Chapter 229

The Immortal King gathered the members of the Seven Lights again.

We are currently in the room where the Seven Lights had held the council meeting a while ago.

King Zect was seated in the upper seat at the back, which seemed to be his fixed position.

I was sitting diagonally in front of him.

After my private talk with Zect, I have asked someone to call Seras and thus, she is also present right now.

She is currently on standby diagonally behind me.

Noticing this, the King tried offering her a seat.

[Seras-dono, why don’t you have a seat? The seat over there is prepared for you.]

[No, I would have to refuse your offer for the moment.]

Seras took a glance towards Gratora.

The Captain of the King’s Royal Guard, Gratora, was also waiting in standby beside the King.

Returning her gaze back to the King, Seras spoke.

[I’ll stay where I am. However, thank you for your concern.]

Back when Seras had just entered the room......

“Seras-dono, are you feeling better already?”

King Zect asked her.

It seems like King Zect is a friendly person who looks out for others.

The first person to enter the room was Armia.

[Oya, I was thinking what happened, but if it isn’t Belzegia-dono.]

[Thanks to you talking through King Zect, we were able to have a smooth conversation. Thank you, Armia-dono.]

[Umu. It’s admirable that you can properly say your thanks.]

Armia took a seat next to me.

The chair she’s sitting on is made differently and is a different size.

I guess it’s a chair made for Lamias.

AD

Now then.

The people who have arrived are the people I’m familiar with.

Not long after, a dragon woman appeared.

A dragon’s head.

A tail.

If no one told me she was a Dragonewt, I would have thought she was a Lizardman.

Reddish brown scaly skin.

Deep green eyes.

She isn’t very tall.

She wears a white light armor.

Looking at her, I introduced myself.

[I’m Belzegia. Pleased to make your acquaintance.]

Glancing at me, the Dragonewt calmly replied.

[Four Warlights, Kokoroniko Doran.]

Giving a minimal introduction, she sat down on a chair and crossed her arms.

I guess she’s the quiet type.

Less than a minute later, a centaur woman appeared.

Wavy cream-colored hair.

Blue eyes.

The lower half of her body was made up of a chestnut-haired horse.

The upper half of her body was humanoid, and what was distinctive about her humanoid body was the color of her skin.

Purplish blue skin.

She has a tattoo-like pattern on her forehead.

There were earrings in her ears.

She is also lightly dressed.

The only major equipment she has is a black breastplate and gauntlets.

Her breastplate and gauntlets were engraved with gold.

On the right side of her horse body was a longbow.

There’s a sword sheathed on the opposite side.

Just as I had done with Kokoroniko, I also introduced myself to her.

[Ahh, you’re the Fly King I’ve heard so much about, aren’t you? Nice to meet you. I’m Qir Meiru of the Four Warlights. I’m in your care.]

Winking at me, she stood next to Kokoroniko.

She’s a centaur, so she can’t sit on a chair.

Noticing her arrival, Kokoroniko glanced at Qir with a look that had some kind of meaning behind it.

However, she didn’t speak to her.

A few moments later......

[Thank you for waiting.]

A Leopardkin with a brusque tone entered the room.

His fur has a different color than Eve’s.

He’s a black leopard.

Crimson red eyes.

He is taller than everyone present here.

His body stature made it seem like the doorway was a little small.

He also had long arms and legs.

The length of his arms is particularly peculiar.

And sheathed on the back of his waist were two——–

Are those katanas?

The scabbards were tightly tied to his belt and formed an “X” shape behind his waist.

However...... They’re long katanas.

[Gio Shadowblade has arrived.]

After the tall leopardkin——— Gio named himself......

[Ummm...... Yerma Shadowblade have also arrived.]

A female leopardkin popped up from behind Gio.

Her fur is also the same black as Gio.

This leopardkin is one head smaller than him.

However, she only looked small when compared to Gio.

Compared to us, she was relatively tall.

The biggest difference between her and Gio is her face.

In contrast to the stern-looking Gio, she looked relatively gentle.

After she named herself, Gio pointed to Yerma with her thumb.

[She insisted on being present in this meeting. With her being like that, Yerma won’t budge in her decision. King Zect...... I’m sorry, but can you allow my stubborn wife to attend this meaning too? The reason I’m late is because I had a hard time convincing her. I failed at that though.]

Faced with Gio’s request, King Zect asked everyone.

[Is there anyone here who objects to Yerma’s presence?]

No one seems to be opposed.

Yerma apologizes.

