Chapter 298

“I take it Her Majesty is doing well.”

Wade let out a small smile upon hearing of Laila’s recent circumstances from Leonard. Unlike in life, when he had been bound by duty, there was now an ease about him—perhaps because he had given everything in the battle against Balor and fulfilled his role to the very end.

He had once been the commander of the Order of the Red Dragon, the most active and high-risk knightly order among the Seven Great Orders. He was a man who had never allowed himself to show weakness to others, and only in death had he finally found a sense of peace.

—Do you see William often?

“Well, yes,” Wade replied. “I couldn’t see much of him when I was serving as a knight commander, so I’m grateful that I at least have the chance to spend time with him now.”

—Even so, you remain a father he can be proud of. William is striving every day to live as a knight worthy of your name.

“Ahem, don’t go overpraising my son now,” Wade muttered, stroking his beard.

The former knight, once the embodiment of cold discipline, averted his gaze with an expression that betrayed his quiet pride.

To those who had known the Red Dragon Commander, such a shift in demeanor might have been hard to believe. It was Hades who had recognized Wade’s contributions in the battle against Balor and offered him the position of gatekeeper to Elysium. Wade had accepted the role without hesitation. In doing so, he ascended as a lesser divinity, as he had already broken through the limits of the Demigod Tier by slaying a powerful Outer God in the final battle.

—A god who embodies the flames of Purgatorium. Given enough time, I wouldn’t be surprised if shrines are built in your honor.

“A shrine, huh...? It feels like I’ve been given too much already, just from the merit I inherited from my fallen comrades.”

—I doubt you’d find anyone in the empire who believes you undeserving of the title. As a knight’s ideal, stand with pride.

Leonard reassured him before shifting the conversation.

—And what of Cruella? I hear she’s been terribly busy.

“Ah, she just left to meet the King of the Underworld,” Wade answered with a knowing chuckle. “I’m no mage, so I don’t fully understand, but it seems she’s been doing well as a guide for the dead. I hear she’s not far from the qualifications needed to reach Class 10 either.”

—Oh, is that so? That’s good news.

Unlike warriors who could reach the Deification Tier through sheer force of will, those seeking to ascend to Class 10 required the permission of a higher being. While this path was technically easier than accumulating the astronomical feats needed for the Deification Tier, reaching Class 10 had been impossible until the Divine Throne was filled. Now that Leonard occupied it, Cruella could ascend with Hades’ permission once she achieved the minimum necessary merit.

Though her contributions in the final battle had been significant, they had not been enough to warrant immediate ascension, hence her current role as a guide for the departed.

Vrrrmmmm.

A pulse of divine emergence spread from beyond Elysium’s distant horizon, signaling the birth of a new god.

“...It’s Cruella.”

—It would seem so.

Wade and Leonard exchanged glances before they both let out small chuckles. No sooner had they spoken of her than she ascended. Wasn’t there an old saying about tigers appearing when their name was mentioned?

Originally, Leonard had planned to take his time touring Elysium, but in this case, he decided it would be best to meet Cruella first. So, with a short farewell to Wade, he turned and vanished.

Flash!

Moving at a speed indistinguishable from teleportation, he passed through the gates of Hades’ palace, startled Cerberus as he went by, and arrived at the grand hall.

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Hades was not surprised by the sudden visit. He had likely been aware of Leonard’s presence in the Underworld from the moment he arrived.

Cruella, who had just ascended as a lesser divinity, was another matter. Just moments after her ascension, she was caught off guard without a moment to be proud of reaching Class 10.

“Hyaaa!” she let out a startled yelp, then exhaled a deep sigh of relief. “Oh, L-Leonard... it’s you! You scared me!”

Though she understood that the times of war had ended, centuries of honing her combat instincts made it difficult to let her guard down even for a second.

Leonard chuckled at her reaction.

—Congratulations, Cruella. What divine essence have you been granted?

“Uh... hold on a second.”

Closing her eyes momentarily, Cruella focused on the new world laws that had been bestowed upon her.

Then, she said clearly, “I am Cruella, the Goddess of Funeral. Looks like that’s my divine name.”

—Rather than symbolizing ritual etiquette, it seems you’ve been entrusted with guiding the living on how to properly honor the dead. It’s a role that involves overseeing those who tread the boundaries of life and death, ensuring that they do not stray beyond the framework of providence.

“Hearing it put that way... yeah, I suppose that’s exactly it. Can you just see these things because you are the owner of the Divine Throne?”

—It seems to be a power that comes from a fusion of the Divine Throne’s natural perceptive abilities and my own Dragon Eyes. Not a bad thing, really. Knowing is always better than not knowing.

While he couldn’t discern divine essences that didn’t exist, once someone attained one, like Cruella did, he could analyze it in great detail. It seemed that being the owner of the Divine Throne and possessing Dragon Eyes had a synergistic effect on his insight.

—It’s been a while, Hades.

—I see you’re doing well... O’ King of Gods.

Hades, the King of the Underworld whom Leonard himself had appointed, stepped down from his throne rather than looking down from above. Even if Hades was older, the hierarchy between them was clear. His demeanor, though respectful, had become even more formal since their last meeting—for a clear reason.

—I must thank you for fulfilling your promise. You gathered and unified all the scattered fragments of my wife, bringing her back to me. Even for you, it must have been no small task. I am deeply grateful for your integrity.

—A leader who does not uphold his word is not worth following. I merely kept my promise.

—Hah, if Zeus heard that, I imagine his ears would be burning.

