Chapter 48: Chapter 44 Part 1: The Undead Nation’s Dilemma

To the north of the empire lies the city ruled by an undead vampire. She is the ruler of death and demons.

Brynhildr Selia Bloodforth, the [Fallen Valkyrie] and a former player of Star Fantasy. She was a level 100 warrior type player from the Guild known as Unholy Lances.

There was a flag which was hanged above her throne in the city she conquered. The flag was of two lances crossed over each other and a sword above the crossed lances.

Selia—despite not being the strongest out of all her friends—possessed frightening abilities. Not only was she powerful at close combat, the magic rings on her fingers allowed her to use magic of up to the tenth rank, seven tiers below the highest rank of magic. Since she was a pure warrior type combatant, it was impossible for her to use magic the traditional way. In addition to the magic rings' abilities, these items were a gift from someone she considered special in her heart so she was always seen wearing them.

Around her stood many of the castle maids and two of her closest subordinates, Vetis Creste and Lilith Angelborne.

Vetis was a Greater Demon who had no master after his clan banished him out of their settlement. Selia had coincidentally stumbled upon this demon during her visit to an abandoned labyrinth in search of a relic. The two fought, with Selia emerging at the top.

As with many PVP or PVNPC duels in Star Fantasy, the loser must listen to whatever the winner said or wager something of great importance. She told him to join her in creating a monster kingdom where the strong protect the weak. Thus, Vetis offered his absolute loyalty.

Lilith Angelborne was a creation of Selia. Since creations typically have 70% of the total levels their creator had, Lilith was level 70 when she was summoned. Selia made an effort to get her closest subordinates to the level cap so that they would be powerful enough to even overwhelm players.

That was why all her direct subordinates were level 100.

"—We must also make the powerful nobles of the empire into our allies and indirectly make them join our nation. It will increase not only our decreased population but also the people in power. As I am the only one with political knowledge, I fear things will get out of hand if I do not multitask all the work that will soon pile up once we establish a friendly relationship with the other countries. Trading between our nations will also be a dilemma as there are no merchants willing to enter this city. I suggest we find ways to attract people to our city."

Vetis' long speech had left Selia's mind. She was only staring into space.

She was still looking at the online friends list of the game. Not a single one of her friends came online yet.

"Lady Selia, are you listening?" the woman next to her spoke.

She was a tall woman wearing a black dress with a long black tail behind her. Her eyes were that of a demon but she face of a human.

Her name was Lilith Angelborne.

"Hm? Oh, yes. I am." Selia snapped out of her daze upon hearing Lilith's question.

"I see. I am glad since we need your input on various things. Vetis has requested to take my place in visiting the other nations as a courtier."

"I am the Prime Minster after all. It is my duty to take up the tasks of my queen."

'This guy is really tiring. Why can't you just summarize everything on one page?'

As if he wanted to further increase Selia's burdens, Vetis spoke again:

"We have lots of other concerns besides the political side of the city."

Holding back a sigh, Selia asked back:

"And that is?"

"People are resorting to crime when the day turns to night. My shadow demons told me that they found a body this morning. The person was apparently hit with a blunt object until their face was unrecognizable."

'Humans really are…'

Selia had forgotten what it was like to be human. She knew not of their fear towards their ruler which was her.

If she was human then perhaps she could find some solution to these problems surrounding them.

"The bunch responsible for this are related to the underworld. Must I wipe them all out?"

"No, Vetis. If word gets out that we slaughter people without mercy if they commit a crime then people will fear us even more."

"But those scums are not regular citizens. Does that apply to them as well?"

"…We will not kill them. If you can find another idea then I am all open to suggestions. Anything from torture to death is unacceptable."

"Understood…"

Selia could easily wipe out all the criminals on the streets on her own or she could order her subordinates. But the rippling effect it'd have in the future would cause too much damage on her image.

Her wish of wanting all races to live together would never come true.

"Then might I suggest charm magic? We could use a spell to make those people stop committing crimes." Lilith Angelborne spoke up.

"Ohh, that is a good idea." Vetis smirked. "We can also instill a suggestion that makes them fear our queen."

"No…"

'Why must you always think like that?'

Vetis' thoughts would always shift to killing, torturing or scaring others. It wasn't unexpected since he was a demon.

Selia lifted her hand so that the two of them could be quiet.

"What is our finances looking like?"

Vetis made an extremely troubled face.

"We only possess SP at the moment which is impossible to convert into real money and trade in this world since it is digital money."

"Hmm…It is indeed troubling."

SP was short for Star Points. It allowed one to buy things directly from the interface of the system. Although they could use currency of this world to convert it into SP, the same wasn't true for the opposite.

The system was working fine for Selia. She could buy anything she wanted. However, the problem was that there was only ten million points left. That wasn't even enough to buy an airship.

