Big thanks to Yogi for the $25 donation! Your support always pushes me to keep going – even when I’m busy binge-watching Slime Datta Ken for the umpteenth time. 😅 Apologies for the delay, but the chapter is finally here! Enjoy the read!

From the Author, Shiro

After the meeting ended and the dukes left, Vandalieu and the others remained to continue their discussion.

“Well, now Vandalieu and Pauvina are S-rank adventurers, too. That makes four in Amid, one in Orbaume, and seven in Vidal. It’s overwhelming now,” Schneider said, patting Vandalieu on the shoulder with a satisfied grin.

Despite there being no official Adventurers’ Guild in the Demon Empire of Vidal, Schneider had already mentally counted himself among its adventurers.

Randolf, standing nearby, frowned. “Looking at the numbers, I suppose I’m the only loser here.”

“Teacher, you should have trained more successors while you were still active. If you had, maybe you’d be retired by now,” Vandalieu suggested.

As Vandalieu pointed out, Randolf’s inability to retire stemmed from being the only S-rank adventurer in his region. Had he trained successors or found reliable comrades to handle his duties, the dukes and Adventurers’ Guild would likely not have pressured him so intensely to remain active.

“Well, I suppose it’s easier said than done,” Vandalieu admitted.

Randolf sighed. “That’s right. Unlike you, I’m not a guider. Besides, back then, I wasn’t mature enough to take on disciples. Even now, being a temporary lecturer is about all I can manage.”

This time, Randolf made no attempt to argue with Schneider. Instead, he spoke openly about his past. Though the Amid nobles feared Schneider and his “Storm of Tyranny” companions, they had become highly popular among the common people, drawing numerous aspiring disciples. These followers eventually joined the hidden Vida faction, which ended up weakening—rather than strengthening—what was once the Amid Empire and is now called the Holy Kingdom. And Vandalieu was one of the disciples of Zod, a member of the “Storm of Tyranny”.

“More importantly,” Meorilith interjected, “I was surprised you listened to the Guildmaster so obediently. Honestly, I thought you might insist on working your way up through the usual requests and evaluations before accepting the promotion.”

As she said, Vandalieu and Pauvina’s promotion to S-rank had been at the request—more like a plea—of the Guildmaster, the leader of the Adventurers’ Guild in the Orbaume Kingdom. It was an unprecedented move, bypassing all standard requirements for rank progression.

Promoting E-rank adventurers straight to S-rank right after graduating from the hero preparatory school—without any rank tests or evaluations—was unprecedented in the Adventurers’ Guild’s history.

While some exceptional individuals had achieved B-rank within a year of joining the guild, or skipped straight to C-rank, no one had ever jumped directly to S-rank.

Even Randolf and Schneider, despite their rapid ascent, had progressed through each rank from G to F, E, D, C, B, and A before reaching their S-rank status.

The criteria for S-rank promotion is simply defined as “accomplishing a worthy feat.” This vague guideline means that promotion decisions rely on both the Guildmaster’s judgment and public opinion, with no clear standards in place.

Yet Vandalieu and Pauvina stand as extraordinary exceptions. Vandalieu defeated the Demon King Guduranis—even if only partially revived—and received praise from Vida, the “Goddess of Life and Love.” Meanwhile, Pauvina tamed Luvesfol, the “Raging Evil Dragon God,” and fought alongside them against Guduranis.

While Vandalieu’s qualification goes without saying, even Pauvina has clearly “accomplished a worthy feat.” Indeed, if their achievements don’t qualify for S-rank, it’s hard to imagine what would.

Furthermore, keeping Vandalieu and the others at E-rank could invite unwanted political schemes from nobles through the guild system. While harmless attempts to build connections through escort requests would be acceptable, problems could arise if greedy nobles tried backroom dealings or if zealous Alda followers attempted assassination.

The outcome of such attempts isn’t the main concern. The real issue would be that rulers and their families would remember how the Adventurers’ Guild—meant to maintain political neutrality, at least in principle—was used for political manipulation.

