Chapter 202

Chapter 202
## Chapter 202: Value of the Soul

The logic behind answering the summons of the Golden Mask was perfectly straightforward.

‘I am the only one capable of fixing this.’

I was essentially a unique variable.

No one else could occupy the position of the ‘Golden Goat.’

I couldn’t leave this in the hands of another, time was running out, and the call from the Golden Mask was the most pressing priority on my list.

‘If this were just a standard social gathering, I wouldn’t have bothered showing up.’

It wasn’t that I attended out of a sense of prestige.

A specific detail in the correspondence from the Golden Mask had snagged my attention.

‘The Eight Houses Knight Order assembly.’

The Eight Houses Knight Order!

The most legendary collective among the countless military divisions of the Empire.

The Emperor’s personal blade!

That specific organization, which operated exclusively on the Emperor’s behalf, had been explicitly cited in the letter.

The fact that a summit was being held with them meant it was tied directly to the ‘Sleeping Emperor.’

Furthermore, their mobilization suggested a specific reality…

‘……Either a threat to the Emperor has surfaced, or the Emperor has finally stirred from his slumber.’

It was almost certainly one of those two scenarios.

However, there was a confusing element.

The Eight Houses Knight Order only answered to the Emperor and ignored the directives of all others.

They possessed the authority to act on their own military judgment, meaning they wouldn’t bow to high-ranking nobles or even the leadership of the Reaper Church.

‘So why are they meeting together?’

The reason for this joint session between the Reaper Church high-ranking officials and the Eight Houses Knight Order was a mystery.

That uncertainty was precisely why I couldn’t miss it.

I was also deeply curious about the true nature of the ‘Will of the Great Moon.’

One mystery spawned another until I finally reached the Imperial Palace, the very center of the Empire.

“……”

The air was thick with a murderous, bone-chilling cold.

I observed various factions and military units congregating within the palace grounds.

They were all masked in silver, mirroring the executives of the Reaper Church they followed.

Had the church leadership brought their private armies here to flaunt their strength?

Right here in the hallowed Imperial Palace where the Emperor was resting?

‘They are keeping a close watch.’

On one another.

As I had suspected before, the eleven executives were fierce competitors.

Mutual trust was nonexistent.

That hostile energy had trickled down to their underlings as well.

Furthermore.

‘They are on edge.’

A strange vibration of anxiety saturated the environment.

A single spark could cause the whole place to ignite, even if they weren’t planning on fighting each other right this second.

What was causing this?

‘……Thunder God Descent.’

As I surveyed the crowd, my eyes stopped at a particular spot.

A person wearing a silver fox mask—the same individual who had utilized the ‘Thunder Lion’ unique skill back at the imperial auction. I viewed him as a project I had personally developed.

He failed to recognize who I was.

“The Golden Goat has arrived. Identity confirmed.”

The moment I displayed the Golden Goat emblem at the palace gates, the silver-masked transcendents all shifted their focus toward me simultaneously.

Their eyes were a chaotic mix of different sentiments.

The most prominent thought among them was likely, ‘Why did he show up by himself?’

‘There’s clearly something I missed.’

The letter from the Golden Mask hadn’t mentioned bringing a retinue.

Yet, every other executive had brought their forces, implying there was some common knowledge I wasn’t privy to.

The Golden Mask must have intentionally left that detail out.

‘Bloodlust.’

It wasn’t just curiosity.

At the core of this emotional storm was a blatant, collective ‘intent to kill.’

It was preposterous.

Despite being an executive myself, they were broadcasting their hostility without any restraint.

Was this a test to see if I could withstand the pressure before entering?

The concentrated killing intent from so many powerful beings felt like walking across a frozen lake that was starting to crack.

“Entry for the Golden Goat!”

But it didn’t phase me.

It was irrelevant.

Step. Step.

I walked into the palace with a straight posture and a rhythmic stride.

Their glares, their suspicion, their anxiety—even that heavy bloodlust—could no longer affect me.

—

The White King’s expression soured.

“……Where is the Fifth Commander?”

