**Side: Sayuri**
“This is…”
“To think there really are creatures with multiple heads. Even seeing it with my own eyes, I still can’t believe such beings exist.”
Rex and Rai openly expressed their disgust, and I felt exactly the same.
The Helios Orb has no records of creatures with multiple heads, even in its legends, so their feelings are understandable.
We are currently in the training grounds prepared at the lower section of the Wing of Order.
The training grounds are as vast as a soccer field, so there’s plenty of space to deploy the Wyverns that Mana and Prim defeated.
“Their size is roughly the same as the Wyverns from the Philia Continent, but they have two or three heads. One is the original Wyvern head, but the others are heads of entirely different monsters.”
“They don’t look like naturally born monsters at all. Prim, Mana. The Captain-like demon race member said the Divine Emperor created these, right?”
“Yes, he did.”
“He also called them Chimeras. I didn’t understand what that meant though.”
So they are definitively a type of bio-weapon, these Chimeras.
“Chimeras, huh. So that’s confirmed then.”
“Likely. But…”
As expected, Yamato and Mako noticed it too.
“In this context, ‘Chimera’ probably means ‘modified monster.’ I don’t know if the Divine Emperor thought that far, and I don’t want to know either.”
“I agree. I don’t know why they weren’t brought to the Linnea battle, but maybe they were only recently completed.”
“Or perhaps they simply weren’t strong enough. They’re G-rank, and I doubt they’re a match for A-rank Dragons.”
Mana and Prim explained that the two-headed Twin Head Wyvern was G-rank, and the three-headed Tri-head Wyvern was P-rank.
Calling them Twin Head and Tri-head is quite literal, but since it’s easy to understand, I’ll let it slide for now.
However, as Yamato pointed out, the Dragons the Divine Emperor brought to the Linnea battle were not just A-rank but even O-rank, making these creatures vastly inferior in terms of combat power.
“Sayuri-sama and the other guests don’t seem too surprised, but by any chance, did creatures with multiple heads exist in your world?”
“No, they didn’t.”
“Were they only in myths and legends?”
“They do exist, but they are beings sealed away in ancient times, so it’s safe to say no one believes in their existence.”
“What? They exist!?”
Even on Earth, there are no creatures with multiple heads.
However, Mako stated with certainty that they do exist, which surprised me.
“Really?”
“Yes. Have you, Asuka and Maoh, never heard of them?”
“We definitely haven’t. Also, could it be that you, Mako, have actually seen one?”
“I saw Yamata no Orochi. I thought I was going to die, I tell you.”
“No way…”
Yamata no Orochi… Isn’t that the giant serpent from Japanese mythology said to have eight heads?
I recall Susanoo-no-Mikoto defeating it.
“Yes. In the myths, it’s said that the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, the Heavenly Cloud Sword, emerged from its tail, but it was actually a member of the Imperial family, who was also an Engraver, who defeated it, or rather sealed it. It is said that the Engraving Divine Artifact, the Heavenly Cloud Sword, was first created at that time.”
“Is that so?”
“According to the records passed down through generations of the Imperial family. I haven’t seen it directly, but it’s a story I heard from Yamato’s grandfather.”
According to Mako, a sealed Engraving Artifact, tightly guarded at the Gokokuin Shrine in Kyoto, was stolen by an Engraver who had succumbed to power and gone mad, and was released.
Several sealed Engraving Artifacts were stolen, including those of Nue and Oni. One of them was Yamata no Orochi, and when the man died, the seal was broken, leading to a near-chaotic battle.
Ultimately, it was defeated by Yamato’s parents, Asuka and Maoh, with their Engraving Divine Artifact, the Spear of Brionac. However, the damage was considerable.
“Wait? That massive earthquake… was that because of Yamata no Orochi?”
“Yes. If the location had been slightly further east, there was a possibility of Mount Fuji erupting in the worst-case scenario.”
