Chapter 20: Advancement
Dawn has broken over the horizon, casting a glorious shadow over the land of demons. The violet sky of night gradually transforms into the bright blue sky of day. It was a lovely but vexing day. The hall appears lively today because it is no longer haunted by the previous heavy atmosphere. With those gleeful tones, the imps greet me. "Good morning, my king," one said, "how are you feeling?" others responded.
"Quite nice," is all I can muster. Spending the night looking for the necessary assortment is not without merit, and those are inhumane. The aura of the Ars Goetia is quite fearsome to influence the mood of others on the way to the chamber I once slept in. Those who patrol the area have fearful expressions on their faces.
One knock and two knocks, both silent, with no response. Between three and four, only a whisp of air can be heard. If I insisted on courtesy, I would be late, so I open the locked wooden door. Andromalius is spinning his spear side to side behind it, each swing creating a sonic boom so loud that the outside world cannot be heard clearly.
"There you are, Mikhail." I'm only training in the morning. "I hope you don't mind the late greeting." Andromalius makes a generous bow that is neither too low nor too high. He has only been doing fine from the outside, and yesterday was a nightmare for his fragile mind. If I'm being honest, witnessing my childish tantrum and receiving such an unusual offer were detrimental to anyone.
"I think I should say it, sir Andromalius. "Did sweet dream come to visit you?" Clearly, my keen eyes have dulled as a result of the sudden change of this vessel, I say. Mood swings and an inability to detect emotions are just minor inconveniences.
"No, those are still haunting my mind." "I bear the sin of ignorance for a long time because so much loss has resulted from it," Andromalius said, his face pained. He is still too aware of his baseless sins.
"And I see your hardworking wing has taken meticulous care of your duty." Suddenly, he said cheerfully, he wanted to get away from the reality he was so depressed about.
"Do not make such a snide remark, sir Andromalius. "I'm still a long way from being wise and powerful," I scoff. If acting like a child will soothe some of his soul's wounds, I'll put up with the embarrassment.
"I know, just to lighten the mood. "Can you tell me where you're taking me this morning?" Andromalius inquired once more while holding my hand. He likes the way I dragged him through the empty hall yesterday. I did it in a fit of rage and received such a positive response.
"We'll go to the agriculture minister to demonstrate one of the first technologies I'm proposing," I said, feeling his grip tightening; they wouldn't get along, but everyone would have to cooperate in the end. I must, in some way, bridge the gap between my thoughts and actions.
The harsh sun hung high in the blue sky above, greeting us as we entered the field with crackling earth. Once I've changed this vessel and accumulated mana for the outside world, the heat will be bearable.
"Ah, you snoozing heads. Did you just wake up from a beauty sleep or something? Oh, I misspoke. I greet the little majesty and the northern irritated lord." He is in a good mood today, so the agriculture speaks in jest.
"I'm sorry, I was so busy catching up on late work." I should have come here at first light." It would be late anyway because I still needed to see Andromalius advise him on the advice. In any conversation with the agriculture minister, I should refrain from making lies.
"For work-related matters?" After all, the little majesty is praised by the picky advisor for a reason." The agriculture chuckles; in this scorching heat, it's difficult to maintain a friendly façade without responding so spitefully. He returns the ingredients I requested to keep yesterday. He must not have been joking about making them his "keepsake," because the quill pen is sharpened on the tip.
"Enough with the nonsense you insist on. Your king is here to help you do your job properly, but you choose to make a mockery of tardiness?" Andromalius exclaims angrily, perhaps it's the heat or that unresolved business from yesterday.
"I apologize for your nobleness, but time is of the essence here, and little majesty hasn't said anything at all, so why speaking for them all of a sudden?" "You and your aristocratic demeanor." The scorching heat seems to affect both of them, as long as I am not interrupted-
As they push each other, their argument turns into a shove-off. Each time they step on the works, the mild impact becomes more irritating. The misplaced rune as a result of their shoving was the final straw. I'll have to start over with a fresh sheet of paper.
"Enough bickering; if this continues, I will kick the two of you out of here." When I express my displeasure, they immediately stop. Both of them exchange dagger stares but refrain from putting their hands and feet in each other's way.
