#158
After the Capital Invasion (2)
They moved to a quiet garden to have a talk.
“I’ve heard the story. You went all the way to Jeron and made quite the achievement.”
Dressed in a formal outfit with slicked-back hair, the man in his late thirties, who introduced himself as Patrick, looked more like a civil servant than a mercenary.
“As you may know, the recent death of our Mercenary King, Canble, has left our guild quite chaotic.”
While one could downplay him as merely the leader of a few mercenaries, the title of Mercenary King was not something to be taken lightly in this continent.
In a world where monsters and bandits were a daily occurrence, mercenaries were a common sight everywhere.
Naturally, they needed a group to represent their interests, leading to the proliferation of numerous small guilds across various regions.
It was the first Mercenary King, three hundred years ago, who unified those scattered guilds and established the current system.
He was recognized by other forces as a ‘king’ based on his overwhelming power and the continental influence of his guild.
To the mercenaries, he was a legendary figure.
‘He was also a member of the special task force that defeated the second Undead King.’
However, as widely known, the fate of the special task force was not very bright.
Though the Mercenary King somehow survived until the final battle, he ultimately perished at the site where the Holy Sword was sealed—the Piccaol Temple.
Afterward, to honor him, the mercenary guild began to inherit the title of ‘Mercenary King,’ and other forces accepted this, solidifying it into tradition.
‘Thus, the Mercenary King cannot be separated from the fight against the Undead King. If Canble hadn’t been killed by Hans, he would have probably had to join a hero party, crying over it. Or maybe he would have just retired.’
Whether Heinrich would accept that or not was a different matter.
“Since the position of Mercenary King became vacant, things have gotten quite complicated. The largest faction within the guild lost most of its influence after both Canble and Peyton passed, and it’s only normal for another faction to propose a successor…”
As Patrick calmly spoke, a significant smile appeared on his face.
“If one becomes the Mercenary King, they must inevitably participate in the special task force. If the saint rejects participation, it will lead to debates regarding eligibility, so no one can recklessly step forward right now.”
In the end, it was a matter of everyone watching each other’s moves.
“Cough! So what’s your point? What’s with the sudden monologue to me?”
Harley knew the man in front of him quite well.
Of course, he too was part of the delegation, so the investigation had already concluded.
The secretary general of the mercenary guild was a position appointed directly by the Mercenary King, and he had only recently taken office as the successor to the retired former secretary general.
In other words, he belonged to the largest faction, as a close aide of Canble.
As he himself mentioned, however, that faction had now become practically ineffective.
‘Honestly, this guy is quite on edge too. If Hans had attacked the temple while he was outside the barrier, they could have just dealt with him together.’
The investigation results revealed that he was more of someone who handled matters according to commands from above rather than taking initiative for wrongdoing.
He could be seen as a typical yes-man.
Yet, the fact that he performed well enough to gain trust from the bad guys meant he couldn’t be considered completely innocent.
“Harley, you voluntarily participated in the battle against Undead King Hans.”
“Oh, they say he’s stronger than that hero, so I was itching to join! Well… it’s true he was strong, but I thought I could at least deal one blow!”
“No, regardless of the outcome, you’ve already proven your courage and strength, Harley. Even the saint has recognized that.”
At that moment, Patrick’s eye, which had remained calm throughout, glinted sharply.
“Harley, are you perhaps interested in the position of Mercenary King?”
“…Hoo?”
Harley immediately grasped the man’s intentions.
‘You’re trying to cut off the rotten tie and shift alliances?’
Given the circumstances, he still maintained his position, but he would inevitably lose it once the next Mercenary King was elected.
Having endured many trials over the years to reach that position, it was only natural for him to feel wronged.
Thus, the breakthrough he found was Harley, who, while not belonging to any specific faction, had proven his power.
‘Now that I think about it, he only recommended Harley after Canble’s death. As secretary general, he must have been aware of the information from all branches… Is he aiming to maintain power by becoming a kingmaker?’
The mercenary guild prioritized force over all else, but given its history of over three hundred years, political aspects could not be ignored.
However, if Patrick’s authority, who still held the secretary general position, combined with Harley, who had sufficient power but lacked a solid foundation in the guild…
“Cough! The Mercenary King, huh? That’s an interesting proposal! Shall we discuss it in more detail?”
There was no need to turn down a chance like this.
*
The ultimate spell, ‘Eternal Labyrinth,’ can only be wielded by black magicians who have reached the transcendent level.
Within it, a small isolated world exists, and one cannot escape unless certain conditions are met. Neither can it be scratched unless attacked at a dimension-shattering level.
Moreover, the magician could manipulate every part of it, usually used to exclude intruders as befitting its name.
‘Impressive.’
Hans actively utilized it to decorate his own castle.
“Haah—!”
“······!”
Black bricks that seemed to suck in even light, gruesome decorations like demons and skulls carved in various places, and spires built high and sharp like thorns.
The sky over the castle was filled with dark clouds, and the area was cloaked in thick black fog, making a sinister wind blow.
[Kiyaaah—!]
Clang clang!
To top it all off, with the addition of eerie wails and hordes of the undead, a splendid Demon King’s castle was completed.
[Hehe— you’d better not think of escaping. You can’t get out anyway.]
Hans gave a low warning to the two captured royals, feeling a sense of pride at their reactions, and stepped inside.
The interior was no different from the basic exterior design, but he had set aside a separate space where living beings could reside.
