Chapter 418

418 The City of Kings #4

Juno’s shrine warrior, Gloria.

The riots and chaos she had caused had been put to rest by seasoned knights and soldiers.

There had been a great storm and dust, and collisions of fervor, but aside from the ground cracking and some people developing bumps on their heads, it wasn’t truly a grave issue.

To be exact, it would be more accurate to say that we had prevented any real problems from occurring.

The ruler of the kingdom nearly got smashed flat by a cudgel at one point.

“…Your Majesty, are you unharmed?”

“Thank you, Sir Natatos. Thanks to you, I’ve avoided such a grim fate once again. I’ve lost count of how many times you’ve saved me now.”

Had I not unsealed myself for that fleeting moment to lunge, what might have happened?

It was horrifying just to imagine.

People would have been squashed flat, nymphs everywhere screaming in panic.

That’d be a nightmare.

“If only the great Lord Ziggres had not hesitated, this would not have happened. The noble Thunderblade is in your debt. You’ve saved my life.”

While I was lost in thought for a moment, Thunderblade caught his breath and came to thank me.

Would the old man have said anything different had he known I considered whether or not I should save this man during that brief instant?

After all, it wasn’t as if Gloria killing Thunderblade at the hands of Gloria would’ve been something that couldn’t be helped — it would have been beneficial for me, wouldn’t it?

This man is likely an enemy of Hypos and the gods.

Hence, it would have been wise for an accident to lead to his departure.

But at his life’s final moment, when the ugly side of human nature is most evident, this man chose to save a young nymph.

Whether it was the heroism of a man or not, I was deeply shocked by this fact.

I hadn’t thought there were still heroes in this world who would sacrifice themselves for others.

Would I have been capable of such if I were him?

No, to be honest, I wouldn’t be able.

For that reason, even though he was old and frail compared to everyone here, he was still the most remarkable man.

I suddenly became curious about this man.

That’s why I saved him.

I wanted to know what this man, who is capable of such deeds, thinks, why he opposes the gods, and with whom he has allied to bring about the downfall of Hypos.

The old king, Thunderblade, said,

“To rival the power of Gloria, hailed as the greatest hero, is indeed exceptional bravery. Today’s events will be sung and celebrated by poets and musicians for generations to come!”

At that moment, something stirred amidst the dust and collapsed walls. It was Paranoi, a nymph with orange hair, who seemed to have been buried under some debris during the commotion caused by Gloria.

“Praise to the god who respects life, the great Hassan!”

Glory to Ziggres — the noblest god!

All hail the great king, Thunderblade!

Swell, what is this?

The tension level of these people from the Gaia Continent is something I simply cannot keep up with.

Perhaps this is a grand comedy, isn’t it? Let’s call it “The Grand Chaos of Gloria.”

Anyway, after things were settled, Thunderblade and his retainers left for a safe location to avoid any potential second or third wave of danger.

Swell, who would have thought that the Nymph Choir’s performance would end this way?

Thinking back, it was completely chaotic.

The nymphs suddenly burst into tears, and Gloria fell from the sky. It was an unexpected chain of events.

Still, I think we handled it pretty well, improvising as we went along.

As I watched the retreating people, a golden-armored knight approached me. I wondered what the knight wanted from me and soon enough, he whispered something that only I could hear.

“No one seems to have noticed, but I know that for a moment, you hesitated.”

“Hesitation?”

“It was just for an instant. Brief, existing between the gap of 0 and 1, where gods and great dragons dwell in time. But for you, it felt like a long moment. You were deliberating.”

“What do you mean?”

As I asked back, I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. Though I feigned ignorance, it was clear this woman had noticed that I had hesitated if I should save Thunderblade.

There’s no other explanation for this situation.

What a sharp individual.

“Perhaps His Majesty also knows, but since he says nothing, I shall also stay quiet.”

“…”

After already babbling about everything, is she warning me to be more careful with my actions?

In my sight, I saw Gloria, who had been formidable until now, being dragged away like a caged beast, chained at her arms, legs, and neck.

I asked the woman,

“What will happen to her?”

Since she attacked the king, would she face execution?

“The execution for attacking the king- that’s what you’re considering, no? It’s understandable.”

I genuinely was shocked out of my mind.

“Holy sh*t.”

If Gloria falling from the sky wasn’t surprising enough, the only thing that could make me more astonished at this point would be a cat choking on a cucumber.

