Chapter 35: Season Finale (1/2)

“Bye Vainqueur!” one of his last dragon guests said, flying away under the midday sun. “Amazing Bragging Day!”

“Of course, it was mine!” Vainqueur replied, which left his close family as the only remaining dragons. “Aww, you’re leaving?”

“I do not want to leave my hoard unattended for long,” Genialissime replied, his mate Blightswamp at his side. “You know how many greedy ratlings live near my place. You avoid eating them for a year, and then they forget the food chain.”

“Uncle Vainqueur, Uncle Vainqueur!” Jolie could scarcely stay in place. “Can I make my lair nearby? I want to become a great adventurer just like you!”

“Jolie, there is a big flying city full of tasty elves and demons which now belongs to me,” Vainqueur replied, happy to have company. “I will gladly let you settle there!”

“Great!” Jolie squealed in happiness. “I will bring my hoard there!”

“It was the best Bragging Day of the century,” Genialissime congratulated Vainqueur. “I cannot wait to test my new magical powers on my cattle!”

“Just wait for my new one next century!” Vainqueur said although he wouldn’t stop boasting about his great discoveries anytime soon.

“This system’s discovery means so much for my princess studies!” Blightswamp said, carrying Genialissime’s offspring on her back. “If nobles can evolve into emperors, then this may be the process that allows noble ladies to become princesses! If I can figure out how it works…”

“Honey, I think some of nature’s mysteries are best left unanswered,” Genialissime replied, apparently in a philosophical mood.

The loss of his three princesses had left Vainqueur in a sad mood in contrast. After the elf wizard released them from their crystals, they had screamed at the sight of two hundred dragons. It had taken twenty minutes for Manling King Roland to calm them down. Vainqueur had offered the manlings to take one of his princess bags to carry them home, but they instead used horses to carry them away. The dragon blamed it on a culture clash.

Vainqueur suddenly wondered if his [Dynasty] perk could allow him to create and raise a princess collection.

…

No, that would be too easy.

He would just go to the elves for groceries.

Vainqueur waved a hand at his family, as they flew towards the skies, officially ending his party on a satisfying note.

Congratulations! For being recognized as Emperor by a powerful head of state, achieving full dominion over Ishfania's monsters, and inspiring newfound respect as a Monster Lord, you earned a level in [Emperor] and two levels in [Kaiser]!

You gained the [Imperial Authority] and [Malefic Secrecy] Class Perk!

+60 HP, +10 SP, +3 STR, +3 VIT, +2 SKI, +2 AGI, +2 INT, +3 CHA, +2 LCK!

[Imperial Authority]: reduce enemy’s evasion by twenty percent.

[Malefic Secrecy]: divination spells and Perk trying to ascertain information about you automatically fail, unless they succeed on an opposed Charisma check.

Of course, like after every Bragging Day, the entire area looked like the aftermath of a volcanic disaster. There wasn’t a house unturned, or a sheep left alive. “Minions!” Vainqueur ordered, the Kobold Rangers, gnolls, mimics and other servants rushing to his side. “The party is over!”

“Your Majesty,” Kobold Red bowed, imitated by the others. “How can we serve?”

“Where is Manling Victor?” Vainqueur asked, ready to summon his trusty sidekick to his side.

“I think I saw the chief with a girl,” Bony Blue replied. “But all humanoids look the same, so I cannot tell which one.”

Ah! Finally!

Vainqueur resisted the urge to summon his minion, at least until he had bestowed his eggs upon a worthy stock. This would be his only day off this year. “Then you, Kobold Rangers, shall be in charge of leading the minions for the following missions.”

“The Kobold Rangers live to serve, Your Dragon Majesty!” The rangers adopted a pose, Junior the Mimic letting out a happy bark behind them.

Vainqueur immediately began to distribute orders. “Ranger Red, fetch me Manling Charlene and ask her for quests! The holiday is over, now it is time for work! My vaults must overflow with gold again! Ranger Pink, you shall write a new chronicle of the ‘War of the Hoard’, narrating the defeat of the Moth King Maure. It shall be called ‘The Return of the Dragon,’ and it shall be distributed to every home, so everyone can learn of my great deeds.”

“No work of mine will ever do justice to Your Majesty’s deeds, but I will do my best!”

“Ranger Black, fetch me Corpseling Jules and have him raise every minion fallen in the line of duty. If death will not end Manling Victor’s service, then I shall not deny this pleasure to my other lackeys. The rest of you…”

Vainqueur pointed a claw at the ravaged village. “Clean this up!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” they sang together, before immediately scampering to work.

Vainqueur observed his minions do their merry work, dragging away corpses and repairing the houses. His eyes turned to his volcano, then to the desert which now belonged to him. How much treasure slumbered beneath the sands? How many coins cried alone, hoping for him to carry them away to his vault? His adventures made him realize he had always thought small, before meeting Manling Victor. Now, he had to see big.

Soon, the entire country would be his golden hoard. Everyone would know his name, and the false news of his death would be at long last forgotten!

Come to think of it, Vainqueur had never punished the thieves who dared lie about killing him. With his Bragging Day done, he could finally focus on finding them.

Then he would eat them, and take their cattle.

“Ugh…” Victor woke up, his eyelids were heavy. His sworn enemy, natural light, assaulted him relentlessly. “My head…”

He had tried his best to drink himself into oblivion after last night’s disaster. Due to his Red Dragon Lifeforce, he had needed a lot of alcohol for it to stick, but he had managed to overcome it.

Victor managed to open his eyes, his mind foggy. His back and neck hurt like hell, and his eyes struggled to become accustomed to the lighting.

What happened? He remembered the dragons’ mass discovery of the system, Kia getting angry at him for the whole ‘Soul Nethermart’ thing, teaching Beer Pong to Sav and Jules, asking Allison how he could convert to Cybele, the gnoll bum fight, comforting Charlene after Croissant drunkenly admitted that he fed her cakes to fatten her for dinner...

Victor’s eyes snapped open.

His eyes acclimated to the light, and Victor realized he was in an unknown, dirty bedroom, sharing a bed with someone else. The owner didn’t keep the room clean, and he could see fleas hopping on the ground.

Werewolves had fleas.

The seed of doubt worming itself in his heart, Victor slowly raised the blanket to peek at who slept underneath.

Please gods, anyone but Chocolatine. Kia, Allison, Isabelle Maure, even Pink Ranger;anyone but her.

Thankfully, it wasn't Chocolatine.

“My head…” Apparently, Charlene had drunk as much as he did. “Urgh…”

Victor sighed in relief, before realizing that he comforted her in more ways than one.

He glanced at the bedside, finding a fully clothed Croissant snoring on the ground with a bottle in one hand, and Victor's scythe in the other. ”He used me to scratch his back,” Furibon complained, sounding broken. ”To scratch his back...”

Victor blinked at the sight; his eyes moved to Charlene, then back to Croissant, and finally back to Charlene, who returned his gaze.

”That's awkward,” Victor said.

Charlene glanced at Croissant with an angry sneer. ”He tried to fatten me for dinner,” she said, ”Serves him right.”

He had forgotten how petty she could be when revengeful. ”So, um...”

”I still don't like you.” Charlene thought over it. ”You're good, but I still don't like you.”

Figure. ”Then why?”

”You screwed me over with the dragons.”

”No, but yes?”

”So I screwed you.”

...

Okay.

His life was weird.