The Thief King’s Labyrinth #5

 

Empty eye sockets stared at me.

Frizzy brown hair. Dry, chapped skin.

Life no longer resides within that body. All that remains are slowly decaying remains.

There was a mummy inside the golden door, looking as if it would erode and be blown away by the wind at any moment.

It’s Akasha.

An unfortunate thief king who suffered from paranoia and other mental illnesses since childhood, and never got better until the moment of his death.

“It’s been a while.”

I smiled sadly at Akasha.

This guy and I are old acquaintances.

Here, in the world of “Nine Stars”, you would have encountered Akasha as Estelle.

Outside the world, in reality, I was with her as a player who commanded Akasha.

I remembered Akasha’s every move. I knew what she liked and what she feared.

I remember pouring my heart and soul into the game to control the symptoms of the mental illness that had plagued her all her life.

“In a way, it’s my fault. Michael, who I no longer control, probably wouldn’t be interested in you anymore.”

The mentally unstable Thief King would have been of no use after Michael ascended to the position of hero.

In fact, she would have been abandoned in a way that was close to being abandoned, and her mental illness would have worsened further since then, leading to the present.

I approached Akasha’s mummy.

As the “Labyrinth of the Thief King” is filled with hellish traps, players will be at their most tense in the final room of this labyrinth…

There are no traps in this room.

Once you’ve reached this point, there are no more obstacles. Perhaps that’s why this room is called the “Room of Peace.”

At least here, perhaps, he wanted to be free from the fears of the world, to distance himself from traps and such, and enjoy peace of mind.

I closed Akasha’s eyes, which were wide open.

Then, he laid the body on a soft blanket and placed it in the subspace within the ring of storage.

“Please. Help me just this one last time.”

With this, the bodies of two members of the former warrior party were safely recovered.

Eden and Akasha, who were Michael’s long-term pawns while he was alive.

Michael will soon meet his former comrades who have turned against him.

“I’ll use the cane well.”

He also took the cane that was leaning against the golden chair.

The Indian walking stick, which was the purpose of this exploration.

With this, the artifact that will light the way forward came into my hands.

To the castle of Camula, where my sealed power awaits.

***

Inside the heart of the empire, the Palace of Light.

In the palace, which is connected like a maze, there is a huge chair in the deepest hall.

If you just look at the classification, it’s a chair. However, when you actually see it, it’s too grand and overly large to be called a simple chair.

The backrest, adorned with all sorts of ornate decorations, rose high enough to reach the ceiling, and was wide enough for two people to sit comfortably at the same time.

A chair that only one person in the empire can sit on. The so-called throne.

Now, on top of it, an elderly man is buried with his body tilted at an angle.

emperor.

The pinnacle of existing power.

Ruler of the world, master of the throne.

However, the emperor’s appearance was not very attractive, befitting his grand title.

His old, wrinkled skin was colored from brown to almost black, his belly was protruding, but his arms and legs were thin.

The Emperor’s appearance, wearing only a pair of panties to cover his private parts and a thin gown over it, was not very attractive, no matter how positively one wanted to judge it.

“Ggggg.”

The emperor smiled with satisfaction.

The women leaning at the emperor’s feet vied with each other to offer him fruits and snacks, fanning him, and showing off all sorts of charms.

The women’s appearances vary. Some have white skin, others have black skin.

Some are tall enough to easily exceed 190cm and have huge breasts, while others are so small that their heads can barely reach the emperor’s waist, making them look like children.

From this, we can infer that the emperor’s taste in women was quite diverse.

And, the power of the empire spreads across the world, enough to gather all the unique women from all over the world.

“It’s a time of peace.”

The emperor was satisfied. Everything went smoothly.

At least that’s what the Emperor felt.

The voices of those who opposed the emperor never reached the depths of the palace.

The only sounds by the emperor’s side were the honey-like whispers of women, and sweet fragrances lingered day and night.

“your majesty.”

Heavily armed guards approached and knelt politely. The women’s curious gazes lingered on the soldiers.

“Knight Commander Michael requests to see His Majesty.”

“Um, Michael, Michael…? Who was it… Oh, right, Michael. It’s already been a month. Okay, let him in.”

The emperor blinked his hazy, drunken eyes several times. Purple smoke continued to waft into the air from the incense burner beside him.

