Overlord: Advent of the New Gods

Chapter 6

Zanac stifled a yawn and subtly moved to stretch his tired legs. Official ceremonies were rarely pleasant and this one was no exception, even if they were oftentimes necessary to keep the gears of society smoothly turning. Of course, it wouldn't be permissible to skip the main event of the generation: the coronation of King Barbro the Second.

Now only a brother of the new king, he wasn't even permitted to sit down anymore and had to stand up like the rest. Beside him stood Renner, putting up a full show of the supporting little sister.

Knowing her true personality, Zanac couldn't help to see this display as frightening instead of endearing like how many others were. Was Renner born like this or was it her unusual upbringing that eventually broke something inside her, he couldn't tell, but she was the most terrifying person he knew besides the monsters of Nazarick themselves. If he didn't know any better, he would believe that some sort of monster replaced his sister to begin with.

The throne room was packed to the brim with every noble of the nation attending the event, on top of a few foreign dignitaries. The Roble Holy Kingdom and the Dragon Kingdom had sent small delegations, crowding the already-filled room even more.

The open windows let in plenty of light, making the whole scene appear uplifting. Renner had even arranged some clever mirror arrangements to make Barbro glow with a light aura, and she had done so purely to feed her brother's ego on top of her work for the past few days. His wife, the new Queen, wasn't getting the same treatment, almost fading in the background, which also was by Renner's design. Bolloupe's daughter would not live for long anyway.

'Like feeding a pig before a slaughter.' Was all he could comment on the matter. The monster that was his youngest sister was planning Barbro's fall, and she wanted to make it soul-crushing for their eldest brother. He was being built up as an example for those who are stupid enough to defy the will of the New Gods, and she would make it as outrageous and impactful as possible for their new overlords.

To think he had faced one of the Gods in person and not even realized the significance of the moment as it occurred was a thought that never left the back of his mind, even when he slept. His older brother had angered said God with his stupidity and arrogance. An event that might have sealed the fate of his homeland, but had only been narrowly avoided by his sister's machinations to a lesser fate than complete obliteration.

{ Pay attention, our turn to swear loyalty to the moron is about to come. } Renner warned him.

{ I'm aware. } He replied. His sister's ability to use message spells had grown significantly, and so had her mana pool, enabling her to perform far more excellently than she could've ever done in the past.

Then again, it wasn't particularly surprising that a genius like her excelled at everything she did. Then she was bolstered by whatever resources the Gods were pouring into her, half turning her into a monster of a magician.

{ Don't be so tense. As long as you do your job, she can't hurt you. } His ever-present tail, Zalarta, whispered while planting a small kiss on the back of the neck, sending a shiver down his spine.

The demoness had only ramped up her playfulness and teasing, testing his resolve daily. He wasn't a fool and knew her only interest was to keep him in line, and she gave the illusion that she would be the reward he would receive for loyalty, knowing she was only a tool of control. Such a promise would make him wary coming from a human woman alone, but Zalatra was a full-blown demon summoned from who knew what sort of hell.

At best she saw him as a plaything for passing entertainment, at worst she was actively feeding on his loneliness and desires, strengthening herself on his weaknesses. He had seen her in his dreams a few times already, disrupting what little sleep he could afford. She was an ever-present handler, not affording him peace even in sleep. In his dreams, where he had no control over himself, she performed acts his suppressed mind desired the most. It was there where she expressed her power magnitudes beyond anything she performed outside and perfectly played the woman he yearned to call his own. And worst of all, there was no one he could turn to for help. He knew sooner or later he would give in and be broken into an obedient tool without a mind of his own, and she would be the enabler.

{ I'm not worried about Renner. She can do whatever she wants. } Zanac retorted, being careful not to mix up the message channels in his mind; for someone not trained in magic that wasn't an easy task, but he had his real-life practical experience.

{ I can sense your stress. So don't lie to me. } Zalatra pressed her breasts against his back, making him wonder how she managed not to disturb anyone standing near him with her invisible presence given her voluptuous body. His body once again betrayed his mind and she knew it.

He chose to ignore her as she giggled in his mind. If he could, he would just play along with her, but she always knew his true feelings.

{ You two can play around in the bedroom! } Renner's hiss made her back away.

'I will lose my mind if this goes on for long. A monstrous sister and demonic handler. What have I done to deserve this?' Zanac lamented his fate after mentally blocking out both, internally sighing.

The last of the nobles had finished their pledge of loyalty and now it was his and her sister's turn to do the same since their two older sisters had done their pledges alongside their respective husbands.

They approached the throne together and bowed in unison. As the King's family members, they, unlike the rest of the nobles, didn't need to kneel. Zanac as the male, and more likely candidate for the throne, spoke first. "I congratulate you, your Majesty, and wish you a long and successful rule. From this day, you are my king and I am your loyal subject. Rule over us well, brother."

Renner recited an identical pledge with played-up devotion moments later.