Given Vandalieu’s previous reluctance to graduate from the hero preparatory school, everyone expected him to resist the S-rank promotion as well. The Guildmaster had steeled himself for a difficult negotiation, prepared to beg if necessary. To everyone’s surprise, Vandalieu accepted the promotion without hesitation.

“We were planning to climb the ranks slowly, maybe aiming for A-rank,” Vandalieu explained. “Defeating bandits, discovering ‘new’ dungeons we’d already located, exploring them, riding Sam to conquer the Devil’s Skies, and visiting the Demon Continent or the Demon King’s continent.”

Meorilith chuckled. “Now that I know the truth, it sounds almost entirely fabricated. But if I didn’t, it would seem like a series of worthy feats leading to S-rank.”

“It’s certainly more ethical than creating dungeons or releasing dangerous monsters yourself, only to ‘heroically’ deal with them later,” Vandalieu added with a shrug.

Many of Vandalieu’s past accomplishments, though still hidden from human society, were worthy of becoming historical legends. By simply repeating and officially reporting these feats, he could have easily earned an A-rank promotion and eventually aimed for S-rank. This was his original plan—to climb the ranks alongside Elizabeth and the others, while Pauvina would do the same with Reinhard’s group.

Naturally, this plan would have required helping Elizabeth and her companions grow strong enough to match their ranks. For Vandalieu, even this training aspect would have been a pleasant experience.

“But because of Guduranis’s revival, we had to reveal various things, and Elizabeth-sama has become a duchess. I thought it would be impossible now. And because we let Heinz escape, we have even more to deal with,” Vandalieu said, letting out a sigh.

The chain of events had forced their plans to change drastically. Guduranis’s revival, failing to eliminate Heinz, and Elizabeth ascending to the position of duchess had derailed their initial intentions. They were left with no time to enjoy the leisurely adventurer activities they had originally envisioned.

In that case, the promotion tests would be pointless. Testing his ability to kill or maintain composure during the D-rank evaluation would be unnecessary. He has already dealt with hundreds, if not thousands, of bandits and criminals—killing them, drinking their blood, and using them for experiments while they were alive. He will continue to do so as needed.

Through all of this, Vandalieu’s rationality and moral compass have remained steady. As for Pauvina, while she has less experience with killing humans, it shouldn’t pose any issues.

The written exams for promotion to B-rank or the evaluation of their interactions with nobles were even less concerning. It was hard to imagine any noble in Orbaume finding fault with either of them. If anything, the power dynamics suggested it was the nobles who should be scrambling to entertain them.

“Elizabeth-sama and the others refused their promotions,” Vandalieu said.

Elizabeth and the other members of Vandalieu’s party, along with Reinhard and his companions in Pauvina’s party, declined the promotion opportunity. Actually, the Guildmaster hadn’t formally offered it to them—Vandalieu had inquired about promoting them as a condition for accepting the Guildmaster’s request, but they refused.

“We’ll catch up properly with our own strength. Rest assured and wait for us,” they had said.

“Well,” Meorilith chimed in, “their abilities are already said to be equivalent to B-rank, but they’re not quite at A-rank yet. Besides, as nobles, they’re already relying on you politically in the Sauron Duchy. It makes sense they’d want to avoid leaning on you as adventurers as well.”

Vandalieu nodded in understanding. His companions seemed determined to forge their own paths, even if it meant progressing more slowly.

“Changing the subject, what are your plans for establishing Adventurers’ Guild headquarters and branches in the Demon Empire of Vidal? I heard the Mages’ Guild is pushing for something similar, right?” Meorilith asked.

“That’s still under consideration,” Vandalieu replied. “It overlaps with the work of the Explorers’ Guild, and before we can even start discussions, they’ll need to recognize not just Vida’s new races but also the undead and monsters as guild members.”

The Guildmasters hadn’t come just to discuss Vandalieu and his party’s promotions. Expanding the guild’s presence into the Demon Empire of Vidal was also a major goal.

A nation beyond the Boundary Mountain Range, full of monsters never seen in human society and undiscovered dungeons, was a tantalizing prospect for countless adventurers. The Adventurers’ Guild feared that if they didn’t act, adventurers might flock to the Demon Empire of Vidal anyway, joining the Explorers’ Guild instead.

