4.
In the end, it took ten days for me to be discharged from the hospital.
The period of ten days was actually quite a stretch.
"Gong-ja~nim. In this world, there is no such thing as a complete cure."
The Alchemist said while checking my bandages.
"Your body might seem fully recovered, but it always loses something… always. Something or the other."
"Now I feel completely fit though?"
"That's exactly the illusion I'm talking about…."
The Alchemist sighed.
"For instance, Gong-ja~nim, you use Aura in your muscles and blood circulation. Thanks to that, your muscles exhibit tremendous efficiency, which seems beneficial. But on the flip side, it means you become extremely weak when you can't use Aura."
"Well. I guess that doesn't really matter, does it?"
I shrugged my shoulders.
"I'm quite skilled with Aura, after all."
"If we were in the outside world, you would have died instantly, Gong-ja~nim."
"There's no Aura or Mana in the outside world, after all."
I closed my mouth.
The Alchemist wrapped the bandages without changing her expression.
"Yes. After all, we can't return to the outside world. But even if we could now, we wouldn't survive. You do understand, right? Gong-ja~nim's body didn't just gain benefits… It has adapted to a specific environment and can only survive in that environment."
"...."
"Yes. That's it."
The Alchemist tightened the bandages.
"Fighting is not romantic, and wounds are not medals. At least that's how people like me see it… Please try to resolve conflicts with words rather than physically."
"I can't promise that I won't get hurt again in the future."
However, I said,
"I'll keep in mind your advice to solve problems with words."
And so, right after being discharged, I found myself standing in front of the headquarters of the Five Spires, the Magic Tower.
To solve things with words.
5.
"Ah. Ah. Mic test, mic test."
Weeeing-
Following the Alchemist's advice to refrain from using Aura for a while, I didn't use Telepathy. Instead, I brought a magical item, a voice amplifier, to my lips. It wasn't as clear as Telepathy, but still, a pretty decent voice echoed.
"Ah-ah. Can everyone in the Magic Tower hear me-?"
-....
Silence in response.
The Spires had no windows.
Their surfaces shone black like obsidian.
Even though their figures were invisible, the spiders must have been all ears. Of course, our side, the followers of the Anti-Magic Alliance, were also focusing on every single word I said.
"You all have no chance of winning now-."
Amidst the standoff between thousands of spiders and thousands of followers, I leisurely spoke.
"The Grey Spider has been defeated and captured by me-. Your last hope, the guerrilla unit, instead of conquering our world, has become prisoners-. Frankly, your chances of winning are zero-."
I turned my head and gestured.
"Ugor."
Uburka, who was waiting behind, nodded. Uburka brought a bundle prepared in advance and stacked it neatly in front of the Spires.
The Magic Tower's spiders, rolled up in blankets.
They were prisoners who had invaded our world and were captured.
"Damn it!"
"Untie this! Untie it, you bastard! Let me go!"
"Don't shout… It's just more embarrassing..."
The spiders wiggled about, their heads poking out of the blankets. From a distance, they might have looked like pill bugs.
I comfortably sat on top of the prisoners.
"Squeak!"
"Am I heavy?!"
"As you can see- all the commanders of your proud guerrilla unit have been captured-. Not to mention hundreds of ordinary spiders were also caught-. Eh, in other words, your hope has been utterly crushed."
That was the moment.
-I surrender!
From one of the five Spires, a voice was heard.
-Our Magic Tower's 5th Headquarters has always admired Lord Death King! It was already being discussed internally to surrender, but now we have finally spoken! We are sorry! Please, Lord Death King, have mercy on us! If you tell us to bang our heads, we'll hop from here to there with our heads! If you ask us to roll around like dogs, we will! No, we have already become dogs! Woof! Woof! Long live the Death King!
Hmm.
Impressive.
"No. You don't have to go that far…."
-Ya, you bastards of the 5th Headquarters!!
Woong!
Immediately, an angry voice erupted from another Spire.
-How can you be human and do this!
-What? Didn't you just hear? We are not humans, but dogs. Dogs. As dogs, we can do as much as this.
