Chapter 47

Hikaru and the others infiltrated the interior of the castle.

Undead dressed as maids and servants stood around listlessly. If they sensed the presence of living humans, would they attack? Hikaru wondered, but he had no intention of confirming it.

The stone castle was easy to navigate. They proceeded down the corridors. Here and there, they saw the figures of humans who had worked in the castle.

(There's definitely something wrong. There are too few knights and soldiers.)

There were some, but they were almost nonexistent. Apart from the Dead Knight Draugr team stationed on the main bridge, there were no significant numbers.

This would make the castle's security ineffective.

Hikaru approached a lone Dead Knight wandering around. A dagger wouldn't penetrate through the plate armor. He looked for an opening. The body was completely covered by the armor. The face was exposed, but the neck was not visible.

(Would a stab to the face take it down in one hit? ...I don't think so.)

Hikaru's "Intuition" 1 whispered, "It's not impossible?"

There was no need to force it, so he gave up.

The location of the treasure room became clear as soon as they approached. There was a massive block of magic energy in that area, similar to that of a noble's mansion.

If it couldn't be opened, there would be no point in coming, but Hikaru had a plan.

"Is this the keyhole?"

A huge, double-door entrance towered above them. Made of white stone, it was adorned with carvings of dragon-like monsters.

The keyhole was conspicuously placed at Hikaru's eye level.

"Do people like the treasure room manager hold keys like this?"

"I think so... I guess."

"Is it something like that?"

"Maybe it is."

Next to the door stood a Dead Noble in what must have been a lavish outfit 600 years ago. He held a bunch of keys in his right hand.

Hikaru approached and struck the Dead Noble down in one hit, taking the keys. He tried a key that looked right, and it slid smoothly into the keyhole.

"Why was that undead here? It's too convenient, isn't it?"

"True... But even if the key fits, it might not open."

Hikaru pulled out the key. He tried other keys, but none of them fit, so this one was definitely the right key. The material of the key matched the door.

"There's a depression in the middle."

There was a depression on the handle of the key, as if something was meant to be inserted.

"Ah. I thought the strongest equipment in the treasure room would be the reward for the boss battle, but it's not that simple... Maybe the boss has something to imbue the key with magic?"

"Boss? You mean a superior?"

The game term Hikaru used inadvertently didn't make sense to Ravia.

"Ah, um... The boss here is probably the king."

Hikaru said, thinking it was the king.

They returned to the front of the castle and headed for the throne room where the king might be.

As they climbed the long staircase, the doors leading to the throne room were wide open.

There was a carpet, but so much dust had accumulated over the years that its color was indistinguishable.

The dust in the corridor had been cleared by the undead walking, but the carpet was still covered in dust, with no footprints at all, like the day after a snowfall.

"...He's here."

Hikaru's "Magic Detection" had picked up on it.

"Should we turn off the light?"

"It's fine. Only Dead Nobles are here."

"...Really?"

Ravia looked doubtful but followed with the magic lamp still lit.

When she directed the light into the room—

"!?"

Dead Nobles stood on both sides.

On a raised platform, a throne was placed, and an undead sat on it.

Resting his cheek on his hand, the empty eye sockets were directed at them.

The many gems sewn into the flowing robe sparkled like diamonds.

Even after 600 years, the diamonds still shone, though they were covered in dust.

"—...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...——...