Imperial Palace of the Empire (1)
“Ha, hahaha. This is strange, isn’t it? I guess I’ve had a rough time. Am I hearing things? Or have I developed aphasia? I should probably visit the hospital. How much money do I have saved up again? But then again, with my abilities, I can earn money hand over fist, so it doesn’t really matter.”
With the amplification of his unique skill, Andrew’s mind was bombarded with a whirlwind of thoughts.
He couldn’t accept the reality before him and desperately tried to ‘negate’ it, shifting his thoughts elsewhere…
Hmm, is this location in the U.S.? Specifically, the West… California?
The voice that continued to echo in his head made it impossible to ignore the situation.
“No way, why is the Undead King here? Is this some kind of joke? How the hell did that monster from Auterica cross over to Earth?”
The next stage was ‘anger.’
He had indeed vented his frustration, but whether the Undead King’s identity mattered wasn’t really the pressing issue right now.
Knowing that wouldn’t change his circumstances anyway.
“Please… I’ve suffered so much! Right after I thought I could finally lead a peaceful life, this happens? At least, just give me a little more time…!”
The next stage turned to ‘compromise.’
He had already accepted that the situation was beyond his control, struggling with desperate last-ditch efforts.
Now— Andrew Weaver, your first mission is to organize the surroundings and head to Korea immediately. Once you arrive, I will send someone over to assist you.
“Ah.”
With the golden barrier lifted, a soft gasp escaped Andrew’s lips.
But to the already ‘depressed’ man, such minor details hardly mattered.
Yeah, well. At least it’s better than working under that ghost named Olivia. If I remember correctly, Korea isn’t that bad either. If there’s pizza, cola, and even a TV… that’s more than enough.
Finally, he came to fully ‘accept’ everything, nodding blankly with a vacant expression.
“Yes… I will follow your orders, Undead King.”
In hindsight, being directly under the always-busy Undead King wouldn’t be as hectic a task as when he had a strict boss before.
Compared to the black magic and death energy seeping out from the Undead, the city’s smog wouldn’t even register as a fragrance.
Thinking about it, it might not be so bad? If the work environment improves… perhaps it’s better to stick close to a strong ally. Maybe I can scrape off some crumbs?
As his negative emotions began to lessen amidst the turbulent thoughts, the happy circuits buried deep within him began to spark to life.
At that moment, when Andrew Weaver from America was experiencing the five stages of grief and gradually maturing,
Hehe— I thought this would happen eventually, but it came quicker than expected. Unexpectedly, I’ve also secured the coordinates for America. I should be able to reduce travel time later.
In Japan, Hans, maintaining the barrier enveloping him, nodded slowly, observing the accomplishments of the Grim Reaper, who was busily reaping lives.
Boom—!
“Ugh!”
“Damn it! What is this dark thing? Why is it so fast… Gah!”
In just about thirty minutes, a yakuza organization that included several capable Awakened Ones was completely annihilated.
Salma’s martial arts and the synergy of the ‘Abyss’ seemed to yield unexpectedly excellent results.
At this point, it didn’t even seem much different from when he was alive.
Indeed, Salma’s martial arts are primary, so the loss of his unique skill isn’t that impactful. He still possesses minor skills after all.
Unfortunately, unique skills acquired upon Awakening disappeared the moment the owner died, rendering it unusable for Undead.
Considering most Awakened relied heavily on them, it was a truly unfortunate fact.
Regardless, the demonstration of the Abyss Revenant, Salma, wielding magical arts, was very successful.
With this data, improvements could be made to produce increasingly efficient entities in the future.
Hans looked at the Undead cleaning up the aftermath and leisurely surveyed the chaos around him.
As the situation approached its completion, thoughts of Andrew flickered back into his mind.
With that ability, he should be able to operate more efficiently in the future, right? I can leave the management to Heterosis, so no need for me to worry about it.
Naturally, he needed to reestablish strict golden barriers since he had learned secrets that no one should know.
Although he had no clue about the biggest secret— his identity— just knowing that the Hahoe Mask can traverse between Earth and this world was quite significant information.
Now that I think about it, to gather information in Korea, I should have language education alongside it, right?
The telepathy just now transmitted his will through the golden barriers, so there wasn’t much problem there, but if he couldn’t communicate, it would severely limit his information-gathering capabilities.
Even if he saw or heard something, if he didn’t understand it, it’d be useless.
On top of that, he wouldn’t just use him in Korea; he also needed to educate him in Japanese and Chinese and other foreign languages…
…I think I should look into whether magical equipment related to languages exists. Just because it’s not in Auterica doesn’t mean it isn’t in other worlds. While it seems quite rare from what I’ve heard, there might be something if I put in enough effort to find it?
It’d be cumbersome, but until then, Andrew would just have to exert more effort in acquiring the language.
Of course, Hans had no guilt about the hardships Andrew would endure.
Others pay hefty sums for education, and he was giving it to him for free, transforming him into a multilingual skill holder— he would be more than grateful!
Unbeknownst to the parties involved, the shadow of K-education began to loom over Andrew’s tranquil future.
*
“I’m from another world…”
Geos Karkin halted for a brief moment while sharpening his spear and quietly muttered to himself.
A single phrase he heard from the unfamiliar man, Hesperon, stuck in his mind and simply wouldn’t fade away.
It didn’t feel like a joke… Could it be true?
Considering various factors, the probability that what he said was just meaningless rambling was quite low.
In fact, the atmosphere around him felt as if everyone already knew something.
That meant…
“I thought it was a joke, so that means it was true?”
