ALL NOVEL Chapter 385
“Lady Sabrina.”
[Didn’t I tell you to call me mother-in-law?]
After having lunch, I found the sanctum still peaceful. It made sense since almost no one passed through, but… I leaned against an appropriate pillar and looked up at Sabrina, who floated in the air like a microwave chicken.
“Have you contacted Kalon?”
[Hmm—he seems busy these days. I hardly get any news from him… How’s the outside situation?]
“Not very good. About 26 days from now, that guy, the Observer, is going to assault this world. We bought some time but…”
Why the hell is that bastard targeting this world to be annoying?
There are plenty of other playthings out there.
It’s not like this is the only place.
Seeing how the expelled gods returned to their prime.
[Aah, that’s quite a troublesome situation. So, you’re gathering people?]
“Yes. I thought maybe you might have some decent advice or information, so I came to visit.”
Upon hearing my purpose, Sabrina slowly turned in the air like a chicken in a microwave, resting her chin on her hand. I diverted my gaze from that strange position.
She wouldn’t comment on me staring, but with her body line on full display while floating, it was probably best to avoid misunderstandings.
[What could I possibly know, being trapped in the sanctum for hundreds of years? I don’t know anything about the Observer. Still, I can tell you this: don’t make contact with outsiders for too long.
Ah, that might not mean anything to you. Part of the blood flowing through you is from the outsiders.]
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
[And, how’s the love front going? It’s about time for some news, isn’t it~]
At a time like this, romance was the last thing on my mind.
With a sigh, I opened my mouth.
“Is that really important right now? The outsiders are set to descend on this land soon; I can’t prioritize dating issues.”
[Don’t people usually get more fired up during times like this?]
“…Hah. Fine. Just tell me what Kalon is doing right now, and I’d be grateful.”
At my words, she crossed her arms and tilted her head.
[Hmm~ Unfortunately, I don’t know much either. We only communicate one-sidedly. But, I would like to tell you this: don’t trust Kalon too much. If possible, it’d be great if you could hit him just once in my place.]
Concern dripping with sincerity, I smiled and nodded.
“Got it.”
————————
“Long time no see.”
Eligos stirred the contents of his tea cup with a teaspoon as always. The more he stirred, the more the liquid in the cup changed from brown to red.
Whose blood is it mixed with, anyway?
I thought of asking but decided against it. Satisfying my curiosity isn’t bad, but that’s not what’s important right now. Those demon folks are exhausting enough with their conditions even during idle chit-chat.
So, I returned his greeting with a light reply.
“Been a while.”
“The situation has become quite urgent, hasn’t it? A month…”
Eligos took a sip of tea and gazed out the window like an old gentleman admiring the street scenery. From this angle, he looked like an ordinary human, but inside he was a great demon.
As I sipped my coffee, I calculated how much I could wring out of him.
I wanted to gather as much demonic strength as possible, whether or not other factions would accept it.
The more troops, the better—as such was the rule in war—and in this situation, it was advantageous for us to mobilize even relatively powerful demons.
Of course, the humans would frown upon it, but was that even a consideration now?
If we don’t stop that bastard Observer from rampaging, it’d be the end for us—gods, demons, and humans alike.
In short, for the sake of survival, I had to swallow some minor, or rather significant displeasures.
“Eligos. Provide as many troops as possible.”
“That’s not as easy as it sounds.”
“Should I just sit around and wait for my doom?”
I locked eyes with Eligos. His black eyes seemed to contain a deep abyss. I was suddenly reminded he was a great demon.
However, to me now, he was just a bit of a nuisance.
I’d even feel confident enough to decapitate Harpas in under a minute if he showed up.
Two heads? That’d be a balancing act.
“Just as you said. Now is a time for demons, humans, and gods to join hands. You’ll be the bridge, so to speak.”
It seemed Eligos was somewhat positively receptive to my words. With the current situation, he had to be; otherwise, he’d face dire consequences.
“So, how many can you support?”
“I can manage my own forces, but beyond that, I can’t be sure.”
“Drag them in by any means necessary. If they don’t come, I’ll personally storm in and make a mess of things after the war.”
“Now that’s a bit scary.”
Eligos pretended to shrink back and chuckled softly. His face looked like he found my words very amusing. But I was serious; I genuinely intended to do just that.
I’ve already killed a few outsiders. There’s nothing to gain from now sparing the demons…
“I’ll try to gather as much as I can. But I will need some time… Let’s meet in fifteen days.”
“Fifteen days.”
Does that mean he can gather that much?
…Should I formalize this in a contract? Of course, since we’re in a cooperative relationship, it wouldn’t be easy to dismiss each other.
But the demons need to be trustworthy.
Unless they aren’t like Citrie, born to be gullible; the demons are dangerous folks. But considering Citrie was secretly in touch with demons even within that barrier, she might not be as naïve as she seems.
“Fifteen days should be enough. After all, we’re not walking, are we? But it’s important to choose the battlefield wisely. Ideally, it should be a place where they can run wild.”
“I know that too. I’d like to do what I can to ensure we can fight in the desert.”
At the very least, in my experience, there’s no area better to rampage than the desert. I feel bad for the nomads living there, but other places are too populated, and fighting there would cause unbearable collateral damage.
“The desert… it’s my first time. I look forward to it.”
His form began to lose clarity. He leaves so quickly. I clicked my tongue and sat alone at the table, gazing out the window.
Next up are the royal family and the high elves.
What a damn busy schedule.
I wish I could live a little leisurely and enjoy the fruits of my labor, but the world doesn’t leave me alone.
Now that I have plenty of money, high status, overflowing honor, and six lovers, can’t I at least have some peace? After saving the world three or four times, doesn’t that give me a pass?
“…Enough. Nothing will change if I keep whining here.”
I downed the remainder of my coffee in one go and got up from my seat.
For now… let’s head to the high elves first.
It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, so I’ll round everything up first and then go to the royal family last to discuss it. Good or bad, they’ll have to lend their troops.
The Second Prince wants to maintain a friendly relationship with me, and since it’s a crisis situation at a continental level, opting out was never an option from the start.
I need to quickly gather strong allies like Geren and Kalintz, or I might find myself unable to return home for a few days.
So I should go to Yggdrasil first.
Since I made a promise with the queen, she should gladly lend her troops.
“Well, that was good.”
“Take care, Sir Quartz.”
I exited the café and headed toward Yeomyeong-gwan.
——————-
As I opened the door to Yeomyeong-gwan, a familiar silhouette caught my eye. Quietly approaching, I examined the person sitting in front of a flowerbed, and it was my grandmother.
Grandmother noticed me approaching and, tearing her gaze from the flowers, looked at me and opened her mouth.
“Grandson, you seem quite busy.”
“I need to gather as many reinforcements as possible, so I have to hustle.”
Grandmother looked at me with worried eyes. It seemed my frantic efforts to gather reinforcements were making her feel sorry for me.
“You don’t need to worry too much. It’s all for survival. I’ve once rolled in a dung heap to stay alive. Compared to that time, this is a breeze.”
Even bear cubs wouldn’t want to eat a cub that rolled around in dung water.
At my words, Maria, my grandmother, silently took my hand.
“You’re going through quite a lot. How did such a heavy burden find its way onto your shoulders?”
…Did I have a grandmother in my past life too?
As I wondered about a past I couldn’t remember, I quietly accepted her touch. Her soft hand brushed against the back of mine.
“Isn’t life meant to be like this? But once this matter is settled… everything will be alright.”
If we win the upcoming war, peace will come.