The large ivory door to the hall opened and Michael entered.

The women’s gaze changed. Whereas they had been merely curious when looking at the guards, this time it was one of blatant admiration.

Women, too, have an eye for men. They are the emperor’s concubines, but they are not infatuated with his masculinity.

On the other hand, Michael’s face, his broad chest and shoulders, and his confident gait were like an aphrodisiac that shook the hearts of women.

“This is Michael. Thank you for granting me the honor of meeting His Majesty the Emperor today.”

“Oh yeah… Time really flies. Yeah, I hope nothing bad happened this time too?”

“Yes. It is all thanks to Your Majesty’s grace that has been bestowed upon this land.”

Michael answered immediately, his expression unwavering. The Emperor gazed at Michael’s handsome features with languid eyes.

This paladin was a man who truly suited his fancy. He was truly worthy of being called a hero.

After Michael was appointed his second-in-command, the Emperor was relieved of the tedious duties of public life.

There was no need to worry about discussing things with my subordinates every day.

Just leave it to Michael and he’ll take care of everything.

And, we cannot leave out the beautiful face that hits right in the middle of the emperor’s taste.

When the Emperor looked at Michael, his eyes were as delighted as if he were looking at a precious work of art.

“Yeah, yeah… Good work.”

The Emperor was satisfied with Michael’s simple “yes.” He asked no further questions.

If Michael is like that, then so be it.

Thousands and tens of thousands of things, big and small, in the empire sank beneath the surface without incident with just Michael’s single word, “Yes.”

The emperor yawned, his mouth wide open like a hippopotamus. It was almost nap time.

The women busily prepared the bed, and Michael quietly got up.

“Please rest. I will now take my leave. May you rest in peace.”

“Yeah⋯.”

The emperor was already half asleep.

Michael spared no effort for the Emperor’s happiness.

A scented candle that clears the mind and frees you from all the pain of the world.

An aphrodisiac that is mixed with wine and drunk three times a day.

A pleasure drug that is applied to the tip of a needle and injected into the skin with a massage before going to bed at night.

Every day will be as happy as if I were floating in warm water.

Michael sincerely wished the Emperor happiness. At least, he had to keep him happy until the time he awaited arrived.

That way, you won’t be able to look outside this palace.

Michael glanced back at the Emperor as he left the hall.

“It’s still according to my plan. The Emperor’s trust remains unchanged. As always.”

The emperor doesn’t know.

The ministers outside the palace continue to attack Michael day after day.

The second-in-command of the empire is always the focus of all political attacks, but the current situation is quite unfavorable for Michael.

However, if you have the Emperor’s trust, there is no need to fear any crisis.

The empire belongs to the emperor, and power comes from the emperor.

As long as the Emperor’s strong support stood behind Michael, the restraints of other powerful figures would not be able to inflict fatal damage on him.

That’s right. The ominous whispers of the Sun King’s High Priest, Eden’s disappearance…

The massacre at Garden, and the evil deeds of the ‘Warrior’ party, which are only now beginning to be discovered.

“What do you want me to do? I did it because it was necessary.”

Michael didn’t even snort. No matter how much the bugs barked and squealed, there was no disruption to Michael’s plans.

There’s just one thing that bothers me.

“Since their whereabouts remain unknown until now, I guess it’s fair to assume Eden was affected. In that case….”

The one Eden was chasing at the end.

Rich, Estelle Frostwind.

This secret mission was given to him by none other than Michael himself.

I didn’t feel responsible for Eden’s death. Everyone dies someday.

For Eden, that moment came a little too early.

Michael wasn’t entangled in such personal feelings. He was already thinking about his next move.

‘Rich regained enough strength to defeat Eden.’

Michael’s eyes suddenly lit up.

Those sitting across from Michael’s chessboard are not the imperial powers.

Richie, it was clear that that reckless girl was the biggest threat right now.

I don’t know where he is, but even at this moment, Richie is slowly approaching Michael, one step at a time.

‘Come in.’

Michael walked away, his white cloak fluttering.

The sunlight reflected off the mirror-like marble of the palace and illuminated Michael like a holy radiance.

“I’ll be waiting. I won’t run or hide. The moment you appear before me, I’ll throw you deep into the pit of hell once again.”

Michael felt a premonition bordering on certainty.

The day was approaching when he would once again cut down Estelle with his sword.