"I… I am so sorry…! I…!"
"It worked…?"
While the maid was bowing her head again and again, Ace pulled himself back up to his feet, holding one hand to his chest while muttering.
"IT WORKED! IT WORKED! MISS ADRIANNA, THANK YOU SO MUCH~!"
"Nghaah!?"
After his eyes lit up in realization, overjoyed Ace called out and hugged the surprised maid, picking her up and twirling around.
"!!! Oh, shiii…! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, the excitement over completing the quest got the better of me…!"
As the initial wave of excitement passed, Ace flinched in realization, put the blushing maid down, and lowered his head before apologizing.
"N-no, it's okay…"
"Miss, I am so grateful for what you did… I… huh…?"
The maid blushed even harder and shook her hands dismissively while looking away, which seemed to make the green-haired man even more apologetic until he noticed something and furrowed his brows.
"...Are… are we in a combat with each other…?"
"That seems to be the case… Because of the kick on the hammer and slamming you into the ground…"
He asked hesitantly, to which the girl responded, deeply embarrassed.
"Oh! Is that so? Please don't lower your head. I… Hold on, you're level 149!? Dear Perseverance! We are sorry for being so disrespectful until now, young lady! Our behavior until now was unbecoming of someone of your status and competence!"
Ace reached out his hand to stop the girl, but right then, he also realized that he could perceive her level and turned pale as a ghost. He immediately switched to an official and extremely polite way of speaking.
"Eh? N-no, no, no! Your Highness, I am only a maid! A personal maid of young lady Melinda Fenrioette, but still a maid! The difference in status is abundantly clear…!"
The maid gasped and hurriedly shook her head, closing the distance between them and grabbing Ace's hands to prevent him from dropping on one knee as if he were meeting someone of a higher social status.
"My lady, you seem not to realize that, at the moment, there are barely any individuals close to your level. No living humans, some elves, and a handful of dwarves. You are a national treasure, much more important than some ruler in name only of a vassal state! "
"N-no I'm not…! I'm really not, Please, I don't deserve anything of what your highness has said! I got basically handed the experience points without lifting a finger. Please, forget that you ever saw my level…!"
Ace gasped, but the maid shook her head vigorously as if she wanted to snap her own neck.
"Young lady…"
"No! Don't! An imposter like myself doesn't deserve such respect!"
The green-haired monarch let out a troubled voice, and the maid continued shaking her head before pleading with tears in the corners of her eyes.
"..."
"...please…"
Ace went silent, looking at the girl who sniffled and asked quietly.
"Well, a gentleman's greatest dishonor is to make a lady cry. If that is your wish, Miss, I will address you as before."
"...thank you, your highness…"
The green-haired young man breathed out before closing his eyes and nodding, declaring as he opened them, making the maid release a sigh of relief.
"In exchange, I wish for you not to address me with such respect either."
"EH!?"
Ace added, making the maid flinch once again.
"Please. I believe our circumstances to be similar."
"..."
He pointed out, making the maid fidget from some sort of inner battle.
"That's a peculiar type of battle."
"!!!"
"!!!"
Suddenly, a monstrous white-haired man, who approached the pair without them noticing it, spoke up making the maid and the green-haired monarch flinch.
"Zane!"
The gold-haired girl trotting behind the white-haired man called out while finishing fixing her rugged appearance.
Despite her calling out to Zane to correct his behavior, Melinda's golden eyes seemed to carry nothing except affection for him.
"My lady, this isn't what it… ah…!"
The maid called out, only then realizing she was still holding onto Ace's hands. Hurriedly letting go, she backed away, her face, ears, and neck crimson red.
"Lord Zane, Young Lady Melinda, Miss Adrianna. I am extremely grateful to all of you not only as a King of Silveria but also as a person."
Ace glanced between Zane and the maid before stepping up and taking the spotlight, thanking all three of them.
"This King is no longer allowed to forget this favor and will definitely return it if an opportunity arises."
He added in a more official manner.
"We graciously accept Your Highness's… Hm…?"
Melinda curtsied, equally as courteous... but without any warning she turned her head with such momentum as if she had a lock-on feature ON and her aim was forced to snap onto a new target.
******
*rumble*
*rustle*
In the depths of the mineshaft that Kobolds rarely use nowadays, Deep-Dusk Silva Head shifted because of the suspicious tremors, and it became vigilant as it sensed a copious amount of lifeforce outside.
No… not simply copious.
Outrageous. Titanic.
Gargantuan.
Of the trio of Deep-Dusk Heads, Silva Head was most connected with nature.
In their world, it meant a close connection with the System.
