After breaking Sercrent's soul and having his dinosaur Zombies eat the body so that he would gain Experience Points, Vandalieu brought Eleanora to the dining hall.

He did this so that he could gather all of the important people here to listen to what Eleanora had to say.

「I'm terribly sorry!」(Tarea)

The one apologizing while kneeling on the floor was not Eleanora, but Tarea.

「To think that I was charmed so easily, spilled all of Van-sama's secrets and then carelessly went to sleep! How can I apologize for such a thing...?」(Tarea)

「No, please don't worry about it.」(Vandalieu)

Vandalieu had panicked after Eleanora told him what happened to Tarea, but considering that she had fallen asleep on a stone floor in the middle of winter, she seemed quite healthy. Vandalieu didn't think any more of the incident than that, so he felt that Tarea didn't need to apologize so fervently.

「It could not be helped, Tarea. Even if you had high levels in skills such as【Status Effect Resistance】and【Magic Resistance】, you would likely have been unable to resist the Demon Eyes.」(Zadiris)

「And if you apologize any more than that, you'll only cause trouble for Van.」(Basdia)

「Uu, thank you very much for your words. But... why have things turned out this way?」(Tarea)

Tarea directed this question at Vandalieu, who was sitting right next to her. The two of them were sitting on a single Titan-sized chair. Not only could they hear each other breathing, their bodies were in contact.

「I heard that you were worrying about how there was distance between me and you, so I decided to try shortening that distance to zero.」(Vandalieu)

「W-who did you hear such a thing from?!」(Tarea)

「Eleanora.」(Vandalieu)

「UWAAAAH! What does this woman think she's doing, blabbering such things so freely?!」(Tarea)

「Tarea, Tarea, your tone is becoming unpleasant. And do not squirm so much; your elbow has been hitting the boy.」(Zadiris)

As Tarea had moved around with her head in her hands, realizing that Vandalieu had been told everything she had said before she lost consciousness, her elbow had inflicted considerable damage to him.

「So why is this woman here?!」(Tarea)

After quick recovery, Tarea glared at Eleanora. She seemed to be looking not at Eleanora's face, but at a spot below Eleanora's neck, seemingly wary of the『Charming Demon Eyes.』

Eleanora sat quietly in her chair. Her hands and legs weren't bound, nor had she been gagged or blindfolded. It seemed that she might fly away and escape if they tried to place such restrictions on her.

「I am here to tell Vandalieu-sama everything I know, of course.」(Eleanora)

For some reason, Eleanora was adding -sama to Vandalieu's name and acting as if she were his vassal.

Trying to stop her after those events was difficult.

Eleanora had praised the goddess Vida despite Vandalieu having told her it wasn't necessary, and after that, she had kissed his hand and sworn loyalty to him. If he hadn't stopped her, she would have likely gone on to kiss his feet.

On top of that, Eleanora addressed him with an incredibly formal tone, and he had to put a lot of effort into asking her to return to her original, informal way of speaking. She had said,「I would never dare to」, and Vandalieu had only managed to convince her by telling her that this was an order, gesturing with his hand by forming a fist.

For some reason, she had made an expression that made it impossible tell whether she was scared or happy.

『Umm, can we have a discussion of what comes next after we listen to what Eleanora-san has to say? I woke up to find that lots of things have happened, so I still don't know what's going on.』(Darcia)

『These are Darcia-sama's words, so perhaps we should accept her suggestion?』(Sam)

Sam, who had recklessly brought his carriage inside the royal castle's dining hall, relayed Darcia's words. And then Eleanora began to speak about the reason she and the other Vampires had come here, and what the Vampires who worshipped the【Evil God of Joyful Life】, Hihiryushukaka, had done to Darcia and Vandalieu.

Incidentally, Eleanora, Sercrent and their subordinates hadn't been haunted by the spirits of those they had killed up until now because they had preemptively poured holy water over their entire bodies numerous times. As an anti-【Spiritualist】method, they had endured full-body burns in order to prevent any spirits from informing Vandalieu of their whereabouts.

It was a very effective method against Vandalieu, but quite a radical approach.

