READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 131
Duke Prifatana’s level is a deep crimson.
It was clear that the host of the banquet was a trap merely because he bore a murderous intent.
I kept an eye on the Duke’s back as I signaled Roseha with my hand.
The signal meant that only drawing a sword was a trap.
When I glanced sideways, Roseha subtly nodded her chin.
Realizing it was a trap now, we were presented with two choices.
Should we risk leaving this place or take a chance and wipe out the Seven Dukes?
No matter how much I thought about it, it couldn’t just be Duke Prifatana’s solo initiative.
Surely, the Seven Dukes must have secretly conspired together.
‘They must have some scheme in mind.’
From the standpoint of the Dukes, two outliers called Undead Lair Lords were present.
Moreover, the Lairs from Roseha’s faction had also gathered in one place.
In preparation for this, the Seven Dukes must also have made extensive preparations.
If the Old One had ensnared the Seven Dukes, everything would make sense.
I assumed Bellevar was an example of that.
If the Old One were to bestow power, he’d think he could kill me.
Whether it was his delusion or not, the Dukes might be having the same thoughts as Bellevar.
[Lv. 83]
Duke Prifatana’s level is 83.
As the stronghold of the magic realms, each duke holds strength comparable to the 72 Lords, alongside their social prestige.
However, they certainly couldn’t compare to the Lairs.
At this point, I became convinced.
The Seven Dukes were definitely in cahoots with the Old One.
But for now, it was just a hunch, and I couldn’t act against Duke Prifatana like Bellevar would.
Otherwise, the other Dukes would catch on and flee.
‘There aren’t any other Dukes around yet.’
Even after scanning the surroundings, only Duke Prifatana was present.
Once the Seven Dukes gathered, it would be clean and simple to take them all out without future troubles.
In truth, the purpose of coming here was to recruit the Seven Dukes. Strengthening our forces to counter the Old One.
However, if they had already sided with the Old One, that purpose would reverse.
“When will the rest arrive?”
As I exchanged handshakes with Duke Prifatana, Roseha subtly inquired.
It wasn’t a question for the Duke but a coded message directed at me. It meant to eliminate them all once the Seven Dukes had gathered.
“Don’t worry. They’ll be here soon. Everyone is eagerly awaiting their reunion with the Queen.”
“Ah— I see. I’d like to see her face after a long time too?”
“Haha. Thank you for your kind words. Now, Your Majesty of the Castle, I hope you have a splendid time.”
There were nobles loitering around, eager to enjoy conversations with the Duke.
After a brief nod, the Duke naturally exchanged handshakes with them.
“Your Grace, I sincerely congratulate you on your 100th birthday.”
“You’ve become more radiant during our time apart, my lady.”
“Haha, you certainly have a good eye. I’ve been using some good products lately!”
At first glance, it seemed like the social scene among the nobility, but they were all of non-human races, which felt alien.
Even I, who was undead, thought so.
Heh heh. Just then, Roseha, who had come up beside me, elbowed me.
“My side is freezing. Can’t you escort me?”
With that remark, she subtly linked her arm with mine, filled with ulterior motives.
Under Roseha’s half-forced guidance, we strolled around.
Yet every time we went somewhere, paths opened up almost uncomfortably, as if by a miracle.
‘That’s a bit unexpected.’
I assumed some from the Undead Lairs would stick around, but everyone was watching us from a distance.
Unlike me, Roseha moved quite comfortably.
Her gaze was fixed on the center of the hall.
It was a banquet hall where dozens of people were dancing in sync with their partners.
“I wanted to enjoy myself with you, but that’s obviously not possible.”
She must have been anxious walking right into the enemy’s trap, so it wouldn’t be easy for her.
She must feel akin to sitting on pins and needles like I did.
Roseha brought two wine glasses and handed one to me.
“I can’t drink.”
“I’ll just be pretending, just for show.”
Roseha sipped the wine.
We exchanged glances or signals to convey our thoughts.
Our eyes occasionally darted toward the Duke.
That was when commotion erupted around us.
I looked, and a waiter was bringing out a multi-tiered wedding cake, seven layers high.
As soon as the cake was placed in the middle, the crowd buzzed with excitement.
The waiter positioned a ladder in front of the cake, and the Duke climbed up, grabbing a cutting knife with fanfare.
It was just a cake cutting ceremony, yet it was being celebrated grandly for his 100th birthday.
“Hmm…. the knife isn’t cutting well.”
The Duke frowned as he tried to slice the cake.
After that, he glanced around, and our eyes met.
“Oh. Laird of the Mausoleum.”
Those words directed everyone’s attention toward me.
“Would you mind cutting the cake? If you, Laird, were to do it, it would be a great honor for me.”
The Duke’s gaze shifted between me and my sheathe.
I thought it was my imagination, but it really wasn’t.
