Chapter 652 (2/2)

“That would actually be problematic What e do if the next Pope is actually competent?”

“Indeed”

They chuckled aathered around Schneider and Lissara looked to be an ordinary bartender and waitress, if disregarding the fact that they were beautiful and sinister-looking, and a drunkard who had been drinking and talking drunkenly to the waitress

But in reality, all of them shared a certain secret

“Still, they expected quite a lot, didn't they… hic If it were o to the southern parts of the continent,” said the drunkard with ahis long ears with a special Magic Item, he simply looked like a muscular, dark-skinned man

He was Dalton, a warrior froreat tribe of Dark Elves

“You drank too much, Dalton Tea, drink some tea”

“Geh, you can't expectto co me with this delicious drink”

“My apologies” The bartender, who had no notable features other than a sliure and small moustache, smiled But those who learned of his true identity would likely scream and flee

His real name was Zorcodrio He was a Pure-breed Vampire

“Here you are, a refill,” he said, handing Dalton a drink

“Ah, thanks,” said Dalton, drinking a mouthful “Kah, delicious!”

“Hey, aren't you letting him drink too much?” Lissara complained

“That is water flavored with mint,” Zod replied to her in a small voice

Indeed, he had never said, “This is alcohol,” when handing Dalton the drink Even though the cup contained water, it was a refill nonetheless

“Health proble is that Dhampir, isn't it?” The Daitress, Merdin, returned the conversation to its original topic She was an ordinary Dwarf

Her occupation was that of an class adventurer rather than a waitress, however

“Leaving the Divine Message of the foolish Pope aside, I can't stay uninvolved if he has so If by soht really be destroyed this tied

Her white skin turned blue-black and a third eye opened as if opening a fissure in her wide forehead Her red tongue turned a fluorescent pink and her already-abundant chest expanded further

“Oi, you're returning to your normal form,” Dalton warned her

“Sorry, sorry, I was reled and withdrew her tongue back inside her mouth as she returned to her previous Elven appearance

As written on her Guild Card, she was an Elf woman

She often skipped introducing herself as the incarnation of Jurizanapipe, the Evil God of Degeneration and Intoxication, however

She was the evil God supposedly defeated by the Thunderclap Schneider

“So what are we going to do, Schna?” she asked “It see to go and meet him?”

“I do want to go, but… I can't, can I? There a lot of things to do over here as well,” said Schneider “And unlike Duke Marme, the current Emperor has become aware of my true nature”

Schneider He ithout a doubt a human man He wasn't a Vampire, an evil God or a member of Vida's races

However, he was a follower of Vida

“That E time that I'm not a devout follower of Alda,” he continued “He knows that the Pope's Divine Message of erous person and that he should be wary of me”

In the past, Schneider had been told nuer, but nothing had happened Alda arning the Pope that Schneider was a dangerous person

Schneider are of how difficult it was to fully understand the e, however, so he wasn't particularly inclined to call the Pope a fool

As a mortal, Schneider was unaware of the Gods' circuration syste unaware of thes since he was a child

He had never understood why Vida's races had to be hated so fiercely After he became an adventurer and encountered members of one of Vida's races, Lamias, he became certain

Alda rong

… It ht have simply been that his late first love was a beautiful Lamia

Leaving that reason aside, hethe tie, his belief became firmer

But thinking that perhaps these Lamia were just special, he made contact with other members of Vida's races

And then Schneider chose Vida over Alda

He hid his true beliefs, trained himself and built his achieve over to the Orbauion of Vida and the existence of Vida's races were acknowledged to some extent, but that would have been a foolish move for him

If he ran to the Orbaudom, he couldn't help thein the Amid Empire

There were things he could only do in the Around likely couldn't achieveas many as possible

Before he knew it, he had become an S-class adventurer

Life is full of surprises

“Well, he likely hasn't noticed the truth about you, Lissana,” said Schneider

“Yes I wonder why nobody ever notices, do they? That there are soed sides to join the champions”

