At the center of the First Lord’s Domain stood a massive spire.
This was the heart of the Lords’ Council, a building under the exclusive control of Grand Lord Arkhan, encompassing at least twenty percent of Blackmore’s lower depths.
Within this very heart of the headquarters…
A space where no one, regardless of status, except for the Lords themselves, could set foot—an area none other than the conference room.
A place granted access solely to the Lords of the Lords’ Council.
And somehow, I—a mere human—had stepped into this space for the first time.
The first words I heard there were—
“Want to be a Lord?”
A recruitment offer.
And worse, they were asking if I had any intention of taking up a Lord’s role—a ridiculous suggestion, no less.
“Are you crazy?”
“Hardly. This is completely normal.”
“No, you’re crazy. Only a lunatic would propose such nonsense.”
“Hmm? If you say so, then that’s how it is. So, what do you think of my proposal?”
There was no way I could think of it in any conventional sense.
After all, the Lords’ Council and the Imperial Family are two colossal powers of the continent that maintain a tenuous balance by mutually restraining each other. Yet here they were, offering a position in the Lords’ Council to someone associated with the Imperial Family.
‘Clearly insane.’
Had I anticipated such a situation from the start, I would have rejected her proposal to rest at headquarters.
The matters in Kalmas were wrapped up, and Elfried had briefly lost consciousness. Overestimating her words led to this trouble.
To be honest, I’m human, too—taking a short rest seemed appealing, after all the hard work.
But as soon as I arrived, I was summoned to the conference room, where they’ve been repeating the same proposal over and over again.
“I decline.”
“Why? I thought it was a rather attractive offer.”
“It’s an utterly absurd suggestion. Has there ever been a human who took the position of a Lord in history? Moreover, how do you plan to deal with the backlash from the other Lords?”
“…Hmm?”
Arkhan’s expression seemed puzzled at my question.
“The authority to appoint a Lord lies exclusively with the Grand Lord, does it not?”
“That may be true, but ignoring the opinions of the other Lords isn’t an option.”
“Strange… If I personally vouch for you, who would dare to oppose it?”
“…Are you seriously asking this?”
I barely managed to suppress a sigh.
It’s true that I’ve received considerable help from the Lords’ Council, but it was always in the form of strict equivalents exchange.
An exchange of favors—nothing more.
Thus, it was time to clearly draw the line.
“You do know I’m affiliated with the Imperial Family, right?”
“Of course, I’m fully aware.”
“In that case, you also know that the relationship between the Imperial Family and the Lords’ Council isn’t exactly friendly. So, do you really think it makes sense to appoint an Imperial Family-aligned human as a Lord? Let me make this clear—I have no intention of giving up my current post.”
“Hmm…”
Arkhan placed her hand on her chin and seemed to mull over my words.
None of my points were wrong. The Imperial Family and the Lords’ Council, the two largest powers forming the continent’s backbone, maintain a delicate non-interference in each other’s territories for the sake of peace. However, their relationship was far from amicable.
In fact, their relationship was more akin to a precarious balance, teetering on the brink of conflict.
So, what would happen if I, under these fragile circumstances, became a Lord?
The repercussions would be unfathomable.
“…This is unprecedented.”
I drove the matter home with this last statement.
Surely, by now, she had understood the gravity.
A Lord, indeed, a Lord?
Such a glorified position, even if offered, would not interest me.
“Well, you’re not entirely wrong. While the Lords’ Council claims neutrality, they don’t exactly get along well with the Imperial Family.”
“Finally, some sense.”
“In that case, we must first resolve that conflict.”
Wait a second.
“What are you going to resolve?”
“The strained relationship between the Lords’ Council and the Imperial Family, of course.”
“Look, how exactly do you plan to resolve that?”
“Oh, that?”
Arkhan smiled.
Her transparent smile sent shivers down my spine.
“Let me personally meet the Emperor.”
…What?
Who is she planning to meet again?
“If we make your appointment as a Lord conditional, the Lords’ Council will establish a top-tier friendly relationship with the Imperial Family. Sounds great, doesn’t it?”
“…”
“It has to go through the Lord’s meeting, of course, but if I push hard, it’ll pass without much trouble. If the Emperor isn’t completely mad, he’d obviously agree, wouldn’t he? Why would he turn down the cooperation from the Grand Lord? If he does, I might have to resort to forceful measures…”
“Wait… hold on. What exactly are you pushing for? And what—forceful measures? Are you out of your mind?”
“Why? It’s rather straightforward, don’t you think?”
…I couldn’t even begin to sort out where or how to correct her.
