, causing a change in the wording.

“Yes,” said Ricklent. “I visited the place where Peria slumbers not long ago. Alda has deployed a force to protect her, mainly composed of gods that are as young as Fitun.”

“Are you sure they’re not there to keep an eye on her?” asked Vandalieu.

“I am sure that her protection is their intention, at the very least.”

“I see. So, is there a force guarding Botin as well?”

“When I investigated before in the past, gods of war allied with Alda were gathered there. Even in the ‘jaws’ mentioned by the Divine Message. But there are several other gods sealed away on the Demon King’s continent, as well as relics of Ganpaplio, Marduke and Zerno. There are also evil gods of the Demon King’s army and powerful monsters. Thus, gods and their servants are stationed in other locations as well. And Alda is already aware that Zuruwarn and I have allied ourselves with Vida. It is likely that he sent these gods and their servants as part of a plan to keep me from learning of the location where Botin is sealed.”

“Also, some of my children moved there from somewhere while I was sleeping, and are now living underground, so Alda might be looking for them… but that’s unlikely. He probably hasn’t even realized that they exist,” said Vida.

It seemed that some of Vida’s races, who had not existed a hundred thousand years ago, were now living underground on the Demon King’s continent. Surely none other than Vida’s races would think to live on a continent that even Bellwood had given up as hopeless, one whose very existence people had forgotten.

“The one protecting the seal directly is the Boulder Colossus Gorn, the God of Soldiers Zaress and the like… but it is unclear as to whether that is still the case, as I cannot easily approach the area,” Ricklent continued. “I have recorded this information here. As you have acquired ‘Perfect Record Technique,’ you will be able to retain it in your memories even after leaving this Divine Realm… but do not trust it too much,” he warned.

“A god views things from a god’s viewpoint. It is common for things to be seen when walking along the surface on the ground even if there appears to be nothing when looking down from above,” said Zuruwarn.

“Thank you,” said Vandalieu, accepting the book that Ricklent offered him and absorbing it into his body for storage.

With that, Vandalieu bowed and turned to leave the Divine Realm, but Fidirg and the others, who seemed to have been waiting for an opportunity, stopped him.

“Wait! We also wish to speak with you!”

“Vandalieu, we shall lend you our power -”

“Hear our request!” said Fidirg, cutting the others off.

“You are being too straightforward, Fidirg,” said Vida.

“Umm, what is it?” asked Vandalieu, stopping and turning around in bewilderment.

Zozogante’s countless eyes sparkled. “To put it concisely, we are jealous of your Gyubarzo staff.”

“Huh? You want it?”

“No, it is not that we want your staff, it is that we want to become your staff.”

“… So that’s what you mean.”

Vandalieu was a little perplexed by a god who took the form of a tree expressing a desire to become a staff. He had destroyed Gyubarzo, the Evil God of Dark Seas, and turned some of his bones into a staff.

It would be reasonable to want the staff, but considering these past events, Vandalieu couldn’t understand why one would feel envy towards it.

“Fidirg and Lioen, all of you feel the same?” Vandalieu asked.

Both of them nodded.

“Yup,” said Fidirg.

“Yes,” said Lioen.

“… I don’t think you need to give up parts of your own bodies, do you?” said Vandalieu.

Zozogante was a god with the form of a tree, so a single sturdy branch would suffice. But the staff-making process seemed like it would be painful for the other gods, as it would require their bones.

“Zozogante, Fidirg. You should explain the important things first,” said Merrebeveil, slapping the two chidingly with a thick tentacle. “In summary, this is a request for you to create Artifacts. Ordinarily, we gods would forge Artifacts with our own hands, then place our own spirit clones or familiar spirits into them before bestowing them upon our believers. However, it would be possible for you to create Artifacts suitable of being a vessel using roughly the same process with which you create transformation equipment. We would simply need to place our own spirit clones into them to complete them.”

“I see. If I create the arms that will act as vessels, that would reduce the burden required from you,” said Vandalieu.

