Chapter 56

As the night deepened, the common people had fallen asleep. The capital of the Castal Kingdom, Mauct, was no different. However, there were still residents who were active even at such a late hour.

Under the streets of the Castal Kingdom, there was a sewer system built over five hundred years ago. Monsters lived in the sewers, and the entrances to the sewers were sealed off. The entrance was guarded by a checkpoint, where guards were stationed permanently. At the checkpoint now, an elderly guard and a young guard were on duty.

"The night watch is tough on these old bones."

"There's no helping it. The senior guards have been assigned to other places."

The young guard responded with a wry smile to the elderly guard's complaint. Currently, the Castal Kingdom was hosting officials from various countries, so many soldiers were assigned to security duties.

Many soldiers had been lost in the Eldartrent incident, but as a major kingdom, the Castal Kingdom quickly expanded its military forces. However, the prime soldiers were assigned to important tasks such as guarding officials from various countries, leading to a shortage of experienced soldiers, and thus elderly or new soldiers were assigned to such posts.

"There are monsters in the sewers, but even a novice adventurer can handle them. The iron doors are securely closed, and adventurers regularly clear them out. No monsters have come through these doors."

"The guards at the checkpoint were taken away, so it's probably our turn for duty."

"Does that mean we're trusted?"

The young guard chuckled at the elderly guard's comment.

"By the way,"

The elderly guard suddenly remembered something.

"Those kidnappers in the incident. They apparently confessed to something strange. Have you heard about it?"

"Did they beg for their lives?"

"They said they were attacked by a ghost right before they were caught."

The young guard, who was initially taken aback, burst out laughing after a moment.

"Are you trying to surprise me by exaggerating the story?"

"The ghost story is hard to believe, and the captain of the knights told everyone not to spread it. It's only natural that you wouldn't know."

"Where did you hear that?"

"From the jailer, you know."

The elderly guard made a gesture as if tipping a mug, indicating he had heard it over drinks. The young guard looked exasperated.

"Leaking information while drunk is too careless. If the captain of the knights finds out, it won't just be a reprimand."

"Given the nature of the content, it's the kind of story you want to tell someone."

"Put yourself in my shoes, being told this in the middle of the night."

The two laughed together.

"Is it really true? Could they have mistaken a monster for a ghost?"

"It's possible, but they apparently confessed because of it. Whether ghosts exist or not is debatable, but it seems they did see something ghostly, like the ghost of a kidnapped woman. After all, they were hated, and some of the victims' bodies haven't even been found."

The victims were rescued quickly, but some didn't make it in time. Even those who survived are still suffering from the inhumane treatment they endured. Therefore, it's only natural that the kidnappers are hated. It's not surprising that they might appear as ghosts.

A strange sound reached their ears, breaking the silence. They looked at the iron door where the sound came from, but there was no sign of anything unusual.

"What do you think?"

They had just talked about ghosts, so it was natural to have some doubts.

"Maybe it was just a monster acting up?"

The elderly guard said this while picking up a lantern. For a moment, they heard the sound of water splashing, but it sounded unusually close, unlike the sound of the sewers.

They kept a cautious distance from the door and watched it closely. The young guard was encouraged to draw his sword, and the elderly guard slowly approached the door. The strange sound had stopped, and even when they got closer, they heard nothing. The elderly guard carefully checked through the peephole.

The inside was a staircase leading underground, pitch black and invisible. Even as their eyes adjusted, there was no sign of anything lurking nearby. It was just a normal scene, nothing out of the ordinary.

Seeing no changes, the elderly guard relaxed his guard and closed the peephole. As the peephole closed, the sewer was once again enveloped in darkness.

The puddle of water moving in the darkness was not seen by the guards.

***

While practicing dance to pass the time, I was summoned to meet the king of the Castal Kingdom.

"Remove your mask."

I raised my head, kneeling, and glanced around without letting the other person notice.

The large hall was filled with many of the Castal Kingdom's nobles. They stared at me with a scrutinizing gaze, as if evaluating me. Their reactions were not particularly friendly, more suspicious than hostile. In the Commune Union, I was treated with respect and admiration, which made me uncomfortable, but here, it was uncomfortable for a different reason.

Incidentally, among the attendees were Rafael and Oliver. From the group of people in robes around Oliver, I guessed they were church officials.

The king was an elderly man with white hair. He didn't have the same commanding presence as the emperor of the Vaiksel Empire, but he exuded a calm and composed demeanor.

"The matter of the Eldartrent, which was planning to invade our country, was indeed just. Thanks to your efforts as an adventurer, our country was saved from a dire situation. To repay this favor, I will grant you a reward."

The king said this, but I already knew what reward would be given. Rafael had asked me beforehand what kind of reward I wanted, and I had already conveyed my request, which was accepted.

In essence, this was like a scripted play. I didn't really want status or honor, so I had arranged to receive a certain item to avoid any lingering issues. According to Rafael, it seemed to be fine, and I was glad we had discussed it beforehand.

