Capítulo 6: Episode 5: Council of Lords (3)
"…"
What?
What did I just hear?
For a moment, I wondered if I misunderstood what she had just said, so I tried to replay it in my mind.
But no matter how much I interpreted it, it meant exactly just that.
This woman, the Overlord Rashtain, asked me if I wanted to become a Lord of Calderic.
Was she being serious?
No, it couldn't be.
Of course, it could only be a joke.
If even I took that seriously, then no wonder I was on edge.
"Ah. This was not just empty words. I'm asking you if you are really willing to be one."
"…"
"Right now, the seat of the Seventh Lord has been vacant for several years. It just can't continue to be empty like that. But there's no one who I really like. Just in time, Sir Ron came to visit the castle. And I really would like it if you take over the seat of the Seventh Lord."
…What the hell was this woman talking about?
Take the position of the Seventh Lord? Who? I?
Hearing her say that, she probably really wasn't joking.
I could barely keep my expression, hiding the absurdity and bewilderment.
But why is the Seventh Lord's seat empty?
Where did the Seventh Lord—the Ghost, Lifrigon, that I knew evaporate?
It's like the warrior being a different guy from who I remembered. Was there really a time difference between the RaSa I played and the one I was experiencing now?
Since all the other Lords are the same, it's probably not the future. So, it's from the past… ah.
The timeline now was probably a few years before the game started.
Well, now wasn't really the time to think about that, but…
"Overlord… are you serious?"
Breaking the brief silence, the first one to speak was the Thunder Lord.
"I was wondering why you had an outsider attend the meeting suddenly, so it was because of this. Was it to decide here right away?"
The Tyrant also let out a laugh and buried his back in the chair.
The other Lords said nothing, but they all had expressions as if saying these were all absurd. Except for the Heavenly Palace, who looked like he was in his own world from the start.
But they were right to have those feelings.
The Nine Lords were beings with absolute power no one could touch except for the Overlord, Rashtain. They were also the symbol of Calderic.
The Overlord, right now, was trying to decide the person to sit in such a lofty seat, as if she was simply choosing a lunch menu.
I was so dumbfounded, but I wondered how the other Lords would be as shocked.
The Overlord laughed quietly to herself.
"It may be sudden, but everyone knows it, right? That there is nothing else necessary for the Lord's seat except for ability."
The Thunder Lord immediately protested.
"This is hard to understand. How did that man prove his ability?"
"He proved it enough. I heard he killed Santea's warrior in one blow."
"…!"
"Isn't that right, Chief of Staff?"
"That's right."
Dayphon affirmed the Overlord's question.
Naturally, she seemed to have heard of everything that had happened in the convoy.
"Huh? He killed the warrior?"
The Lords looked quite surprised.
Of course, all the Lords of Calderic were strong beings of a higher rank than the warrior.
In terms of simple numbers, it was only a difference of a few levels. But at high levels, especially in the 80s and 90s, each level was a big gap.
The point that surprised them was not the fact that I killed the warrior, but probably the part where I killed him with a single blow.
"Besides, he discovered my identity at once. Who else could do that?"
At those words, all the Lords fell silent.
Now it seemed that the other Lords had been subjected to similar pranks by the Overlord.
In the meantime, the Heavenly Palace, who had been quiet until now, suddenly raised his hand.
"Yes, except for the Third Lord."
The Heavenly Palace lowered his hand and stared blankly into space once again.
The other Lords didn't even care about him acting like that. As if they were already used to his eccentricity.
The Wiseman looked at Dayphon and asked.
"But High Overlord, I'm curious about the details of the Chief of Staff's mission when he went to Santea this time."
"Even if you didn't ask, it was one of the meeting's agenda, so let's put it aside for now."
The Overlord looked around the table.
"Anyway, I don't think there's much problem with Sir Ron sitting in the Lord's seat. What do you think? Are there any objections?"
Then, the Thunder Lord opened her mouth once again.
"Then can I check it myself?"
Check?
It was clear what the other meant.
"We're talking about the capabilities of this human called 'Ron'. If the Overlord allows it, a light duel would be enough."
…In an instant, my heart cooled down.
Calmness forced my heart to sink.
It had to happen.
From the time I entered the meeting room and got stuck with these monsters called 'Lords', the crisis I was concerned about had never gone down.
"Seriously, Second Lord? Are you trying to blow up the Overlord's Castle?"
The Mad King rested her chin on the armrest of the chair and laughed.
"Is there any problem with that Overlord? Things are definitely going well."
The Black Sea Empress also rustled her antennae and helped with a word.
All the other Lords also showed interest.
"Hmm, well…"
The overlord looked in my direction.
Seeing that smiley expression on her face, I had the feeling that she had expected something like this from the beginning.
"What do you think, Sir Ron?"
…There's nothing to think.
Second Lord, the Thunder Lord, Elyse.
Fighting that monster that could even cause a lightning storm in an entire area if she used her full power?
A confrontation between an ant and an elephant would be much more rational than that.
With one gesture from her, my whole body would turn into black ash and fly away.
Except for one instant kill, I really didn't have any abilities.
Is there a hole where I can escape…?
Everyone was waiting for my answer.
If I avoided a fight for no reason, I didn't know what kind of reaction they would have.
