Chapter 68

Emergency Assembly (2)

My vision returned to normal, and what unfolded before me was a dark communal space.

The magic stones embedded all around, the magic circle beneath my feet, and the wizards in robes surrounding me.

It was the same scene I had encountered when I first set foot in the Grand Duke’s Castle after escaping from the transport ship.

As I ascended the stairs leading to the ground and walked down the corridor, I felt a similar sensation to when I first came to the Grand Duke’s Castle, as if I had entered the mouth of a tiger.

And in reality, it wasn’t much different.

Depending on the outcome of this emergency assembly, this place could very well become my execution ground today.

However, unlike back then, my heart was calm, partly because I had become more accustomed to this world and partly because I had made sufficient preparations before coming.

Playing the role of a dignified duke had gradually seeped into my inner self as well.

I soon arrived at the place where the knights were lined up, walking through the dim corridor.

All of them were clad in pitch-black armor like the commander of the Black Lin, and their levels were all over 80. They seemed to be all knights of the Black Lin.

At the end, a massive door was visible.

We walked past the knights and stopped right in front of the entrance to the conference room.

"Hmm."

I could sense the overwhelming presence beyond the door.

This confirmed that all the dukes were gathered inside, and I also realized that if things didn’t go according to plan, there would be no way out for me.

"This assembly is to hear your explanation for killing the 6th Duke."

Before opening the door and entering, Sin Tae spoke.

I glanced at him.

"I don’t know if you’re aware, but lying in front of the Grand Duke is a futile act."

"......"

"I hope you can sincerely reveal your true intentions and persuade the Grand Duke. I, too, wish for a peaceful resolution to this matter."

The 1st Duke, Sin Tae, was a particularly special figure among the nine dukes.

He had the highest level among the dukes and, most importantly, was the first duke who had been in his position since the founding of Caldric.

He was like the most massive pillar of Caldric and a person who genuinely cared for its peace more than anyone else.

It seemed he, too, did not want any further conflict to arise from this incident, just as much as I did.

Without answering, I turned my gaze forward again.

Sin Tae stepped forward and opened the door to the conference room himself.

Creak.

The door opened, and the scene inside the conference room came into view.

A massive round table, and the dukes seated around it.

Their gazes were already fixed on me.

"......"

From the 1st Duke, Sin Tae, standing beside me, to the 4th Duke, the King of the Dead, and the 9th Duke, the Giant King, who had not attended the previous meeting.

Despite the short time that had passed, all the dukes were present, which was unexpected.

I particularly looked at the 9th Duke, who occupied a large portion of the seat.

A giant, at least 5 meters tall, one of the rare giant races. Unlike the other dukes, he sat alone in a massive chair that fit his size, looking down at me with a calm gaze.

No one was emitting any particular hostility or murderous intent, but a massive pressure filled the conference room.

This was because all the dukes seated there were fully armed.

"Welcome, 7th Duke."

The Grand Duke, seated at the head of the round table, smiled and spoke.

She was wearing the same black dress as before.

Her smile seemed to lack any hostility, which made me feel a bit bewildered.

"You arrived earlier than expected. It seems there were no major conflicts on the way?"

Gwang Lang, who had been resting his chin on the armrest, straightened up and said with a smile in his voice.

I maintained a blank expression and slowly walked to my seat and sat down.

Sin Tae also took his seat, and the chief advisor and the commander of the Black Lin stood behind the Grand Duke.

Silence filled the conference room for a moment.

Soon, the Grand Duke spoke again.

"Since everyone is here, let’s begin, shall we?"

She pointed to the empty seat of the 6th Duke.

"The reason for this emergency assembly, as you all know, is the death of the 6th Duke. And the one who killed him is the newly enthroned 7th Duke."

Her gaze shifted to me.

"Is there anything you want to correct about what I just said?"

"No."

This was a formal confirmation.

The Grand Duke continued speaking after my answer.

"Good. Here’s what I’ve gathered so far. During a gladiatorial tournament hosted by the 6th Duke, the 7th Duke suddenly intervened, unilaterally declaring that he would take back a slave gladiator who was in the middle of a match. This led to a conflict with the enraged 6th Duke, and after a fierce battle, the 6th Duke was killed."

"......"

"7th Duke, is there anything you want to correct about this?"

I spoke calmly.

"The 6th Duke was the one who made the first move."

"Ah, I see. That’s what I heard. But that’s not a crucial fact, is it?"

The Grand Duke shook her head.

The 2nd Duke, Noe Hou, interjected and added.

"Even if the 6th Duke made the first move, it was the 7th Duke who first interfered with the 6th Duke’s event. So, the root of the problem is clearly with him."

I glanced at Noe Hou.

Was it because of the grudge from the previous meeting, or was she unusually active for some other reason?

The Grand Duke looked at me with a smile.

"7th Duke, can you answer this? Did you have no intention of killing the 6th Duke even before he attacked you?"

"......"

This was a question that hit the core, and I inwardly sighed.

I had expected it, but it seemed things wouldn’t go smoothly.

The ability to see through truth and lies, which the Grand Duke possessed, was also a power of the hero of Sainthea.

Given that she had this ability, it would be pointless to try to deceive her here.

Did you have no intention of killing the 6th Duke before he attacked you?

I couldn’t say that I had no intention at all.

Because I had already made up my mind at that time.

If I couldn’t get the cure for the Blood Thirst from him, I would kill him and save the Riff siblings and take them away.

"Not entirely."

The Grand Duke asked again.

