Chapter 1144: Showdown (15)
“Great scion of the bloodline, please extend your hand.”
Click.
As he raised his arm, luxurious ornaments were placed on him from all sides.
Rings carved from whole gemstones. Bracelets that emitted a brilliant light and warmly embraced his body.
A necklace adorned with teardrop-shaped jewels was hung, and a silk-soft leather belt was fastened around him.
Thin golden chains wrapped around to decorate his attire, and ornate greaves were added to complete the look.
“……”
Beside Lennok, who looked down at the splendid ornaments adorning his entire body, a polite voice resonated.
“These are artifacts that regulate body temperature and humidity, and reduce the weight of the ceremonial robes and protective gear you are wearing.”
“This necklace is imbued with preservation spellcraft that maintains the garment’s appearance and cleanliness at all times, possessing purification and moisture-absorption functions…”
“This belt, engraved with various court symbols, ensures that the honored guest need not concern himself with royal etiquette—”
“If there are any artifacts whose design or function you dislike, please inform us at any time.”
“……”
All sorts of artifacts, including rings, bracelets, and necklaces similar to those he had just put on, were piled up like mountains around him.
Attendants stood with clasped hands and respectful expressions amidst piles of lavish jewels and ornaments.
Swish!
A flamboyant dressing room, filled with silks so colorful they hurt the eyes.
In the center of a vast room hung with opulent ceremonial robes, suits, various dresses, and decorations.
Several tailors moved busily, circling Lennok while watching his reactions.
“Honored guest, would you mind turning your head for a moment?”
“We will measure your shoulder. Please, your arm…”
“The ceremonial robe is expected to be completed within half a day. We apologize for the inconvenience, but please bear with us for a little longer…”
People cautiously measured Lennok’s physique as if handling fragile craftsmanship.
Without even making proper eye contact, their words to Lennok were exceedingly quiet and polite.
“……”
How much time had passed since he encountered Kabahim’s monarch, whom he had only heard about through rumors?
After the current monarch, Aronbaiger Kabahim, referred to Lennok as a scion of the Ban-gung bloodline and knelt in reverence.
For nearly two hours, Lennok had been subjected to an outpouring of gifts and hospitality from across the royal palace.
Grants sent directly by the monarch. Splendid ceremonial robes tailored for Lennok by the palace administrators.
Drinks and food prepared within reach at all times. Even the royal family’s treasures, gold and silver, piled up everywhere.
Yet, even amidst such luxurious treatment where he didn’t need to lift a finger, Lennok’s expression was indifferent.
‘Things got complicated right from the start.’
The Pandemonium members had shared one directive just before arriving in the royal capital.
To infiltrate the royal capital safely, avoiding the eyes of the monarch who possessed the Talent for Duality.
The current situation, where Lennok was called a scion of the Ban-gung bloodline and drew all attention, had not been anticipated.
‘There’s no time at all to contact the other members. Are they deliberately controlling my movements to prevent overlap?’
Even if not the other members, Freya was Kabahim’s guest, visiting the royal capital for her performance.
She, too, would be receiving VIP treatment within the royal palace, but he hadn’t encountered her since leaving the audience chamber.
He had intended to adjust their strategy after making contact with the other members, but judging by the current developments, it seemed unlikely he would meet them anytime soon.
From this point on, Lennok felt he would have to investigate the situation himself.
“They’ve been calling me the ‘Great Scion of the Bloodline’ since earlier.”
Lennok said, walking as guided by the tailors.
Lennok glanced down at the person kneeling to measure his stride, then shook his head.
“Do you even know what a ‘scion of the Ban-gung bloodline’ means, to treat me like this?”
“With all due respect, that is not for us to decide.”
The tailor, who had been adjusting the fabric along Lennok’s shoulder line, said.
Composedly brushing her hair back, she met Lennok’s gaze and quietly began.
“All we know is that the Great Scion of the Bloodline is one of those who established this royal capital.”
“……”
“If His Majesty has declared it so, then for us, it is the truth. There can be no other judgment.”
“An interesting answer.”
Lennok let out a dry laugh.
So, whether Lennok was an honored guest in Kabahim was not for Lennok himself to decide.
