While approaching the labyrinth on horseback, Aslan was confused.
The labyrinth, the barren land Aslan knew, had few traces.
There was no sign of the original tavern, and in the clearing where materials used to be piled, a castle tower stood tall.
At the stables set up in front of that tower, stablehands were bustling about, leading horses or carrying beasts.
Their faces were heavy with fear, and their pale countenances were a mix of terror and confusion.
Aslan realized through their expressions that they were not specters.
There was no need for further investigation.
When Aslan rode closer, one stablehand, upon seeing Aslan and Lumel with an expression of great fright, bowed deeply.
Since there was no apparent way to distinguish between specters and the living at first glance, it seemed the stablehands assumed all newcomers were specters.
After Aslan and Lumel dismounted from their horses, the stablehand led the horses away.
Retreating, he said, “Please go inside,” and hurried off as if fleeing.
Given this situation, Aslan’s options were limited.
There was nothing to gain by not entering, so Aslan quietly entered the labyrinth along with Lumel, heading precisely toward the castle built atop the labyrinth.
Inside the castle, as expected, there was a banquet hall.
Some individuals wore armor like Aslan, while others dressed in dresses like Lumel; it was a diverse gathering within the banquet hall.
Amidst this diversity, Aslan could discern remnants of the old labyrinth only partially.
The furniture of the labyrinth was still in use, as well as the foundational floors and pillars.
However, aside from these elements, it was impossible to recognize the labyrinth.
The castle seemed to have grown over the labyrinth, enveloping it entirely.
Even a casual glance upward revealed the immense scale of the castle, its vast and towering banquet hall, and the stable structure covering the unstable labyrinth beneath.
Considering that the empire had received no reports of such a place, the conclusion was simple.
This was a hastily constructed castle.
Moreover, among these specters, there must have been a wizard capable of constructing such a castle quickly.
Upon reflection, this wasn’t particularly surprising.
Given the presence of heroes from the ancient empire era and earlier among the specters, there would be no lack of magical expertise.
Viewing the castle with the understanding that it was magically constructed, Lumel lightly tugged at Aslan’s sleeve.
“Aslan.”
“…Ah, yeah.”
Lumel nodded to Aslan while concealing his tense expression, and Aslan accompanied him into the banquet hall, giving the impression of escorting him.
Upon entering, the banquet hall was filled with a diverse group of people.
Simultaneously, their appearances clearly indicated to Aslan that they were specters.
While observing them, Lumel whispered in his ear.
Firstly, knights and warriors adorned with splendid but outdated armor, undoubtedly relics from the ancient empire imbued with magical artifacts.
A woman’s voice, not out of admiration but clear tension, echoed softly.
In Aslan’s ear, knowledge unfamiliar to him resided.
“Though I’m not certain, that one is a knight of the Golden Falcon, and the other is the undefeated Bart. Both are knights and warriors from the ancient empire era.”
As Aslan gazed at the warriors who had slain dragons during the ancient times and crafted their armor and weapons from dragon scales,
“Those wearing dragon scales are dragon slayers from the ancient empire,” Lumel explained.
As Aslan slightly nodded, Lumel firmly grasped his arm, passing through the centerline of his body.
Startled by the sudden action, Aslan flinched, but Lumel paid no heed and drew closer.
Through even the heavy armor, Aslan could feel it.
Lumel’s large, soft breasts, the smooth, supple, and toned body supporting those breasts,
and the thighs holding his hand tightly buried between them.
Aslan stiffened from the intense warmth and the distinct aroma of incense emanating from Lumel’s body, causing Lumel to chuckle softly at his rigidity.
“Are you really acting like such a novice? You’ve been married. Act like lovers. Think of me as your lover and behave naturally…”
Then, Lumel gestured toward the wizards with a nod.
Thus, Aslan had no choice but to pretend to be lovers with Lumel and listen attentively.
Still, the ensuing explanations weren’t mere boasting but rather a continuation of the previous discussion.
The wizards Lumel pointed out appeared to be wizards at first glance, but they bore signs of distortion caused by wild magic.
