Welcome to Hell! - Chapter 250: At the Royal Castle (3)

“P-Please wait!”

“Your Majesty, please reconsider!”

Would you consider serving me. The first to react to King Carl’s shocking statement were the knights standing behind me. It seemed they had not been briefed beforehand, and they pleaded frantically, their voices filled with urgency.

Their objections were not born out of mere emotion. There were two main reasons behind their appeals: our nature as demons and our status.

The first reason concerns our identity as demons. For countries outside the Empire, demons are considered heinous criminals worthy of execution. The kingdom, under King Carl’s rule, is not so desperate for military might that it needs to harbor such dangerous beings. The knights argued that there was no need to introduce a group of dangerous creatures like us into their midst.

The second reason is our status as fugitives from the Empire. It’s unclear whether the fragmented Empire is actively pursuing us, but if it became known that we were hiding here, the unpredictable response from the three divided countries could pose a significant risk to the Harlasia kingdom.

Although it had been divided, the Empire still had a strong influence in the central part of the Enzo continent. The impact our existence could have on diplomacy with countries outside the Empire was entirely unpredictable.

“So I implore you, please reconsider!”

“Hmm, I understand what you’re saying. So, what do you suggest we do?”

“The most straightforward solution would be to dispose of them right here…?!”

By “dispose” he undoubtedly meant to kill. However, the one who uttered these words could not speak any further. The reason was that a sword’s tip was pointed right at his throat.

It was King Carl himself who had drawn his sword with lightning speed. His movement was fluid, without a hint of hesitation, proving that my assessment of him as a first-rate warrior was indeed accurate.

While his smile remained as usual, his narrowed eyes were not smiling at all. The contemptuous look of his king, to whom he had sworn allegiance, must have been hard to bear. The knight, sweating profusely, remained silent and tried to compose himself.

“I’ve heard your opinions. But do you really think I hadn’t considered that? Those two concerns are not even issues to me.”

King Carl outright dismissed the knight’s concerns. He planned to declare that we were not criminals, but rather victims who had been exploited by the empire during the war and had no choice but to flee. In his eyes, we were merely refugees in his country, and he intended to demonstrate his magnanimity by welcoming us.

By doing so, he aimed to convince his people that we were heroes who had fought in the war and victims of the cruel empire and divert attention from the possibility that we might be criminals. At the same time, showcasing his own generosity would solidify his popularity among his subjects. And so he would be securing us as assets for his army while strengthening his own authority.

However, this approach risked casting the empire in the role of a complete villain, which would potentially provoke a backlash from pro-empire nobles and merchant guilds with ties to the empire. Some voiced concerns over this strategy, but King Carl merely laughed it off.

“Why should we be concerned about a declining empire? They may talk big, but in reality, they’re preoccupied with the bloody infighting among the three divided states. Remember when the diplomats from the two empires and the oath alliance came seeking alliances not long ago?”

Following the division of the empire into three parts due to conspiracies by Prince Vasilius and Larman, the two remaining empires and the Oath Alliance that had broken away from the empire seemed to have sent diplomats to the central countries of the continent once the political situation had calmed down.

The two empires each claimed to be the legitimate successor, insisting that their emperor was the true emperor. On the other hand, the Oath Alliance declared its formal independence from the empire, proposing to establish diplomatic relations and trade. It seemed crucial for each faction to proclaim its righteousness and denounce the claims of the others as falsehoods.

The three factions hurried to dispatch diplomats to foreign countries, eager to assert their legitimacy before anyone else. However, it turned out that all three groups had the same idea, resulting in their diplomats unexpectedly encountering each other in several countries, including the Kingdom of Harlasia.

In Harlasia, it appeared that the envoys from the three countries arrived almost at the same time. According to King Carl, the verbal exchanges between the diplomats of the three countries were intense, with the mutual hostility and hatred being indescribable.

King Carl remarked that it was unlikely that the empire would unify in the foreseeable future while it was led by two emperors and an Alliance leader who were essentially brothers in conflict. He described the Northern Empire as strong but ravaged by war, the Eastern Empire as economically powerful with rich lands but weak, and the Alliance as a collection of small states bound by a strong unity. The conflict between them seemed far from over, and the best the Empire could do was protest.

However, King Carl’s logical assertion that we serving under him was no problem did not brighten the faces of the knights, except for Crus. Their looks, filled with hostility and contempt, made it clear that they saw me as nothing more than a monster, which was to be expected.