It was common sense that ships sold directly through the game was far better than the ones that were created by dwarves. Thus, they were more expensive.

"So we cannot convert the gold we have into SP?"

"I'm afraid so. If we used those coins then this nation will face a famine due to lack of food. I am barely able to import the cheapest grain I could get."

"What should we do, Lady Selia? If the Vetis Creste, the greatest mind of the Creste demon clan cannot find a solution then what must we do?" Lilith asked with concern.

Since nearly all her subordinates were undead or demonkin, they didn't need to eat. They relied on mana to sustain themselves and there was plenty of that in this part of the continent. But they could still eat regular food for enjoyment purposes.

"Hmm…Is there any way for us to loan the money from the empire? Surely Jurnick would be willing to do that? We could even exchange money for our troops."

Selia still had the [Racial Creation] artifact. She could create any sort of monster or familiar level 70 or below. She could loan those monsters out to the empire for gold and food. In addition, the highest level of familiars or guard monsters the empire or any other nation owned was between level 20 to 30.

In a sense, this was very beneficial to the empire if they received Selia's troops.

Vetis, however, shook his head.

"I do not advise that."

"Why?"

"Simply because we cannot. The empire will be suspected of boosting their military power. This will be taken as a sign that the empire wants to go to war with another nation. I'm sure you understand how feeble the human mind is? They will most likely spread fake information to others."

Selia clicked her tongue.

"All of them will suspect the empire. That will mean they will cease supporting the empire. Once that happens then the empire will lose most of its power over the continent." Selia guessed. It seemed like she was right since Vetis and Lilith nodded.

"That is so. All of this just because we simply wanted some money to help our own people. If we want to borrow money, we must make sure it is not from a person affiliated with any nation."

"Aren't such people rare? To have wealth rivalling a small nation is too much for one person or am entire family. Or perhaps…" Selia thought about a certain household. "Perhaps the Rynals?"

"Oh! I have heard of them! They are the most prestigious merchant family on the Diacree continent. They have business chains over the entire country and could provide capital to even wars. The last war was funded entirely by them from what my connections told me."

Lilith seemed to have heard of them since she was speaking so passionately.

But Vetis only smiled silently.

'This bastard. What is he thinking?'

"So…no?"

Vetis nodded in response to Selia's question.

Holding back down a sigh, Selia asked.

"Why?"

"That is because that family will go bankrupt in the coming future so I advise we do not get into contact with them, lest we share their burdens when the time comes."

"Is that how it is…?"

'I never played the main story so I'm not sure what happens to them in the game…I bet Vetis was able to figure this out through simple calculation.'

She had only played the original game which was an online multiplayer. Due to her final year of high school she wasn't able to play the DLC since she was too busy.

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"Then enlighten us, Vetis. What do you suggest? If you dare mention plundering—"

Before Selia could finish, Vetis showed something in his hand after taking it out of his pocket.

It was a blood red crystal.

"What is that…?"

"I am not surprised that you do not know what this is. This is a rare mineral after all." Vetis tossed the crystal to Lilith. "Point it to the part of the room over there and infuse mana into it."

"?" Lilith did as he said and infused mana into the crystal.

The crystal glowed in a red light. It was so powerful that the entire room brightened up.

A rumble followed after the glow followed by a roar.

Something huge manifested out of the crystal.

'That is…' Selia's eyes widened.

Vetis spoke as if he read her mind.

"That is my own summon. It is from one of my special skills [Call Upon Asmodeus' Apostles]. This demon is a level 80 summon that I have called from the underworld where the demon slaves live."

It was a fiery giant with red skin, flaming hair and red aura surrounding its body. It lived in the ruins of the underworld where there was no light, mining rare ores for their masters. As Vetis said, it was a slave demon and obeyed its summoner.

There was a high grade Slave Collar around its neck.

"How…how did this crystal manage to contain this monster that needs an SS-class sealing barrier to keep it contained?" Lilith was dumbfounded.

That tiny crystal was able to hold such a domineering and powerful lifeform. Even the magic towers and scholars through the years would shed tears of blood. If this mineral was discovered earlier then summoning scrolls and sealing barriers didn't need to be invented.

'If this lands on the market at large quantities…'

It could break the economy if used incorrectly.

"That is not its only function. It is also capable of being a power source from what I have—" Vetis was about to continue but the monster roared and tried to attack the closest person to it.

Lilith.

"Insect. Do you not recognize your own blood? No, I should say royal blood. Do you not know archduke Lilith yet bare your fangs against her?" A war scythe appeared in Lilith's hands when she saw the beast run towards her.

"Die."

It took one swing. The monster's two halves fell onto the ground and it turned to ashes.

"Did you have to kill it…" Vetis sighed.