The former King-God of Olympus, Zeus, and Aesir’s King-God, Odin, were both infamous liars.

For trivial reasons, they often made enemies of powerful foes or discarded their loyal followers like worn-out shoes, only to be betrayed by them. It was said that this reckless behavior played a significant role in the catastrophic downfall of each pantheon during the God-Slaying War.

Had they conducted themselves as Leonard did and acted with his prudence, they would not have perished so pitifully and been destroyed by doubts, divisions, and betrayals.

Still, retrieving Persephone was a challenge.

In the aftermath of the God-Slaying War, most fallen gods had shattered into dozens of fragments, which scattered across the world and degenerated into Void Deities, vestiges of their former selves. Some fragments had tried unleashing their divine territory in an attempt to regain their lost divinity, while others had lain dormant, feeding off the earth’s energies in hopes of revival.

Among them, tracking down and reuniting every fragment of Persephone had been a daunting task, even for Leonard.

But if it means securing an ally like Hades, one with both unwavering integrity and exceptional administrative ability, then it’s worth it.

Now that he possessed the knowledge of past eras, Leonard could say with absolute certainty that there were fewer than three gods in the entirety of the mythological era whose character and competence rivaled that of Hades. And when it came to managing the afterlife, no one surpassed him.

Even in Olympus, aside from the infamous abduction of Persephone, he had never caused trouble. He had even granted mortals who pleaded for mercy a chance to undo their fate, though most had failed and suffered tragic ends.

—Is Elysium running smoothly?

—Hmm? Didn’t you just come from there?

—I meant to, but when I sensed Cruella’s ascension, I only stopped to see Wade and came here immediately after.

Hades nodded in understanding.

—The war veterans are so capable that things are progressing much faster than expected. At this rate, within a decade, we should have a self-sustaining city where the souls of the afterlife can find a focal point. After that, our workload will be significantly reduced.

In the old era, the population was much smaller compared to now, and with over a dozen divine beings residing in the Underworld, even if the souls of the dead were left to wander the plains, they would still be properly managed.

However, with only Hades, Persephone, Wade, and Cruella overseeing things, it was far from enough. After much discussion, they had agreed to build Elysium, a place where the dead could find their own way and prepare for their next life.

—Cenn Cruach has contributed a great deal to this effort.

—Heh, indeed.

At Leonard’s sarcastic remark, Hades let out a chuckle.

—The energy extracted from that thing exceeds our expectations. A significant portion is lost in purifying the power of the outer dimensions, but even with that accounted for, it has accelerated the reconstruction of the Underworld by decades.

The immortality of the gods meant that even if their bodies were destroyed, the laws that composed them remained. Cenn Cruach, having devoured dozens of fallen gods in the God-Slaying War, had absorbed their divine essences and laws, making his potential virtually limitless.

—King of Gods, if you had signed a non-aggression pact with him back then...

—Then we would have made an irreversible mistake.

Leonard and Hades both realized, albeit belatedly, what Cenn Cruach’s true goal had been. What if Leonard had chosen a truce in the final battle? At best, it would have bought them a millennium of peace. However, in that time, Cenn Cruach could have fully developed his potential and expanded his Demonic Realm, eventually making a move to claim the Divine Throne itself.

If he ceased to be an entity of the outer dimension and instead fulfilled the qualifications of this world’s divinity, Cenn Cruach would have been able to ascend the Divine Throne. It wouldn’t have even been a violation of the treaty since he wouldn’t be waging direct war; he would have won without a fight.

—Pretending to beg for his life while digging a trap behind our backs, huh? A true Great Evil God through and through.

Hades smiled coldly, muttering that he ought to increase the extraction intensity in Tartarus tenfold.

Ordinarily, Leonard would have been the first to stop such cruelty, but this time, he said nothing. He let Cenn Cruach suffer. The mere thought of what could have happened sent a chill down his spine.

“Hey, Leonard?” Cruella, who had been listening to their conversation, suddenly spoke up. “I ran into some Celestials while guiding spirits recently. Maybe it was because I had Lord Hades’ blessing, but they were surprisingly deferential to me. They kept asking where they could have an audience with you.”

Hades let out a scoff and turned to Leonard.

—Hah, their intentions are as transparent as glass. Don’t you think so, O’ King of Gods?

—Now that the Outer Gods are gone, they no longer need to relocate. With divine beings returning, they also have no reason to risk staying in another world.

The fact that they had used the word “audience” made their objective clear. They intended to abandon their migration plans, reclaim their status as a higher race in this world, and return to the way things were. If they could persuade Leonard, the owner of the Divine Throne, then they could stabilize the Celestial Realm and regain their former way of life.

However, from Leonard’s perspective, the Celestials were beings who had not lifted a finger in the final battle and had benefited from the outcome without any sacrifice. He had no reason to grant them favors.

—I’ll look into it once I return to the mortal realm.

Unlike the Demoniacs and the Outer Gods, the Celestials were not beyond negotiation. They were not mindless berserkers like the Spriggans or existential threats like the Void Deities. Still, the fact remained that they were an enemy that had stood against the empire, just like the Demoniacs, Outer Gods, and Spriggans.

How many people had died resisting them? How many lives had been lost until the Jehoia family created the Aeroship and the Cardenas family mastered the art of aerial warfare and created the Order of the Blue Dragon to fight back against the Celestials?

—...If they wish to stay under my rule, they must first repay their blood debt. Only then will they have the right to discuss terms.

His declaration would cast a long shadow over the Celestials.