***
At the very least, the Holy Empire's delegation was quite respectful and moderate.
The Demonic Dao Federation is the land of sorcerers. Mysterious magical rules govern the territory, and there are specialty products born only in such special environments.
In particular, the Celsius Territory, which shares roots with the Crystal Tower and freely controls heat, possessed outstanding magic tool crafting technology.
Therefore, many merchants visited the Celsius Territory to import magic tools, and many bandits came targeting them. Mercenaries came seeking the jobs created by the clash between the two.
Mercenaries sometimes became merchants, sometimes became bandits to survive.
Since they couldn't fight within the rules governed by the magical noble families, they wandered the outer districts, barely scraping by each time they earned money. But nevertheless, they too were a force that made up this Demonic Dao Federation.
Though they couldn't match the magical noble families, mercenary companies with their own military power maintained a balance.
However, recently a significant change came to the mercenary sphere as well.
"Happiness! Give me happiness!"
The tent shook with a sharp scream. A moment later, mercenaries came tumbling out from inside the tent, screaming.
"Damn it, it's chaos again today!"
"Didn't she just eat her fill? Isn't she a crazy bitch?!"
"Call the 'Apothecary'!"
With a crash, mercenaries grabbed only their valuables and fled. They all clutched their heads and rolled on the ground.
A moment later.
Blue threads embroidered the tent. At the same time, a slashing attack burst out like an explosion, tearing the tent into dozens of pieces. The table and furniture that were cut along with the tent thudded as they fell.
It was when the mercenaries who barely survived were about to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Cough."
The slash had spared nothing. Not the objects, not the tent, and not even the people.
One person with bad luck fell with their chest opened and blood pouring out. Another with better luck had their arm split lengthwise, dangling like taffy.
And inside, a woman with her clothes undone was spinning around holding a thick blade.
It was a comical sight, but the results were anything but comical. The violent slashes destroyed everything they touched. A mercenary who had survived adjusted his helmet strap and shouted.
"That crazy bitch...! How is a mere medicine peddler so strong?!"
"That's because. She has reached the Dao through medicine."
A soft, calm, and therefore utterly chilling voice was heard. The mercenary flinched and stepped back. Where the voice came from, there was a young man dressed in pitch-black clothes yet with skin paler than ice.
"The Apothecary...!"
At the mercenary's words, the Apothecary fiddled with a small medicine bottle and said.
"You tried to play tricks while she was asleep from the medicine's effects. A figure faithful to desire, admirable to see. But you should have heeded my warning. She has reached the Dao."
"Bullshit...! How can a mere medicine peddler be a Master! What Dao is in that swordplay?!"
"The Dao isn't in the swordplay. It's in her body."
For a Qi Artist to reach the Dao, they need long experience, deep training, and an image of power. Only after achieving harmony with heaven and earth, and establishing oneself, can one reach the Dao of this world and twist reality.
Medicine? Spirit pills? Or taboos like greed-eating? If one relies on such demonic arts, one might become stronger. But eventually, external power mixes turbidly, making it difficult to establish a proper mental image.
However, humans always find a way.
Among the Qi arts called demonic arts, the most mainstream one: the Poison Qi Art.
Soak a human in narcotics, take that as hostage, force training close to torture, make them gain strength through dependence on drugs, and then use the drug as a trigger to awaken power.
Amidst this, those with particularly outstanding talent who absorb drugs well sometimes reach the Dao.
Poison Centipede was such a case.
It was only when medicine entered the body that physical abilities were conditionally enhanced, a relatively low-grade Dao. But the Dao is still the Dao.
"I'm also from the Kingdom and had vague fantasies about Masters, but seeing her broke what little fantasy remained. The Dao doesn't seem that impressive. If it can be engulfed by drugs."
The Apothecary looked at Poison Centipede visible beyond and shook his head. Just then, a slash suddenly flew in. The Apothecary dodged the slash by bending his body softly—no, almost like a mollusk.
"AAAGH!"
But the mercenary wasn't as flexible. The stray slash had cut off the mercenary's ear. The Apothecary looked at the screaming mercenary.
"Rather, I'm curious about you. Even if you mercenaries are impulsive, to try touching a woman like that. Couldn't you smell death?"
The mercenary clutched his bleeding ear and panted as he shouted.
"Damn it, it's because you play with that woman every day! Let us play with your woman too. She doesn't wear out!"
"My woman?"
The mercenary said something he shouldn't have, but the Apothecary fixated on a different part. He grabbed the mercenary by the collar. Despite his skinny body and sickly appearance, he displayed monstrous strength, easily lifting the huge mercenary.
"Listen carefully. That is not my creation. She's too healthy. I like weak women who look like they might breathe their last at any moment. Women who, panting, whisper love to me in their final moment as they face death. Women so pale and fragile they'd break at the slightest touch."
