Chương 22: Imperium

(A/N: I was wondering, do NPCs have access to their own Super Tier Magic spells or is that a Player thing only? Can they even use them? Please, let me know!)

[Timeskip - 6 Days]

[Narrator's POV]

A mighty panda-like demi-human of unfathomable strength sat on his lavish golden throne. Even by simply resting on his royal seat, the aura the figure radiated suggested nothing but vigour. This being was none other than the King of the Beastmen Nation, Claughuth.

The King tapped one of his claws on his armrest in repetition, deep in thought about current events. More specifically, the recent saviour of the Dragon Kingdom, Ordan Karris and his adventurer team Hope. 'Those bastards…' The panda demi-human clicked his tongue before giving a low growl.

'Their sudden appearance has single-handedly flipped all my plans in that measly human country! It's only a matter of time before they retake those cities and counter-attack, backed by a rejuvenated populace and those neighbouring human countries!' The King clenched his fist tightly but resisted the urge to smash his armrest to smithereens.

'At the end of the day, this only leaves me with two options. A war of attrition that could eventually lead to our defeat. Or, I round up the army and launch a full-scale invasion on the Dragon Kingdom to get rid of that damned team. The latter would make farming the humans less viable along with leaving my eastern borders more vulnerable. Fucking minotaurs and Sea City fucks…'

Claughuth grit his teeth as he succumbed to the temptation of smashing his fist onto the side of his armrest. "DAMNIT!!!" He shouted with uncapped rage as his voice echoed throughout the Throne room and even outside it.

Wanting to calm down, Claughuth decided to… have some fun with a female human. "SERVANT! GET ME A HUMAN GIRL AT ONCE!" He shouted from his Throne room to a servant he knew was stationed outside.

There was no reply.

"I said…" Claughuth took in a deep breath before screaming. "GET ME A HUMAN GIRL AT ONCE!!! DO I HAVE TO REPEAT MYSELF? THAT WAS A FUCKING ORDER!!!"

Again, no response.

'What the… something isn't right…' Claughuth, realizing something was wrong, stopped shouting and went on alert. Though the Throne room was noiseless before the King called for a servant, when he noticed something was off, it was as if the air suddenly became heavier.

With extreme prudence, Claughuth got off of his lavish seat, carefully examining his surroundings. Everything seemed normal. The paintings, the flags and the statues of himself. They all were regular and unaltered. Despite that, the King couldn't help but feel… watched.

"Who the FUCK is hiding from me! I DEMAND you reveal yourself at once, fucker! Comply, and I'll contemplate not turning you into a lifeless husk of FLESH AND BONES!!!" Claughuth said with his usual deep and gruff voice that could scare a room full of men.

"Q̷̫̦̓̒u̶̞͌ĭ̵͓͉t̴̢̼̉̕ȅ̷̼̮ ̴̦͉̑t̸̫̼̔ḧ̶̡̲́ẹ̵̑̄ ̵̗͉̏̚á̷̛͖t̷̜͐̈͜t̷̢̫̀͘ǐ̸͖t̴̡̑ù̷͖̩͆d̵͕̰͂͝e̶͕̦̎̚,̸͓̈́͝ͅ ̴̪̀͂C̴̦̭̓l̶̝͉̈́̕a̵͍͒u̸̺͐́g̵̙̊h̴̬͓̐u̷͕̐͗ţ̶͖̐h̷̲̿͋…̴̝͒̔"

The very furs on Claughuth's body never stood so tall out of pure emotions as they did now. Not when his father died at the hands of the Great Minotaur Nation, not when Hope appeared, and certainly not when the Sea City broke their truce.

Similar to surround sound in a cinema, the ominous voice sounded like it came from all directions. The King turned his head to where he thought the voice originated from, but to no avail. "W-WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY MEN?! WHERE ARE YOU HIDING?!" Claughuth did his best to put up a front, but couldn't help but let out a stutter from the fear he was feeling.

