Chapter 174 - My Son Is Too Strong (1)

1

"What do you think of our proposal, compatriots!"

Uburka, chair of the Earth Spiritfolk, laughed heartily.

"Is it not the perfect solution!"

"..."

"It seems so perfect that you have all been struck speechless. Ugor, I understand! People's horizons are narrow by nature, and when they are caught up in something, even a simple solution escapes them. Be grateful! We have descended upon you to present you with a fresh solution!"

It was so fresh it was practically raw. Eating it would give you an upset stomach.

Both the multiracial coalition and the Mountain Snailfolk looked as though they had chewed up a mouthful of plastic garbage. The coalition's Demonfolk commander pointed an incredulous finger.

"Fuck, what are those ignorant Mold bastards on about this time—"

"It is all right. We understand your pettiness deeply."

Chair Uburka gave a solemn nod with a hum.

"However perfect a solution may be, you cannot accept it all at once. For some reason, you would feel defeated. For some reason, you would feel you had submitted. People are creatures who hate losing—or, more precisely, creatures who hate the feeling of losing. Pitiful things."

"No..."

"So we shall simply defeat you utterly!"

The chair extended his left arm. An Earth Spiritfolk warrior approached and offered him a spear.

With his eyes closed, Uburka slowly assumed his stance.

"Hm."

His eyes snapped wide open. The muscles in his left arm rippled and bulged.

"Hup!"

A beam of light shot forth.

There was no other way to describe it but a red beam. The spear, wreathed in blood-red aura, was thrown... No, launched.

BOOOOM!

A spear throw.

Chair Uburka's form was as graceful as an Olympic athlete's, but the power behind his throw was anything but graceful. It was savage and destructive. The spear landed in the coalition's camp with a deafening crash.

Soldiers screamed. A storm of dust swept over them. No one was injured by the spear's impact, but soldiers fell over one another and were trampled in the ensuing pandemonium.

And that was not the end.

"Huuup!"

Chair Uburka took up another spear. This time, he hurled it toward the Mountain Snailfolk's Slimepolis. It left a red trail across the plain.

BANG!

The spear struck the city wall squarely, embedding itself in the thick stone like a screw.

"..."

The Demonfolk commander froze with his finger still pointing.

"..."

The Mountain Snailfolk soldiers stammered helplessly as well.

"I am the chair who has claimed the title of strongest in the Fire River Council's six-hundred-year history."

Having silenced both armies in one stroke, Chair Uburka bared his fangs.

"No Earth Spiritfolk in history has been stronger than I. The world has granted me martial talent. My official record stands at 260 victories in 261 battles, and I have never once bent the knee since becoming an adult. Warriors who live in the same age as I! Wail! My existence shall fuck up your lives."

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

"As you can see, our Earth Spiritfolk warriors have already been fucked up to a considerable degree!"

Chair Uburka folded his arms.

"When the next full moon rises, representatives of the coalition and the Mountain Snailfolk shall gather here. Gather and hold talks. We Earth Spiritfolk will guarantee your safety. You may take this as a threat rather than a proposal! If you fail to gather, I shall hurl spears just as I did now."

It wasn't something they could take as a threat. It just was a threat.

"No one knows where my spear will fly then. Not I, not you, not even Kekereukker! It may pierce your commander's skull, or, Mountain Snailfolk, lodge in your gates. Oh, compatriots. Please do not force me into a situation where I run wild. Even I fear my own strength..."

With an "Ugor," the chair shouldered his axe.

"Until the full moon rises, we shall continue accepting duels. Come at us to your hearts' content and vent your anger. You may even attack with your armies if you wish. Provided you are prepared to suffer the corresponding losses!"

Then the Tower's voice rang in my head.

[The seven races feel fear toward a single warrior.]

[The leader of the race you guide ascends as the new hegemon!]

[An astonishing achievement!]

[You have earned 900 Race Points.]

[Your current Race Points total is 900.]

My boy had become far too incredible.

2

We wandered through the military camps, gathering information. Some of it was useful, some useless, but the rumors about the Earth Spiritfolk could be summed up in a single phrase.

[World-class lunatics.]

That was how they looked to me, too.

According to the soldiers' idle chatter, the Earth Spiritfolk normally lived quietly, holed up somewhere, only to appear out of nowhere whenever a [world crisis] arose.

Apparently, they had also stood in the way when the Mountain Snailfolk empire embarked on a massive war of conquest a hundred years after the slaves' Great Escape.

'What kind of race is this? They sound like something straight out of a legend.'

But those were my children.

"That guy looks like he could go toe-to-toe with us if it came down to it..."

