Hellmode ~A Hardcore Gamer Becomes Peerless in Another World with Retro Game Settings~
chapter-451

While Allen prepared for the next fight, Helmios went to a dome shaped building in Giamut.

It was the giant gravesite where Giamut's emperors were buried.

Helmios, Rosetta, Silvia, Doberg, and Greta looked at the large building.

It was winter, so even Giamut was cold, but Rosetta still kept her navel exposed.

She wore a hood like the rest, but she still looked dissatisfied.

"Allen really is too demanding from those older than him. All of this just when we're done reporting to the emperor and we're free…"

"Well, we're still a party that sticks together."

"Huh? I just want to go have fun in the city."

Helmios tried to calm Rosetta's tantrum, but it did not work too much.

Doberg just sighed watching that.

"We were able to see the Demon King thanks to Allen."

"O-okayy, I get it."

Rosetta raised her hands, unable to stand Doberg looking at her with severity.

"Still, this is my first time here. So that's where the tyrant emperor was buried."

Helmios looked at the large mausoleum, he went there for the first time under Allen's request.

It was a breathtaking sight, built there 1000 years ago and looking like half a sphere.

There were many emperors buried there, but the last tyrant emperor had the biggest grave.

"Good thing you're the hero, Helmios. Only the imperial family is allowed here, but you somehow got permission. This is my first time here too, and I can smell treasure."

"Ohh, you seem to know a lot, Rosetta. Also, no stealing here. I won't be able to save you here."

Rosetta knew a lot, since stealing was her craft, so Helmios brought her there too.

She seemed willing to reveal her knowledge, but Helmios did not want her to steal anything.

"Huh? Just a little is fine. It's not like anyone comes here to notice."

"No. Silvia, you and the rest keep an eye on her. Oh, it seems they're here too."

Silvia and Greta were told to watch Rosetta, and some robbed figures approached them.

"We've been waiting for you, Hero Helmios. We'll guide you inside the mausoleum."

All the paperwork allowing their visit was complete.

"Thank you very much. Are you the guardians of the mausoleum?"

"Yes. We've been assigned this task for generations."

Helmios started talking with their guides.

They let the group in through the side entrance.

"You don't open this door?"

The main entrance of the mausoleum was sealed shut with thick chains.

There was a thick lock blocking the main entrance too.

That was all to stop the tyrant emperor that died 1000 years ago from ever leaving.

"Yes, that door is only opened when the emperor wishes to leave. It's closed now. Please follow me."

"The emperor? What are you getting at?"

Rosetta asked, as they entered through a smaller door to the side.

It was not as cold inside, but the air still felt chilly.

Everyone took off their thick coats and followed the guardians.

There were sets of armor hung around there, as some form of decoration.

They had been there for many years, covered in rust and all their shine lost.

"Are these from back then?"

"Yes, they were offerings from all the territories."

The guardians answered Helmios' question.

It was almost like everyone refused to use the offering to the tyrant emperor.

"I guess the tyrant emperor was truly evil. What a waste."

"Watch it, Rosetta. I apologize if she made anyone uncomfortable."

"Not at all, we obviously feel the same sometimes."

It seemed they would overlook Rosetta's comments on the tyrant emperor.

That they said 'obviously' made Helmios think back to all the things the tyrant emperor did.

Giamut had been founded many millennia ago.

There were other empires though, which were always at war with Giamut.

The human race also had bloodthirsty cultures, which had wars throughout the ages.

Giamut was in peril of vanishing before the tyrant emperor sat on the throne.

The previous emperors had all been foolish, allowing constant inventions and defeats.

They had become almost as small and weak as Latash.

It was only a matter of time before Giamut was absorbed by another empire.

Then the emperor suddenly fell ill and died.

The new emperor was only 15 years old, and reigned until he was 35.

He became the tyrant emperor, and spent his days warring until the day he died.

Sometimes through tricks, sometimes through wars, he took control of the Central Continent.

His victories expanded the country's size many times over, establishing it as an empire.

All those deeds cemented his name as the tyrant emperor in history.

That did not mean that the people of Giamut had better lives though.

The name tyrant emperor was given to him after death, but even before people feared him.

Since he kept invading other countries, taxes were high, and nobles who did not pay were executed publicly, which was almost a daily occurrence.

There were serfs captured from other countries everywhere too.

Human slaves were treated fairly decently, but other races like beastmen had a harsh life.

Everyone feared the emperor, but his guard was so tight and watchful to stop rebellions.

The cities were always overflowing with bodies, killed in the cruelest ways.

Countries were scared of being invaded, but surrendering also meant hell, so they just lived in fear of being the next country to be attacked.

The tyrant emperor's reign only ended when he was 35 years old and he conquered everything in the continent. It had taken 20 years for his conquest, and his next announcement was his downfall.

'It's taken quite some time to conquer the continent, but I'll take over all other continents now.'

He was not satisfied yet.

He wanted to conquer the world.

Hearing that, one of his bodyguards stabbed his heart from his back.

The guard could no longer stand that reign of tyranny.

The emperor fell, and none in his guard felt like helping him, they all chose to kill him.

