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Chapter 13: Insured Victory of the Black Dragon

Leaving behind a trail of silver-colored holy flames and a shockwave in its wake, the Pendragon reappeared with a vibrating blade that easily sliced through the giant scales on the demon's tail and continued to slice its flesh halfway, releasing an intense spiritual essence that burned and tore apart the Mutant Minotaur from within.

It also deliberately dispersed the aura within his body before his tail was finally severed completely. He fell to the ground, trembling violently before remaining motionless, limp.

For a few seconds, all you could see was the stones flying through the air from the shockwave as everyone fell silent, and then...

¡¡¡Gryaaaaarrr!!!

Count Betano let out a scream of agony and fear in response to Arthur's powerful holy slash, which in support of its positive karmic force caused him tremendous pain with his tail severed and slight paralyzing muscle spasms extending from his rear.

¡Basrad!

His scream, like that of a maddened beast unleashing a curse, echoed throughout the mansion, causing almost everyone present to shudder in fear at the deep evil in his voice, and the demon now stared at him with its hellish red eyes as it growled almost incoherently, frightened.

Unaware of this and believing him to be angry, Sora smiled cynically in response, much to the Demon Count's terror. He never thought the day would come when he would end up fearing something more than the Demon Lord who rules his legion.

She seemed to be playing with him, instead of immediately exterminating him when she had the strength to do so... just like she did.

Damn sadist! And he's supposed to have good karma?

The Mutant Minotaur who lived on a plane where both sinful and innocent souls were tortured daily complained hypocritically to himself, trying to contain the urge to tremble in fear without success.

I really hated being the one being toyed with instead of the other way around... I'd rather be killed right away!

He had no idea that the other party was taking this fight seriously (I don't want to say this guy is as strong as Arthur-sama) much less that his trembling confused the other party into thinking he was extremely angry and made him even more serious.

After all, a wounded beast was very dangerous.

What Sora didn't know...was that there was practically no need.

As beings of a more spiritual than physical nature—whose bodies were the essence of sin materialized—the beliefs and determination that demons had about themselves were extremely important; more so than the will a knight had to possess to manifest their Aura and fight for victory.

Not only are their appearances affected by their own self-image and the sin they were born into, but the powers they develop can also be seen as reflections of their desires, just like their traits.

Merely perceiving an opponent as superior can be enough to cause them to lose a fight, and truly admitting total defeat often causes the loser to become loyal to the victor or can even be potentially fatal.

Even unstable emotions due to teasing or the like can change the course of the battle.

So... When Betano determined that Arthur was a Guardian Beast he could only distract, not defeat, he had already lost beyond all hope. Something that, naturally, couldn't be helped for a Demon who despised the weak and feared the strong...

At this point, it would be better to kill myself so I can be resurrected in a few centuries than to go through this humiliation, but that's clearly not going to happen with this bastard... you obviously just want to have fun at my expense, right?!

You're almost as wicked as Lady Coliorun!

Poor Betancourt complained without noticing the irony of the cruelty with which he was treated.

Damn... at least by focusing only on tormenting me, this thing is buying me time... I should take advantage of it, even if I really don't want to!

Grey smoke rose from the creature's charred and severed flesh as it groaned in pain, internally deciding to miserably endure whatever was thrown at it, as it knew it would suffer more otherwise...

The survivors who fought against that evil spawn groaned in surprise at the sight, and the beast maiden who called out to Arthur in concern now looked at him with shining eyes along with the other maidens as if they had stars inside them from the safe place they all stood.

-Kyaaa...! Arthur-niisama is so strong! He looks so cool and manly!

Nava squealed excitedly from the window like a fan watching her idol while blushing, while the other two women near her nodded with proud expressions on their faces. Ikaros, in particular, was impressed by her Master's combat prowess, who could defend himself without her help.

Her face blushed, as did the others; she herself didn't understand why this was causing something inside her to stir.

By the way, the silent butler was more or less the same as the four women... without sharing the red cheeks and possible sexual arousal, of course; he's not gay. He was simply proud of the young man he watched grow into a powerhouse.

Behind his helmet, the young warrior's eyes twitched slightly as he suddenly felt something strange, as if they were talking about something strange about him, but he quickly caught something else that made him focus and forget about it.

Reacting immediately upon detecting an attack, Sora performed a few quick backflips like a super acrobat to get away from where he was.

His powerful legs, pushed to the limit by the maryoku and amplified in strength by the Aura, made Arthur fast enough to leave afterimages behind him while his own footsteps on the ground left shallow footprints.

In fact, you could even see that it broke the sound barrier....

Immediately after Arthur moved, the demon's gigantic axe crashed into the ground as if trying to shatter the afterimages into pieces with its green flames and fragments dissolved by the flames.

This time more pieces of huge marble slabs broke off than last time, probably because the ground had already weakened, but still, needless to say, the force of the impact was far greater than normal.

-Oh? Is that all you can do, Demon?

Even seeing the demon's terrifying strength, Arthur took the time to insult his opponent. However, although he seemed to take it lightly, Arthur wasn't being careless either.

He was not a fool who became too arrogant in a battle and died as a result.

-I'm going to cut off your head.

He stood back up in front of the demon, who stared at him as he roared. Even though he didn't understand anything it was saying, he knew it was looking down on him. Guardian Beast or not, he still had his pride as a general of endless hellish wars!

¡Guyraaaa!

-Yes!

At the same time as his war cries sounded, Arthur's sword severed one of his enemy's feet from the base.

Then, with swift movements, Sora performed other holy attacks against Betano, against which he could not defend himself at all no matter how hard he tried, causing him tremendous pain that led him to roar louder in anger and pain.

The sacred flames that were a manifestation of the moon's own spiritual essence shone brightly with every attack he made with Caliburn, dazzling the spectators with the strange and mystical beauty that demonstrated the power of this spiritual sword.

Laura, in particular, seemed strangely drawn to her as her eyes began to glow faintly blood red...

Meanwhile, it could be seen that the Demon's legs were bearing the brunt of those "holy" attacks that struck him hard. Arthur's Good Karma also played a significant role, tripling or even quadrupling his power against the Demons.

With his legs riddled with wounds and the flow of his infernal energy towards those areas affected by Arthur's Aura, the Demon fell to his knees from the holy damage received while clenching his sharp teeth.

In the distance, an arm could be seen falling over some stone flowerbeds, turning them into ruins after its heavy fall. Apparently, they weren't reinforced with sorcery.

-...pathetic - Arthur smiled.

Now the armor that protected the demon was broken and cracked all over.

No-no way, this guy is so strong... to hurt me like that...

Not only did they cut off its tail and injure its legs, but they also ripped off its arm completely and broke off the tip of one of its dark gray horns.

Betano was frightened by the prospect of death, as it would take millennia to resurrect in the worst case, but if he escaped...

Just thinking about it made him shudder.

I can't run away... I must stall this fellow while those demonic servants do their work... it's better to die at their hands than face the Marchioness's wrath...

This was what Betano was trying to convince himself of: the determination not to be "punished" gave him the strength to fight to the end.

-Ahhh...Ahh...

However, while only Count Betancourt's body was riddled with wounds, Arthur has been evading, repelling, and blocking the Mutant Minotaur's powerful attacks while manipulating Aura, Inner Od, and the moon's Spiritual Essence at the same time, and while he was not injured, he was already mentally approaching his limit due to the different energies he was controlling, causing him to pant as if he was quite physically tired.

"Arthur... he looks exhausted." Concern appeared in Laura's eyes as she subconsciously used Aura to better perceive the battle, or rather, Arthur's state in the midst of it. Ikaros, who could see long distances and could see many details, also noticed it.

Only Nava gave the princess a strange look in response and said with some sarcasm in his voice, "How are you supposed to know? I don't see it at all... Are you imagining it? Wait...huh!? And what's wrong with your eyes!?"

-Huh?

The blood-red-eyed princess looked at her in confusion, as if she didn't understand what Nava was talking about at all. Up close, Luminia and Jonathan shook their heads at that, thinking to themselves.

Geniuses are different...

By the way, to be clear, it's not that they don't want to help Arthur, it's just that the two powerful Aspirants are completely confident in their young lord's ultimate victory.

Because?

Of course, because Arthur had already killed many baron-rank demons in the past, inside a dungeon in his territory.

