Volume 20 - CH 8

A hard, cold, flat object was hitting my cheek.

「Ugh ...... this place is ......?」

I'm not sure what's going on. The surroundings were dimly lit, and this seemed to be a basement.

Was I lying directly on the stone floor?

「Alec, you're awake.」

「Master! Uuhh, I'm glad.」

When I heard Kaede and Meena's voices, I finally remembered what had happened just before.

Yes, I was defeated by those crazy people.

「Kaede, Meena, let's get out of here right now.」

「Yeah. But we can't right now.」

Kaede said in a calm voice.

「Impossible?」

I take another good look at the place. My eyes are starting to get used to the darkness. ...... No, this one's faster.

「――Owl's eyes, cat's eyes, bat's eyes, tapetum tapetum, night eyes night eyes 【Night Vision!】」

I cast a night vision spell.

Then I saw thick iron bars and iron chains on my legs.

「I see, a prison, huh」

With a stone floor and iron bars, there's no other place to be.

「That's what I thought. Since then, I've been working with that dammed loli and Hakubi ......kuhh!」

Clenching her teeth tightly, Kaede seemed to have been badly beaten. Her clothes are tattered, and although she seems to have already been treated, there are still bloodstains all over.

「Are you okay, Kaede?」

「Don't worry about me. Are you okay with your HP, Alec?」

「Hmm? Yeah.」

I checked the status, and it had about 300,000 HP. That's about a third of what it should be, but it's enough.

「Watching that dammed Loli let the Black Titan beat you with a hammer, or let Hakubi cut you up, or let you get hurt, I was in so much pain I thought I'd be torn apart. Meena, too.」

Meena must have cried out, because the corners of her eyes turned red. I took her hand and patted it.

「I see. So, have you figured out how to get out?」

「No, this chain ...... material comes out as "Demon Steel", but it's harder and stronger than mithril. I can't break it with my own strength, and I can't use any of my big moves because I can't recover any TP.」

「That's no problem. If you use my 【Instantaneous Movement】, you'll have plenty of time.」

「I hope so. But more importantly, the problem is――.」

Kaede was about to tell me something, but before she could, I heard a voice from outside the bars.

「Lululu, let's workー♪ Let's workー♪ Working is a virtue, It's said that those who don't work shouldn't eaaat.」

「「!」」

Kaede and Meena's expressions became tense.

It's not Polin-chan, because it's a man's voice, but it seems that someone just as bad as her has come.

「Well, well, well, one of them is back from the dead, isn't it? That's strange.」

A middle-aged man in white armor peered at me from behind the bars. He had long black hair, all back. He is smiling and laughing, but it is a chilly, eerie smile.

「Mirity ......!」

When Kaede called out his name, she snapped her chains and tried to jump at him. But the bars prevented her from doing so, and she clutched them in frustration.

But Mirity? I don't think that's a good name for a middle-aged man.

Still, Mirity seemed to be pleased with Kaede's attitude and smiled, showing his white teeth.

「Wonderful! If you can move that much, you can already work, right? You are a valuable labor force. Labor is people's joy. Come on, everyone, the break is over. Get out.」

Something magical must have reacted to the voice, and the bars of the door opened. The chain connected to my ankle was also released.

「I've been waiting for this, you bastard! ――Burn! In the name of Kaede, my wings, my body, born of chaos, I command you, 【Flame Burst!】」

Kaede immediately uses the unique skill of the another world hero and rushes into Mirity while wearing blue flames all over her body.

「It's useless. What is your life plan for your retirement? The minimum amount of money you need to live on is 200,000 gold, and you can't save that kind of money by drawing yuri manga as a hobby, can you?」

Mirity said, catching Kaede lightly in one hand.

「Guh! Guoohhhh!」

「Kaede!」 「Kaede-san!」

What a bastard, mercilessly bombarding NEET with keywords she can't bear to hear.

I said to her.