“Seriously…”
“That’s…”
The great earthquake Yamato mentioned was apparently a tragic disaster with a magnitude of 9.2 and over 10,000 casualties.
Or rather, that’s what Yamato had been taught. However, Mako asserted that it was due to the release of Yamata no Orochi, and moreover, she herself had to fight that monster.
“A giant serpent with eight heads…”
“It wasn’t a monster.”
“Indeed, that was the case. Its body was as massive as a Dragoon’s, and each head seemed to possess an independent will. Its strength surpassed not only that of a Dragoon but even other Demise Species.”
What is she talking about?
How could they defeat such a monster?
Well, besides Asuka and Maoh, there were apparently several other generators of Engraving Divine Artifacts, so defeating it might not have been impossible.
Incidentally, Mako apparently completed the S-rank Engraving Magic, Calamity Hexagram, during that battle with Yamata no Orochi.
It was still incomplete at the time, but she was forced to use it, so I can’t even imagine how formidable the monster must have been.
“There are other monsters with multiple heads sealed on Earth, but they are not generally disclosed to the public. Yamata no Orochi was sealed in a vast underground space, which made it possible to keep it secret. However, the man who broke the seal also supported the Engraver Supremacy faction, so the Divine Emperor might have heard of it.”
“Based on that information, they created monsters like these Wyverns?”
“I can’t say for sure, but…”
It’s possible.
But even if they did create them, I have no idea how. I don’t particularly want to know, but considering that all the pursuers from before were riding Twin Head Wyverns, and their captain was riding a Tri-head Wyvern, it’s safe to assume they are already deployed within Abaricia.
This is the edge of the Gradia Continent, a frontier, so it wouldn’t be strange to find modified monsters even more powerful than Tri-head Wyverns closer to the center.
“Dealing with just the demon race is troublesome enough, and now we have Chimeras too. This is like the Demon Continent.”
“Demon Continent… that’s fitting. With not only the demon race but also modified monsters, I can understand why you’d say that.”
I agree wholeheartedly.
“Sayuri-sama, while the three guests are having their discussion, could you please explain it in a way that we can understand?”
“Ah, sorry. In simple terms, both the Twin Head Wyvern and the Tri-head Wyvern are monsters that were artificially created.”
“What?”
“C-created?”
“To be precise, they should be called ‘modified.'”
Rai, as well as Mana and the others, are bewildered, which is understandable.
While monsters and humans coexist on the Helios Orb, the idea of modifying monsters has never occurred to anyone.
The word “modification” is used frequently, but it had never been applied to living beings like monsters.
On Earth, it’s a common occurrence, and selective breeding could be considered a form of modification, so it’s not unusual for us guests.
In fact, popular mounts like Wyverns, Grantpus, and Preciser are said to have evolved from tamed Pteranodons, Protoceratops, and Pliosaurs, respectively, and have become established species. In a sense, these could also be called modified monsters.
“Su-such a thing…”
“The environments and ecosystems on Earth and the Helios Orb are completely different, and there was no need for such things.”
“This is just speculation, but I believe the biological modification of monsters on the Gradia Continent is a recent development. The trigger was likely the Linnea battle. The Dragons defeated then, including the O-rank ones, numbered nearly thirty.”
Indeed, Abaricia subjugated even O-rank Dragons and invaded the Philia Continent.
All the Dragons that attacked during the Linnea battle have been annihilated, but there are still some remaining in Arrogentia.
However, it’s undeniable that it was not a damage that Abaricia could ignore.
Therefore, the Divine Emperor ordered research into monster modification, suggesting the existence of multi-headed monsters as a concrete example.
And judging by the numbers from earlier, that research has been completed and mass production has already begun.
I don’t want to know the research details or manufacturing methods; it makes me sick.
