Chapter 208 (1/2)

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Chapter 208 – Silver Face and the Beastman King

Security doubled ever since the day an intruder snuck into the king's chambers, and five times more men were guarding the king closely. Even the women who would usually be Gerhardt's side, serving him, were kept at a distance, which annoyed him.

「Ah, d.a.m.n it. This is just too sad. Why am I surrounded by a bunch of filthy men?」

「It had to be done. They're all elite soldiers, capable of protecting you.」the old man from the turtle clan said as he gathered doc.u.ments.

Gerhardt had finished eating dinner. Up until now, he had been doing nothing but paperwork. Two soldiers stood by the room's only entrance and one on each of the three windows.

「So, how are preparations going?」Gerhardt asked as they stepped out of the office.

「Oh… Hasty, aren't we? We can make our move during spring.」

「Spring? You didn't say anything about this, you old bag. That's too far away. We'll launch our attack right after New Years.」

「Surely, you're not serious, my King. Ponsonia is much colder and it might even snow.」

「A little snow is nothing to our army.」

「We should secure a sure victory. We of the turtle clan don't do well in the cold.」

「I don't care! We're going anyway!」

「Oh, dear. You are a handful.」the old man said.「What's wrong?」

Gerhardt stopped all of a sudden. They were in the most innermost part of the palace. Beyond this point was the king's chambers and the dining room, and across the courtyard was where the throne room was located.

「Y-Your Majesty?」the old man asked timidly.

He rarely lost his nerve, if at all. The terror he felt at the moment was an indication of just how much Gerhardt was seething with rage. Even the four soldiers guarding him were terrified, their teeth rattling.

What's strange was Gerhardt wasn't looking at the old man, but beyond the moonlit courtyard.

「He's really mocking me… 」

「What's the matter, Your Majesty?」

「He's here.」

「Who?」

「Most likely the guy who entered my chambers.」

「What?! Where—」

「In the throne room.」

「Wh-What?!」

Before the old man could say anything, Gerhardt started walking in huge strides, crossing the courtyard. The turtle man followed him in a trot, but still couldn't catch up. Ignoring the guards' warnings, Gerhardt pushed the door to the throne room open.

Someone was inside.

「Not a bad seat at all. Quite comfortable.」

A black hood hung low over his eyes, silver mask covering his eyes down to the tip of his nose and his right cheek. Save for the design carved into the edges, it was overall a simple silver-colored mask.

His physique and voice suggested he was a young boy. A ray of moonlight cast down from a high window, s.h.i.+ning on him and the throne.

「That's no seat for the likes of you…」Gerhardt muttered in a low, terrifyingly icy voice that made the old turtle man s.h.i.+ver.

Even the guards turned pale as a sheet. The boy p.i.s.sed the king off, the strongest man in Einbeast who won the king selection tournament three times in a row. The old man was taken aback.

「That mask… Are you the one who stole Rising Falls' weapon?」Gerhardt asked.

Rising Falls—a rank A adventurers party that partic.i.p.ated in the war against Ponsonia. But they withdrew from the upcoming fight, claiming they were betrayed when their weapon got stolen by a masked man.

The intruder's mouth curved into a smile.「Stole? You hurt my feelings. I just returned it to its rightful owner.」

By “return,” he meant freeing the white drakon sealed inside the Drakon Ball. Gerhardt knew nothing about this, of course.

The boy chuckled, took eight daggers from his pockets and tossed them onto the floor, a declaration that it was him who snuck into the king's chambers.