Chapter 115

Rosie, who had just regained consciousness and was barely pulling herself together, froze the moment she saw the King of Specters.

The strength that a warrior, no, a warrior with talent surpassing even her sister, could achieve through endless suffering and training—such strength made even a strong person like Rosie lose her will to fight.

“Now, who among you is willing to step forward? Who will face the most horrific death in the world…?”

“Kyle, Deputy Commander of the Imperial Military Intelligence Command. I shall step forward first.”

Without a hint of hesitation, the first to step forward was Kyle, Raul’s subordinate and a disciple of heroes.

Kyle was the type to repay kindness twofold and grudges tenfold.

Such a man, who had saved his life and entrusted him with an important position, would never hesitate to lay down his life for those who had done so much for him.

“Go ahead and kill me.”

“…Five have not yet gathered. If that is the case, you will merely be throwing away your insignificant life for a meaningless cause.”

“I fought and risked my life in wars caused by some idiot’s reckless actions. Do you think I’d be afraid to sacrifice my life for those people, you corpse brat?”

“Your arrogance ends today.”

The King of Specters inwardly sneered at Kyle. What could a soft heart that seeks to repay kindness possibly achieve? With such a weak heart, nothing could be protected. He found such a mindset utterly foolish.

The King of Specters turned his gaze back to the nobles.

Kyle stepping forward was expected, no, it was certain. Now the problem was the remaining four. How many among the remaining trash would be willing to sacrifice their lives for the heroes?

If Camilla’s brother Charles were alive, he would have rationally considered it and offered his life without hesitation, but he was no longer here.

In such a situation, who could bravely offer their life?

It was an impossible task unless one was insane.

“Latri Berze, wife of Arthur Berze, mother of Raul Berze and Rizel Berze, and former Commander of the Black Knights. I offer this insignificant life of mine.”

“…Unexpected.”

The King of Specters pressed her with a voice that suggested he couldn’t understand.

“To my knowledge, you despised your son. Now is the perfect opportunity to rid yourself of him. Why do you resist?”

“I have lived my life as a shameful mother.”

Latri stepped forward toward the King of Specters without a trace of fear.

“But I have no intention of dying as a shameful mother.”

“Ridiculous. Do you think such desperate struggles hold any meaning? In the end, you will only die in agony, with no purpose.”

“That too shall be my punishment.”

The King of Specters sneered at Latri as well.

Such actions now would not erase the abuses of the past. Such atonement now could not justify the foolishness of the past. He found this woman, who didn’t even realize that, utterly pitiful.

Even with two stepping forward, they were still far from the required five. Among the remaining trash, there was no one who would willingly sacrifice their life.

They were all foolish cowards who didn’t understand the value and meaning of sacrifice…

“Rizel Berze, daughter of Arthur Berze and Latri Berze, sister of Raul Berze, and head of the Berze Family. I humbly step forward.”

“A fledgling dares to step forward? Just because you bear the title of family head, do you think someone like you has a place here…?”

“Then you should have said so from the beginning. Why remain silent until now and only speak up like this?”

“Cunning to the core.”

The King of Specters judged Rizel to be foolish as well. Still young and ignorant of the ways of the world, of true suffering, she could step forward like this.

This was all a manifestation of foolishness, not sacrifice. There was no one who truly chose to sacrifice. They were all selfish humans offering their lives because of their relationship with Raul. He concluded as much.

Latri seemed displeased with her daughter offering her life, but since she herself was no different, she had to accept it.

And Kyle also looked at Rizel anew. He had thought her a foolish noble, but seeing her like this, she seemed quite a strong-willed young lady.

“Only three have stepped forward so far.”

As the King of Specters tried to calm his mind with logic, sharp and menacing claws flew toward him.

Naturally, he kicked the arm away and easily blocked the attack.

“Hmm~♫. This is truly a monster~~. It’s no wonder His Majesty and little Raul struggled~~~. Even if you can’t use your arms, if we all attack, you’ll die~~~?”

The one who launched the attack had a rather peculiar appearance. Clearly a knight by build, yet wearing makeup like a woman and adorned with feminine accessories.

Even though his black-painted nails had broken, he showed no sign of pain and instead looked at Raul’s group with a worried expression.

“Who are you?”

“Leonidas Polreur, head of the Polreur Family, beast tamer who trained the children His Majesty and Raul ride, and… Raul and Layla’s combat instructor. I have come to offer my life for His Majesty and the heroes~♪.”

“Disgusting. From your appearance to your attitude and speech. Why do you step forward? You, who never set foot on the battlefield, for what reason?”

“Because it’s boring~♬. An Empire without those young colts. That’s just a country with a few piglets living on a land of scraps~.”

He approached and stood beside Kyle, Latri, and Rizel, giving Kyle a mysterious look. Frightened, Kyle hid behind Rizel’s dress.

However, he smiled at Latri and spoke kindly.

“You’ve changed a lot since the knight days, haven’t you, dear~~?”

“You’re still the same. That bizarre taste, that perverted face, those grotesque preferences.”

