Staking Your Life
Roxanne, that master of posturing, claimed she was acting for the sake of the 72 Lords, but in truth, she was simply trying to corner me out of personal spite. Her arrogance pierced the very heavens—she was the type who couldn't bear to see even a god standing above her.
In the game, when defeated by a player, most of Roxanne's lines were along the lines of: "How could I lose to a mere insect like you?" or "What kind of cheap trick did you use?"—just endless, arrogant drivel. Denying defeat more than death itself even in her final moments. What more was there to say?
Her pride must be utterly shattered. The purpose of this hearing had no justification, no practical benefit; it was purely to vent her personal frustration. What a child. And as if she knew how petty she was being, her attempt to cover it up with a grand pretext was painfully obvious.
Bliz cleared his throat and looked around. "The Rank 2 Lord has requested a hearing against the Rank 7 Lord. This is an unprecedented hearing between two lords of the Mugan Palaces. Do you all agree?"
If it were a lower-ranking lord, it would be one thing, but this was a hearing between Mugan Palaces. A conflict between the Mugan 7 Palaces carried risks that neither side could easily bear. One would think they would oppose it out of fear of the aftermath, but the lower-ranking lords simply succumbed to Roxanne's murderous aura and complied.
What about the other Mugan Palaces? Ultimately, the stance of the other Mugan 7 Palaces was what mattered. No matter how high Roxanne's rank was at Rank 2, on paper, all members of the Mugan 7 Palaces held equal rights. If even two of the remaining four opposed it, the hearing wouldn't even happen.
"Elder, cool your temper a bit," Rosesha urged, but Roxanne didn't even pretend to listen. Rosesha, knowing my predicament, was clearly on the opposing side. But what about the other Mugan Palaces?
"Good, good! It sounds fun!" "Rin likes it too!" "I agree." "Mmm..." Looking around, the twins were giggling, saying it sounded fun, while Calandas nodded in agreement. Dalon merely maintained a solemn silence, showing no sign of opposition. What a total shitshow.
"As before, I will act as the mediator." As if the hearing were already a done deal, Bliz spoke up. "I ask both Lords to engage in a rapid-fire Q&A format. Decisions should ideally be reached by consensus, but if a consensus cannot be reached, we will put it to a vote among the 72 Lords. Lord Roxanne, please begin your questioning."
"I shall ask two things, Bargore. You are obligated to answer these two questions." One was undoubtedly the Holy Sword. The other was taking a human as a lieutenant. Both were related to pro-human sentiment, the ultimate pretext to use against me in front of the 72 Lords.
"You are an undead. How is it that an undead has been chosen by the Holy Sword?" Since I had anticipated this accusation, it didn't even require quick thinking. I had prepared countless counterarguments before even coming to the Round Table. It was nothing to boast about, but masquerading as a member of the Mugan 7 Palaces had turned me into a chronic over-preparer. From the moment I first heard about the assembly of the 72 Dungeons, I had devised thorough countermeasures.
And it's about the Holy Sword and Charlotte. I had prepared perfectly reasonable defenses for both. There was no need to be scared. This wasn't a one-on-one duel to the death. We were just exchanging questions and answers to determine who was right.
"What does the awakening of the Holy Sword signify? It is the revelation of Solari for the preservation of humanity. A Holy Sword that requires worthiness and serves mankind—that very sword is in your hands, Bargore. What does this imply?" Unlike me, Roxanne had demanded this hearing out of pure spite. If she only put forward hastily cobbled-together arguments, she could never defeat me in a debate.
"You possess a sense of justice for humanity. You harbor a treacherous heart, seeking to betray the 72 Dungeons, this monstrous realm, and side with the humans." On one hand, I was puzzled. Nominally, a hearing was meant to judge right from wrong. Knowing this, Roxanne was still clawing at my hidden intentions—something completely unrelated and impossible to prove through debate. Whether I favored humanity or the 72 Lords was something no one could know unless they used Renrin's Insight. Yet, there was no sign of her calling upon Renrin's Insight. In fact, she couldn't. A hearing, excluding the mediator, had to be conducted strictly as a direct Q&A between the two parties.
Is her goal purely demagoguery? Or perhaps she was so blinded by anger that she couldn't think straight. Or maybe she had another scheme entirely. At this point, I finally spoke.
"Yet I have eliminated two Heroes." "That is not valid proof. Those two Heroes tried to kill you first. You merely slew them in self-defense; you harbored no other intent, did you?" "..."