"If I did not then it would've attacked our queen next." Lilith harrumphed and let go of her weapon. It faded into thin air after being put in her inventory.

"Are you planning on having us mine this mineral for money?" Selia asked Vetis.

"As expected of the one I serve. There was not even a need to finish speaking yet you could read my thoughts. I am in awe."

"I appreciate the flattering but there is a time and place for it. In any case, where did you find this?"

Selia took the crystal from Lilith and looked at it closely. No matter how much she used the magic perception ring on her right middle finger, she was unable to sense anything that made it seem special at first glance.

"I was not the one who found it. A goblin from one of the goblin villages I subjugated presented it to us when they were digging for gold."

'So it's them, huh?'

Selia had completely forgotten that she told Vetis to make all the monsters in the forest into their underlings. Force was required if they didn't bend their knees.

There was a dungeon just a few kilometers from the empire where Selia had told them to dig a dungeon for her. Of course, this was a long time ago which was why she forgot. She wanted a dungeon because there was a need for them to have a stronghold in case the nation she ruled fell. By using a special teleportation rune at the basement of the castle they could escape to that dungeon.

There were many monsters that she created ever since then that were made to protect the dungeon. Since the dungeon was finished, they could start mining the minerals inside of it.

It was on empire soil but that didn't mean the empire wanted the land. In fact, the land was a wasteland where many undead formed. Even the vegetation wasn't suited for humans. That was why there were so many monsters.

"Interesting…I feel like this crystal will sell for a lot on the market. Magic Towers would definitely need this. Are there more?"

"Unfortunately there is not." Vetis shook his head in regret. "But I know where we might find an even larger underground region filled with these."

"Where?" Selia asked impatiently.

"There is a ruined city called Whitage. A forgotten region that was abandoned by most of its former rulers. I do not think the empire owns the city since the emperor has not ordered anyone to rule it or demolish the city even. The government had even pulled back their support from what I could tell after reading the documents of the past."

"Hmm…"

'An abandoned city…So I have to find a way to make the people accept me as their new lord. It's going to be tough considering how I'm a vampire.'

"But if we want to take the resources, we must first come into contact with the city lord first." Vetis continued speaking.

"The city has a lord? I thought it was a ruined city?"

"Yes, but only until recently." Vetis lifted up a finger.

"Until recently? What do you mean?" Lilith also seemed clueless.

Well, she isn't one used to thinking at all, thought Selia.

"Does Your Majesty remember that man called Marcus von Berkley?"

"Of course. He is a great noble of the empire."

Selia remembered that dark blue haired middle aged man.

"He was the one who bought the land surrounding Whitage city. Well, it was given to his son so it doesn't belong to him anymore."

"His son?"

"Arnold von Berkley."

'The name sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before?'

"He is the current lord of the city. That vast land of forest and grasslands belong to him. I am surprised no one has thought of building anything there. The land around it is even larger than the city itself. It could compare to the capital of the empire even."

Vetis took out a magic mirror that could act as a satellite. He pointed towards a certain spot using his finger.

"This here is the empire. Further west is the duke's duchy. A bit southeast from the empire is the city I am speaking of."

"Five thousand acres…!?" Lilith shouted in disbelief. "Why did the empire not make use of this land to expand their territories? They can cultivate the land and increase their wealth. Why are humans so stupid?"

"I believe it is because of the undead that usually spawn there. It is very similar to the land surrounding our dungeon stronghold."

"Does that mean some sort of battle took place there?"

Vetis pondered for a while after hearing Selia's question.

"I am not certain but I believe they used the land to fight against enemies. This was to reduce the loss of land to the empire's own territory."

'Although it was smart of the emperor of that time, he missed out on a golden opportunity.'

Besides the steep hills and canyons past the forest, there were grasslands and multiple rivers streaming around the land. It was definitely a flourishing place.

"So many resources yet there is only three villages? Is seems the people aren't willing to invest in the land. It is most likely because they mined all the valuable resources that were there before." Lilith spoke and gave her own thoughts on the matter.

"Indeed. There are no diamonds or any similar kind of minerals found in this region's mines anymore. I am not sure where we can find the mineral but I have a feeling the city lord himself knows."

"So we just get into contact with this Arnold von Berkley? We cannot do so now since lady Selia still has to visit the empire."

"Do not worry about that. I will keep an eye out and stop anyone from trying to take this goldmine before us. From what my shadow demons have told me, that personage is also in the process of recovering from a big battle so he might still be a little jumpy. We will wait until it is the right time."

Selia nodded at Vetis' words.

"That is the correct choice. I'll need to personally visit this man otherwise it will be seen as an insult."

'If he is the ruler of a ruined city such as that then there must be many things I can do for him to let him accept the deal. This will be interesting.'

Selia grinned.

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