But things were definitely not going in the right direction for me.
For a moment, a pretty plausible bravado came to mind.
I didn't know if it would work, but the atmosphere would get weird if I stayed silent here longer.
I glanced at the Thunder Lord and opened my mouth.
"If you don't mind being killed." And then added. "I have little talent for being moderate."
"…"
After just two sentences, a chilly silence descended on the conference hall.
Terrifying pressure spread next and filled the space.
"How dare you…"
Coo coo coo
The Thunder Lord had sparks all over her body and glared at me with murderous eyes.
A tingling sensation spread all over my body.
I calmly accepted the killing intent of the Thunder Lord and maintained my expressionless face.
The pressure was palpable, but thanks to the [Soul of the King], there was no emotional or mental agitation.
Rather than avoiding a fight, there was a reason I made the atmosphere bloody.
What I was aiming for was the Overlord's intervention.
I said that I would accept the duel as long as it was okay to kill the opponent, and the provocation enraged Thunder Lord as well. It was actually a much more violent reaction than I expected.
If a match was made in which neither side would end well, there would be no way the Overlord would allow a fight… wouldn't it?
Hurry and stop the duel.
The atmosphere felt like a lightning bolt would hit the spot when I was sitting at any moment.
The Overlord opened her mouth. There was some regret in her voice, perhaps because she realized she had been too hasty.
"Stop."
Unlike before, it was a slightly serious voice.
After that, the Thunder Lord calmed down. But she was still glaring at me.
"There's nothing we can do about it. It won't be a light duel at all, will it?"
The Overlord, who said with an innocent voice, smiled as if to lighten the atmosphere.
I let out a deep sigh of relief.
I was glad that it went safely as I thought.
The other Lords, who all seemed unfathomable, seemed regretful that they missed out on a good spectacle.
"Well, I don't really care."
The Mad King smiled and said.
"It doesn't seem like he's vulgar like that vampire. Appointing a monarch is the Overlord's authority anyway, so is there a reason to hear our approval?"
"Why am I being mentioned again?"
The Tyrant clicked his tongue and muttered.
The Wiseman also glanced at me and stepped in to help.
"It's sudden, but I don't doubt the Overlord's eyesight. Also, the seat of the Seventh Lord can't be vacant forever. The chief of staff is also not dissatisfied with the decision."
Except for the Thunder Lord, no other Lords showed any complaint.
Rather than agreeing, it was close to showing signs of accepting, saying nothing because they were just not interested, or because the Overlord's will was absolute.
But I hadn't said I would accept it yet, so why was everything already confirmed?
…I wonder if that's the case.
She in the ruler of Calderic.
She's at the very apex of Calderic's power, one of the four majors powers on the continent. Who would normally refuse a seat she was offering?
The problem was that I didn't really have any abilities that fit the position of a Lord.
Until now, everyone had a huge misunderstanding about my ability because of how the situation fit in. But even the lowest guard guarding the castle gate could kill me.
How long would this good fortune last?
If I accepted the Overlord's offer and truly became the Seventh Lord, then I would cross the river of no return.
But if I refuse…
It was also a risky option.
It wasn't my will, but anyway, I came to the Overlord's castle and attended the meeting of the Lords in order to not have any enemies in Calderic.
And the Overlord offered the best conditions she could offer.
What kind of reaction would come back if I said I would reject it in an atmosphere like this?
Perhaps the Overlord's friendly demeanour could turn into hostility in an instant. Dare I took that risk?
I didn't know if it would be a foolish recklessness to check it out myself, or if the right choice was to avoid the worst.
Should I ask for time to think?
My brain felt congested.
Wouldn't it be better to postpone the decision for a while?
Then the Mad King looked at me and opened her mouth.
"Anyway, it's a pity. I promised in front of the meeting room that we should try duelling sometime."
…When did you make that promise?
And what did that have to do with me being a Lord? But I soon understood.
Come to think of it, wasn't there a setting in Calderic that battles between Lords were strictly forbidden?
It was the minimum discipline for Lords with very strong individuality to coexist without major conflict.
"I also really hate ending things in moderation. At least until one side is dead, that's a proper duel, isn't it?"
"…"
The bloody sound of laughing suddenly reminded me of a terrifying possibility.
If I refused the position of a Lord, after the meeting was over, that crazy monster might get excited and start a fight with me.
Even during their first meeting, she pointed her sword at my neck without hesitation, so the possibility was there.
But was that all? Even now, the Thunder Lord next to me was glaring at me with eyes that seemed ready to eat me.
If I refused, I have to worry about what would happen after the meeting was over.
Accept or reject.
Either way, it's a choice between the worst and the lesser evil. Similar to what happened on the convoy ship.
I regretted that bringing the situation to this point.
After all, I had to somehow escape this damn castle in order to escape the reach of the Overlord.
…But regret was useless.
"Now, only Sir Ron's answer remains."
The Overlord's final proclamation.
"As the Overlord of Calderic, I will make a formal proposal for you. Will you take the seat of the Sevent Lord?"
A quiet silence descended on the conference hall, and the attention of all the Lords on the round table was now focused on me.
Having finally decided, I opened my mouth with half resignation.
"…I accept."
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