The Fifth Commander had completely ignored his order to appear.

This was unprecedented.

There hadn’t been a single word from him since the news of the conquest of the desert metropolis, Paysalmer.

With the Black King missing.

Only three pillars of strength stood before the White King now.

Medusa, the Palace Ghost, and the Great Earth Dragon.

And his own child, Aria.

‘He is feeling unstable.’

Aria could sense the White King’s internal state.

With every passing hour, the White King’s patience was wearing thin.

Even though all the targeted southern territories had been seized.

It indicated that the Black King’s movements were moving faster than he had anticipated.

The Black King hadn’t reacted at all to the fall of the south.

As if those victories were trivial.

Complete indifference.

He was clearly organizing a much larger move.

“The Fifth Commander…… Does he find my summons so beneath him?”

“It isn’t like that, White King.”

Aria stepped forward quickly to intervene.

A falling out between the White King and the Fifth Commander at this juncture would be a disaster.

From what Aria had seen, the Fifth Commander was a talent the White King absolutely had to keep on his side.

That ominous crow known as the Fifth Commander…… seemed to have no limits to his potential.

The other commanders had grown stronger as well, but his rate of evolution was on another level entirely.

The White King’s face grew even more grim.

“Then what? Does he have a task so vital that he can simply disregard my voice?”

“White King. I have heard that the Fifth Commander is currently unable to respond. However, he sent along a ‘tribute’ for you.”

“……?”

Aria held out her hands, carefully presenting an object wrapped in fine fabric that she had been carrying. The White King looked on, confused.

“Wait. This is……”

Upon seeing the object, the White King’s eyes began to tremble violently.

Though it was covered in cloth, the shape was unmistakable.

“……My molar.”

The tooth he had surrendered during the old conflict with Wilhelm.

The loss of that tooth had physically weakened the White King.

It had destroyed his sense of self-assurance.

Now, the Fifth Commander was presenting that lost molar as a ‘tribute.’

The White King gripped the tooth with shaking hands.

It was a dense cluster of his own magical essence—the very definition of his power.

“White King. The Fifth Commander also stated that this is a ‘tribute with no obligations attached.’”

“……No hidden cost?”

Was this an apology for missing the summons?

He had returned the very thing the White King had searched for so long, yet he asked for nothing in return.

He claimed there was no price, but he surely desired something.

‘What is it you truly want from me, Fifth Commander?’

Only then did the White King’s temper cool.

With the molar back in his possession, he could finally prepare for the ultimate confrontation with the Black King.

He could act with purpose now.

His hesitation up until this point had been fueled by that loss—both of his tooth and his spirit.

Now that he had it back, there was nothing holding him back.

Regardless, it was a massive gift.

And such gifts required a response.

Missing a single meeting? That could be overlooked.

The question now was what to give in return.

“I am setting out for the ‘Primordial Forest.’”

“What……?”

“You are leaving Kramdel, my Lord?”

The room gasped at the White King’s declaration.

He was going to leave the safety of Kramdel for the Primordial Forest himself!

Even while the Black King was actively hunting him.

“Correct. You all will stay and defend Kramdel.”

The White King’s determination was unshakeable.

If the Black King was making pacts with dark elves, then he would secure an alliance with the elves.

And while there, he would seek it out.

……A proper gift for the Fifth Commander.

—

The fact that I arrived at the feast completely unharmed caused the eyes of several guests to light up.

‘Well, well.’

‘So he was concealing his true strength?’

His boldness at the initial feast.

It seemed it wasn’t just an empty act.

He had walked straight through the concentrated killing intent of the transcendents at the gate.

‘But…… there is a different vibe than the last time.’

‘Hmm.’

Had the mood shifted?

No, it was more than that.

The ‘aura’ coming off him was fundamentally different.

It was subtle, yet he radiated a faint glow.

It was hard to define, but it felt like true majesty.

An unprecedented sense of dignity was emanating from the Golden Goat.

Furthermore.

‘……This is just ridiculous now.’

‘He’s doing it again?’

