The artisans were provided a colorful eye-catching clothes to wear.
The supervisor in charge of the artists brought them to the conference room where the World Parliament was to take place.
“We shall grant you access to this place for you to start your preparations to draw. Familiarize yourself with the conference room. The Crowning ceremony of the One King will likely take place there.”
As soon as the supervisor left, the artists began competing for the best location.
There was even an artist who began to sketch the general view of the conference room on paper. If the selection test was just a try-out stage, this was the main event for the artists.
Of course, Sungchul had no interest in their competition. He waited for a moment for a good time to leave the conference room and roam around. To begin his own battle.
Sungchul could easily tell that the majority of the soldiers defending the conference of the World Parliament belonged to leaders from the various provinces of the Human Empire that had abandoned their Emperor and vowed their allegiance to the Wandering King and the Floating Archipelago.
Though there were Dwarven, Elven, and even Ancient Kingdom’s soldiers, their numbers were small and were typically gathered around their own Kings and nobles to serve as personal guards and retinue.
Meanwhile, the members of the Order of Extinction weren’t readily visible in the hallways, they had lodging in areas which were strictly guarded by soldiers. Sungchul could not access these areas.
On the way back to the Conference Room, Sungchul even came across someone he knew.
Demitri Medioff.
A well known favored vessel of the Empire as well as a trusted advisor to the Emperor was walking around the hallways of the World Parliament shamelessly and confidently. He even had dozens of servants to attend to him, no less.
His arrogance was no different from when he was last seen in the Golden City.
How strange, that a vessel of a thoroughly isolated and currently influence-less Emperor and leader of a conquered city be able to so walk so confidently and proudly at the World Parliament.
Once it was dinner time, the supervisor of the artist showed up once more to lead the artists back out of the fortress to an old building that looked like a former resource warehouse.
“We are unfortunately unable to provide you lodging within the castle. Instead, we have prepared this meager lodging for you to spend the night. Of course, if you have alternatives and prefer to stay elsewhere, that is also fine. Just remember that you must return to this lodging by tomorrow morning.”
Most artists took a quick glance around the lodging before unhesitatingly returning to their own place of stay. The so called lodging for the artist was merely a stable with haystack, minus the livestock.
Sungchul entered the lodging and set down his things. Two other artists aside from Sungchul also decided to make use of the space they were granted.
Sungchul took off the robe of the artisan and left to go where people were gathered to gather more info.
There, Sungchul was able to hear that a large number of officers and nobles from the Emperor’s faction had slowly left his side due to the prolonged siege of the Barbarians, the Emperor’s inexplicable heresy, and self inflicted isolation.
And especially, Dimetri Medioff who had once been known as the Emperor’s right hand had convinced the commanders of 3 flotillas, which was more than half of the remnants of the Imperial fleet, to switch sides and join Kromgard’s faction.
Sungchul was able to find ships of the Imperial fleet at the corner of the Airship docks, covered by tarp and canvas.
This was the conclusive proof that even the military was turning turncoat against the Emperor.
Sungchul found a secluded place where he could blow on the coral whistle.
The whistle made no noise even when blown into.
But the sound it created was conveyed without an issue to one person in particular.
Soon, Ahmuge appeared behind Sungchul.
“You sure managed to find a way into the castle.”
Ahmuge said, sounding impressed.
She must have been watching. Even the moment Sungchul was selected as an official artisan of the World Parliament.
Sungchul cut all the small talk and went straight into the meat of the issue.
“It seems Dimetri Medioff and the Imperial Fleet had betrayed the Emperor. But what a funny thing. The Military doesn’t like Dimetri last I remember.”
Though Dimetri was the leader of the 1st flotilla, he wasn’t a traditional military commander. He was closer to an administrator, a civil servant.
To this, Ahmuge replied in her characteristically bright voice.
“A good portion of the military turned their back on the Emperor when he ordered the retreat instead of coming to your rescue. Dimetri only capitalized on their frustrations against the Emperor.”
“So is Dimetri on the Wandering King’s side now?”
Ahmuge nodded.
“That’s not all. Nobles and leaders from all ranks have been convinced to support the Wandering King as their leader. The old man Hieroporus behind the Elvan Prince is one of them.”
“Why is the Order of Extinction supporting the Wandering King?”
“…I don’t know.”
Sungchul remembered.
The stand off between Ryze Himerr’s forces from the Floating Archipelago and Sarasa Xero’s cultists from the Order of Extinction in the Dwarven King’s Palace.
Judging by that event alone, it would seem that the two factions were not on the same side at all. But it could have been a ruse prepared by the Wandering King.
And even the Emperor had said that they served the same master, meaning they were both a part of the Wandering King’s faction.
There was no way to confirm the truth of the Emperor’s claims.
There was circumstantial evidence, but nothing conclusive.
“Shh!”
It was then.
Ahmuge suddenly looked around with a serious look.
Soon, she glanced up to the sky.
There was a gryphon flying above with a magician.
Sungchul could see with his Eyes of Horus that the magician was using some sort of sound related magic as he rode atop the gryphon.
.
He was scouting around for information.
If one were to speak badly towards the World Parliament without noticing this, then they would soon be harshly punished by soldiers coming after them.
After the gryphon with the suspicious magician had passed Ahmuge resumed speaking.
“More importantly, I have something to show you.”
She moved like a cat as she walked through the darkness without making a sound.
Sungchul followed after her without asking why.
Soon, she led them to a stone building slightly far away from the castle fortress.
It was a support annex for the fortress.
Though numerous guards were defending this place, it was not nearly as heavily defended as the main castle fortress.
