READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 128
Three days passed, and it was the day of the arrangement with the Duke.
At this banquet, the second-ranked Roxanne expressed her intention not to attend.
It wasn’t a surprise; it was almost an expected outcome.
Considering her arrogant nature, it was obvious she would think, “Why should I waste my time at such a pathetic gathering?”
“How about Renlin?”
“The third-ranked Lord also declined to attend.”
Renlin, true to her appearance, was only interested in fun like a child.
For someone like her, the Seven Dukes were unbearably boring.
It was all because the Duke insisted on extreme formality and etiquette.
“Daron is another story.”
As the merchant said, since he was too big, he didn’t even receive an invitation.
In the end, the only Undead Lair Lord attending the banquet was just me and Roseha.
By the way, the Demon Merchant surely belonged to the Dungeon Council, but right now, it seemed he was also playing the errand boy for the Duke.
It wasn’t easy at all for a mere merchant.
“My Lord.”
At that moment, Charlotte, who had been listening, chimed in.
“You should keep this in mind. It could be the scheme of the Seven Dukes.”
Cecilia beside her nodded her head a couple of times.
At the Duke’s banquet, you couldn’t bring companions.
Their concern wasn’t unwarranted, but I knew without being told.
Even if I told them to relax, they would still worry, fearing it could be a trap.
Thanks to that guy’s paranoia about safety.
I was well aware of my perception in the Mage Realm.
The Duke’s true perception of me, and if I had been brainwashed by Sara, there was no doubt it would be a trap.
To build rapport with the Seven Dukes, I had to take that risk.
“Of course, you could go alone…”
Seemingly feeling that my worries were rude, Charlotte trailed off.
“Thanks for your concern.”
“….”
Charlotte cleared her throat in surprise. Seems like she’s not used to compliments.
I turned my gaze toward the merchant.
“Who else is attending as Lords?”
“Yes. All the Lords from Queen Roseha’s faction are attending without exception.”
That was good news to hear.
Thinking of the invited Roseha and her subordinates as bodyguards made me feel reassured.
I had made acquaintances with the Lords of Roseha’s faction a few times, but I hadn’t developed a close bond.
It would be nice to build a closer relationship this time.
“Oh.”
The merchant let out a short gasp as if remembering something.
“The sixth-ranked Queen is coming soon.”
“…Suddenly?”
“Yes. The Queen said she would come with you on the day.”
Boom-!
Before the merchant finished speaking, a portal opened beside him, and even just the pink hue was enough to tell who it was.
Seems like even a noble isn’t too refined.
Click-clack.
Behind the familiar sound of hooves, I spotted a face I recognized all too well.
Roseha, who met my gaze, waved her hand cheerfully.
“Hey, darling! I’m here to pick you up.”
“…You really didn’t have to do that.”
“Come on, did you think I wouldn’t come? I just wanted to see you quickly. Didn’t you want to see me too? Huh?”
“I greet the Queen of the Night.”
The merchant and the officers tried to bow, but Roseha spoke first.
“You can leave now.”
“Yes.”
Perhaps considering him a nuisance or as some kind of courtesy, Roseha waved her hand at the merchant.
At that, the merchant who opened the portal immediately bowed and vanished.
One came in, and one went out.
Just then, Roseha came closer and took my arm.
“Darling, it’s your first time in Prifatana’s Mage Realm, right? I’m here to guide you.”
To be precise, it couldn’t be said I was going entirely for the first time.
The Abyssal 10th Layer was located in Prifatana’s Mage Realm.
But since I had only been to the Abyssal 10th Layer, I was still a bit of a clueless newcomer regarding the geography.
Even if I had been there countless times in a game, it was quite different from reality.
“Did you arrive well? Huh?”
When I nodded, Roseha gave a mischievous smile.
“We still have some time, but do you want to set off right now? I’ll introduce you to the others. You’ve only seen their faces, but you don’t really know them, right?”
“Others” seemed to refer to the Lords affiliated with her faction.
I had been meaning to think about it, and there wasn’t really a reason to waste time here.
“Let’s go right away.”
“Okay.”
Roseha opened a new portal and grabbed my wrist, leading me along.
While doing that, she subtly glanced back with a sly grin.
“Can I borrow your boss for a bit? Just want to enjoy a nice, cozy date.”
I turned to see who she was talking to.
Charlotte and Cecilia were both staring at us.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but I felt a chilling aura coming from them.
…I’m actually scared to death here.
***
When you mention the Mage Realm of the Seven, you think of the intermittent lava eruptions from the ground, or the black fog obscuring the surroundings, or just the general impression that it’s a dangerous place.
In that regard, Duke Prifatana’s territory was exceedingly safe.
To add a little detail, it could be said it had a similar environment to the Empire.
Roseha and I were currently passing through Prifatana’s plaza, heading toward the Duke’s castle.
