Published: July 8, 2025
At the same time, the strong ones without an opponent were left behind.
Since both of them were mages, they had not engaged in close combat.
One was stopped by the king… and as soon as he was stopped, that king entered the battle.
The other, having sent his guards to the front lines as the former king, remained because there was no enemy for him to fight.
"Is the Duke Rondo also free?"
"Eh? Ah, His Majesty Robert Pirlo. Ah, Grown-san, 'Room 10' and..."
"Yes. Remarkably, it's three holy sword bearers."
Ryo confirmed ahead, and Robert Pirlo replied with a smile.
Two strong ones without an opponent, Ryo and Robert Pirlo.
"It might be necessary to remain on standby as a reserve force…"
While saying that, Robert Pirlo tilted his chin.
"Um, inward..."
"…Could it be that there are golems everywhere?"
"Perhaps. They might be waiting to be summoned by Zoltan. If we strike when they come out, or even before that…”
"It would be a great help to those fighting on the front lines!"
Ryo nodded vigorously.
"Shall we go?"
"Let’s go!"
Thus, Robert Pirlo and Ryo started running deeper inside.
Just a little past the entrance.
There was a slight discomfort in the air.
"The air membrane… this is what just blocked the sonar."
"Hmm, an interesting membrane."
Ryo grimaced, while Robert Pirlo touched the air membrane and tried to penetrate it with his arm.
"I’ve heard of it in magic, but since it’s here, it must have been generated by alchemy tools, right?"
"Yes, I believe so. But His Majesty and our Abel must have felt the 'presence' from deeper in, right?"
"Indeed."
"I'm envious."
Ryo said honestly.
Hearing that, Robert Pirlo laughed.
"To be envied by the Duke Rondo, I’m not something to be thrown away yet."
"You feel the presence through something other than magic, right?"
"Yes, indeed. In my case, it’s from years of experience living long."
"You mentioned before that you’ve been exposed to the gazes of assassins for half a century."
"You remember well."
Ryo recited the words he had heard previously, and Robert Pirlo was surprised.
The reason Ryo remembered was simply because it was too shocking.
An experience that an ordinary citizen would absolutely never undergo… constantly being watched, always facing the danger of death, for half a century.
"Your Majesty Abel has likely had a similar experience."
"Eh?"
"As a prince, of course, but also as an adventurer, you must have gone through many a fierce battle."
"I see. So, it’s a sense sharpened by such 'experiences.'"
"Looking at it that way, perhaps it would have been a happier life not to have such a sense at all."
While saying that, Robert Pirlo was smiling.
Even such terrible experiences were recognized as one of the things that shaped who he is today.
"Those called royalty truly cannot hope for the happiness that ordinary people can attain, can they?"
"Yes, that’s unavoidable."
Ryo expressed a commoner's perspective, and Robert Pirlo smirked.
What lay beyond the air membrane was…
After a short distance, it sloped downward, revealing a vast space.
"How spacious!"
"It’s the first time I've seen a place with no room to stand."
Both Robert Pirlo and Ryo were astonished.
The area ahead was quite a large space.
A truly vast expanse that could fit several soccer fields.
There, thousands of golems stood motionless in rows.
While they were lined up…
"Isn't something strange?"
"Yes. How should I put it… they seem to be empty inside?"
Both Robert Pirlo and Ryo tilted their heads.
It was certain they weren’t moving.
Since they were golems, they wouldn’t move unless activated, but it felt slightly different.
"It feels like only the armor is lined up."
"Looking closely, the backs seem to be open?"
"Yes. As if someone could enter inside…"
"Could it be that vampires could fit inside…?"
"That might be the case."
Ryo and Robert Pirlo reached the same conclusion.
By having vampires inside, the vampire golems would be complete.
"Ah, that earlier discomfort was due to this."
Ryo nodded repeatedly in realization.
"Discomfort?"
"I felt discomfort watching them fight outside."