“Dear~~~ You still haven’t learned that saying such things will get your mouth torn, have you~~?”

The two seemed to have a rapport, exchanging such words even in the face of death.

The King of Specters did not appreciate such leisure.

Leisure was something only those ignorant of the harshness of reality could afford. He concluded that this man was surely hiding some ugly truth behind his demeanor. It didn’t seem like a relationship where one would willingly sacrifice their life.

Like all Imperial nobles, he must be wearing a sheep’s mask to hide his dark intentions.

Having solidified his heart, the King of Specters instead closed the door to his heart forever.

He made himself the sole basis and core of his judgment.

Thus, he wanted to deny these four who sought to undermine his beliefs. Only four had stepped forward to offer their lives, and unless one more came forward, they would not reach five.

“Five have not yet stepped forward. No matter how much weight you give it, if those trash do not offer their lives, all your words and logic will ultimately be empty.”

The King of Specters grew an additional pair of arms. With six arms and a pair of legs, he resembled a monstrous spider.

Though his strength was nearing completion, he was drifting further away from the proud king his people once loved.

Yet, he paid it no mind. If he could achieve revenge, if his people could be freed from all resentment and find peace, he could endure even becoming a monster.

“One more remains! Step forward and prove you have the courage to offer your life! I swear I will deliver the worst suffering to that foolish one!”

For a moment, Rosie’s hand stopped.

Certainly, Raul and the other four were heroes of the Empire. Without them, they could not stop the Demon King’s invasion, so it was right to sacrifice them.

Yet, hope began to grow that they might somehow survive. These seeds of hope grew into vines, entangling everyone’s hands.

The foolish hope that they might somehow survive, the intense despair emanating from the King of Specters, the instinct that living was more important even if the Empire burned.

All these things blocked their will to raise their hands.

Rosie, too, hesitated. Was it right to throw away the life her sister had given her? Such thoughts were an added burden.

But just as she was about to steel her heart and raise her hand, another hand was raised first.

“Who are you?”

Rosie also turned her head toward the person who raised their hand.

Rosie knew this person. They had no good relationship with Raul, only bad ones.

Nor were they someone who had been on the battlefield, nor someone who held any special favor toward Raul or the other heroes.

“I, I, I am Senior Inspector Noah Mulbred, directly under Her Majesty the Empress… I, I offer my life…”

Rosie despised this man. He was just another piece of trash, no different from the other nobles.

He had no talent for anything other than being an inspector. Nor was he particularly honest. While he didn’t engage in major corruption, he accepted small gifts and favors, a typical Imperial noble.

She wondered if he was about to say he needed to use the restroom, but that wasn’t it.

Having read the noble list beforehand, the King of Specters spoke in a disbelieving voice.

“I didn’t expect a corrupt worm to step forward. For what reason do you offer your life? What grand reason drives you? Is it recklessness? Or is it the desire to be gloriously recorded in history?”

The King of Specters treated him like a worm.

He was no warrior, no man of conviction, nor even the head of a family.

Such a man interfering with his will only fueled his displeasure.

“Those gathered here are comparable to lions or at least wildcats, but you are but a flea. Your trembling voice is proof. What meaning is there in a lowly worm mustering courage?”

“I, I am…”

He was the one who once mocked Rizel as a cripple and had his leg broken by Raul.

He was the one who once flirted with Camilla at a ball and was humiliated.

He was the one who was once mocked by the Emperor, saying he would have starved to death if not for being an inspector.

He was the one who was once evaluated by the Empress as someone who only worked as much as his salary.

He was nothing more than that, and he held no good feelings toward the heroes.

Yet, he stood before the King of Specters. He couldn’t stand confidently. His trembling voice and soaked pants proved that.

“I, I am the trash you speak of. I, I have never lived honorably. The battlefield would only exhaust me. I, I lacked the ability to become a family head. I, I merely have one skill and work under Her Majesty the Empress, but…”

He squeezed out the last bit of courage in his life.

“I have never lived groveling. I, I have insulted Raul for his behavior, but I know one thing: he must not die. The same goes for the others. I dislike them, but I know they are more valuable to the Empire than I am.”

“Sophistry. That is nothing but sophistry.”

“Are, are you here to take lives? Or are you here to debate philosophy with a flea?”

At the criticism that even a flea debating philosophy is no different from a flea, the King of Specters gritted his teeth.

“Foolish. Disgusting. All this recklessness and hypocrisy are merely…”

“And, and in this flea’s eyes… you are… dirtier than me.”

Hearing this, the King of Specters snapped and grabbed his neck.

A weak neck that could be snapped at any moment, yet the head attached to it dared to spout nonsense.

It was a crime deserving a thousand deaths.

“In, in my eyes… you are… merely spitting.”

“The nonsense spouted by Imperial trash. No matter how much weight a weak worm gives itself… it will only be crushed to death!”

“…I, I admit again, I am a worm.”

The King of Specters tried to strangle him to death.

“But, but you, who only chase after such worms… are you not also just a frog, never rising above that level?”

At that moment, for the first time that day, something sharp pierced the King’s chest.