Chapter 122

Chapter 122

Investing Through the Status Window.

Episode 122: The Capital Of The Empire (6).

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. And the promised day arrived in a flash.

At dusk, Allen went to see Group Leader Viola. She was already prepared to depart.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes.”

No escort was necessary. After all, he was traveling with Group Leader Viola, who was skilled and capable.

The two boarded the carriage amidst the farewells of the members. Once the carriage door closed, the coachman ensured that the two were seated properly and then urged the horses forward.

The simple, unadorned carriage rolled vigorously down the splendid capital’s main road. True to its reputation as a place where light never fades, the capital was brightly lit everywhere. Despite the dark evening, there were many people bustling along the main road. Allen, in the quiet atmosphere, enjoyed watching the people through the carriage window.

Viola, who was cautiously glancing at Allen’s profile from across the table, carefully opened her mouth to speak.

“You don’t have to be so nervous. Things between us aren’t that bad.”

“…Ah, that’s a relief. I thought I was going to die.”

At Allen’s lighthearted joke, Viola couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. He was a man whose occasional humor shone through his serious demeanor.

“Do you really think I would take Group Leader Allen to such a dangerous place?”

“…If you ask me to go with you, I will.”

An unwavering, heartfelt resolve.

No matter how cold-hearted she was, there was no way she couldn’t feel the intense emotions in his resolve.

Ah.

A sudden flush of heat rose to her face. Viola’s usually composed expression was greatly disturbed, uncharacteristically so.

“…I appreciate your sentiment.”

“I could never forget the grace you have shown me.”

“I don’t think it’s worth exchanging your life for such grace.”

“Well, it’s all a matter of perspective.”

Allen smiled gently. Viola couldn’t help but smile back… It was truly a genuine smile, without any pretense, purely from the heart.

…They say a kind word can repay a thousand debts.

He felt as if he could hear the sound of his favorability skyrocketing. If it were any other group leader, he wouldn’t have put in this much effort, but the opponent was one of the Top 10 Group Leaders. The more he raised his favorability, the more beneficial it would be; there was no downside.

The conversation paused again. However, the carriage continued to run without stopping.

Soon, they arrived at the inner gate, where they were subjected to a brief inspection before entering the inner city. The carriage stopped at a nearby station. There, four other carriages had already arrived.

When the two individuals disembarked from the carriage, the guide who had been waiting for them led the way. Of course, no matter how powerful they were, entry into the Imperial Palace without the Emperor’s command was naturally impossible, so they headed to a nearby annex.

It seemed that an order had been issued prohibiting anyone except the Top 10 and their companions from approaching the annex, as not even a single rat could be seen nearby.

Allen, surveying the eerily silent surroundings, followed the guide closely without a word, alongside Group Leader Viola.

After walking a considerable distance along the marble-paved path, they arrived at the annex. Despite not being the Imperial Palace, its scale, and splendor were significant, showcasing the empire’s grandeur.

The guide could only lead them to the entrance. He bowed deeply, saying, “Please proceed inside.”

The two individuals entered the annex. A carpet was laid out on the floor to guide them, so finding the way was not an issue.

They arrived at a secluded spot in the annex. On either side of the brightly lit hallway illuminated by magical orbs, several chairs were arranged in a row. And there, numerous figures were silently engaging in a tense standoff, exuding a menacing aura.

…Shit, I shouldn’t have come along…

Allen felt a tinge of regret at the thought of having to wait alone in this hostile atmosphere… Of course, he knew that the process of making an impression on the Top 10 wouldn’t be easy, but he didn’t expect the tension to be this severe. These guys probably came with the intention of making a better impression on the Top 10 Group Leaders.

When Group Leader Viola approached, everyone seated in their chairs stood up. Unless they were also one of the Top 10, they couldn’t dare to remain seated while a Top 10 Group Leader made their entrance.

After exchanging light greetings with everyone, she had a brief conversation with Allen before entering the conference room.

“Wait here… It might take a while.”

“Don’t worry about me.”

Viola smiled slightly, lightly tapped Allen’s arm in encouragement, and then went straight into the conference room. As soon as her reassuring presence disappeared, a sinister atmosphere began to settle behind him.

These opportunistic bastards…

Whether it was martial arts or magic, these bastards each had a special skill, and their killing intent was not to be underestimated. Of course, Allen, who had been trained through numerous missions, had become somewhat resilient to this killing intent, but he was not completely immune.