"I, King Barbro Andrean Ield Ryle Vaiself the Second, accept your pledges and will carry the duty of ruling Re-Estize!" Barbro announced before pausing. "Now then, let's start with immediate announcements. The first and most important one is the Re-Estize will form a standing army, and each noble will be required to supply soldiers based on the population of their lands. Marquis Bolloupe will serve as the head general of my new armies and the minister of defense. Next, Marquis Raeven will be the new head of treasury and will oversee taxation and other money-related business. Zanac will serve as prime minister and will hold the title of archduke. Renner will hold the title of duchess until she is wed."

There were murmurs among the less influential nobles as they were unaware of the premeditated decision on the new king's cabinet. There were still less important positions to fill, but the big greasy pie was already taken and only small crumbs had been left behind for them to fight for.

"Silence!" Barbro raised his voice. Unlike his soft-spoken father, the young king commanded obedience without much effort, and with undivided support from most influential nobles, he could afford to do so.

"There is other business left to resolve. Gazef, step forward!" The King ordered.

The head warrior of the Kingdom did as told, emerging from the crowd and kneeling before Barbro. "I am at your service, Your Majesty."

There was a certain reluctance in Gazef's tone and it was easy to see he was not thrilled to serve Barbro.

"You are relieved from your service. My father did entertain the notion of a mere peasant standing at his side, but I will not. You are to relinquish all items belonging to the crown and step down from your position, effective immediately," Barbro declared with a smirk on his face.

As if on cue, two figures emerged from the crowd and took positions by the throne, wearing equipment on par with Gazef's. One was a tall man clad from head to toe in dark plate armor, and the other a red-haired man in a flashy matador outfit.

"Instead, I have acquired two well-trained warriors who will serve as my guard." Barbro motioned at the pair to introduce themselves.

"Sir Peshurian. It is a great honor to serve His Majesty." The warrior in the dark plate introduced himself first with a nod.

"Sir Malmvist. I live to serve His Majesty." The red-haired man introduced himself with an elegant bow and flash of smile.

The nobles nervously whispered among themselves. Rare few weren't familiar with the Eight Fingers and their notorious security branch, the Six Arms. The young King's message was crystal clear: Eight Fingers were backing the king, and the king backed them. Organized crime was here to stay, and hammering too hard on crime could warrant … certain royal attention.

'And the speculation had begun. If only they knew the truth,' Zanac mused. The main question in everyone's mind was whether the King controlled the crime syndicate or vice versa, given that neither was useful for the noble class. Rumors of intense inner struggles within the Eight Fingers had surfaced recently, and the implication was that the Six Arms with Zero in the lead had sold out to a new mysterious power, painting a picture of Barbro being the mastermind behind it all who had brought the criminal syndicate to the law.

That, however, couldn't be further from the truth: Barbro was but an unwitting actor in the play, dancing around like a puppet on the strings of a master puppeteer. Zanac wasn't aware of all the details as Renner only fed him information on a need-to-know basis, but there was one thing he knew for sure: the God of Trickery was the one directing the play. His homeland was nothing more than a stage for a grand play with him and everyone else moving according to the will of the dark God. Whether this enactment brought them great prosperity or utter depravity was yet to be seen.

<X>

His dismissal didn't come as a surprise, given what he had heard. His men likely would suffer the same fate or in best case scenario become a unit in the new King's army.

Gazef stood outside the treasury, unsure of what to do next. The option he wanted to take the most was to get blackout drunk for a night, and then likely join the Adventurer's Guild and once again work as a sellsword as he had before.

His beloved King was dead and nobles across the board would rather see him dead in a ditch than let him continue serving his country. They would see it as putting a commoner in their place and use it as an attempt to curry favor with the new sovereign.

'How rotten all of this is. Why do I even bother? For the people? What can a lone man like me do.' He sighed and started to walk towards the castle exit. It wouldn't take long for him to be removed forcefully, and the less trouble he caused, the better, for all persons involved.

The rule of Barbro the Second wouldn't benefit the common folk. That much he knew for sure from the depths of his mind. Should he have been a more resolute man, he would have driven his blade through the King's heart, and killed as many of the rotten nobles as he could before dying in the process, purging the land of its corruption. But that wasn't who he was. He was just a farmer's son who was blessed with talent and trained a bit too hard.

"Gazef!" A youthful voice called out for him, one he recognized.

He stopped and waited for Climb to run up to him. "You shouldn't talk to me. I have lost all favor with the crown. Us seen together could put the duchess in trouble."

"Princess, I mean, her Royal Highness, wants to talk with you. Come, she is waiting in her quarters," Climb announced, motioning for him to follow.

"Why?" Gazef flipped around to see if the boy wasn't just playing a prank on him, not that Climb would ever do that. He was as serious as any other professional servant could be.

"I don't know but she said it's very important, and to catch you before you leave the castle."

"Very well. I can't deny such a request." Gazef nodded, following the guard of the former princess.

They walked through the halls in silence and Gazef preferred it that way. The last thing he wanted was to cause any trouble for Renner. Once they reached her quarters, Climb opened the door and motioned for him to walk inside.

Gazef found Renner staring out the window with her back turned towards him. Climb closed the door behind him, leaving just the two of them in the room.

"Your Highness, you called for me?" He bowed.

