“W-well, damn… The Guardian Dragon herself showing up as backup…?”
“His Majesty must be that serious about eliminating Helheim.”
“Still, her entrance could’ve been a little less destructive…”
“No kidding, my heart almost stopped.”
Watching her party chuckle, Artel slumped her shoulders. The tension from earlier had evaporated—along with her resolve.
A Guardian Dragon versus humans? This wouldn’t even be a fight.
She cast a pitying glance at the three members of Helheim.
“Sigh… Just surrender already. You know you can’t win against this.”
She carelessly pointed at Nidhogg, lowering her sword in exasperation.
“Actually, please surrender. If you don’t, she’ll kill you. And we need to interrogate you. So surrender.”
“Take my advice. Make the smart choice.”
Ted joined in, urging them to comply.
But honestly, there was no choice left for them.
The moment they resisted—their lives would end.
“…? Wh-what are you all talking about?”
Nidhogg tilted her head, clearly not following. The Valiant Lance’s tension dissolved further.
“Nidhogg, these are Helheim. You’re here because the emperor asked, right?”
“Or was it just your usual ‘I was bored’ excuse, Guardian Dragon-sama?”
“????????”
The more they spoke, the more Nidhogg’s confusion deepened.
As if they were speaking a different language.
Fed up, Artel raised her rapier toward Helheim and shouted.
“I SAID—YOU’RE HERE TO CRUSH HELHEIM FOR THE EMPEROR, RIGHT?! AND THEY’RE HELHEIM! GET IT?! We might have to kill them, so get ready! UNDERSTAND?!”
With that, Artel brandished her rapier and glared at Helheim.
“You saw that, right? She’s insanely strong and insanely stupid. You’ll die instantly. Just surren—”
“Hey, hey.”
“WHAT NOW?!”
Nidhogg cut in again. Artel snapped back, only for the dragon to stare at her in utter bewilderment.
“Why would we destroy our own king?”
“…Huh?”
“The emperor? Don’t know him. He has been noisy lately, but I’ve been too busy to care.”
“W-wait, hold on! What are you—”
“I was busy searching! But I finally found him!!”
Nidhogg wore the proudest smile Artel had ever seen.
Her face radiated pride, honor, and a sense of accomplishment—emotions that seemed utterly foreign to her.
Then, the Helheim man hesitantly spoke up.
“Uh… Nid… Maybe, y’know… not here…?”
“Oho! Right, right! I know, my king!!”
Delighted, Nidhogg nodded eagerly.
Then—she dropped to one knee before him, pointing at him dramatically.
Facing the Valiant Lance, she puffed out her chest, grinning smugly.
Like a loyal retainer introducing her sovereign. A dragon—kneeling before a human.
“N-NID, STOP—!”
“THIS IS HE!! THE KING OF HELHEIM—NO, THE KING OF THE WORLD!! HIS MAJESTY, THE CORPSE KING, LORD HEL!!”
“SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPPPP, YOU IDIOT DRAGOOOOON!!”
Nidhogg’s face flushed with excitement as she proclaimed his title.
Before the speechless Explorers, the King of the World (lol) screamed in despair.
■
This was… the worst…!
That stupid dragon… She actually did it…!
“Nid… You …”
“Mufufu, my king… Now is the time for your name to shake the world! No more hiding in the shado—”
GRAB.
“Eh?”
Still on one knee, Nid turned—only for me to seize one of her horns and yank her face close.
“Did you forget in the time we’ve been apart? Huh, Nid…?”
“M-my king…! T-too close…! I-I’m happy, but in front of so many people, this is…!”
“You haven’t changed one damn bit!”
“Aah! S-stop! My horns aren’t steering wheels!!”
As Nid—or rather, Nidhogg—shakes her horned head in protest, she remains stubbornly defiant.
She’s always been like this.
[The Extravagant] Nidhogg.
A brawler among the Helheim executives, the “Eight Precepts,” and a reckless, unrestrained nuisance. Yet her lack of foresight constantly caused problems. I was practically the only one who could rein her in, often left cleaning up her messes.
