"...I'm not sure. Is telling your na important at this point?"
"Well, I thought it might make our conversation smoother than constantly calling 'Apostle of Destruction'."
"Hmm. Fair enough."
The Half King nodded.
"Alright. So, what brings you to the King's Castle?"
"As your subordinate ntioned."
"To issue a warning?"
"Yes."
The Half King stroked her chin.
"You revealed yourself as the Apostle of Destruction. Does that an this warning is a precursor to demanding surrender? Like, '...If you resist, it will only bring more suffering, so accept your fate peacefully!' or sothing."
The Half King exclaid in a dramatic tone, as if she were performing in a play, then changed her expression and smiled broadly.
On the other hand, Frey remained businesslike.
"It seems you're misunderstanding sothing. I am not your enemy. In fact, you could say I'm more of a guide."
"A guide? What exactly are you offering to guide us through?"
"How to deal with Destruction effectively. If you follow my guidance faithfully, your chances will increase by about tenfold."
That was sothing difficult to accept. The Exile looked like he wanted to say sothing, but given the setting, he couldn't easily open his mouth.
The Half King, now more intrigued, spoke.
"You said you were the Apostle of Destruction, right? So you must have originated from 'outside.'"
"That's not incorrect."
"Yet you claim you're not our enemy, and on top of that, you're offering to help us... That's a bit too convenient."
The Half King's smile turned sinister.
"Are you mocking ?"
"Not at all. I know nothing about you. That's why I'm a bit curious. All the data on powerful beings is stored in my mind..."
Frey spoke with a slightly puzzled expression.
"According to my expectations, the one who should be here is the Beginning Wizard. Do you know where he is now?"
It seed that the reason he had looked around earlier was to find him.
The Half King let out a chuckle.
"You won't be eting him."
"Did you deal with him?"
"Deal with... Well, it's a bit rough, but not entirely wrong."
"......"
Frey, who had been staring at the Half King for a while, nodded.
"I can sense a strong ego from you. You have no intention of accepting my help. In fact, you see it as an interference."
"Didn't I say that from the beginning?"
"At the sa ti, I can also sense your incompleteness."
The Half King's expression changed.
"There are several flaws I see in you, but you're deliberately turning a blind eye to them. It's a dangerous state."
"...Hmm. What do you an by that?"
"Even though you're incomplete, you're under the delusion that you're a perfect being. You wouldn't be able to endure even a single failure. The fight against Destruction is a continuous series of defeats and despair; you are not the right candidate for that."
Frey turned his head.
"I'll need to find soone else. Soone who can actually benefit from my guidance."
"Haha. An interesting interpretation, I've heard it well. But... do you really think I'll let you leave?"
The Half King's smile beca laced with murderous intent.
"You, who are a puppet of Destruction?"
"Harming would be an irrational decision. The already slim chances would vanish entirely."
"Then why not clarify your intentions? Why would soone from Destruction like you want to help us?"
"It's simple. Because the being controlling all Destruction wants it that way."
"A being controlling Destruction?"
The Half King's gaze turned to the Exile.
Among those present, the one who knew the most about the 'outside' was undoubtedly the Exile. However, even the Exile shook his head.
A being controlling Destruction?
The Destructions the Exile had witnessed were five, and there was no clear hierarchy among them.
"My subordinate, who has experienced the outside, seems to be unaware of such a thing."
"Of course. What he witnessed is rely a fragnt."
"That fellow has been outside hundreds of millions of tis more than I know."
"Are you familiar with an ant nest?"
It was a random statent.
The Half King tilted her head, unable to grasp the intent.
"The ti an ant has to look around after leaving its nest is limited. If it goes too far, it won’t be able to return to the nest, so it can only wander within a very restricted area."
"...And why are you saying this now?"
"No matter how many tis, even a hundred million tis, he went outside, the area he could access was always the sa. The place he set foot in was just a tiny puddle in a vast ocean. With such limited experience, there's no way he could understand everything."
[…….]
The truth that had just been revealed left Exile in shock. He was at a loss for words, unable to even speak.
On the other hand, the Half King wasn't overly surprised.
"...Even if what you're saying is true, I can't just let you go easily. I have to end everything on my own."
"I understand. Your power is specialized for one-on-one combat; if soone interferes, it would only hinder you."
In an instant, one of the fundantal aspects of her being had been discerned.
The Half King narrowed her eyes.
"Now I’m certain. You're dangerous."
"That's a mistaken judgnt—"
"No. It's not mistaken... It can't be helped. Frey, was it?"
The Half King stretched out her hand.
"For the ti being, you'll have to stay put."
*
The Beast's proxy, the Tar. Her true identity was Beniang Argento.
Although it was an unexpected revelation, upon careful reconsideration, it wasn’t entirely unrelated. After all, the Seven Fanged Dragon God had fought against the Beast. And it had been a particularly fierce battle.
The issue now was... the cold gaze this woman was sending.
"......"
Is she Beniang Argento right now, or the Seven Fanged Dragon God?
He felt like the two entities were intertwined, but he judged that the dominant personality was likely Beniang.
So, what's the reason behind this gaze?
The Beniang in Lukas' mories was an immature woman. She was timid, clumsy, and often made mistakes—like a girl who hadn't fully grown up.
How about now?
Deeply sunken eyes, an unwavering posture in prayer, and a sense of vigilance.
The once awkward girl had fully matured into an adult.
If Lukas were here, he might have felt a mix of overwhelming joy and a twinge of sadness, but unfortunately, Residue had neither the reason nor the luxury to indulge in such emotions.
