In the northern region of the former Silveren Countship, monsters of the bug type ran rampant, causing the forces of the aristocratic factions within the territory to become imbalanced. The Silveren Count Family, facing a rebellion from those with the Baron’s Rank, lost their Count’s Rank, becoming a mere title. However, Viscount Dan’s family, who were friendly, attacked the Baronial Union that had unjustly assaulted the Silveren Count Family. They then sent out a call to arms to the surrounding territories, forming an army for the Silveren Countship Reclamation Plan with the goal of restoring the Silveren Count Family’s status.
In response, the Baronial Union gathered their private soldiers and mercenaries, summoning their trump card: those who inherited the bloodline of the world’s strongest. They formed the Baronial Union Army.
A war of 10,000 soldiers on each side commenced. The Baronial Union Army, possessing the ultimate trump card, emerged victorious.
Although there were various disputes during the post-war settlement, the Baronial house that commanded the Baronial Union Army took the position of ruling this countship.
Meanwhile, Rayos was flying through the northern region in his Astral Body.
“Hmph!”
He detected a marking reaction from ahead. Descending in altitude, he searched for the person who had left the marking.
“…You’ve fallen on hard times.”
The person who left the marking was a woman. What’s more, she was a female soldier who once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Viscount Gins Dan. Rayos observed her current plight, seemingly reduced to a highway robber, and the men surrounding the carriage’s residents.
“If you don’t want to die, leave your valuables behind ♪”
“Leave the women, too, hehe ♪”
The carriage’s residents consisted of five people huddled together: the driver, injured; a man and woman who appeared to be husband and wife; and two young men, presumably friends. They were all terrified.
“Please, spare my wife, guhh.”
“Didn’t you hear? I said leave the women! Don’t you get it!”
The husband tried to protect his wife, but he was struck, thrown to the ground, and kicked in the stomach.
“You—!? Please stop… stop…”
Rayos considered what to do. The wife wasn’t exactly beautiful. The female soldier looked gaunt. The elder sister of the Yoko Fox Clan. He began to weigh them, considering which was the more advantageous option.
“Hurry up now!”
“My wife… aggh!”
“Want to die? Then I’ll kill you ♪”
“N-no—”
Raising his sword high as if to show the surroundings, the man designated A prepared to behead the husband, intending to kill him.
“Guh?! ”
Something small flew and struck his face.
“What are you doing, brat?!”
Man B looked to see who had thrown it. It was Young Man A, one of the two youths, who had acted with a trembling fear. Young Man B was accusing him of interfering.
“Y-you brat…”
Man A, moving away from the husband, approached the carriage to kill Young Man A.
Rayos wasn’t interested in how this would unfold. He prioritized the Yoko Fox Clan sisters. Since he had marked the female soldier, he knew her location even if she had been through the wringer.
“If you’re hiding beautiful women, it must be in a city teeming with them.”
Rayos made a mysterious deduction and set his destination as the largest city in the northern part of the countship.
A town near the dungeon. The Yoko Fox Clan sisters transformed into male appearances. They were adventurers aiming to hit it big in the dungeon.
“Let’s get going—♪”
“Wait a minute. Did you pack food? What about spare weapons? What’s our cover story?”
The elder sister was incredibly meticulous. When they were about to set off after being kidnapped, she had become timid and fearful. Seeing her like this, the younger sister smiled, revealing her white teeth.
“It’s okay. I’m here ♪”
She was surprisingly reliable. However, her past confrontation with Rayos was still a point of concern for the elder sister. Still, she remembered his idiotic expression when he fled. They had been taken this far in just half a day. Complacency was out of the question.
A village in front of the dungeon entrance.
“New faces, huh ♪”
The merchants cheered them on, appraising them.
“Sell your materials to us! ♪♪”
” ” …Ugh.” ”
The merchants were so persistent that they couldn’t help but voice their annoyance. The confirmation and checks required before entering the dungeon added to the hassle. Despite the mental fatigue, the younger sister regained her energy, looking forward to a life-or-death battle with a formidable enemy, walking ahead of her sister. But the purpose of coming to the dungeon again was reconfirmed.
“Yes, good luck then.”
The elder sister’s information was old. Too old, the younger sister exclaimed in the center of the first floor.
“It’s only been a week!”
“That doesn’t change the fact that it’s old information! Where is this man who fancies himself a ruler…?”
