The Price of Insolence
When I killed Valmonk and Wilhelm—stepping into the tiger's den and the crocodile's jaws—my guilt had been paper-thin. After all, it was the undeniable truth that they had tried to kill me first. But now, I didn't feel even that microscopic shred of remorse. Was it because my opponent wasn't human? Or did I cherish Charlotte more than I had realized? Or was it simply because I had already deemed him weaker than myself? Whatever the reason, I had no regrets about the choice I had made. Nor did I have any desire to turn back time.
"This human is the deputy of the Tomb of Faith, one of the Mugan Seven Palaces. Even if you harmed her in ignorance, it is a crime worthy of death. But I shall ask. Did you truly not know?"
"I-I didn't know."
"So you are saying my deputy did not tell you. Charlotte."
"Your Highness! T-That is..." Gergoar hurriedly cut in. He choked on his own words before barely squeezing out an answer. "S-She did."
"Then why?"
You knew that and still pulled this shit?
"I am sorry. I just thought it was a lie..."
"I do not wish to hear your apology, Gergoar. What is the price for this insolence?"
"I-I have committed a sin worthy of death! Please kill me!"
"I shall do as you wish."
"...?!"
I stepped on Gergoar's head and raised the Holy Sword. Gergoar thrashed his entire body, grabbing my ankle with his single remaining arm. It was utterly pathetic, like a worm squirming on the ground.
"Y-Your Highness! Please spare me!"
My gaze didn't even register Gergoar begging for his life. The faces of the crowd that had gathered around before I knew it were flushed with extreme excitement. They were children of the Demonic Realm. They enjoyed the sight of blood splattering and flesh tearing as entertainment. Furthermore, if the target was one of the 72 Lords, the spectacle was twice as thrilling. With so many eyes watching, rumors would spread in a single day. The current situation was perfect for showing off my authority. Gergoar would serve his purpose perfectly as a sacrifice.
"Hear me. Gergoar, Rank 21, harmed the deputy of myself, a Lord of the Mugan Seven Palaces. His crime is a grave sin worthy of death."
"Ah...! Please! Aaaaargh!! Please! Your Highness! Please just spare my life! Please! I-I won't do it again! I'll never do it again! So pleaseeee!"
"I shall personally decapitate the sinner."
The ground was drenched in Gergoar's tears, spit, and blood. It was impossible to tell whether the sounds coming from his mouth were pleas for mercy or the shrieks of a beast. I didn't feel particularly sorry for him. Gergoar. Your death will be highly valuable, so don't feel too wronged.
The tip of the sword fell.
Slash.
His head was sliced off without any resistance, like cutting through tofu. The beastly shriek ended with a short, choked gasp.
A silence drunk on excitement hung over the surroundings. Hundreds of unblinking eyes were focused solely on me. In the open square, a boss of the Mugan Seven Palaces had executed the Rank 21 boss. In a way, I was responsible for their dopamine rush.
I held up the head and turned in all directions. The dripping blood disgusted me, but I didn't let it show on my face.
"The show is over. All of you, get lost."
I tossed the head down and raised the Holy Sword in my other hand.
"L-Let's go, quickly."
"Is it already this time..."
The crowd, which had been standing frozen to the spot, hurriedly began to go their own ways.
Naturally, only the three of us were left, and it was Balutak who broke the silence.
"Kirik. Great Chief, so cool-dak. Balutak feels so refreshed-dak."
Because Balutak was simple-minded, he could just be happy. Glancing at Charlotte, I could see her complicated feelings. Stepping in front of me, Charlotte mumbled.
"...You shouldn't have done this."
I figured she would say that.
"I respect and uphold all of Boss's decisions. But this decision... I cannot understand it."
"I should ask you instead. Why did you just take the beating?"
The fact that a deputy of the Abyss Palace was beaten by a Rank 21 was a huge blow both positionally and politically. If she had just taken it and let it go, my standing at the meeting would have plummeted. There was no way Charlotte didn't know this. When I reproached her with both my words and my gaze, Charlotte bowed her head in shame.
"I am sorry. I was overthinking to find the best course of action. Because of that, I ended up ruining things."
"Charlotte, you are the deputy of the Mugan Seven Palaces. Even if you killed that bastard, it wouldn't have caused as big of a problem as you think."
"Even if Boss executed him personally, it is a natural punishment, but..." Charlotte trailed off, seemingly reading my expression. "Gergoar is a boss belonging to the faction led by Rank 8. Boss, you have essentially made that entire faction your enemy."
