Chapter 318 Last Job Before Collapse [2]
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The demon beasts were attacking the castle and although the knights outside were fending them off, it was nothing but a one-sided massacre.
These were the creatures that gave the academy's teachersโsome of the strongest people in the worldโa run for their money. Hence these knights standing a chance against them was simply not possible.
"Ah well, the guests are here I guess," Ryfin said as he cracked his fingers and stretched. "Would you be so kind as to take us to the location?"
Zoendoln eyed him and Auciel for a while, before letting out a sigh and deciding that arguing here was just a waste of time.
"Follow me," he said and turned around. He walked outside of the room and Ryfin along with Auciel followed him.
Four knights went with them while the rest of them held their positions. They were going through a closed hallway that was lit by the same kind of torches throughout.
As they moved toward their destination, the castle shook multiple times as if it was getting hit by an earthquake. The shocks caused dust and debris to occasionally fall from the ceiling.
One more shock struck, and this one was far stronger than the rest. Its intensity was such that it caused one of the knights with them to stumble, and almost knock himself down on the ground.
"Hmmm, could this situation be actually worse than I thought?" Ryfin mumbled.
"You realize this now..?" Auciel asked. There was a sense of disgust in her voice, and it was understandable to some extent as well.
After all, Ryfin was the only one underestimating these beasts and the calamity that had fallen upon the human race.
"Wait till you see it from your eyes, you'll then truly understand the seriousness of the situation we are in," Zoendoln added.
"Oh? I hope not to be disappointed then," Ryfin said.
They continued to walk down the path for a while and then climbed up the staircase for a few minutes. At last, they reached their destination.
They were standing in the throne room. It was huge, the roof was around thirty feet high and there was a chandelier hanging down at the center. The ground was decorated with a clean red carpet and polished cobblestones.
Judging from the fact that they had to climb up in order to reach the throne room meant that the room they had teleported into was underground.
Knowing that just made it more terrifying because it meant that the attacks of the demons were powerful enough to send shockwaves under the ground.
Understanding this, Auciel gulped in nervousness as she walked toward the throne along with Ryfin and Zoendoln. Although she had prepared for this situation and knew the extent of the demons' powers, she couldn't help but get a little nervous while experiencing it in person.
As the three of them followed by a group of guards walked toward the throne, the person sitting on it came into sight.
Long white beard and a big body, eyes that were filled with experience, and a face that showed all the years this man had lived and depicted how truly old he was. But that was the thing. He was old, yet there was a sense of authority and power around him. (Character Image in the paragraph comments)
Most likely it was because the person sitting on the throne was none other than Ateron Lockhart; the king of the Zenith Kingdom. He was the direct descendent of one of the kings who fought using the magic items a thousand years ago.
Seeing him the three of them stopped in their tracks at a distance of little over ten meters from his throne. They bowed down, showing their submission. Although it was only the two of them who did that, Ryfin was still standing straight.
"What the hell are you doing?" Auciel whispered annoyingly as she pinched Ryfin's clothes to grab his attention.
"Who? Me? I'm doing nothing," he replied.
"Then do something! Bow to the king!" she said.
"Why? I don't want to. Besides, we don't have time for all this. The castle's getting attacked, remember?"
"You!"
"It's fine. Let him be," said the king, his voice was deep and heavy which perfectly suited his age and body. He raised his right hand a little, and with that Auciel and Zoendoln stood straight again.
"See? Even the 'oh great king' has no problems with it," Ryfin said, looking at Auciel and smiling slightly as if he'd pulled some great prank.
"These habits will seriously get you executed someday," Auciel replied in an exasperated tone.
"Nah, not possible. You know it," hearing that, Auciel sighed. Arguing with this man was going to take her nowhere, it was better to let him be than waste your time and energy.
"Quiet down you two! Don't forget you are currently in front of his majesty," Zoendoln said a little loudly, bringing back the attention of the two teachers to the current situation.
Zoendoln was right. If going by the rules and ethics of the kingdom, Ryfin wasn't the only one showing disrespect to the king. They both were. Since conversing amongst each other while being in the presence of the king was also considered just as much disrespectful as not bowing down to him was.
"It's alright Zoendoln. The current situation is not one where we have the luxury to pay much importance to ethics and behavior," said the king.
"I have better things to be worried about," he said, looking at the girl sitting on a throne beside hisโwhich was a little smaller than the king's throne.
The girl's name was Rishia Lockhart; the one and only princess of the Zenith Kingdom. (Character image in paragraph comments)
The throne she was sitting on initially belonged to the queen, but since her mother was long dead and her father couldn't make his daughter stand for so long, she was using it for the time being.
The entire castle was going to be destroyed sooner or later, so it didn't matter anyway.
"Young man," Ateron said, casting his gaze toward Ryfin. "I heard that you can take me and my daughter out of here."