Lesser monsters approached upon hearing the commotion, but they were mercilessly turned into corpses by the younger sister’s pent-up frustration.
“Let’s go to the second floor!”
“Well, it’s the only option.”
The younger sister deliberately chose an animal path, hunting lesser monsters as they reached the cave entrance leading to the second floor. A guard dispatched from the first-floor village called out to them.
“That commotion surprised me. It helped reduce my danger, so thanks. Good luck on the second floor, too ♪”
The younger sister intended to kill the guard, but the elder sister stopped her, deeming further commotion a bad move. Once the two were completely out of sight, the guard recalled seeing an imposing old warrior with striking white hair pass by a few days prior.
“If I were that strong fighting solo, I wouldn’t have to do this guard duty… Sigh.”
He looked in the direction of the exit leading to the surface, wondering if it was time for a shift change. Around him, scattered battles between adventurers and monsters could be heard.
“Maybe I’ll earn something tonight.”
The low pay. He wanted to embrace a woman after so long. And so, he decided to earn some money.
The dungeon’s second basement floor.
“…”
Sauron, unable to find the one who had ruined his connection with the “Wind Emperor,” was locked in combat with a fully armed male Minotaur.
“Buuumo—!”
“…”
As the Minotaur swung wide, Sauron released his prey and punched the male Minotaur barehanded. He was about to follow up when several arrows whizzed past his face. Glancing in the direction they came from, he saw a mixed archer unit of Frogmen and Kobolds preparing to loose another volley.
“Gumo. Bumo…”
The male Minotaur, struck, glared at Sauron with animosity and readjusted its stance.
“…”
Sauron decided it was time and sprinted towards the cave leading up to the dungeon’s first floor.
“Buuumo?! ”
The male Minotaur, which had intended to kill him next, called out to Sauron, who was escaping.
“Buuuuooooo—”
“Gekko gekko.”
“Wan wan.”
Held back by his companions, the male Minotaur grudgingly returned to its post.
Sauron, knowing he was at a disadvantage, retreated and ran headlong into the Yoko Fox Clan sisters, who had disguised themselves as youths. The younger sister and Sauron tensed, recognizing him as strong.
“Excuse me. We’re not…” (those kinds of bandits/rogues)
The elder sister stopped them.
“…”
Sauron lowered his guard. The younger sister also relaxed her stance after a delay.
“Well then, we’re off.”
Pushing his sister forward, they headed deeper into the dungeon. Sauron ascended to the first floor.
The scene returned to the highway where the robbery had initially occurred. Young Man B used his skills to drive off the bandits. The husband and wife thanked him, and his friend Young Man A slapped him on the back, exclaiming, “You’re amazing!” Then, all of them noticed the groaning coachman. The husband of the couple sat on the driver’s seat, and his wife used a piece of cloth from their luggage to stop the coachman’s bleeding. The coachman, injured by a thrown knife during the robbery, cursed his forgotten existence, praying to the heavens.
“Hold on. I’ve stopped the bleeding.”
“…Ugh, cold…”
Heavy bleeding. A drop in body temperature. A threat to his life. Ominous words swirled in his mind. The wife’s emergency first aid. The encouragement from the two youths. Upon reaching the town, they handed him over to the town doctor. Blood tests were performed with magic, and the coachman finally felt relief after a blood transfusion.
“I’m alive.”
“You were lucky ♪”
The town doctor’s words brought no joy to the coachman. Suddenly, a jolt like an electric shock coursed through him, and memories of his past life flooded his mind, threatening to engulf him. Startled, he struggled against being consumed.
“Uel, affi.”
“W-what’s wrong!? Someone! The patient is thrashing about!?”
The town doctor called for a nurse. The coachman continued to resist the flowing memories. But he was consumed. He was no longer the coachman, but someone else.
“…Are you alright now?”
The town doctor asked cautiously.
“Yes, the pain in my body has disappeared.”
“Then, once the transfusion pack is empty, we’ll run another test. If there are no problems, you can be discharged, okay?”
The town doctor seemed somewhat confused. The person who had been the coachman, after determining his body was fine, pulled out the transfusion tube and vanished from the hospital room.
“I have been resurrected, you sons of bitches!!!”
A crowd gathered, wondering what was happening at the sight of him shouting at the heavens.
“Oops.”
It would be bad to attract attention now. I will take over his world, that guy’s world!
Someone was plotting world conquest.