Viper glanced toward the Earth Spiritfolk camp with his one eye.

Single combat was still taking place on the plain. Chair Uburka wasn't participating himself. He merely watched the duels at leisure, arms folded, yet even that gave him an overwhelming presence. Aura continuously rose from his entire body.

"Uh, he wouldn't just go toe-to-toe with us. If we're not careful, he might wipe the floor with us."

I pointed out the facts.

"You heard what he said earlier. He's the strongest warrior in Earth Spiritfolk history. That means his martial talent is exceptional even by historical standards. His potential is probably greater than ours."

"Hey, hey! We're practically their guardian gods! It'll be embarrassing if the kids kick our asses!"

"Isn't that fine? It's not as if we became their guardian gods because we were stronger than them..."

"You're only so relaxed because they're the race you raised!"

Uburka, huh.

Thinking that I might someday receive help from that child, I spoke.

"Anyway, there must be a reason this particular period was chosen for the stage. No quest has appeared, so we have to work out the clear conditions ourselves... Most likely, one of the six races other than the Mountain Snailfolk is [at risk of decline]."

"Oh?"

The Black Dragon leader nodded.

"Yes. I was thinking along the same lines. One race, or perhaps several, must be in danger of falling. Just as the last stage was about [whether the six races would fall or the Mountain Snailfolk would fall]."

"I see. At least one race is eliminated per stage, then..."

"Yes. And the hunter ruling that race will be eliminated as well."

The Paladin stroked her chin.

"That makes sense. Which race is closest to falling right now, then?"

"For a start, it won't be the Mountain Snailfolk."

The Count folded her fan.

"The snails were eliminated on the thirty-second floor, after all."

"Nor would it be the Earth Spiritfolk. Not with such momentum behind them..."

"No, that is not the case, Paladin."

"Hm?"

The Paladin tilted her head.

"What do you mean?"

"Quite the opposite. I suspect the Earth Spiritfolk may be the very race [in danger of falling]."

We all blinked.

"The Earth Spiritfolk? Those muscle pigs?"

"Surely not."

"Now, hear me out."

The Count tapped her palm with the shaft of her fan.

"The Earth Spiritfolk will probably achieve the [peace settlement] they desire. Their military strength is immense, and both the coalition and the Mountain Snailfolk are too preoccupied with each other to readily attack them. But what happens after the settlement is concluded?"

The Count's feline eyes narrowed.

"Until now, the various races will have united because of the Mountain Snailfolk. A common enemy brings unity. But once a peace settlement is forced upon them, that common enemy must change. Think about it. Who would that be?"

I spoke up.

"... The target shifts from the Mountain Snailfolk to the Earth Spiritfolk."

I furrowed my brows.

"The Earth Spiritfolk are too strong. The people in power among the other races can't help being wary. They'll either dissolve the coalition and acknowledge Earth Spiritfolk hegemony, or keep the coalition intact and enter a power struggle with them."

"Oh, you understand me."

The Count smiled.

"That is what I think as well. And unless they are exceedingly foolish, the coalition is unlikely to dissolve voluntarily. They will probably make a secret pact along the lines of [The current Earth Spiritfolk great king is too strong, so let us wait until he dies]."

"Hm."

"Hmm..."

My fellow hunters sank into thought.

"Of course the Earth Spiritfolk are strong now. But there is no guarantee they will remain strong in the next generation, or the one after, or the one after that. Didn't that muscle pig declare it himself? No Earth Spiritfolk in history has been stronger than him. Maintaining hegemony is far harder than obtaining it."

I see.

I had known that [at least one race would be eliminated], since I'd read a walkthrough before regressing. After hearing my hint, the Count had pointed out that the Earth Spiritfolk might be in danger.

'Yes. This is what companions are for.'

We complemented one another's thinking.

Delighted inwardly, I asked her frankly.

"What should we do, Union leader?"

"It is simple, Death King. We must work the magic that preserves hegemony."

The Count gave a feline smile.

"It is obvious that the Earth Spiritfolk are not exercising sophisticated political skill. They are headstrong, but their force has a set direction. Force with a direction is power, not violence. Surely someone would wish to get their hands on that power."

"What do you mean?"

"Heh heh. Think back to how we guild leaders treated you."

The Count tapped my shoulder with the tip of her fan.

"You were an unprecedented super rookie. We could have feared you. We could have been wary and excluded you. But what happened instead?"

I rested a hand on my chin.

"You used me. More precisely, you bought the value of my name. In exchange for cooperating, I demanded equal treatment."