Following the explanation, Aslan heard another whisper in his ear.
“They must be wizards from the ancient empire era. Back then, wild magic and regular magic were mixed and used together…”
Further back, at a slight distance, there was a wizard completely twisted by wild magic, resembling a monster.
“And those are likely wizards who completed their magic solely through wild magic before the ancient empire era.”
Listening to Lumel’s explanation, Aslan quickly scanned the banquet hall.
With wizards from the ancient empire era and earlier, encompassing heroes from various periods, Aslan confirmed his suspicion.
“Aslan, everyone here…”
“Yeah, I know.”
Everyone in the banquet hall was the specter of a hero who once dominated an era.
With a guarded tone, Lumel spoke as Aslan escorted her toward a corner of the banquet hall. The gazes of the heroes gathered in the banquet hall briefly fell on Aslan and Lumel before withdrawing.
Apparently, they mistook them for yet another common hero. Grateful for their oversight, Aslan nonetheless felt puzzled.
The expansive banquet hall hosted an extraordinary number of heroes.
A rough estimate suggested a quantity that could be described as a multitude.
It was comparable to an army.
The problem lay precisely there.
Each of these individuals was a legendary hero immune to any myth or legend, and they were certainly not the type to obediently gather when summoned.
The mere fact that they had gathered was perplexing.
Their only commonality was that they had returned as specters.
While some from the same era occasionally appeared, not all present were from the same period, making it impossible to attribute their gathering to shared origins.
Besides, even if they were from the same era, it didn’t necessarily mean they were allies in life; surely, there were those who were enemies.
Yet, the banquet hall was quiet, without any signs of conflict.
They seemed to have gathered as if the banquet itself were their sole purpose, which was unnatural.
It was unlikely that they had all joined under the influence of some evil deity, and it was certain that the Dark Ram would avoid such a scenario.
Given the sheer number, it was implausible that they had gathered merely because they were specters. Thus, Aslan suspected this might be the intent of someone.
Perhaps someone who, as both a specter and possessor of overwhelming power and charisma, had subdued them all.
Aslan immediately judged that the urgent task was to identify the host of the banquet who had gathered these specters.
While contemplating this, as Aslan approached a corner of the banquet hall, a few specters huddled there turned their gaze toward Aslan and Lumel.
They had chosen a position meant to remain unnoticed, appropriately shrouded in darkness, making them hard to see.
Initially, choosing such a spot drew some attention, but after waiting a moment, the gazes soon withdrew.
Only then did Aslan turn to Lumel, who clung to his arm.
“Lumel.”
“Yes?”
“Did you notice anything strange?”
In response to Aslan’s question, the woman shook her head.
“Other than the excessive diversity in eras, almost nothing.”
This was also what Aslan had considered.
Whether the Dark Ram had revived them indiscriminately or there was some intention behind it remained unclear, but the variety of eras was evident.
Just from the explanations Lumel had provided so far, it seemed that individuals had been resurrected broadly from the ancient empire era and earlier.
“So, it’s not grouped by gender, race, or specialty either. There are wizards, warriors, knights, non-humans… roughly speaking, the diversity transcends gender.”
Perhaps someone intentionally gathered them this way?
Lumel’s speculation aligned with Aslan’s conclusion.
“Perhaps there exists a being with the power and charisma to summon all of them.”
As Aslan added his conclusion, Lumel let out a hesitant hum.
“Then…”
“We should find out.”
At this, Lumel agreed and clung tighter to Aslan’s arm. Aslan, grateful for the protective gauntlets on his arms, reflected.
Aslan couldn’t guess the identity of the being who had gathered all these specters.
That was most concerning.
Until now, Aslan had been aware of all the prominent named priests and powerful entities.
Thus, even if he encountered or was ambushed by them, he could respond accordingly. However, if there were a powerful figure unknown to Aslan, like a tyrant or Dragon King, his response would inevitably be delayed.
Likewise, the entity who had gathered these specters was likely outside Aslan’s knowledge.
While hoping that this entity would at least reveal itself, Aslan tried to deduce the reason for gathering these specters.
By observing the specters or eavesdropping on their conversations.