For someone working in the palace, she was surprisingly honest, which was rather helpful.
“We merely serve the honored guest as His Majesty has commanded.”
The tailor bowed deeply.
“He ordered that serving the honored guest take precedence over all royal capital regulations. Please tell us anything you desire.”
“……”
After the measurements were taken, he emerged into the corridor, wearing the temporary, splendid ceremonial robe provided by the royal palace.
As Lennok walked out in a loose, blue ceremonial robe, the knights waiting in the palace corridor all knelt simultaneously.
Thump!!
“The Sixth Sword of the Ten Royal Knights of Rectitude, Uzel, greets the Great Scion of the Bloodline.”
The knight standing at the forefront spoke, head bowed.
“I have been tasked with delivering His Majesty’s armaments to the honored guest ahead of today’s royal palace festivities. From now on, I shall guide you.”
“……”
Gift after gift, grant after grant – he had been receiving them for hours, so it was no longer surprising.
Lennok, about to pass by the bowing knight, suddenly stopped.
The Sixth Sword of the Ten Royal Knights. The commander of the sixth of the ten knight orders existing in Kabahim.
Because the knight, who introduced himself as Uzel, looked far younger than expected.
Not just someone who had recently reached adulthood, but an openly young knight, closer to a boy.
“You seem quite young to be a knight commander.”
“Age isn’t of great importance when dedicating oneself to the royal capital.”
The young knight smiled faintly and raised his head.
“The Ten Royal Knights of Rectitude prioritize an individual’s martial prowess in all decision-making processes.”
“……”
He was smiling, but his eyes didn’t quite match his expression.
Seeing the other knights’ faces rigid with tension, this young knight must be an exception.
Was he simply laid-back and composed, or was there some other reason?
As Lennok, feeling a faint sense of déjà vu from Uzel, fell into thought, the knight stood up.
Clang!!
Armor joints clashed anew with a metallic sound, and the knights rose in unison after him.
Uzel looked at Lennok and smiled faintly.
“I will guide you to the royal palace’s first-class armory. Honored guest, please follow me.”
They boarded a splendid carriage drawn by six warhorses.
Uzel and Lennok sat facing each other, while knights lined up on both sides of the carriage outside.
Behind the knights, attendants and servants stood in line, as if waiting with necessary items.
Everyone they encountered on the path stopped and bowed respectfully.
“……”
The reception was so flamboyant it felt extravagant, almost ostentatious.
Ever since Aron mentioned Lennok as a scion of the Ban-gung bloodline in the royal palace’s audience chamber, such events had been happening all day.
“Others call me the ‘Great Scion of the Bloodline,’ but they don’t explain what that means.”
Lennok, who had been idly gazing at the royal capital’s scenery reflected outside the carriage, turned his gaze.
“As a knight commander of the royal capital, you might be able to say more than others.”
“……”
“What does ‘scion of the Ban-gung bloodline’ mean to you knights?”
“What can a mere swordsman like me discuss about a great Transcendent?” Uzel replied with a smile.
“However, even with my limited knowledge, it seems undeniable that the honored guest is a Great Scion of the Bloodline.”
“What do you mean?”
“As you know, being a scion of an Ascendant is less of a blessing and more of a curse.”
Uzel’s eyes, smiling brightly, glowed strangely.
“The perilous demonic nature that manifests from an unwanted birth and bloodline… Other scions of Ascendants who have visited the royal capital also possessed a similar aura.”
“……”
Not just Lennok, but other scions of Ascendants had also visited the royal capital of Kabahim?
Considering that, it was somewhat understandable why the entire royal capital treated Lennok with such extreme deference instead of surprise at his presence, but—
“This way.”
Uzel, signaling the carriage to stop, stood before a splendid armory located on the outskirts of the royal palace.
Passing a bridge guarded by fully armed sentinels, they approached a firmly closed iron gate.
Clank!
He bypassed the barrier spellcraft etched onto the securely locked gate with biometric recognition and stepped inside.
“This is the armory where the finest armaments crafted with immense dedication by the royal capital’s greatest artisans are kept.”