The two superhumans were able to easily slip past the guards and reach the interior.
Sungchul could smell the smell of death even from the entrance.
“Where is this?”
Sungchul asked.
“You’ll see.”
Ahmuge was busy undoing an alarm barrier. It was a skill unique to the thief class that Sungchul could never replicate.
Once the barrier was undone, Ahmuge led the way into the darkness.
The stairway into the darkness extended endlessly.
As they descended down the stairs, the smell of death became more and more intense, and now accompanied by sounds of suffering and pain.
‘Is it a torture chamber?’
It was a familiar sight.
Sungchul gently stroked Bertelgia as he said to her,
“You might see some disturbing things, so keep your eyes closed.”
“Uh…ok.”
As expected, the large building itself was just a large torture chamber and execution grounds.
The rooms in the underground were filled to the brim with people who were being slowly tortured to death in the most horrific ways possible, and there were many heaps of corpses piled up throughout the hallways.
“Thousands of people are locked up here. Every day more than 200 people die. But almost no one knows of this place.”
Ahmuge said with her eyes glistening in the darkness.
“Who is responsible for this?”
Sungchul asked. His voice was seeped in anger.
“It was done in the name of the World Parliament.”
Ahmuge answered.
Sungchul looked greatly displeased.
“I have never ordered anything like this to be done.”
“You remember that Kromgard’s faction took control in your absence? This is the result.”
It was just as she said.
Torturer, guards, and the supporting magicians.
They were all from former Human Empire, no, the Holy Kingdom of Rutheginea.
“Why are they doing this?”
Sungchul was becoming deeply enraged by what he was seeing.
“The official crime they are pronounced guilty of is collusion with the enemy. But if you dig even slightly deeper, the actual crime they all committed are is the same.”
“…”
“It’s the crime of speaking against the Wandering King.”
Sungchul’s face became rigid.
“But that’s not all.”
Ahmuge passed the torture chambers and headed even deeper into the annex building. She still had something left to show it seemed.
“The true purpose of this building isn’t to simply punish the dissidents.”
A blue light eminating from the eyes was shining in the dark.
It was a Soldier of Salvation.
The Soldiers of Salvations were making rounds and standing guard.
“I’ll go distract them. Once those monsters move out of the way, move forward. I’ll catch up with you.”
Ahmuge used her ability to meld out of existance to move further in and intentionally made noise to attract the Soldier of Salvation’s attention.
Sungchul quickly moved past the guard point while the Soldiers of Salvations were busy trying to catch Ahmuge.
Ahmuge rapidly caught up with Sungchul.
“It’s this way.”
There was a half open iron gate.
Beyond, there was a horrifically intense putrid smell of rotting corpses.
Creeeak
Sungchul opened the iron gates without a word.
The room was filled with terribly mutilated corpses.
In the room filled with the suffocating smell of blood, Sungchul could see it. The golems made of corpses.
They were submerged into bluish water of some tub containing black fragments.
“…”
Sungchul instantly realized what the purpose of this building was.
It was where they were mass producing Soldiers of Salvation.
The corpse golems made out of limbs and body parts were transformed using the black into Soldiers of Salvations.
Ahmuge opened her mouth while glaring at the atrocities of this room.
“Kromgard is transforming dissenters into his most loyal soldiers.”
“…What a typical Rutheginean method.”
It had certainly been a while.
That Sungchul felt such a rage at the sheer evil of an empire by the name of Holy Kingdom of Rutheginea.
The feelings against them had been dulled by a long passage of time, but they were originally this type of people.
Humans don’t change easily.
Ahmuge and Sungchul left this terrible place and escaped.
Once they were standing under the moonlit night sky once more, Ahmuge spoke again.
“In the history that I’ve learned, the Wandering King was recorded as being a great man. A man who fought against the Calamities until the end. And that’s what I had believed as well. But it seems the real history is different from history that I’ve known.”
She said until that point, before glancing at Sungchul and breaking out into a grin.
“Well. Of course, you’re the one chose to change the flow of history.”
“Chose you say…”
Sungchul recalled something she had said to him long ago. He looked up at the pale moon as he asked.
“Are you talking about that choice you said I will be having to make?”
Ahmuge nodded without any energy.
“Of course, you ended up making a choice of not choosing.”
Ahmuge let out a sigh.
Sungchul, for a moment, wanted to ask what his other self had chosen, but he chose not to ask her.
Because the future this returnee had seen will never come to pass.
Because the future that was to come will be made of his own hands and choosing.
“…But I will soon have to make a choice sooner or later.”
Sungchul answered in a low voice.
There was not much time left.
Time to make a choice had come.
‘Sorry, but please endure for one more day.’
With a heavy heart, Sungchul left the vicinity of the building filled with pain, suffering, and death.
*
Next morning
The artisans were hastely gathered.
The reason was simple.
“Now, you will be tasked to draw one piece of art. Do your best and bring out every bit of talent and effort in drawing the most idyllic One King! As we have stated before, the person to draw the best art will be granted the right to go live at the Floating Archipelago.”
Dozen and a bit more artists were brought to the Conference room.
Sungchul limped among them as he took in the sight of the conference room.
Arcanite, the Elvan prince, Daincraft, Dimetri were sitting at their respective seats attended to by their various servants.
Dimetri was attending the conference using the title of ‘leader of Imperial Government in Exile’.
In the corner of the Conference room was a dark robed group looking quite grim.
They were the Order of Extinction.
Sungchul recognized someone among them.
‘Schnellmerker.’
The Second in command of the Order of Extinction.
The man he had been searching for all this time had finally shown up before him.