TLN*: Fidirg’s heads speak separately with separate dialogue lines and they speak differently, too. One is super-polite (usually speaks first), one is polite with some hints of casualness (usually speaks second) and one is quite casual (usually speaks last).

Despite having no scales, Vandalieu had acquired the Title of Scaled King.

The Scaled King Title was normally something that Fidirg, the Dragon God of Five Sins, bestowed upon the those who had solo-cleared the D-class Dungeon known as the Lizardmen’s Nest as proof that they were the new ruler of the marshlands, so apparently having scales or not made no difference.

Next, though it was unclear how effective this would be, Vandalieu tried to acquire Fidirg’s divine protection (or rather, make him grant his divine protection), but Fidirg had replied that it was impossible and hung his head.

“Huh… What do you mean?” asked Vandalieu.

“That is, my current state is insufficient…”

“Divine protections are normally things that a superior being bestows upon an inferior being, so…”

“For example, it’d be effective for a fox to borrow a tiger’s power. But there wouldn’t be any point in a tiger borrowing a fox’s power. It’s kind of like that…”

It was an easy-to-understand explanation of divine protections that would likely cause people to lose their faith in gods.

And it seemed that Fidirg, the Dragon God of Five Sins, was the fox and Vandalieu was the tiger.

“I see,” said Vandalieu. “So, you’re saying that it’s impossible because you haven’t fully recovered yet?”

The truth was that Vandalieu, who was capable of manipulating the Demon King’s fragments perfectly and possessed a greater total Mana pool than Fidirg, would not be so different in status from Fidirg even if Fidirg had fully recovered. In fact, it would not be strange to think of Vandalieu as the superior being, as he had more freedom with a physical body and possessed weapons that were capable of slaying gods.

But this was how Vandalieu had interpreted things.

Although the being before Vandalieu was prostrating himself and begging for his life, no matter how little dignity he had, he was still a god. Gods were beings that were capable of creation, incredible miracles and cursing people with terrible wrath.

Vandalieu simply assumed without thinking that this god would be far greater than him once the god fully recovered.

“N-no, even if I were to make a full recovery, I am not such a great being,” Fidirg replied honestly.

He’s making himself seem small for now. He’s not someone I can underestimate,

Vandalieu thought, thinking more highly of him now.

Fidirg could only see the gaze of dead eyes looking at him, so he was completely oblivious to this misunderstanding as well, however.

“Still, when I tried to grant you my divine protection, I touched your soul, and, how do I put it? Its shape is…”

“Perhaps I could describe it as beyond unworldly…”

“Could it be that you’ve eaten one of us evil gods or one of our followers?”

Fidirg did not have the state of mind to see the misunderstanding. He was too busy with having learned that Vandalieu’s soul was not that of a person.

The shape and color of a soul was unique like a fingerprint; there were no two that were alike. But the shape of Vandalieu’s soul was simply too strange. Even if the Demon King’s fragments were taken into account.

“No, not that I remember,” said Vandalieu.

“Has there ever been an incident where you touched a cursed item or something similar, and your Attribute Values and skills changed right afterwards?” Fidirg asked.

“I did read a cursed book once,” said Vandalieu. “My Mana increased by fifty million, and I became able to extend my tongue.”

“THAT’S IT!” all of Fidirg’s heads shouted together.

The forbidden tome that Vandalieu had read after trespassing into the Mages’ Guild of the city of Niarki in the Hartner Duchy. Fidirg suspected that this tome had contained an evil god or a follower of similar status, and Vandalieu had absorbed him.

“Boy, spit it out, you must quickly spit it out!” shouted Zadiris.

“Bocchan, you mustn’t eat strange things!” exclaimed Rita. “You’ll get a stomachache!”

“No, I think it’d be amazing if all he got was a stomachache… and it’s not like he ate it, right?” said Vigaro.

“And that was over a year ago; is it not too late to spit it out now?” said Princess Levia.

Ah, I’m getting déjà vu,

Vandalieu thought in a carefree manner as Zadiris and Rita held him upside-down and shook him up and down.

“Was he your friend? If so, then I’m sorry