Brave Soul of Evil Supremacy

Chapter 225 Unreasonable Demands of the King

　"Only a select few are allowed to enter the 'Eternal Library.' Even if you are of royal blood, as the reigning monarch, I shall not grant you permission to set foot in that place. No matter how much you may be the head of the Baskerville family, which stands in the shadows of the royal family... I cannot easily grant permission to someone like you, who has recently inherited the family's position and lacks credibility."

　"..."

　"Therefore, I wish to ascertain your power and loyalty. Henceforth, you shall fulfill the orders I issue."

　"As I thought..."

　I muttered quietly, ensuring that the king couldn't hear, and lowered my gaze to the floor, exhausted.

　Julius J. Slayers, the king of Slayers Kingdom.

　This man had a crazy personality, and it was his hobby to impose difficult tasks on others.

　If you're someone who enjoys RPGs, you may have experienced this. While desperately fighting as the protagonist to defeat the Demon King and achieve world peace, there are sideline characters who throw unnecessary problems at you.

　Why do they interfere when I'm fighting for the sake of the world? Anyone would have muttered complaints like, "I'm risking my life for the world, so why don't you just hand over the Sky Orb without conditions?"

　Julius J. Slayers was also the type of NPC who burdened the hero with additional tasks. In the game, there were several occasions when player would request favors from Julius during events, and each time, the king would burden them with troublesome conditions.

　"Well then... What shall I ask of you? I shall grant permission to enter the 'Eternal Library.' But it must be a considerable challenge."

　As the king spoke with a malicious tone, he stroked his chin with his palm. The king's smirk indicated his genuine enjoyment. It was truly an unkind personality, considering I was desperately trying to revive the hero.

　"Zenon-sama... Are you alright?"

　"..."

　Aeris, who had been silent until now, asked with concern. I shrugged my shoulders in response without saying a word, waiting for the king's words.

　"Well... Then, even I, as the king, cannot easily obtain the 'Shokuhō (Food Treasure)'. How about offering the 'Royal Honey,' a treasure bestowed by the legendary Queen Bee, the queen of the world's largest insect species?"

　"...?"

　"Sure, here you go."

　"Huh...?"

　As the king commanded, I presented the item I had prepared in advance. The shell of an egg wrapped in white cloth... The liquid that shimmered like pearls on it made the king widen his eyes in surprise.

　"Is that... is... er... Is it genuine?"

　"Please verify it."

　Overwhelmed by astonishment, I shifted my gaze from the frozen king to the minister standing beside him. The minister glanced at the king's face, then approached me and took the item I offered. Taking a monocle out of his pocket, he examined the item... and eventually turned to the king and spoke.

　"Undoubtedly, it is genuine. There is no mistake that this is the treasure of Queen Bee... the 'Royal Honey.'"

　Naturally. I defeated the Queen Bee, which inhabited the forest near Coraggio Village, where Leon's hometown is located, and brought back the item.

　"I never expected you already had it... Truly worthy of being Garondolf's son. Impressive."

　"I'm honored by your praise. So, what about the permission to access the library?"

　"But that's not enough! Next, I want you to obtain the scales of the legendary sea-dwelling monster, the 'Bahamut Fish!'"

　"Yes, I have it prepared here."

　"What!?"

　Without a moment's delay, I presented the item. With a speed that resonated like a striking blow, I conquered the impossible task once again, causing the king to recoil on his throne.

　"N-No... This isn't the end. Loyalty requires more!"

　The king continued to make further demands.

　The tail feather of the Freezing Penguin.

　The laryngeal bone of the Skeleton Dragon.

　The magical powder of the Silver Fairy.

　The tail hairs of the Two-Headed Unicorn.

　I took out the items requested by the king one by one and presented them before him. Since I knew in advance the items that would be required as compensation, I was able to prepare them.

　Most of the items were already in my possession as inherited items, so it was not a problem. However, I didn't have the 'Royal Honey,' so the visit to Coraggio Village became a crucial event.

　"Ugh... I never thought you would possess this item as well..."

　"That's enough, Your Majesty. Can I receive permission now?"

　I gently spoke to the king, who slumped in his throne.

　"And surely, you wouldn't say 'doubts about loyalty and ability' after offering such valuable items."

　"...Indeed, there is no problem."

　The king reluctantly dropped his shoulders. It seemed he wanted to trouble me with impossible demands... How twisted can the character of someone who is a king of a country be?

　"...Fine, I'll grant permission."

　Eventually, the king declared with a frustrated expression.

　"Zenon Baskerville... I grant you access to the 'Eternal Library.'"

　"I'm grateful for your generosity. I will continue to serve with loyalty."

　Having achieved the desired outcome, I lowered my head in a satisfied mood. Aeris, who was standing next to me, also bowed in the same manner.

　And thus, the first step to save Leon was completed... The path to the 'Eternal Library' had been opened.