Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken (LN) - Volume 12 - Chapter Ep

EPILOGUE

THE EMPEROR’S CONQUEST

“You’re awake, aren’t you, Ludora?”

A beautiful woman with blue hair spoke to the man seated in his wheelchair and dressed in all his magnificence. She was the Marshal herself, the woman who held leadership in the Empire’s main chamber.

“I am,” Ludora responded. “How did the conference go?”

“We’re going on the offensive.”

“Brilliant. Gadora was against it, wasn’t he?”

“He was. That old man’s a realist, after all. Not even otherworlder weapons can resist a True Dragon. That much is obvious. There’s no way anyone would fail to notice.”

“Hee-hee-hee… I’m sure, I’m sure. But we must stage this campaign nonetheless. I must show the world that I am king.” He then added in a whisper, “That is my agreement with Guy.”

Ludora smiled warmly, his voice taking on a different tone.

“Now, Velgrynd, from your perspective, how do you think things will unfold this time?”

Velgrynd. The name of a True Dragon, one of only four in the world. A dragon crimson red in color, she symbolized flames in all their scorching glory. She was older than Veldora the Storm Dragon and just as immortal. Her name: Velgrynd the Flame Dragon.

She was the only one in this world who would bear that name.

“We will win,” she replied to Ludora. “We’re guaranteed to win. We’ll expel the dwarves from their burrows, we’ll smash the pride of the newborn demon lord, we’ll open the eyes of my indolent dullard of a brother…and we’ll make Guy see that the ruler of the world is you, Ludora!”

She felt completely at ease being called that—for she was the one, the only Velgrynd. Velgrynd the Flame Dragon, one of the all-powerful True Dragons. And Emperor Ludora was an intimate companion of hers.

“We will? Splendid news. Do you think your younger brother will show up?”

“Yes, Ludora,” she replied without a moment’s thought. “He will. He always did enjoy a party. But…despite being unsealed, he still doesn’t quite seem like himself to me. We haven’t detected any magic storms, the kind of violent gales he used to summon in his rage…and the aura we could’ve detected from anywhere on the earth has vanished without a trace. Perhaps he’s not fully revived yet?”

“…Then perhaps we can defeat him with my force.”

“That would be quite a sight to see. First that demon lord gets full of himself taming my idiot brother—and then he deceives my beloved niece. I’d love for him to experience a little hardship for a change.”

The pair exchanged a smile.

To Ludora and Velgrynd, the results of this operation hardly mattered. This was just a bet—a game with Guy over who would rule the world. The game had no complex rules. Use your pawns to conquer the opponent’s territory, and you win. The world was the game board, and the pawns were monsters and humankind.

At the start of the game, Guy held the monster and magic-born pawns, while Ludora had just a part of humanity. But these had changed hands many times, over many, many years, and now both sides were in a chaotic state. Under what rules there were, it was perfectly legal to seize your opponent’s pawns—and to both sides, the most powerful pawns of all were the True Dragons, their partners in the game.

Only the pawns could be moved around; that was the one strict rule. By the same token, as long as Guy and Ludora didn’t directly confront each other, anything else was allowed. If the world was destroyed, of course, that was game over, and neither side wanted that. So they went a little easy on each other, ensuring that never happened.

But now there were some wild cards to this game—Veldora, the last True Dragon in play, and the Primal Demons. These wild cards were outside the realm of the game, and Guy and Ludora were free to either recruit or antagonize them.

The demon lord Leon, Guy’s cooperative pawn at the moment, was being threatened by Jaune in his territory. Violet was active in the West, and any false moves could lead to untold damage. Blanc, of course, was stationed in the East.

These demons boasted incredible powers, wholly exempt from the concept of death. It wasn’t impossible to eradicate them at the root, but it would require careful, intricate preparations—but instead of paying all those sacrifices, it was best to negotiate and win them over to your side. That, Ludora and Velgrynd believed, was the most advisable move to make against Guy in this game.

If Velgrynd made it a fight, she could destroy Blanc, but the damage to the region would be unimaginable. It wasn’t a realistic option, they concluded.

That, and the Western Nations were now starting to move on their own logic—another miscalculation. Luminus, a local god born in the West, had somehow grown herself a monotheistic religion. With her firm rule, she had managed to make the people of the West a single political entity. They knew Luminus was actually a demon lord, but now that her religion had taken hold, it was too late to do anything. By the time Ludora placed the East under his complete control, the West had also united itself. Thus, the game between Guy and Ludora fell into a stalemate.

“The Heroes Chronoa and Granville made it so hard to attack the West. Quite a pain, wasn’t it? If they hadn’t shown up, I’m sure you would have won by now,” said Velgrynd.

“Oh, not necessarily. I’m sure Veldanava put those obstacles down on my road to conquest—a trial, if you will. He always did love his schemes like that.”

“He certainly did. My elder brother always was a nuisance…”

They smiled at this moment of nostalgia.

“But now the time has come. All the pawns are on the board, and my moment of victory is near.”

“It’s finally time to put Guy and my sister Velzard in check, isn’t it?”

“Heh-heh… Guy is aiming for this, no doubt. He wants you and Veldora to fight, so he can catch us when we’re open.”