"So, it wasn’t that you killed the 6th Duke out of necessity after the battle became too intense, but rather that you killed him with a clear intention, right?"

"Yes."

This was also a fact that couldn’t be denied.

I had killed him after subduing him, having already taken away most of his physical abilities.

The dukes reacted in various ways to my answer.

Sin Tae and Noe Hou slightly furrowed their brows, Gwang Lang and the Empress of the Black Sea smiled strangely as they did when I first entered, and the other dukes showed no particular emotion.

"Now that the facts are clear, let’s hear the reason."

The Grand Duke, now with a serious expression, continued.

"7th Duke, why did you kill the 6th Duke?"

I remained silent for a moment without answering.

The reason for killing the 6th Duke.

This assembly was ultimately to hear that reason from me and to execute me if it was deemed unjustified.

So, this question and answer session was crucial in determining my fate.

'......But I can’t give a justifiable reason.'

Of course.

To them, the two humans were nothing more than insignificant bugs with no value.

If I said I killed the 6th Duke just to save them, what would happen?

Of course, there was a reason.

One of the siblings, the male, was the one who would kill the 6th Duke in the future, and even if I hadn’t intervened, he would have died soon anyway.

But, of course, this couldn’t be explained.

If the Grand Duke, who could distinguish truth from lies, knew that my absurd prediction was true, things would get complicated. Revealing Riff’s existence to the Grand Duke could lead to unpredictable consequences.

[How about we work together? I’ll spare your life. In return, you’ll become a duke of Caldric......]

......It could also lead to the siblings, who had barely escaped hell, being made unhappy again.

Laying all my cards on the table to avoid the immediate crisis and save my life would be the worst-case scenario, but not the absolute worst.

So, I decided to take some risks and try to survive this.

The best answer I could give was this.

"That was the best course of action."

"......Huh?"

The Grand Duke slightly furrowed her brows, confused.

"I mean, killing the 6th Duke there was, at least in my judgment, the best course of action. It was less harmful to Caldric’s future."

This was the absolute truth, without any lies.

The 6th Duke, who was going to die in the future anyway, just died a bit earlier. And Riff, who was supposed to become a bloodthirsty monster in the future, did not fall into that path.

I couldn’t say for sure if this was beneficial to Caldric, but I didn’t think it was a loss.

The Grand Duke tilted her head, even more confused.

"So, you’re saying that the 6th Duke’s existence was harmful to Caldric?"

"......"

"Even if you remain silent, I’d like to hear why you made that judgment, 7th Duke."

"That’s all I have to say."

If I delved deeper, I would have to reveal Riff’s existence, so I didn’t give any further explanation.

The Grand Duke sighed.

"Don’t you think you’re being too stubborn? Without a reason, I can’t make any judgment. If you keep this up......"

"Is there anything more to hear?"

Noe Hou interjected in a cold voice.

"A duke was killed by another duke. If we let this slide, the order of Caldric will be shaken to its core. Regardless of the reason, no matter how justifiable, we must execute the 7th Duke immediately to restore order."

Gwang Lang also spoke.

"Hey, but you really hated the 6th Duke, didn’t you? You’re just holding a grudge from the last meeting, right?"

"......Is this the time for jokes?"

"Look, you’re hit."

She chuckled and picked up the sword she had placed beside her.

"Still, I agree with the 2nd Duke. The reason for the killing doesn’t matter. If we let this slide, what will everyone think?"

"You’re right, Grand Duke. It seems he has no intention of explaining himself. Let’s not waste time and just execute him."

The Empress of the Black Sea also chimed in, flapping her blood-red wings and laughing.

I looked at the Grand Duke.

"7th Duke, this is your last chance."

She said with a face that seemed to have lost all interest.

"Try to persuade me or change my mind. Otherwise, you will die here today."

Her tone suggested that she had intended to execute me from the beginning, regardless of any reason.

I exhaled and crossed my arms.

The Grand Duke is unpredictable but rational.

By rational, I mean she doesn’t let her ego get in the way of her decisions.

So, her decision to execute me is solely because she believes it’s more beneficial to Caldric.

It’s not an emotional decision like, "How dare you break the rules and kill a duke?"

No matter how talented she judged me to be, I was still a new duke, lacking the trust that comes with time.

She must have decided that the benefits of leaving me, who had disrupted the fundamental order of Caldric that had been maintained for centuries, did not outweigh the risks.

So, I thought,

If there’s no benefit in keeping me alive, I’ll make her see the cost of killing me.

The dukes seated around the table slowly raised their spirits and stared at me intently.

I scanned them and spoke.

"If a battle breaks out, I won’t survive."

This is true.

No matter how many abilities I have, there’s no way I can survive the combined attack of all the dukes, including the Grand Duke.

"But remember this."

Among the dukes, those without defensive barriers are the 5th Duke, Gwang Lang, the 9th Duke, the Giant King, and the 8th Duke, the Empress of the Black Sea......

I can teleport three times and use blood magic.

In this limited space of the conference room, if I use blood magic to burst blood in all directions, how many of the dukes will be hit?

It’s unknown. I might not hit anyone, or I might hit more than I expect due to their complacency.

In other words, no one knows the outcome.

I might die pointlessly without killing anyone, or I might wipe out half of the dukes.

"Half of those seated here."

What I’m saying now is not just a bluff, but a pure truth based on an unpredictable future.

And the Grand Duke will understand this.

"If you plan to kill me, be prepared to lose at least half of yourselves."