First of All, I’m Drinking - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 11

[Ha, how foolish of you to say that fact with your own mouth. You said it’s fine because your physical body is in the Intermediate Realm? I’ll immediately contact the other Celestial Deities and command them to issue divine oracles.]

Gabriel’s arrogant gaze turns toward me.

[A divine oracle to mobilize the full power of the Four Factions of the Celestial Order and subjugate you at the Millennium Cathedral.]

He probably thought I’d panic if he said that, right?

“Go ahead.”

[Your confidence is excessive, fallen Demon Lord.]

“The one with excessive confidence is you, you bastard. What? The full power of the Four Factions of the Celestial Order? You think you can catch me with just that much? Me, who competed for the strongest position among the Eight Demons?”

I rolled my eyes upward.

“Have you lost your touch, Gabriel? You’ve completely lost your sense of fear.”

He seemed to think this meaningless squabbling was pointless and let out a deep sigh.

[Huu… So, what’s your business?]

“What business?”

[Surely you didn’t reveal your identity without any purpose, simply to gain a momentary situational advantage.]

As expected of Gabriel. Quick-witted.

It seems he didn’t obtain his position as a First Rank Angel through card games.

“I do have business. I had something I wanted to say to you all.”

[Something to say?]

“I was hoping to tell all four of you if possible, but well, since you’re the boss, it should be fine if only you know.”

Gabriel made a puzzled expression.

I brought up a different topic first.

“Before that, there’s something I want to ask. How much time has passed since I died?”

[I can’t give you a definitive answer since I don’t know exactly when you died. However, it’s been 8 years since I noticed your misfortune.]

“8 years…”

Since my age is exactly eight years old, it would be right to assume I was reincarnated immediately after death.

“Well, fine. Actually, this kind of thing doesn’t matter anyway.”

I brought up the main point.

“Let’s join hands, Gabriel.”

[…What?]

“Be on my side. I’ll be on your side too.”

Gabriel suddenly poked his ear with his pinky finger.

[I must be getting old since I’m hearing things. Maybe it’s time to retire.]

“You heard correctly.”

[No, that’s nonsense. Even if you’re wearing a human body, an alliance between a Demon Lord and a Celestial Deity? That’s impossible. I don’t understand your intentions.]

Gabriel dismissed my words as nonsense and crossed his arms.

Right. This is the normal reaction.

But I had a secret weapon left to persuade this guy.

“Don’t you want to kill all the Demon Lords?”

Gabriel’s eyebrows twitched.

“I know well how much Celestial Deities and Demon Lords hate each other. I was once one of the Demon Lords’ seats, after all.”

[If you remember that, then you should know how absurd your words are. What exactly is your reason for wanting to join hands with me? For your personal safety?]

Personal safety.

If Gabriel, who has the greatest influence in the Intermediate Realm among the deities, became my backing, I could achieve anything I wanted.

I even have the status of royalty, don’t I?

But that would be meaningless.

Without resolving this resentment and hatred boiling in my chest, I cannot move forward.

“I’m going to eliminate the Demon Lords from this world.”

Gabriel’s mouth closed.

He widened his eyes as if he couldn’t believe it.

[What…]

“As you know, I was betrayed and killed by the other Demon Lords, right? I used to hate Celestial Deities too. Actually, I still don’t like them. But more than disliking Celestial Deities, I despise those Demon Lords.”

No matter how much I recover my past life’s power and become even stronger than before.

Realistically, it would be difficult to handle all the remaining Demon Lords by myself.

“There’s a saying that the enemy of my enemy is my ally. Join hands with me, Gabriel. And lend your strength to help me sweep away those Demon Lords.”

If I could drag the Celestial forces into this fight, it would be quite helpful.

Turning crisis into opportunity.

This was exactly the situation where such a maxim applied.

[Sweeping away the Demon Lords…]

The guy seemed surprised by my words and fell into thought, resting his chin on his hand.

“Of course, I don’t mean right away. My body is still young, and I need to find a way to cross the dimensional barriers. But someday, I must settle this.”

[I see. I understand. Let me give you my answer.]

Gabriel opened his mouth with a clear voice.

[I refuse.]

“…You refuse?”

[Yes.]

“Why? This is a golden opportunity to erase the Demon Lords from this world.”

[Do I need to give you a reason?]

Damn. I never expected a refusal.

“I’m curious. Tell me.”

[There are three reasons in total.]

Was I too hasty?

Should I have built more trust before bringing up this topic?

[First, other Celestial Deities aside, I absolutely will not associate with Demon Lords. Even if you’ve been reincarnated as a human, it’s the same. Your true nature is that of an evil demonic being.]

“…Haa, fine. What’s the second?”

[I can’t trust your abilities.]

He can’t trust my abilities?

[Of course I know you’re strong. But you couldn’t handle seven Demon Lords by yourself.]

“Six. One of them wasn’t involved in killing me.”

[Who is that one?]

“Nevilos.”

The Fourth Seat, Nevilos.

The only one among the Demon Lords who wasn’t present.

Naturally excluded from my revenge targets.

He’s quite quiet and likes to hole up in his sanctuary, so you could say he’s the most harmless existence among the Demon Lords.