"Exactly. A win-win. The Earth Spiritfolk certainly possess tremendous strength. If the other races see that strength as [beneficial to themselves as well], the Earth Spiritfolk will not fall."

"..."

"Do you have some idea what to do now?"

"Yes."

I nodded.

"I have a clear idea now."

I had taught the Earth Spiritfolk how to endure the world.

Now it was time to teach them how to give to it.

3

[Purchasing 'Appear in a Dream.']

[100 Race Points will be consumed!]

[Your current Race Points total is 800.]

That night, I immediately bought the item and entered the dream of Uburka, chair of the Earth Spiritfolk.

I wanted to warn him that concluding the peace settlement as things stood would endanger the Earth Spiritfolk. Their hegemony might be acknowledged for now, but they would face a crisis after his death.

"Ugor."

In his dream, Chair Uburka sat in the middle of a muddy pond in the lotus position. His posture was as perfect as that of a monk who had spent years living on temple meals.

'Good heavens. Is he meditating?'

Treading on duckweed to cross the water. No, should I call it sitting on duckweed atop the water? Uburka was manipulating his aura exquisitely, keeping himself from sinking beneath the muddy surface.

'A martial talent that would have Master drooling...'

As I approached, Chair Uburka spoke.

"Who is there?"

His eyes were closed. He had detected my presence solely through his senses and aura. He truly had the bearing of a supreme master.

"My muscles twitch. I sense no hostility from you, yet I also sense an extraordinary energy."

"You detect hostility with your muscles...?"

"Ugor. It is said that mind and body are one. When a person grows angry, the facial muscles twitch first. Emotions connect through muscles and are conveyed through muscles. Why, then, should they not sense hostility?"

"..."

What was with this guy?

He wasn't just born with a talent for martial arts. He also had a gift for whipping up some spectacular bullshit.

"Uburka. Uburka. Heed my words. I am Kekereukker, the one you honor as your bad friend."

"Oh?"

Only then did Uburka open his eyes.

His scarlet gaze pierced my face.

"You are Kekereukker?"

"Indeed, chair of the Earth Spiritfolk. I am the one who led you out of the primeval forest, and the one who lent you a little help when you wished to leave Slimepolis."

"Interesting!"

The chair laughed, "Ugor, ugor."

"According to the stories passed down through the generations, the ancient apostle Gorke met Kekereukker in his dreams. And got the shit beaten out of him every time, I believe. Conforming Human who calls himself Kekereukker! Have you come to beat me up?"

"No... My child, you don't look like someone who gets beaten up anywhere. Honestly, I'm not even sure I could win if we fought..."

Chair Uburka furrowed his brow.

"What is this? Backing down? If you have not come for a duel, why have you come?"

"I've come to warn you that your people might be in danger."

Then I explained the Count's reasoning. It was plausible, and I agreed with it myself, so the explanation flowed smoothly.

"..."

Chair Uburka, who had initially watched me with amusement, grew more solemn as I continued.

"You mean we might instead be destroyed because we are too strong?"

"Not destroyed, I imagine. But you could decline. No matter how strong you are, if you cannot handle five or six races all on your own."

"Hmm. I see..."

"So this is my advice, Uburka. Do not blindly force a peace settlement upon them. You must give the other races justification and benefits as well. I was thinking..."

"Wait."

Chair Uburka thrust up his left hand.

"Say no more."

"Huh?"

"I understand that you bear no ill intent. My biceps and chest muscles are quiet. If there were even a little falsehood mixed into your words, my muscles would have twitched."

What kind of horror was that?

Sentient muscles that surpassed a sentient sword?

"But whether I heed your advice is another matter entirely. We—I—do not listen to advice from anyone weaker than me."

"What?"

"Only someone stronger than another person has the right to interfere with that person."

Chair Uburka unfolded his legs and slowly stood. Sure enough, he displayed nearly perfect aura control. As he rose, he caused only small ripples in the muddy pond.

"Come at me!"

He beckoned with his left index finger.

"Defeat me, and I shall hear your advice!"

Uh.

When I failed to respond immediately out of sheer disbelief, Chair Uburka stepped sharply onto the pond's surface.

"If you will not come, I shall come to you!"

"W-wait. I'm your guardian god, you know? Your eternal friend? I'm practically your father. Are you really going to attack me?"

"If you truly are Kekereukker, aren't you the fellow who beat Gorke, who was practically your son? A father is bound to receive back exactly what he did to his children. Even if I beat you, Kekereukker has no grounds to complain!"

Fuck.

He had a point, didn't he?

"Prepare yourself! You bastard who might be my father!"

Spouting a spectacularly unfilial line, the muscle pig of the ages swung his fist.