VIP Chapter 489: Before the Birthday
It was truly a night that was difficult to describe for Will.
After an escape with the princess that felt like a dream, Treya returned and entered a state of “suspected entry into the Zero Demon City.” Will could neither know what dream she was having nor touch her.
Not only could he not touch or wake her, but he also couldn’t pull Treya into his dream, leaving him to watch her from afar while awake.
“The dream crystals I prepared are useless now.”
Will spun the storage ring Liya had given him and sighed.
However, looking on the bright side, since they had investigated Treya’s assassination attempt today, it was a form of progress.
He had pulled her out of such an atmosphere.
“…In that case, let me do some things that are inconvenient to do when Treya is awake.”
—A letter received from the Adventurer’s Guild.
“Shuna… I see. Carver did prepare something for me. But this is also within my plan…”
Will guessed that Carver would definitely make a move on the birthday banquet day.
And…
It was possible that he would have Treya expose the “Zero Demon City” in some manner.
It now seemed that the Zero Demon City, which had existed for two hundred years, had a depth far beyond the Death Hall, which embodied the most efficient methods of dungeon clearing.
The most likely reason was that the Zero Demon City was using “political struggle” to achieve “dungeon clearing,” providing energy for the Zero Demon City to dig deeper.
“—It sounds absurd. But I have to believe it. Perhaps the Entak Family’s fondness for births and internal strife is because they are faking the act of ‘clearing a dungeon’ in this way.”
This was Iaar’s explanation.
If the outside world were to know of the Zero Demon City’s existence, the Entak Royal Family’s authority would undoubtedly cease to exist.
A symbol of political centralization that “contended” with and “opposed” the Adventurer’s Guild, was actually surviving by relying on a “dungeon.”
Although the underlying principles were completely different, it would sound like a joke.
“…In that case, I need to consider letting the other two infiltrate.”
Will had originally intended for them to enter the Zero Demon City through the “entrance.”
Now it seemed there might be other ways.
After all…
One thing he now truly knew was…
The entire outsourcing and personnel arrangement for Treya’s birthday banquet were now in his hands—
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tenth Demon City.
Early in the morning.
“Iaar— You! Did you dream of Will last night? He, he, he, he…”
“He told me to be a maid at the Royal Palace banquet~”
“Huh?”
Liya blinked.
“Uh… I think we should confirm. After all, for the two of us, dreaming of Will is… it’s a common occurrence…”
“I dreamed of him too. He said I didn’t need to escort you guys anymore.”
“Me too, me too! Although he just told me to prepare the best… ah no, the most convincing imitation of a waiter’s uniform for you all.”
Since the other two said the same thing, it seemed Will had indeed sent them a message through their dreams, just as he had said.
It’s just that…
“Hmm, the upcoming banquet… is Miss Treya’s birthday banquet, right?! So, you’re going to be a maid at the banquet? What exactly is Will thinking? Could it be… a banquet raid?”
“What about you, Liya? What did he tell you to do?”
“He… he said because I look too much like a child. It’s easy to be discovered if I barge in rashly, so instead…”
Liya seemed a little annoyed.
“Instead, I should wear a white wig and disguise myself as an elderly professor to attend the banquet. Hey—! Do I look that old?!”
“…Miss Liya, you’re already over a hundred years old, aren’t you?”
“Indeed, still very young.”
Lucifer and Iaar gave completely opposite assessments.
“That sounds like a good idea. An old professor bringing a maid into the venue would be completely unsuspicious. As for me… I might need to hide my beast ears.”
Iaar began to think seriously and looked up at her wagging beast ears.
Because she was happy, her tail was completely perked up.
“And your tail.”
Lucifer reached out and scratched her tail.
“Eek?!”
“Alright. In that case, I must also play a part. Cough, cough…” Liya slightly lowered her voice, making it hoarser. “Excuse me, due to my old age and frailty. I really can’t see the signs clearly. May I ask… is this the entrance to His Majesty’s birthday banquet?”
“That sounds pretty good, it will definitely work!”
“The old person you’re imitating is actually younger than your real age… right?”
Regarding this, Lucifer and Iaar still gave completely opposite evaluations.
“However, I’m wondering… since he changed the way we were invited, it proves…”
“It proves that Carver will make a move at that banquet, right?”
Liya stopped acting and straightened up, discussing the matter seriously.
“Yes. It seems our enemy has more schemes than we imagined.”
“Will this be… within Will’s calculations?”
“Trust him. He wants to lure Carver to the Royal Palace for a decisive battle so badly, he must have his reasons, right?”
Liya patted Iaar’s shoulder.
“That’s true. Then we’ll trust him unconditionally—!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finally, on the other side—
In the Coliseum of the Zero Demon City, Treya tightly gripped the Shadow Nightmare Sword in her hand and looked up at the Undead Swordsman with three hundred and thirty-three hands.
This was the tenth time.
Her movements became slow. After avoiding his several swings, she parried his phantom attacks with the Shadow Nightmare Sword.
“Greedy… perhaps?”
Her purple eyes became a second light source in the Coliseum illuminated by the black sun, flickering with Treya’s attacks.
She had agreed to fight the Undead Swordsman again at the demons’ request.
But not because she obeyed the demons.
The demons made her proceed with extreme caution, making her progress difficult.
However…
Treya herself had other ideas.
She didn’t intend to “win” here.
Will’s words had indeed made her realize some things, especially here.
If she truly wanted everything.
No…
If she could truly have everything.
Not as a Little Princess merely surviving the brutal family struggles, but as the Empress here, as the ruler of Entak…
What she should do now was…
Her footsteps stopped.
She looked up at the sword that she was certain she couldn’t dodge, standing upright and aiming to cleave down at her head.
However, her purple eyes did not “disappear,” nor did she stop using the seemingly invincible ability granted by the Zero Demon City.
“Heeheeheeheeheeheeheeheehee—”
As the sword of death was about to strike her forehead, and she heard the sound of her own skull cracking, she also heard the exclusive “laughter” of demons.
…
……
“!”
“You’re awake? It’s still early, why not lie down for a bit longer? Look, the alarm hasn’t even gone off.”
She opened her eyes and saw Will lying beside her.
“Mm. But there’s a lot to do today…”
Summer had already arrived, and dawn broke much earlier than before. The sunlight streaming in from outside the window onto Treya’s palm looked much brighter than before.
The lingering afterglow of the shattering pain from her forehead in that battle still existed.
“…Lingering afterglow of pain? Why would I have this if I haven’t died…”
“Happy birthday.”
Will interrupted her, using his hand to brush away her slightly messy silver hair, wipe the sweat from her forehead, and say softly.
