“A rodent seems to be hiding. Shouldn’t we find the rodent for the sake of Your Holiness and all of our safety?”

Chatter chatter!

Dulandal’s cry filled the banquet hall and caused numerous people to question it. A rodent? The royal family of other nations failed to read Kasim’s killing intent from the shadows and couldn’t understand the meaning of Dulandal’s words. Consequently, they thought the imperial prince was making a fuss about nothing. They believed that capricious people always acted selfishly to relieve their boredom.

‘This is bad.’

On the other hand, the Overgeared Knights sensed a big crisis. The Red Knights had picked up Kasim’s killing intent from the shadow, so what could they do to defend Kasim and Prince Lord? The Overgeared Knights were tense. Meanwhile, Kasim lamented, ‘Prince Lord is in a difficult position because of me...!’

Past memories unfolded in Kasim’s mind as he stared with bloodshot eyes.

There had been a small village deep in the mountains. It was the village where the Nero Clan lived. The people in the Nero Clan were gentle and not greedy, and they never antagonized each other. The villagers there spent every precious and peaceful day with their families.

However, this happiness was short-lived, ending when the empire’s army came to the village. 

Prince Dulandal had arrived with dozens of Red Knights and hundreds of soldiers. “With your skin that’s darker than night and your long arms... all of you are hard to look at. The empire won’t allow you to have territory and religion. Housing and clothes are also forbidden. You are beasts. If you want to live, you will have to be livestock. If you don’t want to be livestock, leave your skin here. Don’t argue. Beasts shouldn’t use human language.”

Kasim couldn’t forget any of these brutal words. For the young Kasim who was unfamiliar with the world, it was the first time he had been treated this way and he was shocked. Beasts! They were called beasts! From decent humans, they had become beasts!

This was the first time Kasim felt angry since the day he was born. It was an enormous resentment that destroyed the natural temperament of the Nero. Naturally, it wasn’t just Kasim. Thousands of Nero were outraged by the empire that denied their existence. They fought against the empire that was trying to take away their lives, but they were powerless. The Nero had excellent physical abilities, yet they were just babies in front of the well-trained empire’s knights and soldiers. The Nero were annihilated, and Kasim was the only survivor.

“...”

It was a curse called survival. Kasim felt a complicated sense of revenge that only desired the fall of the empire. Between the boy who had forgotten the awful reality and the person who served Lord, he couldn’t determine reasonably as to how he should act.

Prince Dulandal seemed to urge Kasim on, “A rodent is no different from an ownerless dog. I won’t hold anyone here responsible for hiding the rodent.”

‘I don’t know who you are, but don’t you harbor a terrible killing intent toward me? Come out. If you stand in front of me right now, your little prince will be safe.’ This was what Dulandal was implying.

He also cared about the relationship between the empire and the Overgeared Kingdom. It was a burden for Prince Dulandal to break the truce that the emperor made himself, but he would be satisfied with hunting the rodent. His intentions were read by the Overgeared Knights.

“...” Chucksley glanced at Lord’s shadow. It was a signal to take responsibility. Chucksley was sad because he knew that Kasim was a valuable talent for the Overgeared Kingdom. However, talent existed for the sake of the kingdom. The talent couldn’t put the kingdom in an inconvenient position. Chucksley’s will was clearly communicated to Kasim’s heart.

‘Yes.’ Kasim’s shaking eyes gradually calmed down. His red eyes became white again. Kasim took a deep breath and soothed his mind. Once the Overgeared Kingdom developed safely and the genius Lord completed his growth, the Overgeared Kingdom would wipe out the empire.

‘If I can’t achieve revenge directly with my own hands, then I have to leave it to others. Yes, let’s die.’ Kasim would leave the destruction of the empire to the Overgeared King and his son, while he would take responsibility for his actions today. ‘I was the one who made the mistake. It is right that I take responsibility for it,’ Kasim pledged and was about to leave the shadows.

At this time, someone spoke to Kasim, “Stay still.”

Lord? No. Before Lord could broach the subject, someone else stepped forward. She was Queen Irene.

“Hoh...?”

The woman standing alone in a corner of the banquet hall, who seemed to have nothing to do with politics, was stepping forward at the critical moment? Prince Dulandal lowered his hostility. He was very interested in the courage and wisdom the woman who caught his eyes would show.

‘Things are becoming more serious.’

The special privilege of the strong was to be ‘leisurely.’ In the midst of this serious situation where someone was worried about their nation and someone else was willing to give up his life, Dulandal was pleased. Irene stared straight into his eyes and said, “Your Highness, this person isn’t a rodent or a dog. He is Prince Lord’s legitimate escort and a precious talent of our Overgeared Kingdom.”

“Hah?” It was completely different from Dulandal’s expectations.

‘This stupid woman.’

Dulandal frowned and narrowed his eyes. “In other words, Your Majesty wants to claim that Prince Lord’s escort tried to hurt me? The end result is that the Overgeared Kingdom tried to harm the empire’s 2nd prince, meaning the Overgeared Kingdom is hostile to the empire? Then they are also ignoring the truce agreement.”

“No. Think about why your escort knights pulled out their swords. Wasn’t it to defend Your Highness?”

“...Hrmm? That’s right.”