Still, Luminia's eyes also flashed with some concern like the others, but she held back her temper.

Anyway, even with a Helldome, it wouldn't be too late to stop time and save Arthur from danger. In fact, even if she couldn't, Jonathan could quickly do it for her.

That's what Luminia thought, before suddenly feeling something that made her narrow her eyes. She immediately looked at Jonathan, who calmly returned her gaze.

-It seems that some male servants have suddenly died inside the mansion... and from the feeling detected through the security system, the demons are probably using them as vessels and heading here quickly, some already killed by the co-I mean, Franx Leumiere.

Shaking his head, Jonathan deliberately ignored the other party's disdain for the Chimera's existence—So, those servants were subordinates of Arthur-sama's enemies?

"I didn't create it; I made sure thoroughly that even those male servants were clean," Luminia replied softly, her expression grim as she looked back at the princess and Nava. "I'm guessing they fell victim to some new kind of demonic ritual without knowing it, and since I kept the girls well protected, they were the most viable target. Either way, they're headed this way."

-What do you think we should do, Luminia-sama?

"Don't worry, I'll take care of these intruders." Luminia waved her hand dismissively as her maryoku flowed from her body, drawing the attention of the three girls, who watched in surprise as five copies of Luminia appeared in the middle of space with ease.

-...Could you do that with your [Time Rule]...?

The Princess of Pendragon couldn't help but whisper in disbelief as she watched her head maid do something so unbelievable and...downright creepy at how exactly they looked.

However, the copies of Luminia only looked at her for a moment before bowing respectfully and leaving the room with the intention of killing the enemies of their lord and lover.

♦♦♦♦

As for Sora at this moment, she was constantly exhaling in and out, although it was unnecessary because her body was physically fine, but for a Martial Artist like Shiragaki Sora, this was a necessary action since taking control of her breathing helped her calm the need she felt to quickly end a fight, something that could be fatal.

...No need to rush... I still have time... About 6 minutes or more to kill this guy...

Even when he was gravely injured, the demon was still alive. It would be truly pathetic if he ended up being defeated and losing his life because of a moment of impatience. He didn't come to this world just to die on the first day, that was for sure.

The murderous intent had yet to leave those pairs of red eyes that never took their eyes off him for a second, that was what Sora perceived from the Mutant Minotaur, with a gaze as cold as stone. That thing didn't give up its intention to kill him even though it was on the verge of death.

As if that were going to happen.

Immediately after thinking that, Sora felt an increase in the concentration of hellish energy around the demon and frowned.

His powerful senses allowed him to notice the sudden activation of one of the Infernal Dome's abilities that Count Betano had been saving to conserve his power.

At that very moment, a faint scarlet red glow began to emerge from the severed parts of the arm and tail, and they began to grow little by little.

Both his arm and tail were slowly regenerating at a visible speed, and even more evident in his feet.

At the same time, Arthur felt it was harder to move than before, and his senses weakened slightly. While it wasn't a big deal to have Aura in his possession, he found it very irritating.

.. .Problematic...

If Arthur stood still and watched, the demon would likely slowly return to its normal state as it weakened, though of course he wouldn't allow that. At the same time as this important information reached him through his senses, Arthur used his ki to move and forcefully enter under the still-kneeling Demon's position.

In response to Arthur's movement, the demon roared as he unleashed a vicious blow with the axe in his right hand. The sound of the burning axe slicing through the air reached Arthur.

Without pausing for a single instant, Sora lowered his center of gravity and using Caliburn as a shield, he bravely blocked the enormous axe with the spiritual essence of the sword protecting his entire body and, by twisting the blade, deflected some of the force of the blow.

With his right hand holding his mystical armament and using a martial technique, Sora reduced the remaining force of the blow while resisting the flames that sought to melt his body completely.

Still, because the blow was reinforced by the Domain, Arthur couldn't fully protect himself and some of the force of the attack hit him hard, causing him to grit his teeth as he resisted its power.——Ugh!

"Master, Arthur/Nii/sama...!" Ikaros, Laura, Nava, and Luminia exclaimed anxiously at the top of their lungs, and if it weren't for the enchantments blocking the sound waves, the Mutant Minotaur might have heard them screaming a long time ago.

The further you are from the center surrounding Count Betano, the weaker the Infernal Dome. Because of this, the mansion's enchantments still work with some difficulty.

Seeing Arthur's vague figure resisting in the midst of the flames, Luminia seemed ready to throw herself into the battlefield without thinking about it at that very moment, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

She looked towards the source and saw Jonathan shaking his head as he said, "Trust in Arthur-sama's strength, with that sword and his own power, he will always be victorious."

Luminia bit her lip before nodding and looking at Arthur.

On the battlefield, while enduring the damage he had received, Sora increased the force of his thrust with a grunt and pushed the axe away from its position beneath him with his Caliburn, thanks to which the axe moved faster than the demon expected, causing him to lose his stance.

Sighs of relief arose collectively not only from the girls and the steward, but also from the maids hiding in the garden corridors and some guards who felt ashamed of their cowardice as they watched their powerful lord fight valiantly.

Sora then concentrated the spiritual essence of his sword to use another of his hidden abilities without even needing to think about it.

"May the Divine Courtan grow!"

An intense silver light, brighter than the moon itself, almost completely covered his sword, turning it into a holy sword whose length doubled in an almost imposing manner as it almost took the shape of a crescent moon.

With a wild grin on his handsome face and his eyes wide open, Arthur shouted, “Take this, lesser demon!”

The sword of pure spiritual essence crashed into the Mutant Minotaur's defenseless torso.

Each time the sword struck again, it left afterimages due to its speed, leaving a path reminiscent of the purest silver in its wake. The blows reduced the Demon to a bloody, humanoid pile of flesh, and the damage recovered by the Hell Dome returned.

Everyone was amazed by the one-sided beating Arthur was giving the hellspawn, looking like a legendary hero wielding a sacred sword to slay the evil that plagued the land. They had the absurd idea that a fairy tale was materializing before them.

The following blows nearly ended the Demon Count's life, and the moment the twelfth trace of silver energy was drawn in the air, the sword light disappeared; and Sora stopped the skill.

T-to think that I would be defeated so easily without him taking his true form... Still, if I don't put in the effort to hit him with at least one blow and my lady finds out somehow, she'll definitely give me a harder beating in the future!

For a short period of torture, I must at least prove that I am willing to fight to the end!

Even if I don't really want to!

Earl Betano was now on the verge of death, but he did not surrender to the powerful and arrogant Arthur, mainly because he feared any mistreatment his lady would inflict upon him after his resurrection a few thousand years later.

His determination to fight to avoid future troubles was very firm. As a result, his demonic power and Hell Dome also remained steadfast, keeping the visible sky bathed in the crimson light of his domain.

-Tsk... Die already!

Arthur charged swiftly towards the Mutant Minotaur while clicking his tongue, who was down due to the damage he was mercilessly causing, determined to kill with every step while his eyes flashed with absolute coldness.

Even with his wounds slowly regenerating, Arthur was certain the Demon would not recover.

Count Betano suddenly felt something and lost strength in the hand holding his axe.

The spiritual connections that were tied to his being and that represented his subordinates were disappearing one after another from this plane, and he knew that it was those demons responsible for capturing Laura who were being easily exterminated as if they were simple pests.

No way... Are they all dying that easily? Even though they were demons powerful enough to wreak havoc on entire human cities?

How is that possible? Wasn't this wretch the most powerful being in this mansion?

And why did I suffer so much then?

As Count Betano felt furious and sad realizing that all his efforts were in vain, Luminia's clones finished exterminating the last of the demonic invaders inside the mansion along with the Rose Princess, the latter snorting to themselves that the Luminia of the present will have their work cut out as they looked at the destroyed hallways.

They tried their best to restrain themselves, but whether it was Franx Leumiere or them, those excrements didn't let them exterminate them peacefully.... In the end, the damage was a concern of the true Luminia, so ghosts of the past like them shouldn't be bothered with it.

With a shrug performed simultaneously in the various hallways they were separated in, these girls gradually disappeared into thin air, not without one of them glancing at a certain Chimera with contempt, causing the latter, stained with blood, to snort to herself.