The ominous voice replied again. "R̵̝͗i̷̡̿g̸̬̽h̷̲̀t̵̰̏ ̷̟̓ō̵̺v̵̮͌é̸͜r̵͇͗ ̵̨̿h̶̹̽e̸͉̍ŕ̵̹ë̵͕…̴̝͒̔"

Unlike before, the mysterious voice didn't seem to come from every direction, but from one particular point within the Throne room. At the very corner of the room, where the light was mostly absent, there was the faintest outline of a humanoid that you could barely make out.

Dressed in a dark grey robe that covered his entire body along with a white bird mask, the figure stepped out of the shadows. This being was none other than Citrinitas, who radiated an aura of mystery and ominousness to those around him.

Claughuth's mind raced with many different thoughts.

'Who the fuck is this bitch? I can't tell if he's either weak or strong. Only that he gives off an ominous aura. A total mystery…' The King thought to himself. "Who the hell are you?" He questioned the cryptic plague doctor.

"My name is Citrinitas, a humble servant of Nazarick. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in the flesh, Claughuth." The alchemist spoke in his typical, well-mannered tone that slightly irritated the King.

'Nazarick? What the fuck is that? A country? Organization? I best keep note of this…'

"Can't say the same for you, Citrinitas," Claughuth replied in an almost mocking and gruff voice. "What have you done to MY men and what the HELL do you want?!" The King emphasized 'my' and 'hell' before giving an intimidating growl.

"To answer your first question, your men outside are… paralysed, so to speak. As for your second one, I have a proposition for you. I say proposition, though it is more or less an ultimatum. Either submit to me by your own volition, or I force you to." Claughuth's eyes widened with rage.

"Submit? To you?! Why would I, the King of the Beastmen Nation, bow down to some unknown flesh bag weakling?! I'LL TEAR YOU TO FUCKING SHREDS!!!" Even though deep in his heart that antagonizing the being in front of him wasn't the best of choices, his beastman and kingly pride wouldn't allow him to do so.

Within an instant, Claughuth got into a fighting stance before jumping into the air toward the alchemist's direction. The ground beneath him slightly shattered from the force of propelling himself upwards. The King screamed a mighty warcry, raising his right hand in preparation to attack.

Despite this, the plague doctor didn't move from his position. Instead, only met the fierce gaze of the demi-human as a white glow shone from within his left eye socket.

"[Adamantite Claws]!"

The claws on Claughuth's hand changed colour and grew bigger with each passing second. Turning from its typical black to a gorgeous silver that radiated an aura of power. "DON'T YOU DARE SAY SUCH FOOLISHNESS TO MY FACE!!! NOW, ENJOY BEING MAULED TO DEATH!!!"

Citrinitas only hummed before taking any action. "Interesting… [Forced Deceleration]." With the cast of a fairly powerful 9th Tier spell, the speed Claughuth was charging towards Citrinitas suddenly ceased as he was pretty much frozen in midair.

[Forced Deceleration] was the same spell Citrinitas used against Shalltear. However, due to the strength difference between Shalltear and Claughuth, along with the tier of the spell, the King moved significantly slower compared to the bloody valkyrie. So much so that Citrinitas could give an entire monologue while the King barely moved a millimetre.

Think of the spell's effects like having different weights on you. For Shalltear, [Forced Deceleration] was the equivalent of trying to move while having to carry a really heavy school bag. It was more of a nuisance than anything else. In contrast, what Claughuth felt was like trying to move with 50 concrete bricks tied to your legs. In other words, he was frozen in place.

'From what [Appraisal] told me, Claughuth is within the Realm of Heros. While I haven't personally seen them, he should be slightly stronger than the demi-humans generals and Remedios. However, he's not above level 40. Considering MOST beings are under level 30, this is quite significant.'

"Weakling, you say?" Citrinitas replied in an almost condescending tone, eyeing the beastman frozen in midair. "W-What? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?! LET ME THE FUCK OUT OR I'LL BITE YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF!!!" Claughuth did his best to thrash and break free from his invisible weights, but this resulted in no success.

"I don't think you're in any position to ask questions, let alone threaten me." The plague doctor kept his polite tone, which only made him sound scarier. He then proceeded to raise his hand before casting a 5th Tier spell.