[Interesting. How about asking that one for help instead?]

“Well, I’d need a way to contact him first.”

[True. All the Demon Cults are hidden in the shadows.]

I asked with the desperation of grasping at straws.

“Do you happen to know? A way to make contact with the Demon Cult.”

[If I knew that, I would have swept away those filthy bastards first.]

That’s true.

I’m an idiot for asking him.

As expected, I’ll have no choice but to catch that guy who tried to kill me when I was a baby.

“Then what’s the last reason?”

[Why do you think we didn’t announce your death to the world?]

“Hmm, that was actually a bit puzzling. While humans had no way of knowing about my death, any deity who knew the truth could have just issued a divine oracle saying I was dead.”

Gabriel smiled faintly at my answer.

[Humans need enemies to unite.]

The reason primitive humans could form tribes and evolve into societies called nations.

There may be various causes, but the fundamental point is one.

It’s to increase the size of the collective to protect themselves from external threats.

[The same goes for the Argent Empire where you serve as prince. If there wasn’t a powerful enemy like the Western Alliance, do you think the Empire could maintain its current solid unity?]

The current Intermediate Realm is structured with two major powers – the Argent Empire and the Western Alliance – dividing hegemony between them.

For now, they band together to oppose the enemy before them.

But what if the Western Alliance disappeared?

Eventually, it wouldn’t be strange if the Empire’s high-ranking officials claimed their own interests and internal strife occurred.

History proves this isn’t an exaggeration.

The fall of overwhelmingly hegemonic nations has always been accompanied by internal division.

The existence of enemies enables everything from increasing the size of collectives to national-level unity.

‘So that’s how it was.’

I could understand what he was trying to say.

“To increase the number of followers in the Celestial Order… you used the existence of the Demon Lords?”

Gabriel nodded his head.

[Fear toward the Demon Lords guides humans to the Celestial Order. After all, they’re blocked by dimensional walls and can’t directly interfere with the Intermediate Realm, right?]

They do exist, but they don’t actually cause harm.

To the Celestials, the Demon Lords were exactly in that position.

[After deliberation, we determined that not announcing your death would have a more positive long-term impact on managing the Order.]

“Eight rather than seven would make humans feel greater fear, and that would lead to support for the Celestial Order?”

[Exactly. Now do you understand why I rejected your proposal?]

A cold smile appeared on Gabriel’s face.

[We don’t desire the extinction of the Demon Lords as desperately as you think. It would be nice if we could, but it’s not worth attempting while accepting losses of our forces.]

“I thought you hated the Demon Lords enough to want to kill them.”

[You’re right. But we’re not foolish enough to abandon practical benefits by being swayed by emotion.]

Negotiation itself had been impossible from the start.

He had no will to subjugate the Demon Lords at all.

[But separately from that, if there’s anything I can help with, I’ll do my best to cooperate with you.]

Gabriel suddenly expressed his intention to help.

Suddenly offering cooperation seems suspicious.

“…What are you scheming?”

[There’s no scheme. I simply thought control was necessary to prevent you from rampaging like a fool in the Intermediate Realm.]

Gabriel shook his head from side to side.

[I’d like to kill you outright if I could… but as you said, to kill you, we’d have to accept enormous losses too. No, I’m not even confident we could kill you even then.]

“You’re saying you can’t kill me.”

[Tch, anyway, if you need anything, pray at my sanctuary. Then you’ll be able to hear my voice.]

“Kuk kuk, this is quite an honor.”

This actually isn’t bad.

I’ve gained backing from a First Rank Celestial and Archangel.

I’m already looking forward to how I can exploit this.

“Will you inform the other Celestials of my existence?”

Gabriel thought for a moment, then shook his head.

[No. I’ll keep it secret for now. I don’t want to create variables.]

“Then how will you explain ignoring protocol and meeting privately with me at the baptism ceremony?”

[I’ll make up something about you being such outstanding material that I coveted you too much to yield. I have that much authority.]

“I absolutely won’t join any group with you as leader.”

[Shut up. All of this is for peace.]

Peace, huh.

[Now get lost. I have no more business with you.]

Gabriel waved his hand at me dismissively as if he was sick of me.

I opened my mouth with a bright smile.

“Go where? I haven’t received my baptism yet.”

Gabriel flinched and asked back.

[…What? Did I mishear?]

“No, remember I originally came here to receive baptism? Hurry up and bestow your blessing. I’m getting dizzy.”

[This crazy…!]

Gabriel looked at me like he was seeing some bizarre animal.

His face turned bright red.

[Don’t you have any pride?! You, a Demon Lord, want to receive a Celestial’s blessing?!]

“I really didn’t want to receive it originally either. But after hearing what you said, I changed my mind. It’s foolish to abandon practical benefits by being swayed by emotion.”

The effect of receiving a blessing from a deity’s true form was tremendous.

It increases the size of talent and strengthens potential.

It would surely help in enduring the backlash of magic.

It is funny to think of using magic with a blessing received from a Celestial though.

“Hurry up and bestow the blessing. Come on, quickly.”

[…]

Gabriel’s pupils became vacant.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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