Debuff Master-Chapter 858

A child born from the union of a human and an elf was a half-elf.

High Elves, however, were an ancient race often regarded as the progenitor of all elves that were regarded to be long extinct.

The only existing High Elves were actually half-elves who were born with the dormant ancient genes that manifested them into High Elves.

Among them, Princess Verdandi was such a High Elf.

“What?! Verdandi? What are you talking about?!” Siegfried exclaimed, unable to believe his ears.

“Princess Verdandi’s body is as perfect as that of a dragon. Surely, you were aware of this,” Michael replied.

“Well...”

“High Elves are a flawless race. Their bodies are almost perfect, so they possess extraordinary physical capabilities. But aside from that...”

“They possess exceptional intelligence,” Siegfried ended Michael's sentence. Then, he asked, “Are you saying that a High Elf’s body can fully contain Lucifer’s powers?”

“Precisely. If not a High Elf, then perhaps someone who has achieved complete physical reconstruction? Like a Grandmaster. They would be suitable as a vessel for Lucifer.”

“In that case, we will need to tighten the security around the palace.”

“That'll be wise. As far as I’m aware, everyone knows Princess Verdandi is a High Elf, no?”

Michael was right. Anyone remotely interested in the Proatine Kingdom was aware that Verdandi was a High Elf. Despite being only a year and six months old, she had already grown to the physical and mental level of a young child attending kindergarten.

Moreover, the Proatine Kingdom had openly proclaimed that Verdandi was a High Elf.

“They might be targeting the princess already,” Michael warned.

“I’ll kill them. I’ll tear them apart until there’s nothing left to find—not even their corpses,” Siegfried growled in response.

How dare they? Siegfried was not going to tolerate any threats against Verdandi under any circumstances.

‘No one will touch my daughter. Master wouldn’t allow it, either. They can try, but they will regret it,’ he thought.

The laws of causality might prevent Deus from interfering with worldly affairs, but it was a different story when it came to Verdandi.

Deus cherished his granddaughter, Verdandi, even more than Siegfried did. Thus, there was no way he would stand idly if she were even in a little bit of danger.

Besides, the Proatine Kingdom’s royal palace was teeming with powerful warriors, so Lucifer’s followers would be decimated if they dared to invade it.

Still, Siegfried was not going to let his guard down.

‘I’ll turn the capital into an impenetrable fortress,’ he thought, resolving to strengthen the defenses and security of the capital city, Preussen too.

“I sincerely hope that nothing unfortunate happens,” Michael said, sensing the murderous intent radiating from Siegfried.

“Thank you for informing me, Michael.”

“It’s nothing.”

“By the way, I think you’ll need some protection too.”

“Protection?”

“Yes, you’re powerless right now, no?”

“But wouldn’t that be too much trouble...?”

“Trouble? We’re here to help one another,” Siegfried said, shaking his head. Then, he pointed to his side and continued, “See those two over there? I’ll assign them and Shakiro as your escorts, just like when you first began your journey.”

“Thank you,” Michael replied with a smile.

At Siegfried’s words, the expressions of Metatron and Chaos turned into one of despair.

‘T-This is ridiculous!’

‘Why us?!’

For them, serving the former Chief Archangel, Michael, was nothing short of torment.

Why?

It was all because Michael was the embodiment of terror that was drilled into demons ever since they were young.

“Hey,” Siegfried called out to Metatron.

“Y-Yes! Your Majesty!”

“Call me if anything happens,” Siegfried said, handing the Quick Fast Premium Protection business card. Then, he warned, “Only in real emergencies, got it?”

“Yes, sire!”

“Good. Take care of him.”

“...Yes.”

With that, Siegfried turned his attention back to Michael.

“I’ll be focusing on managing the Great Rifts from now on. Ah, I’ve already handled one, so that’s one less thing to worry about.”

“I’ll leave that to you.”

That was how Siegfried ended up overseeing the remaining three Great Rifts while also assisting Michael in his quest to recover his lost wings.

***

“Oh, by the way... Can I get some detailed information about the Four Apocalypses? I’ll need some background knowledge if I’m going to face them,” Siegfried asked before leaving Gerog’s lair.

“Ah, yes, of course. Allow me to explain,” Michael replied.

“But are you certain of it?”

“I personally imprisoned them in prison, so you can trust that it’s accurate.”

“So, what are they like?”

Michael proceeded to share details about the Four Apocalypses to Siegfried. He left out the information regarding the White Knight of Conquest: Romulus of the Plague, as Siegfried had already defeated him.

The remaining apocalypses were the following...

The Red Knight of War—an apocalypse in the form of a general clad in crimson armor. It possesses the power to incite senseless conflict among those nearby, causing them to fight with each other without any reason.

The Black Knight of Famine, an apocalypse wielding the power to cause widespread food shortages. It was capable of unleashing devastating natural disasters that would wreak havoc on entire regions.

The Blue Knight of Death, unlike the other apocalypses, the Blue Knight predated even Archangel Michael. It was described as the manifestation of inevitable death, a force so absolute that nobody, apart from the Creator, had been able to conquer it.

“Under no circumstances should you engage the Blue Knight of Death,” Michael warned, his voice sounding grave.

“What? Why not? Is it because... It’s Death?” Siegfried tilted his head in confusion.

“Precisely.”

“Is it really that strong?”

Michael shuddered, his face turning pale as if recalling something horrifying.

“The Blue Knight of Death is... It isn’t a matter of being strong or weak. The Blue Knight is the embodiment of death itself. It is an inescapable force that governs the fate of all living beings; even those who possess eternal life cannot evade its grasp.”