[Your Majesty, everyone...... My apologies. As His Majesty knows, this man tends to get hot-headed...... I thought I had to be present to stop him when such a thing happens...... Especially since, ummm...... I heard that my husband had a dispute with the Prime Minister-sama at the last council meeting.]

It seems like she had accompanied her husband to stop him when needed.

Or something like that.

Hearing what his wife said, Gio clicked his tongue.

[The only reason I bumped heads with that spider woman was because she made it sound like we were unnecessary. Those Arachnes may be smart, but I don’t like them at all.]

[——–Well then, all that’s left is Liese huh.]

After King Zect said that, a period of silence lasted for about five minutes.

The next person to come into the room was a Harpy soldier.

[M- My apologies, Your Majesty.]

[What’s the matter?]

[Liese-sama said that “she wouldn’t show up until she finished the work she was working on”...... If it wasn’t an emergency, and even more so if this assembly was the desire of some unknown mercenary, she apparently didn’t feel the need to prioritize it......]

The look on the Harpy’s face looked as if she was asking the King for help on what to do regarding this matter.

Hearing what the Harpy soldier said......

[I understand.]

Saying that, the King ordered the Harpy soldier to stand back......

[I’m sorry.]

He apologized to us.

[The council meeting will begin when Prime Minister Lieselotte arrives. Please wait a moment.]

▽

[You’re...... the human from the outside, aren’t you, Fly King?]

There was silence again.

It was Gio Shadowblade who asked this question.

Crossing his arms, he overbearingly looked down at me.

I could clearly feel Seras became tenser, who was standing behind me.

[I have a question for you. Do you know about the Leopardkins named Speed Tribe?]

Hearing Gio’s question, the atmosphere around Seras changed.

[I know about them.]

I replied.

[Then, tell me what you know.]

[......I understand.]

Not finding any problem about it, I told him about the Speed Tribe.

“They were destroyed by humans who selfishly hated the Demi Humans.”

That’s pretty much what I told him.

But I didn’t mention how it was the Heroic Sword who did it or the specific acts their group had committed.

Whatever the relationship between the Speed Tribe and Gio’s tribe had, there was no need for him to know this.

The rest of the story was what Eve had told me about the Speed Tribe.

When Gio finished listening——— he looked down, with his hand on his face.

[......Kuku...... Kukukuuu......]

The black leopard let out a laugh.

[Those idiots.]

[..................]

[Kukuku...... Since the first time I’ve heard of them, they haven’t really changed. That’s what happens when you believe in humans.]

His head swinging upwards, Gio laughed out loud.

[Well, would you look at that!? I told you so! They’re real idiots! Fuhaha... FUHAHAHA! HAAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THOSE——-]

Silently looking at him, Gio opened his eyes——–

[FREAKING IDIOOOOOOTTSSS!]

Gio kicked one of the nearby chairs as hard as he could.

As it was sent flying with his kick, the chair shattered when it crashed on the wall.

Walking towards the wall, Gio turned back towards us.

And then......

[Those——- idiots......!]

Bamm!

He furiously punched into the wall.

His voice conveyed his anger, sadness———- and regret.

[D*mn it...... D*mn it all......!]

""

Yerma walked up to Gio.

She then gently put her hand on Gio’s back.

Turning towards us, Yerma sadly spoke.

[Long time ago, when our tribe was going to hide in this country...... Our tribe had also invited the Speed Tribe to go with us towards this place...... At that time, the Shadowblade Tribe had already given up on the outside world. However, the Speed Tribe refused, saying that they wanted to believe in humans. They believed that one day, everyone would be able to live together with a smile on their faces...... Saying “It may take some time, but we should work for it, not giving up”, they stayed in the outside world...... Or so I heard.]

Wryly smiling, Yerma looked at Gio.

[Gio had been feeling conflicted for a long time. He was thinking that he should go to the outside world now to find the Speed Tribe and force them to come here...... But our tribesmen held him back. No...... I had also held him back. If he goes to the outside world and they find out that he’s one of the Shadowblade, a Tribe that had disappeared a long time ago...... From there, they might learn of the location of our country. We could be putting the other species in danger...... That’s why Gio and all the successive patriarches...... gave up on going out.]

[.....................]

I knew it.

I already knew it from the time he started laughing.

Even though at first glance, it seemed as if he was mocking the Speed Tribe.

If one looked and listened carefully, I immediately understood.

He feels anger at himself.

And strong sadness.

[......Are they still alive?]

Gio asked, his voice brimming with hatred.

[The ones who killed the Speed Tribe.]

