After thinking deeply for a while like this, he opened his eyes with a short mutter.“Opportunity.”Lipia instantly held her breath and replied in a small voice:“What opportunity?”She immediately got an answer.“Obviously… One of peace.”As a word too dangerous to utter in this city, it quickly melted in the air of the room and dissipated.“Do you consider it… possible, Your Excellency?”Facing the softly questioning Lipia, Shasta fixed his gaze on the red liquid within his glass, and slowly, but deeply, nodded.“No matter if it’s possible or not, we must achieve it regardless.”Downing the wine with a gulp, he continued:“The Life of the «Great Gate» that has divided the Human World and the Land of Darkness since the world was created is about to be depleted. A large-scale invasion of the sun and land-nourished Human World awaited by the Army of Five Dark Races, you can say is the arrow poised on the bow. In the last Ten Feudal Lords Meeting, there was a large quarrel just about dividing the land, riches, and slaves of the Human World. They are really… an incurable bunch of gluttons.”At Shasta’s direct and unrestricted speech, Lipia recoiled slightly.Different from the Human World that had the «Taboo Index», a thick book of law, to rule the nation, there was only one law in the Land of Darkness. That was — seize by force.In a certain sense, compared with the other nine Feudal Lords whose thirst for power could not be quenched even if they obtained the highest authority, it could be said that Shasta’s consideration of peace with the Human World was heresy.However, Lipia was deeply fascinated with this man because of his unique thoughts. Besides, unlike the servant women attending to their master, Lipia was not taken by force. Shasta had presented a bouquet on bended knee and convinced Lipia with his truthful words.Oblivious of his lover wandering in such thoughts, Shasta continued with added gravity:“… But, they underestimate the Humans too much. Especially, the «Integrity Knights» that have protected the Human World for three hundred years.”Hearing this name, Lipia nodded, her head growing cold.”Sure… They are skillful to a frightening extent.”“They have, quite literally, the strength of a thousand in one. In the long history of the Dark Knights, countless have been slain by the Integrity Knights, but it has never happened the other way around. Their swordsmanship is so excellent, and the Divine Instruments that they carry are powerful beyond measure… Even I have only brought one to an impasse a few times, but I couldn’t manage to kill them. Of course, my defeats definitely number many.”“That is… due to their usage of mystifying techniques, such as releasing fire or blinding beams from their swords…”“«Armament Full Control Art». Even though we’ve had our Technique Research Department study it for a long time, we’re still unable to break it down. Just to go up against that skill, even a hundred Goblin Soldiers wouldn’t be enough.”“Even though you say that… Our army numbers 50,000 while the Integrity Knights number only about thirty. Can we not suppress them with sheer volume…?”At Lipia’s words, Shasta scratched his moustache with a sarcastic air.“Didn’t I just say that they have the strength of a thousand in one? If you calculate it, we will lose 30,000 from our army.”“Why would… It can’t be that many.”“Hm, yeah. Even though this method of calculation is disheartening, we’ll be pushing forward in the battle with our Knights, Ogres, and Giants, the Dark Sorcerers would be using long-range explosive attacks at the rear, and we’d eventually exhaust the Integrity Knights. But after their last Knight falls, it’s hard to imagine how much we would have lost. Perhaps not 30,000, but losing half is certainly possible.”The crystal glass was set onto the table with a hard sound.Shasta extended a hand to stop Lipia, who was about to refill his glass, and sunk his back into his armchair.“…And the result, would of course be an imbalance in power between the Five Races of Darkness. The Ten Feudal Lords Meeting would become meaningless, and the treaty of equality between the Five Races would leave only its name. If it goes down like that, the «Age of Iron and Blood» that ended a hundred years ago would return. No, it would be worse. Because this time, the everlasting honeyed sea of the Humans would be in front of us. Deciding how to divide that piece of land would take more than a hundred years of war…”This was the worst future scenario that Shasta often feared and mentioned repeatedly to Lipia. What was worse, the nine other Feudal Lords apart from Shasta did not think that this was the worst future at all — on the contrary, they were looking forward to it.Lipia lowered her head, gazing at the gleaming light exuded by her pitch-black full body armor, which had been her partner ever since her entrance into Knighthood.Twice as