Side Story 07 – A Certain Undying King’s Loyalty
It felt as though something was pulling me.
Is this… a summon?
Fumu, it has been a long while since I have been called forth.
As I recall, the last time was by a court magician from somewhere, although he now serves as my retainer.
If chance permits, this time I desire a summoner to be somebody worthy of me.
I am────a king.
With countless retainers under my management, I am the King of Undead.
The summoner though they may be, a king does not kneel.
If they are an incompetent fool who tries to subordinate me, I shall immediately give them their last breath, and add them to my retainers instead.
With an enormous mana as the compensation, my body was able to materialise.
I see. If they are able to use this much mana without issue, then at the very least they have ability.
And thus, I manifested myself.
What I saw through my empty eye sockets was a room somewhere. Before me was a blue crystal enshrined on a pedestal, and next to it was a human girl clad in blac──────!?
“……………ah………”
As an undead, I no longer possess a heartbeat. However, in that instant, there was no doubt that I had experienced that long-lost sensation of having my pulse quicken. Even this body that needed not to breath had become speechless due to the shock.
AAH, AAHH, AAAHHH… I know.
The overwhelming power in those dark and ominous eyes, and more than anything, that atmosphere.
Although she had taken the form of a human girl, there was no doubt. This personage was, this personage alone was the god that I ought to worship.
The god that I had worshipped back when I was a human, and yet died before witnessing. It was a memory sunk deep into the oblivion of time, and yet, as I now recall, the reason that I gained this undead body was for the sake of my dream of one day gazing upon my god.
“……………oh………”
The impatience of trying to find something to say had slipped out of my mouth.
“I’m Anri. I want to leave the defence of this floor to you.”
While I was unable to form words, God spoke to me.
Anri-sama! So this was the name of my god!
What’s more, to think that she would entrust a mission to me!
“Let’s get along.”
After saying that, Anri-sama, placed her hand against the blue crystal and teleported me.
Although I was unable to speak a single word in the end, at the very least, I knelt and deeply bowed during the teleportation in order to demonstrate my loyalty.
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The days where I waited for intruders upon the throne that Anri-sama granted me continued on.
This throne was something that Anri-sama had gone out of her way to create for me in the room that I was in charge of. I was in joy, and my loyalty was renewed, but I found myself lacking the chance to demonstrate my loyalty.
The floor I was entrusted with protection was the 10th floor. Most intruders fell on the 3rd floor, and almost nobody made it this deep.
The other day, a party had finally made it to the 10th floor, but for some reason they retreated before the door to my room. I was only able to sense their presence, and do not know why they retreated, but, hmmm, in that case, could it be that they sensed my presence and avoided battle? It was quite a wise decision, yet, at this rate I will not be granted the chance to demonstrate my loyalty to Anri-sama.
“…So they’ve come.”
However, that changed. The chance I had been craving had finally come by. Although they spent a while doing something or other before the door, in the end the door opened, and an uninvited guest entered. The one who entered was a young girl with silver hair, but having come this far, it was impossible that she was weak. And moreover, this aura… I see. So she was a kin of the Demon King.
“Welcome, my guest. You are the first one to have reached here.”
“I see. So you’re the No Life King mentioned on the pedestal? It seems that you have what it takes to be arrogant, huh.”
Arrogant…? I see, so I was arrogant.
Indeed, before I met Anri-sama, you could say that I was arrogant. I hadn’t admitted that there was anybody above me. Of course, I have long since abandoned such thoughts.
“Indeed, the one before you is the one who governs many retainers, the King of the Undead. Even in the face of a Demon King, I have no intention of kneeling.”
Indeed; I have sworn loyalty to Anri-sama. I also abandoned the thought of being peerless.
However, even so, I remain the King of the Undead. The only one I will bow to is Anri-sama alone, and though she may have the blood of the Demon King, I will absolutely not yield.
“It seems that you know what I am. I originally planned on just beating you down, but I’ve changed my mind. You can just quit being a dungeon master, and serve I who will one day inherit the throne.”
“I said that I would not kneel. Do not push your luck, lass.”
You shall regret those haughty words.
“Then I’ll make you submit by force!”
“Come. Adding the daughter of a demon king to my retainers would also be amusing!”
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It felt as though something was pulling me.
After I was defeated by the daughter of the Demon King, my body had crumpled, and yet for some reason, although it should have faded, my consciousness remained. And my consciousness was now being drawn somewhere. It was a feeling unlike the summoning from the other day. It was almost as though… Right, almost as though I was being assimilated with something else that was being summoned.
And then I once again materialised.
Like the exact same scene from the other day, I caught sight of the god that I had pledged my loyalty to.
Was this… Had Anri-sama resurrected me? Aahh, what deep compassion she has for somebody who was defeated and unable to fulfil his mission.
“Anri-sama…”
“…?”
I immediately dropped to my knee, and showed my loyalty. In the past I had displayed embarrassing behaviour due to my shock, but because this was my second time, I was able to take action.
Anri-sama seemed to be bewildered by something, but she immediately spoke to me.
“I want to leave the defence of the 10th floor to you.”
“Understood. I shall use my all to defeat the enemy for you.”
I received the same order as previously. I blundered once, but never again.
“Also… just in case, take this.”
With those words, Anri-sama stretched her hand towards me, and touched my forehead.
Chapter 16 Revival Flag ? Complete
Strengthening Flag ? ON