Only then did I understand why Charlotte had tried to stop me. Just as she said, when it came to factions, the high or low rank, or the authority of the Abyss Palace, didn't matter. No matter how powerful the Mugan Seven Palaces were, antagonizing an entire group carried a huge risk. The political machinations of a group could silently isolate an individual. I had only formed a temporary alliance with Rosesha. Thinking we were close enough for her to help me here was pure self-conceit. If she helped me while taking on the bomb of a faction war, Rosesha's position would become difficult. If I were Rosesha, I would ignore such a nuisance.
"The timing is also bad. This incident could become Boss's weakness at tomorrow's meeting."
"Then what if I had spared him? What would happen to my reputation?"
"There was no need to kill him. Severing his limbs would have been enough."
The boss I killed with my own hands belonged to a faction, and on top of that, the meeting was tomorrow. At a glance, it seemed like bad news piled on top of bad news.
Is this really the worst-case scenario?
I already had all eyes on me, and now I had killed a Rank 21 boss. For better or worse, the ripples would be massive. But I had no regrets. At least in my mind, this choice wasn't wrong.
Actually, this is for the best.
This incident wasn't a weakness, but a double-edged sword. I had already resolved to seize the initiative. By executing a Rank 21, I had driven a nail into the other bosses' perception of me. Whether this incident would act as notoriety or a weakness at the meeting depended entirely on how I handled it.
"You should have spared his life but handed down a harsh punishment. That way, no one would look down on Boss, and they would have highly valued your magnanimity."
"Magnanimity. That does not suit the Mugan Seven Palaces at all."
Pity, sympathy, and magnanimity would only eat away at the prestige of the Mugan Seven Palaces. To the Empire, the Demonic Realm, and the 72 Lords, the Mugan Seven Palaces were an overwhelming, unknown terror.
"Magnanimity is merely a weak mind. And if one is weak-minded, they are no different from the weak."
As a member of the Mugan Seven Palaces, I had no need for magnanimity. That was why Calandas had a reputation far exceeding his rank.
Charlotte remained silent for a while, merely fidgeting with her fingers. I let out a sigh of cold air.
"I understand what you mean. However, your actions were unsatisfactory to me. You conducted yourself poorly as a deputy."
"I am sorry."
Beneath her expressionless face, a gloomy side was visible. Right. She was probably the most shocked one here, so I should give her a carrot.
"If something like this happens again, you may kill the opponent. I will take responsibility for everything."
"...Thank you."
"And Charlotte. Be honest." I nodded my chin toward Gergoar—or what was left of him. "Was he an eyesore?"
Charlotte stood blankly for a moment before staring at Gergoar. Then, she bowed her head deeply. The faint upward curve of her lips caught my eye.
"...Honestly, it was refreshing."
Just as I thought.
"Then that is enough."
After spending the night at a high-class inn managed by the Chamber of Commerce, the next day arrived. It was a dark night. I boarded a carriage that the Chamber of Commerce had also prepared. The destination was the palace banquet hall located in the center of Sanjiva. It was a banquet hall, a ballroom, an auction house, and, crucially, the venue for the meeting.
"W-We are departing."
The coachman's level color was a deep black, symbolizing terror. He must have heard yesterday's rumors, not just about the Mugan Seven Palaces.
Clack, clack.
The carriage rolled smoothly along the road. Even after sitting for a long time, my butt didn't hurt and my back was comfortable. I heard that the Chamber of Commerce gave special treatment to the Mugan Seven Palaces, and indeed, the seats were comfortable and the ride was smooth overall. Perhaps because I was a Death Knight, the three or four horses pulling us were all skeletal horses. And they were of a fine breed, comparable to Golgoli.
Thinking of Golgoli naturally brought Hellboki to mind.
I'm sure Hellboki is doing fine.
I had left Hellboki at the inn where we stayed. When I told them he was my pet, the owner swore on his life to protect him. He'd be fine on his own.
"Kirik. The wind is cool-dak. Feels like I'm back home-dak."
Balutak stuck his head out the window like an innocent child. Charlotte had warned him yesterday to behave at the meeting, but I didn't know if he would listen.
Actually, I'm the one who should be more worried.
Having overworked my brain all day, my head felt exhausted. I had simulated countless worst-case scenarios and their countermeasures in my mind. Thanks to being an undead who didn't need sleep, my head was packed with contingency plans. Of course, it was practically impossible to resolve all the upcoming hardships with just mental plans. But I couldn't just sit back and suck my thumb either. My survival depended on how I conducted myself from now on. I exhaled a cold breath like a deep sigh and steeled my resolve.
"Whew. I am nervous..."
It seemed Charlotte felt the same way. Indeed, being a human serving as the deputy of the Mugan Seven Palaces must carry immense pressure. Still, it couldn't compare to me. My life was on the line here.
"Boss."
Instead of answering, I met her gaze. Charlotte, who had been opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish, barely managed to speak.
