Monarch of Death

As time passed, these tribal states went through a series of alliances and separations, eventually transforming into five major powers, marking the birth of the Five Kingdoms.

Felmyre, Tarum, Etrial, Lifaul, and Altale.

These five kingdoms, sometimes joining hands and sometimes battling one another, continued to grow in strength.

As the western powers became more formidable, the Lacaenia Empire could no longer sit idly by, leading to more frequent clashes between the two sides.

In response, the five warring kingdoms formed an alliance to stand against the Empire.

The Lacaenia Empire, in turn, appointed the Yustil and Atringen families as margraves to keep the west in check.

However, this decision backfired.

Both families betrayed the Empire, declaring independence and siding with the western forces.

The Five Kingdoms Alliance then expanded into the Seven Kingdoms Alliance.

From then on, the Lacaenia Empire and the Seven Kingdoms Alliance maintained a long, complex relationship.

When the Empire was strong, the Seven Kingdoms Alliance resisted fiercely. When the Empire weakened, the Alliance would launch counterattacks. At times, when both sides were equally matched, a more amicable atmosphere would prevail.

At the center of the Seven Kingdoms Alliance lay the Kingdom of Etrial.

It was centrally located geographically, not politically.

The Kingdom of Etrial was the smallest and poorest of the Seven Kingdoms.

Its first disadvantage was that it was landlocked with no access to the sea. Its second problem was that monsters frequently appeared within its borders.

Of course, monsters appeared frequently across the continent, but there was no other country where they were so evenly distributed across the entire territory as in Etrial.

The land was dominated by the towering Halcyor Mountain in the center, the surrounding vast Kalenta Forest, and the enormous lake Desperl, often referred to as an inland sea.

The entire nation was made up of mountains, forests, and lakes.

Farming was difficult, and the moment one stepped outside a village, danger lurked in every direction.

In essence, the kingdom was an ideal environment for monsters to thrive.

Strictly speaking, humans had forced their way into a land that was originally a primary habitat for monsters.

As a result, all sorts of monster hunters and treasure hunters seeking ancient relics flocked to this land.

Providing services to these adventurers and distributing the relics they obtained helped develop commerce in the region.

Thus, the Kingdom of Etrial earned the nickname “The Land of Adventurers.”

Countless adventurers gathered here, hoping for a big score, and in turn, merchants gathered to profit from these adventurers.

Wellard City, located at the edge of the great Kalenta Forest, was a city that flourished through pioneering and trade.

Even today, the streets of the city were bustling with all sorts of outsiders.

Among them were Karnak and his party, who had just arrived.

***

The pioneer city of Wellard consisted mostly of wooden buildings, except for a few temples and watchtowers.

Walking past the large roads lined with numerous log buildings, Karnak pulled his collar tighter.

“Ugh, it’s cold.”

Though it was relatively warm for mid-winter, the chill still seeped through.

Smoke rose from various parts of the city, a sign that people were hard at work heating their homes.

Baros glanced around and spoke.

“We should find an inn first.”

Millia asked, “Shouldn’t we meet with Sir Starr first?”

Karnak’s party was part of the King’s Order of Yustil. They couldn’t act freely in a foreign land.

Thus, they had already arranged to receive cooperation from the King’s Order of Etrial and were scheduled to meet with a man named Starr Fallon here.

“Do you think Sir Starr is strong?” Serati wondered.

Karnak replied indifferently, “I don’t know.”

To be honest, it didn’t matter whether he was strong or not.

They had enough power as it was. The cooperation was merely a political formality.

As long as the guide did their job properly, that was enough.

“We’re supposed to meet today, but there’s still plenty of time before evening.”

Baros smacked his lips.

“While we wait, let’s grab something to eat and explore the town.”

Karnak’s eyes lit up.

“Sounds good. I wonder what this town’s specialties are?”

At the mention of food, Millia’s eyes sparkled.

She had learned by now!

The legendary tale of Karnak that was passed down in the Seventh Battalion!

-There’s no need to beg for expensive meals!

-Just investigate the local specialties and make a suggestion!

-The captain will then spend money like water!

-He’ll buy you so much that you’ll be stuffed to the brim, and it’ll be the finest regional delicacies!

She was a diligent and conscientious person who never ignored her seniors’ advice.

“Wellard City’s specialties are…”

Millia’s mental encyclopedia flipped open.

“Goat shank stew with salted lemon, smoked oysters flavored with herbs, and trout tartare with shallots!”

Karnak shot her a look.

“You want me to buy it, don’t you?”

“Yep!”

It wasn’t just Millia. Laficel’s eyes were also gleaming with anticipation.

Twinkling, sparkling eyes.

“…Fine, let’s go.”

As they headed out to eat, Karnak pondered for a moment.

He enjoyed eating delicious food, but at the same time, he couldn’t help feeling a bit conflicted.

‘What kind of image do they have of me, anyway?’

***

Due to the geographic diversity of the Kingdom of Etrial, many different languages were spoken.

The northwest of the kingdom spoke Isola, from Yustil, Atringen, and the Kingdom of Tarum.

The northeast spoke Bernardi Language from the Kingdom of Felmyre.

In the southern regions, Ralfon Language, from the Kingdoms of Lifaul and Altale, was spoken.

Additionally, Keltin, the ancient language of the Church of the Seven Goddesses, was still used.

Since Wellard City was in the western part of Etrial, Isola was commonly spoken here.

