Debuff Master

Chapter 695

“D-Divine Power?!”

Siegfried was stunned by the new energy source that appeared out of nowhere. He had always relied on mana, unlike the other Adventurers who could tap into unique energy sources such as psychic energy, rage, chi, or bloodthirst.

However, he suddenly had access to Divine Power...?

[Alert: Your Divine Power has permanently increased by 0.01!]

[Alert: Your Divine Power has permanently increased by 0.01!]

[Alert: Your Divine Power has permanently increased by 0.01!]

His Divine Power was steadily rising in small increments, even though he wasn't doing anything.

[Divine Power: 18.96/18.96]

It was just a bit shy of twenty, but it was still climbing, slowly, bit by bit, nonetheless.

The messages informing him that he was obtaining Divine Power were flashing in front of his eyes without pause.

“What the hell is this...?”

Unfortunately, Siegfried had no idea what this new energy source was for or how to even use it. He had no skills that required Divine Power to begin with, so he could not understand why he gained this all of a sudden.

‘I can’t even control it...’ Siegfried thought while trying to manipulate his newfound power like mana.

The Divine Power in his body stayed put like a ring on the outer edge of his mana hall.

The Dragon Heart of Inkarthus was in the middle of Siegfried’s mana hall. It was in the form of a small orb that held immense power, and what surrounded it was mana that he usually relied on.

The newfound energy source, Divine Power, had surrounded the mana.

“What in the world is this...?” Siegfried muttered.

“What’s wrong, hyung-nim?” Seung-Gu asked after noticing something was wrong with Siegfried.

“This Divine Power... it just keeps growing.”

“Huh?”

“Take a look,” Siegfried said, showing his status screen.

“W-What?! Hyung-nim!”

“Yeah?”

“Did you... become a paladin or something?!”

“Why the hell would I give up a Hidden Class just to become a paladin...?”

“I-I mean... You gained Divine Power all of a sudden, so...”

“Yeah, no kidding! I have no idea what’s going on!”

Just as Siegfried was trying to make sense of the strange situation...

“His Majesty the King is here!”

“All hail the king!”

The Royal Guards of the Proatine Kingdom stood with perfect spacing, saluting Siegfried with utmost respect.

“Unveil His Majesty the King’s statue!”

Then, a large veil that covered a massive structure was pulled away, revealing a thirteen-meter-tall statue of the king, shining with a dark polished luster.

“W-What the fuck is that?!” Siegfried exclaimed, and his jaw dropped at the sight of the gigantic black statue.

[Status of the Hero: Siegfried van Proa I]

[An extravagant statue made entirely of Ancient Black Dragon bones.]

[It is located in the central square of Preussen, the capital of the Proatine Kingdom.]

[This statue, carved from material of immense value, is the kingdom’s newest landmark. It commemorates the heroic deeds of King Siegfried van Proa and was created by the genius sculptor, Gringore, who is often referred to as the Michelangelo of the Nurburg Continent.]

[Type: Statue]

[Classification: Landmark (Monument)]

[Rating: Legendary]

[Note: This statue is expected to increase in value over time due to its immense artistic and material worth.]

“W-Why the hell would anyone waste valuable dragon bones on a damn statue?!” Siegfried raged. He felt like passing out from the sheer absurdity of what he was witnessing. The price of that statue alone was enough to buy a skyscraper in Gangnam!

However, there was something Siegfried was unaware of, and it was the fact that this Statue of the Hero: Siegfried van Proa I wasn't the only one of its kind.

“To commemorate Siegfried van Proa’s extraordinary achievements, statues of the Hero shall be erected in all cities with more than a certain population. Each city will bear the costs of building the statue.”

Emperor Stuttgart had issued a decree in the name of the World Peace Council to honor Siegfried’s accomplishments by erecting statues of him in major cities.

This would give a huge boost to Siegfried’s reputation, as being hailed as the hero who saved the continent from demonic invasion was not a small feat. Of course, as questionable as his past deeds were, they were overshadowed by his newfound legacy as the Hero.

Another thing that the statue accomplished was that the Proatine Kingdom would no longer be seen as an unknown backwater kingdom but as a kingdom that had produced a hero to be remembered for ages.

The Proatine Kingdom was still small compared to other powerhouses, but this was still a huge improvement.

“Well, I guess there’s no use crying over it now,” Siegfried said with a sigh, accepting the massive waste of dragon bones.

“Her Majesty the Queen awaits you, sire.”

“Alright.”

Siegfried proceeded to the royal palace with the cheers of his people behind him.

Despite the celebration, his mind was still swirling with thoughts about the strange new energy source that he had obtained from out of nowhere—Divine Power.

‘Where the hell did this come from? And what exactly is it...?’ Siegfried wondered. Unfortunately, there was no answer to his questions, no matter how much he thought about it.

***

“Thank you for your hard work, dear. I am really proud of you.”

“I am proud of you, father!”

Brunhilde and Verdandi welcomed Siegfried with love and admiration. This was especially true for Verdandi, whose eyes were filled with respect so deep that they were sparkling brightly.

It was as if stars had been plucked from the sky and placed in her eyes.

“Thank you for protecting us from the demons, father!”

“Oh? You heard about it too?”

