17
Downstairs
There is a saying.
They say that even if you go into a tiger’s den, you can survive if you just clench your fists.
So what should I do when I enter the Imperial Knights’ Cave?
‘There really are so many.’
I muttered a curse as I looked at the imperial knights in front of me.
It was a passageway wide enough for five armed imperial knights to stand shoulder to shoulder.
The palace above was all gold, but here the passage was all white. It seemed like there was no middle ground for the palace guys.
Lanterns that looked like light bulbs were placed here and there, brightly illuminating the passage. Thanks to this, it was as bright as day even without windows. Judging from the lack of oil smell, they seemed to be magic lanterns.
Judging from the casual attire of some of the imperial knights in the corridor, it also felt like a corridor to the imperial knights’ dormitory.
A few people around the door recognized the first and saluted him. The first ignored him and turned away from me.
The first one’s eyes were fierce. It seemed as if he was telling me to be careful with my words from now on. I nodded quickly.
I don’t know where this place is, but it was a place where many of the elite knights of the imperial family gathered.
‘He’s a guy who’s already an enemy, so he shouldn’t get caught.’
I made a mistake and imprinted the fear of the third child on the boy. He must know that if he gets caught by the unpredictable third child who doesn’t know where to turn, it won’t end well.
Although I was a little skeptical, I decided to follow him for now.
“You have arrived! Marshal Balhar Khan!”
The royal knights stood at attention and saluted. The first one nodded his head and walked briskly. In the meantime, he glanced at me from the corner of his eye.
I was going along smoothly when I ran into a problem. There was someone talking to me.
“Hey, Montbalian, are you feeling better?”
‘No, it’s a year.’
I just nodded and walked away. However, the guy followed me persistently.
Even though other guys are trembling with fear as they walk along with their enemy, if they follow him like this-.
‘···Were we lovers?’
I glanced around and saw a woman with an anxious expression. She looked like a woman who could use an axe well.
“I’m on a mission right now.”
The first one suddenly intervened. His eyes were very stern as he looked at me. The third one seemed to be worried that he would cause an accident.
“Ah, Marshal Balhar Khan. I apologize.”
The woman nodded and stepped back. Perhaps she felt something, her expression was not good.
For a split second, my eyes met with the first. The eyes of the man who was looking around. They were the eyes of a cold murderer. He was a little distant from the other royal knights.
‘Tsk.’
I clicked my tongue and lifted my helmet slightly.
The first man’s face crumpled and the woman’s face straightened. I gave him a thumbs up and smiled. Only then did the woman, relieved, step back.
‘Hey, Montmartre has paid its price.’
He muttered softly and put his helmet back down.
The first one glared at me, but soon turned back. It was the fault of the one who couldn’t stop the reckless third one.
The passage was long and narrow. There were still some knights here and there, but there were fewer of them than when I first got off.
How long did it take? By the time I reached the end, I had begun to think that the guy might be an idol, as countless handshake requests poured in from my eldest son.
The passageway that had been leading straight split into two at the end. Most of the knights moved to the passageway on the right. It seemed like there was a dormitory or training room there.
And on the left, there was a path leading down to an underground area that seemed to be off-limits to anyone but the people involved. However, there were also knights who went there.
It didn’t seem like there was any particular place that was blocked.
The first one headed left.
‘What on earth is the structure here?’
There’s an elevator and a basement… The escape route I’ve drawn so far looks like a well-organized ant hole.
I walked to the left at the first glance. It was still all white. The stairs were very clean, as if they were cleaned regularly.
How far down did it go? Since it was made of white marble, it didn’t feel that creepy, though-.
‘The air feels heavy.’
There were some people coming up. There were two imperial knights, and they were talking noisily as if they had just finished exercising.
“Damn, I didn’t think the thing I brought this time was worth that much···.”
“You’re better than that, haven’t you seen me not getting any sleep at all?”
The two who soon discovered the first one were startled, then lowered their heads and passed by.
‘···The guy who brought it?’