"[Maximize Magic: Food Poisoning]."

The moment the alchemist muttered those words, Claughuth felt unbearable pain in his abdomen. It was as if the area was abruptly punched 100 times in the span of a second. "W-ha- BLARRGH!!!" The King, who was already nauseous and profusely sweating couldn't help but spew out his latest meal and stomach acid from sickness. "I'll… f-fucking… kill yo- BLARRRGHHH!!!" Claughuth puked again as he felt his health and pride slowly crumble away.

'Well, the spell is on the weaker side of what I can do. It isn't melting your organs or anything. Just giving you a really bad case of food poisoning. Nonetheless, it's equally as painful.'

As the name suggested, [Food Poisoning] was a spell that gave the target food poisoning. Stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fevers and diarrhoea. While it doesn't kill its target, [Food Poisoning] does its job at making the opponent feel like total shit.

"I gave you the choice between two options and you chose the harder one. Now, you can either submit or experience more needless suffering. I do hope you change your mind soon, Claughuth. [Diluted Poison of Ouroboros]."

The pain Claughuth experienced only got worse as he was forced to inhale a light green mist that entered his mouth. "W-What the fuck was th- URGHHH!!!" The previous vomiting of stomach acid quickly turned into a mixture of white foam and blood as he wheezed in agony.

The huge muscles around the King's body started to twitch. They were slow at first, only affecting the fingers. But, they quickly caught speed and became more severe. After a couple of seconds, most muscles in his body were uncontrollably contracting, causing an agonising amount of pain.

[Diluted Poison of Ouroboros] was the watered-down variant of the more powerful original. And just like with any diluted version of a stronger spell, there were limitations as to what it could do. For example, not having blood excrete from every orifice in the body. Furthermore, this also meant that the spell wouldn't kill its target. A bonus for making opponents feel extreme pain.

Claughuth gasped for air whenever his mouth wasn't filled with puke, blood and foam."F-F-Fuck… y-you… bitch… I… w-will k-kill you…" He murmured in a raspy and broken voice from the pain he felt. His pride as a beastman and a ruler refused to bow down to the plague doctor toying with him.

"It's a shame, really. All you're doing is putting more of a burden on yourself. Well, if you want to keep refusing to submit to my will, so be it." The alchemist shrugged at the King's decision as he raised his hand again.

"[Maximize Magic: Mustard Gas], [Triplet Maximize Magic: Open Wounds]." Just like with [Diluted Poison of Ouroboros] before, a yellowish-brown gas quickly surrounded Claughuth's body and seeped into every orifice it possibly could enter.

Claughuth couldn't even formulate any words as he was severely coughing from his lungs being irritated. Hell, he was hyperventilating from how little oxygen he was getting from his mouth being obscured by different bodily liquids.

The very furs and the skin beneath his demi-human body started to smoulder from the chemical contact. Not just typical burns from mustard gas. No. It was like the chemical gas was melting each layer of fur and skin one by one wherever it touched.

As bad as the damage Claughuth's body faced, the pain he currently experienced was three times worse due to the use of Metamagic on [Open Wounds]. If what he was feeling before was like having all his fingers broken, then what he was feeling now would've been like having both femurs shattered.

'Some may call me cruel, but from what I've seen, Claughuth really enjoys having his way with female humans he gets from those captured cities. This is the least I could do to avenge the innocent souls brutally violated and killed off.' Citrinitas thought to himself, observing the suffering King.

At this point, Claughuth gave up his pride as a ruler and a demi-human from the excruciating pain he was experiencing. "I… g-g-give… up…" His speech was slurred and hoarse like he was a drunk man after running a marathon as he gargled out the disgusting mix of blood, vomit and foam.

"Good choice." Citrinitas simply stated as he took out a splash potion from his inventory and threw it at the hovering body of the panda. The glass potion's concoction shattered from impact as it covered Claughuth in a liquid substance before being absorbed into his skin.

