Chapter 397: Monarch (5)
The place Kai teleported to using Shadow Shift was none other than the capital of Rashion, Rayark.
The knights guarding the palace gate drew their weapons and stood alert when they saw two people suddenly appear out of thin air.
"Who goes there?!"
"Identify yourselves!"
But the moment they saw Kai’s face properly, they both wore shocked expressions.
"C-Count Kai!"
"We heard you had gone missing..."
"I’ve just returned."
They had just returned to the Human Realm, and even the air he breathed through his nose felt different.
Much lighter.
It wasn’t just the air. His whole body felt significantly lighter. When he gave a light jump to test it, his body floated about fifty centimeters off the ground.
"Wow."
"Kai, does your body feel lighter too?"
"Yes, the Demon Realm was definitely good for training."
Kai politely asked the knights, "I’d like to see His Majesty right away. Would that be possible?"
"Of course. He is currently receiving reports in the meeting room."
The knights quickly sheathed their weapons and stepped aside. Kai led the way and headed straight toward the palace’s grand meeting room. Just before the doors opened, shouts unusually loud for a royal chamber could be heard from inside.
"Th-then, I shall open the door."
As the attendant swung open the door, every noble and King Beoruk turned their eyes toward him.
"What the..."
"Isn’t that Count Kai of the East!?"
"He was nowhere to be found no matter how much we searched, and now..."
"Didn’t he run away?"
"Do you think he would return at a time like this if he had fled?"
"Silence." King Beoruk silenced the murmuring nobles at once and stood up. "Count Kai."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Kai straightened his back and responded with a bow.
"Where have you been until now?"
In MID Online, a noble was not just someone who lived a life of privilege. With rights came duties that must be upheld. No noble could make excuses when faced with the burden of war.
In that sense, Kai’s disappearance had become perfect material for gossip. He was the holy figure of the East, a great lord who ruled the eastern region, and yet he hadn’t shown himself even when war broke out. Because of that, a small number of nobles who disliked Kai had repeatedly condemned him.
"I had somewhere I needed to go," Kai replied in a calm voice.
That attitude made the nobles who disliked him frown.
"That..."
"Tsk. Adventurers are never suited to be nobles."
"Who knows how many of his people have died, yet he speaks so shamelessly..."
King Beoruk looked straight at Kai and said again, "Somewhere to go, you say... Was it important enough to neglect the nation’s war effort?"
"Of course not." Kai shook his head. "I would have returned if I could have. But I didn’t go there by choice, and that’s why it took time to come back."
"Where could you have gone to make such a claim?"
All nobles of Rashion already knew Kai was the owner of the Sea Dragon. With its speed, even the far end of the Dark Zone could be reached in ten days at most. Naturally, they had reason to doubt him.
Kai looked around at the nobles staring at him and slowly said, "The Demon Realm."
"W-what?!"
"The D-demon Realm?!"
The nobles let out shocked cries. Some were so startled they jumped up from their seats.
"Yes. At the request of the Sage of Water Tardal, head of the Darkness Hunters, I was investigating the temple of the Church of Muldine in the Dark Zone. During that process, I fell into a trap laid by the remnants of the Church of Muldine and was forcibly summoned to the Demon Realm."
"An investigation, huh... I do recall hearing such a request was made." Beoruk waved his hand as if that explanation satisfied him. "Very well. But for a grand lord preparing for war to go missing without a word is clearly a fault. I will hold you accountable once the war is over."
"Thank you for your leniency."
"Alright then. I assume the reason you came straight here was to learn about the current situation?"
"Yes."
Things like the quality of soldiers, the ability of commanders, and having advantageous terrain were important in war. But above all, the most critical factor was information.
I need to know how things are currently going.
Of course, information could be found on the community site, news articles, or game channels, but those were nothing more than fragments viewed from an outsider’s perspective. Only the royal palaces of the two nations at war would have the full picture, and Kai’s assumption was right.
"Then listen first."
When Beoruk gestured, a general dressed in Rashion’s military uniform controlled a crystal orb. Then, a massive three-dimensional map was projected above the crystal.
"This shows the current situation in each region."
"Hm..."
It was a large and detailed map that clearly showed the flow of war. Next to each region were graphs showing details like troop numbers and win rates for both sides.
Yoo Ha-Rin quickly scanned the map and her expression darkened. "What do we do? It’s worse than I expected."
The central front was still holding out, but the western region had already been breached far to the south. The eastern front, where Siris Fortress had fallen, was also rapidly yielding to the enemy.
Their advance is much faster than expected.
That was enough to get a full grasp of the situation.
Kai saw no need to remain there any longer and bowed his head. "Thank you for the information."
His words sounded very much like a farewell, prompting King Beoruk to ask, "You’ve just arrived... Are you leaving already?"