Still, he couldn’t show any signs of weakness here. These bastards were like jackals that would tear into you more the weaker you appeared. Even if it meant getting beaten up, he couldn’t lose the psychological battle.

Allen scanned the people sitting in the chairs with a smiling face. Three men, one woman.

As expected of the Top 10, their stats and traits were quite impressive… Well, it wasn’t like they’d bring any random riffraff to a place like this.

He approached them with a gentle smile and boldly extended his hand.

“I am Allen, the Group Leader of the Allen-Mercenary Group.”

However, there was only one person who accepted the greeting. That was the leader of the mercenary group, who was part of the Top 10’s Group Leader Gione’s alliance, whom he had seen a few times in Vermandois and was already familiar with. The rest acted as if responding to a greeting meant they were losing, snorting even when a hand was extended.

Anyway, they were all just prideful bastards.

Of course, Allen wasn’t someone who lacked pride to the point of flattering those who ignored him. He, too, sat down on an empty chair, watching with a mocking smile at those who engaged in fierce staring contests.

And then a person arrived shortly after.

Allen, along with the other four, quickly stood up from their seats as they saw the figure with platinum blonde hair elegantly walking towards them with a clickclack.

Elizabeth Belver, the Vice Group Leader of the Top 10 in the East.

She ignored everyone else and walked straight to Allen, stopping right in front of him.

“You’re already here?”

“I just arrived a moment ago.”

“How is the accommodation? Is it livable? If it’s inconvenient, you can come to our mansion.”

“I’m doing well. I appreciate the offer.”

Elizabeth smiled lightly as she watched Allen skillfully evade her questions.

This guy is quite sly.

“Alright then. See you later.”

The noble lady, without giving even a glance to Group Leader Radoth, whom she brought along, swiftly entered the conference hall. Naturally, with all attention shifting to Allen, Radoth’s jealousy and anger were inevitably directed at him.

“Why are you glaring so fiercely?”

Without a word, he scanned his opponent from head to toe menacingly before sitting down on an empty chair.

And among the steadily appearing Top 10 Group Leaders… Finally, the big boss appeared.

[Strength: 80] [Agility: 73] [Stamina: 79] [Intelligence: 35] [Magic: 42]

[Genius] [Steadfast Will] [Enlightenment] [Temperance] [Hard Worker] [Greed] [Emptiness] [Insomnia]

A truly insane stat and trait set that makes one exclaim in disbelief at first glance.

The moment Allen saw the opponent’s status window, he immediately recognized who it was. In [Guild Master], there was only one person who could have such an incredible status window.

Sword Emperor Magnus.

He was a dignified middle-aged man, just as he appeared in the game. Standing at the pinnacle of martial prowess, yet neither arrogant nor rude, he was a truly complete character.

Allen gave a light nod of acknowledgment to the man walking towards him. Of course, the others also quickly recognized the Sword Emperor and greeted him respectfully.

Magnus casually passed by Allen but suddenly stopped and turned to look directly at him.

“Are you perhaps Group Leader Allen?”

“…Ah, yes, that’s correct.”

“You’re quite the handsome man, just as I’ve heard. I recognized you right away.”

The Sword Emperor extended his hand for a handshake. Allen took it politely and bowed even deeper.

“It’s an honor, Group Leader Magnus.”

“…I’ll be keeping an eye on you from now on.”

Allen didn’t know why he was saying this all of a sudden, but he responded energetically with utmost sincerity.

“I’ll do my best!”

“Good… I’ll see you later.”

The Sword Master lightly patted Allen’s arm a few times and then walked into the meeting room.

Following Vice Group Leader Elizabeth, now even Group Leader Magnus’s attention was focused solely on Allen, causing the gazes and interest directed at Allen to skyrocket.

People were wondering just who this Allen was to receive such enthusiastic attention from both Elizabeth and Magnus.

Honestly, even Allen was a bit surprised by Magnus’s reaction. Considering Natasha mentioned meeting the Sword Emperor a while ago, it was probably related to that…

…Still, he certainly knows how to make a strong impression.

Allen glanced over at the guys who were looking at him with jealous eyes.

…It felt a bit like the time when Jomsun boasted, “You don’t have this at your place, do you?”