He also speculated about their purpose and what kind of being could achieve such a feat.
Meanwhile, Lumel, standing beside Aslan, occasionally explained the identities of visible heroes when requested and crossed her arms.
Making every effort to appear like a lover or partner.
Her ulterior motives were clear, but Aslan did not object.
In the current situation, those motives could be helpful.
After scrutinizing for quite some time and realizing the lack of obtainable information, Aslan contemplated switching to a long-term plan.
Suddenly, the banquet hall began to stir.
The heroes, who had previously maintained a quiet, arrogant demeanor, directed their gazes somewhere, on guard.
Despite having already overcome countless trials to earn the title of hero, some displayed palpable fear as they looked toward something.
Turning his head following their reactions, Aslan finally saw the figure.
And Aslan had to admit that he did not recognize this being.
This being was undeniably beyond Aslan’s knowledge.
One of the three great evils known as the Triarch Evils, existing before the inevitability of the universe manifested.
A human-turned deity and an unparalleled villain.
Aslan learned the name of this being from the murmurs of the specters.
This being was an unknown hero to Aslan but one whose identity could be guessed.
The Duke Hudail’s Domain, practically an autonomous city.
The founder and owner of the “Omul Pit.”
People called him Omul.
An ambiguous black garment that was neither a cloak nor a robe, fluttering loosely.
With only one shoulder covered by a pauldron, revealing arms riddled with piercings, and a grotesque figure wearing a helmet full of holes on a pale face.
Omul slowly ascended from the massive staircase leading underground to the center of the banquet hall.
Seeing this figure for the first time, Aslan frowned in response to the sharp intuition conveyed by his luck.
Omul was unmistakably a priest.
From his body emanated the divine power of an evil deity, the very same divine power that haunted Aslan’s dreams whenever he slept.
Although it was unclear exactly which deity’s priest he was, the extent of his power was evident.
He was not just a difficult opponent but a formidable one.
While wary of his strength, Aslan attempted to conceal his presence as much as possible to avoid drawing attention.
What was needed was information, not interest.
However, despite this attempt, Omul conspicuously turned his head and approached Aslan’s direction.
Startled, Aslan wondered if his identity as a non-specter had been exposed when Omul spoke.
“It’s been a long time.”
This remark wasn’t directed at Aslan.
“…Yes?”
It was aimed at Lumel.
The look of bewilderment on Lumel’s face.
Aslan, recognizing the sincerity in her expression, observed Omul while trying to gauge the situation.
“Do you know me?”
Lumel’s counter-question made Omul chuckle humorlessly after pondering for a moment.
“Pretending not to know? How sad.”
Unable to discern any reaction from Lumel, Omul pointed to her hair with his pale hand.
“Like in your youth, you’ve braided your hair and draped it over your shoulder.”
Then, his finger moved toward the spear Lumel carried.
“And you hold the Spear of Law and Order that abandoned you. Isn’t pretending not to know too shameless?”
The chilling voice failed to elicit any reaction from Lumel.
The statements were simply too incomprehensible.
At this, Omul seemed to interpret her silence as defiance and clicked his tongue.
“Should I bring this out for you to understand my words?”
And he laughed.
A distorted laugh visible even beneath the helmet.
Slowly, he withdrew something from his robes.
A spear appeared in his hand.
While Lumel appeared not to recognize the spear and wore a blank expression, Aslan did.
Aslan recognized the spear.
Crackling faintly with electricity.
This was one of the Twin Spears of Law and Order.
Unlike the Golden Spear of Judgment symbolizing law, this was the Azure Spear symbolizing order.
A blue spear emitting fine streaks of lightning across the ground.
A short spear with a broad and long blade.
Discipline.
As Aslan stiffened upon seeing the spear, Omul spoke.
“Knight of Law and Order, I won’t say you don’t recognize this. After all, it was taken from you when your arm was severed. You should remember that.”
While Lumel remained confused, Aslan understood.
Omul was mistakenly identifying Lumel as someone else he knew.
Aslan hesitated while gripping the hilt of the Abyssal Sword.
