I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-55

Ch-55

—

The moment he died, every piece of equipment Maxim had been wearing—his Golden Scale included—scattered into nothing, leaving only his body behind.

Where should I put this guy to use?

It was fortunate he was at least treated like a raid boss monster, but Maxim, for all his high stats, was no better than a meat shield.

As I stroked my chin, pondering how to make use of him—

《You have completed the “Hidden Trait Quest: Iron-Blooded Monarch.”》

《By the influence of “Randolph (Eternal),” the hidden trait “Heart of the Iron-Blooded Monarch” evolves into “Heart of the Eternal Monarch.”》

…The hidden trait, *Heart of the Iron-Blooded Monarch.*

And now it had evolved into the *Heart of the Eternal Monarch*.

The moment I saw the changes caused by that evolution, I couldn’t help but tremble.

—

—

 

Duke Cyan tilted his head.

*Why is there no news from Maxim?*

Maxim, who should have returned long ago, remained silent.

It was an easy errand—bringing Serengeti back from Marquis Weiser.

Was he wasting time fooling around with another woman again?

Or perhaps…

Had he fallen head over heels for Serengeti and wandered off?

“Lord Maxim has arrived!”

“Oh! Yes, let him in quickly!”

At the knights’ announcement from the door, Duke Cyan shouted joyfully.

Soon, Maxim stepped into his chambers.

“Maxim! My excellent successor. You came at the perfect moment. But… where is Serengeti?”

The problem: Maxim had returned empty-handed.

“H–he told me… to deliver this… to you.”

“He? Who is ‘he’?”

“You… will know… when you see for yourself.”

Maxim’s way of speaking was strange. As though he had been injured somewhere.

But Duke Cyan paid it no mind.

Maxim being odd was nothing new.

He was his successor, one of the Eight Heroes, and a loyal vassal he trusted more than anyone.

If he didn’t trust him, who would he trust?

Maxim approached Duke Cyan and reached into his bosom.

A dagger.

Seeing it, Duke Cyan’s eyes widened—

Puk—!

In that instant, the dagger pierced straight into Duke Cyan’s heart.

“Ghk! How dare you… to me—!”

Duke Cyan groaned, staring at Maxim in disbelief.

“What is happening!?”

“M–Maxim! That bastard—!”

Hearing his groan, the knights waiting outside rushed in.

They immediately cut Maxim’s head from his shoulders, but they could not prevent Duke Cyan’s death.

…Maxim—one of the Eight Heroes and Duke Cyan’s official successor.

News that he had assassinated Duke Cyan spread across the continent in an instant.

—

—

 

 

A heavy, suffocating silence filled the hall.

Six people gathered in a circle around a round table. Not a word was exchanged among them.

This was Rundella, the ancient city of Pangaenia.

The “Round Table Meeting” held here permitted attendance only by the Eight Heroes.

And the five currently gathered were all prodigies known as the “Eight Heroes.”

**“War God, Master.”**

**“Thunder Emperor, Darkstar.”**

**“Nine-Tailed Fox, Blackflame.”**

**“Corpse Queen, Banhee.”**

**“Lucifer.”**

“…Gracia isn’t coming again?”

After a long silence, Master finally spoke.

Sword Saint Gracia. He had skipped this Round Table meeting as well.

With Maxim and Wilhelm dead, everyone but Gracia was now present.

“He just wants to act like a lofty crane again, alone.”

Darkstar, a man with a black band over his eyes, snorted mockingly.

This was hardly the first time Gracia skipped a meeting.

He practically never attended, always operating alone.

They dressed it up by calling him a lofty crane, but everyone knew exactly whom he was imitating.

*Knight King Wilhelm.*

The pinnacle of solo play.

He was following Wilhelm’s footsteps—footsteps stained with legends and myths throughout Pangaenia.

Even now, in reality.

“That rumor… is it true? That Maxim killed Duke Cyan?”

Blackflame asked, her nine tails swishing.

It made no sense that Maxim, the appointed successor, would kill Duke Cyan.