“Now that I think about it, it’s your first encounter with the Dukes, right?”
I had seen them endlessly in games, but this was my first real meeting, so I nodded.
“I see. You’re just not interested in those insignificant creatures? Like an elder.”
“….”
“Usually, that would come off as arrogance, but you don’t seem that way at all. Maybe it’s more of a confidence thing? Yeah, that’s exactly it.”
What does she think of me?
Feeling a bit awkward, I changed the subject.
“Do you have a friendship with Duke Prifatana?”
“Friendship? Hmm… I’ve known him for a long time, but I wouldn’t call it friendship. I’m not particularly keen on enjoying banquets either. You know what they say: ‘A feast known for its lack of food?’ I’m just showing up out of boredom.”
“Unexpected.”
“Is it really that surprising? After all, I killed Duke Calasutra, and his entire family too. Since then, the Seven Dukes have been keeping their distance from me.”
The death of Duke Calasutra was essentially a natural casualty. He kind of asked for it, didn’t he?
Even though they all knew that, it seemed other Dukes were still afraid of Roseha.
I suppose murdering an entire family is bound to scare people.
“By the way, darling. Can I ask you something too?”
“Sure.”
“About the assassination of Duke Sanjiba, it wasn’t you, right?”
“….”
Looks like she’s doubting me too.
Shaking my head made Roseha smile.
“I figured as much. I just asked out of curiosity.”
“It seems like a plot from the fifth-ranked Lord. He seems to be trying to keep tabs on me.”
“The fifth-ranked? You mean that Saint?”
“Yup.”
“Ah… I see.”
To my surprise, her reaction wasn’t that shocked. She didn’t even ask why the Saint did that.
Roseha probably had her own suspicions.
That hostile forces might be plotting against me.
“Have you met the Saint yet?”
“Not yet. And frankly, I don’t want to.”
“True, since you’re an Undead. I have my own reservations due to my race too. The Saint probably mastered divine power by now.”
Ugh—Roseha shuddered and shivered at the mention.
“Still, it’s a relief.”
“A relief?”
“Because she’s a higher-ranked Lord than me. It’d be a disaster if she fell head over heels for you.”
Hearing that was just absurd.
She wouldn’t fall for me; she’d want to kill me instead.
More importantly, how does a Saint develop feelings for a Death Knight? That worry is a bit uncalled for.
“Huh? There she is.”
At that moment, Roseha pointed with her fingertip.
Distantly, behind the Duke’s castle gates, there was a crowd of about a dozen people gathering.
As we met their gaze, they rushed over to us.
“Greetings, Your Majesty.”
They only nodded toward Roseha.
Without needing to say a word, I could guess they were Lords from Roseha’s faction.
After a brief bow, they immediately bowed to me.
“I stand before the esteemed Undead.”
[Lv. 83]
The words came from the leading Vampire Lord.
“Esteemed Undead.” Surely referring to the single Undead Lair they were mentioning.
I scanned the levels of the Lords one by one.
Overall, it was a symphony of green and black.
Sad as it is, judging by the perceptions in society, it was pretty intimidating.
Thanks to Roseha, there were more green levels.
But one level stood out more than the others.
The number wasn’t impressive, but the color caught my attention.
[Lv. 74]
Not green, not black, but a red level.
It wasn’t mistaken; with a level like that, it was beyond mere hostility, it was clear malice.
This guy, a high-ranking Demon Lord, wasn’t particularly threatening.
But why would he direct such malice toward me?
Was it because he secretly admired Roseha?
It didn’t make sense to possess malice out of jealousy.
If there was a reasonable assumption, maybe… he’s a spy.
A spy in league with the Old One or Sara.
As that thought struck me, I heard a thud!
I shoved him down with my whole body, and he collapsed without resistance.
I promptly drew my Holy Sword to point at his neck.
I heard startled breathing around me, but I didn’t care.
“What are you doing—”
“Everyone stay still.”
Roseha extended her arm to prevent the Lords from interfering.
She trusted me enough to believe I wouldn’t act rashly, even if it was sudden.
Ignoring the nervous glances, I glared at him.
“Speak the truth. Who are you collaborating with?”
“Y-You? W-What are you suddenly talking about…?”
Thump!
I poked him in the shoulder, afraid he might pull a ridiculous trick.
He squeezed his eyes shut and groaned.
“Actually, I don’t need your confession.”
Even if he wasn’t a collaborator, it didn’t matter.
The mere fact that he bore ill intentions toward me would be enough for Roseha to deal with him.
“All Undead Lords possess heavenly insight. It’s only natural for me to have that insight too.”
My hidden insight that hadn’t been revealed yet.
In an instant, I caught the slight tremor in his pupils, which confirmed my suspicion.
Deceiving others had always been my specialty.
There was a reason I had stepped up from being an inconsequential Death Knight to a Lord of the Undead.
“Your mind is full of treachery.”