「Things are on a much larger scale than I thought.」(Vandalieu)

Vandalieu sighed as he listened. The Vampires who had killed his father Valen had never become directly involved with him after he regained his memories up until now, and he could never learn anything more about them so he hadn't really had strong feelings towards them.

They had been hiding their existence behind High Priest Gordan and Heinz, after all.

The Mirg shield-nation was a nation of the Amid Empire that worshipped his enemy, the God of Law and Fate Alda. He had never even dreamed that its strings were being pulled by a greater power.

If they were going to advocate that Vampires were evil, they should have at least prevented Vampires from gaining control over them.

「Well, the Mirg shield-nation and Amid Empire were always my enemies to begin with.」(Vandalieu)

『The truth appears to be stranger than fiction.』(Sam)

It was a truth that shocked even Sam, who had once been a citizen of the Mirg shield-nation.

The Pure-breed Vampires, Birkyne, Ternecia and Gubamon. The Noble-born and Subordinate Vampires who served them. And Marshal Thomas Palpapek.

Even though Vandalieu had destroyed one enemy, it was as if his enemies had explosively increased in number.

『And they were even involved in the war two hundred years ago?! You guys instigated that?!』(Borkus)

On top of that, the Vampires who worshipped the【Evil God of Joyful Life】were considerably malicious. They had apparently been behind the war in which the Mirg shield-nation destroyed Talosheim.

Nobody could blame Borkus for exuding rage from his entire body.

「I-I hadn't been born at that time, so I don't know the details! But I've heard that Gubamon used the war to have his subordinates collect the dead bodies of Talosheim's heroes.」(Eleanora)

Eleanora spoke hastily, perhaps scared of Borkus.

The rough outline of the teachings of Hihiryushukaka, the【Evil God of Joyful Life】, was that in this world, there were those who had their lives toyed around with and those who toyed with others' lives. By toying with others' lives, one could become a superior being.

With the divine protection of such a god, it was apparently possible to tame Undead who would normally be impossible to tame... or at least create Undead and turn them into servants.

And one of the three people who had attained that evil god's divine protection, the Pure-breed Vampire Gubamon, apparently had an interest in turning the dead bodies of those praised as heroes into Undead and adding them to his collection.

That was why he sent his subordinates into wars and large-scale monster hunts in which heroes lost their lives in order to retrieve the heroes' bodies.

He had dispatched his subordinates in the war two hundred years ago, too.

『I see, so that's why Jeena and Zandia-jouchan's bodies aren't here anymore. But why didn't they take my body?』(Borkus)

「Perhaps because your body was terribly damaged? With your dominant arm severed and your magic sword broken, it would not be strange to think that they would have thought you would not be a powerful asset even after becoming an Undead.」(Nuaza)

『Nuaza, are you trying to say that I'm not a powerful asset?』(Borkus)

「It is not me who thinks this! I am simply saying that the Vampires might have thought this way!」(Nuaza)

「This is just something I overheard, but... Apparently the other bodies were carried out first because yours was terribly damaged, and then Mikhail returned before your body could be taken.」(Eleanora)

And then Mikhail and the Vampires who had encountered each other had apparently done battle. It was likely that the Vampires had thought that Gubamon would reward them if they simply killed Mikhail, who had wounds all over his body and had lost his precious spear, and then retrieved Borkus's body afterwards.

However, as an adventurer who was said to be destined to become S-class, Mikhail was powerful even without the spear that was the origin of his Title. He succeeded in repelling the Vampires. However, as a result of the Stamina he expended in doing so, his wounds deteriorated and were treated too late, causing him to perish.

『To think that something like that happened right next to me while I was dead. So I guess he set up that ice so that the Vampires wouldn't be able to get inside.』(Borkus)

What had finished Mikhail off wasn't the Dragon Golem that had been carefully crafted by the goddess, but the Vampires who had come to retrieve Borkus's body. It was quite the questionable story.

「But it seems like we won't find their bodies even if we defeat the Dragon Golem.」(Vandalieu)

『Alright, kid. We'll pillage them, take back the ladies from that Gubamon Vampire! A man becomes an adult for the first time when he steals a woman from another!』(Borkus)

「Ah, but what about Eleanora-san? Doesn't this mean I've stolen her from the Vampire called Birkyne?」(Vandalieu)

『This one doesn't count!』(Borkus)

「Eh... Well, he is someone I want to destroy in the future, but please wait a decade or two.」(Vandalieu)

I don't like situations where love is stolen. Whether I would be on the stealing side or having love stolen from me. No, it's questionable as to whether this falls under the category of stolen love in the first place.

