The Duke's Worries
City of Asena
Inside the Duke's Palace
After looking at the reports from the expedition groups he sent, Duke Ifrit was anxious.
He had been searching for a path or even a hint to reach the greater dungeon for the last 10 years.
At first, he thought it would be easy; even though the empire had failed, he was confident he could find it. The empire failed because it could not initiate a large expedition or campaign to find the way to a greater, larger, and more dangerous dungeon.
The Emperor cannot let his people know of such information or even get a hint of it. Or else the empire will be brought to chaos by its own people, frightened and agitated by such news.
"Has the princess been up to any activity? Gislain?" Duke Ifrit inquired.
"The princess has only been focused on the newly summoned heroes."
"She is currently planning to send the heroes to three different dungeons," Gislain replied.
The duke looked at Gislain, satisfied.
Gislain was the right-hand man of the duke and his most trusted man.
And it was certainly wise of the duke to do so because Gislain dedicated his whole life to serving the duke. and also had the strength to back it up.
Gislain
Level: 197
A-rank, 9th Circle
Age- 32
Species- Human
Titles: Vanishing Shadow
Class: Shadow Dancer
A warrior with enough strength to form his own kingdom was stuck serving another. But Gislain did not hate it in the slightest, he even enjoyed following the orders of the Duke.
He took delight in receiving praise from the duke. At the age of five, his parents abandoned him in the orphanage, leaving him without someone to love and care for him.
When the duke took him in, it was just a year after he had been left in the orphanage. For a child hungry for love, the duke who took him in was everything.
Gislain was alright with being used as long as it meant that he would receive the love his parents failed to give. But that was not the case; the duke's wife took him in her arms as her own son, and from then on, they filled the roles of father and mother for him.
He was an orphan who was taken in by the Duke when the Duke detected an unusual character in him.
Gislain had a weak presence—not just a weak presence, an extremely weak presence.
And after training under the duke for more than a decade, his presence got even weaker than before.
It was as if Gislain had a body that fit into the surroundings perfectly, even now, the duke could not see Gislain but could only sense him using his aura.
That too was because Gislain allowed himself to be noticed by the Duke.
If trained right, the duke could have a potent and deadly assassin under him—an assassin even he, the Hell mage, cannot sense. How terrifying would his ability be to his enemies?
but he did not do so.
He saw Gislain as his own son.
The duke, with all his wealth and power, could have any woman he wished for, but he did not have eyes for any woman other than his wife his entire life.
A weak, feeble commoner lady that he met during his young adventuring days. She was no beauty, but she was the only one he desired.
But fate was cruel; she could not give birth to a single child for the duke. If it wasn't disappointing, it didn't matter for him as long as she was with him. His wife had tried to run away many times, but how could he let that happen?
When he brought home a child, about a year old, from the orphanage, he saw his weak wife smile for the first time after the incident. It was then that the duke decided to treat Ghislain as his own child.
"Gil, go rest, you have been working hard these days. You even forgot to visit your mother yesterday," the duke chastised.
"I will go visit my mother at this moment!"
"Wait, sigh, he became even faster than before," The duke was worried.
He wanted to send Gislain and his wife away from the bloodshed that would soon befall the empire.
But he could not do so because no place was safer than his own.
The world will soon fall into unavoidable tragedy and chaos, turning it upside down.
The duke knew what the summoning of the heroes brought upon the world.
It was a forbidden ritual sugar-coated by the empire to fool the people when in reality it was a demonic sacrificial ritual.
The ritual broke the laws of the world, which will not be left unpunished.
When the emperor summoned the heroes, he knew very well that he was summoning the demon too.
The demon race.
Born from the manifestation of countless evils, a race that cannot coexist with any other.
A hundred years ago, the heroes wiped out the last of the demon race. The last generation of heroes was said to be the strongest, six of them were strong enough to stand against the world combined.
The power they possessed was enough to challenge the gods.
Even then, none of them survived the battle against the demons.
That was the strength of the demons.
And now another demon has been born.
Duke Ifrit only had one objective, to eliminate all the royal bloodlines of the empire and destroy the ritual and its existence.
He knew the emperor could not in any way allow the ritual to happen unless he was just a husk of his former self.
He had already been informed by Gislain who the real mind behind the emperor was.
Ladia Brightwing, daughter of a shaman and wife of the emperor. From the moment they met, the duke could see the ambition and greed in her eyes. She wanted the world for herself.
She plans to take over the world with the help of the heroes, not knowing the complications and danger it will bring.
"Foolish girl, I will make sure you and your family don't live to see that day." Ifrit cursed as he knocked on the table twice.
A person came in instantly.
"My Liege, what commands do you have for your servant?"
"I heard that the princess got rid of one of the heroes, is that true?"
"That is true, my lord, but the girl did not have the hero class."
"Put one of your men to follow the girl and inform me of her activities. She will be of use to me in some way," the duke commanded.
"Yes, my lord."
Gislain appeared as he took out a letter a moment later and placed it on the duke's table.
"Hmm? What happened when you came back after meeting your mother?"
"Of course, besides, I have important news from one of the expedition captains."
The duke stood up as he hurriedly opened the letter and read its content'
{Crystal Palace}
The letter contained only two words, but to the duke, they meant everything.
a way to the greater dungeon!
The duke was excited, he had to go there immediately but also had to avoid the prying eyes of the princess's spies.
He instantly burned the letter to ashes.
"Send a letter to Duke Miel, tell him to get his men ready."
"The wait is over."
City of Aerowyn
Duke Miel, the strongest warrior of the Brightwing Empire.
Miel
Age: 72
Level 227
S-class, 2nd Circle
Title: The Reaper
Class: Noble Shadow
Duke Miel loathed the royal family, he wished for them to be removed from existence.
His son was killed four years ago while rescuing the present emperor from an ambush put up by the Beast King.
But if that were the case, he would not have hated the emperor to this extent.
It was only a year later that he received the news that the emperor was not even present in the place of ambush. There wasn't an ambush in the first place!
Which meant that his son was killed, and the only suspect was the emperor and his family.
His son was a genius, reaching A-class at just the young age of 18. If given the chance, he would have risen to the top of the empire, if not the world.
Yet he was killed because the Emperor was afraid that it would threaten his throne.
This was why, when Duke Ifrit asked him to join him in his plan, he agreed.
As long as he could kill the emperor with his own hands, he would agree to anything.
And with the strength of another Duke, his goal was closer than ever.
Ifrit
Level 221
S-class, 2nd circle
Title: Blaze King
Class: Hell Mage