Unexpectedly for the King, all the pain he was feeling ceased as he fell to the floor, not being affected by [Forced Deceleration] anymore. The ground once more cracked under the sudden weight of the panda as he got up to face the plague doctor.

"[Clean]. That wasn't so hard, was it?" The alchemist rhetorically asked, making Claughuth want to click his tongue. However, the panda didn't dare do such a stupid action. Not after what torment he went through. Only a fool akin to Remedios or Philip could do such a thing.

Claughuth knelt on one knee and begrudgingly asked what was needed of his new 'master.'

"W-what is it that you desire, L-Lord Citrinitas?" The King's previous confidence and arrogance almost entirely vanished. In its place, a fearful and stuttering mess doing its best to hold itself together and putting up a false facade.

"Straight to the point, I like that." The plague doctor noted before replying to Claughuth's question.

"I have a couple of orders for you first. Do them well, and you'll be rewarded. Fail, and you suffer the consequences. I don't believe you need a reminder of what happens if you disobey. Understood?" Citrinitas' tone shifted from a more professional and polite one to an almost mocking one.

"L-Loud and clear, my Lord," Claughuth said, still filled with slight fear in his heart and struggling to accept the sudden change.

"Getting to the topic, I'm sure you're well aware of that new adventurer team in the Dragon Kingdom. The one that goes by Hope, right?" Claughuth nodded once, confirming Citrinitas' question.

"Until the time comes, which I'll let you know when, you are to continue to send raid parties to attack Hope directly, nearby villages and cities. The raid parties should be roughly the same size as the one you sent to attack Carca village and Clebus near the Wastelands." The plague doctor concluded.

"Then I shall enact your will, my Lord." Though perplexed, the King didn't dare ask for the reason why and only agreed to the simple order. 'I have no clue why he'd want such a thing. Is Citrinitas working in cahoots with Hope? Never mind that the only thing I know is that my men would be given death sentences from those orders. SHIT!!! What a King I am to kill off good soldiers. My father would surely be disappointed with what has become of me…'

"Now, I'd like some information on what's going on in the centre of the continent. You can start with the Great Minotaur Nation and work your way from there. The more information the better. But, I don't want a full-blown explanation. More general knowledge." Citrinitas said to the kneeling King.

It wasn't like Citrinitas truly needed the information as he was in no rush. Hell, it would be at least a couple of years in the future until Nazarick starts dealing with the east. It was more or less his human mind wanting to uncover the hidden and incomplete lore of his favourite light novel/anime.

Claughuth couldn't help but let out a slight growl at the mentioning of the Great Minotaur Nation. "Growling? Did I perhaps upset you? Is this simple request too much for a King of your calibre?" The plague doctor questioned in a way impossible to distinguish if he was genuinely asking a question or simply mocking Claughuth.

"N-N-No, my Lord!" The panda stuttered out, realizing his mistake by growling and what torment he could expect from such action. "I'm more than capable of informing you about the central continent. It's just that I hold a grudge against the Great Minotaur Nation."

"Really? For what reason?" Citrinitas questioned, quite intrigued by the statement. "In short, they launched an attack on this nation's soil in the hopes to gain more power and resources years ago. My father, the previous King, was killed by weapons left by the Boastful Sage. That's why I hold a grudge." The King did his best not to raise his voice due to anger in fear of upsetting the alchemist.

'Well, I'd ask what a King was doing on a battlefield. But, unlike human rulers, demi-humans here have the pride and strength to fight with their soldiers. It's… oddly respectable.' Citrinitas thought to himself. 'On an unrelated note, the mention of the Great Minotaur Nation and the Minotaur Sage does make me want to explore the country. Something to look forward to in the future I guess…'

"Interesting… very interesting. Please, continue with your explanation, Claughuth." Citrinitas spoke politely as the King nodded once.

"Despite my grudge, there's a… tense peace with the country. We and the Great Minotaur Nation have troops guarding our respective borders in case they decide to attack us or vice versa. However, that most likely won't happen as we currently have different goals. My nation is dealing with expanding to the northwest where the human nations are located while pushing back occasional attacks from the Sea City. The minotaurs on the other hand are dealing with the Beastmen Commonwealth on their eastern borders." Claughuth stated as Citrinitas processed the information carefully.