“Hey, Swell, do you perhaps know mind-reading?”

“…”

But, frustratingly, at the most crucial and curious moment, the knight closed her mouth.

However, the Dual-Core Brain of wisdom, yours truly Hassan, came up with an incredible idea on how to figure out if this woman could read minds.

It was a brilliant method to uncover whether she possessed such powers.

I stared deeply into her eyes under the gold helm as I pondered.

Then, her armor started to clatter softly, and judging by the beautiful voice, there was undoubtedly a gorgeous woman under that armor. So hidden, I wanted to see her face.

“You! How utterly scandalous! What gives you the audacity to undress me in your thoughts and inspect my armpits…! Gods, all you think about is-”

No way, Swell, she’s truly reading my thoughts!

How fascinating. So this means she can read these very thoughts buzzing in my mind right now, doesn’t it?

But wait, hold on.

This is worse than any Chinese spyware. This is a grave invasion of personal privacy. Absolutely unacceptable.

Get out of my head, right now!

“I was thinking the same; I don’t care to read your mind any longer.”

And with that, our conversation ended.

In the end, I didn’t learn from her what would become of captured Gloria.

—

Later that evening,

We gathered in Paranoi’s office, a private room attached to it, to talk through the events of the day, share our reflections, and provide feedback.

Taptap. Ploploplop.

A soft sofa, a carpet, a cozy hearth in my private little cottage.

It was originally Paranoi’s tea room and pantry, but since I didn’t have my own personal space, I commandeered it, feeling a bit uneasy that Paranoi, my right-hand assistant, had this private pantry while I did not.

It’s mine now.

Of course, it has become somewhat communal, with Paranoi, various nymphs, and women using it as their own break room, making it more of a hideout.

There are more trinkets Paranoi picked up off the ground than my personal belongings.

Why has she accumulated so many shiny pebbles?

Shuffle.

“I’m tired. I feel like I can finally breathe again. Hassan, can you… rub my legs?”

Once again, Elfpride, after renting a room at the Northern Inn, had made this sofa her nesting place. She seemed quite content with it.

“It’s comfy, just soft enough and warm. Perfect for reading.”

She was leafing through an adventurer’s magazine, not her usual bizarre romance novels.

I peeked at the page where I saw writings about the Temple Knights, describing their members.

“Natatos, human but known as a dragon, huh? He intrigued me. I wanted to see more skill in today’s drama. It ended rather abruptly; it was disappointing.”

Elfpride seemed genuinely taken with the gold-armored dragon knight. More accurately, her curiosity was piqued.

She’ll probably spend the next few days collecting articles about him or gathering information.

“Indeed, this turned out to be quite a successful outcome…! I thought it was a choir rehearsal but it turned out to be a performance set up by Hassan-sama…! The Nymph Chaos, it was unprecedented…!”

Paranoi seemed to earnestly believe the story I had fudged earlier.

“Indeed, the ingenious strategy and tactics of Hassan-sama far surpass the wisest of nymphs like me…! Truly, you manipulate the world effortlessly!”

“…”

While I had a lot to say, Paranoi’s version of events worked. After all, we did successfully establish connections with the king and his circle, so there isn’t much to complain about. Whether it was theater or a choir, the method wasn’t the point.

Clunk.

Right then, the familiar brown hair appeared from behind the door.

“Finally, Thunderblade has left Sodomora. It wasn’t even a full day, but it was quite exhausting.”

Hippolyte had returned from her assignment. Judging by her words, the king was no longer in the city.

At her report, I finally felt some relief, a sensation akin to melting.

Hippolyte took a sip of water offered by Ignoy and sighed deeply.

“Who would have guessed that of all days, Gloria would show up today. Things do tend to go awry all at once.”

Upon hearing this, I was reminded of the Samaritan girl in animal skin. Come to think of it, I had forgotten to ask the knight what would befall Gloria.

I asked,

“What will happen to Gloria? Given that she attacked the king, is it execution?”

“For an average person, that would’ve been justified, but Gloria is different. This isn’t the first time she’s challenged the king, and truth be told, today was relatively tame. There were no casualties, after all.”

Swell, today was relatively tame.

That means it usually gets worse?

While I was lost in thought, Hippolyte continued, opening her thin eyes and adding,

“That you could minimize damage thanks to your presence there, Hassan, is no small feat. Even I found it difficult to keep up with your actions. You’ve grown more accustomed to that strength.”

