We moved following the attendant. After passing through the corridor and reaching the banquet hall, a space several tis larger than the conference hall appeared.
"You've arrived, Church Leader."
As I entered the banquet hall, Hashuna welcod . Looking around the interior, I also saw Marong in the vicinity drinking alcohol quite heavily.
As expected, Shanber and his party who had caused trouble during the day were nowhere to be seen. Since Terdius had taken him away, I could guess that guy's fate without needing to ask.
"These are our senior mbers."
When I was looking around wondering if there was anything else I needed to assess, Hashuna introduced her companions. They bowed politely toward .
"May Kerr's blessing be upon you."
"Ah, thank you."
While briefly conversing with Hashuna's party, Troy disappeared. Before I knew it, he was eagerly eating the food at the banquet hall.
"That glutton."
At least Zain remained by my side. However, before long, he too moved away from .
"Your Majesty!"
Because the Emperor, whom he had so wanted to et, was at the head table of the banquet hall. He approached the Emperor as if enchanted, seemingly intending to have an audience. What if the Imperial knights behead him for acting so thoughtlessly like that.
Still, he's not a guy completely without sense, so he probably won't cause trouble, I was thinking when soone placed their hand on my shoulder with a tap.
"Oh, Kyros Church Leader. You've arrived? Here, have a drink."
Marong, who seed slightly drunk, approached
and offered alcohol. I shook my head with a business smile.
"No, thank you. I'm not one who enjoys drinking."
"Oh co on. But on a day like this, you should at least have one drink!"
"I'm really fine."
I refused Marong's offer until the end. While doing so, I saw two people making a late entrance.
It was Terdius and Khalid dressed neatly in formal attire.
'How unusual for him to be properly dressed.'
I was a bit surprised. Khalid, who always went around with his upper body exposed, had appeared wearing proper formal wear.
'Even that perverted bastard maintains appearances in front of the Emperor, it seems.'
At that mont, my eyes t directly with Khalid's. Oh no, I was staring for no reason. I quickly turned my body. But the next mont, my shoulder was grabbed.
"Have you been well, pretty one? What's with that outfit? It's fancy."
I was forcibly turned by strong force. Khalid swept back his purple hair and grinned. I looked at him blankly. Still, at least Terdius was beside him, not just Khalid alone. At least this guy won't be able to do anything rash.
"Church Leader! Are you alright?"
At that mont, Troy ca running to
in a hurry with his mouth full of food. Not only that, but Zain, who had been distracted by the Emperor, also ca.
"Master, are you okay?"
Zain and Troy stood on either side of
and clearly displayed hostility toward Khalid and Terdius. Since it happened to be when the two Diego Church apostles were entering, I could feel all eyes in the banquet hall focusing on us.
"Calm down, Zain, Troy. This isn't a private setting, and even Her Majesty the Emperor is present."
I spoke to the two in a lowered voice. Only then did their expressions relax a bit. Though their eyes were still fierce.
"Right. It's not like I'm going to kill our pretty one, so what are you being so wary of? Do you think being wary makes you threatening?"
Khalid sneered. Zain and Troy flinched as if they would rush at him any mont at his provocation, but I could see them barely holding back.
"Fifth Apostle, that's enough."
Terdius, who had been quiet, spoke to Khalid. Only then did Khalid close his mouth. Though the corners of his lips curling up toward
still didn't sit well with .
"Church Leader, His Majesty summons you."
At that mont, the chamberlain approached . Emperor Kaliona was conversing with the leaders of each religious order, and it seed to be my turn now.
"Yes. I understand."
I answered the chamberlain and looked at Zain and Troy. It ant to stay put without causing trouble. After confirming the two guys nodded, I quickly moved.
"Welco, Church Leader Leviathan."
Emperor Kaliona greeted
with a champagne glass in hand. I greeted her with proper etiquette.
"I greet the Sun of the Empire."
"Ah, there's no need to stand on ceremony even at an occasion like this."
It might be different for other banquets, but today's banquet wasn't that large in scale, so it seed that way. The number of religious people gathered was just slightly over ten, and including several attendants and knights guarding the Emperor, there were only about twenty people in the banquet hall.
"By the way, I heard you prevented an unfortunate accident that was about to occur in the conference hall. Thank you."
"You're too kind."
"No. I heard that if it weren't for you, a truly troubleso matter would have occurred."
The Emperor praised
endlessly. At first it felt good since they were all pleasant words, but fatigue washed over
as the conversation went on longer than expected.
"In any case, I have high expectations for you and the Kyros Church."
"Thank you."
The conversation that had continued for nearly 20 minutes finally ca to an end.
"Then enjoy the evening."
After the conversation with Emperor Kaliona ended, I fled from her as if escaping. When I t her briefly before, it was fine.
'Was it just because there wasn't ti then.'