“Abaricia’s technological prowess, considering they deliberately leaked steamship technology to Solemne, is comparable to Earth’s Industrial Revolution. With that level of technology, it’s impossible to create biological weapons like Chimeras, but the Helios Orb has magic. The magic of the Gradia Continent is a bit different, but it’s still magic, so there must have been some kind of breakthrough. Well, I intend to bury that research content along with the Divine Emperor for eternity.”
“Indeed, such abominable research should never be brought to light.”
Rai and the others are also extremely disgusted.
While I do have some curiosity about how they were modified, there’s nothing to be gained from knowing, and it would only be unpleasant.
Therefore, discarding the research content is only natural.
“To think that in just a few years, they would commit such God-defying acts. No, the deities worshipped on the Gradia Continent are not the gods of the Helios Orb, but the Evil God Abaricia.”
“To be precise, they deny the Father God. The doctrine of Abaricia Orthodoxy is that the Mother God and the other goddesses were originally Abaricia’s wife, and the Father God took her position and status.”
“That’s impossible given the origins of the Helios Orb, and if the Gradia Continent truly transferred from another world, it would be fundamentally contradictory. The priests and the like are also apparently corrupt, so it probably doesn’t matter.”
Abaricia Orthodoxy is the religion of the Gradia Continent, but it has also infiltrated the Philia Continent.
However, most of the Orthodox adherents were active in Retisencia, and Retisencia itself has been destroyed by monsters, so currently, no Orthodox adherents are confirmed to be active on the Philia Continent.
Of course, it cannot be said to be absolutely zero, but Abaricia Orthodoxy is already taboo and despised as a heresy on the Philia Continent, so I doubt anyone believes in it.
“Abaricia Orthodoxy. Wasn’t the Divine Emperor not only the ruler of Abaricia but also the head of Abaricia Orthodoxy?”
“Ah, was that so? Big brother, do you remember?”
“I believe that was the case.”
“Yes, the Divine Emperor is both the ruler of Abaricia and the High Priest of Abaricia Orthodoxy. I recall it being a political structure similar to the former Bacion Theocracy.”
Come to think of it, I seem to recall such a report.
The Bacion Theocracy, which once existed on the Philia Continent and is now part of Amister, was a religious state headed by the Pope, the Grand Priests Master.
A theocratic political system tends to go out of control and cause various problems, but in the case of the Bacion Theocracy, guests similar to us were involved in its founding and advocated for its potential and dangers to various countries. Furthermore, it was clearly stated that the gods would not interfere in the governance of the Helios Orb.
Therefore, the Bacion Theocracy was governed harmoniously by the Pope and the Cardinals. However, what about Abaricia?
The Divine Emperor holds the top positions in both the state and the religion. I doubt that man ruled competently. The investigation team, which could only survey remote villages, reported it as a dystopia rampant with misrule. He is undoubtedly a fool, and the word “incompetent” is too mild.
Although he is roughly the same age or slightly older than Mako, Mako only grasped that the Divine Emperor’s true identity was an Engraver Supremacist, and a low-level one at that. She didn’t even know his face, let alone his name.
It’s hard not to think of it as a twist of fate that such a man became the Divine Emperor and, by absorbing the Demon Crystal, became the King of the Demon Race.
Ah, I’ve got a great idea.
On the Philia Continent, the Divine Emperor is also called the King of Demons, or Demon Lord. And it’s the hero’s role to defeat the Demon Lord.
And the hero is always accompanied by a saint, right?
So, if we defeat the Demon Lord and make a triumphant return, I’ll have Yamato become the hero, and Mako will be the saint.
However, that might lead to Mana and Prim being neglected. So, following the example of the gods, perhaps Yamato should marry twelve saints after defeating the Demon Lord.
Yes, I think it’s a brilliant idea and will be interesting.
Rai won’t object, and since it’s perhaps the highest possible title, he’ll probably welcome it.
Now that it’s decided, I should talk to Certina and Hitomi and think about titles for the twelve saints.
Considering their fighting styles and characteristics, what kind of titles would be appropriate?