Well, I’m the one who dragged her into Helheim, so I can’t complain…
But this time, it’s too much to ignore.
This idiot probably has no clue how the world views Helheim right now…
“Nid, didn’t I warn you…? Executives are—?”
“N-not to say our names—”
“And the organization’s name?”
“F-forbidden to disclose…”
“Then what are you right now?”
“Th-that’s not it, my King! I am—!”
Just as Nid tries to retort, Nifl, standing nearby, lets out a mocking “Hah.”
At that sound, Nid clamps her mouth shut and glares.
“Useless wyrm. You’re always like this—a tumor to the organization, good for nothing but fighting.”
“Oh, the ‘self-proclaimed right hand’ is here? Stalking’s a talent now?”
“Silence.”
“That’s my line, milk cow.”
“I don’t want to hear that from you, flabby.”
“The ‘princess’ act is getting old.”
“Hah?”
“Oh?”
These two are still at each other’s throats… Even Garm looks exasperated beneath her hood.
This is hopeless. I need to calm them down.
“Both of you, stop. We’ll settle this back home.”
“Ha!.”
“As you command.”
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Their synchronized replies leave no room for further argument.
The explorers witnessing this exchange stare in stunned disbelief.
Just looking at them makes my stomach churn.
These people know I’ve been calling myself the “Corpse King”… Ah, damn it—I could die from embarrassment.
The same floating sensation and cold sweat from when my little sister found my chuunibyou notebook crawl down my back.
But my mind stays eerily calm, analyzing the situation from above.
Helheim’s exposed. The Corpse King’s exposed. Explorers are right here, and they just referred to Nid as the “Guardian Dragon.”
Plus, their tone suggests they’re hunting Helheim…
Would desperately claiming we’re real or fake even work?
Even if they believed us, the Empire would just corner us.
But that’s not it. It’d be a hassle, and worse—no different from my days as the “Hero.”
I’ve had enough of being used by someone else.
I pull my hood deeper over my face and hand my sword to Nifl.
She stows it inside her cloak, and the explorers snap back to reality, tensing to move.
“W-wait! You—!”
“Silence.”
Sound vanishes from the air.
Time to perform—the past me. The Corpse King.
If I use this situation, it might even work in my favor.
“I am the Corpse King. The true ruler of Helheim.”
“…Hah?”
A black-haired explorer blurts out dumbly.
Ignoring them, I raise my arm. Behind me, Nifl, Garm, and Nid drop to one knee.
“The vermin who dare usurp Helheim’s name—the liars who cloak themselves in our shadow—shall be purged.”
Bluster alone won’t cut it. Force will solve this. I know I’m repeating past mistakes.
But a fool like me can’t play subtle games.
Ignoring the creeping itch across my skin, I press on:
“Explorers of Fortem… Deliver my name to your emperor. And this warning: Speak of the false Helheim to others, and you will face retribution. Choose wisely.”
“W-wait—!”
“Nifl.”
“At once.”
At my call, Nifl activates her magic. The air warps, light fractures.
Space-Time Magic, Lv. 8: Teleport.
Few can wield this spell. Let this be proof of our power.
We reappear in mist-shrouded ruins—a familiar mansion looming before us.
Helheim’s stronghold: Eljudnir.
“Ah… damn it… I really did it…”
My energy plummets as I replay my own theatrics.
“Announcing myself was suicide… What was I thinking?!”
But regrets won’t undo it. No turning back now.
And yet—
“Corpse King, that was a magnificent declaration!”
“My King! Finally!”
“Mufufu… The world shall know our King!!”
Seeing these idiots beam like fools… Well, maybe it wasn’t so bad.
Almost makes me believe it… Almost.
Maybe it’s time to retire the secret society act.
But first—
“Nid. Punishment.”
“Eh?! W-wait, my King! I only wished for the world to acknowledge you—!”
“Sit.”
“……………A-as you command…”
■
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