“It is true,” Master said with a nod.

He had checked it personally. It was no rumor—it was fact.

Maxim had attacked and killed Duke Cyan.

As a result, the Kingdom of Valan was in complete chaos.

And because the matter involved the Eight Heroes, the entire world was stirred.

“Things on Earth are already a mess, and now Pangaenia has problems too. Master, didn’t you claim everything was operating atop the ‘board’ you created?”

Lucifer, a hulking man with long black hair covering his face, sneered faintly.

He was baring his fangs directly at Master.

Master’s brow faintly furrowed.

Indeed, both Earth and Pangaenia were supposed to be moving along a well-crafted “board.”

But at some point, the gears had begun to slip.

Precisely after Wilhelm died.

*The first dimensional rift.*

Everyone on Earth saw, with their naked eyes, the other world—Pangaenia—floating in the sky.

Afterward, gates should have opened and monsters should have invaded…

But suddenly, the “King of the Dimensional Rift” died, and the quest completed.

And the one who cleared the main quest was—Randolph.

The one almost certainly Phantom.

And he had cleared it *alone,* even before the invasion began.

Because of this, people on Earth began to doubt.

Perhaps the prophecy—the warnings of the otherworldly warriors—had been wrong.

—It was a prelude to invasion. The monsters saw our strength and fled in fear.
—The invasion from another world is inevitable.
—The monsters were partially intercepted by warriors before crossing over.

The warriors all repeated the same story.

In any case, everyone had seen the Pangaenian continent with their own eyes, so there was no room for doubt.

Plus, with the heroes controlling the players gathered here, no information would leak.

No one but the players knew Randolph had slain the King of the Dimensional Rift.

So all they needed was for the players to match their stories.

However… Pangaenia was the problem.

Master shook his head.

“This too will be resolved. We simply announce that he is a ‘Sinner.’”

A *Sinner.*

A possessed one hunted relentlessly by Reapers.

All here were possessed ones—and “Sinners,” according to the Reapers—but very few in Pangaenia knew this.

In fact, most people didn’t even know what the term “Sinner” meant.

So, if they were to publicly declare Maxim a Sinner, they would need to expose what a Sinner was—and what Reapers and possessions were.

Darkstar’s lips lightly trembled.

“Isn’t that an insanely dangerous gamble?”

“It’s something that will come out eventually. Better that we act first. None of us here have a Reaper attached to them, right?”

“You can’t know that. Anyone targeted would hide it desperately.”

Indeed—they would.

Even the Eight Heroes.

Anyone targeted by a Reaper would keep it secret because Reapers never gave up.

A targeted person would inevitably die by a Reaper’s hand someday.

And if you were near them, you would naturally be in danger. Especially a “player”—since if a Reaper came to kill someone, it might notice you as well.

Everything about Reapers was unknown, and so they had no choice but to be cautious.

Master spoke in a chilling voice.

“It will also be the perfect chance to confirm whether the Imperial royals truly command Reapers.”

There was only one group suspicious enough: the Empire.

A mysterious land no player had ever reached.

Nothing was known of its royal family.

Not even during the Grand Expedition did they appear.

They were so secluded they never showed themselves to anyone, and every player connected to the Empire had been killed.

It was only logical to suspect that the Empire’s royals controlled the Reaper cult and the Reapers.

*Maxim’s death would be used in reverse.*

By exposing the truth of Sinners and Reapers first, they could drag the Empire into the public eye.

The continent would fall into confusion, and suspicion toward the Eight Heroes would disappear instantly.

Inciting the people here was easier than inciting those on Earth.

“It will also suppress Phantom. Once we announce what a Sinner is, reports will flood in from every corner of Pangaenia.”

“Whew…!”

Darkstar clapped his hands.

Master had drawn the entire scenario.

He was declaring they would take control of the Reaper cult themselves.

The shrouded Reaper cult would either panic or show itself.

And once the truth of Sinners spread and reports rolled in from all over the continent, they might finally track Phantom.