I sighed inwardly and looked for Zain and Troy. The two guys were eating diligently.
"Leviathan."
At that mont, Terdius approached .
"I took care of that guy properly."
He was clearly referring to Shanber. Well, he didn't really need to tell .
"I know."
I answered him roughly and was about to turn around when it happened.
Rumble—!
The ground shook violently. And that sensation was all too familiar to . At the sa ti, Terdius and I made eye contact.
It seed he was thinking the sa thing as .
At that mont, I saw the guards who had been protecting the White Rose Palace where the Religious Day event was being held co running hurriedly into the banquet hall.
"Your M-Majesty! A black curtain has been erected throughout the entire palace!"
"We can't break through the barrier!"
Oh no, damn it.
—M-my child! What's happening!
Kyros, who had sensed the urgent situation, returned from where he had been. That's when cracks appeared in the banquet hall ceiling.
Crack—!
The ceiling was about to collapse at any mont, and that position was right where the Emperor's head table was.
'Damn it.'
I cursed under my breath and released holy power.
"Your Majesty, please move!"
Crash—!
Flash—!
The banquet hall ceiling collapsed. However, the barrier I quickly created enveloped the Emperor and her party. I saw the Emperor looking at
with surprised eyes.
"Please evacuate quickly!"
When I urgently called out to her, the Emperor and her party moved to a safe location.
"Master! What's going on!?"
"Church Leader!"
After confirming the Emperor had evacuated and releasing the barrier, Zain and Troy approached.
"It seems the situation that occurred in our estate is about to happen here as well."
I briefly explained to them while looking up at the sky visible through the collapsed banquet hall ceiling.
A rift had ford there. Its size wasn't that large, but the Demon God's energy flowing from it was considerable.
'Of all tis......'
It was an incident that didn't occur in the original. Another variable from the hidden route had occurred here.
'The Demon God made a clever move.'
Whether this would be a bad move or a masterstroke for the Demon God was still unknown, though.
"Zain, Troy. Prepare yourselves."
After having the two guys prepare for battle, I examined the others.
Hashuna and Marong, along with their parties and servants, were leaving the banquet hall following the knights according to the Emperor's orders. And the Emperor asked us.
"I can leave the rift to you all, right?"
More precisely, she was speaking to Khalid and Terdius, not to us. Though the Emperor's eyes showed she didn't think highly of the two, they were the strongest people in this space.
"Don't worry."
After hearing Terdius's answer, the Emperor soon left the banquet hall. After confirming all non-combat personnel had departed, I took out my mace from inventory.
Shring—
Following that, I saw Terdius drawing his sword and Khalid getting excited while watching the slowly widening rift.
With eyes glittering with madness, he soon tore off and discarded his jacket.
"Co on, hurry up."
Khalid moistened his lips with his tongue and drew his whip.
'That perverted bastard.'
anwhile, Terdius who had approached my side spoke to .
"This matter...... doesn't seem ordinary, so be careful."
"I know without you telling ."
The Demon God's energy felt from this rift...... was even more powerful than the rifts that had invaded the estate.
In other words, there was a very high probability that high-level monsters would appear from the start.
Crack—
The slowly splitting rift finally opened completely. And three figures revealed themselves from within.
The mont I spotted one of them, my breath stopped. I was shocked enough that no thoughts ca to mind.
'Th-that guy......!'
In my field of vision appeared a Child of the Demon God that I had seen before.
A blue lower body made entirely of muscle and black upper body, and a gray-colored face with long black hair reaching down to the waist.
Unlike humans, he had black sclera with white pupils - the guy who had rcilessly killed
in Bahano.
'The Demon God's Second Child, Zarkel.'
The mory of that ti was still vivid to . My body that had been pierced by him and the mont I lost consciousness helplessly.
Though I barely survived with the system's help, trauma-like mories remained with .
My trembling hands and wildly beating heart were proof of that.
For a mont, I felt like my eyes t with Zarkel's eerie gaze. But soon Zarkel's gaze moved away.
'Was it my imagination.'
No, it must have been my imagination. The system had erased Zarkel's mories too. So there's no way he would recognize .
I was thinking that and feeling relieved when it happened.
"Leviathan!"
Clang—!
Along with a low voice, a strong sound of tearing air ca from before my eyes. At the sa ti, I saw a broad back blocking my front.
"T-Terdius?"
I called his na without realizing it. And only then did I realize that Terdius had saved
from Zarkel's attack.
"For so reason you irritate
and I was thinking of killing you...... but what are you?"
A voice like an abyss ca from Zarkel. It seed he had instinctively intended to kill .
'Though the mory was erased, did the sensation from that ti remain?'
Goosebumps rose all over my spine. At that mont, Terdius said.
"Fall back, Leviathan. I'll handle this one."
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