There’s a saying among people in this world when dealing with barbarians: it’s like talking to a wall.

No matter how calmly and logically you explain, they just don’t understand—that’s why people use that expression...

But from my perspective, that phrase suits this knight more than the barbarian.

Because it really felt like I was talking to a wall.

“Knight, what’s your name? I’ve never heard of anyone like you.”

“......”

“If I follow you, will I really meet the King of Ruin?”

“......”

“I’ve heard rumors that he’s bedridden because he’s ill? But he seems to be in good health, huh?”

“......”

Tch, trying to act all serious just because he’s a knight.

Earlier, when Raven asked where we were going, he answered properly.

I even told Raven to talk to him, thinking maybe he’d open up, but sadly, the result was the same.

“Um... forgive me, but is His Majesty the King truly in good health...? Ah! I don’t mean to be disrespectful... I apologize.”

“......”

“See? I told you, no good... Don’t make me ask again.”

After that, the knight kept walking ahead without a word, and we quietly followed.

Of course, though silent, my mind was loudly working.

‘No windows, so it’s underground, at least.’

He said “audience chamber,” so the place was probably the “Immortal Palace” among the famous twelve palaces known to be where the king resides.

The heart of the city Karnon.

The royal castle at Karnon’s center.

And among the twelve palaces within the castle, the very central one — the Immortal Palace.

Ah, they now call it the Palace of Ruin?

‘I didn’t know such a place existed underground...’

Following the knight, I carefully observed my surroundings.

I tried to memorize the route and look for escape paths just in case, but found nothing.

Nothing at all.

Step, step.

We walked along an empty corridor.

But in the process, I learned a few things.

‘It’s a spiral structure.’

At first I didn’t notice, but we weren’t walking straight. The corridor curved subtly and formed a circle.

In other words, it was like climbing a spiral staircase...

“At this length, wouldn’t it be better to just have an elevator? I saw a pretty good elevator earlier.”

“......”

Secondly, there was no elevator here.

Meaning, to get to the place with that elevator we used earlier, we had no choice but to walk this long corridor.

Why design it so inconveniently?

Surely the royal family isn’t short on money.

If anything, putting in one more elevator would’ve been economically wiser.

After a moment’s thought, the answer came.

‘...It’s for defense.’

If someone from outside were to invade, this long corridor would be better than any trap or obstacle to buy time.

Sometimes the primitive way is the safest.

“......”

After walking the corridor for over three hours without a single word, the long spiral passage ended at a large cavern.

“This is...”

Raven raised her head, dazed.

The space itself was unremarkable, but one structure at its center ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) caught our attention.

A test tube.

A transparent test tube very similar in shape to those I’d seen at the Pantelion Research Lab on basement 1.

The difference from the lab’s tubes was just one thing.

Its overwhelming size far beyond that of any layer lord.

Otherwise, it was mostly similar.

Hundreds of wires connected to the tube’s base, and the tube filled with a mysterious liquid.

“Follow me.”

The knight, who had been silent for so long, finally spoke.

“The King awaits.”

Though his words implied not to waste time on trivial things.

So, pointless questions like “What is this?” were skipped.

Ding-!

Following him, we found an elevator on the opposite cavern wall and rode it upward.

And...

Ding-!

When the elevator doors opened again,

I finally realized we had arrived.

“...I, your humble servant, come before the new era’s ruler.”

The very ‘audience chamber’ I’d tried thousands of times to reach but never set foot in.

A throne placed on a raised platform.

Looking at the throne gave me a strange feeling.

“......”

“......”

Despite having participated in many ceremonies like title grants and promotions, I’d always only seen the throne empty.

Even the chancellor, the kingdom’s second-in-command who represented the king and governed the country, never dared to sit on it.

But now, for the first time, someone was seated there.

Maybe that’s why—

Thump!

My battle-hardened heart tightened with tension upon seeing that figure.

Though nothing compared to Raven’s reaction beside me.

“Y-Your Majesty...!”

Raven immediately prostrated flat on the carpeted floor as soon as she saw ‘someone’ sitting on the throne.

Though her stomach faced the ground, it was no different than a dog lying on its back showing its belly.

A gesture clearly expressing: I have no intention to defy you; I submit.

“Hey, Yandel...! What are you doing...!”

Raven’s small reprimand pressed me as she kept her forehead on the floor.

Only then did I realize my ‘rudeness.’

Until now, I’d never experienced such situations because I always started as a barbarian...

Swoosh.

The only reason barbarians can speak informally and break protocol and still be forgiven

Is because their ancestors accomplished great deeds and earned permission

From the very king sitting on that throne.

“Ah, please!”

