Chapter 554

"Do you know why we are ranked as the 13th legion?"

Pendragon, the leader of the Fallen Knights, asked.

A natural eeriness emanated from the giant knight seated on the Skull Throne. The imp, Lowe, involuntarily gulped down his saliva.

"I, I do not know."

"I like the number 13."

Pendragon brushed his helmet-covered face with his hand, giving an odd reason.

"I'm insanely fond of the number 13. Thirteen is the best. Thirteen rocks. Thirteen is awesome."

"..."

"That's why my knight order is exactly thirteen members strong. Even the number of steps leading up to this chapel is thirteen. The day my knight order was established was also Friday the 13th..."

Pendragon went on praising the number 13 for a while with a wicked voice.

"That's why I intentionally remained at the 13th rank. We could have climbed higher if we wanted."

"Is, is that so..."

"Do you understand why I'm telling you this?"

Not at all.

Lowe shook his head. Pendragon chuckled.

"Those self-proclaimed Nightmare Legion commanders, those monsters ranked up to 10th, all acting like kings."

"..."

"I could tear those bastards apart with one swing of my sword. If I had wanted, the internal order of the monster legion in this Lake Kingdom could have been completely overturned."

Then why stay put here, just flapping your gums?

Though he thought this, Lowe simply nodded along for now. Pendragon continued.

"My Fallen Knights are strong enough to stand on their own. We have our pride, our dignity, and our ideals."

"..."

"Just because you come now and say 'go fight,' doesn't mean we'll wag our tails and leap to it out of desperation."

The speech was long, but in essence.

"You think we would just go into battle because someone shakes the king's scepter and orders it? If it's not a direct command from the King of Kings himself, sending just a lone imp like you to order us out won't do."

Pendragon disliked the situation where a mere imp like Lowe was sent to command their deployment instead of the Demon King himself.

"I refuse to deploy."

"..."

"If you wish us to deploy, you should at least send the captain of the guard."

Pendragon waved his hand dismissively, indicating they were dismissed.

Lowe's deputy turned around first with a look of 'I thought as much.' However, Lowe took a breath and then,

"Are you scared, Fallen King?"

He provocatively threw out the challenge.

The deputy flinched and looked back at Lowe, and then Pendragon finally glared at Lowe properly.

"...What? What did you just say?"

"You're afraid of the guardian of humanity'Ash,' that man."

Lowe crossed his arms arrogantly. His tail was shaking unseen, but his voice was calm.

"Otherwise, there's no reason for you to refuse the goal that everyone wants: the destruction of humanity."

And Pendragon was particularly weak to such provocations.

Bang!

Predictably, Pendragon kicked his chair and shouted.

"Don't make me laugh! I am the Fallen King! I fear nothing in this world!"

"Don't make excuses. You're actually afraid of the guardian of humanity... that guardian's fortified city, aren't you?"

Lowe continued to taunt mockingly.

"You've heard the rumors about the high and mighty walls that many monsters and their kings have crashed against and shattered. You're just making excuses to refuse because you're scared."

Ching!

Pendragon's greatsword was unsheathed in an instant. The evil blade, brimming with malevolent energy, pointed directly at Lowe's throat.

"Do you really want to die, imp?"

"You don't have the courage to attack humanity, but you have the courage to kill me, the deputy of the King of Kings? I didn't know the Fallen King's sword suffered from a rage disorder that targets the weak."

Pendragon's thrown greatsword flew towards Lowe.

Tskaaak!

The flying greatsword grazed Lowe's cheek before embedding itself in the wall behind him. Lowe didn't blink an eye and stood still.

'...Fuck, I almost pissed myself.'

Of course, he was just frozen and couldn't move.

The provocation was successful. Pendragon was screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Alright! Fine! Deploy us. I will show you! I, the Fallen King, will prove that the 13 Fallen Knights are the strongest of all!"

Then Lowe simply shook his head.

"I refuse."

"What...?!"

"I said no. You've already refused the king's command once; there won't be a second chance."

Lowe turned swiftly to leave.

"As you wished, there will be no deployment. And there won't be in the future either. Now, if you'll excuse me."

As Lowe started to briskly walk away from the chapel,

Thump! Thud...!

The bulky Fallen Knights moved like lightning to block Lowe's path.

Lowe looked back in annoyance, and Pendragon, slowly sitting back on his throne, spoke in a composed voice.

"I underestimated you for being so small. Deputy. You're stronger than you look."

"..."

"I apologize. So please, grant us permission to deploy. And, don't try to bend me to your will anymore."

Click!

Pendragon sheathed his greatsword, growling.

"Next time, deputy or not, I'll slice you up."

It seemed like he had won this round of tug-of-war for control.

Lowe slowly nodded.

"I'll grant permission for the deployment, Fallen King. But on one condition."

"A condition? What is it?"

"From now on, you must follow my instructions. More specifically, before we deploy..."

Lowe was naturally issuing orders to Pendragon.

"Capture the human scouts who have been exploring the darkness of this Lake Kingdom as if it were their own home."

"You want me, the Fallen King, not to march directly into the enemy's stronghold but to hunt down human scouts buzzing around like flies?"

"To catch a bigger fish,"

Lowe explained slowly.

"The guardian of humanity and his fortress are strong. We need to find a way to create a weakness, and capturing the scouts is part of that plan."

"I'd like to say that my knights and I don't need such tactics... Fine. I'll follow your orders."

Pendragon gritted his teeth.

