"Q-quickly!"

Grad urged the knight commander, Cursis, at the successive sounds of explosions.

Nothing would change by urging him. It wasn't as if Cursis could carry the emperor and run.

A narrow passage appeared when he pushed away the bookshelf in the emperor's office.

It was a secret passage designed to be opened only with the emperor's seal.

"Your Majesty, people from the Mage Tower have already come and are defending, so please don't worry too much."

"Defending? Did you say defending? Have those bastards defended so well that the castle walls have collapsed and the imperial palace is in this state!?"

"I'm sorry. The passage is narrow, so please be careful..."

"Never mind, get back!"

In the midst of all that, the emperor carefully put several items into his pocket.

The emperor, who had packed a crystal ball, a seal, and a few pouches, began to go down the passage with hurried steps.

After going down for a long time, what appeared was an underground bunker that boasted the most ironclad security in the imperial palace.

This place also had to be opened with the emperor's seal.

There was no bunker here from the beginning. It was originally a vault for storing the precious items of the imperial family or the treasures of the country, but it was transformed into a bunker after the day he received the revelation.

This bunker, which had been designed and secured by renowned experts gathered from all over the country, including the mages of the Mage Tower, was, in vulgar terms, 'a bunker that even a dragon could not break through.'

An underground bunker that boasted the best defense.

The emperor, who had arrived there, hurriedly brought the seal to the magic circle placed next to the door.

-Screech...

As the sound of the heavy door opening was heard, the emperor quickly entered the bunker.

"You guard this front!"

"...Yes. I obey your command."

The emperor, who had shouted coldly at Cursis, pressed a button on the inside and closed the door.

The underground bunker would be fine even if the imperial palace disappeared without a trace.

But there was no law that said the knight commander would not be included in that trace.

Cursis, who smiled bitterly as the door closed, straightened his scabbard in front of the door.

***

-KABOOM! KABOOM!

Aman deliberately used magic on the imperial palace and the imperial palace several more times to attract people's attention.

'Now, shall we go?'

Aman, who had infiltrated the imperial palace while the mages and knights were distracted, cast a tracking magic.

'I knew it.'

But there was no trace of the emperor anywhere.

'Right, you guys worked hard to make it...'

Aman was so excited, even though he couldn't find the emperor's trace.

His head was now full of thoughts of how to threaten and intimidate this crazy emperor!

'Ha... so much fun...!'

Aman, who let out a small sigh, held his pounding chest once.

Aman, who had looked around the empty emperor's office once, found the entrance to the bunker very easily.

"No creativity..."

-KABOOM!

Aman, who had cleanly destroyed the bookshelf with a single gesture, looked down the underground passage.

"Phew, it's deep."

***

Cursis, who was guarding the bunker entrance, carefully drew the sword from his scabbard at the sound of footsteps.

The steady footsteps were very cheerful. Like the sound of someone dancing on a ballroom floor.

"...Who is it?"

Cursis's low voice echoed through the underground.

But the sound of footsteps just became more cheerful. There was no answer.

Cursis, who put more strength into the hand that held the sword, was ready to cut down the opponent at any time.

"Peek-a-boo!"

Cursis was at a loss for words at the sight of the silver-blue-haired man who had popped out of the passage.

He almost let down his guard at the man's action of raising both hands and teasing him like a child.

"Who are you! I don't know how you came to know this place, but..."

"Uh-huh! Do you know who I am to be so reckless!"

Cursis stepped back at the man's confident attitude, who had cut him off.

"Hey, relax. I know who you are... I really don't want to kill you. Just pretend you didn't see me."

"...You're talking nonsense!"

Aman had already tried to cast a sleep magic while coming down the passage, but the sleep magic did not work, as if a quite strong nullification magic was cast on the bunker.

"Hmm... then do you want to negotiate with me?"

"Do you think I would listen to such words?"

Cursis snorted at Aman's words. No matter how bad of an emperor he was, he was the knight of the empire, and the leader of those knights.

"Now, then I'll tell you one thing, so you decide."

"Ha! I'm at a loss for words."

It was true that he was at a loss for words.

Although his strange appearance was strange, in fact, Cursis knew that the opponent in front of him was not an ordinary expert.

That's why he was trying to grasp the opponent by readjusting his sword several times.

"Your sister. Do you know who killed her?"

"...She's not a child for a bastard like you to mention."

Cursis's voice growled low.

"Think carefully. Who it is. The answer is behind you."

Aman, who smiled brightly, gestured with his chin towards the door to the bunker.

"I don't want to hear it... if you won't back down, I have no choice either."

Cursis, who held his sword, rushed at Aman.

-Screech

Then a sword instantly appeared in Aman's hand.

"...?"

He was momentarily surprised to see the sword that had appeared in Aman's hand.

"I have no choice either, then!"

-Thwack!

Aman, who had instantly moved behind the rushing Cursis, struck his neck hard.

-Thump!

"I'm also powerless against force!"

A satisfied smile appeared on Aman's lips as he looked at the fallen Cursis.

***

"Haa~ it's difficult."

Aman, who had been standing in front of the bunker for a long time and trying to solve the formula, decided to use his last resort.

When something didn't work out, it was... force.

-KABOOM!! KABOOM!!

The numerous spells that were pouring down on the bunker door did not seem to stop.

-KABOOM!! RUMBLE! KABOOM!

The shape of the door, which had not moved at all, began to change little by little.

At first, it seemed to be slightly dented, and then a small crack began to appear.

-KABOOM! KABOOM! KABOOM!

"Ugh... aaaah!!! Is anyone there!!!"

The emperor was shouting from a distance at the gradually widening crack in the door.