Obviously, speaking informally to the king means even barbarians die.

So...

“...I, your humble servant, come before His Majesty the King.”

Reciting the ceremony I’d seen countless times but never performed, I knelt and bowed my head.

Because I’m a titled noble.

Unlike Raven, I don’t have to prostrate fully...

Thanks to my higher vantage point, I could sneak a sideways glance to survey the audience chamber’s interior.

Heavy silk curtains hung around the throne, hiding the king’s face.

Possibly out of fear of assassination or outside observation, there were no windows, and except for the elevator we came in on, only one entrance existed.

Two knights stood guard in front.

Unlike the unnamed knight who guided us here, these were identifiable by armor insignias.

‘The Guardian Knights.’

An elite armed force, each individual possessing combat power exceeding at least a rank 3 monster, visible only inside the Immortal Palace.

Maybe because the full throne looked so unreal,

Seeing the Guardian Knights made me fully realize,

‘Yeah, we really came to the Immortal Palace...’

The first thing I did after realizing this

Was to lower all plans involving combat or violent escape to the lowest priority.

If this truly was inside the Immortal Palace, using force had to be saved as the absolute last resort.

Because when playing [Dungeon & Stone], many enemies entered the Immortal Palace.

Ninety-nine percent of my experience was during rebellion routes.

‘But still, I never got to see the king’s face...’

Setting aside the insane specs of the Guardian Knights, the Immortal Palace contained countless gimmicks designed to fight invaders, and when fully activated, it meant game over.

Even with better specs and many allies, no one escaped without total defeat here.

In some respects, this place was harder than the 10th layer.

Especially since no matter what we did, we never cleared it.

Of course, with the king nearby, maybe taking him hostage would open a path...

But then a phrase left by the former tribe chief echoed in my mind.

[Who in this world would not fear that man? If the day comes that you meet him, you will understand me.]

Taking the king hostage probably wouldn’t be easy.

No wonder the knight who guided us was standing guard before the king now.

“Speak.”

Breaking the tense silence, the king’s voice sounded.

A somewhat unexpected voice.

[...I don’t remember. The age, male or female, even the voice that pierced my ears...]

The former tribe chief must have said that.

“Why were you able to enter the forbidden chamber?”

What came was a clear young male voice.

No hint of age, illness, or weakness.

“Tell me everything, my subjects.”

A ruler’s voice commanding obedience, leaving no room for other thoughts.

Raven quickly replied.

“We did not know it was a forbidden chamber, nor did we enter with malicious intent. The circumstances that led us there are...”

Raven’s explanation was long and elaborate but captured the main point.

Upon sensing the attack on the Ecliptic, we headed to basement 5 to catch the unprincipled Noark bastards. They fled and got swept into the ‘forbidden chamber’ by the collapse.

Her explanation excessively emphasized how dutiful we were.

Though to me it seemed pointless.

“......”

“......”

An awkward silence followed Raven’s words.

After a while, the King of Ruin’s voice resumed.

“My vassal, Bjorn Yandel, junior baron.”

...Junior baron? I’m just a baron, but I didn’t bother correcting him and listened silently.

Even a barbarian can read the atmosphere.

“As your king, I command you.”

...Huh?

“Kill the woman beside you.”

...What?

The king’s sudden order.

Naturally, I would not obey.

Even knowing he was capable of taking all my titles, achievements, and comrades from me.

“......”

No way.

I just looked around, clueless.

But was that enough for the king?

“Take the woman away.”

At that word, the Guardian Knights near the entrance approached us.

As I stood reflexively, a knight in front of the king gave a brief warning.

“Stay still. His Majesty only wishes a private audience with you.”

Glancing at Raven, she nodded frantically.

A desperate plea: “I’m fine. Don’t cause trouble.”

“......”

Eventually, standing awkwardly, two knights led Raven outside the audience chamber, and finally the private meeting with the king began.

Ah, of course the guard knight stayed.

But he was like a wall anyway.

That was enough to consider it a private meeting.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

Though the king said nothing, just stared at me beyond the curtains, my whole body was overwhelmed by the feeling something bad was coming.

‘...Hah, should I have just obeyed the order? Now it feels like it was a test.’

Regret flooded my mind.

“Ha ha, don’t be so scared.”

The king spoke again, and my head went blank.

“You were chosen by her. If I kill you, she’d be angry. How could I do that?”

Unlike earlier, his tone was relaxed.

And the meaningful words ‘her’ and ‘chosen’...

I didn’t care.

“Bjorn, son of Yandel.”

It was the ‘language’ itself.

“Since we’ve met, let’s just talk frankly.”

The King of Ruin was speaking Korean.