For the Mages’ Guild, the stakes were even higher. Mages in the guild were eager to research unique materials found only in the Demon Empire of Vidal and study the undead who lived there. With Vandalieu’s ability to move mountains, they worried about the possibility of tunnels being created in the mountain ranges near the Sauron or Hartner duchies, making the empire’s resources even more accessible. Research-hungry mages might rush through en masse.

To prevent this outflow of talent, the guilds were scrambling to adapt.

“As for the Mages’ Guild,” Vandalieu continued, “we’re planning to set up their Demon Empire headquarters in Talosheim once we’re ready to accept them. They don’t have any competing organizations to worry about, and as long as they follow our laws, there’s no problem.”

The Tamers’ Guild, on the other hand, had already been approved for integration. However, before they could proceed, the regulations needed revision. Certain beings—such as Ghouls, Vida’s new races, undead, demons, and civilian monsters—couldn’t simply be classified as “familiars.” New rules were necessary to reflect the unique demographics of the Demon Empire.

Once implemented, Vandalieu’s companions would finally be able to walk freely without needing to wear the collars issued by the Tamers’ Guild. Not that anyone in the Orbaume Kingdom would dare complain if they went without them at this point.

Even so, it was likely that Eleanora and Isla would keep wearing their collars—out of personal preference, if nothing else.

“Vandalieu, it’s about time—” Darcia began, placing a hand gently on her son’s shoulder.

She looked him in the eye and continued, her tone soft but firm. “It’s about time we decided what to do with that letter.”

Her words brought Vandalieu back to reality. Sitting in front of him was a plain envelope handed to him by the Guildmaster of the Adventurers’ Guild.

The sender? Asagi Minami, a B-rank adventurer residing in Orbaume. A reincarnator with the cheat ability [Mage Masher].

“…Mom, how about we pretend we didn’t see it and all go out for a nice meal instead?” Vandalieu suggested.

For him, Asagi was a particularly troublesome figure. He wasn’t an enemy seeking vengeance for fallen comrades, nor someone out to claim Vandalieu’s life. In other words, Asagi wasn’t a threat worth eliminating.

But he was, without a doubt, a thorn in the side.

Vandalieu knew that Asagi had been assisting Duke Gerald Birgitt in researching how to safely seal [Demon King Fragments] and had even made progress. He had hoped that Asagi would simply keep his distance, living somewhere far removed from anything involving him. Yet here was this letter, arriving at the worst possible time.

Ignoring the letter and heading out for a good meal felt like a far better plan.

After all, the recent meeting with the top officials of the Orbaume Kingdom had been exhausting. Surely more stress now wouldn’t be good for his health—his internal organs, his scalp, his skin. And as the ruler of a nation, maintaining good health was critical, wasn’t it?

Yes, he decided, dining together with everyone sounded much more appealing. The best meals were, of course, the ones he cooked himself, and there weren’t many places that could accommodate the dozens—sometimes hundreds—of his companions dining together. Knochen Castle, Sam’s carriage, or his own [Internal World] would suffice.

Cooking a large feast might seem like more work after an exhausting day, but for Vandalieu, cooking was like therapy. Preparing a massive meal was its own form of stress relief.

“Vandalieu,” Darcia said, gently interrupting his culinary daydreams. She held his head firmly in her hands, fixing his gaze on her. “I’m not taking Asagi’s side. I just don’t want you to regret it if something bad happens because you ignored this letter.”

Her voice was calm, but her words struck a chord.

“Wouldn’t you hate it,” she continued, “if Asagi, feeling desperate after being ignored, turned to the Farzon duchy or the Amid Holy Nation and ended up causing harm to the people of the Orbaume Kingdom?”

As Darcia pointed out, Vandalieu didn’t particularly care about what happened to Asagi, his former classmate from “Earth.” At most, he might feel a faint sense of pity. His greater concern would probably be for Asagi’s companions, Tendou and Shouko.