As for Betano, feeling that the last demons within the mansion had been destroyed, he lost all hope of leaving with a miraculous victory.

Ultimately, even if he managed to land a blow on Arthur, he was destined to be tortured in the distant future by his lady.

It didn't even occur to her that millennia would calm her wrath. Such a thought was absurd and laughable in the case of one of the most powerful and cruel Marquesas of Hell.

It's over...everything is lost

Desperation appeared in his eyes as he looked at his future executioner. Perhaps as a last-ditch effort, Count Betano dropped his axe from his right hand to the ground and unleashed a punch with his bare hand without really expecting anything from it, and Sora jumped over the punch and took a stance in the air.

His eyes met those of a fallen demon.

The hell creature's eyes burned with unbridled fury (actually, despair for its future) and Sora also smiled at the reluctance in them.

-This is the end, demon... Go back to hell!

As he said these words, Arthur slashed the demon's neck. Its head seemed to fly off for a few seconds, then fell miserably to the ground, marking the end of a battle filled with strange misunderstandings between the combatants.

A vaguely blank or perhaps peaceful expression could be seen on Bavapo's head, before it gradually began to fade into ash along with the rest of his body.

What remained from the ashes was a huge, beautiful, and shining white crystal, the size of a head. It was as if Sora had been rewarded by the world itself for ending this threat with something that seemed to promise great wealth with its mere appearance.

....Just like that, Arthur Pendragon von Draco Silva killed the Demon Count who appeared unannounced in his mansion as if nothing had happened, while smiling widely in delighted surprise, looking at the crystal on the floor.

Everyone, once again, was amazed.

♦♦♦♦

The death of Count Betano brought about the destruction of the Infernal Dome, and the sky returned to its normal color once more as the light of the setting sun illuminated them, causing the peanut gallery to breathe a sigh of relief at the end of this chaos.

Meanwhile, the young armored warrior paid no attention to any of this as he looked at his "reward" for his splendid fight. Sora stared at the shining crystal with a smile, his eyes wide with surprise and joy as he ignored the power of the oath dissolving within him.

We have a pretty big Soul Orb! This time it seems like luck is blessing me with its endless love and care! I promise to make an altar in its honor someday!

He was so happy that he vowed to worship a formless Deity in his mind; he didn't expect that defeating the demon would give him such a good gift.

There was a clear reason for Sora's excitement.

In the games, Soul Orbs were a very rare item that could only be acquired by killing high-level demons and could be used to cast extremely powerful spells.

And in the game 'Britannia', even Lars, the true protagonist of this world, was only lucky enough to obtain several Soul Orb fragments... even after killing hundreds of demons alongside the heroines in battle!

It was so rare to obtain this material... In fact, its rarity was such that in the Loveritia Empire, a Soul Orb of this size would be considered an item worthy of emperors.

As for the other kingdoms, they were basically national treasures.

This is because a Soul Orb can be used for several purposes making it extremely valuable to almost everyone.

Through proper rituals, a human's soul can be strengthened with them, significantly increasing its Level and the power it has over mana and aura.

It's also an important element in the creation of mystical, unique, and even divine weapons, as well as being able to store magic formulas that can be activated at any time... and it's aesthetically pleasing to the eye, exuding luxury by appearance alone.

That's why it was so valuable... And Sora just got a really huge one!

That would leave many players with endless envy, as it was too difficult to acquire them even in small sizes, not only because the spawn rate of demons is low, but also because most of them did not have Soul Orbs at all.

The chance of obtaining a Soul Orb by killing a Demon depends mainly on the Demon's Rank, Hierarchy, and how many sinful souls it has devoured and refined into a Soul Orb.

But not all lower demons can afford to reach the same rank of nobility as Count Betano, whom Sora had just killed and was a being above the lower demons.

...Let alone, they could devour sinful souls in large quantities; because the entire supply of sinful souls in Hell is under the complete control of the 72 Pillars of Hell, and only the most powerful Demon Nobles who serve the original Demon Nobility can receive a share for their services.

The most common demons, contemptuously called demonic beasts, would be lucky to find a wandering soul to devour, refine, and store for future ascension to higher-class demons.

Especially with the absurd number of demons seemingly living in Hell while devouring each other in a frenzied frenzy...

That bastard must have been a demon belonging to the army of a very powerful Hell Noble... How unexpected!

He was only an Intermediate Demon who didn't even have the ability to use Infernal energy to manifest anything more than a crummy Infernal Dome, but the fact that he was wearing armor instead of walking around naked and had an axe like that in his possession... it meant that he was being well trained by his lord to ascend to a Higher-Rank Demon before being summoned by humans...

Then his lord must be a Duke of Hell, or at most a Marquis. Since he fought to the bitter end without fleeing in shame, he was most likely a Demon of Pride...

Sora was completely wrong.

Count Betano was a demon of envy who only fought to the end to prevent the future torture he would experience from being more bearable.

Well, that's not important...

The idiots who did this asked for a relatively large fish, how lucky are they? But I ended up killing it anyway . That thought alone brought another smile as he walked over to the Soul Orb and picked it up, shedding his black armor and Caliburn in the process, reverting back to his handsome, black-toga-clad, Roman-style self.

The crystal shone white, almost silver, which somehow reminded him of Laura's hair, and he smiled.

As he thought about that beautiful princess he had just turned into a woman, someone called him from behind.

-Arthur-just like that...!

Nava suddenly appeared and happily ran towards him and hugged him from behind, pressing her delicious E-cup breasts against his back while rubbing her head against him with tears in her eyes; almost causing him to have an involuntary erection if it weren't for the immediate action of [Dignity of a Noble].

-Arthur!

-Maestro!

-Arthur-sama!

Ikaros, Luminia, and Laura also appeared behind Nava, with Jonathan following them with gentle steps that were somehow as fast as running.

Who knows when the Third Imperial Princess dressed in her purple imperial dress, although a little messy, as she ran towards Sora with the same agility she showed before in the guest room, not caring at all about the disastrous scene since she only had her eyes on him.

He seemed to have recovered surprisingly quickly from the intense sexual act, which perhaps indicated excellent physical condition, or perhaps something more.

Now that Sora thought about it, Laura had a divine bloodline related to some species similar but different from the True Ancestors...

In any case, it was pleasant for him to see her running towards him with those eager eyes like a puppy looking for its owner while immediately upon reaching her he hugged her tightly by the arm.

Ikaros was also very adorable as she looked at him anxiously. However, she seemed to be at a loss as to what to do as she stood there, watching the other girls surrounding them.

He had to resist the urge to tell her to hug him too, lest she upset Laura and Nava. Luminia? She'd be happy, though...

Laura gently laid her head on his shoulder with watery eyes, and Sora smiled at her, though that kind smile soon turned sour when he felt Nava squeeze him tightly with his arms in reproach.

"We'll talk later!" she whispered coldly, squinting at him.

Sora then realized that Nava had definitely discovered what had happened in the guest room and a cold sweat broke out on his face.

-I... Well...

How the hell would he explain why he suddenly had sex with our enemy's daughter...? Nothing seemed convincing... It was a complicated situation... However, he wouldn't be intimidated by either of them.

"Master, are you okay? Do you have any injuries anywhere?" Ikaros asked with concern, while Laura and Nava were now looking at him anxiously. Luminia glanced at her curiously before doing the same.

Although Arthur was perfectly fine as they could see at the moment, they were bothered by the idea that the demon's fiery power might have affected him in ways that were not visible to them.

"I'm fine, girls. It wasn't difficult at all to deal with a simple demon like that. Well, I can't say the same for..." Sora sighed as he looked at the damage to the Pendragon Mansion and continued. "Anyway... It's nothing that can't be fixed... although we do need to purify the mansion with the help of the church and treat the injured... as well as do something with the bodies..."

"Ah..." Laura's eyes trembled at the memory.

During all this time, his mind was occupied only with Arthur and he forgot about the existence of the loyal Knights of his House.

Those same gentlemen who had gotten themselves into all this because she had whimsically decided to come here...

Although it was the duty of a Knight of the Imperial Houses to fight to the death for the sake of any member of the sovereign families, there was no doubt that none of them died defending the Third Imperial Princess; they were all completely annihilated by an enemy who didn't even care that they were killing...and their souls were possibly annihilated.

