“Now hang on here, surely there’s at least a few more specifics!”
“Come on, Alfard! I know you can squeeze something more out of that shitty Font of Knowledge!”
“Yeah! Maybe there’s something in the corner of your mind that you just didn’t notice before or something!”
“Maybe a good whack to the head will jog your memory?!”
“Nice idea, Naiz! Let’s try that!”
“All right, Van, hold him down. I’ll hit him with a Soul Shock as well for good measure!”
“S-Stop! What are you trying to do to me?! Guards! Guaaards!”
The Liberators had found the answer they were seeking, so they now knew there was a way to defeat Ehit. Unfortunately, that method was so vague that they didn’t even know where to begin. Miledi and the others had had high hopes coming here, and while they hadn’t exactly been dashed, they’d been dampened enough that they went on a rampage throughout the palace to vent their frustrations.
A week had passed since their discovery of concept magic. During that time, Miledi and the others had stayed holed up in their room. They’d told everyone not to disturb them, and they were having the palace maids take care of their meals and laundry while they tried to master concept magic.
“Nnnrrrrrrrrrgh!”
“Shit, Miledi’s going berserk again!”
“Lau-chan-san! She needs a Soul’s Repose!”
“How long do we have to keep at this? Does Sharm even remember me now? What if he hates me too? If I lose Sharm as well, I’ll lose all my will to live. I’ll never be able to repair my broken family and—”
“Oh no, he’s broken down too!”
“Naiz, teleport Miledi away from here! Meiru’s curled up inside her bed and won’t come out!”
So far, they hadn’t been able to activate it even once. They’d tried meditating, using restoration magic to relive past tragedies and rile themselves up, and had even used spirit magic to manipulate their emotions. Oscar had prepared a bunch of artifacts to try to imbue with concept magic if they ever managed to get it working as well, but despite their best efforts and the combined might of all of their mana, the seven of them just couldn’t seem to get concept magic working.
They wanted to find a way into Ehit’s domain, or a way to drag him down to Tortus, as well as a way to kill him. However, every time their attempts fizzled out, it felt like they were being told their desire to destroy him wasn’t strong enough, which was a lot more mentally taxing than they’d initially expected.
Just as they were about to reach their limits, Alfard, Selene, and Albanor walked into the room.
“Looks like you guys still haven’t had any luck...” Alfard said as he glanced across the room.
“Miledi-san, are you okay?” Selene asked worriedly.
“Dummy,” Albanor said with a dopey smile.
“Who’re you calling a dummy?!” Miledi shouted.
“Miledi, stop! Are you seriously going to pick a fight with a baby?!”
For his part, Albanor seemed quite happy with all the attention. Selene gently rebuked him for calling Miledi a dummy, while Alfard simply grinned.
“What did you guys come here for? Did you just want to show off your happy family to me and make fun of me for destroying my own?”
“Laus, calm down. You’re getting too obsessed.”
Laus had continually relived his memories of the time Kaime and Selm had first come to kill him to try to hone his will, but it seemed he’d been reliving those memories a bit too much. Now seeing other happy families was anathema to him. He hugged his knees and curled up into a fetal position while Naiz gently rubbed his back.
“I heard from the maids that you guys are having trouble making any progress, so I came to invite you to dinner for a change of pace.”
“It won’t be anything formal, just a small dinner party. Hopefully, the food and wine will help you all relax a little.”
Oscar and the others exchanged glances. It certainly was true that they’d started unraveling over the past few days...especially Miledi. They were, of course, in a hurry, but they also knew getting impatient would just slow them down.
“Miledi,” Oscar said in a gentle voice.
Miledi let out a small groan, then tore at her already messy hair to vent and said, “Thanks for the invitation.”
She too had realized that they needed a break.
Later that night, the Liberators got drunk off their asses.
“You fucking bastard. Quit hiding up there in the clouds and come down to fight us! You that scared of me, huh?!”
“He’s just a washed-up shitty hermit. We’ve got tons of them back in the slums!”
“Only a perverted creep surrounds himself with a bunch of identical dolls. I bet Ehit got bullied as a kid!”
“He plays all of his games by himself too! He’s an even bigger loner than I was, Onee-sama! I almost pity him! He he he!”
“Goddamn shut-in! We’re gonna break into your stupid domain and beat the shit out of you, just you wait!”
“You said it, Naiz! No way we’re letting that bastard escape. No matter where he is, we’re gonna find him so I can make him pay for ripping my family apart.”
“Where’s Alfaaard. I need to make sure he records the moment that self-styled god kneels to us and begs for mercy in his Font of Knowledge.”
At first they’d avoided drinking too much, since they knew this was no time to be cutting loose, but once they’d gotten a little tipsy, they’d let themselves go completely. It hadn’t been too bad at the start. Miledi had just started fawning over Oscar, while Meiru had kept on pestering Naiz. Naiz had, of course, ignored her entirely and focused on stopping Oscar from taking things too far with Miledi. Meanwhile, Lyutillis had gone full pervert mode, Laus had broken down in tears over his family, and Vandre had started talking to the wall.
Still, while they’d been pretty drunk, at least they hadn’t been causing problems for other people. Alfard and the others had found that version of the drunk Liberators kind of cute, honestly.
Miledi and the others had been under a lot of pressure to save the world, and they’d been understandably stressed out, so it wasn’t too surprising that eventually they’d start to vent.
Before long, their eyes started to glaze over and they began insulting Ehit in every way they knew how. If they’d just been shouting it wouldn’t have been too bad, but they started casting offensive magic in their drunken stupor as well. No one could stop them either, or they’d risk getting dragged into the danger zone.
In the end, Alfard had cast a barrier around all of them and then taken his family out of the room. Miledi and the others didn’t even notice that he’d departed, and were continuing to guzzle down alcohol as they gazed up at the stars through the hole in the ceiling that they’d made. They’d destroyed the walls as well.
That night, the people of Dastia watched on in fear as seven pillars of light even brighter than the one that had shot up when Alfard had been appointed king rose from the palace.
“Die, Ehit, you fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!” Miledi and the others roared in unison, their voices echoing throughout the entire city.