The strangely cheerful atmosphere made me even more curious. Where is this guy taking me? What does it mean to fill a bowl?
As we reached the top of the stairs, another passage appeared.
It was still all white, but there were imperial knights there too.
They each had a basket in their hand, containing familiar things.
‘Devil Candy?’
My eyes narrowed at the sweet smell that filled the aisles like a bakery. Why was the royal knight holding a devil’s candy?
They were talking excitedly, comparing each other’s devil candies. Some were betting on who had more devil candies, while others were bragging about theirs.
‘···Exchange office?’
It felt similar to the mission exchange center during the mercenary days.
First, he went in between them as if he was a thug. The guys who were standing in line moved aside one by one.
‘How could they do those devil candies… you horrible savages.’
I clicked my tongue slightly and followed the first one. I received a few glares, but I lightly ignored them.
There were several doors in the hallway. I headed towards the innermost door.
The space we entered was a large, white room, just like outside.
There was nothing there, to the point where my expectations before coming in were rendered meaningless.
‘···A stone statue?’
On one side of the wall was a huge stone statue. It looked like a lion, or a dragon, or maybe a human being.
‘It’s not bad, but the description is a bit lacking. The description of the fur is also very crude.’
I had seen many of Kanna’s pieces, so I naturally evaluated him.
There were two small holes in the hand area of the stone statue. They were of different sizes and heights.
“Bring me your left breast so I can engrave the mark.”
The first one said, taking something out of his bosom. It was a small bundle, and it smelled sweet.
I glanced at it and saw that it was a full bundle of devil candy. I swallowed and asked back.
“Proof?”
At my question, the guy’s head suddenly turned. His sharp eyes looked at me. Soon, the guy turned his gaze first.
“Huh······ It’s the devil’s handprint.”
‘Was filling the bowl the act of putting on the devil’s handprint?’
I remembered the story I heard from Lotteria. The third one originally had no proof, so he received the body of a god.
‘You’re going to give the third child the devil’s handprint?’
It was a reasonable inference for them. Adding the devil’s handprint to an already strong guy would definitely make him a loser.
However, the problem is···.
‘I already have it.’
It was several times the size of the others. It was to the extent that it could be considered a body mark rather than a handprint.
‘You should have told me earlier.’
If I had known you would come to the Imperial Underground to get a token engraved, I would have shown you the Devil’s Handprint a long time ago.
– Just do as he says.
At that moment, the quiet tenant spoke up. His slightly trembling voice was subtly different from usual.
I felt uneasy because it seemed like he was waiting for me to speak up after staying quiet until now, but I moved anyway because the firstborn’s glare was sharp.
‘But why is there a devil’s handprint vending machine in the basement of the palace…’
Why is there such a blasphemous thing in the Imperial basement? Why do the Imperial knights come out of there?
– Didn’t you expect that?
The tenant was complaining.
‘The knight doesn’t smell sweet.’
I thought of barley. I had washed it well recently, but barley originally had a musty smell, not a sweet smell.
– Why do demons smell sweet?
The tenant asked again. The man’s voice sounded strangely excited, which made me feel uncomfortable.
‘It smells sweet…’
I thought of a flower with a scent.
The reason flowers give off a sweet scent is to attract bees. Those with the devil’s handprint give off a sweet scent to those with the devil’s handprint.
– Do you smell now?
The tenant has raised the issue again.
It was an easy problem. The first one told me to carve a mark, so now I won’t smell.
Soon we arrived in front of the statue. First, we put the devil candies into the snake’s mouth on top of the statue.
‘That precious thing···.’
I clicked my tongue without realizing it. At the same time, I was curious. It was my first time seeing someone carve the devil’s handprint.
“···What should I do? Take off the breastplate and place your chest in the hole.”
The first one looked down at me and asked, his eyes filled with annoyance.
‘hmm···.’
I hesitated for a moment. Should I just show my handprint now and say, “Voila,” and move on?
– first.
