Chapter 106
Chapter 106: Alpha Male (4)
"Let's go, Master."
Erik headed to the Imperial Capital's District 1 alongside Riferoze. Walking with the hot-tempered Riferoze, the surrounding scenery blurred past in a rush.
[District 2 Gate Station]
Even high-ranking officials had to stop here once, yet the District 2 gate was a complete free pass for her.
"Everyone, stand aside!"
A girl with white hair. Perhaps thanks to her well-known characteristics? The Information Bureau had spread word of Riferoze's movements, so the Imperial Army's response was extremely swift.
Riferoze came to a stop before District 1 of the Imperial Capital with a satisfied expression.
"Things progress much faster now than five years ago."
"That is all thanks to Master's achievements."
However, District 1, where the Imperial Palace stood, was different.
"We have come to escort you."
Dozens of Royal Guards surrounded Erik and Riferoze. Ostensibly a grand welcome for an honored guest, but in reality, vigilance against a dangerous person.
'Master doesn't hit weak commoners for being rude, but she hits strong ones.'
Riferoze doesn't strike powerless common folk for their rudeness. However, if the Royal Guard made even a slight verbal misstep, she would strike.
"People all have different durability levels."
In other words, each person had a different sandbag threshold.
"Hmm"
Riferoze fell into thought while stroking her long white hair for a moment.
'Does she want another round?'
Riferoze felt slightly displeased at being surrounded by the Royal Guard.
"We will escort you comfortably wherever you wish."
However, she was soon satisfied by the respectful treatment they displayed. Thus, she strolled between the palace buildings, engaging in conversation with Erik.
"Just what did you do that Ruelle remained quietly at the church?"
Now that she thought about it, it was strange that Ruelle hadn't followed. Certainly, both of them had entered the church, yet only Erik had come out.
"I gave her a small gift."
"What about me?"
Riferoze tilted her head. Erik smiled and pointed to a crude, cube-shaped building.
[Possessor Management Bureau]
"Let Master see my place of work and receive a gift as well."
Erik grinned. Before entering the Imperial Palace, he had planned to hand Riferoze a smartphone.
"Oho. A gift, you say?"
Riferoze laughed heartily and headed to Erik's workplace. The crude, cube-shaped building came into view. However, unlike its plain exterior, its interior was far from ordinary.
"The Imperial Family still considers possessors quite dangerous, it seems."
Seeing magic circles plastered everywhere on the walls, doors, and interior, Riferoze offered a brief observation.
"If they become followers of my faith, they too will become part of the world."
Erik said this matter-of-factly. Then he opened the metal bars of the detention facility.
Drrrrrk!
Either forewarned or prepared, the Royal Guard in charge had lined up the possessors. Erik laughed deeply as he selected several possessors.
"What are these?"
Riferoze asked, and Erik grinned.
"Possessors capable of real-time communication."
Just as he had done with Ruelle, Erik provided explanations about their performance. For Riferoze's case, military support was completely unnecessary, so he selected them primarily based on the peculiarity of their [Unique Traits].
"All women, then."
There were several reasons for selecting only female possessors. During her Paladin training days. Roughly a hundred years ago, she had said there were many men who behaved improperly toward her.
"Looking at my small frame, those fools would lose their minds."
The Paladins of the Astia Religious Order were exceptions, but knights from other religions or nations would approach her. Each time, she had sent them back half-dead…….
"The ones who lost came back with their fathers or masters, dragging others along."
And so she beat them too. That was how Riferoze had become strong.
'But if I gave that reason, she might feel hurt.'
Erik continued speaking smoothly.
"I cannot place any men beside the Master, can I?"
At those words, Riferoze drew an enigmatic expression and then examined the possessors one by one.
"Their basic performance is similar?"
The [Chat Function], [Search Function], and other options were identical. However, these possessors possessed different special qualities.
"Their Unique Traits differ."
Erik began calling the possessors one by one to explain.
[Four-Leaf Clover]
"This trait makes luck extraordinarily good. The funny thing is it doesn't apply to Labyrinth probability rewards. They say it breaks the balance……."
"What use is luck that doesn't apply to Labyrinth reward boxes?"
Riferoze had truly lived a righteous life. Except for her violence, she was nearly perfectly transparent. She had never gambled, nor shown interest in alcohol or tobacco. But the possessors were different.
"This possessor was caught in a gambling den."
"Gambling?"
"This trait gives luck outside the system extraordinarily well. She achieved 280 consecutive wins at blackjack."
At that time, the Empire's largest casino, run by the Northern Archduke Park, had nearly gone bankrupt.
"The Northern Archduke went bankrupt?"
"She won 280 consecutive card games, and each time she won, she bet all the money immediately."
If Erik hadn't revealed the [Unique Trait], a major problem would have occurred.
"It's interesting, but it doesn't seem particularly amusing."
The keyword "gambling" didn't stimulate Riferoze's interest. Erik moved on to the next one.
[Emergency Escape]
"Once a day, when a threat to life appears, it teleports to a random location."
