The cavity must have been deep underground because the stairs going up felt like it would continue on forever.
Upon arriving on the ground, Dayphon apologized and went somewhere first. Caren guided me and I followed her.
“If Sir Ron needs a meal, a bath, or anything else, just tell me. I’ll get things ready right away.”
I replied I would take a bath first.
My appearance was filthy because I had been a prisoner just a while ago.
As if Caren had already expected that answer, she immediately ordered the servants to prepare.
The maids tried to help me bathe, but I told them all to go away.
It’s embarrassing to let someone else wash my body when I was just an ordinary modern person less than an hour ago.
“I will prepare a separate meal while you’re taking a bath...”
“No need.”
I just wanted to wash and clean up. I didn’t really have the urge to eat.
After somehow taking a bath, I changed into clean clothes and was escorted to my room. It was a very spacious and colorful room.
I walked in and stood in front of the mirror.
On the other side of the mirror, a very unfamiliar man was staring at me.
Jet-black hair, pale skin, two bright golden eyes, and distinct features.
How disgustingly handsome.
Putting aside the current situation, this was just a pure appreciation of the body I possessed.
I had already checked it while taking a bath, but it was a face I would never get used to.
More than that, this was not the avatar of my game character, which had blonde hair and blue eyes.
I moved, and this time stood by the window.
Since it was a room on a high floor, I could see the scenery of the castle well from the window.
The gigantic walls surrounding the outskirts, the tall and majestic buildings, and the soldiers and knights standing guard everywhere with a formidable spirit.
The Calderic Monarchy.
One of the continent’s four major powers, with the Overlord Rashtain and her nine Lords at the peak.
Unlike Santea, where almost only humans lived, it was a land where various races other than humans were mixed.
As can be seen from such characteristic, it was the most free and open-minded force among the four major powers.
The place where I was now was the Overlord Castle of Calderic.
The Overlord’s castle was in the very center of Woborn, the capital of Dragore.
Dragore was also a familiar area that I used to frequent while playing RaSa.
Does the city of Woborn spread outside the wall?
Beyond the computer screen, it’s hard to recognize places in reality that one had only seen through the game graphics.
If it had not been for this situation, I would have been able to enjoy the overwhelming scenery in front of me.
“Haa...”
I rested my chin on the windowsill and let out a deep sigh.
Really, how did this happen?
Why did I have to meet the Overlord of Calderic?
Even if this all blew up from just one misunderstanding, it simply blew out of proportion.
Now, I could even transcend species and understand the mind of a cow being led to a slaughterhouse.
Suddenly, what Caren said earlier came to mind.
Come to think of it, they said the meeting of the Lords would start soon...
I was one of the very first players of RaSa.
Of course, I knew a lot about Calderic.
Not only the main NPCs belonging to Calderic, but even the way the ruling class worked and their governing system were still quite detailed in my mind.
It was rare for users to play a game, knowing even the detailed settings that had nothing to do with the story progress, but the case was a little different when the game was RaSa.
RaSa was a game with a lot of hidden pieces, and sometimes one could find clues about them within the game settings.
That’s why it was common for not only me, but for most of the players in RaSa to know the most trivial settings one after another.
The Lords’ meeting.
As the name suggested, it was a regular conference attended by the Overlord and all the nine Lords.
And the place where the meeting was held was, of course, the Overlord Castle, where the Overlord lived.
Then, didn’t that mean that most of the other Lords were also gathered here?
As I thought about it, a feeling of uneasiness welled up.
Somehow... I got the feeling that this timing wasn’t very good.
Because from what I knew, the Overlord Rashtain was someone with a rather erratic personality.
After being in anguish for a while, a knock rang.
“Are you resting, Sir Ron?”
It was Dayphon, not Caren, who opened the door and entered.
I knew the time had come.
The words that followed proved the ominous premonition I had.
“The meeting of the Overlord and the other Lords is about to begin. But the Overlord wants Sir Ron to attend it as well.”
“...”
Oh.
The goddamn foresight was proven correct once again.
After a short talk, I immediately followed Dayphon.
Only the sound of two pairs of footsteps at regular intervals echoed in the wide and quiet hallway.
The destination was, as I heard earlier, the Overlord’s conference hall.
Depending on what would happen next, it was a place that could become a public execution ground for me instead of just a conference hall.
Things were just getting more and more complicated.
No, why should I, a complete outsider, attend a meeting where only the Lords of Calderic gathered?
Right now, I just wanted to hit the back of Dayphon’s head, who was currently walking ahead of me.
After all, he was the culprit behind all this.
It’s true that I could escape the convoy because of him, but it was also him who attacked it.
Otherwise, the ship would have been cruising across the sea by now without sinking.