The tenant spoke briefly. It was only one word, but his intentions were conveyed. So I decided to leave it for now.
However, if you take off the breastplate here, you will see the first handprint.
“I’m embarrassed.”
The guy frowned at my words. His disgust was evident. The guy who swore at me stepped back.
I pressed the seam of the breastplate to open the front. The endless hole in the stone statue was eerie.
Also, because the height was low, trying to fit in made the pose look ridiculous.
“It will take some time.”
As if I was following along obediently, the eldest spoke in a slightly softened voice.
‘hmm······.’
I knocked on the stone statue for no reason.
“···Things went easier than I thought. It was as if someone had planned it out. The fact that the imperial knight who matched you died just in time, and the sudden opening of the Gray Tower Succession Ceremony. If it had been like this, I might have met some troublesome guys on my way here, but they’re all out preparing for the Succession Ceremony···.”
The eldest one started talking at length. It seemed like it was a conversation to calm down the unruly third one.
“The End of Hypocrisy.”
I threw out a topic of conversation I wanted to pursue.
Thirdly, I wonder about hypocrisy.
“Yes, the end of hypocrisy. Isn’t it funny? The empire that defined us as devils, but deep within the imperial palace, there is a place where they are engraved with the devil’s handprint.”
The first one continued speaking without pausing for a moment.
He seemed pleased to realize the third’s interest.
It wasn’t a new story. There were a lot of unpleasant things that happened in the past, except that it didn’t smell sweet.
However, it was surprising that the secret was kept even though there were more than one or two articles.
‘No, is that obvious?’
They were men who were treated like nobles simply because they were knights. There was no way such men would show the devil’s handprint on their own.
In addition, articles that reveal handprints or are discovered by others…
‘They’ll announce that you’re possessed by the devil.’
It was a lie that would continue to persist as long as the empire was strong. Considering that the warlocks and demons called them hypocrites, it seemed like a story that everyone who knew about it knew.
‘I vaguely knew that too.’
I didn’t really care because it wasn’t a topic I had to think deeply about.
“But why did you put in the certificate I brought?”
I asked, switching legs slightly.
Third, my legs are numb. I need a more interesting story.
“You must not move! This is the Imperial Knights’ Reward Room. If you collect tokens, you will receive a boost in power in return. Human greed is endless. Furthermore, once you receive the tokens, you cannot stop.”
The eldest, who was becoming anxious, answered hurriedly. As he was checking the stone statue with his eyes, it seemed like he wanted to finish it quickly.
‘If I collect devil candies, you’ll increase my aura in return?’
Considering that the knights had risked their lives for the Auror, it was a definite reward.
“The tokens that ordinary knights receive are different from those that royal knights receive. The tokens that ordinary knights receive are so crude that it’s hard to even call them tokens. The tokens that eat away at the body are so nauseating that just looking at them makes you sick.”
As I watched the first speaker naturally leading an interesting conversation, I suddenly became curious.
If he’s come this far, he must have received the badge of an imperial knight, but why is he my brother?
As I was about to ask, a small sound was heard from beyond the hole. I instinctively stepped back. A strange tentacle emerged from the hole.
“Don’t move…!”
The first one screamed in surprise. The sharp pupils behind the helmet grew large.
“What is this?”
I caught the protruding tentacle.
The tentacle opened its mouth wide in confusion. Then, numerous teeth were revealed, and it looked truly hideous.
“What are you doing… right now… just put it down and accept it quietly!”
The first one screamed, his pupils growing so big they looked like they were going to pop out of his helmet.
– First, bring it to the handprint.
‘This? I don’t like it.’
I answered, looking at the tentacles here and there. You wouldn’t be able to get bitten by those horrible tentacles unless you were crazy.
– Doesn’t it smell very sweet?
The tenant was right.
The tentacles were hideous in appearance, but they gave off a very sweet smell.
– Tch.
As the tenant muttered softly, something surged into my head. It was a strange feeling that I couldn’t express in words.