-Have you seen such bastards! Have you already forgotten the grace of the Elder? You were even the chief spokesperson!
-But that Elder has been captured. Continuing to resist is meaningless. And speaking of the spokesperson, that's a position that was supposed to rotate weekly from the 2nd to the 5th Headquarters, right? But haven't you guys been sneakily dumping it on me for the past 500 years? Do you bastards know how it feels to be stuck with a 500-year old burden?
-Why bring that up now!
-Then when should I bring it up? When you all are dead and buried under a tombstone? Farewell, you trash. Meeting you was a sorrow and living was a damn curse. I'm escaping!
Hmm.
As expected, impressive.
'It's too good to just listen.'
While I was inwardly admiring, a voice started spreading from the opposite Spire.
-But if the 5th Headquarters falls, doesn't that mean we lose our last chance…? Let's surrender. Just do it.
-Why are you guys like this too!?
-We were in charge of communicating with the guerrilla unit until the end, so we know… Their world is no joke. I heard there are more than two Constellation Killer-level hunters. There were even reports that they saw the real Constellation Killer….
-That's obviously a lie! You believe that?
-No. I have a good instinct… I felt the same when the 6th Headquarters was raided by the Sword Emperor. My instinct tells me that if we continue the siege, we won't even get the broth….
-What the hell kind of instinct is that! Ah, I'm so frustrated!
-Huh? What? Now the 3rd Headquarters is leaning towards surrender along with the 5th? Then there's no point in watching anymore. Hello! This is the 2nd Headquarters! We will surrender too! But if we raise a white flag now, will you spare our lives?
-Ah, Lord Death King! Please don't forget who surrendered first! The 5th Headquarters! Stretch out your fingers and count to five! Please remember the 5th Headquarters, it would be a great favor!
Okay. I finally get it.
Exactly what I need to do now.
"Please wait a moment."
I hurriedly ran somewhere. It was the building that had been used as a temporary treatment center for the past ten days.
Thud.
As I pushed open the wooden door and entered, the Grey Spider was crouching in a corner, clutching her head.
"What the...?"
The Grey Spider looked up as I entered. Her expression was much more haggard compared to this morning.
"Why did you suddenly come here?"
"Oh, don't mind me. It's nothing."
I took out a high-definition smartphone and took a picture of the Grey Spider.
"I just thought that capturing this moment would be a precious memory to tease the Elder later."
"...So, you're saying. You came back here just to see my embarrassed and despairing face? Right now? While my children are negotiating a surrender? Just to mock me?"
"Uh…."
I blinked.
"Maybe you could put it that way?"
"You crazy —–."
Thump.
I closed the door behind me and returned to the siege site. As I was leaving the building, the Grey Spider shouted something at me from behind. However, I didn't have the time to listen. After all, I was in the middle of intense negotiations, wasn't I? There was no time for distractions.
"Mic test. Mic test. Yes, I understand. Of course, I am happy to accept your surrender."
I spoke earnestly.
"Of course, I will ensure your lives are safe. If you wish, I can even provide a separate area for you to reside in. However, you must give up the exclusive rights you enjoyed on the 50th floor, and please liberate the other worlds you have colonized."
An immediate response followed.
-Lord! Those are very reasonable terms! Finally, the long era has passed, and a new age has dawned! All hail the Death King! Long live the Death King! We, the 5th Headquarters, salute you!
-Shut up with your nonsense!
-It's not for us to decide, but for the Elder…. We will cooperate, though….
-Right. As long as our lives are spared.
There were a variety of voices.
The voices translated directly into results.
Over the next half-day, the surrenders continued.
"Magic Tower's 5th Headquarters. The fifth net, Authority Network. All four hundred and eighty-one members, hereby surrender to Lord Death King!"
The tightly shut main gates of the Spires opened one after another, like the teeth of a great white shark.
Even as the gates opened, the followers of the Anti-Magic Alliance remained vigilant. They tensely watched the surrender procession.
Fortunately, no incidents occurred.