“I’m improving, little by little…”

“Everyone there saw your formidable strength with their own eyes. As King Thunderblade said, this event will be a topic of conversation for many months.”

Just then, Paranoi who was having her hair brushed by Luna, suddenly sprang up from the floor.

“Everyone will highly praise and celebrate Hassan-sama!”

Of course, Hippolyte scoffed, “Hmph.”

“Sure, but Hassan, you’ll also invoke fear. You’ve shown too much strength too soon. That’s a problem.”

“Is that a problem?”

“It surely is. Initially, people will celebrate your strength, but gradually, they’ll start to fear you.”

“Fear me? Why?”

“Because you’re like a large lion prowling the streets without a leash or chain. People, mere mice, will want to put a bell around your neck, only then can they feel safe.”

It was a heavily reasonable point, worthy of Hippolyte’s wisdom, as if she’d witnessed such a scenario firsthand.

“Your strength, Hassan, will make you lonely. And that loneliness will make you stronger. Perhaps that is what it means to be a god. Now, you’ll understand far better than me.”

Hippolyte’s words trickled in like water seeping into sand. Suddenly, I felt this immense wave of loneliness and impending sorrow.

But it was only a moment.

Luna suddenly snapped,

“Hippolyte, stop spreading anxiety! You’re just trying to play on Hassan’s emotions to win sympathy and points for yourself, you wicked girl!”

“Hem, hem. Anyway, I heard from Antiope that the Temple Knights have been instructed to closely monitor your movements, Hassan.”

“Very well.”

If a son of Pluto were to throw a Cultist festival, from the kingdom’s perspective, that would indeed be the worst scenario.

So, as the hours passed into the late evening just past midnight,

Luna and Doris ventured out to take the nymphs home, while Hippolyte, Antiope, and Paranoi returned to their rooms for rest when—

I wandered the graveyard to clear my mind, unable to sleep, due to the day’s events.

Meeooow.

I glanced at the floor when I heard an unusual cry. I had unknowingly stepped on a massive web that was being diligently woven.

The mournful cry belonged to Miom, the giant spirit spider guarding the temple’s basement. Miom is a temporary name; nothing better fitting has been found, so it stuck.

“Hey, sorry for stepping on your home.”

Mee-ow.

The sagging floor.

Now that I think about it, I haven’t introduced this creature to Luna yet. I wonder how she’ll react to seeing a ginormous spider. I chuckled at just the thought.

Just then,

Clatter.

The sound of steel chains rattled. Heavier and more grating than Hippolyte’s armor. Probably thick, scaled steel chains.

Facing the dark sky, I addressed the sound.

“I heard you had left the city. What brings you here?”

“To seek your sanctuary, your sacred grounds, I required significant resolve.”

“Not really.”

Before me stood the golden knight, Knight Natatos, looking somewhat awkward while scratching his face.

If I thought this knight had left with the king, why was he here? What’s the reason now? Could he have come to assassinate me? These thoughts naturally made me tense.

“Enough.”

Then, from behind the knight, the figure of the old man emerged, his presence calming me significantly.

“This is a night perfectly suited for storytelling, Lord Ziggres. Quiet, without wind, and not a single spying mouse in the eerie cemetery.”

“You… Didn’t everyone hear that you had left the city?”

“It needed to seem that way, but I returned unceremoniously to talk privately with you.”

“…”

I hesitated for a moment, wondering what this man wanted to discuss. But the experienced king seemed to read my silence and began explaining before I had to ask.

“Lord Ziggres, I’ve heard you are a seasoned adventurer. On earnest request, I wish for you to handle a problem that plagues my castle.”

“A problem… You mean there’s a monster in the castle?”

“Long ago. There was a monster that has haunted this kingdom for a long time, gnawing away at it. Every event, every conspiracy had a trace of this creature’s involvement.”

A monster in the king’s castle? Could it be related to some ancient family curse hidden in the dungeons? Beyond my limited imagination, it remained unclear.

“If there’s a monster, surely your knights could handle it. They’re quite powerful, from what I understand.”

“No, I cannot trust even my knights within the castle’s walls. I have no idea how far his influence stretches. Nor can I act personally.”

“What exactly does this creature do that you’re going to such lengths?”

“The fiend’s name is Pride Friedrich, my son, in fact.”

—

The City of Kings, Jeruite

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