‘If I die, you’re finished too?’
It was clear that it was the truth, something that came across as a memory and emotion rather than language. Perhaps, it seemed to mean that he had no intention of harming me.
– Bring it to me now.
It’s amazing that a guy who was mostly just a bystander is now stepping forward to persuade others…
‘I guess this really appeals to you?’
He asked, moving his tentacles slightly. They were disgusting tentacles, but perhaps because of their sweet scent, the more I looked at them, the more I thought they were cute.
-······.
There was no answer, but the feeling was conveyed.
‘Now even the tentacles… This place is really fucked up.’
I looked at the glowing tentacle and sighed deeply. Then I brought the tentacle to the center of the demon’s handprint.
A tentacle with its mouth wide open suddenly shot out.
It wasn’t a very nice sight to see tentacles hanging from his chest and writhing.
– Whoa… whoa…
‘That… the fuck, stop making noise.’
The tenant’s horrible groans made me curse. I quickly checked the first one.
The first one nodded with a relieved look on his face. At first glance, it seemed like he was touched. It seemed like he was worried about the third one who was being wild.
– Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh.
The tenant’s strange noises became increasingly louder.
As I was muttering curses at that shit, my mind suddenly wavered. My mind rose upward. My vision turned red for a moment.
It felt similar to when I had erosion. My teeth were itchy so I scratched them and they were sharp and scratched my gauntlet.
Something spread out from where the tentacle had been stuck. It felt like a stimulant had been injected directly into my heart.
I tried to assess the situation with my spirits high.
Adding devil candy increases the aura by that amount. But if the medium is the devil’s handprint-.
‘Was it a gas station?’
It seemed like they were roughly grinding up devil candy and turning it into an essence. It was like a devil smoothie.
Knock knock. The tentacles flinched violently. They seemed to be about to retreat, but they twitched again.
– Not yet. Ugh······ Give me more.
The voice of the tenant, unlike before, was very excited. It was the kind of line a robber would say.
My body swayed as the urge rose up wildly. My whole body tickled. I could see the devil’s handprint growing bigger in real time.
– Phew··· Phew···.
I came to my senses at the tenant’s fucking moaning.
‘hey.’
The tenant did not respond. The tenant, with his tentacles glowing and his groans groaning uncomfortably. The tenant’s condition was conveyed without filtering.
The distinction between him and me became blurred, and in between I saw fragments that I could not understand.
However, the condition of the tenant was more of a problem.
He was greedy for power without hesitation. No, it’s not really power-.
‘It’s dangerous.’
I caught the tentacle.
Perhaps because the distinction between him and the tenant was blurred, his body refused to move even after he gave orders.
At that, I clenched my teeth and hit my face with my other hand.
I came to my senses in a split second, with a sharp pain.
At that moment, I grabbed the tentacles with both hands.
Perhaps because the distinction between me and the tenant had disappeared, I could now use the guy’s power as I wished.
‘No, already-.’
I pulled the tentacle with all my might.
·········!!
A terrible sound echoed through the hole along with the sound of a sea cucumber bursting.
I encountered tremendous resistance, but I gritted my teeth and pushed harder.
Paddududuk-.
A cheerful sound erupted and the tentacles were pulled out.
······························································!!!
An indescribable scream erupted from far away.
The scream was so full of rage that it was so horrible that just hearing it made my body tremble.
It was clear that he was very angry.
‘Was this important?’
I muttered and twiddled the tentacle in my hand, and it felt good.
***
‘···?’
The first one opened his mouth wide.
“It’s long.”
The third one kept pulling on the sagging flesh lump. The flesh lump kept coming out through the hole.
‘······?’
The first one’s eyes widened.
Why was that chosen?
No, was that something you could pick?
That’s definitely-.
‘I really pulled it out.’
It was a fact that had to be acknowledged. The third one had a chunk of flesh dangling in front of him.
············!!!!
The first one came to his senses after hearing a lot of angry crying.
‘The third one pulled out his penis.’