"Magic Tower's 3rd Headquarters… Nest of Sorrow Network. One thousand three hundred and thirty-three members. We all surrender…."
The spiders, lining up, knelt before me and the followers standing behind me.
"2nd Headquarters of the Magic Tower. Nest of Anger Network. Seven hundred and thirty-six members. We will surrender quietly, so please spare our lives!"
Thud. The ordinary spiders wearing robes took them off. Thud. The commanders wearing pointed hats removed them and respectfully placed them before their kneeling figures. Thud. Regardless of rank, the thousands of staves they held were laid on the ground.
Thud.
Thud.
"...."
Thud.
There were also spiders who surrendered in silence, with their mouths firmly shut.
This marked the end of the thousand-year reign of the Magic Tower.
"...."
The followers lined up behind me watched the scene in silence.
There were a few who, showing their teeth, wanted to vent their anger on the spiders or harm the surrendered prisoners.
How could there not be?
[The Incarnation of Love and Lust cedes the decision over the prisoners to the Death King.]
There were voices that held back the followers.
[The Warhorse of the Eternal Plains cedes the decision over the prisoners to the Death King.]
[The Bell that Mourns the Dead cedes the decision over the prisoners to the Death King.]
[The Eye Living in the Labyrinth cedes the decision over the prisoners to the Death King.]
[The Lone Seeker of Truth cedes the decision over the prisoners to the Death King.]
All the Constellations who participated in this war, all of them ceded the rights over the prisoners to me.
This was the 'quest reward' I had requested from the Constellations.
I made significant contributions in this war. The biggest contributions, visible to anyone. I was in a position to demand almost anything from the Constellations, and thus, I received the right to decide the life and death of all prisoners.
"...How can we just let these people live?"
"Be quiet."
When the Apostle of [The Warhorse of the Eternal Plains] couldn't contain his frustration and spoke up, the Apostle of [The Incarnation of Love and Lust] calmly interrupted him.
"It's what the constellations desire."
"...."
"And that is also what I desire. If the disposition is left to us, what awaits is nothing but a hellish aftermath. Torture, interrogation, humiliation, all sorts of venting. A festival of blood would commence. It's more comforting to leave it in the hands of an outsider like the Death King."
The Apostles fell silent.
I don't expect them to deeply accept this decision. I don't even think about it.
That's why I plan to take the spiders to the Lion World.
To the continent where the Goblin Race became the losers.
'Distance makes the heart grow distant, after all.'
Nothing much will change from how it has been so far.
Just one more race, the Witch Race, will join the Fire River Council, which includes all races.
Before I knew it, it was evening.
The blood-red hue that nearly stained the ground shifted to the sky, dyeing it with the sunset.
"In the end, the 1st Headquarters didn't surrender."
[Assistant Writer] muttered.
"What are you going to do, Death King?"
"...."
The last bastion of the Magic Tower refused to surrender. Despite four out of the five Spires having surrendered, the last one remained locked, staunchly calling for a desperate resistance.
The obsidian-like surface of the tower reflected the red sunset.
"Maybe a scapegoat is needed. Look behind you. Everyone is silent, but boiling inside."
[Assistant Writer]'s words were right.
"...."
"...."
The Apostles, including the ordinary followers, were glaring at the last unyielding Spire. Their faces showed unresolved resentment. An anger that probably wouldn't dissipate anytime soon was simmering.
Even the spiders who had already surrendered sensed this mood and quietly bowed their heads.
"I understand."
All the forces stationed on the 50th floor have now tacitly consented to a massacre.
"You are a hero."
[Assistant Writer] said.
"The hero who liberated the 50th floor. But, above all, a hero must first choose whose side to take. I hope you don't make any mistakes now."
"...."
I was about to open my mouth to retort.
"Ugor."
Thud.
A giant hand covered my entire shoulder.
I turned my head to look up beside me.
"Don't worry. Daddy. I understand the situation."
Uburka.
"Send me to that Spire."
My son smiled with his fangs bared.
"Perhaps, I can make them surrender."