Chapter 51

Chapter 51
Chapter: 51

## Chapter Title: Reunion

Even so, it was impossible to match the absolute tribute offered by the White King.

The proposal to grant ownership of any metropolitan center was truly revolutionary.

It signaled his readiness to shoulder the political fallout and the creation of new enemies.

Furthermore, ascending as a lord of such a place would naturally grant access to hidden mysteries and unique designations.

In all honesty, the choice had been clear from the moment the offer was made.

‘By every metric, aligning with the White King provides the greatest advantage.’

The White King was a myth made flesh.

The Star Guardians?

They moved only when the interests of the celestial bodies and the goddess were at stake.

The White King, conversely, operated without such shackles. He demanded no oaths and placed no limits on my actions. That granted me total autonomy.

If I managed to cultivate enough influence, I could even command the cooperation of his four subordinates.

With the backing of such titans, dismantling a sovereign nation would be a simple task.

It was a matter of irresistible, raw power.

‘The catch is that if my true identity as a human or a nobody is exposed, my life ends then and there.’

I had managed to maintain the deception so far, but my actual strength was still a shadow of theirs.

The second my facade crumbled, I would be executed.

The discovery of my humanity would yield the same result.

‘However, that is simply a hurdle of personal evolution.’

The only solution was to increase my power at an accelerated rate.

Projecting into the long term, the path with the White King remained the superior strategy.

Provided I kept my human nature a secret.

“Having weighed the options, I find that you and the White King hold more appeal for me, caw.”

“······In that case?”

“I look forward to our cooperation, caw.”

“Exactly what I expected from someone of your caliber! I was certain you wouldn’t settle for being a tool for those insignificant Star Guardians!”

The Death King let out a boisterous cheer.

His joy was transparent and sincere.

He had been leaning in my favor since our first meeting, and my refusal to disappoint his hopes clearly heightened his respect.

Decisions of this magnitude required immediate conviction to solidify alliances.

Any sign of wavering would have rotted the foundation of our budding trust.

[You have obtained the ‘White King’s Recognition.’ Warp functionality is now enabled as a privilege of the Five Lords.]

[A spatial anchor has been established within Kramdel.]

[The feat ‘Acknowledged by the White King’ has been registered.]

[Your Renown has increased by 100.]

······This was expected.

The White King had been monitoring our dialogue in real-time.

The instant notification was proof of his presence.

Previously, the White King’s wards made warping into Kramdel impossible except for pre-approved zones.

Now, possessing his formal seal of approval, a permanent waypoint was open to me.

This meant I could transition here at any moment using the Teleport Book.

I had provided a decisive commitment, and he had returned a decisive reward.

‘If I had sided with the Star Guardians, he never would have let me walk away in peace.’

The landscape of his intentions was now visible.

The White King had identified me as a potential threat and issued a subtle ultimatum.

He clearly believed that as a Star Guardian, I would eventually evolve into a rival he couldn’t control.

Thus, he waited for my verdict, holding a bribe in one hand and a blade in the other.

Had I chosen the stars, I likely wouldn’t have escaped Kramdel in one piece.

It was also highly debatable whether the Star Guardians would have fought aggressively to shield me.

From the start, the White King had been the proactive one, even intimidating the Annihilation Giant on my behalf.

The Star Guardians had been reactive and lukewarm by comparison.

‘Without my prior knowledge of his character, I might have mistaken this for genuine friendship.’

But such delusions were fatal.

The White King was a stranger to me, but I knew his history.

His instinct for identifying future threats was supernatural, bordering on the prophetic.

All this current favor was born from intense scrutiny, not faith.

He had been eavesdropping on my private talks with the Death King, after all.

‘I am currently navigating a very thin layer of ice.’

Should the White King ever perceive me as a genuine danger later on—or even a potential one—he would erase me without a second thought.

Just as my trust in him was calculated and incomplete, his trust in me was mirrored.

A frozen lake, truly.

One heavy step, and the surface would shatter.

‘No matter how flawless my performance, he will always retain a sliver of doubt.’

The core issue was my humanity.

I was a player, an outsider to the world of Pangeniar.

Even if I played the role of the Corpse Crow to perfection, even if the Iron-Blooded Lord’s Heart masked my internal state, the White King wouldn’t rely on optics alone.