"What is the purpose of this assembly? It is ultimately a gathering for the solidarity of the 72 Dungeons. Yet, your mere possession of the Holy Sword disrupts that solidarity." As expected, it was pure demagoguery. Without the twins' Insight, the facts regarding my true intentions could not be verified. Thus, her strategy was to slander me with whatever she could throw to bury me.
"The second agenda item is much the same. As you know, the Mugan 7 Palaces are sacrosanct and revered by this monstrous realm. Behold! See what kind of depravity a member of those very Mugan 7 Palaces has committed." Point. Roxanne pointed behind me, toward Charlotte, who stood in silent vigilance.
"You have taken a pure-blooded human as your lieutenant. This, too, will greatly hinder our solidarity. We bear the monumental task of serving the 72 Dungeons and this monstrous realm. None of us can stand by and watch your depravity." "What is it you ultimately want to say?" For a brief moment, Roxanne's brow twitched. What a long tongue she has. So, what's your point?
"Obstacles and elements of instability must be eliminated. Should you lose this hearing, you must execute your lieutenant with your own hands. And you must destroy the Holy Sword." Destroying the Holy Sword and executing Charlotte. Naturally, my gaze drifted elsewhere. There was someone who had a history of trying to kill Charlotte and who was more wary of the Holy Sword than anyone else. Calandas was watching silently from afar.
At first glance, it might look like they had conspired together, but knowing Roxanne's personality, that wasn't the case. When it came to blind hatred for humanity, the two of them were mirror images. Because their hearts were aligned, their opinions naturally coincided. I crossed my arms, feigning composure.
"I shall counter the demand for Charlotte's execution. But before that, let me ask you something." As I stared her down in silence, Roxanne gave a slight nod of her chin. "Centuries ago, the Ten-Tier Abyss spread black magic to the Empire. As a result, 'witches' were born among humanity." At my words, Roxanne's pupils dilated, and her gaze shifted to Charlotte. Did she only just realize she's a witch?
"With the emergence of witches, humanity fractured. Was this not exactly what you intended, Roxanne?" Roxanne had created witches to shatter human unity. Just as she planned, witch hunts erupted across the Empire, dealing a massive blow to humanity.
"The existence of witches causes division among humans. And my lieutenant, Charlotte, is that very witch." The one who had created witches was Roxanne herself. She had fallen into her own trap. Having said this much, Roxanne surely understood.
"A witch serving as the lieutenant of a Mugan Palace. If the Empire learns of this, another witch hunt will erupt. Innocent women will die, and discord will naturally sow itself among the imperial citizens." I paused and glanced toward the twins. "Since ancient times, it has been said that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Charlotte shares our grand task. Twins, Renrin, you may verify this."
In principle, Renrin's Insight was not to be used on the three main participants of the hearing. In other words, they could use it on Charlotte, who was an outsider. From Renrin's perspective, since Charlotte still had three remaining chances for discernment, there was no reason to refuse.
"Yeah. Rank 7's lieutenant? You want to kill all humans? Well, except for fellow witches!" "Yes. That is why I volunteered to be my Lord's lieutenant." A witch had returned as the lieutenant of a Mugan Palace. Since this served as a perfect pretext to cause chaos in the Empire, and Charlotte's true feelings aligned with it, the tide of victory was shifting decisively in my favor.
"Yep, it's true." "Uh-huh!" A faint look of dismay washed over Roxanne's face. With this, the issue of Charlotte's execution was completely resolved. Now, only the Holy Sword remained.
"Roxanne, to borrow your words: my counterargument regarding the Holy Sword is much the same." "..." "A hearing is not a place to lay bare my inner thoughts. Face the reality of the situation."
No one could ever know whether I harbored a treacherous heart. My counterargument was not demagoguery like Roxanne's, but a cold dose of reality. "Think about which faction will be thrown into the greatest chaos with the Holy Sword in my hands. Is it all of you, who feel a non-existent threat? Or is it humanity, whose grand hope has been utterly snatched away?" With those words, I drew the Holy Sword.
"As long as this remains in my hands, humanity's despair is eternal. That is why the name of my dungeon is the Tomb of Faith. Conversely, if I destroy the Holy Sword, what do you think humanity will say?" 'As expected, the undead cannot wield the Holy Sword. Our faith remains steadfast.' Everyone knew, without it being said, that humanity's solidarity was built on their faith. I sheathed the Holy Sword once more and looked around.
"I declare here and now that I do not serve humanity. The Holy Sword will be used solely for my own purposes. Once this hearing is over, you may test me with Renrin's Insight." Of course, they couldn't penalize me for arguments made during the hearing itself. Even the childish Renrin wouldn't do that. I merely wanted to show that my words carried the weight of such absolute confidence.