However, if his own careless response were to lead Asagi to cause problems for others, Vandalieu knew he would feel guilty for the trouble inflicted on innocent people.

Adding to the issue, Asagi possessed the cheat ability [Mage Masher], a power capable of stopping the activation of attribute magic, including death-attribute magic, and even erasing magic that had already been cast.

While [Mage Masher] couldn’t negate non-attribute magic or counter physical attacks, making it far from invincible, it was still dangerous. With proper precautions, Vandalieu himself—or even Randolf, Bone Man, or Knochen—could eliminate Asagi in an instant. But that didn’t change the fact that Asagi could be an incredibly troublesome adversary.

To complicate matters further, Asagi likely still carried [Rodcorte’s Divine Protection], which would accelerate his growth at an extraordinary rate. While it was unclear if he could reach the level of the Five-colored Blades, it was obvious that he couldn’t be underestimated.

Despite knowing all this, Vandalieu continued to avoid addressing the letter from Asagi.

“But, Mom, this letter definitely contains something troublesome,” he said with a sigh.

In truth, the reason was simple: it was just too bothersome, and he wanted nothing to do with it.

“If you’d like, I could handle this for you,” Randolf offered unexpectedly.

Vandalieu blinked in surprise at the proposal, meeting Randolf’s steady gaze.

“It’s an adventurer’s job to take on dirty work when necessary,” Randolf continued. “Asagi may not be a criminal, but he’s a presumptuous and irritating individual trying to involve himself with a ruler of a great nation—who, mind you, doesn’t even like him. In my industry, that’s more than enough reason to get rid of someone if they become a liability.”

Randolf explained that for someone like Asagi—neither a noble nor a citizen of the Demon Empire, and not even an active adventurer—to use their shared affiliation with the Adventurers’ Guild as a pretext to send a private letter without mutual consent was a breach of diplomatic decorum.

“If the letter contains even a hint of a threat,” Randolf added, “he could end up with a bounty on his head here in the Orbaume Kingdom.”

“Randolf-sensei… don’t you dislike doing dirty work?” Vandalieu asked, his surprise clear.

“I do,” Randolf admitted with a sigh. “Which is why I wouldn’t kill him. Here’s my plan: we kidnap Tendou, his companion, and persuade Asagi to cooperate by promising to ‘spare his life.’ We’ll put measures in place to prevent escape, confine him for a month, a year, maybe ten years—however long it takes. Once everything settles, we release him.”

While it was still a morally murky plan, Randolf framed it as a less extreme alternative to assassination. Of course, he didn’t bother to elaborate that “preventing escape” could involve maiming or blinding.

Schneider, however, offered a radically different suggestion.

“Why not just send Asagi back to Origin, where he was in his previous life? You could do that now, couldn’t you? Even if it wasn’t possible before,” Schneider said casually.

Previously, only Zuruwarn, the God of Space and Creation, had the power to transport living beings across worlds. But with Vandalieu’s current abilities, he could theoretically send someone to Origin. If he had successfully adapted Mei and her family from Origin to the physical laws of Lambda, the reverse process should also be possible.

Vandalieu has no obligation to do this much for Asagi, but if he goes that far, Asagi will never be able to return to the “Lambda” world unless Vandalieu brings him back again.

Vandalieu considered Schneider’s suggestion. Sending Asagi back to Origin seemed like an intriguing solution at first glance. Once there, Asagi would likely never reincarnate into Lambda again, as it would be nearly impossible for Rodcorte—or anyone—to bring him back alive to a previous reincarnation world. Even if some divine mishap allowed him to return, Asagi would be born as a completely ordinary baby, stripped of his powers, memories, and personality from his former lives.

From Asagi’s perspective, being sent back to Origin might even have its perks. Since he only truly considers other reincarnated individuals as his comrades, he might feel more at home in a world where those comrades—like Hiroto Amemiya—were still alive. The logistical issues, such as re-establishing his identity, could easily be resolved. Sergei, the President of the Federal States, could fabricate a cover story, claiming, “He was thought to be dead but was secretly kidnapped by Rikudou Hijiri as an experimental subject. The details were kept classified for his safety and recovery.”