They all surrounded him and stabbed him until there was next to nothing left of his body.

Helmios recalled the story of the tyrant emperor as he walked through the corridor.

The mausoleum had a rather simple structure.

They arrived at a large room with a coffin in the center.

There were weapons, armor, gems, and gold piled up to adorn it.

Almost like no one felt like using the riches gathered through such tyranny.

"This mausoleum was built on conquered land, right?"

Greta was almost crying knowing the story of the mausoleum.

She held her hands together and prayed for the souls lost back then.

His bodyguards had ended his life, but his reign of terror continued for many decades.

The next emperor knew no other way to control the people, so he continued the tyranny.

After decades, people finally gained a new life, and stored the body in this mausoleum.

Greta could feel the people of the time, wishing that such a time would never return.

"This is the coffin. The body is inside, so we'd prefer it if you could not disturb it."

"I'm really sorry, but this is a bit urgent and I realize it's a bit rude, but could you open it?"

Helmios needed the support of the guardians to complete his mission.

He politely declined to follow their words, and asked them to open the coffin.

"I-is that so…alright then."

They did not know why, but it seemed important, so the guardians agreed.

Rumble rumble rumble

As the coffin's lid slided, a heavy sound filled the room and the contents were revealed.

"Th-this is horrible."

Greta covered her mouth. The body had been cut in countless pieces and stuffed inside.

Limbs, hands, feet, and everything else was all separate.

The skull was ravaged by cut marks, and Helmios examined the remains.

"Nothing seems to be out of place."

He voiced his thoughts. The tyrant emperor's body was exactly as described.

"Hmm? Everything looks the same to us."

The guardians were just watching, wondering what Helmios was trying to accomplish.

"I see. Has there ever been an attempt to steal anything from here then?"

"Of course now. No thief has gotten in here under our watch."

"Hey, don't look at me, it's my first time here!"

Everyone was looking at Rosetta, but she protested saying she had not done anything.

"I don't care if it's something trivial, or not very recent. Maybe something in the last 100 years?"

There was a special emphasis on the 100.

"O-ohh…there was one time."

Allen was the one who wanted to know that, but Helmios was doing the asking.

When Prostia returned to peace a month ago, Allen had requested an investigation.

He wanted to know if the palace had lost anything other than the crystal seeds.

There had to be a reason why the Demon King's Army had never attacked before.

The investigation found that the original manuscript of Tale of Prostia Empire was missing.

According to Rapsonile, that one mentioned the fight with the Sea Monster.

It was too violent, so the picture book had abbreviated that to make it suitable for children.

In a way that also mentioned the identity of the Sea Monster, and Allen believed that was why Prostia was attacked. The demons had likely understood that the Sea Monster was the Evil God's Tail.

The guardians of the mausoleum seemed to remember something as Helmios looked at them.

"We've been protecting this site for generations, and no one has entered this place unseen in the last 100 years."

"And before that?"

"There are records of only one case, slightly more than 100 years ago. The sword that killed the emperor was stolen. It used to be kept inside the coffin."

The guardians told Helmios. There used to be a sword with an interesting story kept there.

The sword that pierced the tyrant emperor's heart had been stolen around 100 years ago.

The guardians already kept a heavy watch back then, but only sometimes checked the interior of the coffin. That caught Rosetta's attention.

"Would that sword have any value as weapon or antique?"

"I don't know how well a rusty sword would sell, but we never heard about it being sold."

The guardians claimed the sword did not have much value.

Everything else was left untouched, and nothing else was missing.

Doberg sighed hearing that.

"I see, so there was something stolen. Allen's prediction was correct."

"It would seem that way, Doberg."

The guardians could not follow the conversation, but Helmios seemed satisfied with the reply.

"Are you sure? You really think they did that to the tyrant emperor too?"

Rosetta asked something too, making Helmios speak in a bit more detail.

"Allen said it's very likely. Chances are the Demon King's Army resurrected him somehow."

There was no proof yet, but Helmios felt like it was believable enough.

Even more considering that Kyubel was involved.

Greta trembled hearing that.

"If the tyrant emperor was resurrected, he'll try to conquer the world again, won't he?"

"We don't know his goals or reasons. But if he resurrected, he likely will resent those who once stood alongside him."

While answering Greta's question, Helmios recalled what the Demon King had said.

Kyubel had seemed distressed to see him appear on top of the crystal flower.

The tyrant emperor would also want revenge from those that tore his body apart.

Hearing Helmios, everyone started to feel like Allen's guess was right.

The tyrant emperor had ruled through force and oppression, without respect for other races, and thousands of millions of people had died at his hands.

He had halved the beastman population as well.

The beastmen still resented that, even 1000 years after it happened.

Helmios agreed that the Demon King's Army had somehow resurrected the tyrant emperor as the Demon King.

'I'm the Demon King Zeldias.'

With red hair and red eyes, he had said that after devouring the Evil God.

That was the same name as the tyrant emperor.

This was the resting site of Zeldias Von Giamut.

"We'll have to regroup with Allen and tell him of this."

Helmios thanked the guardians and headed to his next destination.