I manifested the ‘Throne of Light’ by the window and took a seat.

Even though they had undoubtedly set a specific ‘Golden Goat’s chair’ for me this time.

He truly is a lunatic who craves the spotlight.

Ignoring the stares, the Golden Goat kept his eyes fixed on the Golden Mask.

The feast commenced.

“‘The Will of the Great Moon’ is watching. Let this serve as the ‘Last Supper.’”

It was night.

The night of the full moon.

Outside, the moon glowed yellow, but inside the palace walls, the moonlight filtered in as a deep, violent ‘red.’

“To begin, everyone must call forth their ‘Orthodoxes.’ The ‘Will of the Great Moon’ desires to see them plainly.”

The Golden Mask sketched a symbol in the air, bringing his Orthodox into existence.

The other guests did the same.

Their Orthodoxes looked similar to the ones they had summoned before.

However, the response was vastly different.

-Kekekeke!

-Kikikikiki!

The Orthodoxes were reacting aggressively to something in the room.

The crimson moonlight was driving them into a state of madness.

Their eyes turned as red as the moon, and they began to salivate uncontrollably.

-Kyakyakyakya!

……It was like a scene from the abyss.

The Golden Mask let out a soft laugh.

“Heh. This day is the closest we have come to the ‘Omnifeast.’ Under the gaze of the ‘Will of the Great Moon,’ this ‘Red Full Moon’ triggers a ravenous thirst in the Orthodoxes.”

In short, they needed more sustenance.

The sequence of events was important.

But that wasn’t the only reason for this.

“The Orthodox belonging to the one who prepared the communion shall eat first. Whichever creature consumes the most at this feast will be granted the direct favor of the ‘Will of the Great Moon’—and the same goes for its master.”

Thump! Thump!

The heartbeats of the guests became loud enough to hear.

Everyone was filled with a sense of excitement.

“Most importantly, as you are aware, this feast does not limit you to a single ‘soul.’ If you present multiple souls at once, a ‘value’ will be assigned to your contribution. Bring forward every soul of high quality that you possess.”

……Not just one?

The letter hadn’t mentioned that.

The first feast had been restricted to a single soul.

This time, the rules had changed.

They would calculate the value of every soul presented, sum up the scores, and rank us based on the total.

I locked eyes with the Golden Mask.

‘He isn’t going to let me go first this time.’

He had intentionally kept those details hidden from me.

The first feast allowed Hell to dominate the Omnifeast because of the surprise factor; now, he was trying to eliminate that variable.

If Hell started vomiting souls back up like last time, it would be a problem.

The Golden Mask looked away and addressed the room again.

“Now then. Who will be the first to present their ‘banquet’?”

“I will!”

It was the man in the lion mask.

He stepped forward with confidence once again.

This was the same man who had provided ‘Gracia’s Youth’ during the previous gathering.

“This far exceeds even ‘Gracia’s Youth.’ Prepare to be amazed!”

He had something even more rare?

Under the gaze of everyone present, the lion-masked man struck his hands together.

Reapers appeared behind him, dragging a collection of souls.

There were many of them.

And among the group.

“What on earth is…… that?”

“Whoa.”

The guests stepped back in shock.

They were staring at one specific soul.

The lion-masked man shouted, punching the air in triumph.

“Hahaha! Indeed, it is the soul of a ‘Star Awakener.’”

A Star Awakener.

Those elusive devotees who follow the stars.

He had actually managed to catch one.

They were nearly impossible to track down unless they chose to show themselves.

How did he manage it?

“And not just any Star Awakener. This one knows the coordinates of the ‘Mother Star,’ which is protected by the ‘Giant of Evil’s Bane.’”

“That is quite a feat.”

“The other souls are of equal caliber. This is a truly magnificent banquet.”

“……Impressive. The ‘Will of the Great Moon’ shall now determine the value of these souls.”

The Golden Mask gave a nod of approval.

Then.

【194,876】

Glowing red numbers appeared in the air in front of the lion-masked man.

The valuation provided by the Will of the Great Moon.

Nearly 195,000 points.