Chapter 55

Chapter 55
A hush fell over the meeting room.

The mercenaries who had entered last all wore strained faces, and Maverick, Himan, and Argonia, already seated, were staring at Alon with identical intensity.

Even as every eye in the room fixed upon him, Alon’s demeanor appeared unruffled.

To be accurate, only his exterior seemed tranquil.

‘Was my calculation wrong?’

Behind his impassive mask, Alon’s mind raced anxiously, his skin prickling with cold sweat.

‘Should I have chosen a different approach? No, there was no other method with the same immediate effect. I could only freeze Myaon because I took her by surprise.’

While his gaze was locked on Argonia, Alon also kept track of Myaon, visible at the edge of his vision.

‘She’s still immobilized.’

He had poured all his remaining mana, channeling ice magic five times through his enchanted armor to ensure Myaon stayed locked in that frozen state.

…He desperately hoped the discussion would progress before the spell wore off.

Knowing Myaon’s temperament, Alon was sure she would fly into a violent rage the moment she was free, and with rising unease, he watched Argonia.

If Argonia, the most powerful person present, recognized Alon’s authority, then further conflict could be avoided.

Moreover, the reason Alon had acted so boldly was his trust in Argonia’s character.

Through the game, Alon had witnessed on multiple occasions that Argonia could coolly evaluate circumstances and arrive at logical conclusions, rather than clinging to pointless pride.

…Specifically, a scenario from a particular quest was very similar to this one, and each time, Argonia had reacted in the same manner.

In the heavy silence, Alon felt an urge to speak up and force a response, but he restrained himself.

Having already cast the spell, anything he said now was irrelevant.

From this moment on, it was the mercenaries’ turn to judge, and to win their approval, he needed to maintain his unshakeable facade.

A short time later…

“So, is this your way of challenging us?”

The silence was shattered by Maverick’s voice, his face contorted with displeasure.

Seeing Maverick looking ready to unsheathe his sword, furious at the sudden assault, Alon thought, “This is it.”

But then…

“Stop.”

To Alon’s profound relief, just as Maverick’s hand moved to his hilt, Argonia intervened.

“What? You expect me to ignore this?”

“We were the ones who disregarded him.”

“Even so!”

“I said to stop.”

Argonia’s expression darkened slightly.

Maverick shot a glare full of clear dissatisfaction at Argonia.

“Tch.”

Finally, Maverick clicked his tongue in frustration and sank back into his seat as if conceding.

Himan also stayed quiet, showing he had no argument with Argonia’s judgment.

Seeing the tension defuse, Alon let out a quiet breath of relief and spoke again.

“When do you intend to enter the labyrinth?”

“We plan to descend in two days,” Argonia answered with a formal tone.

…?

For a second, Alon wondered, ‘Was Argonia always the type to speak so respectfully to anyone?’ but he pressed on.

“Then let us resume the meeting tomorrow. With one member in this state, we cannot properly proceed.”

Alon subtly gestured with his eyes toward Myaon.

Once the freezing effect ended, the magic would dissolve in an instant, and Myaon was certain to throw a fit. For now, Alon decided a strategic retreat was best.

“…Very well.”

As Argonia agreed, Alon stood up without delay, turned his back, and walked past the line of mercenaries.

Creak—

He left the meeting room.

Silence reclaimed the space.

And then.

‘This is terrible for my nerves. I swear I will never attempt anything like that again.’
Finally outside, Alon pressed a hand to his pounding heart, released a short breath, and quickly departed from the mansion.

***

Not long after Alon had exited the meeting room.

Maverick, after dismissing the soldiers, spoke with an annoyed scowl.

“Ha, I genuinely dislike that man, no matter how I look at it. Is it because he’s nobility and has never been put in his place?”

It was obvious to everyone that his words were aimed at Alon.

However.
“Be quiet, will you?”
“What?”
“I said, be quiet.”
“Did you just…?”

Maverick, who had been silently glowering at Himan, furrowed his brow. The two had never been on good terms.

“Ha, for real… Why is this fool still causing trouble after being let off?”
“What?”
“Don’t you understand? Argonia saved your life, you idiot.”

At these words, Maverick, who seemed not to grasp the meaning, made an angry face.

“…Enough, Maverick. Himan is correct.”
“What did you say?”
“If you had drawn your blade earlier, you might truly be dead now.”
“What? How could that—”

When Argonia added his voice, Maverick, who had been scowling, went silent.

He had been too angry earlier to properly assess his surroundings, but now he saw it.
The droplets of sweat tracing paths down Argonia’s body.

…What in the world?
Maverick cursed under his breath, shocked.

He had never seen Argonia sweat like that before.

Even Himan, whom Maverick reluctantly admitted was stronger than himself, was also sweating.

Maverick found he had nothing more to say.

“…Argonia.”
“What is it?”
“What was that, exactly?”

