■ Bang □
Before starting the operation, we decided to confirm our positions with each other one more time.
“I’m the damage dealer.”
First, I pointed at myself with my thumb.
“You’re also a damage dealer.”
Next, I pointed at Dorothea with my index finger.
“She’s also a damage dealer.”
Finally, I pointed at Barnett who was standing beside her.
Our party didn’t need a tank, healer, or buffer.
We just had to bulldoze through, after all.
Since our Master has declared neutrality as the sole hope of the Oz Kingdom, all that remains for the current king are the Royal Guard and the First Division.
The Second and Third Divisions have gone to support the Eastern Front, so the protection of areas surrounding the royal road, except for the capital, has been reduced to merely symbolic efforts.
Among these, the most difficult part would be dealing with the Royal Guard, whose knight captain is also a Swordmaster, much like Barnett.
Well, Barnett has been a Swordmaster for 300 years, making her a venerable relic in her own right.
After completing the final check, we exchanged glances.
“Right after I assassinate the king, I’ll give you a separate signal. Move after you see it.”
“What kind of signal?”
“You won’t miss it when you see it. There’s going to be an incredibly grand fireworks display.”
After giving them just that hint, I took out the circlet—one of the three sacred treasures of the hero—from my coat.
It’s a luxurious item made of platinum.
Originally, there was a large ruby called Unlimited Power embedded in the center, but since I’ve refashioned it into a necklace, the space is now empty.
By inserting a fake gemstone created through alchemy, the preparations to deceive the king were complete.
“Let’s go.”
With a solemn expression, I left the house with my companions. [[#]] The Royal Castle of Oz.
Needless to say, this place was guarded far more strictly than any other building.
This is where the king and his family reside.
In emergencies, it serves as a refuge not only for the nobility but also for citizens, so it’s surrounded by castle walls as tall as the outer wall encircling the city.
It’s been a while since I last visited here.
The last time I came was when the hero party and I met with the king, which brought back old memories.
I should have never joined then.
Barnett and Dorothea, both cloaked in large robes, silently followed behind me.
That’s because I’m the only one who knows the way here well.
At the drawbridge leading to the castle, guards were meticulously checking everyone, and the two, having no connections, couldn’t enter together with me.
“Go wait at a nearby tavern.”
“Good luck.”
“Hurry up and finish it.”
After bumping fists with them, I headed toward the drawbridge alone.
Soldiers were standing guard in pairs at the city gate, their demeanor sharp due to the tense public sentiment.
“Stop! State your purpose and identity!”
I slowly removed the hat I had pulled down over my head in front of them.
To avoid raising suspicion by looking too clean, I had applied dust to various parts of my body and changed into worn-out clothes.
I took a deep breath and exhaled before shouting loudly enough for even those further away to hear.
“I am the mage who accompanied the hero Arthurius! I’ve returned with the hero’s belongings, so please inform His Majesty the King immediately!”
This caused murmurs among the people and soldiers nearby.
It was already widely known that the hero Arthurius’ mission to defeat the Demon King had failed, and the survival status of the party members remained unclear.
Perhaps recognizing the gravity of the situation, one of the guards hurriedly ran inside the gate.
He seemed to be calling for a superior, and soon enough, a knight came rushing out with him, slightly out of breath.
Panting, the knight asked me,
“Are you Caldlasth?”
“Yes.”
I nodded and showed him the golden medal that proved my identity.
He carefully checked the name inscribed on the medal against my face before swallowing hard and saying,
“Please come inside first. Word has been sent upstairs, and you should be able to meet His Majesty the King soon.”
“Thank you.”
Thanks to the courteous knight, I was able to infiltrate the castle grounds effortlessly.[[#]] The Royal Castle of Oz was completely demolished and rebuilt larger from the original castle used during the founding of the kingdom.
During its short history of merely 300 years, the castle had been renovated twice, and thanks to that, constructing this castle alone drained a significant amount of the people’s taxes.
Passing through long corridors where maids and attendants walked, I entered a guest room reserved for visitors.
The knight who guided me here left after asking me to wait a moment.
As a result, I found myself alone in the lavish guest room, giving me some leisure time to look around.
“Not much has changed from before.”
With nothing to do until someone arrived, I started feeling bored.
To make use of the leftover time, I began meditating to introspect on my inner self.
I had ascended to the 7th rank just this morning and still knew far less than what I didn’t.
I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t undergone the process of rebirth like my teacher, nor did I fully understand what I had gained by reaching the 7th rank.
Closing my eyes, I slowly inhaled.