Still, no matter what Vandalieu said, he would still end up doing deadly battle with the Vampires worshipping the【Evil God of Joyful Life.】They were a group that was even more necessary to exterminate than the High Priest Gordan and Heinz in order for him to survive and live a happy life.

Since they were Vampires, they were immortal. If he left them alive, they would continue coming up with plans forever until Vandalieu died.

Because of this, he felt no opposition to retrieving Jeena and Zandia's corpses and turning them into Undead, and if they were already Undead, stealing them away was the obvious choice, but...

「Also, can you stop trying to put me on a throne?」(Vandalieu)

For some reason, Borkus was trying to marry Vandalieu to Zandia, who had been second in line to the throne while alive, and place him on Talosheim's throne.

『What, you're already a King, right? What's the problem?』(Borkus)

「The boy doesn't know when to give up.」(Zadiris)

『Well, perhaps it can be considered practice for becoming a nobleman?』(Sam)

『Bocchan, there's no need to worry. You don't need knowledge about laws and taxes; you're not taxing anyone now, are you?』(Saria)

『Talosheim isn't really a proper nation right now, so it'll be more like pretending to be a king.』(Rita)

「You might be able to gain a new Title and make Borkus and the others even stronger, you know?」(Basdia)

The thing that was most troubling was that everyone other than Vandalieu seemed to agree on the idea.

『Um, everyone, it isn't that Vandalieu is against it. He is just holding himself back because of the First Princess and her descendants in the Orbaume Kingdom.』(Darcia)

Darcia relayed her son's thoughts in his place.

It was possible that the First Princess who had escaped to the Orbaume Kingdom and her descendants would make a claim to the throne and try to restore their royal lineage. Vandalieu had mistakenly thought last night that Eleanora was a spy who had come from the Orbaume Kingdom for this very purpose.

The war had taken place two hundred years ago. With the Titans' lifespans of three hundred years, the same as the Ghouls, it was cutting it close, but there was still a chance that she was alive.

If that were the case, if Vandalieu sat on Talosheim's throne for even a moment, it would become very troublesome.

「Wouldn't Princess Levia and her descendants praise the Holy Son who restored Talosheim and gladly give up the throne? After all, the Holy Son has restored Talosheim's castle, walls and cityscape to its past splendor.」(Nuaza)

As Nuaza said, these things could all be called Vandalieu's achievements. Even though the removal of the trees and extermination of the monsters had been carried out by the Undead Titans and Ghouls, it was his【Golem Transmutation】skill that had restored the city's structures.

Even if the First Princess and her descendants had returned to Talosheim, without Vandalieu, it would have taken decades of time, an unimaginable amount of labor and an equivalent amount of funds to return the city to normal. Vandalieu had rebuilt the city, so this wouldn't be necessary.

「But I don't think they'll hand over the throne. And no matter how good a person the princess is, the people of the Orbaume Kingdom will have their own expectations of her.」(Vandalieu)

It was even possible that assassins would be sent to kill Vandalieu. In the worst-case scenario, an extermination force with high-class adventurers might be dispatched.

Other than the Dhampir Vandalieu, none of those currently living in Talosheim were of races that the Orbaume Kingdom recognized as people. There would be no legal repercussions if the Orbaume Kingdom forcibly removed them and occupied the city.

「So because of that, I can't do anything careless while we still don't know how the Orbaume Kingdom will act. Well, maybe I should have thought about this earlier. From now on, we'll have to think about defenses against not only monsters, but people as well.」(Vandalieu)

Only while they didn't know how the Orbaume Kingdom would act. Vandalieu had no intention of relinquishing Talosheim. It was a place that he had made great effort to obtain and arrange, a place for everyone to live. He wouldn't simply give that away.

There was a piece of magical equipment that was capable of resurrecting Darcia underground as well. Even the Orbaume Kingdom would become his enemies if they were to try and steal it from him.

