Translator: Alpha0210

I thought it would feel great to have one the Four Knights under my control, but now that I've actually received his loyalty, I don't feel any excitement or sense of accomplishment.

Rather, it felt like I had swallowed a sweet poison, a lingering sense of discomfort and anxiety... Perhaps it was because Residue knew the hidden side of the White Knight?

That might not be the only reason.

Just as the Four Knights instinctively harbored discomfort toward the Rulers, the Rulers also felt awkwardness toward them. Therefore, even though he had received an oath of loyalty, he couldn’t simply rejoice.

Perhaps even if he had ended up taking a different Knight as his subordinate, he would have felt something similar.

Of course, there’s no doubt that the most uncomfortable among the Knights is the White Knight. While the worst relationship is with the Blue Knight, at least that woman has the advantage of not being too different inside and out.

The White Knight’s personality defect is clearly a dangerous element and a major variable.

Will this become an advantage or a disadvantage for Residue in the future?

Calculating in his head, Residue silently stared at Agolet.

Agolet stood still with a face that even seemed a bit haughty, then turned his head upon noticing the gaze.

“Do you have any orders for me?”

“No.”

“I see.”

“But how long had you been locked away in this place?”

As Residue voiced a sudden question, Agolet thought briefly before answering.

“All Four Knights gathered during the Execution Ceremony of God, so from this servant’s perspective, it hasn’t been that long.”

“And before that?”

“Though it is shameful to admit, I did not precisely count the time.”

As he said this and bowed his head, an air of elegance overflowed from him.

It was certainly a flawless display of courtesy, but why did it feel so fake? Residue shook his head.

Remaining in a persistently displeased attitude just because this one’s presence felt uncomfortable was not like Residue.

If the obedience is only on the surface, he could still be used thoroughly.

“Where exactly is this place located?”

“Despite arriving here without my permission, Your Majesty does not know the exact location?”

“That’s right.”

“…Originally, this was an independent space with no contact with any world. Around the world of Void, fragments of the shattered universe drifted, and it was by piecing together a few of those fragments that this place was created.”

“It’s the work of the Exile.”

“Yes.”

“That one is an enemy of mine. It seems you've been somewhat indebted to him. What will you do if I demand the Exile’s head?”

“As I have stated, this servant is the sword of the King. If there is something you desire, I, Agolet, once again promise to devote all my strength to accomplish it.”

Agolet added with his characteristic faint smile.

“But wouldn’t killing the Exile be an act contrary to Your Majesty’s own ideology?”

“That’s right. You remember well.”

Residue nodded.

“As I said, I avoid taking lives as much as possible. On top of that, the Exile’s abilities are one of a kind, and in some form, he will certainly be necessary to us.”

In the current world, the only being who can make direct contact with the Outside is the Exile. There’s no need to explain just how precious that ability is.

“Then, was it a royal remark made to test this servant’s loyalty?”

“Half of it was.”

“……”

Agolet blinked with a puzzled expression.

It was bothersome, but Residue rolled his stiff neck and explained.

“The first Destruction has already arrived Outside. Though we’ve passed the major hurdle, it hasn’t been completely eradicated yet. Their numbers were enormous, and most of them were entities called Hide.”

“Hide.”

“Yes. And they have the trait of being able to wear the blood and skin of those they’ve killed.”

“Is there a way to distinguish them?”

“Almost none. Their impersonation is so perfectly precise that even a parent, lover, or friend who’s spent a lifetime with them wouldn’t be able to tell. Worse, even the Hide themselves forget their identity as Destruction while impersonating someone, so it can't be extracted by simple threats or torture. Until a trigger event occurs, there's no way to identify a Hide.”

“That is troublesome.”

“It is.”

Agolet thought for a moment before speaking again.

“Your Majesty, are you saying that the Exile is a ‘Hide’?”

“That I do not know. But I have obtained information that at least three of the Twelve Void Lords are Hides. As of now, the only ones confirmed to be completely innocent are the Everlasting Plum Sword and the 0th Demon.”

“How did you prove their innocence?”

“With this necklace. It is the only tool capable of distinguishing a Hide.”

Clink.

Residue took a necklace out from his robe.

As Agolet silently observed the red necklace, he said,

“It appears to need repair.”

“I’ve been rolling around a lot lately. It's a miracle it’s not completely smashed.”

Would it still function? It needed to.

At the very least, until the Hides were completely eradicated, this necklace was necessary. Residue shoved the necklace back into his robe and continued speaking.

“Anyway. Even if the Exile isn’t a Hide, the fact remains that he is hostile to me. The Half King is the owner of a deranged mindset and will frequently oppose me in the future. So the Half King and all of her subordinates are my potential enemies.”

That reminded him of something he had been curious about.

“Have you ever seen the Half King?”

“I have not seen her directly. But I did receive a proposal to pledge loyalty.”

“Why did you refuse?”

“For a reason similar to Your Majesty’s.”

After a brief silence, Agolet added,

“As I understand it, half of the Four Knights and half of the Twelve Void Lords follow the Half King. Fittingly, it matches her royal title.”

“A half-formed King…”

Residue chuckled.

If nothing else, her combat ability was far from half-formed.

“Just the Half King and her subordinates alone are formidable enemies, yet Your Majesty’s true enemy is not them but Destruction. Since you've declared you will not kill, dealing with them will be twice as difficult. Your relationship with the Blue Knight, who does not follow the Half King, is also poor. Perhaps your relationship with the Ruler is at least better?”

“The worst. Things got a bit messy and I spat on the Demon God’s proposal. As for the Lightning God, that goes without saying.”

“What about the other two?”