The floating creature was filled with the desire to know more, to learn more about it. In its mind, it appeared as if answers to everything anyone could ever ask about were within its grasp…
And yet they were also so far, too…
Despite its limitations as a standalone monster designated as Silva Head, the creature had a very clear directive that influenced its behavior.
It was always like that…
…but at the same time, something had changed…
In spite of its simplistic instincts, even before it was unleashed from its sealed prison by demon followers, Silva Head became aware that it was something more.
It was a key.
To what?
It wasn't sure.
What was a key?
That was also beyond Silva Head's current state.
What it knew, though, was that Demonkin wanted it.
The sole reason for them seeking the sites of Ancient Draconid ruins and unsealing Deep-Dusk Heads was to take possession of keys.
Since Silva Head could not sense the delicate connection it shared with Heath Head and Glacier Head, even it could figure out something had to happen to them.
Nothing good.
Silva Head controlled dozens of weak-minded monsters - all of which it sent out to search for not just its two counterparts but the one thing that would connect them and release them from the shackles of the monster's instinct.
Their main board.
Deep-Dusk Dullahan.
It wasn't just a vague idea. The System itself bestowed all Deep-Dusk Heads with a quest.
Seek Kobolds' quarry and reunite with your main body.
It was more difficult than it seemed, though.
Demon followers freed Silva Head only to follow it. If it hadn't used its pollen to control and deal with them, the Demon General they served would have captured it.
Even based on instinct alone, Silva Head knew that it had to avoid any signs of demonic energy.
It wasn't too difficult. The life energy of demons and those whom they shared their energy with differed greatly from the life energy of species native to the Jewelboxia continent.
What turned out to be difficult was finding a Kobold quarry that hadn't been razed to the ground and turned into a heavily guarded human settlement or that hadn't been under the control of a demon or demon followers.
Only thanks to the monsters it controlled was Silva Head finally able to find the safe location where it was holed up.
Waiting for Deep-Dusk Dullahan to show up.
And lo and behold!
Judging by the amount of monster life force, the Deep-Dusk Dullahan did arrive!
Not only that, its life energy was so abundant that it must have already combined with both Heath Head and Glacier Head!
Could it be that despite its superior senses and connection to the nature and therefore the System, Silva Head simply lacked luck and was the last one to be picked up?
"...!"
Believing that it was indeed the case, the final piece that will complete its intended form prepared to get on its way. For the opportunity of allowing its intellect to ascend to a higher level and to fully utilize its connection to the System and find out all the answers to all the questions it could ever ask, Silva head turned around and hurriedly floated back through the tunnels of the mine.
The closer it was, the more impressive the life energy it was sensing was turning out to be.
But there was something off about it.
It was accompanied by a strong aura of death, too.
Did the fused Deep-Dusk monsters go on a killing spree, unable to control themselves without Silva Head?
Or worse… could they be fighting with an army of Kobolds and demon followers?
The leaves and branches of Silva Head's mane of greenery allowed the creature to sense slight vibrations that suggested just that - a battle of the strong.
Where there was a battle, the aura of death would follow.
Suddenly dreading the possibility of other Deep-Dusk monsters losing, Silva Head floated faster, speeding through the labyrinth of tunnels in which it wasn't odd for Kobolds, immune to its pollen, to end up lost.
Finally, Silva Head was back outside, with a clear view of the barren quarry…
"...?"
With no sight of the gigantic grim headless horseman or two gloating heads anywhere.
"...!"
What it saw instead caused it to freeze up in fear.
A being so filled with pure gold life energy that it could be mistaken for a Sun.
The only reason it couldn't be was that its brilliance was veiled in the shroud of death, which covered it like storm clouds.
Heretical and unnatural.
Violation of the rules of the System, a disgusting horror that gained its vitality not through the lives of others but through their deaths!
"...!"
"!!!"
And then the monstrosity of brilliant gold enshrouded in the darkness of death turned her head and focused her sharp gaze right at Silva Head!
If Silva Head could make a sound, it would be shrieking in terror.
If it could change the permanent expression carved on its face, it would turn into one of despair and disgust.
But it couldn't do either.
What it could do, though, was to try to escape.
It knew the tunnels of the mine, burrowed deep within the mountain, waving and circling around on one another.
In the open, it had no chance to get away.
But inside…as the golden horror of life gained from death would pursue it and inevitably lose her way, Silva Head could have a chance to slip away!
"..."
And so, the round monster turned around once more, hurrying back inside the mountain, spreading around every single type of debuff pollen it had at its disposal as it went in hopes of slowing down the golden terror.
********