“The same is true for Prince Lord’s escort. As a knight who grew up beside the little prince, he acted in his position of an escort when your knights approached.”

“Is emitting killing intent part of the role of an escort?”

“Isn’t killing intent less dangerous than pulling out swords?”

“Hah...?” Dulandal was hit in the head. By admitting that the Red Knights had drawn their swords to protect him, Dulandal legitimized the actions of the rodent who dared to send killing intent at him. This was absurd and embarrassing. He was angry, but he quickly suppressed this anger. Dulandal’s expression distorted, and he burst out laughing. Then he reached out to Irene with a polite attitude. “I admire Your Majesty’s intelligence. Can you please let me touch your white hand as an apology?”

“It is an honor.”

Was there anyone in the world who could refuse the formal gesture of an imperial prince? In the first place, there was no reason to refuse it. Irene readily stretched out her soft hand, and Dulandal kissed it.

“...” Lord’s clear eyes turned fierce with a sharpness that resembled his father’s. This was because Lord saw the desire which filled the imperial prince’s eyes when he gazed at Irene.

‘What?’ The Red Knights protecting the imperial prince were shocked. They wanted the intense pressure that they felt from the young prince, who was only around six years old, to be an illusion or a dream. Damian’s heart became restless as he watched the situation progress.

‘Things are better thanks to Queen Irene but...’

Could it become dangerous again now? Damian judged that Lord might make things worse and was about to step forward.

Flash!

Then all of a sudden, the banquet hall was filled with light. It was a nasty light which made it impossible for people to open their eyes, completely different from the warm light that symbolized Goddess Rebecca. Damian recognized this flash of light. While he was temporarily blinded, he shouted, “Black magic! Paladins, immediately escort the imperial prince and royalty!! Kuk...!”

Damian didn’t finish his shout as he’d stepped onto a red pentagram, which had been drawn on the floor, and was now cursed.

[Part of the will of God Yatan has cut you off from the world.]

[You can’t take any action inside this dark barrier.]

[The barrier can only be destroyed from the outside.]

‘The will of Yatan?’ Damian raised his head as he belatedly overcame his blindness. A demonkin fell from the ceiling. The being surrounded by darkness was called Silvenas, who was one of Yatan’s Servants.

“Silva did it! I neutralized the pope!” Her shout was the signal. All types of sounds were heard from outside the banquet hall, and an explosion sent the door of the hall flying open. Dust filled the inside of the banquet hall, and the royalty who barely overcame their blindness were immediately confused.

“Punish the dogs of the damned goddess!”

“The curse of God Yatan is waiting for you!”

The black magicians who entered the banquet hall shouted loudly. The knights of the various nations raised their swords to defend their masters, and the elders of the Rebecca Church and the paladins quickly prepared to fight. Meanwhile, the Overgeared Knights fled with Lord and Irene into a corner. Five new people followed the black magicians into the banquet hall. Three of them were NPCs and two were players. 

The big shots were gathered together:

Yatan’s Third Servant, Aliburn...

Yatan’s Sixth Servant, Cardiora...

Yatan’s Seventh Servant, Hill...

The 1st ranked black magician and Yatan’s Eighth Servant, Rose...

And finally...

“Agnus...!!”

Baal’s Contractor. The players who attended this banquet, like Coke, were shocked. They didn’t know about Yatan’s Servants, but they were overwhelmed by Agnus’ presence...

‘There are four of them, including Silvenas?’ Damian, who was trapped inside the barrier, was wary of Yatan’s Servants apart from Agnus. Rebecca’s Daughters pulled out their divine artifacts and ran to Damian’s side.

“....!!!” Damian shouted from inside the barrier but he couldn’t be heard. Isabel decided that the first pressing need was to destroy this barrier. 

“Kuk...!” She stabbed at the barrier with Lifael’s Spear, but there was no change. Far from being destroyed, it didn’t budge at all. Physical force and divine power were unable to harm the barrier.

“Leave the barrier to us and protect the people!”

“In particular, protect Prince Lord!”

The elders came forward. Their instructions reassured Damian. Damian felt a great affinity at the thought of these stuffy old people. However, it wasn’t a situation where he could feel reassured.

“Kyaaaak!”

“Kuaack!”

The screams of the guests started to fill the banquet hall. The knights and paladins who ran over to the situation seemed to be stuck outside. Agnus’ undead seemed to be interfering with them. Isabel also noticed this fact. First of all, she rushed to Prince Lord’s side. After confirming his safety, she turned toward Agnus.

“Kik! Kikikik!”

The screams of the other nations’ royal families and the creepy laughter filled their ears. The confusion in the banquet hall reached an extreme.

“It is okay. It is okay.”

There was a woman who had been captured as a virgin and almost sacrificed to Yatan. It was Irene. From the moment the Yatan Church showed up, she was frightened by her old memories, but she tried not to express it. In order to prevent her son from feeling uneasy, she held her young son in her arms and smiled. 

“...Mother.” Lord felt his mother’s trembling and her love. The child’s gaze turned toward the battlefield. He was filled with a desire to fight.

“You can’t. You aren’t their opponent right now.”

“That’s right, Your Highness. Please stay back.” Kasim, Chucksley, and the young knights came forward.