Darcia, ever optimistic, clapped her hands at Schneider’s ingenuity. “Oh, that’s amazing, Schneider-san! Vandalieu, don’t you think this is a great idea?”

Vandalieu hesitated, tempted by the simplicity of the plan. “Mom, it’s definitely tempting… but there’s a big problem,” he said. “The current Asagi is much stronger than he was in Origin.”

Since reincarnating into Lambda, Asagi had spent years gaining experience, leveling up, and changing jobs, eventually becoming a B-rank adventurer. His status had grown exponentially, far surpassing his previous self in Origin.

Previously, Asagi was just one of many combat specialists among the [Bravers]. Now, his abilities have grown so dramatically that he completely outmatches his former allies.

In his previous life, Asagi’s strongest punch could at most break someone’s jaw. But now, if the current Asagi were to punch someone from “Origin” at full force, their head would burst like an overripe melon, spraying bone, brain, and blood everywhere.

Before reincarnation, Asagi would likely have died from a single bullet if unprotected. Now, small-caliber bullets wouldn’t even leave a bruise on him. Even large-caliber rounds might, at worst, crack a rib.

His magical abilities have grown far beyond what they were before reincarnation, and he’s likely gained skills like [Surpass Limits] and various resistances. With his martial skills, no one from the “Origin” world would stand a chance against him.

Even Hiroto Amemiya, who was Asagi’s comrade in Origin, might struggle to deal with him. If Asagi decided to cooperate with Hiroto and the other Bravers, they might manage to stabilize Origin together. But there was an equal chance that Asagi, drunk on his newfound power, would try to take control and impose his own order, throwing the already fragile world into further chaos.

T/N: Quick reminder: Amemiya Hiroto and Amamiya Hiroto are pronounced the exact same way in Japanese, but they’re written differently. Technically, the most accurate translation would use Amemiya Hiroto for both the Bravers’ leader and Vandalieu’s previous name. But let’s be honest, that would get super confusing real fast. So, to keep things crystal clear (and to stick with previous translations), I’ll be using Amemiya Hiroto for the Bravers’ leader and Amamiya Hiroto for Vandalieu’s past self. Hope that clears it up before we all end up in a name-induced identity crisis! 😄

Vandalieu couldn’t trust that Asagi would remain unchanged in a world where he’d suddenly become far more powerful than everyone else. As a partial deity of Origin, Vandalieu also couldn’t risk Asagi disrupting that world’s stability.

“And as someone with divine influence in Origin, I can’t just throw a bomb into that world and hope for the best. Joseph, Sergei, and Mei-kun’s family are all still there too,” Vandalieu admitted.

Darcia pondered for a moment. “What about bringing the Bravers to this world and having them talk sense into him?” she suggested.

“That’s an option,” Vandalieu said, “but it depends on the contents of this letter.”

Finally, after all the discussion and hesitation, Vandalieu opened the letter. His fingers moved with a mix of reluctance and resignation. But as he read the contents, his expression darkened. It was far more serious than he had anticipated.

<<<< ++++ >>>>

On the afternoon of the day after the meeting, Asagi Minami was confined.

“…I’ve said this many times, but isn’t this treatment a bit much?” Asagi complained.

He had shackles on his neck, dominant arm, and legs, each chained to different places. The shackles and chains were thick and made of obsidian iron, which even Asagi couldn’t tear apart with his bare hands.

If he used magic or managed to manipulate the chains with his free arm, he might be able to escape, but…

“As I’ve answered every time you complain, it’s appropriate treatment,” Tendou said.

It was impossible because Tatsuya Tendou with [Clairvoyance] and Shouko Akagi with [Ifrita] were watching him.

“Appropriate? I–” Asagi began but was cut off.

“You left us a note and rushed at Vandalieu, didn’t you? And when I read that you were planning to threaten him by taking research materials to the Farzon duchy if he wouldn’t listen, I thought my heart would stop,” Tendou said.

Knowing Tendou and Shouko would try to stop him, Asagi left them a note before rushing off to confront Vandalieu.

