Level Up Machine 058: Demon God's Armor (3)
The royal castle of the Elnot Kingdom was engulfed in utter chaos.
It was because word had arrived that the Northern Borderline had collapsed, and a powerful entity called a Dragonian was leading hundreds of monsters straight toward the capital.
"Wh-what in the world were the Andras Knights doing?!"
King Hendrick von Elnot of the Elnot Kingdom screamed in a voice thick with terror. His ministers bowed deeply, sweat beading on their brows.
"Th-that is... At that moment, the Laira Guild happened to be out on a dungeon expedition, so the Andras Knights alone couldn't hold them back, Your Majesty."
"Kuh! Damn it! Damn it! Those rootless lowborn scum—they weren't guarding the Northern Borderline they were ordered to protect, and instead they're wandering off somewhere?!"
Hendrick pounded the throne in rage.
Hendrick von Elnot IV. The current king of the Elnot Kingdom and one of the worst monarchs in its history. With his intensely authoritarian personality, he was furious that Earth's summoners had formed their own independent forces, ignoring the kingdom's commands.
"Those wretched things should be grateful just to be allowed to live in my kingdom and obey me—how dare they...!"
He gnashed his teeth thinking of the Leviathan Guild, which had grown into a mighty power he could no longer touch.
When Earth's people were first summoned, he had even formed an extermination squad to massacre them, decrying them as lowly foreigners who dared set foot in his realm.
But that didn't last. The Earthlings began amassing an unstoppable force, thanks to level caps far exceeding the average native's.
Realizing just how strong they were, Hendrick changed his tune and grew greedy to gather them into an army.
"And yet those things dare spurn my grace from on high...!"
Hendrick trembled with fury, grinding his teeth.
Of course, the Earthlings refused to serve under Hendrick, who had once formed extermination squads to slaughter them. The Leviathan Guild had even wiped out several of his units sent to forcibly conscript them.
In the end, Hendrick had eyed the Salvatore Guild—led by one of his own kingdom's nobles—but even that had crumbled pathetically in a civil war.
"Damn it...! If only that wench Tiriya had obediently handed over her guild, it wouldn't have come to this!"
Hendrick stamped his feet like a petulant child, full of grievance.
Had she given him the guild wholesale, he could have built a powerful army on that foundation. And then the Northern Borderline never would have been breached by a mere Dragonian.
The minister who had come to report the situation darkened his expression as he watched Hendrick rage like a madman.
How could such a worthless fool be born into the Elnot royal line?
The Elnot Kingdom had traditionally wielded strong royal authority thanks to a peculiar trait in its royal bloodline. Descendants of the hero Andras who founded the kingdom, they were innately gifted with the qualities of great generals.
Over generations, they flawlessly handled royal duties and expanded the nation's power, sending the king's popularity soaring among the people.
Of course, a few mediocre kings had appeared now and then, but none had been so incompetent as to shake the kingdom's foundations.
Hendrick von Elnot was different. One had to wonder if he was truly Andras's descendant—he was tyrannical, greedy, and steeped in authoritarianism.
The previous Elnot king had only sired Hendrick before passing away, leaving no suitable heir. Hendrick ascended the throne and promptly neglected state affairs in favor of luxury and debauchery.
Even that wouldn't have been a huge problem. Though royal authority was strong, the Elnot Kingdom had a solid history and institutions; it wouldn't crumble just because the king slacked off.
The issue was that the monster invasion from the north began precisely during Hendrick's reign.
When the Ingrium Empire—expected to sweep the monsters aside—collapsed, and the beasts began ravaging the continent, Hendrick's cowardly, panicky nature was enough to make the kingdom wobble.
Without the summoners he so despised, the Elnot Kingdom would have fallen long ago.
If only Prince Ruan inherited the throne... it wouldn't be like this.
Ruan von Elnot. The most talented among Hendrick's sons and the crown prince. Ruan was one of the rare natives whose level cap allowed him to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the summoners called "Rankers."
Even in the continent's strongest nation, the Arnan Empire, few natives had level caps comparable to his—a truly remarkable gift.
Nor was it just his level cap. At only fifteen, he had mastered politics, economics, military strategy, and more. He formed his own knight order, racked up achievements, and subjugated monsters left and right.
Ten years after forming his order, it had become one of the Elnot Kingdom's premier forces alongside the Andras Knights.
But as long as that wastrel lives, Ruan can't take the throne...
The minister scowled at Hendrick, who sat shivering on the throne. At forty years old, the king was far too young to die.
"Mobilize the entire army right now! Wipe out those damned monsters before they reach my castle!"
"Th-the entire army, Your Majesty?"
"Yes! Gather even the Royal Guard and kill those monsters!"
