38 Masaka, the Underlord (1/2)
Everyone turned around to see Leilade causing a ruckus. Numerous group of students chatted between themselves at the incoming incident that will soon happen. They had realized that if it wasn't for causing a lot of troubles, that strange girl with a cheerful face and a cold personality will not move. However, to their surprise, the teacher was not even mad or angry but smiled at the question.
”Arrogant brat, how many people were blessed by the gods?” Leodagan was caught by surprise and took a little time to answer.
”Twelve beings, only twelve blessings were given on this world, to our knowledge.” He couldn't help but say that last sentence. The so-called blessings were quite visible and even people farther than a few kilometers could see the change of atmosphere and light present during the blessing. In that way, even the orcs and the trolls told the other races about it, but it was not impossible for other monsters or foreign races to receive one. It was just that no one told them about it.
”So, we have twelve blessings and therefore twelve Heroes, does everyone with their small little brain can understand this?” The old woman Ella Romba looked coldly at everyone and some children couldn't help themselves but nod at her interrogation. They were heavily pressured by her intimidating presence. However, she changed right away and still answered Leilade.
”However, there is someone called the 13th Hero for a simple reason. He was a criminal, a murderer, an arsonist, there wasn't a single crime he hadn't commit. One day, after a battle that managed to slay one of the seven dark gods, an artifact of immense power fell in front of him. Blinded by greed and lust for power, he took the artifact and wore it on his right hand. The black gauntlet fused with his body and his madness was released. What no one could have thought would be that the resilience and mental fortitude of that lowly scum was so important that he suppressed the artifact. After that, he helped greatly the true Heroes and was even named the 13th Hero. Like you can guess, that nice tale gave birth to the idea of the 13th Legion. However, for that man, he was still a criminal in the end. After the calamity, he was hunted down and killed, as he deserved.”
To the children, it was a brutal story. They hadn't thought that someone who would help the Heroes, fight against the Dark Gods and survive will then be hunted and killed like a dog. However, Leilade noticed that the old lady was visibly pissed at the end like something was not as simple as being hunted and killed. Either that man was not really captured at all, or they never got the artifact of great power she was talking about. ”How many things are similar to that description?”
(So, something shaped as a gauntlet, giving immense power, increasing the mental instability of the bearer but not in an uncontrollable frenzy. Quite a lot correspond to that description, it is just the measure of the power granted that differs. If it is as that senile elder says, it was just enough for that man to help the Heroes, not fight at an equal stand with the dark gods. Some Akûls like to wear power fists instead of swords or axes. It could be something like that. But by now, there is a possibility that we are not the first at being teleported on this planet.)
”Yes, that Age of Monsters looked like an experiment from the Ancient, but the Dark Gods are clearly alien forces barging in without a proper plan. Splitting forces like that, getting apparently picked off one by one. Also, there are some gods watching this world and they are potentially already watching us. That will be a bit more problematic, especially if they start giving blessings left and right.”
Like everyone in the Demonic Army, Leilade served the Demon Gods. They could be considered as Great Gods compared to most of the leeches that suck the energy from a planet. The reason for their greater strength is the nourishment they received after all these years. Whenever someone with their mark dies or kill something, they can collect its soul. Of course, they won't be as stupid as feeding on their precious believers and most of the time, Leilade had no problem saving someone like Agnil the master dwarf. But if the dead is just a lowly grunt or cannon fodder, then the Demonic Gods will immediately gather its energy.
Every god is doing it and the more they collect, the bigger they can reward their believers. It is a virtuous circle, but the problem is the faith or the thing that makes people believing in them. Most of the gods are just opportunistic pricks that find a religion without a true god behind it and pass as him. That's the case on a normal planet and those beings completely made of energies are a great source of mana when they are captured. Normally, she should have made Leilade happy since she would have eaten a portion of that god, but this time, it was cumbersome.
Twelve blessings at the same time and that was enough to kill the seven Dark Gods. Either multiple gods work with each other, a behavior in total contradiction with their purpose of stealing everyone soul or one god was really powerful. At least, capable of threatening her and her group. At the same time, she could fool mortals and hide her true appearance but her crude illusion could be dispelled by any god if he wished it. She so deep in her thoughts that she didn't hear anything after that. Only after a very long period where she tried to see if a god was messing with her did she raised her head and see that the course was nearly finished.