"Oho, that would be interesting. I could use it whenever I'm bored, and there would be the fun of searching."
"But the range is only about 1 km."
"That's unfortunate. If it covered the entire continent, there would be joy in the search……."
Erik pointed to the last possessor.
[Navigation]
"It guides the Master to any place she desires."
"Oho. Any limitations?"
"It doesn't work inside the Labyrinth, I'm told."
"I like this one."
Riferoze was directionally challenged. While she always managed to reach her destination somehow, the process was quite inconvenient.
'That's fortunate.'
Erik had selected a possessor precisely suited to her needs, ultimately making her choose.
"Please take her with you wherever you go."
"Won't she die quickly that way?"
"I plan to make her a believer by today."
"Like Janson?"
Her white pupils gleamed thinly. Deep interest, curiosity, and the appearance of having discovered an amusing toy.
***
"Your Highness the Crown Prince! It's dangerous!"
"General, enough!"
The Imperial Capital Commander blocked Leonardo. The Emperor had gone north, the Archduke to the battlefield.
'The Magic Tower Master is there, but even he has fallen under Erik's subordinate.'
From the perspective of the general protecting the capital, it was quite headache-inducing. Moreover, that Riferoze had returned……
"No matter what, meeting both Erik and the White Witch is too dangerous, isn't it?"
"I meet alone with Erik. General, don't worry too much."
First Prince Leonardo, unusually for him, washed his face with cold water, expressing his complicated feelings.
'The general is fulfilling his role……'
Yet after seeing that cult-like imperial praise textbook, he still persists? Leonardo found it difficult to understand.
"He has made great contributions to the Empire and has taken root here as a truly loyal subject."
"Your Highness, wasn't that Lucifer fellow also the court earl of the Garcian Kingdom? In worldly matters—"
The general tried to persuade the Crown Prince by citing an example from a small kingdom. At this, the Prime Minister, who had been holding back below the Audience Hall, interjected.
"General, exactly why do you think Erik is a subversive element?"
His red eyebrows rose sharply. The Prime Minister clearly seemed quite heated. At this, the Imperial Capital Commander looked at the Prime Minister as if he were pitiable.
"Prime Minister, you've seen Erik from long ago, so your judgment cannot be trusted."
"General—"
The voices of both men grew louder. It went beyond bounds, even before the First Prince rather than the Emperor.
'There's no answer in sight.'
Thereupon, Leonardo finally made a decisive move.
Uuuoong!
Drawing out a silver Fragment of the Moon, he looked at the General.
"His Majesty has entrusted everything to me. General, I will not tolerate further disagreement. Prime Minister, let's end it here."
It was a decisive exercise of power. At this, the General reluctantly stepped back. The Prime Minister also lowered his head.
"Your Highness—. Director Erik of the Possessor Management Bureau has entered the palace."
Just then, an Imperial attendant approached and announced Erik's arrival.
"The Lupen River is stained with black magical power, so we need their strength now. General, you must not act rashly."
Leonardo warned the General. However, even as Leonardo spoke thus, one question remained.
"Give him money. If you give him about 10 billion gold, he'll be very pleased."
The Imperial Family of the great empire that had become the continent's richest. Compared to the wealth accumulated over generations, this level of expenditure was no problem.
However, the problem lay not in the money to be given, but in the person receiving it.
'Even so, isn't that too much for a fifteen-year-old?'
The Crown Prince thought thus. No matter how much a Saint or Director……
'If I meet him and feel he's not the right fit, I should try a different approach.'
Leonardo cleared his throat and finished preparing to meet Erik.
"Ahem, ahem. Let him enter."
Thus, he instructed the attendant to permit entry to the Audience Hall.
"Director Erik of the Possessor Management Bureau enters."
Given the calamity of the Great Cataclysm and the outbreak of war, formalities were omitted.
Puuuuuuu!
However, remembering the achievements Erik had set, welcoming horn calls echoed through. Within the welcome, the door to the Audience Hall, aligned directly with the throne, opened.
Drrrrrk!
The massive arched door split in half, and moonlight glimmered. Between those silver ripples, brilliant golden radiance flooded in.
'Such overwhelming divinity!'
The Crown Prince internally admired and gazed at the source of the light. There stood a man quite large. Over two meters tall, similar in height to the Northern Archduke, he walked unhesitatingly across the red carpet of the Audience Hall toward the throne. He lowered his head.
"I greet Your Highness the First Prince."
It was a very deep, low voice.
"……"
Leonardo stared at the General standing beside him with a greatly startled expression.
'Is that really Erik?'
The General looked at the Crown Prince as if equally bewildered. Eventually, Leonardo opened his mouth.
"I heard he was a very small child……"
"I have grown well thanks to taking root in the Empire."
His voice, his polite manner of speaking—nothing suggested a fifteen-year-old boy. Leonardo found it difficult to hide his confusion.
"He is truly fifteen?"
"Yes."
A sense of incongruity arose. It was an intense feeling reminiscent of the Labyrinth's time distortion.
"My disciple is a very cute boy, barely over one meter tall."
