Ria visited Vargas’ house in the high-end residential area of Jaeburg in the afternoon.
Ria firmly refused the wife’s invitation to come in, instead waiting in the foyer.
Her two younger brothers had come to see the Great Woman Hero that defeated their sister, but were surprised and charmed by her unexpected beauty.
The meal was finished before long and she took out the slightly troubled Vargas.
They chose a place where they could talk quietly. In this town, that could only be the park.
Sitting down on the bench, Vargas urged her to hurry.
Though it was improbable, Ria did things that were improbable. Vargas already understood that.
“What kind of person do you think I am?”
Striking words. She deserved them though.
Ria said so. It was an appeal called common sense.
“Since next time we’re going to be conquering the Dark Labyrinth.”
However, she spoiled it with her following words.
Vargas reluctantly nodded with an amazed faze.
“Of course. No-one will die.”
“Is that what you wanted to talk about?”
Ria hesitated, a little lost on how to start. It was probably best to start from the beginning.
“Ah, it’s still a rumor. Though it’s a fairly credible one.”
Vargas’ body trembled faintly.
With that, the human race would lose the majority of its population for this Millennium. In the battle three thousand years ago, apart from the southeastern island area and the Imperial Capital, you could say that human civilization ceased to exist.
Vargas muttered. The further south you went, the less danger there should be.
Ria could do something to that extent.
“So conquer the labyrinth? Although Dark Dragon Valis is a friend to humanity, that doesn’t mean he would actively fight against the demon tribe.” [2]
“Then that settles it. I just have to be like my ancestors.”
“I haven’t said it yet, but my real name is Ryuke Riana Crystal Casalia. Though I’m an illegitimate child, I am Casalia’s princess.”
“Ah, I knew.”
“… That so?”
She had grandly introduced herself as a princess in Labyrinth City after all. With information spreading here, it was easy to tie that identity to Ria, considering her capabilities.
“Labyrinth City’s mayor said that the Millennium would happen within ten years.”
“Between ten years and a single year, it’s a different thing entirely.”
They had lost the Imperial City, and perhaps even the Golden Dragon.
“That’s… I see, at that time, that was when the Imperial Capital disappeared.”
If that much magical power was used, it wouldn’t be strange for even a God Dragon, this world’s guardians, to disappear.
Ria used a stick to make a rough sketch of the continent on the ground.
Touching all of this was the layer of permafrost, the demon tribe’s territory on the other side.
Though Vargas wasn’t too detailed on the continent’s situation, he didn’t interrupt. There was no mistaking what Ria was trying to say.
Then there were two places remaining.
“Yeah. Istra’s known for civil wars… it’s far too useless. When the time comes there’s nothing that can be done but leave it to leave it to Oomori Woods’ elves. What we should work on now is definitely this area. The scattered city-states don’t have a collected war potential. They do however have considerable personal strengths.”
The beastkin villages, the ogre villages, the dwarf villages, Labyrinth City, Jaeburg. There were even other areas.
“Tentatively, though there are only five kingdoms officially… well it’s fine. What’s necessary is to bring the scattered people together.”
Right, although Ria abhored the Cordova Kingdom, it was probably the strongest faction on the northwest edge of the continent.
If they don’t include all of mankind, demi-humans as well, they wouldn’t be able to win against the demon tribe. Past history had proven it.
If Cordova was left to rule, the ogres might side with the demon tribe once again.
“Wouldn’t it be good for Casalia’s dominion to spread into this area?”
“I’d also thought about that, but if Casalia’s national power brought the area together, I think that Cordova would invade. Rather, I don’t want Cordova to have a reason to be openly hostile against Casalia.”
“The empire is gone. The war potential supporting Casalia for times of emergency is gone. If Cordova and Casalia go to war now, though I think that Casalia will be able to barely win, it would ruin both countries.”
The Labra Kingdom is in the southwest, but although its power was decreasing it had still kept its authority. There was a mutual understanding that the empire would support it in times of emergency.
“In other words, my plan is to get the Dark Dragon Valis’ help, build a union between the ogre and beastkin city-states and with Casalia, confine Cordova’s movements, and fight against the demon tribe.”
Unable to keep up, Vargas shut his eyes for a brief moment.
“No, no. Politics is much more troublesome and subdued. I’m just talking about a strategy.”
“Is something like that possible? Making such a large, new country? I’d think there would be rebellion from leading them.”
Still, Ria thought there was no helping it.
Though Ria had surprised Vargas yet again, she didn’t notice and continued thinking.
“Labyrinth City’s mayor is also my acquaintance, so I think I know how to create an alliance with them. For this city, I want to leave to you, Vargas.”
“Me!?”
“Besides, I’m not saying you need to be a politician. Since you have the renown of Thunder’s Fangs, I want you to explain the advantages of the alliance to the mayor. Aren’t you acquainted?”
He was definitely acquainted with the mayor, they’d drunk together at the bar. Though he wasn’t softhearted, he was clever when it came to his interests.
“Even so, do we need to meet the Dark Dragon? I don’t think we do if it’s just to talk.”
“But even with that, I think various other problems would pop up…”
His eyes weren’t filled with strong determination. Muttering that it couldn’t be helped, Ria sighed.
“You have it hard too huh.”
If the demon tribe invaded during the Millennium, what would explorers do? Since they weren’t existences that belonged to a country, they also had the choice of just running away. However, guild regulations required forced mobilization during states of emergency, like when the city was attacked.
Even if they could run away, Vargas didn’t want to run.
Exploration aside, Vargas didn’t think he would survive a war.
“Incidentally, it’s unrelated, but I’d like you to hear a story.”
“How are you so strong? I’d thought that those who reincarnate certainly do so by training proportionately in their previous lives, but…”
“Oh, that? Well, it’s already fine to talk about it since it’s you.”
“There are two reasons for why I’m so strong, the first is reincarnating as you said just now. I’ve studied battle skills that have been handed down across centuries for around thirty years.”
“Then there’s the other reason. My Gift. I don’t require much sleep or rest, and I am resistant to poisons and curses, that’s from my Gift.”
“Yeah. The Gift’s name is [Dragon’s Bloodline]. I have the power of a Dragon. I’m not saying that I’ve fully mastered it yet though.”
“So you being so fixated on the Dark Dragon, that has to do with your Gift?”
Though he might help simply because of her ancestors.
“That kid? He also seems like he has a Gift.”
What Vargas found curious was that among her group, Ria found Serge to be the most reliable.
In fact, Serge’s opinions were often beneficial. Especially when they fought formidable enemies, he was surprised at how fast he would give help from using Identify. He couldn’t believe his age matched his appearance from the judgements he gave.
That was the truth.
After that, the two talked about conquering the labyrinth for a while.
They would resume five days later. From there, they would sprint through the labyrinth.
Since she was invited, Ria came to Vargas’ house for dinner.
Eating his wife’s delicious cooking, Ria recalled the taste of home cooked meals for the first time in a very long time.