That was why he kept me within arm’s reach: to observe.

It was a classic double-edged sword.

I had secured the most powerful patron possible, but I could never afford to show a single moment of vulnerability.

“I can’t wait to see the looks on the Star Guardians’ faces when they hear the news tomorrow!”

The Death King gave a booming laugh.

He seemed genuinely exhilarated by the chaos my choice would cause in the future.

“A Corpse Crow as the Fifth Lord?”

“Not just any bird, but the one who conquered the ‘Hall of Myths.'”

“If the White King gave the word himself, there’s no arguing against it.”

“Incredible······.”

The sound of whispering washed over the area.

The central square of Kramdel was overflowing with various monsters.

They had assembled before the White King’s fortress for the official induction of the new lord.

The creatures watching me were filled with doubt.

Many were clearly questioning if I actually possessed the raw power to stand alongside the established lords.

But with the united front of the White King and the four existing lords, their skepticism remained quiet.

“······You will certainly come to regret the path you took today.”

The Star Guardians, with the Annihilation Giant at their head, exited Kramdel with bitter expressions.

Dramat gave me a lingering, complex look as he departed, but I turned a blind eye.

He likely hadn’t wanted me in the Star Guardians’ ranks to begin with.

Dramat was aware of my human identity.

Furthermore, regardless of their sanction, I remained the Lord of Stars—a ‘Star Successor’ holding two celestial marks.

With that reality in hand, the validation of others was irrelevant.

“The fifth pillar of Kramdel: Randolph, Sovereign of the Corpse Crows.”

The White King’s voice rang out from the terrace.

A heavy, absolute silence blanketed the crowd.

Watching the Star Guardians retreat with their pride wounded, the White King and his subordinates looked immensely satisfied.

Before the Star Guardians had even cleared the gates of Kramdel.

“Citizens, show him your respect!”

“Randolph! Randolph!”

“Hail the new lord!”

“Glory to Kramdel!”

The monsters erupted into a frenzied celebration, shouting in unison.

The expressions of the retreating Star Guardians grew even more sullen.

It felt as though a permanent line had been drawn.

‘I never imagined I’d see a day like this.’

The entire scenario felt surreal.

The idea of being cheered on by a legion of monsters was bizarre.

I had slaughtered more monsters than were currently standing in this square.

In fact, Kramdel had almost been destroyed by my own hand.

······It was a brief, yet incredibly potent welcome that wouldn’t be forgotten anytime soon.

Once the festivities concluded, I made my exit from the city.

Selecting a city for my reward could be handled later; my immediate goal was returning to the Knight’s Garden.

Lingering too long in Kramdel risked letting my guard down and revealing my secrets.

“This location······? Is this not the Knight’s Garden?”

Isaac, having traveled through the Teleport Book, looked around with confusion.

He couldn’t understand why the great Corpse Crow would set foot in a human settlement like the Knight’s Garden.

Creeeak!

I reached into my chest and extracted the core.

“Guh······?!”

Isaac jumped back, terrified.

The sight of a high-tier monster ripping out its own heart-source was beyond his comprehension.

But the transformation that followed left him paralyzed with shock.

“A-A Human······!!”

The Corpse Crow was gone—I had returned to my natural form.

Now fully human, I took a moment to stretch my limbs.

‘This is the form that feels most natural.’

Being trapped in that avian body for so long had left me feeling cramped. Now that I was back, my physical self felt revitalized.

Turning to the frozen Isaac, I spoke calmly.

“The terms remain the same, Isaac.”

The agreement for a year of service held firm, whether I was a monster or a man.

“N-No, you are actually a human being?”

“I am.”

“······After creating all that devastation?”

His face was a mask of disbelief.

Accepting that the terrifying king of Corpse Crows who had laid waste to Kramdel was just a human was a lot to process.

I probably would have felt the same in his shoes.

“Wait, does that mean······?”

Isaac turned his gaze toward Isabella.

The draconic wings on her back shimmered and dissolved.

“Y-You are both frauds!”

“You’re one to talk.”

Isaac had spent his time in Kramdel masquerading as a half-dragon when he was human as well.

Leaving the stunned Isaac behind, I began to observe the Knight’s Garden for the first time in a long while.