“To put it bluntly, yes, that is correct. Even gods have things that they are good at and things that they are not so good at… though great gods are apparently able to skillfully accomplish almost anything.”

After becoming a god, Bellwood had left many Artifacts named after himself, such as Nemesis Bell, and there were many tales of Alda, the God of Law and Fate, bestowing Artifacts upon heroes as well. Although the Goddess of Life and Love Vida hadn’t necessarily created any Artifacts, her creations included things such as her resurrection device and Orichalcum Dragon.

But it would be a tremendously difficult task for weak gods such as Fitun, Zozogante and Lioen to create Artifacts.

And what kinds of Artifacts gods could create was affected by their authorities and characteristics. For example, Zozogante would need a relatively short amount of time to create a high-quality wooden Artifact that amplified the power of the life attribute and granted the power to control plants.

But if he were to try and create an Artifact in the form of a metal axe that amplified the power of the light attribute, it would take him more than double the time and effort, and the resulting product would be an Artifact only in name, inferior in function to items that could be purchased with the income of a high-ranking adventurer.

However, if Vandalieu were to create arms that could serve as vessels for spirit clones, the gods could produce Artifacts at no cost other than the spirit clones themselves.

“But why do you want to create Artifacts so badly?” Vandalieu asked. “I would certainly find them helpful, but I’m sure it’s not easy for you to create even familiar spirits, let alone spirit clones.”

Vandalieu’s total Mana had decreased by a total of 100,000,000 as a result of creating Banda, his spirit clone - another version of himself. The only reason it had only cost him this much was because his soul was unique or because it had an abnormal form; for other gods to do this, it would require not only their Mana but a part of their own flesh as well.

Why would the gods go through all of that to create an Artifact just because they were jealous of Gyubarzo? This was the question that Vandalieu had.

“In the parade, we felt the people’s interest gathered upon Gyubarzo due to the fact that you are using the Gyubarzo staff,” Merrebeveil said in answer to this question. “In terms of the people’s worship, it is an attractive prospect for us.”

It seemed that the gods’ feelings of jealousy were a stronger motive than Vandalieu had initially suspected.

“Vida-sama and the others… and even Gufadgarn might be able to accept this, but Gyubarzo was a remnant of the Demon King’s army, an old enemy of us and our children, and he is now destroyed with no hope of resurrection. We cannot help but feel that the people’s attention is wasted on him,” said Tristan, God of the Seas, father of the Merfolk and guardian deity of their nation.

The other gods nodded in agreement.

“Of course, we do wish to be of aid to you and your companions, Vandalieu-dono. Or rather, you being victorious against the heroes of Alda and his subordinates is important for the victory of us gods of Vida’s faction. Thus, we would like you to create Artifacts for us.”

“We do not ask that you create them right this instant. You do not need to use every Artifact yourself. We would be pleased if you could create them when you have time, as equipment for your companions.”

The gods’ eyes were fixed on Vandalieu as they waited for his response.

“If you do not mind what kind of weapons they will be, who uses them - or if I make them transformation equipment or magical girl costumes - I will accept your request to create vessels for Artifacts,” Vandalieu said.

Lioen gave a small groan, perhaps not having anticipated the mention of magical girl costumes, and Zuruwarn gave an amused laugh. But nobody refused these terms, so it was decided that Vandalieu would accept the gods’ request.

The holy sanctuary of Talosheim, where he was meditating in order to visit the gods. It was the place where the Sun Giant Talos had slumbered, a space that was constantly filled with warm sunlight. But as Vandalieu opened his eyelids, he found that his surroundings had become filled with darkness. He felt a soft sensation, something fluffy, something cold, something hard and something wobbly. He could also smell a pleasant scent.

He heard a variety of yawns, groans, squeaks and wobbling noises.

“Have you returned, My Lord?” said Bone Man’s voice.

It seemed that during his meditation, Darcia, Maroru and her sisters, Quinn, Knochen, Pete and Kühl had all formed a big ball around him.