This comment wasn’t about Hesperon.
It was from long before that— someone who claimed to be from another world had said similar things.
He was Geos’s friend, mentor, and the individual who had taught him both this spear and martial arts.
Thoughts of him refused to leave his mind.
…Maybe I should visit him sometime. If it’s true, I could uncover some hints about that Hesperon’s abilities. Should I bring it up if the Holy One visits?
With that settled, he tidied up the spear once more and slowly walked to the window to gaze outside.
Although he couldn’t capture the entire cityscape from here, what he could see immediately was enough to understand the situation in Rohan.
Soldiers bustling here and there, armed, and the filthy streets littered with refugees like trash.
No glimmer of hope could be found on anyone’s faces.
Confusion, despair, sorrow, resentment, resignation…
The capital of a once-prosperous nation was engulfed in such a dismal mood, and all of them endured each day in agony.
…Undead King Hans.
All of this chaos was brought about by that entity.
There were undoubtedly countless others suffering in silence and dying out of sight.
It’s no time to hold back. The best course of action is to deal with him before he stirs up any more trouble.
Just as Geos was solidifying his resolve, a couple caught his eye, holding a scruffy child in a dirty alley.
Though they looked pathetically out of sorts, he couldn’t tear his gaze away from the family relying on each other.
Hoo—.
He watched them for a moment longer before letting out a deep sigh and turning away reluctantly.
When everyone was struggling, it was endless to feel pity for each individual caught in tough situations.
Most importantly, as a mere spear wielder, he had no capacity to bear the responsibility for all of them.
All I can do… is seek revenge.
All he could do was wield a spear filled with their anger and resentment.
He could only wish that spear’s point could pierce the heart of the Undead King.
*
From the start, the hero party didn’t have much to do in the Rohan Principality.
The reason they were initially sent here was to pick up the princess and Hesperon, so after achieving that, they had no need to linger in this place.
Of course, since each of them was top-tier personnel, their brief stay made a significant impact on the situation, yet they couldn’t remain in this remote area indefinitely.
They still had a lot of places to go, and this battlefield was more suitable for a multitude of troops than for just a few strong individuals.
Thus, with two additional members, the group left Rohan shortly after, only a few days after their arrival.
Since the gate of the destroyed shrine had yet to be repaired, through Isea’s spatial movement magic, they arrived at—
“Ah…!”
Princess Riley let out a soft gasp.
And no wonder.
What lay before her was a grand spectacle, one that was all too familiar to her.
…Finally.
It was her home, which she had almost returned to after nearly two months.
The Imperial Palace located in the capital of the Azerion Empire, Jeron.
“It’s clear that now that the princess has returned, the treatment is different. Generally, unless it’s urgent, they wouldn’t open coordinates to the inner part of the outer castle. I didn’t expect to gain direct access to the Imperial Palace itself.”
Looking fatigued from transporting additional personnel across long distances, Isea nodded contently.
Naturally, even though it was an interior area, since the coordinates had been opened to a facility on the outskirts, and the imperial guard’s headquarters was right next to it, it was highly secured and heavily patrolled…
Still, considering that unless there was an important reason, even royalty had to go through procedures from the outer castle to get in, the current treatment was indeed special.
“Well, it makes sense since the Holy One is also present.”
Although he might be busy leading the ‘Special Strike Force Against the Undead King,’ the Holy One of the Holy Church Order was originally a figure who could dine with the Emperor of the Empire.
Since Heinrich had already conveyed that he didn’t want any bothersome welcoming ceremonies, if that hadn’t been the case, she would have truly experienced the treatment equivalent to a state guest from the moment they arrived.
“Then allow me to guide you to the palace. Please follow us.”
However, just as they stepped out of the security area with the guards sent to greet them,
Like predators discovering their prey, a group outside rushed in unison toward them, as if they had been waiting for that very moment.
“Princess Riley! Congratulations on your return! You must have faced many hardships during your time away!”
“Ah, Holy One, thank you for saving our princess! Truly, this must be the grace of the Holy God!”
“Ahem, Duke Pristine? I am Baron Malaf. I have something urgent to discuss…”
“Everyone, step back! They’ve traveled a long way! Make room, please!”
Nobles adorned in expensive attire wearing obsequious smiles approached aggressively.
Their intentions were so transparent, it was difficult to pretend not to notice.
Quite a few nobles from different factions than the usual princess’s retinue are here. Wait, isn’t that guy from the crown prince faction?
The nobles, originally from the fifth princess faction, were grinning and showering compliments, while those from other factions were eager to appeal in hopes of shifting allegiances.
As expected, these politicians quickly assessed how to react based on the situation.
“Thank you, everyone. It’s thanks to your concerns that I have returned safely. Count Solain looks a bit hollow since we last met, right? Even with your busy schedule, you must take care of your health.”
“Worrying for your safety kept me from sleeping many nights. I can finally rest easy now, thank you! Heh heh!”
“Baron Pianon? It’s been two years; how have you been?”
“Of course. I happened to be in the capital when I heard news of the princess’s safe return, so I wanted to come and greet you…”
Riley confidently handled the nobles with a dignified demeanor unlike her usual self.
A political scene began as soon as she set foot in the palace, but she found herself surprisingly welcoming this opportunity after having been idle and anxious for two months.
I’ve come to miss the political intrigues of the palace that had once irked me so much.
With a suppressed laugh, Riley sweetly seduced and reassured the nobles as she, along with her entourage, made their way into the palace.
This was the battlefield she had fought on her whole life.
It was time to officially resume her own war, which had temporarily been at a ceasefire.