Even though the destination was a concentration camp, compared to the current situation in which I had to face the rulers of Calderic in just a few minutes, wouldn’t the former be better?
It’s a useless assumption.
I moved on with a detached mind.
I couldn’t even avoid it since I had already come this far.
We would soon find out which way was the better way.
Would I be able to survive safely in front of the Lords, the pinnacle of Calderic, without revealing my insignificant self?
If worse came to worst and I really got caught...
Even if it’s only one instant death skill, it could still protect me. Even if just a little.
Since it also worked on the Fist Saint, the effect was certain. But there was a fatal condition that I could only activate it upon contact.
Well, even if that was the case, there wouldn’t be any other way, anyway.
I could use my vast knowledge of the game as a negotiating card with the Overlord. But I doubted if that would even help.
Of course, the best thing would be to get through this hurdle somehow without getting caught.
The more we walked further, the darker it seemed. Before I knew it, the windows in the hallway had completely disappeared.
Instead, glowing stones embedded in the ceiling lit up the darkness.
Eventually, as I entered the aisle covered with a dark red carpet, several knights stood solemnly lined up at what seemed to be the entrance.
The knights raised their swords and saluted.
Dayphon nodded to the knights and walked past them. And I followed, pretending to be calm.
After walking for a long time in the long hallway, I slowly saw a huge door at the end.
And the figure of someone standing in the front a little further away, as if they had just arrived like us.
It was a woman with red hair reminiscent of a blazing fire.
The beast’s ears stood on either side of her head. A cut that ran in an oblique line from the forehead to the chin. And the huge sword on the back.
“Hey, chief of staff.”
The woman who was looking this way spoke in a light tone.
Contrary to that, Dayphon bowed his head politely.
“Fifth Lord.”
I knew her true identity from the moment I saw her, even without hearing her title or name.
[Lv. 95]
With that terrifying level and that appearance, there was only one person who came to mind.
The Fifth Lord, the Beast King, Ignel.
Even before entering the meeting room, one of the Lords suddenly appeared like this.
I looked at her, feeling a little strange.
Even though she’s just standing there, her presence seemed to weigh down the entire space.
I wasn’t familiar with the ‘Fist Saint’. Dayphon was a character that was rarely involved in the game, but the Beast King was different.
One of the most familiar names among the named boss characters in the game, which I struggled to defeat dozens of times.
Once again, I realized the fact that this was a world within the game.
“It would be a big deal if I didn’t arrive on time. But what is that?”
The Beast King asked with a chin gesture towards me.
“The Overlord herself is the one who gave permission to let this person attend the meeting.”
“...Hoh?”
At that, she put on a puzzled expression.
“The Overlord’s permission, that’s something rare. So, who is it?”
“This time, I accidentally brought them from outside...”
“Ah, come to think of it, you went to Santea. Where did you find such a guy...hmm?”
Her gaze turned back to me.
The beast’s pupils, which were torn vertically, scanned my whole body once, and I met a pair of terrifying eyes.
“It doesn’t look like much.”
Waa!
An explosive sound shattering the air.
Suddenly, her hair fluttered with the gust of wind, and the blade of her sword stopped right in front of my neck.
“...”
I just stared at her, who was holding a sword, stiff as a stone statue.
...What did she do? Did she wield her sword? When?
I wasn’t even aware of her pulling the huge sword out of her back.
Unreasonable speed, as if it omitted altogether the process of going from point A to point B.
“Hmm?”
The Beast King grinned as she drew her sword back.
“No matter how lifeless it looks, I never thought you wouldn’t react at all. You’re tough compared to your appearance.”
It’s not that I didn’t react, it’s that I couldn’t.
I felt like I just went back and forth on the Jordan River just now.
If it wasn’t for the [Soul of the King], I would have collapsed already because of how weak my legs became.
“Fifth Lord.”
Thankfully, Dayphon stepped forward with a firm voice.
“Don’t be too serious. It’s just a light greeting.”
Giggling, the Beast King retrieved the sword and turned around.
“You, let’s talk together later when the opportunity arises. No matter how I look at it, I can’t feel any magic power. So, I wonder what kind of ability you have.”
What a terrible suggestion.
It seemed that more stacks of misunderstanding had accumulated unintentionally.
As I watched her from the back as she continued to walk towards the door, Dayphon bowed his head to me.
He seemed to apologize for what had just happened.
It would have been nice if he had stepped forward before Ignel swung her sword. Well, let’s just be thankful that my neck was still intact.
Cooong!
The huge door opened wide with a heavy echo.
The Beast King opened the door first and went inside the meeting room.
All the other Lords, aside from her, must have already been inside.
“Then, let’s go in.”
I entered the meeting room with Dayphon, feeling as if I was walking through the jaws of a monster.