The minister looked flustered at Hendrick's hysterical shout. The Royal Guard's duty was to protect the king even if enemies invaded the capital.
Sending them on a subjugation force? What if something happened to the castle in their absence?
"Deploying the Royal Guard for monster subjugation is too hasty, Your Majesty. The summoners are already forming their own subjugation force anyway—sending reinforcements to them would be wiser."
"Eek! Are you defying me?! I can't trust the summoners! What if those rootless scum send the monsters our way?!"
"B-but..."
"Shut up! Since when does a mere minister dare question the king's orders?! Assemble every soldier now and capture those monsters!"
"...Understood."
Judging further talk impossible, the minister bowed and left the audience chamber.
Alone on the throne, Hendrick gnawed his nails and muttered in a mad voice.
"Heh heh heh. Everyone looks down on me? Kee hee hee. Just you wait, you lowborn trash. When I can wield that item, it'll be the end for all of you."
Hendrick cackled as he spoke. Rising from the throne, he irritably rang the bell beside it—the one for summoning maids.
The door burst open.
"You called, Your Majesty?"
Ten maids rushed in and bowed deeply.
"Bring wine! Now!"
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
The maids bowed and fetched the wine. Hendrick roughly uncorked the finest vintage and chugged it like water.
"Kyah! Heh heh heh. Now I feel a bit better."
Hendrick giggled as the alcohol spread through him.
? ? ?
Three days after Hendrick's order sent every soldier from the castle to subjugate the monsters, only a skeleton guard and the maids remained.
Whoosh!
"F-fire!"
A maid's scream echoed. Flames had erupted in the pantry.
Acrid smoke began filling the corridors.
"Call the guards, quick!"
"Yes!"
Too much for the maids alone, they urgently signaled the guards.
"Huh...?"
But even through the communication orb, no response came. The maid spoke up in confusion.
"M-Maid Chief! The guards aren't responding!"
"What?! What the hell are they doing in an emergency?!"
The head maid scowled fiercely. She couldn't have imagined it: the guards were locked in fierce combat against masked assailants.
Slash!
"Aaaagh!"
A masked intruder's sword swung. A capital guard in Elnot uniform tried to block with his spear, but he couldn't withstand the blade brimming with blue mana.
The spear snapped in half, and dark red blood gushed from the soldier's chest.
The masked attackers numbered far more than a handful—twenty strong, they massacred the guards.
The capital guards were level 30s—high for natives—but they were helpless against the masks.
It took little time for all fifty guards to fall.
"Guild Master! All clear."
"Good."
The lead masked figure nodded at the report. Their identity: the Deo Peiser Guild, cooperating with Salvatore Guild to assault the castle.
Kim Chan-hyeong raised his communication orb and spoke lowly.
"This is Team B. South gate secured."
"Got it."
Kim Chan-hyeong nodded and ordered his guildmates to seal the south gate.
This wasn't limited to the south. Masked assailants hit the north, west, and east gates simultaneously, sealing the castle completely.
With most forces already out subjugating monsters, the castle had no choice but to fall helplessly.
"...This is way too easy than expected."
Yeong-sik spoke in a hollow voice, listening to reports from other teams beside Bae Han-seong.
Han-seong wore a dumbfounded look as he replied.
"I never imagined they'd send even the public security and Royal Guard on the subjugation."
"No one in their right mind would do that."
For an assault planned over so long, the result was anticlimactic.
Han-seong swallowed a groan.
"Well, since we're here, it's good we can hit the goal without much damage... but it does make me wonder what all that prep was for."
He looked slightly aggrieved. Like training for years for a decisive match, only for the opponent to forfeit with a stomachache.
They'd achieved the objective, but too easily to celebrate.
"Haha, true enough."
Even Yeong-sik, less involved in planning, felt deflated; Han-seong, who'd prepared longest, must have felt it worse.
"Space transfer prep complete."
As Han-seong and Yeong-sik chatted, Yu-jin—chanting a spell before the royal treasury—spoke up.
Their eyes sharpened.
Han-seong, Yeong-sik, and Yu-jin were tasked with retrieving the Grace of the Archangel from the royal vault.
More people could have looted extras, but Yu-jin could only teleport three including himself.
"And don't get too deflated. This assault isn't the end. More forces are always better."
"Fair point."
Han-seong nodded at Yu-jin's words.
They were attacking a kingdom's castle. Masks made them look like bandits, but the kingdom wasn't stupid—they'd guess who did it.
Worse, failing to thin the forces now might mean more pursuers later.
"We'll worry later. Focus on reclaiming the Grace of the Archangel now."
Yeong-sik stepped forward. Yu-jin nodded and cast the spell.
Their bodies melted into the air and vanished.