“Forgive me, but today is a monumental day. It’s my 100th birthday. If you were to cut it with your holy sword, it would become a splendid sight for the banquet.”
“….”
To use a holy sword to cut a cake. No matter how you looked at it, it felt like blatant disdain.
A chilling silence descended, as if the air had frozen.
In that stillness, every noble around began to watch me closely.
“Haha, just kidding. The atmosphere was getting too cold, so I had to joke around.”
The Duke laughed heartily and lightened the mood.
Only then did the anxious nobles awkwardly chuckle.
Just as I was about to react, Roseha jumped in first.
“It’d be easier to cut your neck than the cake, you know?”
“…What?”
“Just kidding— don’t take it seriously, okay?”
…That was one deadly joke.
No, it seemed Roseha was angrier than me.
“Haha…. You sure are a dangerous jokester.”
The Duke was trying to go along, but beads of sweat were forming on his forehead.
I instinctively looked at Roseha’s expression.
She was smiling, yet there was something unsettling about it.
I suddenly felt thankful that Roseha was on my side.
***
“Are you all really about to do this?”
“Oh dear, Your Grace. Why the sudden change of heart?”
“Tsk. Are you saying you’ll back down now?”
In a moving carriage, the Dukes conspired together.
Amidst it all, harsh glances were directed at Duke Calasutra, who kept expressing weakness.
“It seems your courage has shriveled. After all this planning, you suddenly want to bow out?”
“Well, originally, you weren’t even of the Duke lineage, so it’s understandable.”
“…I still don’t know well.”
Despite the criticism from around him, Duke Calasutra remained firm.
“There are not just one but two Undead Lair Lords. Moreover, Barugore is a unique standalone Undead Lair. You all are aware of his reputation, right?”
When it actually comes down to it, an innate fear often arises.
And the Duke’s worries were not baseless.
The opponent was a distinctive Undead Lair that had caused quite an uproar!
The remaining five Dukes clicked their tongues and shook their heads.
“Isn’t Duke Sanjiba doing fine? Let’s take a page from his book to get revenge for his father.”
“What’s that got to do with me?”
“Oh, for crying out loud. What kind of man is this? If you’ve made a decision, follow through to the end.”
“…Shouldn’t we have mobilized the troops?”
“What if we do that and they sense it and flee?”
Those conspiring were only the Seven Dukes.
To operate in secrecy and keep information from leaking, this was all that was feasible.
“We, the seven of us, can achieve this easily. Why would we need to bother getting help?”
“Exactly. Besides, we have the holy relic, right?”
What the Seven Dukes had received from the Old One was an eye that maximizes individual power.
Along with that, they also received holy relics.
“All preparations are complete. It’s said that Duke Prifatana has set up a catalyst in the banquet hall to draw out the five elemental properties. He has also firmly established it as if it were nailed down.”
The holy relic needed to be arranged with the catalyst in the five elemental properties beforehand to activate.
It wasn’t instant, which was quite cumbersome, but once activated, certain individuals within a designated area could lose their magical ability.
And those specific individuals referred to everyone except the Seven Dukes.
The significant blow would land on Roseha, who used trait-based magic.
“If the catalyst of the holy relic gets discovered, we’re done for, right?”
“Hey, there’s no way that would happen!”
“Haha! You really worry too much!”
The catalyst of the holy relic is translucent, odorless, and colorless.
Moreover, it couldn’t be sensed by magical powers or the peculiar traits of any race.
The fact was confirmed thoroughly by the Seven Dukes.
“Even if they were to notice, they’d only find it suspicious; they’d never realize it’s a holy relic, would they?”
“That makes sense. Your Grace, you really have a lot of concerns.”
“…That’s true.”
Upon hearing that, Duke Calasutra also shook off his anxiety.
*
While the Seven Dukes awaited their arrival, not a single one showed up.
In the meantime, I was dragged around by Roseha.
The reason was that standing in one place for too long could draw unnecessary suspicion.
‘That makes sense, but…’
Wouldn’t it be even more suspicious to be anxiously running around like this?
Perhaps Roseha was enjoying the spectacle, as if a miracle was unfolding before her eyes.
She disliked superficiality but seemed to be playful in this regard.
“Whoa? That Mont Blanc looks delicious. Let’s check it out.”
While being pulled along and mindlessly wandering about, an alert window suddenly popped up in midair.
An alert window appearing abruptly to obscure my view. At first, I didn’t pay it any mind.
I thought it was just an ordinary item popping up.
But then I caught sight of something strange in passing.
[Shard of the Star (NO. 2)]
[Enhancement Probability: 0%]
[※Caution! Applying enhancement on the target will result in complete destruction!]
[Upon enhancement failure, the cooldown will reset.]
[Would you like to enhance the Shard of the Star (NO. 2)?]
[YES/NO]
…Holy relic?