Hellmode ~Gamer Who Likes to Speedrun Becomes Peerless in a Parallel World with Obsolete Setting~

"We aren't too late though. I guess they just started early."

Birdmen usually went to bed early, so even though there was time before sunset, they had already started. As they were guided to their seats, the birdmen noticed Allen.

Clap clap clap

Many of the guests began clapping. Most were from gratitude for the magic device, but there were some meant for Rosalina too.

(That's quite a welcome. I guess there's a lot of races like them who revere minor gods. A lot of the ghosts in the Earth Labyrinth also failed to become gods after all.)

Allen looked at all the birdmen there, who revered the Mythical Bird Rame, and thought of all the Demigod Rank ghosts Merle had hunted. Maybe they had also been like Rame, waiting many years to become Gods, but they did not receive enough prayers and just died. Then they became ghosts and haunted the divine realm.

By hunting them, Allen had reached Level 250. Merle had defeated many more ghosts after that, but they did not give him any further Levels. It seemed like defeating Demigod Rank ghosts was not enough for Allen to Level Up anymore.

"Oh, they're all welcoming me. I like this audience, I'll go sing for a bit."

Rosalina, who was wearing a gaudy dress, quickly ran off, lured by the applause. There was plenty of food and drinks there, so Rosalina drank some wine to wet her throat before going to sing in a corner.

"Rosalina is still the same, or rather, she's gotten even more powerful."

"She got 2 Divine Techniques so she's getting cocky now. I'm so jealous!"

Cecile responded with jealousy to Allen's comment. She could no longer hide her feelings. Then a heron-faced noble noticed them.

"Oh thank you so much for coming. It's been a long time since the capital was so lively."

It was the prime minister Karasagi, who noticed Allen's group had arrived. Allen raised a cup with fruit juice in it to respond, greeting the prime minister.

Holding a cup filled with fruit juice was Allen's habit to stop people from offering him wine. After the prime minister greeted Allen himself, the other nobles kept their distance.

"I'm just glad that everyone is so happy. I'm curious though, are all the retired mechanisms in storage now?"

Allen had seen the retired wind powered machines being transported on carriages.

"Ahahah…you noticed that? W-well, we never know when a magic device might malfunction so… Khe khe, kheeee!!"

When Allen pointed that out, the prime minister tried coughing to mask what he was saying. The prime minister had told the servants to move the old machines to storage, so they could serve as spares if the magic devices broke down or ran out of Magic Stones. Repairing such devices required a capable Magic Engineer, and there were none in Rameciel.

(I guess they did not mind if I found out about that.)

The prime minister figured it was worth keeping them as spares, even if Allen found out.

"Well, having to dispose of them would be a huge waste too anyway."

"Ohh, Allen, you're here!"

(He still looks awake at this hour.)

Then king Oolon trotted over to Allen's side.

"Thank you very much for inviting us."

Allen quickly went into socializing mode and thanked the king.

"It's us who should be thanking you. Hopefully the Mythical Bird Rame can turn into a God now. Would you mind giving us a few words?"

(Seriously? This is why I didn't want to come, why are you repaying my favor with torture?)

The king pointed at a podium in the hall, telling Allen to give a speech there.

"I'm really sorry, but I'm not really looking to obtaining that type of position here."

"What are you saying, you're the one who provided us with all those magic devices."

Considering all the nobles that clapped when Allen entered, they already knew about him.

"But this is all for the Mythical Bird Rame and the royal family. It's not my place to talk…"

Allen continued resisting, but then someone else tried to push him forward.

"Now now, Allen, don't be like that. Just give them a short speech."

The prime minister pushed him forward while the king pulled him ahead towards the podium. Cecile and Sophie watched with placid eyes, having no intention of helping Allen.

The king stepped up first, which attracted everyone's attention.

"Thank you everyone for coming. It seems the day for the Mythical Bird Rame to answer our prayers has finally come…"

(I really just wanted to talk with the king and prime minister for a bit before going back. Why is this happening?)

While Allen continued grumbling, the king spoke to the guests, who seemed to be moved to tears.

"But there's someone else who helped make this possible. I'm sure everyone knows who he is, so welcome him like he deserves. Allen, please step forward!"

Allen was not bad at talking in public, but he simply despised doing it.

"Everyone, thank you for gathering here…"

Just when Allen was starting to talk, a light suddenly shone onto the podium from the ceiling.

"H-hey! Are those feathers?!"

Cecile also shouted loudly. There were countless white feathers falling from the ceiling together with the light. Allen quickly understood those were an angel's feathers.

"Ohh, the angels are visiting us too!!"

(Hm? It's Lupto and a few Archangels. There's 5.)

Sophie held her hands to her mouth as she also reacted to the sudden visitors. They were Lupto, the 3 Archangels serving Lupto led by Aura, and the God of Wind's Archangel Ranran.

'There they are~ They're the humans trying to put a slight on the God of Wind Ninlil~ Even though he has been blessing them for so long~'

Ranran pointed at Allen and the birdmen present there.

'I see. Thank you for letting me know of this. Your celebration ends here. This is between us, Allen's group, and Rameciel's royal family, everyone else leave! The First Angel Lupto must talk with these ungrateful cretins!!'

After the First Angel said that, the hundreds of guests spread their wings and flew away.

"Fwaaaaa?! Lady Lupto!!"

"Your Majesty! Are you alright?!!"

The prime minister rushed to support the king, who collapsed on the podium.

(I guess the prime minister won't run away. Oh well, let's see if I can get out of this.)

"Now what?! I was having such a good time, no one has any respect for music here."

Everyone performing music had also fled, so Rosalina came to complain to everyone.

"Why are you calling us ungrateful cretins? What have we done?"

The king fell on his knees and asked that, not believing he had done anything wrong.

'What are you saying~ You birdmen have been living for millenia thanks to the blessings from the God of Wind Ninlil~ But now you're disregarding that for your own greed~'

Ranran stepped forward and said all of that.

"Wh-what are you saying…"

The king sounded defeated, but had nothing more to say back, so Allen spoke up instead.

"Your Majesty, I'm the one who came up with this plan, so I'll deal with this. Could I be the one talking?"

"O-okay, right…please do that!"

Receiving permission from him, Allen, Cecile, and Sophie stepped forward.

'Allen, it seems you really went overboard this time.'

"I-I'm really sorry. I convinced the birdmen to do all of this, it was my plan, so please be lenient with them. I don't understand why you'd be so angry though…"

Allen apologized to Lupto, but still tried to fight back. Cecile and Sophie did not look bothered by the sudden appearance of the angels either, standing firmly behind Allen.

(They came later than I expected though. Maybe they wanted to avoid being seen by too many birdmen? They also drove the nobles away after all. Anyway, time to talk things out.)

Allen's mind quickly moved to process the current situation.

'You think you did nothing wrong? The birdmen have lived for millenia thanks to the blessings from the God of Wind. I believe you even researched that yourself, so why are you trying to change their lifestyle for your own greed?'

"But greed had no part in this. Still, I guess this is a matter that required a third party to mediate then?"

'Yes, that's correct!'

Lupto replied with a threatening voice, which made the king turn pale.