“The Dragon is half-dead, and the Giant is truly dead. While those two are somewhat friendly toward me, it’s difficult to expect significant help from them due to strategic limitations.”

Now that he looked over the whole situation again, it really was a mess. Agolet seemed to realize this too, as his expression wasn’t bright.

“If Your Majesty had not taken me in today, you would quite literally be surrounded by enemies on all sides.”

“Well…”

By this point, Residue was being hit by a wave of fatigue and weariness so strong he could barely stay awake, replying while nodding off.

Sharp-eyed Agolet didn’t miss it.

“Your complexion does not look well.”

“…Mm.”

“Are you perhaps trying to resist sleep?”

“……”

When Residue didn’t answer right away, Agolet continued.

“It would be difficult to find a place as safe as here. Before heading Outside and beginning your real movements, it would be wise to rest for a moment.”

“…I should.”

The weariness that had been creeping in now surged to a point where it was impossible to resist.

Residue collapsed onto the spot, lying flat on his back and facing the sky. Using his tattered robe roughly as a blanket, he mumbled in a half-asleep voice.

“I feel so damn tired, but it’s like I can’t fall asleep…”

“Is there anything I can do to assist?”

“…Maybe if you sang a lullaby, I’d fall asleep right away.”

He chuckled to himself after saying that, but no reply came.

Turning his head slightly to glance at Agolet, he saw him looking down with a cold expression.

“It was just a joke…”

Having someone who doesn’t understand jokes is exhausting.

Maybe that’s why he hadn’t gotten along with Lukas… Agolet and Lukas were similar in temperament. Both were incarnations of seriousness. If those two were placed in the same room, they might go three days and nights without speaking a word...

…With such pointless thoughts, Residue drifted off to sleep.

*

Maybe it was because his body was lying on dead land.

He felt a bit cold. Residue tried to curl up, but decided against it, thinking that looking like a small animal coiled up wouldn’t be a very good sight.

Even so, the cold gradually intensified.

His limbs began to chill from the extremities, and the sensation in his forearms and calves slowly started to fade. Before long, his teeth were chattering from the cold.

What the hell is this situation?

Did Agolet start pulling something the moment he closed his eyes?

It wasn’t out of the question.

Eventually, he tried to open his eyes to get up, but his body wouldn’t move as he wished. Only then did Residue realize that he was wandering inside a dream.

‘It’s cold.’

Since he couldn’t move, there was no way to shake off the chill.

Looking at the sorry state he was in made him let out a hollow laugh. Just a short nap, and this is what it led to.

That was when it happened.

Warmth began to flow in from somewhere, and a pleasant heat poured through his entire body. It felt like his frozen body was slowly melting. Even his strength seemed to return, little by little.

Residue grew drowsy, as if intoxicated by spring sunlight. His body sank into the long-awaited rest.

He even felt a lazy thought like, “I wish time would stop like this.”

[So you should’ve taken it easier.]

Should he call it an unexpected intruder?

At the unforeseen voice, Residue furrowed his brows.

What is this? You. Why are you still alive?

[I’m not sure myself. Maybe there’s still some role left for me to play.]

The Giant replied in a low voice.

Only then did Residue realize that the warmth covering his entire body was the power of the Sun God. A warm flame spreading from his heart was gently enveloping his entire body.

Was this an unconscious defense mechanism of the body?

Or had the Giant’s lingering will decided to lend a hand?

As Residue pondered quietly, the Giant continued speaking.

[So you finally got the White Knight.]

‘…Only in a half-temporary form, though. That bastard is as devious as the Demon God. He’ll be a great help to have close, but the fatigue will feel ten times worse.’

[Isn’t he worth bearing that much burden?]

That’s true. Residue nodded.

[I want to give you a warning, Residue.]

‘A warning?’

[Yes. Now that you have the White Knight’s help, you should refrain from fighting directly. If you keep overdoing it like now, you won’t last long.]

‘…….’

[Do you know why your body was able to regenerate? It’s because Lukas Trowman once absorbed an uncountable number of his “parallel selves”.]

Apparently, not only had the Giant not disappeared, he had also peeked at Residue and Lukas’ memories at will.

It wasn’t something Residue could simply laugh off, so he listened with a sour feeling.

[In other words, it means your ability to come back isn’t infinite. You’ve used up over 99% of your reserve bodies through the process of evolving your physical form and the consecutive battles. You should already know what will happen once they’re all used up.]

‘…….’

[You will die.]

‘I know.’

When Residue replied in an indifferent tone, the Giant responded with a surprised voice.

[You know?]

‘Yeah.’

[Yet you don’t seem moved by that.]

‘Because this is also part of the plan. …Anyway, it looks like even a useless bastard like you has something to do now. Hey. Giant. How many reserve bodies do I have left exactly?’

[…Roughly 9,000.]

9,000 lives.

It sounded fairly ample, but considering the path Residue would have to walk from here on and the hardships lying in wait, it wasn’t as generous as it seemed. More importantly, if he were attacked by someone of Void Lord level or higher, those reserve bodies would be consumed in chunks with a single death.

That’s why it was appropriate.

Residue nodded.

‘It’s doable.’

[…]

The Giant seemed dumbfounded, but he didn’t argue further and spoke again.

[There’s one more thing I want to ask.]

‘What now?’

[I want to hear your thoughts.]

‘Thoughts about what?’

[You met my daughter, didn’t you?]

‘Me? When?’

Just as the Giant was about to respond.

Residue suddenly felt a disturbance.

*****

TL Note: The current release rate is 5 chapters each week, from Wednesday to Sunday. Monday and Tuesday are break days.

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