Most importantly, the madman would have his behavior curbed.

“Not a bad plan.”

“…Indeed.”

Everyone murmured in admiration.

No one had expected such a clean counter to Phantom’s fastball.

Master declared powerfully:

“Now begins the real fight. He may have interfered once—but not twice.”

In that instant, Phantom—Randolph—was officially designated as an enemy of the Round Table.

—

—

 

The Eight Heroes were already without honor.

Even if Wilhelm’s name had been among them, it changed nothing.

Pretending to have honor despite lacking it—better to bury them in the gutter.

《You have used ‘Indulgence.’》

《Your Evil Value has been cleansed.》

After neatly “recycling” Maxim, I used the Indulgence to erase all accumulated evil.

Then I returned to the Knight’s Garden and bestowed a blessing upon Serengeti.

“W–will she really wake up?”

Hudson swallowed hard, wearing a face full of worry.

Bruises covered his face.

It was clear how much he had suffered ever since Maxim arrived in this territory.

To protect Serengeti. To bring her back.

His efforts bore fruit—Serengeti had fully regenerated her missing lower body.

All that remained was for her to awaken under the blessing.

Honestly, even I wasn’t completely certain.

My Star power had increased greatly after visiting Cramdel, but the Demon King’s curse was a Demon King’s curse for a reason.

A curse fueled by half of the Demon Realm as sacrifice.

《Bestowing ‘Blessing of the Stars.’》

《All Star power will be consumed.》

《Insufficient Star power to fully dispel the Demon King’s curse.》

《‘Limit Curse’ temporarily removed (56 hours).》

As expected, full dispelling was still far off.

But the duration of temporary dispelling had definitely increased.

If my Star power exceeds 100, perhaps full dispelling will become possible.

“Uugh…”

“Ah…!”

Serengeti opened her eyes.

Hudson trembled all over.

So did Marquis Weiser.

Both had strained themselves to protect her.

If I had been even a little later, Serengeti and this entire territory would have vanished.

Serengeti looked around.

“Hudson, and… my lord.”

This was the second time.

Marquis Weiser spoke:

“You may call me Father.”

“…Pardon?”

“If it is hard, you may call me as you always have.”

Marquis Weiser was the lord of this city.

A noble—dignified, strict, and stern in raising his daughter.

He had devoted her entire upbringing to forging her into a knight, never once permitting her to call him “Father.”

Serengeti’s eyes trembled.

She had never imagined he would say such a thing.

Having spent her entire life with only the sword, without even a fragment of father-daughter affection.

“…Father.”

“…My daughter. Is your body well?”

“Ah…”

*Daughter.*

Had she ever been called that before?

Serengeti furrowed her brow faintly.

“Am I… still inside a nightmare?”

The Demon King’s curse tormented her with endless nightmares.

It had gnawed at her mind.

If this too was part of the nightmare, she feared how the curse might twist it.

“This is reality.”

“Wil—no… Successor.”

She quickly corrected herself upon seeing me.

She knew I was Wilhelm, but there was no need to reveal that here.

My confirmation finally eased her expression.

Reality.

Not the nightmare—the real world.

“…It seems many things happened while I slept. Who…?”

Serengeti couldn’t help but feel anger.

Hudson’s bruised face.

Marquis Weiser’s completely changed attitude.

Someone had clearly put them through hell.

Killing intent surged.

And the objects around her began to float.

She had properly consumed a star and transcended.

The difference from Maxim was stark.

A transcendent formed from mere Demon Heart was qualitatively inferior.

Maxim had known that too—hence why he targeted her while she slept.

“Do not worry. He has paid for his crimes.”

“If not for the Successor, Maxim and Duke Cyan would have taken this territory,” Marquis Weiser added.

His attitude toward me had changed completely.

Seeing me kill Maxim with ease had cemented his conviction.

Serengeti tilted her head.

“Maxim…? You mean that coward Maxim? What kind of relationship does he have with the Duke of Cyan”

Marquis Weiser replied.

—

 

 

 

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