"I should."
Kai’s gaze was fixed on the eastern cities shown on the map.
Libertia and Arkan are the most at risk.
Helik and Rashya could still be in Arkan if they hadn’t returned to the Celestial Realm yet. Besides them, it was also where the high priest of the Solarian Church resided. Unless Xao Lin had gone completely mad, he wouldn’t kill or take him hostage, but it was still best to be cautious.
"Then I’ll start with the east."
At Kai’s calm voice, the nobles blinked in confusion.
"Start? What do you mean by that?"
When one noble asked cautiously, Kai replied with a smile, "Why, a grand cleanup of course."
***
A few hours before Kai returned to the Human Realm, the atmosphere inside Arkan Academy was far from good.
"Sniff sniff... Are we all going to die?"
"W-what are you talking about? If they’re sane, they wouldn’t dare touch this place."
Arkan Academy was currently the most famous academic city on the continent. It was visited by nobles, merchants, royalty, and imperial heirs from many nations for education. But after war broke out between Aldebaran and Rashion, all classes were suspended indefinitely.
Under the leadership of Albert, who prioritized student safety, many students returned to their home territories, but a fair number remained trapped within the academy. Unfortunately, most were children of lower-ranking families or non-nobles from the merchant class.
"But I heard Aldebaran’s Black Dragon army is extremely brutal..."
"This place houses the temple of the Solarian Church. Surely there won’t be bloodshed here."
It was a rational thought, but the circumstances left the students feeling uneasy. Gathered in small groups throughout the massive auditorium, the students tried to ease their fears by comforting each other.
"Helik." The blue-haired girl, Rashya, tugged on her friend’s sleeve. "Let’s head back just in case. We can watch from the Celestial Realm and come back down after everything is over. Okay?"
Despite Rashya’s gentle persuasion, Helik looked visibly uncomfortable. She folded her arms and pointed with her chin toward a corner.
"Rashya, look over there."
Turning her head, Rashya saw a group of students huddled in the corner. They were also students who couldn’t go back to their territories. What set them apart, though, was their nationality.
"Damn it. Why did those Aldebaran bastards have to start a war?"
"This was the first peace in centuries."
"Tsk. We’re suffering because of them."
"Hey, if the enemy comes, you guys go out and stop them. At least they won’t kill you since you're from the same country."
Naturally, the students couldn’t help but glare at the Aldebaran students. Among them, a few hot-tempered ones looked ready to raise their fists at any moment.
"How could I go back to the Celestial Realm peacefully after seeing that?"
"But it’s human business. We shouldn’t get too involved."
"Rashya." Helik turned her head with a sad expression. "Do you really believe that?"
At her serious tone, Rashya flinched and let out a small sigh. "No..."
She had lost all her followers and sealed herself away for centuries from the shock. She was no different from Helik when it came to loving humans.
"But we’re gods. It’s not good to interfere too much in human matters."
"Who would know?" Helik replied with a sly smile.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"No one here knows we’re gods."
Now that she heard it, it made sense.
That’s pretty convincing...!
She never thought a day would come when Helik would be the one convincing her. Rashya felt a strange and new emotion on the inside.
W-what is this feeling...
The girl she had always looked after in every little way was suddenly scolding her.
"S-still, humans have a saying. Heaven knows what people do, and so does the earth. Nothing stays hidden forever."
"Huh? Are you talking about Horn and Iska?"
Rashya finally raised both hands at Helik’s innocent question.
"No, my bad. "She pressed her forehead for a moment and asked, "So what exactly do you want to do?"
"The students all seem really anxious."
Now was the perfect time for her, the Solarian God full of charisma who governed mercy and benevolence, to step forward. Helik confidently marched toward the corner of the auditorium.
"Hey there!" Helik shouted loudly as she arrived at the tense scene.
"Come to think of it, if we take these guys as hostages, maybe the enemy won’t dare attack so easily."
"Hey there."
"I’m not worth much as a hostage. My family is just a borderland baron’s house."
"That’s not for you to decide. That’s for us to decide."
"You want to try me now?"
"Wow, figures you’re from Aldebaran. Are you going to punch me?"
"C-can no one hear me?!" Helik jumped up and down, shouting over the students’ shoulders.
She looked hurt after being ignored several times, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"Hm? This kid is..."
It was only then that the students noticed Helik’s presence and turned their heads. They scratched their heads and each pulled out a candy or snack from their pockets.
"Here, take this and go over there."
"Don’t eat them all at once so your teeth don’t rot."
"Brush your teeth after."
"Mm-hmm, I understand."
As Helik returned with her arms full of snacks and candy and a happy face, Rashya gripped her forehead.
Kai, what do I do about my friend...