Leonardo recalled an anecdote from the Labyrinth. At that time, Riferoze had certainly called Erik a very small child.
"Prime Minister, is he truly the Erik we know?"
"Yes, he is."
Erik glanced sidelong at both the Prime Minister and the Crown Prince. Without being told to raise his head, the First Prince Leonardo was suddenly spouting off nonsense. From Erik's perspective, he seemed like a madman.
'Master said he was carried in the Labyrinth……'
Completely blank, wasn't he? It even seemed he wasn't fit to inherit the throne. Immersed in such thoughts.
"Ah, my apologies. Your appearance is so different from what I heard that I was momentarily flustered."
An honest and straightforward statement came.
"I heard about you from Riferoze. I heard you had a small frame. Yet since leaving the Labyrinth, no one has mentioned how much you've grown."
It was truly honesty itself. At this, Erik laughed lightly and responded.
"You need not concern yourself."
"Yes, let's have a proper conversation now."
As soon as the Crown Prince finished speaking, Erik rose to his feet. He said,
"I wish to receive the item Master said to give me first. I heard he used that as a pretext to enter the church……"
A tone that seemed subtly pointed. The red beard below the Audience Hall trembled faintly.
***
After hearing detailed explanations, Erik received an item from the Crown Prince. To summarize the series of events……
'This is ridiculous.'
What the Crown Prince had given him was one of the initial rewards for subjugating the 32nd Floor Master. In the Labyrinth, there are initial subjugation rewards, and then conquest rewards are given afterward.
'No, shouldn't you have given it even if I really were a small child?'
[Selective Trait Bestowal Orb]
Erik touched the orb in his hand while gazing at the Crown Prince.
"……If I had truly been a small child, what did you plan to do with something this precious?"
Erik's head tilted skeptically. It would be unthinkable before the Emperor……
'The general's glare is making my head feel like it's piercing through.'
At that ominous gaze, Erik forced a bitter smile.
'As long as it's not the Emperor, it's fine.'
Below that rank, Erik could be confident. He had something to trust.
"When the time comes for you to understand the value of that object, I would have surely entrusted it to you."
Did this fellow think he could just grab it? Erik, who had harbored such suspicions, changed his mind after hearing the Crown Prince's words.
'The First Prince has quite a strong character.'
It seemed genuinely sincere. Perhaps because the Labyrinth water hadn't fully drained from him, he seemed less socialized. But his essence seemed quite good. Above all.
'He's strong.'
Erik recognized that Leonardo was also a strong one. At least strong enough to match his position as First Prince. This strong man quickly broached the main subject.
"I assume you also know the situation in the Imperial Capital. The Lupen River has been polluted with black magical power, and the capital's water veins have dried up."
"I'm well aware."
It seemed like he was thinking Erik owed him something, immediately bringing up the matter.
"The Magic Tower conducted investigations and concluded it to be a demon descent phenomenon. I heard you're an expert in this field."
However, as he listened, it increasingly felt like the Crown Prince was just dumping the work on him.
"It's a descent in possessor form, and it's been named the Styx River."
At this, Erik interrupted the Crown Prince.
"I don't particularly enjoy doing work without compensation."
Starting from cutting a path through the Great Forest, there was much he should receive.
"Haven't I given you that orb?"
First Prince Leonardo trusted that Erik was a subject of the Empire, but had many doubts about money. He couldn't fathom where a fifteen-year-old would spend 10 billion gold.
Moreover, the uses for the money he had received previously weren't clear either, were they?
"I can't account for where the money went."
It was a report from the Information Bureau, so it was certain. The Emperor said to leave him be as he must have his reasons, but……
'In the Labyrinth, resources were scarce.'
From the perspective of Leonardo, who had lived frugally in the Labyrinth, he couldn't simply ignore it.
"The amount isn't trivial—it's in the billions of gold. Yet the money hasn't disappeared……"
The money Erik had taken exceeded 10 billion gold.
'The amount isn't small, but there's no trace of expenditure……. It is suspicious.'
As Leonardo thought about this, he also came to understand why the Imperial Capital Commander was being so sensitive. However, the problem remained that the person involved, Erik, was unconvinced.
'It will burst soon.'
Seeing Erik's trapezius twitch, the Prime Minister slapped his forehead. Just as the Prime Minister predicted.
"No, is what Master said to give me compensation?"
Finally, Erik couldn't hold back. He stood up abruptly and looked at the Crown Prince, asking. It was rude. Certainly a fact.
'He does not exceed me'
Erik was strong. But compared to Leonardo, a survivor of the Labyrinth's highest tier, he was weak. Yet such rudeness……
'His insolence knows no bounds.'
It wasn't only Erik who couldn't hold back. The Imperial Capital Commander, who had been covertly seeking an opportunity, felt the same.
"You brat!"
The Imperial Capital Commander exclaimed. Thus he began to approach Erik. But faster than that.
Kuuong! Kung!
Light spread outward from Erik as its center. Pillars of light with certain regularity scattered in all directions. This was the only signal Riferoze remembered. Its meaning was.
[Master, please help me!]