'Right, the Beastmen Commonwealth was mentioned in the web novel. Just like there are multiple human nations, there are multiple Beastmen nations. I wasn't sure if they'd appear here. Then again, the God Dragon was also here and was only mentioned in the web novel.' The plague doctor thought.

"Are you allies with the Beastmen Commonwealth?" The King was quick to respond. "That's correct, my Lord. Due to our similarities in military strength, race, and a common enemy, we have a more positive relationship." Citrinitas nodded before gesturing for Claughuth to continue speaking.

"Next is the Troll Kingdom. They're considered one of the larger demi-human nations in the central continent as they neighbour east of the Centaur Plains. A flat grassland that stretches far and wide."

"I don't know much due to vast distances except that tensions are rising between them and the Equestrian King. I'm sorry if this displeases you, my Lord." Externally, Claughuth was less of a stuttering mess and kept his composure. However, his mind was still filled with fear as he didn't know if his lack of knowledge would result in him being brutally punished.

Citrinitas gave a short lesson in education to the King. "That's to be expected, Claughuth. These countries are quite a distance away so not knowing things is understandable. As a pawn of Nazarick, you should be well aware of your surroundings."

'SHIT!!!' Claughuth screamed to himself within his mind. 'Would this result in me facing the consequences Citrinitas mentioned earlier? Is he making me out to be a fool?! As much as a powerful being I am, I could never fight this monster. My pride is utterly shattered. As a King, I should've educated myself better…'

"I-In that case, I shall take your words of wisdom into heart, Lord Citrinitas."

"You may proceed with your explanation." The King nodded as he continued to speak. "While still fighting for power, the bordering Orc Nation has a close relationship with the Troll Kingdom as orcs and trolls live in relative harmony. However, this close relationship is mostly due to a joint effort in containing the undead within the Dead Zone located at Mount Keitenias."

'The bonus novel… how interesting…' Citrinitas let out a slight smirk under his plague doctor mask. 'Cure Elim should be at the epicentre of it all, creating his undead army to combat Players. I wonder when I should report this to the salaryman? There's no need to mention it now. Maybe in a couple of years? I'll just go with the flow for the time being.'

Citrinitas gestured with his hand for the beastman King to continue talking. "Further east past the Dead Zone is a nation that goes by the Mythra Triton Monarchy. And to their northern borders is a country called the Undergrowth Confederation. They're the last of the big six nations aiming for total control, rivalling the Troll Kingdom in size." Now that made Citrinitas raise an eyebrow in curiosity.

'Those must be the two unnamed countries at the centre of the continent.' Citrinitas summed up. "If I knew more about those countries, then I would tell you, my Lord. All I know is that the Confederation is made up of multiple plant-based heteromorphs and is at war with the Monarchy. At least, that's what I heard from third-hand accounts. Of course, there are many other countries on the central continent. However, those are the main six."

Citrinitas tapped his foot repeatedly as he processed everything. 'Well, I guess my mind is satisfied with the information presented to me. It'll be a couple of years in the future until Nazarick deals with all that. We need to deal with Argland and the Theocracy first before venturing east…' He concluded.

"In that case, I thank you for enlightening me about the situation in the central continent. For now, that information isn't going to be needed as I was merely curious. Just focus on what I told you to do earlier. I'll have a shadow demon watch over every step of yours in a moment's time. Don't fail me…"

Within an instant, Citrinitas vanished from thin air, as if he was never there in the first place, leaving Claughuth by himself in his Throne room.

Next Chapter: Insect Battle Maids Aren't That Bad

----------

(A/N: A bit of a lore-heavy chapter, I know. It's probably not everyone's cup of tea, but I couldn't help but develop the central continent just a bit more than what's already present. Love it? Hate it? Please, give me your honest opinion by a comment or review!

One more thing, do you like chapters that are written from the narrator's POV (3rd person) or from a certain character's POV?)