Chapter 830: Riddle God, Get Out of Orario

"Our destination lies at the far end of the continent, far from Orario, within the ruins of Elos, situated in a vast sea of trees."

"Traveling by land would take us over a month, but riding flying dragons, we can arrive in just 10 days."

"Wait, riding flying dragons is still that slow?"

"Can't be helped. Flying dragons lack endurance; they have to land and rest after flying for a stretch. That they're still faster than riding swift horses on land is only thanks to taking the air route."

"Wrong. If it's a lack of endurance, I might have a way."

"Broly, what way do you have?"

"These flying dragons are tamed; they submit to whoever holds their reins, right?"

"Mm."

"Then I should be able to influence them through a certain Skill."

During a rest stop's idle chat, Hermes quickly saw the Saiyan youth approach the three flying dragons, and the three flying dragons, as if sensing a certain aura, lowered their heads to the ground the moment he drew near, their posture exactly as if they had seen the head of their own species.

"This aura... when you were doing Resurrection Magic research, did you also turn yourself into the same posture as those Justice Girls of the Astraea Familia?"

Hermes is a god; he keenly caught the Labyrinth Solitary King aura gradually emanating from Broly.

"This is a special Skill I obtained not long ago. The specific effect is hard to tell Lord Hermes, but the Skill's general function can be revealed. Simply put, I can inject Magic Power into monsters subservient to myself, thereby achieving the effect of strengthening the monsters injected with Magic Power."

Broly's hand stroked the head of a flying dragon pressing its skull to the ground; with the injection of vast Magic Power, a visible change occurred in that flying dragon on the ground — it actually transformed from an ordinary monster into a strengthened species.

The three flying dragons were tended to one by one by Broly, like an Immortal patting my crown; patted on the crown by the Saiyan and infused with power, they evolved into strengthened species.

When they mounted up again, Hermes felt a powerful push-back sensation; that feeling was in no way inferior to an ordinary sedan switching to an F1 race car.

What could limit the flying dragons' flight speed was no longer the flying dragons themselves, but the riders' ability to withstand wind pressure in the sky.

Broly, Ais, and Riveria — three Adventurers — were fine, but Hestia, Artemis, and Hermes — these three gods — only Artemis, whose Combat Strength was decent even back in Heaven, fared a bit better; the other two completely couldn't withstand the flying dragons' full-speed flight wind pressure.

"However, even lowering the speed a bit, reaching our destination for this trip within three days should be no problem."

"I feel that flying too fast instead reduces the experience of appreciating the scenery along the way."

Ais voiced her opinion; possessing Wind Spirit Magic, she was completely unaffected by the wind pressure.

"This can't be helped either. After all, we didn't truly come out to travel, but to rush to support someone."

""

Riveria understood Ais was speaking for her own experience; she sat down beside Ais and began combing her hair, which had been blown somewhat messy by the wind.

"Let's find a time later for everyone to go on a trip together again. Then, we can slowly appreciate the scenery along the way."

Broly walked over carrying a giant wild boar on his back; the boar was slung across his back, its hind hooves still dragging on the ground.

Its head had a sandbag-sized dent; clearly its skull had suffered a heavy blow from some oval blunt object, turning it into prey dragged back.

"This pig is really huge. Where did you find it?"

"Right in the forest next to us. Just now when we descended, I spotted it from the sky."

"A Magic Boar, huh."

"What thing?"

"A wild boar mixed with a certain monster bloodline. Heard the meat tastes much better than ordinary domestic pigs. That's pretty good luck."

Hermes, widely knowledgeable, explained the Magic Boar's situation while helping dissect its body.

"WaiTou Orario, the probability of encountering monsters is low."

"More common are these mixed-blood beasts with monster lineage."

"They differ from monsters; they have no Magic Stones inside, and don't dissipate when killed."

"People of the WaiTou World treat them as rare beasts."

"And often such beasts can sell for prices far exceeding a Level 1 monster's Magic Stone."

"This is also the reason for the huge profits of monster smuggling ————"

Cut pork was skewered on sticks whittled from branches, sizzling over the campfire; when mixed spices were sprinkled on, the fragrance blended with the meat aroma and assaulted the nose.

"If it's to improve ingredient meat quality, I feel the Guild should allow ordinary monsters to be transported out of the Dungeon for sale."

Broly tasted the flavor, found the meat skewers delicious, and couldn't help but say a line.

"?"

"Lord Hermes, what's with that look in your eyes?"