Fear appeared in the mercenary's eyes. However, the Apothecary, who had fallen into sentiment while saying that, lamented while holding him.
"The problem is, such women die too quickly. Even if completion comes through death, that moment is too brief. I've fallen in love with over twenty-seven women so far, and every single one of them left my side."
"Gack... Crazy..."
"Perhaps the vampire's blood might have been the key to overcoming that... But once immortality is promised, they cease to be fragile. I realized that dilemma too late. I had already been deceived by the Kingdom and entered Tantalos..."
Once called the Apothecary, the Kingdom's greatest poison master and serial killer. Due to the cruelty and brutality of his methods, even the Kingdom judged him unusable and imprisoned him in Tantalos.
The Apothecary Kuram.
Having finished his lament, he smiled softly.
"Still, it wasn't all bad times. It was an opportunity to understand my heart. Though parting is sad, I will carry all that sorrow and continue seeking my love..."
Blood and intestines spilled before him as he muttered. The Apothecary tilted his head. Blood was dripping from the lower half of the mercenary who had disappeared at some point.
It was because the woman's slash had torn the mercenary apart. The mercenary trembled, pouring blood from his mouth. The Apothecary Kuram quietly watched the mercenary before speaking.
"Oh my. I'm starting to like you."
Of course, that time too was brief. The mercenary breathed his last. The Apothecary looked lovingly at the mercenary, then threw him away as if bored.
Because what the Apothecary liked were people right before death, not dead people.
Before the Apothecary, who had tossed the mercenary aside, Poison Centipede staggered closer. Moving two steps forward, one step back, three steps each to the left and right, Poison Centipede approached the Apothecary and hung onto him as if embracing him.
"Kuram. I've run out of happiness. Quickly give me, happiness... Something that feels good..."
"Sigh. I'll give it if you need it. Drink while I put it in."
The Apothecary plunged the syringe into Poison Centipede's vein without a moment's hesitation. Instantly, ecstasy filled Poison Centipede's face, and an excited moan like reaching climax slipped out. While her body, freed from her will, twitched to express joy, the Apothecary whispered in her ear.
"It's a letter from Rancart."
During the drug injection, Poison Centipede's reason gradually returned. With clearer and brighter eyes than before, Poison Centipede showed curiosity.
"Heeh... It's been a while. Almost the first time since escaping Tantalos. What's up?"
"They say there's a Demon God on the tower. A letter saying to take it if you want it."
"A Demon God?"
"Ah, you don't know anything. To explain simply, yes. A mystery like the Bottomless Abyss."
"Heeeeh..."
Curiosity, interest, and anger and hatred.
Poison Centipede's eyes, having regained her intellect, sparkled. She pressed the empty syringe against her body several times. After rubbing it against her body until even a little more came out, she licked her lips and asked.
"If I have that, can I kill the Kingdom?"
"I don't know either, so I can't say for certain. But without it, your power alone can accomplish nothing."
The two criminals imprisoned in Tantalos. The Apothecary and Poison Centipede.
Their abilities were heterogeneous, and it was a bit of a waste to discard them for committing crimes. Since a situation might arise where they could be used someday, the Kingdom temporarily stored them in Tantalos, but that was the Kingdom's miscalculation.
Humans have emotions. The irritation and anger of the imprisoned were perfected in that long underground.
"I wonder how beautiful the Kingdom will be right before death."
Most of the criminals locked in Tantalos died fighting among themselves. The few survivors who rebelled against Rancart were torn apart.
Only these two survived among Tantalos's prisoners. Following Rancart's orders, the two arrived in the Demonic Dao Federation, became mercenaries, and were nurturing their hatred for the Kingdom.
Surviving means being strong. Malice condensed like loneliness beneath that Bottomless Abyss is directed at the Kingdom...
"Hmm~"
And one of the fallen mercenaries quietly raised her head.
She was clearly a burly, fierce-looking man, but now she had become a woman with a playful impression. Wearing clothes far too large for her body, she changed clothes awkwardly and muttered.
"Those two petty criminals won't put the Kingdom in real danger~. Still, putting off homework isn't good, right? I'm a total workaholic you know~."
But when those two are together, even Hilde would have trouble dealing with them. If separated, they're full of conditions and half-measures, but together, they perfectly cover each other's weaknesses.
After pondering for a moment, Hilde shrugged as if she had no choice.
"I'll have to aim for the moment they climb Babel. Now I've got a reason to climb the Gate of Ascension too."
A conclusion was reached. Humming a tune, Hilde walked out of the blood-soaked tent. Even where corpses were piled, Hilde walked as if nothing had happened.
"Work's done, time to go get healed by Father~."
The holy relic of Saint René, the Demon God's relic.
Hundreds swarmed, eyeing that tantalizing prey.