[Don’t worry...... may not be an appropriate thing to say, but I killed them.]

Gio turned to me.

I raised my hands in front of me.

[I killed them all, every last one of them, by dropping them into a pit of despair.]

Gio’s eyes widened, but he then shook his head.

As if he was shaking off the emotions that were welling up in him.

After a pause, Gio asked again.

[......I don’t understand. Why did you do that? How are you related to the Speed Tribe?]

[During my travels, I met a survivor among the Speed Tribe.]

[ ! ]

[Her name is Eve Speed. She is my important comrade——— and friend.]

[You’re not together though. What happened to this Eve?]

[She is now living under the care of Anuel——— Erika Anarveil.]

Not only Gio, but even the other members of the Four Warlights reacted with surprise.

[There are...... survivors huh.]

I told her the story of how Eve came to be a member of our group.

[I see...... You saved the life of one of the Speed Tribe. And now, she’s living with Anuel-sama...... I see......]

Gio clenches his fist.

Clenching his fist———- very tightly.

He then vigorously turned to me and held both of my hands.

[I thank you. Allow me to thank you....... Fly King.]

Lowering his head, he expressed his gratitude.

[It’s not like I mind being thanked by you, but it wasn’t really needed. Even if no one thanked me, I had no intention of keeping the Heroic Sword alive. Even if Eve hadn’t asked me to deal with them...... I would still kill the Heroic Sword.]

In any case, there was the matter regarding Nyaki.

Gio looked up.

He stared at me for a moment.

And then......

[Fly King.]

Saying that, he stood next to me.

[If you ever need my help, don’t hesitate to ask. I will unconditionally lend you my power. If you ever need it, the Shadowblade Tribe will lend you our strength.]

[Thank you.]

[Also...... If it’s possible, I would like to meet Eve someday.]

[I’ll do my best to make that happen.]

[Husband.]

Snuggling close to Gio, Yerma put her hand on his back.

[The Speed Tribe have met a sorrowful end but...... Even though it might just be one of them, they were saved.]

[Yeah. It can’t be said as a good outcome...... but a ray of hope still remains. No, it’s been a long time since then...... So there may be other survivors of the Speed Tribe still roaming in the outside world......]

Gio returned to his original position alongside his wife.

Armia seemed to be nodding her head for some reason.

Kokoroniko was still sitting in her place with her arms cross, but she seemed to be looking towards me.

Meanwhile, Gratora was watching intently at me, as if she was observing me.

And......

Paklak— Paklak—

I heard the faint sound of hooves coming closer.

Taking her place next to me was the centaur, Qir Meiru.

[Heeello, Fly King-kun?]

[Hello.]

[Even when you’re wearing that Fly King mask, but...... pfft, don’t you know that you kind of feel like a good person?]

[I wonder about that. It’s just that...... I’m not going to deny it when others call me evil.]

“Fufu”, Qir chuckled.

[But it’s amazing, you know? I can’t believe you were able to make Gio-kun, the strongest of us Four Warlights, your ally in the blink of an eye.]

[I guess it is...... Gio-dono might be a reassuring ally.]

Saying this, I looked at the doorway.

The double doors were left open.

[That is if you all decided to fight that Goddess’ army.]

[Are you on the side of those who want to fight them, Fly King-kun?]

[Yes.]

[Hmmm. I can understand your feelings regarding this but......]

As she spoke that, Qir stopped and looked at the door.

I could feel the presence of someone approaching.

[That woman is stubborn, you know? Don’t let the way she talks or the way she looks fool you.]

Immediately after Qir said what seems to be words of advice......

[Sorry to keep you waiting.]

Stepping through the door is a young girl...... or what looks like a young girl.

If I had to describe her in a few words, she’s petite.

Blue hair.

Thin twin-tails that look like spider legs.

Ribbons.

Emerald-colored eyes.

The lower body of a spider.

The upper body of a humanoid.

Her abdomen——— or that part which looks like her buttocks——— is large.

(T/N: The butt of a spider is apparently called an abdomen.)

I guess that’s where she spits out her threads.

The girl overbearingly spoke.

[I’m the Prime Minister Lieselotte Ornick. Well, I’m also the Chief of the Ornick Tribe, I suppose. Also...... Let’s see, I guess I’ll allow you to call me Liese. So......?]

Liese’s eyes gazed at mine, trying to look intimidating as she continued.

[You’re the rumored Fly King huh.]

The last person we need to wait for.

The Arachnid Prime Minister had finally arrived.

T/N: It’s sad that this chapter isn’t posted before April Fools.