Spero Kingdom, this peaceful, millennia-old kingdom has been plunged into a catastrophe.
The demons invaded and one city after another fell, leaving only the last royal castle, where the humans are fighting a losing battle.
"It's a theme."
"A theme?"
At a bar inside Spero Castle Koo Dae-sung said.
"Come to think of it, all the gates had their own scenery."
"Yes, there are field hunting type gates like the Seoul Station Gate, and then there are dungeon type gates, and then there are NPC quest type gates like the Orc Gate."
Leon has experienced four gates since coming to Earth.
The first was a dungeon-type gate in the Hunan Plains where after defeating the boss monster Dulahan, the gate closed.
The second was the Cheongju Gate. It was a cyberpunk-themed world where Yakt Spinner was trying to stop the unsealing of the Wisdom Gem.
Third was Samjeon Station Gate in Seoul where the theme was to help an orc tribe to become the leaders of the plains but Leon had slaughtered them all with his ignorant charge.
This fourth gate was similar to the orc-infested Three Realms gates they'd been through.
"This gate is a little different from the orc gate."
Koo said, checking a system window that Leon couldn't see.
"There is a condition attached to completing the quest."
"Condition?"
"Yes, a time limit."
[The Kingdom of Spero is being invaded by demons. Defend the kingdom from the invasion of demons]
Time limit: 1 week.
That's right, the quest condition was to defend the kingdom for one week.
"In other words, we only need to 'defend' the kingdom for a week, and then the gate will be closed."
"That's strange…I've heard that the gate showed signs of a dungeon break phenomenon. After a certain period of time, it cracks and the monsters inside jump out?"
It's not just monsters. The overflowing miasma inside will spill out, polluting the ground and making it uninhabitable.
The monsters inside the gates that are maintained without closing are constantly being cleaned.
"Yes, for a normal gate, that's the way it should be. But these 'specified quest gates' can be closed as long as you clear the quest, even if you don't clean the inside."
That was the proof, backed up by the data humanity had accumulated since the Cataclysm.
Even fluctuation gates occurred from time to time, so Koo Dae-sung should not be wrong.
"Then… Did you say Chief Kim Jin-soo?"
Leon glanced at Kim Jin-soo, who was in the middle of his meal, never touching the food in front of him.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
As an employee of the Association, he was originally brought in to witness the growth of the trainees and re-measure their ratings. And there was a condition.
"Originally, this king was not supposed to participate. However, given the urgency of the situation, will our ratings be altered by the presence of this king and Lord Spinner?"
"Ummm...."
Originally, he was supposed to assess the abilities of the Hunters alone since Leon's inclusion would make things too easy.
Chief Kim Jin-soo hadn't expected the D-ranks to grow after only four weeks of training, but today's battle made him reevaluate them.
They definitely grew. In just four weeks… with no unique skills, they were at least a C-rank… and thanks to Leon's enhanced traits, they performed like B- rank tanks.
He didn't know what they were eating, but their physical strength and physical abilities had increased dramatically.
"Hmm… I don't think it's a problem, I have that much discretion."
"Oh…!"
With the approval of the Association staff, the Hunters' spirits rose. However, he was still resolute in his determination when he told them that they would be evaluated based on their performance.
"One more thing."
Leon's words drew everyone's attention.
"What do you think about quest conditions changing and hidden quest elements, as it happened in the Orc Gate, do you think there will be any such elements in this Gate?"
-Hmm....
-A hidden quest....
-Wouldn't we have to do something as ridiculous as we did with Orcs?
They first saw hidden quests in the Orc gate since Leon's actions, which destroyed the premise of the quest, changed the quest itself.
"It's… possible, I suppose. Mr. Kim, have you ever heard of a similar case?"
"Uhm… It's not like there aren't any, because anything can happen in the Gates."
Koo Dae-sung became uneasy.
"…Your Majesty, do you have any ideas....?"