After finding an inn, storing their belongings, and handing over their horses, Karnak and his group set out to find the restaurant Millia had recommended.

Her information was impeccable.

Most of the dishes she had suggested greatly pleased Karnak.

“Ah, this was worth spending money on.”

The smoked oysters with herbs, in particular, were a delicacy.

“This town has no sea, so how is smoked oysters a specialty?”

In response to Karnak’s question, Serati chuckled.

“Since it’s inland, smoking techniques developed. If it were by the coast, they’d eat them raw.”

“Ah, I see.”

Baros was enjoying wine made from mountain grapes.

“This local wine is delicious too. Should I grab a few bottles?”

However, carrying them around would be cumbersome.

With some disappointment, he asked, “Young Master, when will you reach the Ninth Circle?”

“Why the sudden question about the Ninth Circle?”

“Because then you’ll be able to use a subspace pouch.”

“Oh, look at this cheeky servant trying to turn his master into a porter!”

Gathered around a warm brazier, sharing good food, the atmosphere naturally became more relaxed.

Karnak quietly smiled.

‘Ah, this is nice.’

Even these small moments made him realize something important.

No matter how much of the world one conquers while sitting on a cold, empty throne, it’s meaningless in the end.

‘It was the right choice to give up power.’

After filling their stomachs, they still had time to spare before meeting with the King’s Order from Etrial.

Baros idly scratched his head and asked.

“So, what should we do now?”

Serati, Millia, and Laficel all shouted in unison.

“Let’s go shopping!”

***

Wellard City, as a pioneer and trade hub, was a place where goods from all over the Seven Kingdoms passed through. As a result, it had quite a few luxury items compared to the city’s size.

Technically, most of these items were just temporarily stored here before being moved to other kingdoms, but some of them inevitably ended up on the market.

This time, Serati enjoyed her shopping frugally, while also keeping Karnak and Baros in mind.

“They have high-quality men’s underwear here too. It looks like it’s from the Kingdom of Felmyre.”

The two men grimaced at the sight of the underwear Serati handed them.

“Do we really need to buy this?”

“You can just wear whatever underwear you want.”

However, after trying them on, both men’s attitudes changed.

“Serati, I admit I was foolish.”

“Me too.”

Who would have thought that good underwear could be so comfortable!

“Why didn’t we know about this before?”

“Uh, maybe because we never had a reason to?”

They had always been so busy traveling and fighting that they hadn’t cared about such small details.

And when they later became undead, there was even less reason to care.

Now, Karnak expressed regret.

“If I had known, I would’ve bought some elf-made underwear when we went to the Grenthal Estate.”

Serati shook her head.

“That would’ve been impossible. They only sold women’s underwear.”

True, it wasn’t something men would typically spend that much on unless they were high-ranking royals or nobles.

Satisfied, Karnak and Baros both smiled contentedly.

Serati felt a sense of pride.

‘I’m glad they both liked it.’

Meanwhile, Millia and Laficel had more mixed expressions.

Watching two grown men standing in the middle of the street talking about the comfort of their underwear wasn’t exactly thrilling for the teenage girls.

‘Ah, this is a bit embarrassing.’

‘Isn’t it?’

‘Let’s pretend we didn’t hear.’

‘Yes, let’s.’

Suddenly, Baros glanced up at the sun.

“By the way, it’s about time we head to the meeting point.”

***

In the large plaza in the center of the city.

Karnak and his group waited leisurely, scanning the people passing by.

And then, a young man, seemingly about twenty years old, approached them.

At first, they thought he was just another passerby. His appearance didn’t match the description they had of Sir Starr.

But then the man cautiously asked them.

“Excuse me, are you Baron Karnak of the Kingdom of Yustil?”

“How do you know me?”

Karnak scrutinized the man warily.

The young man had thick, tawny hair and green eyes, with a handsome yet somewhat delicate appearance. Despite his fragile look, his body was well-trained, suggesting he was a capable warrior.

The young man quickly continued.

“Sir Starr was injured, so I’ve come in his place. Here’s proof of the King’s Order…”

The man handed over a magic-imbued emblem.

Serati pulled out the emblem they had prepared and matched them.

A small light briefly flickered and disappeared. This was what happened when the magic codes embedded in the emblems matched.

These days, security measures like this were essential, given the infiltration of spies from various sects.

There was no doubt he was from the King’s Order of Etrial.

“It’s confirmed.”

After putting the emblem away, Serati asked again.

“Is Sir Starr all right? Was there an incident?”

“He was injured during another mission. He’s unable to move for a while, so I’ve come in his place.”

“I see.”

Given the nature of the King’s Order’s missions, this was entirely plausible.

Since it didn’t matter who met them, there was no need to be concerned.

But Karnak and Baros both frowned.

‘Who is this?’

‘Why does he seem familiar…?’

Though they had never met this man before, there was something oddly familiar about him. Yet they couldn’t place why.

Baros cautiously asked.

“May I ask your name?”

“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet.”

The young man hurriedly blushed, seemingly a bit timid.

“I’m Laven Strauss, from the Fifth Battalion of Etrial’s King’s Order.”

In that instant, Karnak and Baros’ expressions hardened.

‘Laven?’

‘Sir Laven?’

Now they knew why he seemed so familiar.

That face belonged to none other than the young version of Laven Strauss, the Martial King of Delphiad, who had tormented Karnak so much!

‘What is he doing here?!’