Fortunately, they discovered the note right away. Using his [Clairvoyance], Tendou quickly tracked down Asagi’s location. Together with Shouko, they captured him and placed him under confinement. To prevent any further rash actions, they had Asagi write a letter to Vandalieu—which they carefully edited—and sent it through the Adventurers’ Guild’s official communication service.

“It’s like charging headfirst off a cliff. You do realize that in this world, threatening a nation’s ruler could get you killed without anyone batting an eye, right?” said Tendou.

“Even in other worlds, threatening a ruler could mean death, depending on the era and country. Did you even consider how this would affect Duke Bitgitt?” said Shouko.

“Naah, you’re exaggerating. Vandalieu and I are—” Asagi began before being interrupted again.

“Just fellow reincarnated individuals, nothing more. We’re not comrades or friends,” Tendou interrupted.

“Just strangers who happened to share a classroom,” Shouko added.

Silenced by their words, Asagi let out a short groan and fell quiet. Tendou responded with a deep sigh.

“Asagi… we’re treading on dangerous ground here. Even sending a letter through the Adventurers’ Guild is risky. It was only possible because Vandalieu is registered with the Guild, but in this world’s diplomatic circles, it’s considered extremely disrespectful,” Tendou pointed out.

Tendou’s concerns were well-founded—the situation had become so dire that Randolf had even suggested assassinating Asagi.

“Asagi, you might still think that Vandalieu is just another reincarnated individual like us, but you need to understand that our positions are fundamentally different. No amount of trust or friendship can bridge that gap,” Shouko added.

When Shouko and Tendou first reincarnated in this world, they had no plans to fight Vandalieu. However, they found him unpredictable and considered Kanako and her associates to be dangerous.

This was why they supported Asagi’s proposal to research methods for safely sealing the [Demon King’s fragments]. They believed this research wouldn’t directly challenge Vandalieu while potentially providing a peaceful solution if things went wrong.

Vandalieu wouldn’t want innocent people to become victims if a [Demon King’s fragment] went berserk after its seal broke somewhere beyond his reach—particularly in what was then the Birgitt duchy. He likely wouldn’t oppose measures to prevent such incidents.

Even after Vandalieu’s victory over the partially revived Guduranis, the two remain wary of him. Having retained their sense of ethics and values from Earth—specifically modern Japan—they struggle to overcome their deep-seated unease about Vandalieu’s actions.

Though they had recently begun to think they shouldn’t meddle in these matters, Asagi clearly disagreed.

“That might be true, but… you two saw it too, right? That place called Zakkart Street. Doesn’t it make you feel uneasy?” Asagi pressed.

During his stay in Orbaume, Asagi had been investigating between his duties guarding the Birgitt Duke’s party. Though he had never entered the Demon Empire of Vidal or seen a city under Vandalieu’s rule, there was Zakkart Street in Orbaume—a district Vandalieu had restored and named. The atmosphere there likely reflected what his country was like.

After speaking with the demon and undead residents there and conducting his investigation, Asagi had felt compelled to take action.

“To be honest, I have my concerns too. But we’re judging everything by the standards of Earth and Origin—measuring sticks from different worlds,” responded Shouko.

“In any case, I’ll keep watching you until you change your mind. Got it—” Tendou’s words were cut short.

Before he could finish his sentence, there was a knock on the door of the inn room.

“I’ve brought Vandalieu’s reply,” Pluto said.

“Can you open the door?” Mari asked.

The three were surprised to hear familiar voices.

“…Shouko, let them in,” Tendou said.

“Understood,” Shouko replied.

As instructed, when Shouko opened the door, there stood the people Tendou had seen with his [Clairvoyance].

“As I said earlier, I’ve brought Vandalieu’s reply. We’re here to answer any questions you might have about its contents,” Pluto said.

Pluto of Legion, appearing as a black-haired girl in a white dress, announced this with the letter in her hand.

“I’m here to persuade you to stay out of this, for old times’ sake. It’s been a while, you three,” Mari said. She looked much younger than they remembered, a smile playing across her face.