The Unseen Threat

Number of times König Geistdunkelrustung has resurrected: 23

Although it was no longer a daily requirement for the Champion and Saintess, on days when the King’s Council met to discuss matters of the kingdom, they were still required to make a direct report. The alternating schedule of only one of them going to slay the Demon Monarch on a ten-day rotation also exempted whoever hadn’t gone to harvest the Mana Crystal from attending. As such, Lylia knelt on the floor in the center of the chamber by herself as she finished up her report.

“...shows no signs of fluctuating power or irregular resurrections. While König Geistdunkelrustung continues to resurrect far more frequently than Sturmblut Nachtkrieger, elimination has proven trying in so much as the frequency.” She said, feeling the weight of the room's attention on her more so than usual.

Because this was a regularly scheduled meeting, unlike the emergency ones called when Geist first appeared, the chamber was filled to capacity. Nobles with their prominent heirs and attendants, influential individuals from key facets of society and government, and even the first prince and princess. Many had heard of the unprecedented anomaly that was König Geistdunkelrustung’s daily resurrections, but few, by comparison of the attendance as a whole, had fully believed it until seeing the Legendary-ranked Mana Crystal with their own eyes.

“Very good, Saintess Lylia. You do all of us proud.” An older woman with fading blonde hair and golden eyes said, her voice as tranquil as aged in practiced wisdom and patience. The gown was similar to Lylia’s, though not as immaculately, divinely white, with a headpiece that concealed much of her head and hair, under a tall, impressively detailed hat of religious splendor. Despite the loose fit of her clothing, the plumpness of her cheeks and bosom was evident to anyone who saw her. “You do the Goddess Lini proud.”

“You honor me, Your Holiness.”

“And what of the Champion? Are there any developments that should be brought to the attention of the Council?” The king asked, ready to conclude her participation and move on to other matters.

“The Champion seems to be as she has always been, Your Majesty.” She replied. “No new developments in her mental stability, loyalties, or romantic interests.” She wasn’t required to elaborate, but she did so to imply the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of all the political machinations that had been employed behind closed doors.

“Very well, if there is nothing more to report, the Saintess may take her leave.”

With the king pardoning the blonde from the room, all in attendance waited quietly for the doors to seal behind her before the multitude of conversations voicing concerns, plotting conspiracies, making deals, or voicing complaints filled the room.

“It was true then? Daily resurrections?!” “Think of all the Mana Crystals that must have been collected so far.” “I heard the Champion and Saintess learned the Purification Array caused this.” “Does that matter? As long as the Demon Monarch is slain, let them resurrect as often as they want!”

“My goodness. Is that the reason the Champion rejected my invitation to my northern villa?” “How is anyone supposed to get her to marry if she has to run off every other week to put down a measly Corrupted?” “The hunting trip my son has organized is next week! If I had known the Champion’s schedule.”

“If this Demon Monarch is so… tame, perhaps we could send someone along with the Champion.” “A Champion that doesn’t understand politics is always so difficult to manage.” “She’s far too old to be unwed and without children!” “Exactly. 19 and not a single child. It’s absurd!”

As there were no truly pressing matters presented or official motions put forward, the king allowed the discussions to continue and develop. Communication and cooperation were what kept their kingdom flourishing for thousands of years. Everyone present needed to digest and process the facts, bounce ideas off their peers and collaborators, and review plans and projects they were overseeing to make the best decisions for their nation.

However, after a few more moments of disorderly discussion, a light tap of wood against stone echoed through the chamber from the upper tiers, just below the king, and ushered in silence. All in attendance turned to look at the young woman with lavender locks dressed up in an elaborate, elegant dress as she looked to the regal man above her. “My apologies for interrupting everyone’s discussions, but may I present a concern I have yet to hear anyone else voice, Father?” She asked, her voice as smooth as the silks she wore and disciplined as the years had drilled into her.

“As there is no central, unifying topic, We shall allow it.” The older man said with an unreproachable nod. “Speak, Princess Cynthia.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” With a perfectly practiced curtsy, Cynthia turned back around to address the room filled with the most important and influential people in the kingdom and spoke with the unwavering confidence of the First Princess of the land. “First, allow me to correct a misunderstanding that many of you have failed to notice. This new Demon Monarch, König Geistdunkelrustung, is not some harmless Corrupted that can be so easily dismissed. In fact, I would go so far as to say that he presents the most dangerous threat to our great nation since Demon Monarch Chrysaor.”

While her tone was mature and measured, the severity of the threat she spoke of was no less laced with foreboding fearmongering. A chill spread through the room as most in attendance, some visibly, others subtly, wracked their highly educated minds for the obvious menace that they had overlooked. But both the Champion and Saintess overpowered the resurrecting greater demon by such a wide margin that they had the leeway to alternate going to slay him individually. Even the king and queen, who had been more focused on getting the Champion married into a noble family, hadn’t given much thought to the Demon Monarch.

“And what threat would that be, Princess Cynthia?” Victoria asked after the deafening silence had sat for too long. “Surely you are not suggesting that the Champion or Saintess would ally themselves with the Demon Monarch.”

Shaking her head, the beautiful, olive-skinned girl placed a hand over her chest. “Not at all. That would be unthinkable, General. And do not misunderstand. This threat had gone unnoticed by myself, and even the one who brought it to my attention. I do not believe Prince Liamion has even become aware of the dire situation we find ourselves in. So, allow me to tell you what he said upon hearing that the Champion would be busy going to slay the Demon Monarch on a daily basis going forward.” She said, standing from her cushioned seat and standing closer to the railing in front of her. “And I quote, ‘Wow! If you are going to slay the Demon Monarch so often, you should reach Level 11 in no time!’, end quote.”

The room had already been quiet, out of respect for the young royal who had been speaking, but the silence that followed was deafening with the panicked realization that everyone in the room came to. It was a consequence of slaying the Demon Monarch that many of them had forgotten about completely. The resurrections of even Sturmblut Nachtkrieger were not so frequent that the Champion and Saintess of the time, Iskacles and Audrey, could go beyond Level 10 during their lifetime.

“S-Superior-rank…” One attendant of a non-noble birth merchant whispered, a thunderclap in the utter silence that made even a person’s heartbeat audible to their neighbors.

“Not just that.” Mars agreed, his typical, playful demeanor hardening into a serious, sagely man running the calculations in his head. “We have a bit more time since the two are taking turns, but it should take no longer than half a year for each to level up beyond Level 11. They could break into Legendary-rank within three years, at most.”

No more needed to be said. The Council had believed that they would have time to condition the Champion to adopt their customs, marry, and start a family. But now, without any of them even realizing, the Demon Monarch König Geistdunkelrustung, whom they had dismissed as the weakest, least threatening Demon Monarch in their long history, had proven them all wrong. He had robbed them of the time they needed.

“Seeing as you have had more time to contemplate this issue, Princess Cynthia, We assume you have thought of a solution?” The king asked, measuring his voice carefully to mask his own unsettled calm.

With a cunning smile, Cynthia, the only one in the room who had maintained a true calm, turned and looked up at her father. “Of course. However, it will require breaching tradition and a sacrifice of royal blood.” Turning her gaze ever so slightly to look at the queen, she locked her auburn eyes with the older woman’s golden ones. “Specifically, we must sacrifice Prince Liamion, if you are okay with that, Mother.”