One thing I was certain of was that I could now absorb more mana with a single breath compared to before.
Has the efficiency of mana conversion improved?
Even before, extracting mana wasn’t particularly burdensome, but now it felt like the very concept of risk had disappeared entirely.
Cooohhh─
My master referred to this realm as the “Harmony Stage.”
Though I don’t know why such a grandiose name was chosen, there must be a reason it was named the Harmony Stage.
I had to uncover that truth myself.
About 30 minutes after I started sorting out my enlightenment alone, a knock finally came from outside the door.
Awakening from my meditation, I promptly responded.
“Come in.”
An elderly man who appeared to be the head butler entered, opening the door, and bowed deeply with proper decorum.
“Master Caldlasth, congratulations on your safe return. His Majesty the King wishes to personally hear how the hero was captured and met his end.”
“Of course, I’ll explain everything. Who gave the order?”
“I appreciate your understanding. Please follow me this way.”
Ordinarily, meeting the king of a nation would involve appropriate formalities.
One would bathe, polish oneself, and be formally presented before the king.
However, King Oscar must have been extremely curious about what happened during the six months we lost contact after entering Doom Land.
Thanks to this, all unnecessary procedures were skipped, and I was able to proceed directly to the audience chamber.
Following the elderly butler through a long corridor, I soon reached the enormous doors leading to the audience chamber.
The Royal Guards standing guard in front of them were staring straight ahead silently, but as the butler approached, they tensed up sharply, their bodies stiffening.
This was because the king’s butler is usually a high-ranking noble, often referred to as the Palace Duke.
Being in a position where one can freely offer advice to the king, displeasing him would undoubtedly complicate the rest of one’s military career.
“Announce to His Majesty that Mage Caldlasth has arrived. Very quietly.”
At this, the guard who was prepared to shout loudly momentarily looked confused but quickly regained composure and answered with a firm voice.
“Yes!!”
The butler frowned.
“Very quietly.”
The Royal Guard then entered cautiously, slightly embarrassed, after gently opening the door.
Watching this from behind, I empathized with him as if it were my own experience, feeling a pang in my chest.
It must be tough earning a living.
Guarding in front of the audience chamber day in and day out isn’t easy.
Especially since the military is notorious for harsh treatment.
There’s bound to be hidden hardships.
While contemplating the solitary figure of the butler as he disappeared, a voice emerged from inside the chamber.
“You may enter.”
Immediately afterward, the guard reappeared and dramatically opened the massive double doors of the audience chamber.
Walking in along the red carpet, I saw King Oscar sitting on his throne, his silver hair and white beard making a striking impression as he waited for me.
“Welcome. Caldlasth. Has it been about a year and a half since I last saw you?”
I knelt slightly before him and replied.
“It’s been a long time, yet Your Majesty remains as wise as the blazing sun.”
“Haha, you always whisper sweet nothings into my ears. However, today, you must tell me everything without omission about the hero’s final moments. Depending on the circumstances—”
“Depending on the circumstances?”
“There might be cases where we hold you accountable for returning alone, wouldn’t you agree? Hahaha.”
“Hahahahah.”
At this point, I firmly resolved:
I intended to kill him from the start, but this guy absolutely has to be taken down no matter what happens.
While pretending to laugh along with his boisterous laughter, I took out the circlet I had brought with me.
“This is the letter and circlet the hero entrusted to me while escaping from the Demon King’s dungeon. Unfortunately, I couldn’t retrieve his sword and shield, but I’ve brought this back to the royal family.”
“Ah. What a commendable deed. Bring it closer so I can take a look.”
Ideally, I wanted to present it directly, but being in the late stages of paranoia, he insisted on receiving items only through the hands of a servant.
Reluctantly passing the letter and circlet to the head butler, I stepped back and waited to see how the king would react.
Eventually, the king, satisfied with the perfectly identical replica of the circlet, stroked it while taking out the letter.
It read as follows:
“A special gift from Oz’s mage to the greedy fox.”
A magic stone filled with fire mana, crafted with Dorothea’s help.
Because its elemental structure is inherently unstable, even a minor external impact could trigger a massive explosion.
And its power would naturally exceed dynamite.
“You… you dog!”
Keeeeeeeeeeng—
Only then did King Oscar realize he’d been deceived and attempted to curse, but the fake ruby embedded in the circlet began to glow brightly a beat faster.
Kaaaaaaaboom!!
The massive explosion blew off the ceiling of the audience chamber, revealing the blue sky, and as I felt my stomach churn, I muttered under my breath.
“Art is explosion.”
Showtime.