“Ah...”

“The day the Blue Knight steps through a dimensional gate... I can assure you that death will follow wherever it passes, and nobody in this realm will be capable of stopping it,” Michael said, his voice trembling slightly.

“I’ll remember that.”

Hearing Michael’s warning, Siegfried resolved to do everything in his power to ensure the Blue Knight of Death would never escape the Great Rift.

The fact that the former Chief Archangel, a being that was arguably the closest to the Creator, had warned him about the Blue Knight meant that it was a warning he truly had to heed.

Siegfried thought that the Blue Knight might just pose a threat even greater than the demon lords leading an invasion with a legion of demons if Michael spoke with such dread.

“I’ll leave it in your hands. The fate of this realm rests with you,” Michael said earnestly.

“I understand. I will do my best,” Siegfried replied with sincerity.

Michael was just a mere mortal at the moment, but Siegfried knew that he was the former Chief Archangel, so treating him with proper respect was only fitting.

***

After leaving Gerog’s lair, Siegfried returned to the Proatine Kingdom and took some time exploring the capital city, Preussen.

He could not visit every corner of the kingdom, but he felt it was his duty as king to at least see the capital city with his own eyes.

‘I guess I’ll take a quick look around and then head to the Great Rift,’ Siegfried thought.

He recently regained the ability to level up after breaking through the wall, so raiding the Great Rifts was his top priority.

Why? Because it was the most efficient way to gain experience points.

‘But... Why are there so many seafood restaurants now?’

While strolling through the streets of Preussen, he noticed a subtle yet distinct change in the city.

There was a drastic increase in seafood restaurants in the city.

Ever since Siegfried gained ownership of the Green Isles, seafood prices in Preussen had plummeted to levels comparable to coastal cities. This was thanks to Siegfried's efforts to establish seafood distribution routes, ensuring that his people had access to high-quality protein and omega-3 fat.

The result? Seafood specialty restaurants popped up all over the city.

Even more remarkable was the fact that many of the chiefs in the restaurants were from the Green Isles.

These were individuals who abandoned their lives as pirates and opted instead for a new and honest path, which proved to be incredibly wise. In a kingdom like Proatine, where seafood cuisine was nearly non-existent, their background gave them a significant competitive edge.

Why?

It was all because seafood was the staple food in the Green Isles, making its residents natural experts in such cuisine.

“All glory to His Majesty!”

“Three cheers for His Majesty the King!”

“Cheers!”

The citizens of Preussen raised their glasses of white wine perfectly paired with their seafood meals in a toast in honor of Siegfried. This was their way of expressing their gratitude to their king, who made fresh seafood affordable for everyone.

Unbeknownst to them, Siegfried was observing from a distance, his identity hidden behind the Metamorphosis Mask.

[Alert: Public Opinion has increased by +500!]

[Alert: Public Opinion has increased by +500!]

[Alert: Public Opinion has increased by +500!]

The results spoke for themselves. Siegfried’s genuine care and love for his people had borne fruit.

As the people’s public approval rating, which was a crucial measure for how the kingdom’s administration was being done, rose, various benefits began to manifest.

[Alert: People’s happiness has increased!]

[Alert: National productivity has risen!]

[Alert: Patriotism among citizens has grown!]

[Alert: National development speed has increased by +5%!]

Siegfried smiled while monitoring the real-time changes in the kingdom brought about by the rise in public approval.

But that was not all...

[Alert: Divine Power has permanently increased by 100!]

[Alert: Divine Power has permanently increased by 100!]

[Alert: Divine Power has permanently increased by 100!]

(omitted...)

[Alert: Divine Power has permanently increased by 100!]

As the people’s reverence toward Siegfried grew, his Divine Power also increased permanently.

Recently, a new trend was sweeping through the Proatine Kingdom. People were abandoning their old religions and converting to the Church of Heroes.

This was a natural phenomenon. The people’s respect for Siegfried had reached unparalleled heights. Compared to a distant, unresponsive god, a hero who walked among them like Siegfried was far more compelling as their deity.

Praying to a god rarely produced discernable results, but it was different with Siegfried.

They could see, hear, and feel him. He even personally addressed their struggles on occasion, making him a far more reliable figure than any abstract deity.

‘This is good,’ Siegfried thought with a smile.

Satisfied with the state of Preussen, it was now time to head to the Eastern Great Rift, so Siegfried made his way to the warp gate.

However, the journey was going to be long and arduous.

The Eastern Great Rift was located in a rugged mountainous region nestled amidst towering rocky terrain. Moreover, there were no warp gates in the area, so Siegfried had no choice but to rely on his flight abilities.

“Hop on, Hamchi.”

“Kyuuu! Got it!”

With Hamchi perched on his shoulder, Siegfried soared toward the Eastern Great Rift in the distance.

Shwiiik!

An arrow whizzed past, forcing Siegfried to make a sharp turn to dodge it.

‘What the hell was that?!’

He flew higher beyond the arrow's range and looked down to assess the situation.

Then, a voice amplified by a loudspeaker rang out from below.

— Entry beyond this point is prohibited!

“What are you talking about?! I’m just trying to reach the Great Rift!” Siegfried shouted back.

— The Eastern Great Rift is the property of the Execution Guild. So scram!

The Execution Guild was one of the top ten Adventurer guilds on the continent.

‘Are they kidding right now?’ Siegfried grumbled inwardly in disbelief. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

Who could have known that guilds would start claiming ownership over dungeons? Not to mention, a Great Rift of all dungeons?