World Keeper - Chapter 1255: The Requirements
After Olympus had been officially relocated, it was time for us to have our first guests. For this, I was attending in the form of an avatar, while my true form was within the AWRG research lab. I had to descend in some form to make an appearance, and it was important that I did so due to the identity of the guests in question.
The first guest was the monarch of the World Tree Guild, the very reason that we had been able to defeat Sanction. Without the knowledge provided by him in the previous invasion, we wouldn’t have had the ability to prepare what we needed for this victory.
The second guest was none other than Lyrica, the Master of Beasts. According to Tsubaki, she had helped provide them with information on the other Masters that they needed to hunt down before finishing their invasion. Without her, they may not have been able to complete the task in time without sacrificing some of our existing Origins.
Finally, the last guest was the leader of the Stone Heart Guild. Although they hadn’t lent any crucial aid during the invasion, they were one of the three guilds that had agreed to defect during the invasion. The guild’s leader was a short and stocky man, a full foot shorter than even Tubrock, named Nell Sio.
Speaking of, after asking Tsubaki, it turns out that the monarch of the World Tree Guild didn’t have a proper name. Rather, the guild’s leaders were born into their role, nurtured by a special technique to quickly grow and adapt.
I sat upon my throne, looking at the three people entering the room before me. Of the three, Lyrica was the first to speak, dropping to one knee and bowing her head with her paws on the ground. “Thank you for agreeing to shelter us, Keeper.” She said in a respectful tone.
The other two bowed as well, offering their thanks, though they didn’t go so far as to kneel like Lyrica. From how this Master of Beasts behaved, it seemed like a custom of her people. “Please, rise.” I said to the trio, and they all slowly returned upright. “If anything, I should be thanking you.”
“Because of your contributions, we were able to remove a large threat to our people here. However, given the situation, I think it would be best if we kept this conversation brief. I’m sure that the giant monsters have begun to appear within your territories as well.” I said, and the trio nodded.
Nell let out a gruff sigh. When he spoke, there didn’t seem to be any accent that one would typically associate with dwarves. He had a rather calm and even voice. “Yeah. We’ve lost two planets already. Your Master of Security has offered to help us install an early-warning system, so we appreciate that, but it will take time to reach everywhere.”
The monarch of the World Tree Guild nodded as well. His voice was more ethereal, as if echoing slightly within his oaken body. “We have encountered similar troubles. Our existing defenses are proving to be inadequate. Thankfully, Julia and Philia have both offered their aid.”
Finally, it was Lyrica’s turn, and she simply shrugged her shoulders. “No problems on my end. I keep a tight leash on the monsters in my realm. I shouldn’t have any issues with this.”
That was surprising. I knew that she’d be able to control the monsters with her Origin domain, but I didn’t think she’d be so casual about it. Perhaps she was constantly monitoring her universes for the appearance of any powerful monsters, and then acting as soon as they appeared?
“Is there anything that the three of you would like to discuss, while you are here?” I asked, and the three looked at one another. Although they had all come here together, it seemed as if they largely just wanted to pay their respects.
Ultimately, it was only Lyrica that spoke up. “I have a request, sir.” She said, turning to face me. When I nodded my head, she continued. “I would like it if you would allow me to send one of my people to serve in your palace.”
I couldn’t help but arch my brow when I heard that. “May I ask why? I know that you’re aware, but I won’t be here a large majority of the time.”
Lyrica nodded her head thoughtfully. “I’m aware, sir. This is more a symbolic gesture. My Myriad Beasts Race has always behaved as such. When we make a great ally, or serve a new lord, it is customary to send a representative to serve them. Sometimes, this representative can take the form of a normal servant, or even a concubine. However, I am aware that the Keeper is happily wed to three members of your Greater Pantheon, so I will not try to impose in this manner. It will please me so long as the one I sent is able to be of use in some manner.”
Well, that’s not too unreasonable. Besides, Olympus still fairs fairly empty, given how big it is. Ultimately, I nodded my head in agreement. “You can send a list of candidates to Tsubaki. She is the leader of my staff here in Olympus, and she will be able to choose the best candidate.”
Over at the side, I could see Tsubaki happily wagging her tail as I called her the head of staff. However, it was the honest truth. Tsubaki had been with me since I first revealed myself to the world. Lyrica glanced to the side, noticing this as well, and smiled. “Very well, I’ll consult with Tsubaki about finding the ideal candidate.”
Seeing that nobody else had anything that they wanted to discuss, I dismissed the group. Nell and the monarch quickly went to leave, needing to tend to their own realms, while Lyrica walked over to Tsubaki. With the reception over, I let out a small sigh and dismissed this avatar, before returning once again to the Admin Room.
Tsubaki looked at Lyrica, who was approaching her with silent steps and a smile on her face. “Do you mind going over the details before I head back?” She asked, and Tsubaki nodded her head.