"I hear you have also distinguished yourself in the Commune Union. Not only the Eldartrent, but the movements of monsters in various countries have become more active, and powerful monsters have been confirmed. At any time, new monsters may attack. To counter such monsters, humans need powerful weapons. A sword for a knight, a staff for a mage. Chaos, you are a skilled mage, so I will grant you a staff. A staff powerful enough to repel the threat that may come again."

I had asked Rafael for a staff, and not just a ceremonial one, but a practical one. I had managed to fight so far, but I needed a more powerful weapon. However, there were no ready-made weapons that matched my level.

In a game, there are two ways to obtain powerful weapons. One is to defeat a boss-class monster and obtain a drop item. However, such powerful weapons are only dropped by specific boss-class monsters, and you need to be at a high level to defeat them.

The other is to collect materials and have a weapon crafted. This involves asking a player blacksmith or an NPC to make a custom weapon, but this method is also costly.

Since I had not been able to earn much money by selling materials at the adventurer's guild after going to the Commune, I had no means to obtain a new weapon.

Moreover, the weapon manufacturing technology varies by country, with each having its own characteristics. The Vaiksel, where nobles are proficient in magic, is said to have superior staff manufacturing technology, while the Commune is not particularly skilled in it. The Castal, while not as advanced as the Vaiksel, is said to have better technology than the Commune.

If I could receive a direct order from the king of Castal, I might get an amazing staff. This would also resolve the matter of the reward, so I wouldn't have to receive unnecessary honors or medals. I thought it was a good plan, a two-for-one deal.

The staff I received was adorned with a sun motif, embedded with gems, and enchanted with a dragon soul. It was probably the highest-quality staff, and I could tell it was far superior to the staff I had been using. The parameters it boosted were also significantly higher.

However, the staff was named "Chaos's Staff." "Chaos's Staff," what is this? It's a one-of-a-kind custom staff, which is nice, but having my name on it feels a bit embarrassing.

The king spoke to me as I took the staff.

"May this staff, like the sun, dispel the darkness of the monsters and bring light to this world."

The king's words were passionate. They seemed a bit exaggerated, but perhaps this was a form of propaganda to boost morale. However, after seeing how Rozeline, the queen, acted, I realized that such grand gestures might not be unnatural. People in positions of power might be accustomed to such performances.

"Your Majesty, I have a question. Your Majesty, may I speak freely?"

One of the nobles in attendance said this. He looked like a stubborn person. I hadn't heard this before.

"Very well."

The king remained silent for a moment but ultimately did not stop him. What should I do? What is he going to ask?

"Let me ask you something. Is it true that you defeated the monster Eldartrent?"

I thought, "Why ask this now?" but then I remembered the fake me who appeared to claim the reward for defeating Eldartrent. Perhaps he suspects I am a fake.

"Yes, that's correct. You can confirm this with Rafael, who led the knights during the Eldartrent's defeat."

"This person is undoubtedly the one who defeated Eldartrent. He has also defeated monsters like vampires and golems in the Commune Union, as Queen Rozeline has informed me. It's unlikely there are two such individuals."

Rafael backed me up, but the noble seemed to have more questions.

"Then, let me ask you. I hear you are an adventurer and did not participate in the orc extermination campaign. If that's the case, why were you alone in the forest where Eldartrent was? It seems strange for someone to visit such a remote forest alone. Moreover, according to Lord Lilburn's report, you were familiar with the cause of the forest's anomalies during the defeat of Eldartrent. Since we lack information about Eldartrent, we don't know if it was a servant of an evil deity. Why did you know so much about such an unknown monster?"

Ah, that's what it is. My heart was pounding.

As an adventurer from a foreign land, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time to fight a powerful and unknown monster, and I knew information about it. Such a convenient story is impossible. I must seem incredibly suspicious, perhaps even a monster's ally. I finally understood why the reactions around me were so unfriendly.

In the Commune, I was close to Rozeline and had her support, and I was treated as a hero who saved the Commune. Perhaps the strong trust I had there suppressed any suspicions. But in this country, there was no such trust. Even if they felt grateful for defeating Eldartrent, their suspicions about me were too strong.

However, this is a problem. I just wanted to defeat the boss, Eldartrent, as a memorial on the last day of the closed beta test, and I can't expect them to believe that the information about Eldartrent was all on the strategy site. I need to find a way to bluff. As I thought about this, I realized I was becoming more comfortable with lying, which made me feel uneasy. I had decided to be a hero, but my actions were far from heroic.

"What's the matter? If you have nothing to hide, there's no need to hide it."

However, there was no point in lamenting. I needed to think of a reason to satisfy them at least for now.

"No, I have nothing to hide. I knew about Eldartrent because it was talked about in my hometown."

This wasn't entirely false, as the information about Eldartrent was on the strategy site.

"Even we don't know the true nature of this unknown monster, but it was known in your hometown?"

"Yes, it was a troublesome monster. The vampire that appeared