While coming here gave him an unexpected experience, bringing him overwhelming happiness, it also led to the deaths of men with families...

This realization made Laura feel deeply guilty. Her heart ached just thinking about it.

Sora looked at his fiancée, who was biting her lip guiltily, and placed his hand on her shoulder, making her look up at him with sad puppy dog eyes. Fighting the urge to exclaim, "How cute!"

Arthur spoke as calmly as he could, "Laura, it's not your fault those men are dead. It's the fault of whoever summoned the demon. You have no reason to feel guilty about their deaths."

-But me...if I hadn't come...

"There was no way you could have known what was going to happen. This was such a sudden and incomprehensible event; it's simply not something any of us would have expected at all. Laura, please think about this... How are we supposed to expect something like this...? Could you have predicted that visiting your fiancé, me, would cause you to be involved in an incident like this in some way?"

-...There was no way... - Laura lowered her head.

"Exactly. Besides, if you hadn't come, what was supposed to happen might have taken a long time to happen..." Arthur winked at Laura with a smile, causing Laura, Nava, and Luminia to blink in surprise.

For his part, Ikaros just tilted his head in curiosity.

Then Laura blushed, much to Nava's annoyance when she realized what she was talking about. She punched her brother's shoulder with a pout, sounding jealous, "We really should talk later."

-Oh yeah, we'll have a nice long talk...

Reacting quickly, Arthur spoke suggestively to her, causing Nava to blush as well.

In the midst of this, the residual hellish energy was finally absorbed by the corpses of horses and knights on top of the mansion's gate, reanimating them among the rubble.

Their sudden, chilling movements caused them to fall, pieces of rock hitting the ground with them, blood and guts scattering as their bodies shook.

Sora and the three women frowned in disgust at the disturbing sight and the increasingly strong stench of blood in the air, while the butler and Ikaros remained unperturbed, standing solemnly beside their Archduke and Master.

Undeterred by the fall, the white-eyed humanoids and beastly zombies attempted to crawl towards the living, Arthur and his party, while moaning in pain and hunger... but were quickly dispatched by a maiden who cast spells to control the headwind against them, dispatching them swiftly.

And no, that wasn't Luminia.

This was the work of a beautiful woman with light brown fox ears, who attacked the reanimated corpses without hesitation with an angry expression, only to quickly become flustered upon being observed by Arthur and the others.

Sora somehow recognized her... Wasn't she the one who yelled at him to keep her sexy self safe...?

I take a good look at her this time and almost whistle; she was sexy, with those Luminia-sized breasts... I never expected to see another woman with an F cup, other than Aria Domínguez von Cerodian!

"That was pretty good for a beastwoman..." Nava whistled at the non-human Maiden's magical ability.

His speed in casting spells at a target without them noticing was in no way inferior to hers, which was impressive since Nava was considered a genius in sorcery seen only once every century.

Could she match her, despite being a beastman, a species known to be magically weak, regardless of known types of demihumans?

It was simply amazing.

Luminia nodded with a smile, and Laura just looked at her with envy. Ikaros... He didn't even look at her for more than a second, uninterested in her sorcery.

The Synapses had more impressive magical technologies than that.

I didn't expect Kana-chan to be able to do sorcery despite her species~... maybe I should hurry Arthur-sama to...~ A certain half-elf maiden began to consider something seriously.

The looks from the three of them, along with that of the Archduke of Pendragon himself, made the girl feel quite uncomfortable, something that could be seen from the way she acted as if she didn't know what to do.

Deciding not to embarrass the girl further, Arthur was the first to look away and spoke again without much emotion in his voice.

-... First of all, Laura must return to the Imperial Palace immediately, for her safety. Jonathan, quickly prepare a carriage and make sure Laura returns safely to her family... Oh, and when everything is arranged, tell Franx to meet me...

-Understood, Arthur-sama.

"Huh? B-but..." Laura tried to protest, but was interrupted by Arthur.

"No complaints. We have no idea who caused all this or what their purpose is; everything is unknown. It's best if you return to the safety of Lunen Palace as soon as possible. Don't worry, Jonathan is stronger than I am and can protect you very well."

"I want to stay!" Laura didn't give up and hugged Arthur tighter.

It seemed like she didn't want to leave his side for even a second. Probably because they'd been quite close not long ago, and she just wanted to cuddle up next to him.

"Are you even listening to Arthur-niisama? Do you even care about yourself?" Nava frowned at her, and Laura bit her lip.

-But I want to stay...

-Laura, you... -Just before Sora could make any effort to persuade her, suddenly he and Ikaros felt the large amount of magical energy that fueled the invisible magical barrier that enveloped the entire mansion disappear, causing them to look in the direction of the Mansion.

Huh?

No, the barrier's maryoku didn't actually disappear; instead, it began to concentrate massively in a single point, one that was clearly its own new home. Then...

Boom!

...That place, the mansion, suddenly exploded with a loud sound and a bright light!

-But what!?

Covering his eyes, Arthur gasped as he hugged Laura and Nava close to him with both arms protectively, and Ikaros, moving ahead of even Jonathan, quickly released her magical energy.

Before the butler even had a chance to show off by releasing his Aura to create a defense, a green dome that seemed to be made of transparent panels enveloped them, protecting Arthur and the others from the shockwave of rock pieces resulting from the explosion, hitting their energy barrier hard.

"Kyaaaa!" The two beautiful teenagers cried out in surprise and fear as the half-elf maid and the butler stared with their eyes wide open at the scene.

Ikaros just stood his ground, his eyes glowing electronic red.

The guards and knights ran in alarm at the suddenness of the situation, looking for a safe place, along with the few servants outside the mansion.

It was a disaster.

When Ikaros finally dismantled the energy barrier, all that remained of the once-grand Pendragon Mansion was rubble and flames, with stone fragments rolling across the ground. Groans and screams of fear were heard, and people fled the scene for fear of a second explosion.

Nobody wanted to stay for long in a place that was being attacked by a demon and, at the same time, by terrorists.

Arthur watched this scene with trembling eyes and couldn't help but cry out loud.

-My mansion...!

At the same time, he was screaming with so much anger and confusion about losing his new luxury home...Alice's voice, no longer as chilling as before, echoed once again in his mind.

<...The [Story Simulation] feature has been added. The Master can now enter Story Worlds Simulated by the 'Laplace' Subsystem to obtain various rewards upon completing a variety of quests. The Master System encourages you to try the most basic simulation, [High School of the Dead], by paying a certain amount of SP.>

<Furthermore, the system apologizes for the delay in reporting your achievements regarding the princess's pregnancy and the demon slaying, as the system software was being updated to improve the summoning of Artificial Servants in the future. Once again, the system also apologizes for the inconvenience.>

Sora, who was shocked by the destruction of the mansion he thought he would live in from now on, gasped in disbelief as his eyes widened comically at the successive system messages, especially the last two.

I went...and got Laura pregnant!?

♦♦♦♦

Parallel Perspective: Black Raven Military Corps

When the four Casters heard the unexpected news that a noble mansion was being attacked by a Demon Earl of all things, both the Commander and Captains of the Black Raven Military Corps couldn't help but widen their eyes at Eleonor's words, and before they could say anything about it, she continued with a shrill voice that made their ears tingle unpleasantly, with a tone of strong surprise as she exclaimed in disbelief.

-Huh?! Arthur Pendragon, that brat who's so famous for being ridiculously handsome, actually killed him in less than ten minutes, you say!? That's... That's...!

-¿¿¿¿¡....!????

Has this girl gone crazy? Why is she talking so much nonsense?

Those were the faces most people had when their brains correctly registered what they heard, and not without reason. After all, if you knew what you were dealing with, you'd know it could be nothing but nonsense.

A Demon Count, while not as terrifying as a Demon Marquez or higher, is highly likely capable of creating and enveloping a large expanse of land with a Hell Dome.

Not to mention that their combat power is almost comparable to that of a high-level Torrius. These beings were capable of annihilating a group of powerful knights in seconds.

Arthur Pendragon von Draco Silva was the youngest Archduke in the world, a very important individual who was known by almost everyone as he was also a prodigy Awakened famous for achieving ascension through the ranks with ease through his rare bloodline and superior aptitude; one of the few exceptions who can do something so incredible alongside Jheane Lorens and the princess of the Celesty duchy. (Hatsumi Naomi herself is someone like that.)