Uzel, who had opened the door first and stepped aside, said.
“His Majesty personally commanded that we present the honored guest with any armament you desire.”
“……”
Lennok ignored Uzel’s words and slowly walked into the armory.
He remembered Soryu, a member of Pandemonium, using various royal artifacts.
If even he, an exiled prince, possessed such artifacts, then the relics and treasures stored in Kabahim’s royal capital must be even greater.
Flash!!
As they went further in, magnificent artifacts hung everywhere, emitting brilliant light.
Spearheads with a beautiful amber glow like jewels. Broadswords with blades as red as blood.
Rechargeable armor equipped with mana cores. Double-edged axes with blades as black as pitch.
Beyond those, unique weapons with beautiful and mystical appearances were visible.
Even to Lennok, who had handled various artifacts, these weapons were polished to an exceptionally high degree of perfection.
“Uirashinjo (의라신조). A type of flying sword manipulated using will-thought.”
Wherever Lennok’s gaze landed, Uzel naturally continued his explanations.
“Hyeolsamalli (혈사만리). A magic sword that extends its blade using blood as a material.”
“……”
“Chungryeonggapju (충령갑주). An item crafted by a superhuman named Chungryeong from the Machine City, mimicking an insect’s exoskeleton—”
“No, there’s no need to explain.”
Having come all this way, he had no intention of refusing the gift.
Lennok, after circling the armory, raised his hand and pointed to one of the walls.
“What’s that?”
“…Are you referring to the ‘Gate to Heaven’ (입천문)?”
“The Gate to Heaven? Quite a grand name.”
Lennok chuckled.
“I like it. I’ll take that one.”
“Great Scion of the Bloodline. But that is…”
Uzel said, hesitating for a rare moment.
“…It’s not a weapon, but a shield.”
What Lennok chose was not one of the bladed weapons displayed throughout the armory.
Among the few defensive armaments in the armory, he had chosen a twisted triangular shield.
Three overlapping circles engraved within an inverted, twisted triangle. Geometric lines crossing through them.
It was a defensive item with a strange appearance, as if just looking at it made one’s focus shift.
“Why, was I not supposed to choose a shield?”
“No, it’s not that, but…”
Uzel asked.
“Most visitors to the royal capital tend to choose weapons from here. Are you truly certain?”
“Beyond whether it’s fine or not, there seems to be nothing else here I can use.”
As a wizard, Lennok rarely handles bladed weapons, so most armaments in the armory were unnecessary.
He was already in a situation where he was gifting his current armaments to his tower companions, including Dylan, wasn’t he?
Even the various armors displayed in the armory didn’t seem significantly better than the Black-Chained Dragon Scale Armor he had obtained in Kundara.
Thus, if he were to choose something useful, a shield was the most viable option.
Although he had been using fragments of Apostle Martinez’s carapace, killed at the Palgwang Fortress, as a substitute shield.
As it was an item acquired under his Adamant Thunder identity, he had used it cautiously under other aliases.
It wouldn’t be bad to acquire another defensive item he could use under his Victor alias with this opportunity.
“Understood. If the honored guest desires it, then there’s nothing we can do, but…”
Though he didn’t show it, perhaps he had hoped Lennok would choose a weapon here?
Lennok ignored the wry-smiling Uzel and took the shield from the wall.
A dusty, old triangular shield. Geometric patterns covered its surface.
Lennok ran his bare hand over the shield and slowly nodded.
‘As expected, it’s closer to an independent defensive spellcraft than a mere shield. Why is such an item here?’
After examining it with his sensitivity, this shield was the most anomalous item among all the armaments stored here.
It felt less like an artifact or treasure imbued with an ability or spellcraft, and more like a spellcraft itself.
Perhaps it was the result of a spellcraft actualized in reality, unable to dissipate and remaining in a crude form.
‘If I reverse-engineer and dismantle its structure, I might even be able to acquire the spellcraft… but not now.’
This shield was a gift from Kabahim’s monarch. He shouldn’t use it to dismantle and learn spellcraft right away.
More importantly, there was something he needed to do before this.