The third one threw the flesh on the floor, saying he didn’t like the feel of it. He threw it so hard that the flesh burst and a long stream of black blood spread out.
“What the… what is this?”
First, he asked, forcing his trembling voice to be suppressed.
Why would you pull that out? Even though it looks a little odd, you can’t stand it for a moment······.
‘If this is the case, the great undertaking will···.’
The first thought was not continued, as a cry of pain and anger burst out from below.
It was definitely a little closer than just now.
············!!!
The first new form shook at the indescribable scream. Instinctive fear gnawed at his mind.
‘···It’s coming up.’
The floor continued to shake as if an earthquake had occurred. It was clear that he was coming up to punish the insolent guy who had pulled out my penis.
The original owner of the sword managed it, but-.
‘···Because of the succession ceremony.’
The first accident accelerated. Everything fell into place as if someone had planned it. Even the first plan going awry was planned-.
“What are you doing?”
At that moment, a low voice was heard.
When I raised my head, the third one was staring.
A thick fragrance wafted from afar.
‘To this extent, better than that person···.’
The first one muttered in a daze.
Obviously, after engraving the mark here, additional work would be needed to give it a fragrance.
No, but even so, that kind of strong scent…
At that moment, the third’s scratchy voice was heard again.
“Fly.”
The third child’s eyes, visible through the gap in the helmet, were truly bright and clear.
It was very shiny, just like a child going out to play.
The stone statue behind him shook violently.
············!!!
Another scream erupted.
This time it was closer.
“It’s coming up from the house below.”
The first child came to his senses when he saw the back of the third child’s head running while making a strange noise.
······························!!!!
First, I ran like crazy.
***
“What are you thinking?”
The second one asked the man who was adjusting his clothes.
“What are you talking about?”
His voice was cold, unlike during the meeting. He took off the fox mask on his face and put it aside.
It was a pretty handsome top, but it was lacking in barrels and males. Those guys were not very tasty.
“Hmm… I like a straightforward man.”
“Oh, me too.”
The second child’s eyes widened at the boy’s answer. The boy who had been thrusting at his younger brother earlier came to mind. It was as if he was trying to block his younger brother from approaching him.
“oh.”
The second one, who had covered his mouth, let out a small scream. Such a cheeky and desirable relationship-.
“Oh, and about what you asked.”
As the second one was trembling with hot imagination, the bastard opened his mouth.
When I turned my head to him, he was dressed in a luxurious-looking gray robe. He was even holding a staff in his hand, so he looked like a pretty successful wizard.
“Because that’s fate.”
The man who answered briefly tapped the floor with his cane.
Strange letters came to mind, tugging at him, covering him up, and swallowing him. A moment later, the letters disappeared and the guy was gone.
‘Teleportation? That’s pretty old stuff.’
The second one yawned deeply and stretched.
‘The King of Demons······.’
Anyway, she had work to do.
***
‘That old man is dead.’
Gromwellbeth, the White-Topped Lord, muttered, stroking his beard.
He was an old man who had been the Grey Lord of the Tower before Gromwellbeth, who was over eighty years old, entered the Tower.
That guy suddenly died-.
“Isn’t it strange? That gray magic tower is dying.”
I heard the voice of the green tower. When I turned my gaze to him, the green tower with pointy ears nodded its head. It seemed like they were all thinking the same thing.
“And if that guy is it, isn’t he the one who brought in the latest research results? If he’s the one who receives Mana’s love, he was researching at the White Tower. What a bastard!”
It was full of the elven charm.
At that moment, the people burst into cheers.
An old man with a straight posture was coming up the stage. He was wearing light armor, but he had the seal of the imperial family on him. He had a long sword around his waist.
Even though it was just a simple stroll in comfortable clothing, everyone was focused.
From the imperial knights to the magic tower lords… countless powerful people gathered for the succession ceremony of the Gray Magic Tower, but the old man’s presence erased them all and crushed the space itself.