"I did. Tell me Gazef, what do you think of me?" She asked, sounding absent-minded.

"I…"

"Be honest. What is your opinion of me?" She slowly turned, a faint smile on her face.

He paused, unsure how to respond. "I guess you are a smart and kind person. I'm sorry, what is this all about?"

"So you are observant. Most see me as just an airhead with silly and naive ideas," She commented, taking a step toward Gazef. "I'm asking such a question because I want to know, how much would you trust me?"

"With my life, your Royal Highness." He replied without a need to think of an answer. Out of the royal family, she was the one he trusted the most, and for a good reason. She had worked tirelessly to help the common people and had never given up despite finding resistance every step she took from the nobility.

"I want to offer you to serve me, and I don't mean like a hired sword. I want you as a royal servant for the rest of your or my life. For now, I cannot offer you the same salary you received from my late father, but in due time, you will get properly rewarded for your service." Renner slowly approached him, stopping a meter away and looking up at the taller man.

Despite their immense height difference, with him towering over her, Gazef felt intimidated. Never before did this delicate princess have such a presence. There wasn't a shred of that positive innocence on her face. If he didn't know better, he would assume that the real Renner was kidnapped and some sinister imposter had taken her place.

"You look surprised." She continued her tone subtly changing to show dominance. "You knew I was smart."

'Was her previous behavior just an act? Is she showing me her real self?' Gazef, unbeknownst to him, took a step back.

"I didn't expect… Can I ask you something, your Royal Highness?" Gazef froze in place as Renner closed the distance, standing right under him. This small girl was alone with him. If he had killing intent, she would be dead already, yet she was the one putting fear in him, not the other way around.

"You can ask, whatever you like, but I do expect an answer before our meeting is concluded," Renner replied.

"Why do you want me to serve you?"

"Why indeed? Why would I want the strongest warrior in the whole kingdom to serve me?" She countered with a rhetorical question in return.

"I mean, what is your plan? I wouldn't be able to protect you from your brother. I am just one man." He glanced away to avoid her intense stare.

"To save this kingdom. When the dust settles, I promise you a better world where the old rot will be swept away, and only the competent and capable remain in power. You should understand by now that Barbro won't be able to rule for long before opposition arises for one reason or another. He has the Eight Fingers in his pocket, but that is his downfall. When the spark of rebellion ignites, I want to be sure I have the right people around me and you are one of them. He is the result of my father's mistakes," Renner explained as she slowly circled around him.

"Your father was an honorable man, he-"

"My father was a weak man," Renner interrupted him harshly. "He wanted to see me as this innocent little thing. Always ignoring what I could offer to him. He didn't use his greatest weapon, you, to consolidate his power and clean this ever-growing rot, and now due to his inaction, we are where we are. I tried to steer him in the right direction, but he… well you can't fix an old fool who thinks his golden boy will be a good successor."

"Renner… I mean Your-"

"Forget titles for now and speak your mind. I don't care how you address me in private."

"You are right. I must apologize to you. I too saw you as just an innocent princess. I admit I am not as knowledgeable in politics, and can't speak of mistakes your father made, but you are right, there is a lot of rot that needs to be removed. I just don't see what you, I, and the Blue Roses can accomplish on our own. It's not enough for resistance." Gazef bowed his head.

"I had to create this mask to be safe. If certain nobles saw me as a danger, I would have been married off in an instant to someone who could tie me down and render me ineffective. We don't need to create resistance; it will happen without our involvement. Your task will be to safely get me out of the capital when the inevitable happens. If my prediction is right, his own father-in-law will be the one to rebel against Barbro, supported by Raeven and Zanac. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to prevent the civil war as the Eight Fingers are too powerful to be swiftly removed."

'How does she know all this? But if she truly does want to help to make the lives of people better, then I should help her however I can.' Gazef knew there was no other path for him. Renner might have been different than he had assumed, but everything she said made sense and he felt the moral obligation to help the daughter his former king loved so dearly. There was no denying that Ramposa might have been too soft for a King, but at least his heart was in the right place.

"I will serve you, Your Royal Highness," He uttered as he knelt in front of the small princess.

"Good. I'll make sure to properly reward you for your service when I can, and I keep my promises." Renner walked to a cabinet and pulled out a letter. "This is the contract, sign it and show it to the head butler. He will take care of the rest."

"You already have it written?" Gazef accepted the document, his eyes widened in surprise.

"I was fairly confident you would agree to serve me even if you saw the real me. And one more thing, you are not to speak about this conversation with anyone, especially Climb. I must keep up this facade for now. Although some will see through it now that I have you, but that is my problem to worry about, not yours."

"I will." Gazef agreed.

"Good, then you are dismissed for now. Return to my quarters and coordinate with Climb on your guard rotation after you are done informing the butler." Renner dismissed him with a wave.

Gazef left Renner's quarters, still unsure if the conversation he had was real. The future was uncertain, but at least he was back to having a duty he could be proud to have.

Editing by aidan_lo.

Proofreading by Sluethen, Squid, clagan, x4x, aidan_lo, IAMTHEPLOKOKIOPO, and fvvck.

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