「Now then, I think we should get to discussing plans to deal with various things.」(Vandalieu)

「Van-sama, before that, you must decide what we are going to do with this woman!」(Tarea)

Tarea interrupted Vandalieu as she pointed a finger at Eleanora. It seemed that she felt great humiliation because of the fact that she had been misled by Eleanora's『Charming Demon Eyes.』

But Eleanora turned her gaze towards Tarea without moving a single eyebrow, and Tarea lowered her head.

「I am very sorry about what happened last night.」(Eleanora)

「Eh?! You are apologizing willingly?!」(Tarea)

「Of course. I am the one at fault, after all. I simply do not want to become Vandalieu-sama's enemy. That would be more terrifying than anything. Terrifying enough that if I have to cast away my pride as a Noble-born Vampire to avoid it, then so be it.」(Eleanora)

As Tarea expressed surprise at Eleanora's apology, Eleanora smoothly explained the reasons behind her apology.

After destroying Sercrent's soul, Vandalieu had briefly spoken to Eleanora and the spirits of the Subordinate Vampires.

And then Vandalieu had broken and destroyed all of the Subordinate Vampires' souls.

It was not because they had tried to take Vandalieu's life. He did that because they had directly ended the life of his father Valen, and because they had tried to kill Tarea.

The reason Eleanora was sitting here unrestrained and unharmed was because Vandalieu had decided that she was not an enemy.

She wasn't involved with Valen's death. Though she had initially come to kill Vandalieu, she had lost the will to do so before she could attempt it, and she had stopped the Subordinate Vampire who tried to kill Tarea. With those three points in mind, Vandalieu acknowledged that she wasn't his enemy.

「Umm, why are you saying all these things about me? The goddess's divine protection and all that was just a misunderstanding.」(Vandalieu)

「No, in a way, you possess a power even more fearsome than that of the gods.」(Eleanora)

This was Eleanora's response to Vandalieu's question.

「Destroying a soul is something that only the legendary Demon King was capable of. Even the【Evil God of Joyful Life】could not do such a thing, let alone my previous master.」(Eleanora)

『I heard about things like that when I was a kid as well, but... Well, that's why I was surprised when you destroyed that guy's soul. My body froze unconsciously. I suppose that's what you call... rigor mortis.』(Borkus)

Leaving Borkus's joke aside...

There are none in Lambda capable of destroying souls. The reason for this is that the circle of transmigration for people is the domain of Rodcorte, not one of the gods who exist in Lambda.

Rodcorte is the god who governs the circle of transmigration system that applies in multiple worlds, including Earth, Origin and Lambda.

That is why no god or evil god, no matter how powerful, can destroy a soul. No matter what kind of gruesome torture someone is subjected to, no matter what kind of disgusting manner in which they may die, no matter how many hundreds or even thousands of years their souls are bound for, they will find their way back to Rodcorte eventually. And then they will be reborn as a new life-form.

Including Eleanora, the people of Lambda are unaware of Rodcorte's existence. But everyone believes in the circle of transmigration.

Because the circle of transmigration is a guaranteed thing, the people have hope after death. One day they will be reborn and walk a new life.

As long as the soul is safe, there is a chance that one will be chosen to be a god's follower after death. Many heroes and great individuals have been chosen in this way to become subordinate gods and followers, and their deeds are praised even after their deaths.

And as long as the soul is intact, there is hope that the god they follow will revive them.

The thing that denies all of that hope is the destruction of the soul.

The only one who has been able to do that up until now was the Demon King, and it was this power to destroy souls that made the gods fear him and evil gods obey him.

「So now that the Demon King is gone, you are the one with the most fearsome power in this world. Neither Birkyne nor Hihiryushukaka can even compare to you. That's why I don't want to be your enemy.」(Eleanora)

Eleanora was and always had been a slave of fear.

Her parents who had ruled her through fear sold her as a slave, and the slave merchant who purchased her saw no value in her body that was thin and dark-colored back then. He treated her roughly without caring if he caused her injuries, and the mine owner who bought her after that treated her like an expiring product that should be exploited to its fullest.

And then she was purchased by Birkyne who had spotted her quality by coincidence, and then she was ruled by even greater fear. But unlike her treatment up until that point, Birkyne treated her well as long as she produced favorable results.

When she produced results superior to those of