‘···The master of the sword has appeared.’
The mouths of the magicians twitched.
It was clear that everyone was thinking about the next move.
The crown prince was behind the sword master. As expected, the emperor did not show up again.
At that moment, a man wearing a gray robe approached Gromwalves. He was clearly the next leader of the Gray Tower.
‘···You’re young.’
He was also too young. He was so young that I wondered if there had ever been a young Matopju in history. I examined his ears, but they were ordinary human ears. He wasn’t even an elf.
Gromwalves sighed softly, forgetting the situation. The world was truly unfair.
‘Well, that’s true of everything.’
The guy who became the next Gray Tower Lord with great achievements is now ascending to the throne.
It was clear that heaven was helping.
The succession ceremony began. There were various events, but Gromwellbeth’s eyes were fixed on the gray tower.
‘What are you doing?’
Ever since he was mentioned as the next leader of the Magic Tower, all the Magic Tower owners have done their best to get information about him.
However, there was no useful information anywhere. The bastard’s whereabouts were unknown, as if he had fallen from the sky.
“Hans, the next Lord of the Gray Tower, come forward.”
The crown prince declared in an arrogant voice, strangely similar to the emperor’s speech.
‘It was a bit more delicate the last time I saw it.’
Had something happened in the meantime? Gromwellbeth’s eyes narrowed slightly.
The crown prince praised him with various words of praise, praising his research and declaring that his brilliant mind would go down in history.
The faces of the tower guards crumpled again. It was the low-class jealousy of the old men in the back room. Gromwalves was no different.
“Hans, I bring you to the Gray Tower.”
The crown prince declared, and the bastard bowed his head deeply.
With that, the crown prince went down lightly as if he had finished his business. Hans, who was standing, looked up at the sky.
Gromwellbeth also looked at the sky.
The moon was not visible.
‘It was darker than usual… It was a moonless night.’
Suddenly, I remembered the story that on moonless nights, the devils, the ungodly ones, become the most powerful.
It was a useless thought. This was the imperial palace of the empire called the master of the continent.
“It’s a really good night.”
The audience applauded at his words. Most of them were women. The faces of the horse riders became even more distorted.
“I am truly honored to be given the privilege of being the Gray Tower Master. First of all······.”
“Young people are the same. Boring- boring-.”
Unable to bear it, the green-topped lord muttered. Gromwellbeth yawned, stroking his beard to preserve his dignity.
The guy who had been talking about such boring things for a while suddenly stopped talking.
‘Where are you looking?’
Gromwellbeth turned his head to follow the bastard.
There was a palace there.
The magnificent palace, which seemed to reach the sky, was so beautiful that it was hard to take my eyes off it. The man seemed to have been captivated by the palace’s beauty and overwhelming grandeur.
How can you lose focus during a speech, young people? Gromwellbeth laughed.
A moment later, the guy opened his mouth again.
“Fate is inevitable. What seemed like coincidences were actually threads of necessity, and the threads come together to form a solid stem called destiny. The blind read it with a grope and call it prophecy, but-.”
He’s been talking nonsense for a long time. What is he talking about at the succession ceremony? And he’s a wizard, talking about some cliche about fate.
That moment.
“Everything is inevitable and destined.”
When the guy speaks decisively.
············!!!!
A chilling scream erupted from the palace.
Aaaah!!
Terrified people rushed out through the palace gates.
How can one act so frivolously in the palace!
When someone yells.
············!!!
An indescribable howl erupted.
Gromwalves instinctively moved his mana to protect his ears. Even so, the howl lightly crushed Gromwalves’ spirit.
It was instinct.
Like a rabbit standing in front of a troll-.
············!!
With a howl-.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaahh …
The imperial palace, boasting a long tradition, collapsed from the inside.
‘The palace collapsed?’
Gromwalves opened his mouth wide, forgetting his fear.
Those who were running away at the shocking sight also looked up at him blankly.
‘I’m screwed again.’
Of course, there were some who ran away without stopping.