Space equations can be both simple and complex. All of the different factors, such as the mana level in the atmosphere, the automatic function of the space, and the alarming or greeting function,... have been kept in a combined and smooth system by the linking. The complicated part is how the linking works; those aren't just held onto a simple line of chains, but they also support each other. If one link fails, the entire space could implode.
The space is completed after another hour or two, when the sun is at its highest point of the day when the last rune finally lines up with the closed conditional terms. The elven soul will be used as the power source for the space to stabilize around.
When the golden soul is placed on the commercial use space equation piece, a rift of black vortex opens in the midst of the heat haze day, wrapping the mana particles around it for the condition to be formed. Unlike me, who had seen this process many times before, Andromalius and the agriculture minister gripped each other as if I were performing some destructive act of clearing a whole nation of humans.
"What was it?" "Are you performing ancient art?" As soon as the door to the pocket space opened, Andromalius inquired. The design is odd because the backside has nothing to support it and yet it stands in the middle of the field. This is my first time attempting the new null magic formula; using an angelic method would simply destroy the environment given the low mana capacity in the air.
"I would call it too ancient because the office room and the library still use similar forming and maintenance technology." I twirl it around a little with the rune to get it to work and cast the spell." As I entered the room, I noticed that it now had a few pieces of furniture, as the main purpose is to grow food.
There are numerous plots of fertile soils; the earth spell in the room should be cast on a regular basis after harvest. The water rune on the ceiling should keep the moisture level in this area high enough for the plant to grow."I would call it too ancient because the office room and the library still use similar forming and maintenance technology." I twirl it around a little with the rune to get it to work and cast the spell." As I entered the room, I noticed that it now had a few pieces of furniture, as the main purpose is to grow food.
There are numerous plots of fertile soils; the earth spell in the room should be cast on a regular basis after harvest. The water rune on the ceiling should keep the moisture level in this area high enough for the plant to grow. The fruits and vegetables are harvested by telekinesis magic during each 10 minutes cycle in this mana-rich space. This location is far more efficient than the garden of promise, and I hope it serves its purpose well.
"I'm not sure what you're on about, but this is impressive little majesty." All that declaring will not be in vain. "Are you going to perform some fancy magic that I won't be able to duplicate?" The agriculture minister laughs heartily; I doubt he would do so if he knew how much work had been removed from his responsibility.
"On this white machinery, just a drop of blood." "I'll be doing it first." With my thump, I splattered a small amount of blood onto the white desk. The greeting function should be operational.
[ Register… ]
[Mikhail's information has been registered]
[Welcome, Mikhail]
"A tiny drop of blood, eh?" That's something I'm capable of." The agriculture minister bites the thump with his fang, blood spatters onto the white desk, and despite being patched up, it appears to be a murderous scene.
[ Register… ]
[Unknown blood has been found]
[Register manually, Mikhail?]
So he's one of the seven unnamed demons; did he not choose a new one for himself? I was hesitant to ask because Blood Claw had acted uncomfortable when asked, the agriculture minister is a hothead, and the outcome would be disastrous because it was his personal business.
[Registered “The agriculture minister” completed ]
[Assaigned “The agriculture minister” as vice admin ]
"What exactly is a "vice admin," little majesty?" The agriculture minister inquired, groaning, that being asked to wait for so long had reduced him to a dumbfounded demon with no sharp tone to use.
"I mean, you'll take care of this site because it will provide enough food for the kingdom." I point to the space around us; I can't tell if Andromalius is just standing there looking around for an explanation or if he's just wandering around the closed space based on his dull expression.
"You mean this small swath of land, how much food will they produce in any case?" "I don't believe in strange magic and spells." The agriculture minister expresses doubt.
"The cycle will run automatically every 10 minutes, resulting in approximately half a ton of vegetable and fruit for an hour." It's not worth much, but it can at least feed some of the poor." I'll explain briefly. If I mention a simple part of the space equation, he will immediately fall asleep.
