Interlude - The Hero’s Re(venge)solve

With a bit of force, I entered the Beast Queen’s emergency meeting. I hadn’t given any prior notice, but her advisors weren’t surprised to see me. On the other hand, the Beast Queen paled. I expected as such; I was trying to kill her last time. Now, however, there were much more important things to deal with. I couldn’t waste time slaying a beastman.

After a brief moment, the Beast Queen raised her hand, as if by instinct, and sent a slash of wind hurtling towards me. While the attack harmlessly dissipated against my armor, I felt mildly insulted. She should be well aware such a meager display would never hurt me. Luckily, I had some forbearance, even if veins were bulging from my head.

“Glad to receive such a warm welcome,” I replied with an exaggerated bow.

“W-why are you here?!?” she screamed louder than I thought was possible. She stood up, slamming her hands against the table. Her expression was a mix between despair and rage, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t here to make amends.

“Simple. I’m recruiting you.” The Beast Queen stilled, trying to process what I said. I went to help myself to some refreshments, but there weren’t any around. A slight click of my tongue involuntarily slipped out.

Eventually, she managed to regain some semblance of thought. “...what?”

“I said I’m recruiting you,” I sighed. Why did I have to repeat myself?

“...don’t you mean coerce?”

“If that’s how you want to interpret it, I don’t care.” The Beast Queen went silent once again. I had no idea what she was contemplating, but I wished she would hurry up. At this rate, it would be faster to rid the world of beastmen. The only reason I hadn’t in these last five years was to recruit her.

“Putting aside whether I’ll agree or not, what do you need me for?”

“We’re going to kill a God.” The Beast Queen stopped. Then, her face went red with anger.

“W-wha…?!? You do know that’s basically suicide, right? Right??? Gods are people who reached the pinnacle of their skill. They could squash us like a bug before we even think about opposing them. No! Absolutely no! You can march to your own death, but don’t drag me down with you!” She huffed and puffed once she finished her rant. Her advisors seemed a bit uneasy as well, but they believed I wouldn’t say something so insane without a plan, especially after witnessing her magic. Not to mention–

“Tit. Tit. Tit. We’re more than strong enough to defeat a God now,” I patronized, wagging my finger in a disagreeing manner.

“What in the world are you talking about? Where’s your proof for such an idiotic claim?”

“Are you seriously that oblivious?

“Hey–”

“Did you not realize how your magic felt when you shot it towards me? You could defeat almost anyone with that.”

“But–”

“If that doesn’t convince you, then here.” I took off an adamantite ring from my pinky finger and slid it down the table. She caught it with a puzzled expression, but the rest of the advisors looked at the ring with awe and respect.

Noticing the change in atmosphere, the Beast Queen hesitantly asked, “...and what is this? It looks like another piece of your armor.” Her advisors were shocked, but she had been asleep for over a decade, so her cluelessness was understandable.

“Your advisors probably told you already, but about five years ago, beasts flooded out of a dungeon, almost destroying the forest capital. To combat future stampedes, a new organization was created to explore dungeons: the Adventurer’s Guild. That ring right there indicates that I’m an S-rank – the highest possible rank one can achieve in the guild. Not only that, but the solid adamantite body means I’m the best of the best among adventurers: the Adventurer God.” I let out a little chuckle as her jaw dropped. “If I have the power to become a God, then you have the strength to defeat one since, as much as I loathe to admit it, you’re stronger than me.”

The Beast Queen’s mouth opened and closed multiple times like a fish beast out of water, unsure how to respond. She muttered the words “a God” over and over to herself, repeating the mantra as it sunk in. It wasn’t like she didn’t believe me – no one would be crazy enough to call themselves a God without the Chairman’s recognition. If I had to guess, she was trying to find a reason to refuse.

“...why do you want to defeat a God so badly, anyway?”

I banged my fists against the table for dramatic effect, startling the Beast Queen. “Because this God is the person who put us in a coma for over a decade. To them, our struggles are just a way to pass the time. They could easily kill us and everything we are about due to a passing whim. There is no way I will let that happen, even if I have to team up with you to do it.”

That shut her up. Not even the ‘almighty’ ruler of beastmen could keep her emotions in check against the person who put us here. However, her eyes were still darting around, looking for a way to weasel out of this. But no one would support her – not I nor her advisors. After all, I was offering them the opportunity to take down the one that threw their nation into chaos. Who wouldn’t say yes?

Once she realized there was no escape route, she returned my gaze, selecting her next words carefully. “You know who cast the spell?”

“With you waking up, I know for certain where they are.” While I slept, I concentrated on observing the mana that chained my body. With all that practice, I was able to get a general sense of where it was flowing towards. For the longest time, it was too vague to pinpoint an exact location – it kept trying to pull me up towards the clouds for some reason. When the Beast Queen recovered though, I could feel a strong pull, as if they were finally within my reach. While the coma was a curse, it gave me the power to defeat a God. Well worth it for just a few years of sleep.

“...but you don’t know who exactly though.”

“So? Like I said, I know where they are, so finding out who will be simple.”

“But not you’re not completely sure. So, until you know who and can prove it, I won’t help you. I’m not going to jeopardize my countrymen for some goose chase.” Ugh, why did she have to be so difficult? She didn’t outright refuse, but she didn’t agree either.

“And if I do locate them, will you help?” I walked over to her side of the table, keeping my eyes locked with hers.

She didn’t answer back, instead staring defiantly into mine. This wouldn’t do. It didn’t matter whether she hated me, but she had to give her word. With her advisors here, she’d have to abide by it.

So, I casually saddled up right next to her, whispering just loud enough so only she would hear. “You know, I wonder how many of your advisors I could defeat. Twelve? Maybe thirteen before you could stop me? It wouldn’t be hard – just a quick slash to the jugular.” I could feel her glare as I continued. “Hey, no need to look at me like that. It’s just a hypothetical. Though I feel like it would be in both of our best interests to focus on the real enemy.”

The Beast Queen continued to stare harshly, but I knew I had nothing to worry about. Beastmen were just as weak as humans when it came to empathy. So, I had no doubt–

“Fine. If you manage to find this ‘person’, I will help you.”

–she would acquiesce. I felt a smile coming on, one that caused her to flinch with fear.

“Thank you for your support.”