"I'm thinking of slaying the Demon Lord."
"What…!?"
The meaning of his words was clear. While slaughtering all the demons that couldn't be counted, they would also try to capture the Demon Lord that was responsible for the invasion.
This was even bigger than the Orc Gate. At least back then, they had Yappy, the guild's weapon of mass destruction.
"Your Majesty, are you still willing to take such a dangerous path....?"
"Don't worry. I don't intend to overwhelm you. Even this king knows better."
The Hunters were relieved to hear that.
Leaving the walls of the castle and the army of the Kingdom of Spero behind to attack the demon with only 50 Hunters would be suicide.
"In honor of your victory, rest well today, for tomorrow you will have the burden of meeting the commander of this kingdom."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Leon left the Hunters behind and went upstairs to the room the Kingdom Knight had prepared for him. There he summoned the Holy Grail and drained the energy of the Demon Troll he killed today.
The Holy Grail has the power to destroy evil and turn its energy into holy power. It's one of the reasons Leon was able to slaughter over ten million demons in his world.
'I didn't think it could absorb the leader of the beasts.'
He absorbed one of Gokrok's arms and used the energy to restore the Grail's functionality.
The Daemon Trolls were not quite as powerful, but he was able to connect to the Temple of Ten Thousand Gods without difficulty.
[Leon, my first knight]
"Arianna."
He couldn't summon the gods, but he could talk to the gods of the Temple of Ten Thousand Gods in his heart for a moment.
[Did you feel it?]
"Yes, this gate has an otherworldly energy."
Leon had only felt the strange energy after the battle.
"I noticed it too late."
[You, a living, flesh-and-blood being, would not have noticed it. It is an aura that blends into this world so naturally]
What it meant was simple.
There was an existence in this world that possessed such immense power that even the Lionheart King could feel it naturally.
"It should be the Demon Lord."
[An existence with that much power would have a more intense aura. This is something…different]
Leon slaughtered two Demon Lords(Archdemons).
Together with the Grail Knights, he and the gods had succeeded in slaying the Demon Horde, whose power was so maddening.
Malus, Lord of Chaos and Dothraddon, Lord of Pleasure, each of these monsters could end a world.
Their mere presence makes the world tremble, bringing screams and despair.
If a Lord-level demon were at this gate, lesser Hunters would despair despite the aura of the Lionheart.
[My knight, the gods of the Pantheon have a message for you]
"Your knight listens."
[Fle wishes to investigate this world. She must have sensed something]
"Fle herself?"
Leon recognized the divinity.
"She will need energy to descend."
[Yeah, I don't have to tell you the way, do I?]
Something more tangible is needed for a divine descent than simply possessing an incarnation, as in the case of Demera.
* * * *
The next morning, soldiers came to the inn where the Ten Thousand Gods Guild was staying.
"Lord Lionheart! Where is Lord Lionheart?"
Koo Dae-Sung, who had risen early in the morning, ran up the stairs to wake Leon.
"Your Majesty…! May your soldier see you──"
But Leon had already descended, fully dressed. Even though it was still early, his appearance had a cheerful glow.
"I must go to the palace."
Koo Dae-Sung suddenly realized that Leon was indeed a different race from him.
"You must be Lord Lionheart?"
"Hmm, yes."
Leon didn't identify himself to the soldiers who came to him. After all, he was technically a knight.
"The Chancellor and the Captain-General wish to see you, sir. The carriage is ready, so let's go to the palace."
"Very well."
It had been discussed yesterday, so Leon readily accepted.
Leon glanced back before climbing into the carriage.
"Lord Spinner, stand by. You'll be in charge of the remaining trainees."
-Yes.
"We're also headed to the castle, and we can't go without servants, so I'll take three volunteers to serve as servants."
After a moment of stunned silence, the Hunters, who knew from social experience that in times like this, they had to act quickly, stepped forward.
"Chief Kim Jin-soo!"
"Kim Do-han!"