“O, welcome! Your Majesty!”
“Aah—! The judge of this unworthy world!”
“Ugh… blood and death…”
All because of these guys.
The black mage, abducting residents for human experiments, the dark warrior driven to madness by excessive dark magic, the demon worshipper offering living sacrifices to summon high-ranking demons, and the fanatics who worship the resurrected Undead King as a god, vowing to spread death across the world…
They were all the dark tumors causing trouble across the continent that Hans had diligently collected.
The two royals, having never seen such abnormal beings before, froze in place.
‘Hmm, keeping them together with these folks isn’t a good choice. I should create a separate confinement zone.’
This place was solely under his control.
As if passions collided, they immediately found themselves in a separate living space from where they had previously been.
And for a while, the one responsible for monitoring them and assisting with life would be…
“Ugh, how did I end up in such a desolate place…”
“…Shut up, Andrew. I want to cry too.”
In the end, it was the Earth’s Awakened One, Andrew Weaver, and the Succubus, Siana, who found themselves in the Demon King’s castle.
‘Siana has excellent disguise abilities. There’s no one better to take care of Princess Riley.’
The Crown Prince could at least remain alive, but treating the Princess, whom he had inadvertently brought along, like that felt incredibly uncomfortable.
…Then again, seeing Isea, who was beside Heinrich, lost in thought and sighing repeatedly, made him feel guilty.
‘Hmm— indeed, it’s not good to keep a princess in this environment for too long. I need to devise a release scenario soon.’
In reality, he already had some ideas ready.
A plan that would allow him to use this opportunity in a way that benefits him while effectively serving both the princess and the grand mage.
*
‘It’s a mess.’
As Heinrich stepped out of the conference room after visiting the Imperial Palace to discuss future plans and countermeasures, he unknowingly shook his head.
He had expected some chaos, but the aftermath of Hans’s capital invasion was more serious than he had thought.
First, many influential figures residing in the capital suffered significant losses, and among them were those who had lost their lives.
It was an enormous loss in itself, and on top of that, the two royals closest to the next throne had simultaneously gone missing, making it impossible to ascertain their fates.
The emperor, who had been observing the heirs to inherit the throne, could only be flustered by this fact…
Moreover, it was only natural for the sailors on a ship without a captain to start wavering.
With the time advantage, the Crown Prince’s faction formed the largest group centered around conservative forces.
The faction led by the Fifth Princess rapidly expanded in scale, supported by her excellent intellect and political skills.
And, at the right time, the already marginalized Second Prince and the Sixth Prince, who had been unable to flex their muscles, began to seize the opportunity.
If this situation drags on, the political landscape will inevitably plunge deeper into chaos.
Not because of the Undead King, but solely due to their greed for power.
“Phew— I apologize, saint. I was delayed a bit tending to our people.”
And for the Fifth Princess’s faction, trying to minimize defections, it was none other than Isea Pristine.
While she hadn’t quite achieved anything yet and held a low title compared to her level, she was the closest aide of the Fifth Princess and a powerful grand mage, holding considerable influence within her faction.
‘She’s probably keeping this in mind for when the princess returns. If she rescues her but then has nowhere for her to go, that’s also a problem.’
Though she seemed quite anxious, she was now handling her tasks methodically, displaying the cold demeanor befitting a grand mage.
“So, saint? When are we going to raid the Undead King? Ah! We should gather those who will be joining us first. If you leave it to me, I’ll personally bring suitable individuals from each country…”
Her calm voice was not cold at all, but such minor issues could be overlooked.
“I’ve already carefully selected a few individuals. This time, mobility and synergy among us will be crucial, so I won’t accept just anyone. In the end, we’ll all have to fight alongside the Undead King.”
“…Is that so? That’s disappointing.”
Isea lightly licked her lips with a blank expression.
It seemed she had become a tad impatient.
“By the way, saint? I’m not suspecting you, but are you really okay with this? To respond to an ambush without any forewarning or signs… Though you did give us a hint beforehand, we still ended up in this situation due to lack of preparation…”
Walking alongside Heinrich in the corridor, she sighed, expressing her concern.
It seemed she regretted going out that day upon reflecting.
“I’m fine.”
In response to her worried words, he confidently answered in a voice full of conviction.
“I didn’t make that suggestion to him for no reason. As long as the Holy God illuminates the way, everything will follow its natural order. …I still have a lot to learn, so I can’t guarantee that I can respond to every situation perfectly.”
A devoted clergyman… or, more blatantly, the fanatic gimmick can easily crush any doubts, making it quite convenient.
Since no one dares to challenge the authority of the Holy God and the saint.
Of course, he also subtly added a light remark to create an escape route for himself later.
“Oh! And the princess should be returning safely soon. I feel that way. My instincts have proven fairly accurate, so you can trust me.”
“…I really hope so. I wonder if that young girl can endure in such an environment. She’s quite picky about food… Ah! I’m sorry. Please pretend you didn’t hear that.”
Muttering words more akin to a mother than a sister, she flinched and lightly tapped her mouth.
Considering the disparity between the middle schooler that was Isea and the mature adult figure of Princess Riley, it felt quite jarring.
‘Anyway, with that, shall we officially smash the nuisances that are bothering us?’
After the event of the kidnapped princess and the grand mage joining their party, starting from a sinister thought unbefitting a hero, the ‘main stage’ smoothly transitioned into the next chapter.