Bone Man, who had left just his skull nearby, went on to explain that Darcia had sat next to him first, followed by Maroru and her sisters snuggling up to him. The three-meter-tall Quinn had then taken them all into her arms, and then the Undead assembly of bones Knochen, the enormous centipede monster Pete and the Slime Kühl had gathered around them. Everyone had then fallen asleep.

“I’m surprised we all didn’t get crushed,” said Vandalieu.

From the outside, all that was visible was a mountain of countless bones and an enormous sleeping, curled up centipede.

“Knochen possesses the ‘Construction’ Skill, after all. And it seems that Kühl’s body is acting as a buffer zone,” said Bone Man.

“You all didn’t really have to go that far… Well, I suppose I made everyone feel a little lonely,” said Vandalieu.

Quinn and Kühl, monsters who were unknown to human societies, did not go out in the open - never mind Knochen, whose appearance human societies would consider to be a natural disaster. Thus, the amount of time they spent with Vandalieu had decreased lately. There were a countless number of Demon King Familiars in Talosheim, but they certainly preferred Vandalieu himself.

“Jyuuh, Eisen is sending her flowers’ scent from outside, with Fang and Gufadgarn waiting for you,” said Bone Man.

… It seemed that there were others outside this mass around Vandalieu as well.

“And Kanako was here earlier. She realized that there was quite literally no gap for her to get inside. She clicked her tongue in displeasure and declared that she ‘would not lose next time’ before leaving,” Bone Man continued.

“… I see,” said Vandalieu.

“And your friend Matthew and the others were booing before they left as well. I am sure they are playing with Pauvina, Luvesfol and the others now,” Bone Man said, finishing his report. “Now then, My Lord, there is something that I wish to inform you of. My Rank increased just yesterday, and my race title has changed from ‘Emperor!’”

“Ah, that’s good.”

Bone Man had always been displeased with the fact that he was a Skeleton Blade Emperor, as he considered this to be disrespectful towards Vandalieu. Vandalieu didn’t care at all, and had said as much, but… there had been nothing to be done, as it had still bothered Bone Man.

The fact that this had changed was unmistakably good news.

“Henceforth, I am a Rank 13 Skeleton Blade Kaiser. JYUOOOOH!” he shouted in triumph as he announced his new race title.

… Didn’t ‘emperor’ and ‘kaiser’ mean the same thing?

“I’m happy for you,” said Vandalieu, seeing Bone Man’s happiness and deciding not to point that out.

To begin with, it had been a problem that nobody other than Bone Man himself cared about, so it being resolved for Bone Man meant that it was resolved for good.

Indeed, Vandalieu didn’t care whether Bone Man was an ‘emperor’ or a ‘kaiser.’ He was simply happy that his companion had grown stronger.

“Jyuh, Talos-dono is currently peeking inside with a troubled expression,” said Bone Man.

“At this rate, there’s going to be more and more visitors coming and leaving… wait, did you say Talos?” said Vandalieu.

“Vandalieu Zakkart, great savior of my children. I currently do not possess the ability to speak directly to your soul when I cannot see you, so I shall speak to you while taking utmost care to not wake those sleeping around you,” said a lowered but still rather loud, echoing voice from outside.

It seemed that Talos was doing his best not to wake Darcia and the others.

But the Sun Giant’s voice was still loud despite being suppressed, and Pete and the rat sisters made hissing and squeaking sounds as they blinked and opened their eyes.

Darcia, however, let out a quiet mumble and showed no signs of waking.

“Yes, I can hear you. Do you have some business with me?” Vandalieu asked Talos.

“Yes. I apologize for speaking to you when you have just returned from the Divine Realm and for interrupting your physical bonding with your family, but I have a suggestion. I have been finding it difficult to find the determination to bring it up to you, but… I wonder, would it not be possible to change the name of this nation from Talosheim to something like ‘The Vandalieu Great Empire’ or ‘The Great Vandalieu Demon Empire?’” said Talos, his voice growing progressively smaller as he continued speaking.

Vandalieu put his hands together as if begging. “Please, spare me from having to do that.”