“That’s true, as much as it irks me. If only I were there, I would have taken care of Veldora back then, but…”

She was referring to the Empire’s previous failed campaign. If Velgrynd had come out with the imperial force, not even Veldora would have been a threat—but if they chose to do that, Guy would’ve likely profited from the fallout. Whenever you moved a pawn as all-powerful as a True Dragon, you needed to make every preparation possible.

But now provided an excellent opportunity. The secret agents Ludora planted worldwide had given him all sorts of information.

“It took a long time,” said Ludora, “but it was worth the wait, wasn’t it? Our greatest obstacle to conquering the Empire is now gone.”

Luminus, the one true god, was actually Luminus the demon lord. And now that she was revealed, they could predict her fighting power. The demon lord who served Luminus was also gone now, as was the Seven Days Clergy. And what’s more:

“That thorn in our side, Granville, is on his way to the afterlife…and now there are far fewer threats to us in the West.”

“You’re right. All the obstacles to my conquest have fallen, without me having to lift a finger.”

That, they both firmly believed, was a divine sign that only Ludora deserved to stand at the peak.

“So, Ludora, how are you doing?”

“No problems at all. My powers of Armageddon are available at any time.”

Armageddon was the ultimate skill in Ludora’s possession. It could only be invoked under painstaking conditions, and once triggered, it lay dormant for a long, long time. The only reason the Empire hadn’t moved until now was that Ludora could do nothing but wait, wait, wait until Armageddon was usable once more.

Thanks to their patience, Granville—the greatest obstacle in the way—was gone. It was, in a way, understandable that Ludora was so sure of victory.

Guy, for that matter, had not fully taken control of the demon lords. Nobody would claim they were building much teamwork; each demon lord was pursuing their own path. Their influence ranged far and wide, but to Ludora, they were not a threat.

“This time, we’ve got the overwhelming advantage, eh?”

“But we don’t have much time, do we? I want to win over my stupid brother, even if I have to force the question. That gives us another measure against Guy. And if I can work things out with my sister Velzard, Raine and Mizeri cease to become a problem. So let me ask—do you have your ‘ruling’ power?”

“Nothing to worry about. If we can focus Veldora’s mind on the battle, that provides the window for my Regalia Dominion to seize him.”

Velgrynd gave him a soft smile, framed by her cold beauty. “Oh? Then victory really is close by.”

“Of course it is. Everything is moving as I outlined it.”

“Perfect, then. But I worry about your—”

“Don’t say it. This, too, is the natural way of things. One’s body can be such an inconvenient thing…”

“Ludora…”

“If I continue reincarnating and inheriting my own consciousness and memories, it wears down my soul over time. If I could enjoy a rest period like Gadora, things would be different…but that is a luxury not afforded to me. If I tried that, my powers would no doubt be sealed away again.”

Then Ludora’s powers would be reset. He’d be back at square one, unable to release them at once. And if he let that happen with every reincarnation, he’d never have any hope of beating Guy. This time around, Ludora had waited patiently for his powers to attain complete form. They were all unleashed now, ready for anything—but he had to severely strain himself to keep that up.

However, this incarnation of Ludora had no concubines, not even an empress. Those were only for decoration in the Empire, yes, but it was still highly unusual. It meant that Ludora had not fathered a son—he had no “spare” self to tap into. And not having a son meant his powers would remain intact. Ludora’s reincarnations were unique; any son born from him would obtain all his powers and knowledge. It was a completely unbroken imperial line—a son didn’t inherit the crown so much as become the true emperor.

But this generation had none. And the timing of his Armageddon skill was the cause. If Ludora passed his powers on to a son, the skill would be restricted until he achieved adulthood. The child wouldn’t be able to hold back the recoil this overflow of power generated, something Ludora could do nothing about. Right then, in this generation, all the best conditions were in place. If he ignored this and reincarnated himself into a son, that would cause a delay of a decade or so, and he hated to see that happen.

Velgrynd had another concern as well. After building up his power to its absolute limits, Ludora’s mental fatigue was nearing the breaking point. He was sleeping in shorter and shorter intervals, his physical weariness a constant companion. His current state did nothing but accelerate the wear on his soul. Relief could be found if he gave his power to a son and delayed the launch of Armageddon—but Ludora would never dare. The time was now, and he wanted to settle the score with Guy.

She looked on at Ludora, heartbroken. “How much time do you have left, Ludora…?”

“You don’t need to worry about that. I won’t falter until after my rule over the world is complete—I promise you that.”

“Yes… Yes, I’m sure you would say that…”

“There’s no need to look so sad, Velgrynd. I will win this time. Win—and end it all. So quit worrying and just watch as I pursue my conquest.”

Then Ludora smiled his arrogant smile—the countenance of a ruler. A man walking the path of conquest until he ruled all. That was the way of Ludora, the Hero Emperor.

The sight firmed Velgrynd’s resolve.

“Yes… Then allow me to bring down my rains of compassion. It has been far too long since I scattered my tranquil blessings of death. I will banish all those blocking your conquest to oblivion!”

She wrapped Ludora in a gentle, caring embrace, and then they continued chatting to their hearts’ content.

And the next day, a military force like none before in history set off from the Empire to Tempest.