169 The offerings ceased.

Three days after I killed the old man.

Since then, the number of people visiting me has declined.

In fact, visits have been prohibited.

As expected, because I killed the old man.

The general reaction from the citizens is one of annoyance.

Some openly admit they feel relieved the old man is dead.

Though they don’t say it aloud, most seem to think the same.

Yet, some still insist the spider was dangerous after all.

These people are usually met with glares from those around them and quickly retract their statements.

Religion is frightening.

It is, objectively, an extremely dangerous creature.

Still, people worship it.

Believers are saved.

To Japanese sensibilities, religion is incomprehensible.

But that is beside the point.

The real issue is the decline in visitors and the reduction of offerings.

Those who are forbidden will still come.

Those with strong faith, or those seeking healing from injury or illness.

Yet such people come only sporadically.

It's not coming. The food isn't coming.

No sweets.

Uuuu.

Painful.

SP depletion was replenished with relative ease.

Incidentally, the full recovery upon level-up had vanished unnoticed.

The reason, at least, is vaguely imaginable.

You exceeded the acceptable range for recovery.

Full recovery upon level up originates from the skill n% I = W.

Something like an added feature, designed to make us hard to kill—yet the energy required for that regeneration is drawn from the world itself.

When my status was low, the amount of energy drawn would have been negligible. But now that I’ve grown this strong, the amount required for regeneration is no longer trivial.

Either the system was programmed to cut off supply above a certain threshold, or D adjusted the parameters in real time.

Considering it, I haven’t undergone shedding since leveling up recently.

I didn’t notice it before—no HP reduction at level-up moments—but I suspect regeneration stopped around that time.

To fully restore my SP after this irregular, significant increase, I began searching for sustenance.

Not that I lacked leads.

I’d been idly wandering through the area, simultaneously mapping the region, when I discovered a large-scale bandit group.

In fact, they’d established a village.

The reason I did not attack immediately was due to uncertainty—whether they were truly bandits, or merely a village established in a remote location.

No, well, nearly everyone in the settlement had the Takeover skill, and their appearance clearly marked them as bandits, so I assumed with high probability they were indeed bandits.

Now that I could understand speech, I confirmed whether the so-called bandit village was genuinely a bandit settlement.

Well, as expected, or perhaps unsurprisingly, they were bandits.

They operated with a level of organization far beyond typical bandits, confirmed as a large-scale bandit group that attacked nearby villages and towns, as well as traveling merchants and travelers.

Once this was established, no hesitation was necessary.

They were eradicated. Consumed entirely.

Unusually strong for bandits, they provided high experience gain.

As a result, my level increased by three.

The village, being a settlement, maintained a decent level of cleanliness—enough that the food wasn’t particularly bad.

Thus, the stomach was full.

But that’s beside the point.

Sweet things require separate space.

Even with a full belly, the heart remains unsatisfied.

Huh.

Well, there’s no help for it.

Must consider oneself fortunate that there’s even a small offering.

Back in the labyrinth, sweet food was impossible to obtain.

Compared to that, current life is luxury.

Ah… once you’ve tasted luxury, you can’t return to the old way.

Desire is terrifying.

Since wishing for what’s absent serves no purpose, today I collect the sounds of the city and eavesdrop.

Among the citizens, rumors of war are spreading seriously.

No.

I doubt actual war will happen.

They’re just dangling that threat to gain leverage in diplomacy.

The opposing side is a minor nation, after all.

War, honestly, offers little benefit compared to the cost incurred.

Perhaps if one soldier could dominate entirely on their own, it would be worth it. But based on what we’ve observed of human strength, such a being doesn’t seem likely.

Thus, it inevitably becomes a war of attrition. Soldiers are worn down, exhausted.

Logistical supply drains resources. Post-war cleanup adds further burden.

Honestly, even if victory is achieved, tangible gain won’t materialize for quite some time.

Ah—wait.

This nation is a theocracy.

If it becomes a religious war, the dynamics shift.

Ah—then it’s not impossible.

From my perspective, a non-religious person, the idea of waging war over faith is incomprehensible.

But history on Earth shows religious conflicts were common.

I’m just the expendable tool used as a pretext for such wars.

Not that I’m anything significant.

I’m not that important.

Why don’t you just say, “Stop fighting for me”?

Oh, well.

When war comes, it will come at its own time.

What else is concerning is the Vampire Child.

That child is currently passing each day without incident.

The people around her do not seem to notice that the child is a vampire.

Perhaps the person themselves doesn't even realize it?

I didn’t know my own stats until my鉴定 level increased.

That kid without a鉴定—can't even identify their own race, can they?

Thanks to the original ancestor's title, there shouldn't be any weaknesses as a vampire. And isn't it possible there are no self-aware symptoms?

What would happen when I found out, I wonder?

A noblewoman is a vampire.

Uwaaah.

Smells like trouble, doesn’t it.

What should I do at this moment.

Don’t really want to get involved, but what should I do...

For now, no one around seems to have Detection ability. Should be safe, then.

If anyone with Detection were here, there’d be a commotion.

Ah, if I could use Detection through Far Sight too.

Then I could check others’ status.

Far Sight evolved into Infinite Sight.

Just extends visible range, but the distance is extraordinary.

Can see all the way to the Elro Great Labyrinth from here.

View distant landscapes as clearly as if standing right there.

An impressive skill.

At that moment, I was absorbed in listening to the city’s sounds.

Too careless.

Should have checked properly. Could have avoided it.

My home was blown away.

Unbelievable impact.

Moreover, since I didn’t sense a spell, the destruction wasn’t magical.

Pure physical attack or skill-based attack.

“Finally… found it.”

The figure responsible for the massive destruction.

There, the Demon Lord stood.