"Is anyone there~ I'm here~"

The emperor was trembling at Aman's sweet voice, who had stuck his eyes through the slightly opened crack.

"Y-you bastard!! I-if you don't stop right now!"

"If you don't stop right now~"

Aman, who had mimicked the emperor's words annoyingly, began to cast magic again.

-KABOOM! KABOOM!

The thick door and the defensive magic were gradually collapsing under the madly pouring magic. But a last resort was hidden inside.

"T-this is anti-magic glass! You son of a b-tch!!!"

"Pfft. Anti-magic glass, he says..."

The last resort hidden in the bunker. It was none other than the anti-magic glass that the dwarves had painstakingly created!

It was a glass that was said to be the best among the existing magic defense means.

"Now. Watch carefully..."

The door was finally collapsing under the countless magic spells, and the glass was also gradually cracking.

"W-what is this...!"

The flustered emperor stumbled back.

-KABOOM! Crack!

In the end, a large part of the middle of the door fell off, and the glass was also on the verge of breaking.

"I still... have one shot left, though?"

Aman, who was smiling brightly through the crack. That appearance was fear itself.

-KABOOM! Crash!!!

"Ta-da! It's open!"

"...S-save me!"

"Already? This is too early~"

The emperor was begging for his life, prostrating himself in front of the fear of death that was looming before him.

Aman also scratched his head, as if he was a little surprised at his quick change of attitude.

"I'll do anything if you just spare me!"

"Anything?"

Aman, who took a step closer to him.

-Slash!

The emperor, as if he had been waiting for that moment, took out a sword from his pocket and quickly swung it at Aman.

"See, I knew it."

"Ugh...!"

Aman, who had nimbly dodged the emperor's sword, shook his head.

"You... really need to be punished a lot."

"Ugh... aaaah!!"

The emperor collapsed on the spot at the sound of Aman's cool voice in his ear.

"I was going to be nice... but you really..."

Aman, who was calmly muttering, took a step closer to the emperor.

"You really..."

Another step.

"Need to be punished..."

***

About 10 minutes had passed. The emperor's appearance in front of Aman was miserable.

The emperor, who seemed to have been subjected to all sorts of threats and intimidation, was rubbing his hands together and begging, with his face a mess of tears and snot.

Illusion magic.

But that was all Aman had done to the emperor.

'I just mixed in a spoonful of black magic, that's all...'

A spoonful of black magic in the illusion magic that shows illusions. That was enough.

Aman's illusion magic, which had constantly shown the emperor the object of his most primal fear, was enough to drive him to the brink.

The primal fear of Grad, who had killed his older brother and had ascended to the throne.

It didn't matter what it was. If he was afraid of spiders, he would be left in a world full of spiders, and if he was afraid of snakes, he would be tormented by illusions of all sorts of snakes.

The time, which was only 10 minutes in reality, must have felt like 10 years to the emperor.

"Now, are you feeling a little better?"

"Ugh... save me, save me... I'm sorry... I'm sorry...!"

Aman's pupils were coldly sunken as he looked down at the emperor, who was constantly begging for his life and rubbing his palms together.

"Then listen well. I can do this for hundreds of years."

"Ugh..."

"So live a good life. Whatever you were trying to do."

"Save me... save me..."

"You'd better remember well. Even if you have a bad thought again."

Aman cast the illusion magic he had withdrawn again.

"Aaaah!! Go!! Go away!!!"

"Even if you do something bad again."

"Aaaah!! No!! Aaaah!!!"

The emperor's painful scream echoed loudly.

"Because I'll be back."

Aman, who had withdrawn the magic, left the bunker, leaving the emperor's dilated pupils behind.

"The day you see me again, that hell will become a reality."

***

"Lord?"

"Uh, uh."

Aman's expression was worried as he called Lucas, who was staring blankly into the air as if he were out of his mind.

"So what should we do?"

"...Send him back."

Aman, who had come to Lucas, was asking about the disposal of Stun, whom he had kept in confinement.

"Is that really okay?"

"Since Alberto is dead... he'll think there was no way to do anything."

Since he had delivered Alberto's body right in front of the emperor, it would only be a matter of time before the people of the empire knew about the Mage Tower Master's death.

So people would think it was best for Stun to return to his family.

"He'll be cursed, but. More importantly, how is Stun?"

"Not very good. He keeps looking for Alberto... and he's talking nonsense about revenge..."

Stun's condition was, literally, not very good(?). Not only was he muttering nonsense while looking into the air, but he also seemed crazy, constantly calling Alberto's name instead of his parents'.

"And then?"

"I think it's because he hasn't been beaten enough, should I beat him some more?"

"..."

Honestly, Lucas liked Aman's answer very much. But he couldn't just say 'do it'.

"What should I do?"

"Don't beat him... just try to make him understand."

"How do you make him understand?"

Lucas couldn't think of a clear answer to his question. It was really difficult to make Stun, whose memory had been partially erased, understand everything.

In addition, Stun was not in a normal state from the beginning, was he?

"...Then just hit him a couple of times."

"That would be better, right?"

"...Right."

Aman smiled with satisfaction at Lucas's permission.

"The emperor?"

"Well, there's a rumor that he can't even control his bowels."

"Good. It'll be quiet for a while."

"I guess so."

To think that it would be sorted out so easily! Aman and Lucas were so angry that they had been worrying all this time.

"Then since it's all sorted out... let's go now."

"Yes. By the way, when will the warehouse..."

Aman, who was following Lucas, bowed his head and smiled his characteristic sly smile.

"I'll give it to you when I die! When I die!!!"

Lucas's pupils lost their way as he shouted at Aman's unexpected attack.

"...You're shouting, aren't you?"

(End of Chapter)