However, what they knew was that the young Archduke was still Level 50 or lower, at the Episcopi Rank, and nothing more. That definitely wasn't enough combat power to fight a Demon Count!

Or did Arthur Pendragon manage to kill a demon like Episcopi by some miracle?

-It's wonderful!

It's impossible!

They all immediately sentenced, before freezing upon hearing that other nonsense coming out of the mouth of a blushing Eleonor for some reason, while her gigantic pet held back the urge to cough blood out of embarrassment.

“I knew of Archduke Arthur’s appearance from the paintings and figurines that became famous about him in the international market, and I thought dejectedly what a pity such a beauty was as weak as a chicken nowadays!” She sighed with an expression that seemed lovelorn as she continued, shaking her body eerily. “Who knew he was actually secretly hiding so much power for himself, enough to kill the Demon Counts in such a short time as if they were nothing! With that face, that fortune, and that unmatched power among his generation… He can definitely be my ideal husband!”

"Hey, Eleonor! What kind of nonsense are you talking about? It must be fake news!" Isolde exclaimed angrily, her expression ridiculous as she looked at her, her expressionlessness evaporating at the absurdity of those words. "Why do you and Yvonne talk about such things as if they were facts? Your sister is supposed to leak ridiculous news like that!"

-Yes, that's true! - Yuzuha supported, along with Megumi who quickly nodded in agreement, both with their fists clenched - Yvonne got drunk again in the middle of work and started hallucinating again about handsome boys of extreme beauty and divine power!?

"Maybe I really should fire her..." Naomi sighed with disappointment in her tone, making Eleonor panic.

-What?! No! Yvonne isn't drunk, or she'd be using that strange, archaic way of speaking to me! And she's not like that!

"But what you're saying is so absurd..." Megumi continued, but Eleonor quickly interrupted her. "She's telling the truth, since it was the Diocese of Loveritia itself that broke the news! And everyone knows that the relationship between the Lovertian Nobles and the Loveritian Diocese isn't so good that they would lie for them so blatantly!"

-Huh?

While Hatsumi Naomi was clearly shocked by those words, Isolde was the one who exclaimed, visibly surprised - The Diocese itself was the one who broke the news of such a feat...? The same one that would rather incinerate the entire nobility of the Loveitia Empire than glorify them?

"Yes! So this news has legitimacy!" Eleonor jumped up while waving her arms excitedly. "There's no way the Diocese is lying about this since, according to Yvonne here"—she pointed at her communication earring—"they even swore to Goddess Emmanuel that they were telling the truth! If they're so serious, then it must be true!"

-A-an oath...to a god.... -Naomi whispered in disbelief.

Oaths to the gods were serious business, as breaking them entailed divine punishment enacted by the Gods themselves.

If the Diocese of Loveritia was serious enough to swear an oath to prove they weren't lying about Arthur Pendragon's murder of a demon earl, then...

"It would mean... that Archduke Draco Silva is an Awakened of tremendous power, possibly a Torrius..." She stated quietly, but the others heard her clearly as they gulped.

An 18-year-old Torrius was... Totally unheard of!

Not even Hatsumi Naomi could pull off something like that! And she was a genius who only came along once every millennium!

"Yes! As you've all heard, my future husband is a very young, high-ranking "Torrius," extremely handsome and super rich with the title of Archduke!" Eleonor boasted as if she could already see herself at the altar next to Arthur, with absolute confidence. "Although I've heard that his personality leaves something to be desired, it's not the worst, so I can say that he is the husband—" "Wait..." Eleonor suddenly stopped in the middle of her crazy joy and looked with serious eyes at the silent Naomi.

-Hitsumi-senpai... You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?

Hearing this, the others around her gulped as they looked anxiously at their commander. Knowing her, it was very likely she was thinking about what Eleonor suspected, and that... wasn't good.

"If this news turns out to be true..." Naomi began in a tone that confirmed the worst fears of her subordinates, especially Eleonor.

-No...stop, no way.

-And he really is a young man with the strength of a Torrius...

-I won't allow it!

-Then I would like...

"No! You'll kill my future husband!" With tears in her beautiful hazel eyes, Eleonor ran to Naomi, hugging her tightly as if to prevent her from doing anything stupid.

"Then I must fight him to see his strength," Hitsumi Naomi continued her words in a seemingly monotonous voice while her arms were crossed and a sobbing Eleonor was on top of her, but everyone could see the growing blush of emotion on her face at the thought of a worthy battle with a powerful man.

She was very excited.

"No way!" Eleonor cried. "I finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and you want to send me back to the bottom of the abyss! A man almost perfect for me is out there waiting for me, and you already want to kill him! Whaaaah!!!"

"I don't want to kill him. I just want to fight him to see with my own eyes if his power is real."

-That's what you said about the last few men you fought, and you either left them permanently crippled or killed them while saying they weren't worthy of you! It didn't matter when they were just a bunch of ugly guys or brutes with bad personalities who were as weak as worms, but this is a strong and rich Ikemen who shouldn't perish in a stupid life-or-death battle with a monster like you!

“Don’t call me a monster! And it’s not a stupid battle!” Naomi shouted angrily as she pushed her off of her, saying coldly and determinedly, full of pride as she heaved her chest until her captivating breasts shook, her tone very, very serious. “It’s the only way to see if he’s worthy of making me his woman by defeating me! Then we’ll mate to have many powerful children who will inherit the earth as Mother Nature dictates! That is my true mission in this world, the purpose of my existence!”

-...

Here we go again, the twins and Isolde thought with a sigh. This was one of the things that made Hatsumi Naomi, their respected and powerful commander, an extremely disappointing woman.

All because of that unhealthy obsession with finding a strong man with whom to bear strong children, regardless of whether his appearance was any different from that of a monster or a prince of dreams; all perhaps the result of that strange mental illness of hers that has no official name or acceptance on the continent, but which has ruined countless lives...

The Chuunibyou.

How can we cure you of that horrible disease, Hatsumi-san...?

Isolde thought with dead eyes, knowing well the answer to that question.

As long as Hatsumi Naomi remains so powerful, with unmatched talent among Sorcerers as an Elemental Paragon, and as long as she honestly doesn't reach a level where she doesn't have to use embarrassing spells like the one used previously... Hatsumi's illness would always be there.

Do you see the clothes they're wearing? The name of the military corps they work for at the Tower of Sorcery? I think you understand where they're coming from, right?

...Yes, from the idea of what is "Cool" and "Elegant" according to Hatsumi Naomi's special criteria.... She is in a way... as childish as Eleanor... And she is supposed to be a mother and a wife!

Speaking of which...

"You already have a husband!" Eleonor pointed an accusing finger at her commander while trembling with tears in her eyes, knowing full well that her efforts were useless. As expected, Naomi snorted disdainfully.

"That weakling? I remind you that the only reason I married him was because of pressure from my superiors, and the same goes for that fool. Fortunately, I can easily divorce him if I find the man who is capable of defeating me at my same level, as we agreed with the high lords."

-They only accepted because it's impossible!

"If Arthur Pendragon von Draco Silva is as strong as you say, then they'll have no choice but to agree to the divorce. Anyway, Aria was born a long time ago," Naomi said with a beautiful smile that stunned her. She was clearly delighted at the prospect of being defeated by the man who would make her bear strong children...

-B-but he's your daughter's age! Don't you think Aria-chan would be deeply disconcerted to see her respected mother dating a man who could easily be her son?

...Everyone looked at her with a look of contempt and Eleonor coughed- I'm twenty years old and Hatsumi-senpai is forty!

-Still...

"Shut up, Isolde!" The blonde quickly silenced the redhead and glared at the brunette. "Besides, you already have a daughter as talented as Aria-chan! She can definitely inherit the land or whatever on her own, right?"

"My daughter is talented, yes," Naomi didn't deny it, but shook her head. "Even so, her potential is less than mine. Perhaps because we used sorcery to conceive her... In any case, it's impossible for her to inherit the earth."

-Haaah...

Remembering how her Senpai technically maintained her purity by not being willing to sleep with her husband and only having her daughter through artificial insemination using sorcery, Eleonor stopped herself from falling to the ground helplessly.

-Seriously... Don't kill him or cripple him...- Knowing that it was useless to avoid it, I still tried to at least reach that compromise.