Legends told of Gods, giants and Elder Dragons who had surrendered and joined the De out of fear But they didn't tell of the considerable nuht hiside the Gods and champions of Lambda

They were indeed called evil Gods, and they possessed powers that most in this world would consider abominable and wicked

But they weren't the incarnation of pure evil or anything like that

The cha and his followers, 'Invaders from another world' This was the truth

For the inhabitants of La was a holy war to defend this world However, looking at it objectively, it was a war between invaders and the native people

Of course, it could not be said that the De wrong After all, they had come to another world and chosen not to ask its people politely to allow the their morals, sense of values and manners

But there were so out of fear despite wondering why a as being started so suddenly

One of theeneration and Intoxication

Zakkart had persuaded her to join the champions' side

The fored sides allied themselves with Vida and the resurrected Zakkart when her conflict with Alda began

They were thoroughly defeated by Alda and Bellwood They were either sealed away after having their powers reduced, or forced to discard their bodies and physically incarnate themselves

And Bellwood, who had opposed the evil Gods joining theive in due to their strategic value, buried them in the darkness of history

“If I headed for the continent's southern region, the E to finally make contact with the Pure-breed Va me swim around because I'm useful to the Empire, but it'd be troublesome if he were to think there was a chance that I'd cause the Empire harm”

Though Schneider was an S-class adventurer and an evil-God-killer (though in reality, this was equivalent to being a lady-killer), the Eh for hi as class adventurers, and it was certain that there were ten or twenty th who even Schneider wouldn't be able to defeat easily

“And I've received a Divine Message as well,” Schneider continued “I' to obey it”

“Divine Message, you mean that one?” asked Dalton “The one that told you to save the mothers and children…”

It had been ten years since Schneider had received this Divine Message He had been surprised upon receiving a Divine Message for the first tiram-like combination of vast infored to understand its , the words spoken by Dalton

To be , “Become a shi+eld, help the mothers and rescue the children fro the peak or the sea”

“Haven't you already fulfilled that?” asked Merdin “You saved plenty of mothers and children, and because of that, you found Zod who had been sealed up”

“Yes, you really saved me back then,” Zod added

Schneider, having thought that the Divine Message meant, “Stay on the western side of the Bahn Gaia continent and risk your life to protect mothers and children,” saved numerous mothers and children as Merdin said There were incidents where he sis developed into a great adventure, as a result of which he ended up undoing the seal on the Pure-breed Vampire Zod

Of course, wondering if there were other ways to interpret the Divine Message, Schneider had visited the grave of his ns of danger approaching the wonant

As a result, it becaly fathered children a the Lamia, Scylla, Arachne, Centaurs and Merfolk Dalton had said, “How's that for a man?” and Schneider had only been able to retort with, “I was young back then!”

There were funny stories like this, but Schneider finally cal intended to have him undo Zod's seal

However, froers from Duke Marme, Schneider realized that he had failed

Schneider shook his head “No, the e was, 'Save theshi+eld-nation and rescue the half-blood child'”

“That's…” Dalton looked doubtful “But then, what about the second part about the peak and the sea?”

“That o near for a while' Actually, if I'd participated in the expedition, things one well for me, either,” said Schneider

“Are you trying to say that the Dhampir is able to kill you?” asked Zod

“He somehow killed six thousandas an S-class adventurer, Vida probably wanted to stopan enemy for that Dhampir, didn't she?”

“If that's true, then at least he has no relation to the De,” said Merdin “There's no way that Vida would help the De, after all”

“That's how it is… I feel bad that I couldn't save his ize when I meet hi I can”

There was no time to be worried over it

Having finished speaking, Schneider set about roup of Krakens to help a clan of Merfolk

“Hey, do you think it's true that seaweed is good for your hair –”

“Zakkart said so, but I' you, it's a superstition”

“But you know, lately, my hairline has –”

“It's just your iination; it hasn't receded at all”

“Is that so? But I get the feeling that my hair has become thinner recently –”

“YOU'RE HALLUCINATING!”