"No, I just feel words like that shouldn't be spoken by you, this openly Heretic-Protecting Demon King."

"I said allow the sale of ordinary monsters, not allow the sale of Heretics."

Broly looked at him somewhat strangely.

"But some Heretics and ordinary monsters look no different. In that situation, can you still bring yourself to eat? Won't it make you feel like you're eating intelligent life?"

"Is there a possibility, Lord Hermes, that certain intelligent life, I would eat too."

In the Six-Faced World, on the Magic Continent, some demon races who could speak human language but didn't have human form — Broly had eaten quite a few.

"Hestia, this child's heart is big, to naturally say things that make one feel awe."

"Haha, I rather hope he doesn't hold back, that he can truly eat it down, instead of just sucking the flavor outside. Come, Broly, eat a grilled kidney skewer."

As Hestia spoke, she handed Broly a grilled pork kidney skewer; the mixed scent of fat, seasoning, and a slight gamy odor assaulted the nose. The thumb-thick branch skewering it was slightly bent under the weight — one look and it was a man's great tonic.

"The 'eat' you speak of, and the 'eat' I speak of — are they really the same meaning?"

Hermes started complaining.

Camping in the forest at night, when allocating tents, Hestia answered this complaint with the actual action of wanting to share a tent with Broly to sleep.

Unfortunately, someone had to stand watch in the wilds. Broly and Hermes, being male, voluntarily took on this task.

In the end, Hestia chose to sleep in a tent with her close friend Artemis.

"Snap—"

In the latter half of the night, when Hermes walked out of the tent, the campfire's firewood had already burned down almost completely, and the firelight had grown faint.

Broly, on the other hand, was sitting cross-legged by the campfire, seemingly asleep, but when Hermes approached, he opened his eyes.

"Lord Hermes, I told you, you can sleep the whole night through."

"Haha, you did say that, no mistake, but this is me waking up naturally, and besides, I have some things I want to talk to you about alone."

Hermes picked up some dry firewood and tossed it into the campfire pile, letting the dimmed firelight gradually burn vigorously again, and sat down opposite Broly.

"I wonder what Lord Hermes wants to talk to me about?"

"If my guess is correct, the new Skill you obtained can help you extract the lives of other creatures, allowing you to rapidly grow stronger, right?"

Hermes raised his hand and pointed at the boy's surroundings, where insects and ants were already dead all over the ground, and asked directly.

"That's how it is, so what?"

Broly nodded.

"So, what I want to talk to you about alone is, will you, because of this Skill that lets you take a shortcut to grow stronger, turn from a Demon King in name only into a true Demon King?"

The midnight forest wind blew over, carrying a slight chill; under the swaying firelight, the cowboy hat on Hermes' head concealed his facial expression behind the lowered brim.

"Is this what Lord Hermes wanted to talk to me about?"

"I have to talk about it. Although I am an absolutely neutral God, I love everything in the Lower World. If a terrifying existence capable of destroying everything in the Lower World is born, even I cannot continue to maintain a neutral stance. I will stand by the Lower World's children and attempt to eliminate this threat that could destroy everything in the Lower World————"

Pausing for a moment, Hermes continued: "Right now I only have one question I want your answer to, Broly. Will this child lose himself in the future in the feeling that plundering lives lets him rapidly grow stronger?"

As a God, Hermes could see through a few tricks of Absorption Touch combined with Demon King Crystal Core transforming experience, and the boy's attitude of not caring much about intelligent life also gave rise to some doubts in him.

"No."

However, faced with Hermes' heavy-hearted midnight private chat, Broly directly gave his own negative answer in reply.

", that's it? You're not going to say the reasons why you won't?"

Hermes, having received Broly's answer, was stunned. Through Divine Eye he could confirm this boy should not be lying, but this answer was a bit too simple, and lacked persuasiveness.

"Alright, if Lord Hermes needs me to explain, then I'll give an example to explain."

"Hmm, a person who suddenly gains the means to rapidly grow stronger is somewhat similar to a person who suddenly gets rich quick. Your worry is like worrying that a suddenly rich person might become unscrupulous for more wealth, right?"

"About right."

"Then if I tell you, the person you thought suddenly got rich was originally the world's richest person, and the sudden windfall means you thought they gained, in their view, isn't even as much wealth as they got from pocket money in childhood, would you still think they'd have any change in mindset?"