"Of course I won't." Naomi licked her lips. "If he really has the power to kill a Demon Earl at that age... even if he couldn't defeat me now, he definitely would in the future. A specimen like that isn't something I can ignore just because I defeat him once, if that happens, after all..."

"Even if you say that..." Eleonor finally gave up and sank down onto her Wyrven's scales, very embarrassed, pouting. She looked so pitiful that countless men would do anything to comfort her and enter her heart.

However...

-Okay, whatever! Since he's destined to die anyway, I can't do anything but try to admire that divine face in person before it gets smashed! After that, I'll definitely get a good husband who's as strong as me, rich and handsome, with a good personality!

Eleonor exclaimed with sudden strength and energy as she stood up with fierce eyes, her body almost seeming to be surrounded by flames from her passion and determination.

"No... I said I wouldn't kill him." Naomi, a weirdo in her own right, stared deadpan at her imperious captain who already thought her 'future ex-husband' was dead as she raised a hand and shouted, "I'll never give up!"

-We're fed up with that shit...

Isolde and the others nodded with dead fish eyes at Yuzuha's exasperated words as they stared at Eleonor on fire (figuratively speaking), the Wyrven almost trembling in intense embarrassment.

And so, with this nonsense after an impressive battle and some shocking news, the Black Raven military corps departed for their next destination on the back of a gigantic blushing Wyrven (?).

Without hesitation, they set off for Draco Silva's territory on Naomi's orders.

♦♦♦♦

Parallel Perspective: Captain of the Knights Sacrus Lunen

After news of the fall of the Pendragon Manor had spread like wildfire throughout the Capital and beyond, the «Knight Order of the Sacrus Lunen» in service to the Imperial House of Lunen was quickly mobilized to escort the Third Imperial Princess, Laura Lunen Ivrin Lainervorial, back to the Lunen Palace as a matter of urgency, as Empress Lunen wanted her beloved daughter to be safely in her own home as soon as possible.

Expressing above all else their sovereign's concern for her daughter, the Imperial Knights rushed to carry out her orders immediately.

-What's she?!

However, to the surprise and bitterness of the Imperial Order Captain, Albert Miljia, the third princess had already departed with her fiancé for her family's territory half an hour earlier. At least, according to the trembling priest in front of him.

At that time, what was once the grand Pendragon Mansion, famed as one of the imperial capital's jewels, was nothing more than a ruined site infested with infernal energy, occupied by several Knights Templar and Priests of the Creation Church, who controlled the perimeter while purifying the surroundings of the harmful energies.

Some beautiful priestesses, supported by a handsome knight, were even engaging in a slightly heated battle with a demonized plant as they spoke....

-Y-yes... the princess left with the young lord of Draco Silva in her family's private airship, insisting on being by the young Archduke's side no matter what... I-I think they must have already used the dimensional gates to shorten the trip...

The blond priest spoke, his voice trembling at the formidable presence of the intimidating, dark-skinned Imperial Knight with a terrifying scar and piercing eyes in front of him.

-...I understand.

Not wanting to be misinterpreted as someone who bullies such a young person just because, even if he is from that hateful church, Knight Albert responded more calmly this time while taking a deep breath with several thoughts in his head.

Then he turned away from the priest and addressed his men, exclaiming loudly and firmly, “All right, boys, let’s go find the princess!”

-Yeah!

With no other choice, the Captain of the Knights of Sacrus Lunen and his subordinates could only separate from the rest to investigate and head off to the dragon hunters' territory in search of the "runaway" princess.

Considering the Pendragons have already used that route, we can't just pay to use the Fairy Doors and arrive at Draco Silva's lands soon... Waiting until they recharge is also not an option... so, we have no choice but to travel there on horseback... He felt a headache just thinking about it.

It would be a long journey for this short-bearded old man... Much longer than he thinks it will be, actually.

♦♦♦♦

Parallel Perspective: Steward of the Imperial Court.

Empire of Loveritia in the Loveria Capital, Lunen Palace

—This smell is really nauseating....

The thick, nauseating scent of flowers that bloom only when night approaches hit the nostrils of a crimson-haired man in an elegant Butler suit as he walked down a corridor in Lunen Palace; he frowned in disgust at the smell that he perceived as worse than the stupid perfumes worn by those gaudy noble ladies who acted as trophies for the nobles of the Imperial court.

No matter how many times he encountered it, the smell was still overwhelming to him.

It was an intense natural smell that did not fit in a palace where one of the highest authorities of a human country resided, where the cleanliness and elegance of the dignified nobility were of utmost importance.

If it weren't for the fact that those in this family lineage found this scent so pleasing, she would have gotten rid of them. No, if they hadn't liked it, there wouldn't be such flowers in the first place.

Was there ever a time when this corridor had not stank with the miserable smell of flowers blooming in the moonlight?

Unfortunately, the man knew the answer.

Even when the previous court steward had begun serving the Emperor, these halls still reeked of the flowers that bloomed in the moonlit night, releasing the scent that carried a bit of the sacred and spiritual essence of the celestial satellite.

If it weren't for my mission, I would never have to walk through this place that reeks of something so disgusting.

That's why the man hated walking through these corridors.

But sadly, he had no choice. After all, the sovereign of the nation had called him.

And unfortunately, the Emperor's office within his family's Palace was in this smelly place, much to his utter disgust.

The man, Beliar Stella, couldn't help but sigh as he knocked on the door. "Your Majesty, I'm here as you ordered."

—Entra, Beliar

A voice full of authority, albeit with a gentle and slightly tired tone, answered that knock promptly and calmly. Beliar then respectfully opened the door and closed it, then looked at the Emperor of the entire Loveitia Empire and bowed.

—I salute the Supreme Authority of this mighty empire, whose soul and glory will shine eternally like the great moon in the heavens.

—Enough, Beliar. This isn't an official meeting between a subordinate and a monarch. You can speak calmly, like the trusted confidant you are to me...

—As you wish, Your Majesty.

The Imperial Court Steward of Lunen quickly and obediently straightened his posture at Emperor Raymund's words, while maintaining a sweet and pleasant smile on his face, taking a step forward away from the beautiful wooden door.

The office of the highest authority of the entire Loveitia Empire was divided into an outer and inner room, with what looked like a shoe rack at the entrance.

The Loveritia Empire was different from this world's version of ancient Japan, Yamato, where there was no custom of changing shoes upon entering a particular house.

Therefore, it would be obvious to anyone in this world or not that Raymundo must have made this arrangement as a personal preference, and it wouldn't be too difficult to imagine that the closet probably also contained a change of Yamato-style clothes, given his tastes.

The two men were inside a well-ordered room, with a large window overlooking the capital and the moonlit world; its light was the only source of illumination within the place, allowing them to see what was inside.

The most notable feature of the room was the shelves packed with books.

The books were meticulously organized by category and size, and the shelves were strategically angled to prevent direct sunlight from entering through the windows during the day. A quick glance revealed several hundred volumes on the sliding shelves.

On the desk was a distinctive silver fountain pen and a double-bladed cigar cutter, suggesting that the room's occupant had acquired the habit of smoking cigars.

Overall, the office had an atmosphere that would be more appropriate for a teacher at an academic institution than the office of a monarch, except for what looks like a more advanced version of a holocan hiding in a corner.

Now, Raymundo Lunen Ivrin Lainervorial sat in an antique chair at the back of the room, his plump arms resting on the turquoise velvet armrests as he thoughtfully looked at a stack of important documents.

The Emperor had a taste for the old ways and did not bother using document disks to store important information in a modern database.

What significance did the documents on Raymundo's desk have? Even as a steward of the Lunen Imperial Court, Beliar knew nothing about them. At least...not at the moment.

"May I ask why Your Majesty has summoned me to your office, if it is not too much trouble?" With a curious tone in his voice, the crimson-haired butler asked, his eyes fixed on the red-eyed, overweight man standing in front of him as he stood only a few feet away from his desk, as was appropriate.

The Emperor, with his beautiful silver hair and neatly trimmed beard, sighed in frustration. “I called you here for some advice on the matter of the fall of Pendragon Manor. I know you must have been busy with recent projects around the palace… but I really needed your help on this.”