“Of course! You are just like the heroes from fairy tales!”

“Hahaha!”

Siegfried could not help but burst into a hearty laughter. He was genuinely happy to hear his daughter’s praises.

Verdandi’s admiration was sincere. The path Siegfried had walked and his accomplishments mirrored those of the heroes in the fairy tales her mother, Brunhilde, read to her every night.

Thus, it was inevitable for her to be filled with admiration and respect toward him.

“But father...”

“Yes?”

Verdandi’s expression turned dark from worry as she asked, “What if the evil demons invade us again?”

Brunhilde gently stroked her head and said soothingly, “Don’t worry, my dear. Your father will surely teach them a lesson again if those demons dare invade us.”

“Really?!”

“Of course.”

“Father will protect our kingdom?”

“Your father will protect all of us.”

Brunhilde reassured Verdandi with a warm smile that radiated kindness.

“No matter what evil forces threaten us, your father will defeat them all.”

“Then there is nothing to worry about?”

“Not at all.”

“Ah!” Verdandi gasped in awe. Then, she clung tightly to Siegfried’s leg and said, “Thank you for keeping us safe, father!”

It was then.

‘Ughhh! She’s too cute!’ Siegfried felt his heart was about to explode from how adorable and lovable Verdandi was. However, as heartwarming as it was, he could not allow himself to get swept up in the moment.

‘Ah... But what do I do...?’

He felt a knot of anxiety tightening in his stomach, and a bitter taste rose up to his throat.

‘Things are getting more complicated than I thought...’

His mind was now preoccupied with the third reward granted by Emperor Stuttgart and the burden it came with.

***

That night, a great banquet was held in the Proatine Kingdom’s royal castle to celebrate Siegfried’s achievement of saving the world. Everyone, including Siegfried, was enjoying themselves, eating, drinking, and reveling in the fest.

“Is everything alright, master?”

Chaos, dressed in a servant’s formal attire, called out to Metatron, who was also dressed in a servant’s attire and serving champagne.

“What are you going on about now, Chaos? Can’t you see I’m busy here?” Metatron replied, sounding irritated.

He was currently the Deputy Steward of the Proatine Kingdom’s royal court, meaning he was second only to the Head Steward. As fancy as his new title might sound, he had to race around the banquet hall to attend to the elders and elites of the kingdom.

“Master... What I mean is... This banquet is to commemorate the person who stopped the demons from invading the human realm...”

“You moron. Tsk tsk...” Metatron clicked his tongue in disappointment. Then, he asked, “Was father involved in this invasion?”

“Pardon me, my lord?”

“This wasn’t an invasion planned by my father. Also, don’t you think that coward, Dantalion, would’ve climbed to the position of Demon King if he managed to invade the human world?”

“Well... my lord is right, but still...”

“The invasion of the human world solely belongs to my father. No other demon lord should lead the charge.”

“I understand what my lord means, but still...”

“Watch your mouth,” Metatron warned. Then, he whispered into Chaos’ ear, “Do you really think anyone could invade the human world while the Elder, who stopped my father’s invasion four hundred and fifty years ago, is still alive and well?”

“I suppose not...?”

“Putting the invasions and whatnot aside. Let me tell you something, Chaos. I actually like this life.”

“What?!”

“To be honest, I’ve grown tired of the endless power struggles for the throne of Demon King. I’ve been going at it for the past two hundred years now.”

It was then.

“Why are you standing around not bringing me more wine? Are you aching for another lesson from me?” Deus growled, shooting a glare at Metatron.

“I will get it immediately, sir!” Metatron exclaimed, frantically rushing off with the jug of wine.

Chaos stood dumbfounded, with tears welling in his eyes. His lord, Metatron, was the son of one of the highest-ranking demon lords, but here in the Proatine Kingdom, he was no more than a mere servant.

***

The banquet was over, and it was already late, so Siegfried said, “Please put Verdandi to bed. I’ll go see Michele for a bit.”

“Alright, dear,” Brunhilde replied and took Verdandi with her.

[Alert: Your Divine Power has permanently increased by 0.001!]

[Alert: Your Divine Power has permanently increased by 0.00003!]

[Alert: Your Divine Power has permanently increased by 0.1!]

The messages notifying him of the constant increase in his Divine Power kept popping up. Some of the numbers were so minuscule, down to the fifth decimal point, that he wondered if it would even do anything.

“Is something bothering you, sire? I thought you would be resting after such a long day,” Michele asked.

“Well, the thing is... We have a bit of a problem...” Siegfried replied, sounding awkward.

“What might this problem be?”

“That is...”

“...?”

“Emperor Stuttgart gave me another reward...”

“Another reward? Was there something else aside from the ten tons of gold and the pardon?” Michele asked, frowning out of confusion.

“Yeah.”

“What is it? What is this other reward?”

“Well... Umm... That is... Ugh... How do I say this...?”

“Your Majesty?”

“I really don’t know how to say this...” Siegfried let out a deep sigh as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

“What in the world did Your Majesty receive to make you feel like this...?” Michele asked, still looking confused.

“He wants me to marry...”

“Hmm? What did you say, sire?”

“I mean, Emperor Stuttgart wants me to...”

“The emperor wants you to...?”

“...Marry his sister.”