"But be prepared, little deputy."

"..."

"After I shred the guardian of humanity and bring down those walls... I'll personally rip apart that insolent mouth of yours!"

Bang!

Lowe and the aide were chased out, and the chapel door slammed shut violently.

Descending the thirteen steps hastily, the aide looked back at Lowe with a surprised expression.

"You didn't seem like it, but when it comes down to it, you really do act, huh?"

"I, I was surprised myself, what kind of courage sprouted in me to do that..."

Trembling with shaky legs as he came down the stairs, Lowe leaned on the king's hall floor, his lips quivering.

"Anyway, it's done. Now we just need to see if the Fallen Knights do their job properly... We have to go watch them capturing the human side's scouts!"

***

Lake Kingdom, Zone 7.

People holding torches cautiously crossed the streets submerged in darkness.

It was a scouting party from the human sideconsisting of five heroes.

Between stage and stage. A scouting detachment dispatched during the free exploration period. They were carrying out an operation called autonomous exploration by the human side.

"..."

"..."

They quietly treaded through the streets of Lake Kingdom, engulfed in silence.

Currently, Zones 1 through 6 of the Lake Kingdom dungeon had been 'conquered' by Ash. They had succeeded in driving out the darkness.

But this was not entirely a good thing.

In lower-level dungeons, weaker monsters appeared, making it easier for inexperienced heroes to train.

However, now they had to start from Zone 7, a high-level area.

Moreover, dungeon exploration also played the role of scouting to determine what the next stage's monsters would be.

The difficulty of this scouting had significantly increased now that they had to start from Zone 7.

Thus, the role of those venturing into their first autonomous exploration between stages was crucial.

These were veterans honed on the monster front.

From one elf archer of the Fairy Queen's Royal Scout Corps to one dwarf warrior, one beastman warrior, and two human mages.

Though their races and affiliations were different, having suffered together on the battlefield had made them indifferent to such things, becoming a seasoned team of five for scouting missions.

And there was another who walked ahead of this party of five.

A muscular man wearing an animal maskJackal.

The owner of the "Blazing Colosseum" dungeon in Zone 5 and once known as the Gladiator King, a dungeon boss.

And now, he was leading an independently organized Taming Monster Corps, a direct subordinate of Ash.

Jackal, with his long experience living in dungeons, was assisting the scouting teams dispatched from Crossroad, helping with the first reconnaissance mission in each stage.

This team of six, having scouted this hell several times before, now adeptly navigated through the darkness of the dungeon.

"It's quiet."

"Yeah. It feels quieter than usual."

"By now, we should've encountered a monster or two..."

"Maybe we need to enter the dungeon."

The six nodded to each other.

No monsters were visible on the dark streets of the Lake Kingdom. It seemed they would have to enter a nearby dungeon since scouting was not proving fruitful.

Jackal led the way, torch held high.

"The monsters in this defense battle might be few, leaving the dungeon empty, but... let's go check."

The six entered a narrow alleyway, heading towards the nearest dungeon.

Clink.

And not a few steps into the alleyway, Jackal felt something catch on his foot.

"Hmm?"

Looking down curiously, he saw some metal object rolling at his feet.

No, it wasn't just any piece of metal.

"...?!"

It was a scythe, its blade gleaming sharply.

And in the darkness ahead, something with a massive body.

Lying flat on the ground, it extended its scythe forward like an antenna... waiting for its prey to come closer.

Tskaaak!

The giant scythe swung across the ground.

"Everyone, dodge-!"

Yelling, Jackal leaped up with animalistic reflexes.

Unfortunately, the other heroes weren't as quick.

Dang-!

With immense force, the scythe swung, severing the ankles of the five heroes.

"...?!"

"Ugh?!"

"Kr-"

"What is this-"

"Aaaaack!"

Before the five heroes could even scream out,

Swish-swish!

Clank! Clank!

Writhing tentacles and chains with barbed hooks flew, binding the heroes,

Whoosh!

Splatter! Splatter-!

A thick fog of blood and an indescribable, horrific viscous liquid poured over the heroes' heads.

Bound and immobilized by various means, the five heroes were tied up against walls and floors, bleeding profusely from their ankles.

"Kihi. Kihihihihi."

The Fallen Knight who had launched the first attack hurriedly crawled forward and gulped down the severed feet of the heroes lying on the ground.

"Tasty. So tasty. Yumyumyumyumyumyumyum."

Watching the knight nonchalantly gulp down their severed feet, the subdued five heroes realized.

They had stumbled into something terribly wrong. These creatures were not ordinary monsters...!

Then,

Pffft!

Another Fallen Knight appeared and smacked the back of the head of the one feasting in haste.

"You fool! Have you lost all sense of knighthood!"

It was Pendragon, the king of the Fallen Knights. He scolded the subordinate who had hit the first knight on the head.

"Have I not always said! Divide the tasty bits into thirteen!"

"Kihi, kihihi, sorry. My apologies. Yumyumyumyumyum."

The knight, despite being hit on the head, continued to gobble down greedily without stopping.

Pendragon sighed, then drew his greatsword, shouting,

"Share fairly, share fairly! My knight order is all about equality!"

Then, he placed his greatsword over the severed feet. As if the greatsword were a butcher's knife cutting meat.

Assuming the stance of a chef, the king of what were once knights, delivered a speech.

"Do you understand, my men? I like the number 13. Let's always divide humans into thirteen parts before we eat them!"