—Ah... the recent demonic incident at the Pendragon Manor... —Beliar nodded as the light of understanding shone in his black eyes.

An incident that revealed the absurd fact that that conceited Arthur Pendragon is a Torrius…

"Yes, for many years you have demonstrated intelligence and knowledge far superior to those fools at the Imperial Court, being of great help to me and the others. And today, Beliar, I hope you will lend me your wisdom once more, for I see no way out of this predicament my great-grandfather has put me in with his hasty promise to the aristocracy." The helplessness in the Emperor's eyes was palpable as he spoke, and Beliar was clear on the point.

As a sovereign family and more so, one of the richest noble families in the Empire, if not the richest, the young Pendragon family owned many valuable properties that would not embarrass their aristocratic status.

Especially being a family founded by the two heroic noble adventurers who slew a powerful Dragon, Jaldabaoth, to gather the materials needed to save the continent from that terrible plague, it was only natural that they would amass unparalleled wealth that would allow them to gather the finest luxury items on the continent, even more so with the hobbies of Marcus Pendragon, the former Archduke.

That being the case, it was to be expected that everything that was destroyed by both the Demon Count and the explosion would be extremely costly.

And of course, as those who had to pay an absurd amount of money to Pendragon to compensate for the 'poor defense' of a noble within the imperial capital, the current imperial family would clearly be concerned about the compensation that should be given to the victims.

Beliar, expecting to hear a ridiculous price, stopped smiling, took a deep breath to prepare himself, and asked carefully, “How much is the debt, if Your Majesty allows me to know?”

“...Archduke Draco Silva has yet to submit documents detailing his loss accounts to the Ministry of Finance, so we can’t be completely sure until your people do the work,” the Emperor said slowly as he closed his eyes. “But the head of the treasury, based on the numerous valuable properties within the destroyed mansion... suspects the compensation amounts to an outrageous amount of over one billion Royal Gold coins.”

Over a billion in real gold!?

Beliar was stunned. He had expected it would take so much gold from the Empire's coffers to honor the Third Emperor Lunen's promise to the aristocracy. But this? He couldn't have imagined it.

—Th-that's...

—It's appalling, isn't it? It's a very serious problem, and if we really had to pay my dear son-in-law that much, forget about just having to cut our employees' salaries; we'd have no choice but to cancel funding for those projects you're working so hard to carry out, I'm afraid... unless, of course, you want to consider setting up an endowment fund...

"I can't do that!" Beliar raised his voice before realizing his actions and quickly apologizing. "I'm so sorry for my rudeness..."

—Calm down. I know this terrible inconvenience would naturally anger you, considering the effort you put into it and the time it took you to plan it in absolute detail.

Beliar gritted his teeth in his heart. You have no idea, pig!

—That's why you're here. You, of all people, must have a good idea to solve all this without tarnishing my name or wasting your efforts.

—...I understand, Your Majesty. Please give me some time, and I'll think of a solution. If you could delay any attempt by Sir Arthur to seek compensation in the meantime...

The palace steward clasped his gloved hands together somewhat nervously as he looked down, his teeth subtly gritted at this annoying situation that is seriously affecting everything he's been working on for the past few years.

What terrible trouble those fools from the so-called Holy Kingdom are causing! Will I fail in all my efforts for the Grand Duke's Great Purpose because of that bitch's puppets?

¡No!

Beliar could not allow it.

Many of the plans he had laid out over the years for this empire would fall apart if a large portion of that money were to end up in Pendragon's hands out of nowhere.

He had to find a way to make the arrogant fiancé of the spoiled Third Princess of Lunen back down, or at least reduce the amount of gold that had to be paid to the Archduke by other means.

—Don't worry, Beliar. I trust you. I know you'll find a solution that satisfies everyone. I'll try to give you some time to come up with a strategy that will surely put those greedy court officials to shame. I'd say that's guaranteed, even.

Beliar bowed. “Thank you very much for your kind words, Your Majesty.”

What kind of possessions would someone of Arthur Pendragon von Draco Silva's social standing and power want? Titles that would elevate his already significant national influence? The possession of new lands? Ancient artifacts of great artistic and historical value so coveted by his late father?

That was something Beliar had to find out urgently.

This matter had to be resolved quickly. There could be no time for such setbacks; it was of utmost importance that he carry out his true master's wishes as quickly as possible, and a greedy little archduke wasn't going to block his way.

For the eternal glory of the Demon King Asmodeus, our Grand Duke, I will fulfill my mission in this arrogant and blind empire at all costs, and bring long-term prosperity to our Kingdom...

Beliar declared solemnly in his twisted heart as he walked through the beautiful but stinking halls of the palace, a sense of urgency driving his steps across the polished marble floors after bidding farewell to the fat emperor he so despised working for and obeying.

♦♦♦♦

Parallel Perspective: Emperor Raymond

—He seemed pretty shaken by the news, didn't he?

Sitting in apparent solitude in his handsome academic-style office, Raymundo leaned his fat body back on the elm chair as he looked to his left, laughing softly as he spoke to no one in particular.

Or so it seemed... It didn't take long for a female voice to snort in disgust to be heard in response to the Emperor's words as a figure magically appeared beside him, though it was clearly nothing more than empty air that was in that place.

—It is just as you said, Your Majesty. His aura turned into complete chaos upon learning of the price the Crown must pay, and the malice within it grew stronger. It is truly disgusting to have to perceive that... Although I am not surprised that man reacted that way. The recent incidents are truly very detrimental to the evil plans he has in mind.

Said the woman whose existence Beliar—a high-level Episcopi Rank Aspirant—did not sense at all.

She was a woman in her twenties, with long platinum blonde hair elegantly swept back and beautiful pink-scarlet eyes.

Her beauty was on par with women like Ikaros, Laura, Franx, and Luminia, except that if you had to compare them, her two enormous assets would make her closer to the latter. If I had just seen her, I would have said, "My third pair of F-cup tits! Yes!"

She wore a beautiful light blue dress with a slightly plunging neckline and bare shoulders, covering her body with excellent curves that easily caught the attention of men.

She was certainly a woman of great attractiveness that many nobles wanted to take for themselves.

The Emperor looked at her sideways. "Come on, don't be so rigid, my child. Don't you see it's just you and me here?"

—Your Majesty, although I am a princess of the House of Lunen, I am also an Imperial Knight in service to the crown.

—Although we all know why you actually became a knight, and you're currently wearing your favorite dress instead of your armor.

—Y-Your Majesty...

—I'm joking, Katreya. Don't get mad.

Raymundo laughed again and the knight, First Princess Katreya Lunen Ivrin Lainervorial, sighed in resignation as her cheeks blushed slightly at his insinuations.

—Anyway, Beliar is quite the shameless Necromancer, isn't he? He acts so calm with that sweet smile in front of us while slowly poisoning me with his biomancy to make me succumb to Asmodeus and fall to his cult like any other pawn in his game, ha... He's quite the clown.

Not seeming particularly surprised or even concerned to hear her father speak so casually about something so alarming, Katreya just calmly asked, “What do you think that man will propose to save funds for his projects, Your Majesty?”

—It seems pretty obvious to me that whatever he plans to do will have a lot to do with the huge decrease in the total amount of debt we have... Something I would honestly be very grateful for. Even if I really wanted to find a way to get rid of Beliar and his cult without causing severe damage to the Empire, it would still be very painful for me to lose that much money at the hands of my son-in-law. You know that he and Nava-chan hate me, so I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to squeeze that much out of me just to humiliate me in front of the entire continent... haha, and he's a Torrius... damn, everything gets more complicated.

—Although we both know who is the mastermind behind all this, letting the Pendragons look at the Monarch with hostility is too much... Will he really be okay by their side?

"Don't worry about Laura. Instead, remember that Arthur's hostility is directed at me and me alone, right? It's just as well that way; it would be too arrogant of him if, upon learning the truth, he thought he could combat the real threat looming over him..."

—Even if I have to bear the weight of a sin I didn't commit, Your Majesty...

“As long as the Cult of Desiderium still believes that the Archduke and I will destroy each other, it is for the best,” the Emperor sighed, putting on a bitter smile. “Let us hope that things work out for the best and that we can finally at least diminish their power so that we no longer fear revealing what truly happened… Still, despite its corruption, I never expected that the Kingdom of Camelot, which once so stood for Chivalry and Honor, would fall so low because of that Grand Duke Vortigern. King Uther actually has a younger brother who surpasses him in shamelessness, who would have believed it?”