"Half a ton !?" You've got to be kidding, right? In the glory day, the kingdom made that much with a team of specialized farmers for a month of hard work." The agriculture minister reacted strongly. I assumed demons would eat a lot because some of the books mentioned gluttony as punishment for ever-ending consumption, another falsehood to be rewritten. I was about to get another scolding for absurdity, but the agriculture minister stopped himself to go any further than that.
“I see… I understand what it is worth noticing about you, which is why that perfectionist of an old man praises you so much. Saying this miracle isn't worth anything is a uniquely tiresome way to put it in little majesty's vocabulary." He thinks again, putting his arm to his brow because it was something he mentioned coming at that moment... What is Andromalius doing with those grown plants? Stop, you'll be drawn into the telekinesis magic.
"So, what will I do about them?" A half-ton means a lot of hard work for me. Don't belittle me because these bones can still do far more than you, little majesty." The agriculture responds gleefully as if he has given up on dealing with the logic of my "miraculous" feat.
"Just bring the finished products when it's finished harvesting, and replenish the seeding every two days," I respond.
"Is that it? "Do you think you're looking down on me?" The agriculture minister spouts, clearly irritated by the small workload. The fact that he isn't used to it fits his personality better than lying about it.
"Are you dismissing your responsibilities?" It is an important responsibility to cherish this time in your life. "Maybe you don't want those innocent lives to be a burden on you then?" I declare overly dramatically. Would he decline this if he is the type of man who works hard?
"Don't be so serious, I was just joking." Okay, I'll fulfill this duty that is worth many lives." The agriculture minister sighs as he approaches the machinery. I lead Andromalius out of the room; he's been quiet since my angry remark.
"Andromalius, I'd like your village to try something similar." "What is the reason for your sudden silence?" I let myself in.
"Mikhail, I'm only now realizing. It's already past noon." Andromalius points to the sky, noting that the sun has descended too far from its highest point. That, according to my memory, means an invasi-.
The end
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 21: Visiting village"It's past noon. The sun has passed its prime time. In Saudade, there will be an invasion. It is entirely my fault, and I must- " A knock behind my head, the knock was not strong enough to have a long-term effect, but it was enough to take my mind off the current panic. Andromalius must have used his strength to prevent further damage to my vessel."You are a foolish king, Mikhail." But don't worry, I've been in contact with my trusted troops since last night. That you have no ill will toward us, the high noon comment is a rush to bring you back to reality because you are so engrossed in your work." Andromalius teases us as he moves us to the shade. The imps quickly bring some iced water to cool down the heat stroke we have."That remark of yours almost gave me a panic attack, Andromalius. However, I apologize for my tardiness in performing my duty." The sun is still shining brightly as we speak, and the lack of sleep has kept me from thinking much; moving
Chapter 22: Meeting anew"What time is it?" Is this the place?" My head isn't hurting as much as it used to, and the migraine is gone when I force myself to rest. I was collapsing at the table of negotiation before properly giving the plant seeds to them, looking around and searching my memory. I recall them reaching for it so they didn't fall to the ground... I'm glad I don't have to recreate those seeds because I want to modify fully-adapted them to these rich dark-mana lands.The room is the same as when I awoke, a chamber without a window. The door to the outside world is located in the room's right corner. Was I going through another "rebirth"? No, no, that space's memory would be here. So, am I simply overworking my sleep? Is there no heart failure or organ dysfunction? This vessel has adjusted well to my new work-style environment.I'll try sneaking outside by opening the wooden door. I'm hoping it wasn't too late in the day to get up. The brilliant moonlight shone through the
Chapter 23: Coronation"Your Majesty, what were you saying?" I inquire once more as if my ears were deceiving me. How absurd would it be for a supposed angel to be a demon king, and how would the citizen react to such information? Has he gone insane as a result of the taunt I received?"Majesty this and majesty that, do you still remember being my equal?" Kryos responded with a scoff. He doesn't mean it in a playful way anymore; the point of gathering us all isn't to consult me about my actions, but for Kryos to resign himself."Being worked behind your charisma is enough, Kryos; there's no need to go this far." He can simply go outside and play with whatever piques his interest. Why is he going to such lengths to prove a point?"After all, wasn't the contract you asked me to make just for behind-the-scenes work?" Saudade still requires a demon king to cling to." As a homunculus, I can change my appearance to match the citizen's desire for a demon king, but I will never be one; imitat