‘The mood is suffocating.’

The city felt significantly more downtrodden than when I left.

Notably, every window in sight was bolted shut.

Closed shutters usually signaled a looming external threat.

Marquis Wyzer, despite his flaws, was protective of his subjects; they didn’t live in fear of him.

This was the work of an outside force.

Who could it be?

It wasn’t just a person—it felt like a hostile occupation.

Had the leadership of the city shifted while I was gone?

It seemed unlikely, but given the Marquis’s desperate situation, it wasn’t impossible.

Moving toward the heart of the city, I saw a local man.

He was fetching water while constantly glancing over his shoulder in paranoia.

“Excuse me.”

“Who goes······ Oh! The Successor?”

The man recognized me instantly.

To the people here, I was the ‘Knight King’s Heir.’

The defender of the walls, the one who honored the fallen at the shrines, and the person Priest Andrew held in high regard.

Despite recognizing me, he looked terrified.

“What has happened to the city?”

“I-It’s······ You really should leave while you still can.”

“Explain why.”

The man looked around nervously.

He leaned in close and whispered with a trembling voice.

“······One of the Eight Heroes is currently within the walls.”

My expression soured immediately.

Eight Heroes?

That specific group?

The frauds who took credit for Wilhelm’s legacy and claimed to lead the Great Demonic Expedition?

The resident wasn’t just worried; he was paralyzed.

Which one of those so-called heroes could cause this much dread?

“Which member of the Eight Heroes is here?”

He took a jagged breath before speaking.

“I-It is Master Maxim, sir. If the Successor is caught in the city now, there will be trouble. You must go before the guards see you······.”

“Hey! You there, stop!”

“Eek!”

The man flinched as a shout erupted from some nearby troops.

Reunion

Two armored men approached.

‘These aren’t the Marquis’s guards.’

The gear and the crests were entirely different.

‘Maxim. So it’s Maxim.’

The troops he brought along were effectively occupying the town.

But why had he come here?

I knew he was touted as one of the Eight Heroes, acting as the successor to Duke Saiyen.

But calling Maxim a hero was a joke.

‘I hired him in good faith, and the coward was the first one to turn tail.’

The memory still made my blood boil.

Maxim used to lead the ‘Kaiser’ mercenary group.

They had 300 soldiers and a reputation across the lands. I had signed a contract with him, trusting his name—only to be stabbed in the back.

During the first trial at the Swamp of the Dead, he vanished the moment Ahram showed up.

He didn’t even check to see if his employers were alive.

That pathetic coward was now an ‘Eight Hero’? It was laughable.

‘If Maxim is here, it’s likely on Duke Saiyen’s orders.’

His arrival wasn’t entirely random.

There was probably some arrangement between Duke Saiyen and Marquis Wyzer.

Likely a move to settle the issues surrounding the Serengeti.

Even so, for Marquis Wyzer to allow this was strange.

Letting foreign troops take over his streets was essentially surrendering his sovereignty.

‘Either that, or he’s so cornered he can no longer control his own city.’

Regardless, the situation was dire.

“What do we have here?”

“New faces in town?”

Looking at the arrogant soldiers, I gave a quiet command.

“Neutralize them quietly.”

“What did you just sa······ Urgh!”

Thud!

It was over in an instant.

The soldiers collapsed before they could even scream.

Isaac and Isabella had moved as one.

Their coordination was perfect.

They had struck both targets at the exact same moment.

Normally, that shouldn’t have been the case.

Isaac was a level 10 expert with unmatched speed.

The reason Isabella could keep pace with him was clear.

【Lv.9】

She had leveled up.

She had grown from level 8 in the desert through the trials of Kramdel.

Moreover, she had acquired a powerful secret from her success in the Hall of Myths.

‘I can’t believe she actually secured the true wyvern mystery.’

That was one of the treasures I had noted when we first entered the Hall.

The nature of the Hall had shifted, but I never expected her to walk away with that specific prize.

Her agility was now on par with Isaac’s.

She was a natural-born assassin, after all.

Turning back to the stunned resident, I spoke.

“You didn’t see a thing.”

“Ah······ Right! Y-Yes, I saw nothing at all.”

The man nodded frantically.