"Forgive my insolence, but may I rely on you, Boss? Ah, of course, I always have, but I feel it will be especially so this time."
Actually, I'm the one who needs to rely on you more.
"Do as you wish."
"Thank you."
Although I was mostly tense, a part of me was also looking forward to it. If I went to the meeting, wouldn't I be able to see the actual bosses of the Mugan Seven Palaces? Among them was the Rank 1 of the Mugan Seven Palaces, the Old One. Even I had never seen the Old One, not even in game graphics. In the DLC where the Insect King Balutak appeared, there were six new Mugan Seven Palaces bosses. That was because there was absolutely no record of the Rank 1 Old One ever being defeated. Due to the game's system, players couldn't even attempt to raid the Old One, let alone see its actual form. Even though more than a decade had passed since the release of the 72 Dungeon Strategy Record, the developers had only dropped lore crumbs about the Old One. Various debates raged among players. "The Old One doesn't actually exist." "No, it'll come out in a future DLC." "We just haven't found it yet; you can raid it if you meet certain conditions." The developers merely remained silent. Until I was reincarnated here, the Old One was shrouded in rumors, its actual form never revealed.
But it seems it does exist.
Looking at the dialogue of the other Mugan Seven Palaces bosses, it didn't seem to be an imaginary boss. The only ones who had actually seen the Old One were the boss of the Ten-Tier Abyss and Calandas. The boss of the Ten-Tier Abyss had only a single line of dialogue saying they didn't want to recall that memory. Calandas, on the other hand, said he trembled all over from a terror he had never felt before in his life as a Lich.
...This is making me even more anxious. If even Calandas was like that, wouldn't I faint if I saw the Old One? I wouldn't actually faint since I'm an undead, but I would definitely make a fool of myself. I take back what I said about looking forward to it. I'd rather it stay out of my sight.
...Come to think of it, it probably won't show up, right?
Only two people among the Abyss Palaces had seen it. That meant it had never shown its face at the 72 Dungeon Meetings so far. If the Old One of all things decided to attend this meeting, it would be the ultimate bullshit.
Thump.
Just then, the carriage's vibrations stopped.
"O Supreme One. We have arrived."
Before the coachman could even move, Charlotte hurriedly opened the door and stepped down. Then, like a secretary escorting her boss, she carefully gestured outside. I stepped onto the ground without showing any emotion, and Balutak followed. As soon as I got off, I was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the palace that filled my vision.
Is this place bigger than the Imperial Palace?
While I was marveling, the sound of approaching footsteps drew near.
"I greet the master of the Rank 7 Abyss Palace."
"Who are you?"
"This humble one is Brion, the 3rd Seat Executive of the Dungeon Chamber of Commerce. It is my greatest honor to be in charge of guiding you, Lord."
An Orc at level 71? He wasn't even a dungeon boss, just an executive of the Chamber of Commerce, yet his level was insanely high. By the way, his tight suit looked suffocating just to watch.
His level is black too.
Though he didn't show it, the Orc was also afraid of me. Yesterday's incident must have spread like a tsunami; by now, even the bosses in the banquet hall probably knew. We followed Brion up the central stairs of the palace. A vast, long, dark-red carpet stretched out endlessly. On both sides, blue flames like will-o'-the-wisps flickered from neatly arranged torches. Rather than illuminating the surroundings, they only added to the dark atmosphere. Between those blue flames, Death Knights stood in neat rows. As we passed by them—
Shring!
The Death Knights raised their swords in unison to salute. I didn't know if they felt some sense of kinship because we were the same species, but right now, I didn't have a single shred of attention to spare for my surroundings.
"Boss is the coolest. There is simply no comparison."
Charlotte's words didn't even register. My nonexistent heart felt like it was pounding wildly from the tension. At the end of the central staircase, a massive stone gate filled my vision. It was so tall that I had to tilt my neck all the way back to see the top. Once I passed through this gate, I would have to capture the undivided attention of the 72 monsters and act completely unfazed. The build-up was solid. How they perceived me from now on would depend entirely on my actions.
"Hup!"
Placing both hands on the stone gate, Brion pushed with all his might.
Rumble—
With a majestic sound, the stone gate began to open. Soon, in front of the wide-open door, Brion placed the edge of his hand against his chest and bowed deeply with perfect posture. Having finished my mental preparation, I moved first, with Charlotte and Balutak following behind me.
A voice from an unknown source echoed loudly from within. As if that was the trigger, all eyes turned to me. In the darkness, red, orange, blue, and green eyes glowed. The variety of colors wasn't limited to their eyes. Deep black, representing clear terror. Deep orange, representing clear wariness. A rarely seen light red, representing hostility. Among them, not a single green level was visible. Contrary to my inner panic, I feigned composure and took a step forward.