Chapter 24: Sovereign’s responsibilities----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Anti dotum: a variation of the healing spell ‘heal’, the uses vary but to summarize it is an evil-influenced warding spell, effective again minor curses and natural venom that is lesser than immortal fatality.Anti dodimi: an upgraded version of ‘Anti dotum’, the meaning is returned what has been given, it’s a greater warding spell that targets any harmful influence that may cause the target distress. It cures great curses and any poison produced from lesser than high magic. It can delay an immortal fatality but it can’t cure it entirely.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[ Dear MikhailI won’t be able to attend your coronation so as you read this I guess it should as has been close to an evening as I ask Ash. If you so too wish to hear the ramble of this previous loser, please c
Chapter 25.1: Uneased Past, Uncertain future[Andromalius's pov]The time has long passed dusk; I guess the day was spent too much on their majesty. There is little I can do other than stand by their side and serve as Saudade's new sovereign's caretaker. It's difficult to see how easily they disregard their health for the sake of others' benefits, but I was able to change their self-destructive thinking."Good night, sir Andromalius," the pitiful sovereign says as they drag their weary feet back to that atrocious office.I should return to the sleeping chamber the supporters have built for them. The wooden door opened only for their unconscious body; what is the point of this unused space if the user will never sleep in it?"Shall I sleep soundly tonight, unconcerned about the state of tomorrow?" While I sleep, the thoughts follow me.Morning comes without a haze of a dream; it has been centuries since that happened. "The sealing" is as dreadful as they predicted, but the event hasn't
Chapter 25.2: Blood moon ballAndromalius walks away with a disapproving shake. It's unusual for me to be so assertive like that. It was the usual retreating and allowing the other to contribute appropriate solutions. Today does not appear to be a rational day; was it worth claiming this pride as my own?The blood moon ball, as the dark bishop has stated, is an important aspect of demons. I might as well get ready before the ball starts. It was the waning gibbous moon in the sky tonight, so they will happen in a week or so.I spent the following week studying the documents that the dark bishop had assigned to me. Never an evening has the dark bishop missed the presence of visiting to check on my progress while carrying those passive thoughts. Despite the fact that I have memorized them according to the time of day, my etiquette is still criticized as being unflattering and only imitating old books.Andromalius has been extremely busy the entire time, as I didn't see him anywhere at th
Chapter 26: Exchanging noveltyThe blood moon ball has been over for a day. Ragnorr has been watching me since I entered the ballroom because I still feel cheated after the sacrificial goat's selection. Such dirty tactics he used, suggest I leave while preparing for the limelight to trap me under obligation.He told me to set up a meeting at Saudade's palace a week later. This unnecessary impediment is exhausting. The dark bishop was shocked to learn that I would be the sacrificial goat and refused any summons I requested from his servants.I'm afraid of the rising moon now that dusk has fallen over Saudade. A burdensome task has fallen upon my needy and naive self, without a glimpse of the preferable knowledge at hand. I should take a short break from the garden.I slam the door open and drag my feet outside. The two guards outside the office greet me. I bid them farewell with a nod of approval as the sky darkened. The tiresome Andromalius has occupied the same white table. His massi
Chapter 27: Temporal guidance-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------reveles: A spell that ambles to find hidden traps and treasures. It's considered one of the most used null spells based on its abilities and usefulness in adventuring. The hidden object can not be detected if it was cursed or blessed. If the elemental consists of the object the user trying to find surpassing the user's magic resistance, the risk of damaging the eyes will be dangerous.senstire: A sense-heightening spell. Usually used by warriors, their sense temporally heightens in exchange for mana being used. However, in this state, the user is subjected to lessen of mental fortitude.imago: A spell that duplicates an object. It is very mana-consuming to use as the item must mimic the exact information of the original object so it was advisable to use other creating spells to create replicas that look like the object instead of duplicating the e