"Koo Dae-sung!"
Others followed, but it was too late.
"Hmm, good. Open the door."
Kim Jin-soo, who had a lot of work experience, rushed over and opened the carriage door.
He didn't ask the common sense question, "Do I have to open the door for this royal personality?"
When they arrived at the royal palace, a servant bowed to them.
"Welcome, gentlemen. I'm Parco, chamberlain of the palace, and I'm here to escort you."
As Parco led the way inside the palace, where all sorts of art and decorations were elegantly placed the hunters wondered if this was what it would be like to visit a royal palace in old Europe.
"Hmm, the owner of the palace must have great taste."
"Hoo-hoo, you have good taste."
Chamberlain Parco responded to Leon's praise and explained the history of the palace so that the guests wouldn't get bored.
"This palace, the Royal Palace of Spero, has a long history. It has hosted many queens, from the founding Queen Fiora to the current Queen Beatrice."
-Queens.
-Queens from the beginning? It must be a matriarchal society.
-Shhh. Her Majesty is looking this way!
The three of them whispered to each other at the chamberlain's words but Leon glared at them and spoke up in a firm voice.
"In what country is it proper for a commoner to pry into the affairs of royalty?"
"I apologize."
Leon quickly apologized to the chamberlain.
"I'm sorry, my friend, they were never taught proper etiquette. The situation is urgent, so I've brought in people who don't know their manners."
"Hehe, it's okay, you're an outsider, so it's to be expected."
The chamberlain shrugged it off, but Leon stared at the three of them with a hard gaze and clicked his tongue as if to say, "Listen."
"Tsk tsk… Even if you're unlearned, there's something to be said for noticing."
The three of them had to keep their mouths shut until they reached the throne room.
When they arrived Leon was greeted by several bureaucrats.
Knights and officials stood on either side of a large carpet, with what appeared to be a throne at the end of the carpet covered by a tent.
A silhouette could barely be seen through the canopy, and it took the form of a slender woman.
"Lord Lionheart."
Leon and his companions were well known in the castle for yesterday's battle.
As a mysterious group that had performed heroically against a demonic army, if Leon hadn't identified himself as a knight, people would have assumed they were a group of mercenaries.
"Hmph, you must be Sir Lionheart from the battle at the gates."
The first to speak was a middle-aged man in colorful clothing with an impressive mustache.
"I am Duke Aquium, Lord Chancellor of the realm."
Chancellor of the realm, needless to say, a man of the court. He was about to recite his proposal to make Leon a knight of the realm for leading them to victory in battle until Leon opened his mouth.
"I'll start by greeting the queen."
Leon made a beeline for the queen's throne, but two men stood in his way: Duke Aquium and an elderly knight, presumably a general.
"How can an outsider, no matter how meritorious, come so close to your Majesty's throne?"
The Chancellor's words were echoed by the three men who had followed Leon.
"You have a point."
"He could suddenly turn around and try to assassinate us."
Leon was an otherworldly royal with a different sense of common sense from Earth, but he wasn't a closed-minded person who denied what made sense. So he wasn't offended by the chancellor's refusal, but──
"I can't stand it."
"What?"
"Your Majesty, I am Leon Dragonia Lionheart, Lionheart King of the Lionheart Kingdom, and I will do what must be done, even if I know it is disrespectful."
"No, what does he mean by that, Captain, and why don't you get him out of here──"
At that moment, Leon grabbed the chancellor's face.
"Now, wait…!"
This is some kind of déjà vu──
-Crack!
The Lionhearted King's arms tightened, and the chancellor head snapped around as it rotated 1080 degrees and settled back down.
It was instant death.
"...."
"...."
It happened so fast, and it was so shocking, that it took the people a while to recover.
After three seconds of unresponsiveness, Leon ripped the arm of the chancellor from his limp body.
It was rare to see a man's arm ripped off with pure evil.
'What the hell?'
What did he not like this time?