Himan, aware that Argonia had lived for centuries, asked, hoping he might have some insight. Argonia stayed quiet.

In truth, he had a suspicion.

But that knowledge wasn’t his own; it came from his mother, the Red Dragon, who had vanished from the world long ago.

He remembered the warning from his mother, who had claimed there was nothing in this world to fear—save for one thing.

Long ago.

‘Remember this. Should a black eye ever manifest in the night sky, avert your gaze at once and do not look upon it.’

‘If you do see it, turn away. Do not acknowledge it. Do not remember it. If you become a powerful mage one day, erase that memory from your thoughts.’

‘Remember this, my beloved child. Never, ever look directly upon “the one who consumes boundaries.”’

Recalling his mother’s warning, Argonia thought back to the moment before.

The blue eye that had materialized behind Count Palatio.

—An eye that radiated boundless menace.

Merely looking at it made one feel as if their very soul was being drawn out.

Creep~!

The black eye that had stared back at him with a cunning grin.

‘Who… is that man, truly?’
Argonia quietly suppressed a shudder.

***

The following day.

Contrary to Alon’s fears that they might still reject his plans and continue to dispute, the meeting advanced without a hitch, and Alon came to understand two key facts.

The first was that the otherworldly entity was located on the 12th floor.

The second was their intention to intercept it on the 5th floor.

As soon as he heard this, Alon promptly laid out his prearranged strategy in detail and also shared the intelligence he had gathered concerning the otherworldly being.

This required about half an hour.

Alon, having even provided knowledge about the entity under the guise of information from an ancient text, watched the assembled mercenaries with mild apprehension, waiting to see if they would raise any objections.

‘In the end, we’ll have to find a middle ground, right?’

The tactic Alon had proposed was one he was certain of, a strategy to seize the otherworldly being with the least possible casualties.

But that was only his own perspective.

He was fully aware that the mercenaries were not his to command.

He could not order them to follow the plan, only propose it. That was the source of his anxiety.

“…We’ll proceed with that.”
“I agree.”
“No objections.”
“None from me.”
“…??”

Without a single complaint, the plan was accepted immediately, leaving Alon standing there, utterly confused.

Really, no one had any problems?

He asked once more, just to be certain.

“None.”
“Me neither.”
“Same.”
“I’m fine with it.”

Hearing all four of them confirm they had no objections, Alon couldn’t help but wonder.

‘Was the impact of yesterday truly that significant?’

Alon gave a slight shake of his head.

Even if yesterday’s events were striking, there was no way they were enough to make Argonia and the mercenaries from the Five Great Guilds this compliant.

Which made him suspect.

‘Could it be…?’

Alon glanced over at Rine, who had come with him to today’s meeting.

But.

‘…?’

Rine, while wearing her usual detached expression, still showed a visible trace of confusion, which only deepened Alon’s puzzlement.

‘Something isn’t right…’

The mercenaries were acting far more obediently than they ever had in the game, even to the point of using respectful language, and Alon tilted his head in bewilderment.

Even Myaon, who should have still held a grudge after being frozen by Alon, remained silent, which was peculiar. But it would have been strange for Alon to outright ask why there were no complaints.

“Then, we will descend tomorrow. We’ll need some time for preparations.”

With that, Alon brought the meeting to a close.

***

And so, the day of the final confrontation arrived.

Leaving Evan behind, Alon set out with Rine—who had insisted on coming—and the Outer God subjugation team, moving toward the 5th floor.

‘…The atmosphere is far more oppressive.’

Although Alon had seen the labyrinth countless times in the game, the real thing was infinitely more sinister.

In the absolute darkness where nothing was visible without torchlight, monsters could spring out at any moment.

The profound, abyssal blackness that the light could not penetrate naturally sowed fear in people’s hearts.

Of course, due to the number of mercenaries present, the area around Alon was reasonably illuminated, but the sense of encroaching darkness never fully disappeared.

‘I must never venture here alone.’

With that thought, Alon continued his descent into the labyrinth. After some time had passed, once they had progressed beyond the 2nd floor, a rest was called.

Taking a break in the safe zone the mercenaries had established within the labyrinth, Alon heard a voice.

“Hey, got a moment?”

It was Myaon, who had approached him unnoticed.

“…Why?”

Alon, growing slightly tense, thought she might be seeking retaliation.

“I just wanted to have a little chat, that’s all.”

But, to his surprise, Myaon sat down beside him with a relaxed smile, making Alon feel almost silly for his caution, and she began talking amiably.

Alon, listening in confusion, soon heard Myaon ask a question.

“By the way, does the Count hold any prejudice against the beastfolk?”

“No, not at all.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Why is that a relief?”

Alon, puzzled by her response, gave her a questioning look.

“Hey, Count, by any chance…”

With a mischievous smile, Myaon continued.

“Would you be interested in mating with me?”

She casually uttered a truly astonishing proposition.

“…?”

Alon’s brain momentarily ceased to function.