"Roxanne, do not stir up discord with such absurd reasons. You didn't even recognize that my lieutenant was a witch." "...You bastard." A murderous tone leaked from Roxanne's mouth. A chill ran down my spine at that single, short syllable. ...Did I cross the line? Should I not have said that last part?
Roxanne's eyes sharpened even further. Even the color of her level indicator had shifted to a murderous hue. "I shall speak plainly. I do not like you." Suddenly, a ghostly, murderous aura flared up around Roxanne. An indescribable purple aura instantly crushed the space. The sound of the other Lords catching their breath echoed all at once.
"I admit it. This hearing was also demanded out of my personal feelings. That is how badly I wish to crush you." "..." "I shall concede the hearing, so let us move on to the next matter. Bargore, let us duel to see which of us is stronger." Ah. Why the hell is she suddenly flying off the handle?! I knew she had the pride of a child, but I didn't expect her to be this reckless. If we fought one-on-one, my body would undoubtedly be vaporized without a trace. That is, if it actually came to that.
"Elder, just accept it and stop." "Maintain your dignity, Lady Roxanne. You are the Rank 2 Lord and the highest lord of this Round Table." "That's right, Elder, you have to hold back!" "Rin agrees!" No matter how high her rank was at Rank 2, this was still the Round Table where all 72 Lords gathered.
"If you move, we will not stand by. Do you wish to turn everyone here into your enemy?" "Elder! Calm down! Calm down!" "Rin says calm down too! Calm down!" "Bargore." Attacking me here was tantamount to turning the entire Mugan 7 Palaces against her. But this crazy bitch didn't seem to care about that at all. No matter what the others said, Roxanne's eyebrows didn't even twitch.
"If you do not accept, your lieutenant will die by my hand. Do not think you can stop me. I can kill her the very instant I resolve to do so." "..." What kind of absolute psycho is this? She wasn't just making an empty threat to kill Charlotte. If she truly set her mind to it, she possessed the power to kill Charlotte in the blink of an eye, and I could clearly feel her genuine intent to do so.
"I say this for the last time. Let us determine which of us is stronger. Though you are Rank 7, you are a single entity. Would it not make for a fine duel?" Clearly, Roxanne wasn't throwing a tantrum just because she didn't want to accept the hearing's outcome. If that were the case, she would have raised objections regarding the hearing before resorting to a fight. Roxanne had intended this from the very beginning. Even before the meeting started, she had openly shown her reluctance to acknowledge my strength. She wanted to salvage her pride not through some petty hearing, but through a clash of raw power.
Ah, this is so fucked. The hearing was merely an excuse to force a fight. It was completely unreasonable and reckless, but Roxanne had the power to make it happen. She was the overwhelmingly powerful supreme being who could afford to turn everyone in this room into her enemy. Of all the people to get targeted by, it had to be this reckless, self-centered powerhouse. I had no idea why she was acting like this toward an opponent she could kill with a single sneeze.
Fuck, what do I do? If I accept, I obviously die. But if I rely on the 72 Lords and refuse? She might throw all consequences to the wind and kill Charlotte on the spot. This arrogant, anger-management-challenged dragon was more than capable of doing just that.
...A frontal breakthrough is the only answer. The only reason I had survived this far was sheer bluffing. Was there really no bluff that could make even Roxanne back down? Empty words would only fan the flames of her anger. Furthermore, I didn't have any items to detonate like I did with Calandas.
Should I blow up Bliz? The thought lasted only a fraction of a second. Doing so might resolve the immediate situation, but the aftermath would be disastrous. He wasn't just anyone; how could I possibly blow up the lieutenant of the Old One?
Should I beg and say I lost? Maybe say something like, "Let's just say I lost," to save a bit of face? It would shatter the grand facade I had built so carefully, but it was a guaranteed way to ensure everyone survived. If even that failed, I would have to get on my knees, slam my head on the floor, and beg.
...Wait, what about this? Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed through my mind. A clever trick that could overwhelm Roxanne with an even grander bluff. However, it wasn't a sure thing. It could easily backfire. In truth, it was a gamble just like the one with Calandas. But if it succeeded, even Roxanne might fall victim to my bluff. Having made up my mind, I spoke.
