I was pretty much done with all of these events all being timed so goddamn coincidentally. I mean, it didn’t stop me from walking with everyone else to the front gates.

The walls that surrounded the Zaltsel clan’s territory were pretty unique. They weren’t constructed in a circular, square, or rectangular formation like most cities I’d seen in fiction back on Earth. Instead, they resembled more of a star.

I vaguely remembered reading about something called “star fortresses” which made it harder for attackers to mount a siege against. This type of thing was probably the reason why the Zaltsel clan remained one of the more prominent nations among the east.

The king’s returning retinue was smaller than I imagined it’d be, and its members looked pretty damn haggard. The only person who still stood tall and proud within their formation was broad-shouldered and heavily muscled.

A massive sword was slung across his back, and his long strands of white hair framed a face indicative of a man who was beginning to wane past his prime. But the confident aura that he exuded and powerfully built musculature revealed that he was anything but frail.

His fiery eyes blazed with the passion of youth, yet encompassed the wisdom of old age simultaneously like twin crimson flames with cores of gold. As I met those eyes, there was no doubt in my mind.

This was King Borea Zaltsel, father of Lucrezia and Aurelia, and leader of the Zaltsel clan.

The sharp hiss of steel against leather cut through the air as our eyes locked together, the tip of his gargantuan blade pointed toward me, gleaming as it sliced through the rays of the setting sun.

I was completely unfazed. [Complete Analysis] told me that he was strong, and his battle experience was leagues greater than mine. Yet, I knew that I could win in the end.

Ever since my fight with Archbishop Taunes, there was an inner strength that suffused my body. A steadfast sense of confidence that I lacked in my previous life. It wasn’t something that could be classified as a skill by the world, but it was almost like a state of being that I had to achieve.

Maybe this was what people referred to when they spoke of “enlightenment.”

No words were spoken between King Borea and I. The tip of his sword remained pointed at me, unwavering. I readied myself for combat, the muscles in my body preparing to utilize all 99 points of strength that I’d achieved over the past two months.

And then Lucrezia stepped between us, positioning herself squarely in front of me.

“Father! W-What are you doing!?”

It was only when I saw her trembling body that I was able to tear my gaze away from King Borea’s. The violent pressure that we were emitting had caused everyone to freeze in place, with Antenora being the only one who was capable of slightly resisting.

Even as the former Hero (or Demon Lord), her current body was automatically forced to acknowledge an existence that was greater than it.

All of this only served to make Lucrezia’s feat of breaking free from our combined pressure more impressive.

King Borea raised an eyebrow. If he was surprised, he didn’t show it. “Step out of the way, Lucrezia. Her strength is something that I must ascertain for myself.”

Lucrezia’s eyes widened in surprise. Truth be told, I was pretty surprised myself too. Initially, I thought that he’d pointed his sword at me because I was a human who was somehow standing beside his daughters, but that clearly wasn’t the case.

“You are the one who returned my daughters safely, are you not? I have heard that you have been inducted into my family.”

Damn. Word travels pretty fast in the east, huh? Or maybe it’s just because I’m human. In any case, he seems to be testing me... So let’s give him something to assess.

“Yeah. Got a problem with it?”

“R-Ryuuko!” Antenora exclaimed, shocked at my flippant attitude.

King Borea merely smiled, the only hint of annoyance being in the intensity of his gaze. If anything, he seemed ecstatic. “Indeed I do. A mere whelp of a human like you dares to proclaim themselves on the same level as us shurai?”

His words were rough, but they carried no malice. A crowd had gathered around us now, and I understood his intentions better than most. As the King, he needed to put on a show for his people and that was alright.

It didn’t mean I’d back down like a fuckin’ pussy, though.

“Of course not.” I replied. “I’m sayin’ that I’m stronger.”

“Ryuuko!? W-What are you saying!?” Lucrezia whirled around to face me, bewildered. 

I met her gaze with a ferocious smile, waving a hand to gesture her aside. The tension in the air was rising, but not uncomfortably. If anything, the king seemed to be rather excited to fight, and I could tell why.

Here in the eastern tribes, strength was valued above all else. That was the reason why I thought I could unify the tribes before the Demon Lord and beat God at his own game. Right now, the king wanted to pit his hard-earned strength against mine, and thanks to [Complete Analysis], I knew that he had already used his [Battle Analysis] skill on me.

It was a pretty decent skill, but nothing on the level of [Complete Analysis]. All it allowed him to do was gauge my strength, and that was probably why he was so giddy at the prospect of fighting me.

“We’re gonna have to do this anyway, aren’t we, Lucrezia? Why not settle it right now? Your dad’s ready, I’m ready. Let’s go, King Borea.”

The moment those words left my lips, King Borea leapt forward, his blade describing a vicious arc that cut through the air. The only problem was that Lucrezia hadn’t even gotten the chance to move out of the way yet.

Wh—!? You crazy asshole! Are you trying to kill your daughter!?

I accelerated at the speed of thought, instinctually moving to protect Lucrezia. I wrapped my arm around her hips and pivoted, placing her out of harm’s way.

Even so, the king showed no signs of stopping, so I raised my free hand and prepared to block with my arm.

[Enhance: Constitution]! [Stone Skin]!

These were two new skills that I’d acquired over the past two months. Although the maximum stat was 99 without [Breakthrough Permission], temporary increases like Enhancement Magic allowed you to surpass that limit so long as it wasn’t too much.

Combined with [Stone Skin]’s level 5 ability which allowed me to essentially halve all the physical damage that I received, I essentially more than doubled my constitution stat.

CLANG!

The sound of King Borea’s sword thudding against my arm resounded through the streets that we were in, but aside from a light bruise I was only mildly inconvenienced.

I shoved him back quickly, taking the opportunity to hand Lucrezia over to Priya who was waiting nearby. Out of worry for the whole situation, she’d managed to position herself near me in case something stupid happened.

You’re a goddamn lifesaver, Priya.

With Lucrezia safely out of the way, I advanced toward the king. A wide grin was splitting his face, and his battle-lust was almost palpable. I almost felt bad for him at this moment.

He was enjoying the fight so much despite it only just beginning, excitedly striving for victory. But I already knew how it’d end.

Now then, how am I gonna beat your ass?