short as other kids when she was young, Lipia could never become a Knight if she had been born in the «Age of Iron and Blood»; she would have been sold to human traffickers, or abandoned outside the city, ending her short life there.Although it was shady, she was still thankful for that peace treaty, as she had not been sold into slavery but instead entered the Youth School, benefited from a late-blooming talent in swordsmanship, and ascended to a nearly unattainably high position for a Human female.Ever since she had become a Knight, Lipia had been gathering children who were abandoned by their parents from remote places rife with human trafficking, and took care of them until they were able to enter school. She used nearly all of her income to run a childcare center like this.She kept this a secret not only from her colleagues, but even from Shasta. She was unable to explain it herself; why would she do such a thing.It was just that—Lipia could not help feeling odd about this country, in which power dominates all. Although she had not the wisdom of Shasta, to be able to turn her thoughts into clear words, she felt that there should be a better, more appropriate form of this country — no, the entire Underworld, including the Human World.Lipia hazily understood that this so-called new world, is far beyond the peace that Shasta proposed. At the same time, as a woman she was desperate to help the man she loved in order to realize his dream.But.“…But, how do you plan to convince the other Feudal Lords, Your Excellency? Not to mention… Would the Integrity Knights accept a negotiation for peace?”Lipia inquired in a small voice.“…Hm…”Shasta closed his eyes, his right hand playing with his elaborate moustache. Eventually, he murmured bitterly:“About the Integrity Knights, there is still a turn for the better. As the Highest Minister is now dead, the main commander should now be that old man Bercouli. Although he’s a sly old fox, he’s still a reasonable man. The problem… still lies with the Ten Feudal Lords Meeting. On this side… although it may seem to conflict with our goal…”
Deep within his raised eyelids, two sharply gleaming eyes stared at the ceiling.
“— Seems like we have to slash a few. At least four.”
Lipia gasped in shock and leaned forward:
“Four, you say, Your Excellency…? If my assumption is right, it can only be the two Goblin chiefs, the Orc chief, and…”
“The Leader of the Dark Sorcery Guild. That woman has always been filled with wild desire for Administrator’s secret to immortality, and the day that she ascends to the Emperor’s Throne. She would definitely not accept the proposition of peace.”
“B-but!”
Lipia objected in a strained voice.
“That’s too reckless, Your Excellency! Even though the Goblin and Orc elders may not stand against your sword… We do not know what kind of despicable trick the Dark Sorceress would use!”
Even after Lipia finished, Shasta was silent.
But what he said completely took her by surprise.
“Hey, Lipia. How long have you been coming here to me?”
“Hah? It’s… A-about… Ever since I turned 21… Four years.”
“It’s been that long, huh. … I apologize for always keeping you in a shadow of doubt. How about… It’s time, uh, well….”
Rotating his eyes and scratching his head with a rustle, the Dark Knight Commander opened his mouth roughly:
“…Would you, officially, marry me? If you don’t mind me as a middle-aged man.”
“E…Excellency…”
Lipia opened her eyes, unable to speak.
She felt a heat slowly seeping out from deep within her heart, and just as she was about to unhesitantly fly into her lover’s embrace…
From the other side of the thick great door, a clear, loud voice as sharp as a whip pierced right through the wide room.
“Big news!! This is some BIG news!! AAHH, what on earth is happening!! Feudal Lords, come with me, quickly, QUICKLY!!”
She faintly remembered this voice: it belonged to one of the Feudal Lords, the head of the Commerce and Industry Guild.
Uncharacteristic of the huge, burly figure in Lipia’s memory, the scream continued completely unexpectedly:
“It’s THE MOST important event EVER!! — In-inside the Throne Room! The sealing lock! It’s SHAKIIIING!!”
2
Under the identity of Emperor Vector, Gabriel Miller, dominating the Throne Room, surveyed the artificial Fluctlights prostrated on the ground with a hint of awe.
They were all photon information sealed in Light Cubes with each edge two inches long. Even so, in this world, they were true humans with intellect and souls. As expected, however, out of the ten in a line at the very front, half of them were strange-looking monsters.
The ten generals who were called «Feudal Lords» and the Knights and Sorcerers who trailed behind them, and the garrisoned army of 50,000 outside the city, were all [Units] given to Gabriel. From now on, he must appropriately utilize these pawns to annihilate the def
đang được dịch, vui lòng đợi..