Chapter 14: Demon’s Lair – 21
Now, ordinarily, I would head straight to search for King Giselfa, but first, I made my way to the castle’s underground.
Along the way, I encountered several ordinary guards and sentinels, but upon seeing the mace and shield I carried, they froze in fear and fled. There should have been some bureaucrats around as well, but according to my Presence Detection skill, they seemed to be huddled in the corners of their rooms.
Following the directions given by the Marquis, I progressed down the corridor until I reached the staircase leading underground. At the bottom, I found myself in another corridor. The passage extended about twenty meters ahead, with several metal doors lining both sides.
Each door had a long horizontal peephole, and light was seeping through some of them. It appeared to be a temporary holding area for high-ranking individuals due to some circumstances.
As I looked around, I noticed that the door at the very end was ajar, and voices echoed from within.
“Lady Durac, please come with your son.”
“Has something happened to my husband?”
“The General has rebelled against His Majesty the King. He is reportedly heading this way.”
“Then His Majesty intends to use us as hostages to threaten my husband.”
“I cannot confirm that. Regardless, you must come with us.”
The voices belonged to a young man and a woman. From the context, it was clear that the woman was Lady Durac, the wife of General Durac.
In any case, I couldn’t ignore this, so I made my way toward the voices.
“Halt! Who goes there?!”
With that shout, a young man clad in splendid armor with black hair emerged from the room. He was likely one of the former A-Rank Royal Guard Knights mentioned by the General.
“I am an adventurer allied with Marquis Lagantz. The royal castle is currently under complete siege by the forces of Marquis Lagantz and General Durac. Lord Ryusha is also here, so further resistance would be futile. I urge you to surrender.”
“What…? Even if that were true, I serve His Majesty the King, and I will fulfill His orders until the very end. You are the one who should leave. If you do not, I will strike you down.”
With that, the young knight drew his sword and took a stance with both hands. He exuded an air of seriousness and rigidity.
“Very well. I shall take my leave.”
I stepped forward, invoking the Immovable Fortress Wall before me. It was a harsh move, but it effectively blocked the corridor.
Behind my orichalcum shield, the young knight unleashed a ferocious attack. It was the first time I felt even the slightest tremor from the shield. However, almost simultaneously, a loud “Crash!” echoed, followed by the sound of something colliding violently with the far wall.
When I looked, I saw the young knight collapsed at the base of the wall, unconscious but still alive. I confirmed his condition and took his sword, storing it in my Item Box.
To my side, I noticed Lady Durac and a boy of about ten years old embracing each other, gazing at me with worried expressions.
“I am an adventurer employed by Marquis Lagantz. Are you the family of General Durac?”
“Y-yes… that is correct…”
Lady Durac replied in a trembling voice.
“General Durac is waiting outside. Please come with me.”
“Is it true that my husband has rebelled against His Majesty the King?”
“It is true. The Royal Capital is currently under the control of the Marquis and the General’s forces.”
“I see… So that is what has transpired… Are you sure that knight is alright? I believe he is one of the Royal Guard Knights…”
“He is still alive, so there is no need for concern. He is a valuable asset to this country, and we cannot afford to lose him in such a conflict.”
Upon hearing this, Lady Durac visibly relaxed and stepped out of the room, firmly holding the boy’s hand.
As I led them, I decided to peek into another room from which light was escaping. Inside, I found another pair—a mother and child—looking at me with anxious eyes. They too seemed to be hostages.
“I am an adventurer employed by Marquis Lagantz. I apologize, but may I ask who you are?”
“We are from the household of Danken, the Master of the Adventurers’ Guild.”
“Ah, I see. Understood, please wait here.”
I nodded in understanding at the woman’s words and borrowed a set of keys from the young knight’s belt to unlock the door.
“Let us proceed together. I will escort you back to Master Danken.”
“Ah, thank you very much.”
I led the two groups of four individuals up from the underground to the upper levels.
In the castle corridor, soldiers from the Marquis’s forces and adventurers had already begun to flood in, taking control of the castle. Upon returning to the entrance hall, I found Marquis Lagantz, General Durac, and young Lord Ryusha gathered there.
“You…!”
“Father…!”
Lady Durac and her son rushed toward the General. He momentarily looked surprised, then embraced them, attempting to maintain his composure. For now, it seemed the General had relieved some of the burden from his heart.
Lady Danken also requested the Marquis to escort her and her son back to the Adventurers’ Guild, which would allow the Guild to return to its usual operations. Mr. Danken had mentioned taking responsibility for the situation, but that was a matter for the Guild to decide, and I could not involve myself further.
As I watched the two families being led outside by soldiers, the armored Marquis approached me.
“Soushi, we are about to enter the audience chamber. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that King Giselfa has some hidden cards up his sleeve. Will you accompany us?”
“Understood. Also, one of the Royal Guard Knights is down in the underground. He is still alive, so please see to his treatment.”
“Very well. It seems you are not one to be intimidated by even the Royal Guard Knights.”
“Indeed.”
After that, I took the lead alongside Earthlin, followed by the Marquis, young Lord Ryusha, General Durac, and a group of elite soldiers as we formed a line toward the audience chamber.
The door to the audience chamber was a grand structure, towering at least five meters high. However, compared to those of the Vermilian Kingdom, it felt somewhat smaller in scale.
Surrounding the chamber were soldiers, some wielding battering rams, poised to charge at a moment’s notice.
“Soushi, may I entrust the lead to you?”
“Of course.”
With the Marquis’s words, I stood before the door. As I scanned with my Presence Detection skill, it appeared there were no ambushes waiting for us.
As I pushed the door open with a firm shove, a resounding crash echoed, and the door swung open slightly.
“To break the bolt with just a light push—there’s no need for a battering ram after all.”
I received the Marquis’s impressed voice from behind as I stepped into the audience chamber.