“Very well.” Tsubaki agreed readily, turning to lead Lyrica away from the throne room. “We’ll discuss this within my own palace.”
Lyrica blinked when she heard that, quickly moving to follow Tsubaki. “You have a palace as well?” She asked. “I was certain that you lived within the palace of the Keeper.”
Tsubaki shook her head at that. “No, every resident of Olympus receives their own palace. This applies both to the servants as well as the incarnations of the Greater Pantheon.”
Seeing Lyrica still confused, Tsubaki explained. “The Greater Pantheon exists normally within the same realm as the Keeper. However, like how the Keeper can create for himself a mortal body, the members of the Greater Pantheon can choose to live a mortal life as well. The woman who rescued our team from in front of the Administrator’s Tower was the incarnation of Terra.”
“That’s the Keeper’s first wife, correct?” Lyrica asked, to which Tsubaki nodded. “I see… I didn’t realize that there would be so many residents here. Still, each palace is big enough for several families, so it will inevitably feel empty.”
“That’s why we typically gather in the communal area when we are not busy with out own matters.” Tsubaki explained kindly. As they spoke, they arrived at the elevator, teleporting to Tsubaki’s own palace.
“Allright, then. In that case, what sort of things are you looking for in potential workers?” Lyrica asked, before a small grin appeared on her face, a single fang poking out. “Should it be a beautiful female? From what I can tell, the Keeper enjoys surrounding himself with women.”
Tsubaki glanced at Lyrica from the corner of her eye. “While I can understand why you have that idea, in truth that is mostly a coincidence. In terms of the Greater Pantheon, I understand that he initially wanted attractive companions, but quickly became more serious as time passed. As for the servants…”
“I was chosen by my people to serve the Keeper after a series of bloody trials. Dana was a child I found on a training excursion in the Underworld and adopted. Lifre was the first slime to possess the strength to kill a god with a mortal body. And finally, Lena was taken in by Lifre after being assigned to join us by the same clan that once raised myself.”
“That said, I do believe that a female servant would be preferable.” Tsubaki said while Lyrica was processing this information. “Given the gender disparity in Olympus, it would not do well to have someone running around with the risk of their base desires taking over. While I do not presume to understand much of your race’s biology, I believe it’s not a large leap in logic to assume that your more bestial nature means that you have regular heat cycles, and that your culture has evolved to adapt to that.”
Lyrica’s eyes widened briefly, before she let out a slight chuckle. “That’s one way to put it. You aren’t entirely wrong, though. However, it’s not only the males that get influenced by this. Even the females have a risk of letting their urges get the best of them. My advice as one who knows my race well, and has seen how they react with outsiders, is to establish a clear hierarchy of strength.”
“In the Myriad Beasts Race, strength is supreme. If you are strong, you have the responsibility to protect and guide others. If you are weak, you have the duty to serve the strong. That’s just how we live.”
After saying that, she glanced over at Tsubaki again. “With that being the case, do you want me to send over a weaker servant, to make sure that they don’t get out of hand?”
It was clearly an offer made out of kindness, but Tsubaki shook her head. “No. At the present time, every servant of the Keeper is either an Origin or what you would call an Extreme God. If we bring in someone weak, they will have no role to fill other than a decoration.”
Lyrica couldn’t help but laugh at that, one paw going over her stomach. “You’re not asking that I be the representative myself, are you?” She asked curiously.
“If you wished to, I would have no complaints.” Tsubaki answered in a serious tone. “I’ve seen your character, and believe that you can be trusted. However, I know that you have a responsibility to guide your people. If you wish to send an Extreme God, or one on the cusp of becoming an Origin, we will gratefully accept them.”
Lyrica paused, having not expected such an answer from Tsubaki. “You sure about this?” She asked, a hint of concern in her tone. “I know you only just became a Master. I don’t mean to underestimate you or anything like that, but I don’t want to cause trouble by sending someone too strong that will kick up a fuss around here.”
Tsubaki had a calm smile on her face, turning towards Lyrica. “Throughout my life, there has always been a concept by which I have trained myself. This concept started due to my upbringing, where as a child I was thrust into a forest of death, where any monster could casually snuff me out of existence.”
“I have always fought opponents above my level, Lyrica.” Tsubaki explained. “That is how I have survived until now. Even if I were to face you directly, I have full confidence that I could force you to submit. My only concern is whether I could do so without killing you first.”
Lyrica’s eyes widened at that, the fur on her arms and legs bristling. She knew that Tsubaki wasn’t threatening her, she was just calmly assessing her ability based on the recent battle she fought in. And, given how she had witnessed Tsubaki literally tearing another Master apart in a feral rage before her own ascension, she wasn’t entirely sure that Tsubaki was wrong. If it really came down to a fight, she didn’t have the same confidence that she’d win that Tsubaki had.
A competitive fire lit up within Lyrica, and she gave a wide, almost feral grin. “Now you’ve got me interested… How about you find a spot for us to duke it out?”