"You seem to be struggling, Beginning Wizard."
[...So it was you, after all, Master.]
Because of this, He was slightly startled when he heard two voices simultaneously.
One was a physical voice, and the other resounded inside his mind.
Both belonged to Beniang.
Residue couldn’t fully grasp her intentions, and with no particular ans to communicate, he remained silent.
...Has Beniang figured out his identity? Or is she rely probing to gauge his reaction?
He don't know.
If it were anyone else, he might have been able to guess, but this woman's inner thoughts were unfathomable.
[You don't need to respond. Those chains are one of the relics left by the Void King. Though incomplete, they can sowhat seal the power of the one they bind.]
A relic left by the Void King, huh.
He thought it was odd that he couldn’t muster much strength, and now he understood why.
[I’m here today for a brief check on your condition. Please wait. I have a plan.]
"......"
Residue, who had remained silent, thought it was about ti to show so kind of response. He nodded slightly and then opened his mouth.
"Tar, what business do you have with ?"
"Your subordinates are worried about you."
My subordinates... Ah.
She must be referring to Altata and Hyke. Now that she ntioned it, he had completely forgotten about them.
"They think you're dead, so I ca to check on your condition for them."
"...Why you?"
"They don't have visitation rights."
[In 20 hours.]
Beniang said that and then covered her face again with the mask.
[There will be a disturbance in the King’s Castle. The Half King will likely be away, fully engaged in trying to stop Destruction, so one of the knights will probably have to take charge. There's a high probability that the Black Knight will be dispatched instead of the Red Knight who doesn't have a weapon. When that happens, I’ll send soone, so subdue the Red Knight and escape.]
"......"
[I’ll explain the details when we et again. Master, please take care of yourself until then.]
"It seems that your life isn’t in imdiate danger. Now that I've checked your condition, I’ll take my leave."
With those words, Beniang turned around without hesitation.
The two knights remained where they were, casting only a chilling gaze without showing any other reaction.
After Beniang had completely left, Residue, now alone, felt a sense of unease.
‘Did I manage to deceive her?’
No. It was only because of the peculiar circumstances that he could barely get by.
If Beniang had discovered his true identity at any other mont, it could have been dangerous. He would have surely been flustered, which would have led to agitation, and ultimately, inadequate responses.
He knew about the observational skill possessed by the Dragon. No, more precisely, the observational skill possessed by the Ruler.
It’s different from the relatively inexperienced Four Knights.
If it were them, they could recognize both the awkwardness and familiarity in Residue just by observing him.
If they et again, he would have to be more cautious with his words and actions...
‘Hmm. But I can’t stay confined like this forever.’
In 20 hours, huh.
What kind of disturbance is supposed to happen in the King’s Castle at that ti?
Could it be the second wave of Destruction? No, that’s unlikely. No one can predict the timing of Destruction’s attacks. No matter how brilliant Beniang’s mind and foresight might be, it would be impossible for her to pinpoint that exact ti.
Another question.
Who is the person Beniang is planning to send?
"......"
What a life full of things to think about. Residue grumbled inwardly.
Now that he thought about it, Lukas' cautious words and ticulous considerations might not be innate. After all, when things like this keep happening one after another, anyone would have to think deeply about them.
Sighing internally, Residue closed his eyes.
What he could do right now.
Was to conserve his strength.
*
He lost consciousness again and then woke up. This ti, he had deliberately chosen to sleep, so a part of his consciousness remained awake, allowing him to clearly sense the passage of ti.
'I slept for 10 hours.'
His physical condition seed to have slightly improved.
There were now 10 hours left until the event Beniang ntioned. If he continued to rest until then, he might recover enough to use the powers of a Demigod.
Yet, the reason he didn't keep sleeping and woke up is simple.
He had realized that another visitor had arrived.
"......"
Soone was standing in front of him. Although Residue kept his eyes closed, he could sense their presence.
At that mont, he felt a cool touch on his face. It was a careful touch. Like soone handling a fragile glass artifact, the touch was tentative, unable to go beyond a light tap.
“What kind of state is this... Father.”
A voice that sounded like it was being squeezed out was heard.
Is it Sedi Trowman?
Residue did not open his eyes. He thought that engaging in conversation with her would be too risky.
There were no further words from her. As he continued to feign unconsciousness, Sedi soon left.
It wasn’t by her own will; the knights had exerted an invisible pressure on her.
Residue slightly opened his previously closed eyes.
...Several people were taking risks to visit him.
Even though it's not certain that the being behind the mask is Lukas, just because it might be him...
The influence that guy had is felt so vividly it's almost tangible.
At the sa ti, doubt crept in about himself.
'Was this really your best choice, Lukas?'
Entrusting everything to him.
‘…….’
It wasn’t sothing he intended to dwell on at this point.
Residue once again fell asleep to recover.
─And this ti, he woke up in less than an hour.
He had no choice but to wake up.
[…….]
[…….]
The two knights took their stances. At the sa ti, an even more aggressive aura was unleashed than when Beniang had appeared.
An undeniable presence was felt beyond the entrance, in the pitch-black cave.
Step by step, soone walked out of the darkness.
“Hello there!”
The mont a lively voice that contrasted sharply with the ominous presence echoed, Residue couldn’t help but tense his entire body.
Without a doubt, it was the most dangerous, the one person to avoid at all costs.
She had recently been with Lukas, knew him inside and out, and possessed senses sharper than a beast’s, along with monstrous strength.
A woman who was surely more troubleso than the Half King.
“There you are.”
The Blue Knight, Pale, grinned slyly.
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