Her entire statement, from start to finish, was nonsensical.
It was nothing more than absurd, unrealistic fantasy.
But two points stuck with me.
One being that this kind of out-of-the-box thinking was genuinely typical of Arkhan…
And the bigger issue was:
She, indeed, possessed the capabilities to push such a reckless plan into action.
“…Are you being serious?”
“Deadly serious.”
I pressed my temples to stave off the pounding headache.
I had already sensed her obsession had shifted from the protagonist of the original story to me.
But I didn’t expect her to be this persistent.
“Do you even consider stopping?”
“Not really. As long as it doesn’t directly harm you, I don’t see the issue, do you?”
That was true.
Far from causing direct harm, it was arguably the fastest and easiest way to acquire immense power.
…If ignoring the sheer hassle of it all.
With a sigh, I forced out words.
“…Let’s talk about this another time.”
“Fair enough?”
She considered arguing further but stopped.
Her persistent nature left me without the energy to dissuade her, and she wasn’t someone who listened to others anyway.
The Arkhan I know…has never been broken of her stubbornness.
All I wanted right now was some rest.
I had used the absorbed mental energy to open the Star Sect’s mental arts, which was clearly a force that defied logic. Though the five-star rune awakening mitigated significant side effects, the accumulated fatigue wasn’t something I could easily ignore.
“Oh, by the way, about the woman you brought along. Wasn’t her name… Elfried?”
“Elfried Trivia. Is there something about her?”
“It’s nothing significant. They just informed me she had regained consciousness. It seems you even broke through a boundary to save her. If you wish, I’ll have her sent to your room after some time to have a conversation.”
“…Thanks for the consideration.”
I left a quick thank-you and turned to leave.
Just as I was walking out of the conference room, Arkhan’s voice called out from behind.
“About that Demon King inside her…”
“…”
Of course, she noticed.
“Ever since I heard rumors of the Demon King’s defeat by the Imperial Family, I found it suspicious. Even heroes shouldn’t be capable of completely eradicating a fragment of chaos, right? Now it makes sense—you had concealed it inside a woman’s body all this time?”
…An incredibly sharp deduction.
Even hearing it myself, it was surprisingly accurate.
“Judging from her ability to endure such a presence inside her for so long, she’s clearly not an ordinary woman. Hence, it’s safe to assume—”
Her eyes scanned my expression as she tilted her head.
“Isn’t she a Saint?”
“…”
“In that case, the so-called Saint the world worships would likely be a fake, wouldn’t she? Bold move by these people trying to perpetrate fraud under the guise of the divine. Are they not afraid of divine punishment?”
After all, aren’t these classic tropes often seen in lowbrow novels?
The switch between fake and real is one of the most overused themes.
“What should we do with this? I sent the Demon King to Blackmore thinking she’d quietly die there. But some human not only removed the mental remnants but also saved her intact. And in doing so, my secrets are now fully exposed.”
“What’s your point?”
At that, Arkhan gave a sly smile.
“You’d better be careful. The Star Sect can be more malicious than the Imperial Family.”
A cult of fanatics is always the same, isn’t it?
And in the original story, they were already an utterly insane group of villains—so none of this is surprising.
“Do you need help?”
…Help?
“Help?”
“Purely out of goodwill. No strings attached.”
No strings? From the thoroughly business-oriented woman before me?
I couldn’t suppress my curiosity and asked.
“Why?”
“…”
A heavy silence weighed down the conference room. Then her eyes curved.
“Isn’t it clear?”
“With what?”
“I’m hitting on you, rather passionately.”
…What?
“Even if it doesn’t seem obvious, I am quite serious.”
Without noticing, her upper body had leaned forward, bringing her face close to mine.
“So… Let’s work well together from now on?”
…Am I being flirted with?
After leaving the conference room, I immediately made my way to my room.
True to its preparation by the Grand Lord, the room was of an impressive scale.
Every piece of furniture was extravagant, enough to leave even the nobility in awe.
I rested for some time.
And as Arkhan had predicted, Elfried visited my room about two hours later.
Or rather, I didn’t even notice her arrival until I woke up.
Having intended to lay down for a bit on the sofa, I had unintentionally fallen asleep.
Hence, when I woke, my alarm at the situation was significant.
The first thing I saw upon opening my eyes was Elfried kneeling before me.
With a deeply solemn expression, she placed a kiss on the back of my hand, then, her face flushed, she looked up at me.
“…My Kabila.”
A faint whisper followed.
“To your faithful servant, I have come…”
Perhaps it was a prayer…
“Please… grant redemption…”
…A prayer to… me?