Thinking about the corruption that had been running rampant in her neighbor due to the ambitions of its current regent, Katreya nodded with a look of disgust in her eyes.

Although her country itself wasn't free of such filth, it wasn't entirely beyond Imperial control. And one thing Katreya could be proud of about her Empire was that the quality of life of the commoners here would often make people from other countries think they were nobles, not common civilians.

Something that a backward country like Camelot lacked, a kingdom that only caused him embarrassment when he heard people say that it was a sister country with Loveritia.

—And what about the matter of the Holy Unified Kingdom, Your Majesty? Even if the large amount of Antinite used in that "meteorite" can't be traced exactly to Arcaden, it was still too suspicious that the Demons' attack occurred during their supposed revenge against the Wyrven Lord... we also didn't hear that they had completed anything; it's as if they simply disappeared.

The Emperor remained silent at his daughter's question for a few seconds, then sighed. "It is obvious to anyone who knows what happened in the heavens that this is the fault of the Holy Kingdom, or at least the work of the corrupt nobles of that country who have fallen to demonic temptation; tainting the supposed sanctity of the nation that gave rise to the most influential Faith on the continent."

-So--

—But we can't do anything. — Raymundo quickly interrupted her — There is no proof that this Antinite belongs to the Holy Unified Kingdom of Arcaden, nor is it a country rich in mines capable of producing such a mineral for them to waste it in this way... And before you say anything else, Katreya, saying that they were flying in our airspace and mysteriously disappeared is not legitimate evidence, at most nothing more than circumstantial.

Katreya clearly disagreed with this as she cast aside the gentlemanly formality she tried to maintain before him. “What do you mean, that’s not proof, Father? It’s way too suspicious that they just disappeared like that after saying they were going to hunt a Wyrven Lord above our heads and then such a thing happened…!”

“And that’s where proof becomes useless, my child.” Raymundo sighed at the muscular brain that was his beautiful but plain daughter. “Those men requested entry into our airspace to hunt a powerful Wyrven that was apparently fleeing from them. If we tried to use something like that as proof of their possible involvement in this disaster, the Arcaden nobles could easily say that both the enemy and their knights simply abandoned our airspace, and it would make perfect sense. Frankly, they wouldn’t even have a reason to inform us that they were leaving Imperial-controlled airspace if their goal was apparently to get revenge on that fake flying dragon.”

—That's it... —Katreya clenched her fists, not at all satisfied.

Even for a woman like her, who was neither versed nor interested in the complicated politics and dirty tricks of the court, it was evident that Arcaden was behind all this financial catastrophe facing the Crown of Loveitia.

Actually, it was also a religious issue…but it wasn't as important to them in comparison.

A bitter smile formed on the emperor's slightly swollen face as he looked at his frustrated daughter. "We'll get through this somehow, darling. Leave everything to me. For now, return to your mother and sister and tell them Laura will be fine in Draco Silva."

—Didn't Mother order the knights to go for her?

"And do you think Laura will come obediently when she can be by her beloved fiancé's side after this catastrophe? She's most likely planning to return to the Academy with Arthur."

Katreya snorted a little in amusement at that, her gloomy expression fading a little. “I seem to recall it’s Their Majesties’ fault that my lovely little princess is so spoiled and stubborn.”

The Emperor snorted in a somewhat nasal voice as his head turned towards the window: “Are you, your pampering older sisters, the ones who should be talking about spoiling the younger one?”

And anyway, what self-respecting monarchical family wouldn't spoil a baby who awakens her bloodline as soon as she's born and gains the most powerful racial class in our bloodline~?

The fat emperor thought with great affection and satisfaction as he remembered his beautiful and talented daughter with her gorgeous silver hair, which shone enchantingly like the moonlight that illuminates this world.

♦♦♦♦

Parallel Perspective: (??)

Within a small space of reality different from but connected to that of Britannia, there existed what appeared to be a grand throne room with a very opulent design.

The floors were tiled in black and white like a chess board, and a row of intimidating-looking black and white suits of armor were kneeling to the left and right; stretching from the large double doors to almost near the large black throne in the center of the hall.

The throne itself seemed to be made of pure obsidian, carved by the hand of a sculptor who transcends the limits of mere mortals.

The exquisite details of its intimidating design could hardly be replicated, even by legendary master craftsmen of millennia of experience.

Sitting on that throne worthy of a true tyrant, there was a single man, who was lying lazily with his eyes closed and his hand resting on his head.

Her long midnight hair reached her back, and her body was covered almost from head to toe in black armor full of elegance and coldness.

Even the sword to his left was black from blade to scabbard; a red layer was faintly visible behind it.

Although his color scheme could be taken as something only a young man would think was cool, from that irresistibly handsome face illuminated by the torchlight, which seemed to have been the life's work of a God, one could only sense an intense charm and charisma that would cause awe and reverence over countless mortals, making them kneel before his presence without hesitation; instinctively sensing the divine power of a true monarch emanating from this man with overwhelming force that compels them to submit without resistance to his royal will.

He was like the King of an ancient and unconquerable nation, a conqueror of numerous nations who would be remembered and sung in endless epics by all humanity.

Suddenly, the closed eyes of the being who could only be called a "Dark King" slowly opened as if waking up from a long sleep; a deep, dark aura gradually covered his body while a cold gleam emanated from his emotionless blue eyes.

Slowly opening his seductive lips, the voice of this mysterious man—absurdly feminine, cold yet irresistibly charming—resonated within the throne room, filled with supernatural power.

I can feel...the player's brainwave activity once again...only it's interspersed with something else that resonates to its rhythm, as if coexisting at the same time with a different entity.

With those seemingly incomprehensible words spoken in a voice discordant with their physical appearance, a red light began to shine from each of the armors within the room, as they slowly raised their heads as if they had come to life before staring at their "Dark King" intently.

In the middle of this seemingly empty room where he was the only one standing, the movement of the supposedly two-meter-high statues should have scared anyone else.

But unfazed by this disturbing and disconcerting scene, the dark being continued his calm solichry with that woman's voice that could hardly belong to him.

I didn't expect that after so much time since the creator disconnected from the game, I could feel its existence so clearly again in this old virtual reality world.

To think that I would somehow make it back from Earth to Britannia after the servers went down... How did this even happen in the first place? It's as baffling as how this fragile artificial world didn't collapse after the developers gave up on supporting this entire game and declared its ultimate end, only for us to somehow continue to exist, lingering in this plain old Player Personal Room...

Could this be the beginning of a new "Chronicles of Saint Grail," a continuation that allows this one to persist?

After asking herself that question in a soft voice, she quickly shook her head in a way that would be almost cute if it weren't for her appearance, her voice tinged with a certain flirtatiousness.

No matter....As your beloved IV, it is my duty to help my player use this Avatar again to walk this world as they please, regardless of the form it currently exists in. However, I sense that the laws of the world have changed; the players of yesteryear are no longer permitted to exist....

...How could I find a way to return what belongs to him without the world interfering then? Should I use the game's old system to descend to Britannia?

Even if I fail and my existence fades away, erased by the laws, it is better to act than simply ignore my dear player....I look forward to seeing you again.

After a moment of reflection, the "Dark King" smiled to himself, before rising from his black throne gracefully, walking towards the double doors as the golems' gaze lingered on his existence, his cloak fluttering magically in the air.

Arriving in front of the large door where a blue window suddenly appeared with the words "Player 'Black Dragon' Do you wish to enter the game? Yes/No".

"He" just stared at him for a few seconds before placing a finger on "Yes", causing the doors to open loudly as he made a statement filled with determination and firmness in his previously emotionless voice.

Wait for me, my beloved 'Black Dragon'. ' Akari-chan ' will be back by your side to serve you on your adventures in this new world... once you return to your true avatar and can make me yours in bed again, that is...

With that said, the IV living inside the "Black Dragon" launched herself without hesitation towards the twisted portal in space.

Their destiny...the world that was once nothing more than a failed game, in search of the player who shaped its being through the game system...

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By: Andriuk

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Chapter 13: Insured Victory of the Black Dragon

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Chapter 13: Insured Victory of the Black Dragon

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