「Don't worry, Kaede. I'll take care of you forever. After all, I'm the king of the Kingdom of Vernia. If you're a wealthy man, you don't have to work!」

「Oohhh ...... Alec, I'll follow you for the rest of my life!」

「Fumu ...... No, you can't do that, Alec-san. No matter how wealthy you are, you have to work. The economy depends on the company, and corporate activities are the very life of human society. If that's the case, then it's the duty of every human being to abandon self-interest and end their life as a corporate livestock. Yes!　Every day is Monday!」

「Guhhh!」

「Alec!」 「Master!」

What's that crushing feeling in my brain?

Corporate livestock ―― that's a nasty word. It makes me want to vomit in disgust.

「Now, don't rest, all of you, come quickly. That person is waiting for you.」

「That person ......? Who the hell is that guy?」

I ask Mirity, fighting back a headache.

「Aes-On-Bip-Gilan-Tycoon, His Majesty, the Great Emperor of Gilan.」

It's a creepy name, but now I know who Mirity is.

「You're Emperor Gilan's subordinate, huh? And you're a hero from another world, aren't you?」

Corporate activities and corporate livestock are words that only modern humans use.

「Huhuhu, yeah, that's right. I used to be the president of a certain company, but I was summoned here by the magicians. But this world is wonderful. After all, we don't have such shitty laws as the Labor Standards Act and the Constitution. Now, it's your boss's order. You must obey your superiors, aren't you?」

「Kuhh, my body is moving by itself!?」

My limbs start to move and march on their own.

「This is supposed to be a mental skill, resist it, me!」

Kaede is also desperately resisting, but she too is marching.

「Kaede-san, Master!」

Meena seems to be free, but she has no choice but to give up her resistance when Kaede and I are in complete control. After all, he doesn't even get burned by Kaede's special move.

「Our level is different. A human level of 300 is as good as trash. By the way, my combat power is 530000.」

What kind of level is Mirity at when he says that?

I was going to use [Appraisal], but I couldn't take any different action. I could only march.

I couldn't even get a candidate skill window, so there was no way to raise my mental resistance. In any case, I had already set my resistance to the highest level of 5, so I guess I would have to raise my overall level.

As I proceeded down the corridor surrounded by black stone walls, I saw a transfer magic circle.

「This leads directly to the Throne Room of the Floating Castle in the Imperial Capital of the Gilan Empire. Listen, don't give His Majesty any grief, he's the CEO. Think of it as meeting the gods. You can't go against the gods.」

Mirity turned around and said that,

「Screw you, presuming to be a god doesn't make you one.」

「Good grief, you surprise me, Kaede. You are under the control of my skills, yet you continue to talk privately. You'll get a pay cut. Your bonus for this term is zero. The fine will be deducted from your salary. Your appraisal is also negative.」

「Daaaaaaamnnnn, I'm not even working right now. Why! Why does my heart throb and a tingle in my stomach ......? Is this the curse of labor for losers who have worked even once!」

「Quiet. Then We'll come to magic circle.」

「Meena, you've got to get out of here.」

「I can't. I'll always be with master. ......!」

She's a fool. But I'm lucky to be loved by this white-haired girl.

I made up my mind and decided to look at the other side of the transfer magic circle.

It was all black, and if it weren't for the flames from the candelabra, I might have mistaken it for darkness.

But it was not darkness. It was dark, and I could feel the strong colors.

It was a vast space, ten meters wide and a hundred meters high, with several huge pillars standing tall. But judging from the structure, it must be the interior of a castle. As the king, I immediately realized that this was the Throne Room from its structure.

But ......, what is this place?

Who on earth would need and use such a huge castle?

What's more, this is a strange and oppressive feeling.

In the solemn hall, there was a thick air that almost choked me ―― which was natural.

Unexpectedly close to me, Emperor Gilan was sitting.

It was just that he was black and so huge that I didn't realize he was there until too late.