Well, the stares I received were nothing out of the ordinary for us. As a result, I felt neither anger nor sadness; no emotion at all, really. If anything, it just reminded me of our days in the special operations unit, which brought me a sense of nostalgia.

“Ah, but before we get into that, I must understand your intentions. Um… could you tell me your name?”

“…. My name is Antares, Your Majesty.”

I had expected Crus to introduce me but he stubbornly refused to speak. Therefore, I reluctantly gave my name. King Carl responded with a pleased smile and the knights except for Crus grew even more hostile. What was I supposed to do in such a situation?

Feeling exasperated by constantly being in a position to offend someone, I had no choice but to maintain a poker face as much as possible. I earnestly wished to leave the castle as soon as I could.

“So, Antares, would you consider serving me? Of course, you would receive treatment far different from that in the empire. I would be willing to bestow upon you at least a knighthood, and if you desire, I would not hesitate to grant you lands as well.”

King Carl’s offer momentarily froze the atmosphere in the guest room. A knighthood was one thing, but lands? Owning territory was tantamount to being treated as a noble. It was surprising and, in a way, an honor that he held us in such high regard.

However, such an offer must have seemed unimaginable to the knights. They were speechless and unable to find the words to object. Yet the sentiment directed at me had escalated from hostility to something akin to killing intent. I wondered if I might be assassinated before leaving the premises. Of course, if I was attacked, I would only “properly” defend myself…

“How about it? Isn’t it an attractive offer? Or perhaps you want treasures? I could even seize some from corrupt nobles and hand them over to you.”

“Your Majesty, I am overwhelmed by your generous appraisal of me. Your words deeply move me.”

“Oh, in that case…”

“However, I am truly sorry. I have a request from a benefactor that I must fulfill. Because of this, I cannot serve under Your Majesty.”

My answer to King Carl’s proposal was determined from the beginning. I had a task entrusted to me by Aiwass, so I couldn’t afford to remain here. I regret having to part ways with Chris after we finally reunited together…But I wasn’t about to repay kindness with betrayal.

The knights, who had until now harbored killing intent, widened their eyes in disbelief as I declined the king’s offer. The killing intent in their gaze was beginning to fade away, but the hostility within them had not yet disappeared.

Whispers of disapproval filled the air as some glared and muttered some stuff along the lines of, “To decline His Majesty’s invitation….” It seemed that whether I accepted or declined the proposal, the hostility directed at me would remain unchanged. My mere presence here was unwelcome. They were unreasonable.

“A request, you say? That’s important indeed. Could you share the nature of this task with me as well?”

“To settle in the desert beyond the Shumie Mountain range and to make a place to welcome the benefactor when the time comes. These are the two tasks before me.”

I spoke to King Carl without deceit about the mission entrusted to me by Aiwass. If this did not dissuade him, I was prepared to invoke the name of Aiwass. Although he appeared gentle and rational at first glance, he was the leader of a secret society that would not hesitate to harm others for the sake of “The Seventh Pillar”.

Unaware or indifferent to my thoughts, King Carl tapped his right index finger against his temple, as if pondering something. Then he made me an offer.

“How about this? I propose a survey of the southern part of the continent. We could provide funding, supplies, and even personnel if necessary. Should you successfully settle in the south, our country would officially recognize that land as your territory.”

“That is…”

“You would be fulfilling your benefactor’s request and increasing the likelihood of its success. In return, I gain a connection with you. Doesn’t sound like a bad deal, does it?”

The prospect of successfully fulfilling Aiwass’ request became more tangible, especially with the promise of official documents recognizing the land as ours. This was tantamount to the Kingdom of Harlasia declaring its guardianship over us, making it incredibly difficult for me to refuse.

However, what troubled me was why King Carl was so insistent on having me by his side. Despite knowing that this could further sour the opinions of those around me, I couldn’t help but ask.

“Why do you show such interest in us?”

“Of course, I am counting on your strength in battle. The war will end soon, and there’s no doubt the continent will be in turmoil afterward. I’ll need allies who can lend their strength during those times, and you are strong. As a ruler, wouldn’t it be my duty to seek out such powerful allies?”

King Carl’s reasoning seemed sound, and he didn’t appear to be lying. However, my instincts cautioned me not to trust him unconditionally. After thinking about it, I decided to buy some time by saying I needed time to consult with my comrades.