"How unreasonable. You possess an immortal body, do you not?" It was indeed unreasonable. It wasn't just the stark difference between Rank 2 and Rank 7; Roxanne herself was the definition of unreasonable. The Dragon Lord Roxanne. Her other title was the Undead Dragon Roxanne. She was born with a body that absolutely could not die. Even if her head was severed or her body was cut to pieces, she would not die—true immortality. Even if the Empire and the Mugan 7 Palaces joined forces to launch an all-out assault, killing Roxanne was impossible. Leaving aside the Old One, who was shrouded in mystery, she wasn't called the strongest entity in the world for nothing.
"Even if everyone here launched an all-out attack against you, we could not kill you. Not in days, not in years, not even if centuries passed. For you can never die." Everyone at the Round Table knew this. Roxanne was an absolute existence that transcended mere unreasonableness to reach the realm of the impossible. Without a shred of exaggeration, she was a powerhouse capable of turning everyone here into her enemy. Because she knew this better than anyone, she could recklessly instigate such a situation without hesitation. My strength had been proven by Bliz's words and further verified by the twins' Insight. Yet, the reason Roxanne remained unfazed was simple: she was immortal.
Even in the game, Roxanne was the pinnacle of absurdity. Physical attacks, magic, curses, healing, holy power—no matter what method was used, her health would only tick down slowly, and once her health bar was finally depleted, it would instantly refill to full. I was the first person to ever clear her raid, but even that had taken me over three long years.
"That is why you can act so insolently without any resolve." "Be honest. Are you not simply terrified?" Roxanne curled her lips into a smirk. It was the relaxed confidence of someone who had never even considered the possibility of defeat. Her mind was undoubtedly filled with nothing but thoughts of how to humiliate me.
If I tucked my tail here, the situation would end peacefully. To survive, it was only right to cast aside the layers of bluffs I had built up. The others also seemed to want me to bow my head. But I didn't want to do that now. I wanted to break the nose of that arrogant lizard.
"Twins, Renrin. To mediate this conflict, I require your assistance." No matter how much the twins sought entertainment, even they would want to avoid a clash between the Mugan 7 Palaces. Thus, I believed they would grant my request. "Use your Heavenly Insight on me right now."
Just like with Bliz, subjective conviction alone couldn't distinguish truth from falsehood. But beyond mere conviction, I had killed Roxanne many, many times. Not once or twice, but dozens, hundreds of times. It was time for Roxanne to experience the exact same feeling Bliz had felt. A strange light flickered in the twins' eyes as they looked at me—the precursor to Insight.
"Roxanne. In my presence, you are not immortal." As is common in fantasy, dragons possess a Reverse Scale. Even Roxanne, who appeared immortal, had a Reverse Scale that served as her Dungeon Core. Roxanne's Dungeon Core was a unique case. It was a fingernail-sized core hidden deep inside her throat. It wasn't something she had hidden of her own free will; it was a Reverse Scale engraved there from the very beginning. It had taken me three years just to find that one thing.
"Right here, right now." Even if she opened her mouth wide, what came next was the real issue. Finding that tiny Dungeon Core was like searching for a pearl in a vast desert. "I know the method to kill you in a single blow."
"...Ha. Your bluffing is excessive. Just because you spit out words doesn't make them true." Her face was filled with utter disbelief. If asked whether I could kill her right this instant, it was practically impossible. That was why I had cleverly phrased it as knowing the method to kill her. In reality, if I could just plunge my Holy Sword into her Reverse Scale, Roxanne would be utterly obliterated. If the game and reality differed, then it would simply register as a lie. I wouldn't die just because my bluff was exposed. It wouldn't escalate into a fight either; I could just bow my head and resolve it then. On the other hand, if my words were proven to be the truth, even Roxanne would never be able to treat me lightly again. Perhaps she would even fear me.
"...It's true." It was Ren's voice. I didn't even need to turn my head. Reflected in Roxanne's pupils, which were trembling as if struck by an earthquake, was Ren, whose eyes glowed with a green light. I had killed Valmonk in a single blow without even touching him, and I could do the same to Bliz. There was no law saying Roxanne wouldn't become the next victim. Now that my words were confirmed as absolute truth, every word I uttered from here on out would become my power.
"Roxanne. A duel between us cannot be a simple contest of skill." "..." "With our emotions running this high, we would surely seek to kill one another. Do you truly wish for a battle to the death?" Roxanne's inner thoughts were transparent. She had undoubtedly threatened me with the casual assumption that she could never die. Now that this assumption had been shattered, the color of Roxanne's level indicator began to shift. A pale orange and black. It was the first time she had felt fear since her encounter with the Old One.
"If you wish to clash with me, stake your life." Please, just let it go with this bluff. I'm sweating bullets here, so please, just back down.