What Lennok had been waiting for, enduring all the extreme hospitality throughout the royal palace—
“If you have made your decision, may I guide the honored guest back to the royal palace?”
Uzel politely knelt and bowed his head.
“His Majesty is waiting.”
Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
Wooooah!!!
Fireworks burst across the darkening evening sky. Cheers erupted from all sides.
A grand banquet was held for Freya, who had come for a performance, and the concert staff.
Subtle music played, and prepared dishes were busily transported everywhere.
Freya, surrounded by countless people, and Soryu, disguised as concert staff, were visible.
Even Chebien’s puppet roamed naturally within the castle, blending into the bustling atmosphere.
Lennok stood on an outdoor balcony on the top floor of the royal palace, overlooking the banquet hall.
“……”
Since the incident in the audience chamber, he hadn’t exchanged a single word with the other members.
However, contacting the infiltrated members within the palace was impossible with all this attention focused on him.
For now, he would have to wait until after tonight to find a suitable opportunity to contact them.
Of course, just thinking about how The Clown, of all people, would react was utterly exhausting, but—
What Lennok needed to do right now was not that.
He walked, gazing at the nightscape of Kabahim’s royal capital, shrouded in darkness.
Inside the balcony, a man waiting at a table set with a lavish feast slowly turned his gaze.
“My, has it gotten so late already?”
Kabahim’s monarch, Aronbaiger Kabahim.
The very person who had called Lennok a scion of the Ban-gung bloodline and subjected him to all sorts of hospitality throughout the day.
The man, brushing his hair back, turned his head and spoke, smiling as he looked at Lennok.
“My apologies. It seems I was so engrossed in conversation with an old friend that I lost track of time.”
“……”
However, instead of taking the seat opposite, Lennok looked at the other man who was already there.
Antares, the Seer who had joined at The Clown’s request, was having a private audience with Aron.
“I once worked alongside him when I roamed the continent as a mercenary; our hearts aligned.”
Aron, noticing Lennok’s gaze, smiled and gestured toward Antares.
“That’s why I called him over briefly before meeting you, to reminisce about old times.”
“……”
“Please, take a seat. There’s so much I wish to discuss with you.”
Aron, leaning back in his chair, gestured to the empty seat.
“Just as I have awaited this moment, I’m sure you also have many questions.”
“……”
Even while calling Lennok a scion of the Ban-gung bloodline, Aronbaiger didn’t particularly revere or worship him.
His command for others to kneel and revere Lennok in the audience chamber must have been a deliberate act to elicit reactions from those around them.
If Aron himself was of that disposition, there was no need for him to adhere to royal etiquette now.
“You’re not the only one with something to say.”
Lennok, having reached that conclusion, slowly began.
“But I should hear the reason why this royal capital reveres the scions of the Ban-gung bloodline before we begin.”
“……”
There were a few plausible reasons why Aronbaiger had called Lennok a scion of the Ban-gung bloodline.
The most probable was that he was aware of the Forbidden Armament Lennok possessed and had peered into it through his Talent for Duality.
Since the armament was crafted from a scion of the Ban-gung bloodline, it wouldn’t be strange for Aronbaiger to mistake its presence as Lennok’s own, thus believing Lennok to be a scion of the Ban-gung bloodline.
However, he still couldn’t be certain how precisely Aronbaiger Kabahim’s Talent for Duality had perceived and understood things.
To assault The Gate beneath the royal capital, an investigation into Aronbaiger Kabahim, the most likely obstacle, was necessary.
Here, he needed to sift through and extract information while observing Aron’s reactions as much as possible.
That was why Lennok had not refused the overwhelming hospitality, waiting for this moment when he could speak with Aron privately.
“The reason why your presence is revered throughout the royal capital, you ask.”
But Aron, at Lennok’s words, tilted his head in apparent puzzlement, resting his chin on his hand and looking away.
Two rotating pupils within his sea-blue eyes.
“I, for one, find it rather curious that you even need to ask.”
Looking at Lennok through his bifurcated, overlapping gaze, Aron tilted his head.
“When the ‘blessing’ bestowed upon this entire royal capital is, in fact, yours. Do you believe it possible not to revere you?”
“……What?”