"Uh, so, you mean, this means of rapidly growing stronger by plundering lives is nothing much in your view, and won't make you turn into a world-destroying Great Demon King?"

"Lord Hermes, what do you think my pursuit is?"

"Strong people usually pursue strength."

"There is a pursuit, but the essential purpose of my pursuit of strength is to obtain happiness for myself and the important people around me.

As for that kind of practice you speak of, destroying others' happiness for the sake of pursuing strength, to me, that is completely putting the cart before the horse.

Speaking of it, I'm a bit similar to you Gods, just pursuing different things. But just like you Gods restrict your own power in the Lower World to pursue pleasure, I also restrict the power I possess in this world to pursue what I want."

Hermes stared at Broly, and after a while, laughed: "Hahaha, looks like it was me, this God, worrying needlessly."

He suddenly understood why the Divine Power on Artemis' arrow chose this Saiyan boy.

A guy who hopes the people around him live happily, what bad intentions could he have? The purity of the other's Soul receiving Artemis' Divine Power's recognition is completely fine.

"Broly, perhaps you can become Artemis' true Hero."

"What do you mean?"

"Haha, I don't do spoilers. Wait for you to experience and choose for yourself later."

Hermes didn't wait for Broly to pursue the question, just yawned with a look like he was sleepy and going to catch up on sleep.

"Riddler, can you get the hell out of Orario?"

Broly disliked riddlers a bit, but didn't say anything, and continued sitting in meditation to cultivate.

Next day, they set off riding the dragon again.

Beneath their feet, the earth, they passed over mountains, plains, oceans, and other terrains.

When they returned to forest terrain, Moon Goddess Artemis suddenly shouted that there was a situation.

Then, controlling the flying dragon, she suddenly descended toward the forest below.

Rustling sounds rang out in the dark dense forest; a group of scorpion-like monsters had surrounded a merchant caravan.

Just when this merchant caravan saw the astonishing number of monsters surrounding them and some felt despair, a savior suddenly fell from the sky.

"Hestia, reins to you, I'm going down to help them."

Artemis dropped those words and jumped from the low-flying flying dragon. This Moon Goddess not only had good archery, the long sword at her waist wasn't for show either. After landing, she swiftly drew her sword and slashed several scorpion monsters that had broken into the caravan's defensive circle.

And when she raised her sword preparing to join the caravan guards' defense, the large herd of scorpion monsters outside had already fallen like wheat, all knocked down by a single gust of wind.

Ais slowly sheathed her sword. She was that gust of wind that blew down the monster wheat, easily solving nearly a hundred monsters in less than twenty seconds.

Looking at the girl bending down to pick up Magic Stones on the ground, Artemis couldn't help but be stunned. She knew the Sword Princess, but the other's Level 5 strength was originally this strong?

"Artemis, are you alright?"

Hestia, who had already gotten off the flying dragon, ran over this way, asking with some worry.

"I'm fine, you know my skills."

"Your skills I naturally know, but we Gods cannot use Divine Power in the Lower World, you can also encounter danger.

""

Hestia looked at her with some blame.

"Eliminating monsters, that kind of thing, you should leave to Broly and them."

"Sorry, Hestia, I understand."

"So these are the monsters Artemis' Familia faces? Looks like their strength should be around Dungeon Middle Levels monsters. If it's only this degree, they should be unable to threaten a Familia with Level 3 Adventurers, right?"

Ais jumped down to solve the monsters, so Broly didn't go down to help. He observed the scorpion monsters below from the sky and directly reached this conclusion.

"These are merely the outer monsters; the ones Artemis's Familia must face are existences even more troublesome than this horde of monsters."

Hermes answered the youth's question.

"However, no matter how troublesome, with you all here this time, it will definitely be resolved smoothly."

He seemed very certain of this, his tone firm and forceful.

"Lord Hermes, you should know quite a bit about the situation; can't you explain in advance?"

"Broly, don't be so urgent; I'll tell you when we arrive at the place."

"Lord Hermes, do you know that being a Riddle Person is a very hateful thing? Do you believe me if I throw you down from here right now?"

"Hey hey hey, don't be so violent. It's not that I want to be a Riddle Person and don't want to say it; rather, if I say it in advance, it will make Artemis feel bad, and for you who pursue the happiness of the Encounter Target, you surely don't want to see Artemis feel bad either, right?"

"Lord Hermes, have you been to the Far Eastern Island Nation?"

"No, what about it?"

"I feel like you are a Local Deity from there."

Hermes: "Hm?"