Ghost Knight King's Dungeon Project

Chapter 33 [Trust Me Once in a Day]

The territory of the Erdrick Empire is mostly composed of fertile, high-quality plains, suitable for large-scale farming and grazing. It also has large-scale foundries powered by magic and magical materials, resulting in highly developed productivity.

Although the empire's tax burden was relatively heavy, and serious corruption among local officials existed in many regions, if one was law-abiding and worked diligently, at least one could have a place to sleep and enough to eat. If all else failed, one could become a tenant farmer or a workshop laborer, and would not end up homeless.

This is why there's a saying, "All roads lead to Eros." The Erdrik Empire was already powerful and wealthy, and its capital, Eros, was a symbol of happiness. In the eyes of most people in the empire, being fortunate enough to settle in Eros, the capital of the Erdrik Empire, was the ultimate success in life.

However, there is also a saying that "Eros was not built in a day."

Because the empire was not like this decades ago. The old military aristocracy of the former Erdrik Empire, relying on the military merits and titles of their ancestors, were arrogant, extravagant, corrupt, and incompetent. They were unable to govern and plundered the people's wealth. Over the years, hereditary corruption gradually took control of the imperial military and political affairs. Successive emperors were incompetent, unwise, talentless, and immoral, and were almost reduced to puppets with titles but no real power. Bandits and outlaws roamed the empire, local governors colluded with gangs, arbitrarily levying exorbitant fees under various pretexts, and the filthy streets were filled with filth.

Until the famous, legendary, radical heir, "Blood Prince" Franz Heins III Erdrich, returned from his military training on the front lines and launched a massive purge against the old military aristocracy of the capital on the eve of his formal coronation.

On the "Night of Silence" on the eve of the coronation, the "Blood Royal Guard," reorganized from the Blood Prince's personal guard, struck first, swiftly attacking seventeen corrupt military nobles who were preparing to assassinate Heins III the following day during the new emperor's coronation. They stormed the mansion of the conspirators with bloodsteel weapons, leaving behind only the fat corpses covered in dried blood, like rats whose spines had been broken by a mousetrap.

The coronation ceremony on the second day proceeded without incident. Heins III, fully armored and dragging his blood-red sword and halberd, ascended the long steps amidst a retinue of blood-stained royal guards. He placed the imperial sword crown on his helmet, grasped the hammer of the Forged Empire, and publicly declared that from this day forward, military titles would no longer be hereditary. Apart from the four great knightly families personally appointed by the Forged Emperor, military titles would only last three generations, and succession would be subject to progressively lower ranks. To obtain a title and a local official position, one must personally serve in the military and achieve merit.

Since his ascension to the throne, Heins III had suffered a series of assassination attempts. Despite his imperial status, he was like a soldier on the front lines, constantly being poisoned and wounded every three days, and battling assassins every five days. However, thanks to his personal potion master, the fierce protection of the royal guards, and his own formidable strength, none of the assassinations succeeded. As the assassination plotters were eliminated one by one, the dried corpses of nobles displayed on spikes hanging from the eaves of the palace increased like cured meat, and the frequency of assassinations decreased, eventually approaching zero.

The more than thirty years since the reign of the iron-fisted monarch Heins III have been known as the "Temporal Dynasty".

The Erdrik Empire was renowned for its smelting and forging techniques, thus maintaining close ties with the dwarves of the surrounding mining fortresses and attracting a large number of dwarven allies to settle in the Empire's forges. Tempering is an important process in forging, involving secondary heating to improve the blade's toughness.

Under the iron-fisted rule of Heins III, the Erdrick Empire, forged by the hammer of the Forged Emperor, had been cooled and corroded for many years, and was finally scorched red-hot once again.

……

An unnamed small town in the western province of Weren, on the border of the Erdrik Empire.

The empire's inhabitants were primarily farmers, interspersed with laborers from smelting workshops and private potion-making workshops, as well as traveling merchants. People came and went, each with their own tasks. Vendors along the roadside hawked fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, while shepherds drove their flocks toward the grassy slopes outside the town.

The Erdrik Empire was known for its martial spirit, and in its earlier years, bandits roamed the land, gang fights were frequent in the cities, and almost everyone had handled weapons. Local militias had never truly disbanded, and fully armed adventurers and mercenary groups were not uncommon. Therefore, when large groups of adventurers and merchants passed through, few people stopped to watch.

“The route you two are taking is a little different from ours,” Randall said, pointing to the map. “If you want to cross the Empire and enter the Skeleton Plain in the center of the continent, you need to continue east by carriage. We, on the other hand, will continue north, cross the Northern Red Iron River, and then take a boat east to the Imperial Capital, Eros.”

"Your departure procedures are complete, so there's no need to worry," he said. "Perhaps we'll part ways around here."

Samael nodded. He reached out and shook hands firmly with Randall, then pulled closer, patted him on the shoulder, and gave him a brief hug before calmly letting go. "Take care, Randall brother."

“Take care, Brother Samos,” Rondar replied, then added as if just remembering, “And Brother Taran.”

Talia snorted and ignored her.

"Have a safe journey, knight brothers!" Elliott waved. "Thanks to you guys the other day."

Glad and Serena nodded with smiles, while Ruby pounced on Samael and hugged him around the waist.

"Thank you." She looked up and whispered to Samael, "I wish you all the best in the future."

Like… a child. Samael felt the blue UI in the helmet's view flicker. "You too, best of luck in the future," he replied. "Everything will be alright."

Talia let out another heavy snort.

Ruby released him, then turned and hugged Talia's waist again. Talia shifted, instinctively trying to pull away, but failed.

“Thank you too, Sister Taran,” Ruby said.

Talia swallowed hard under her helmet.

“Uh…yes…I wish you all the best in the future,” she said dryly.

There was no further entanglement; the wind simply caused the fallen leaves to collide, and then to part again. If every gust of wind required this half-day of entanglement, how could one possibly ride the wind to distant places?
Moreover, we might collide again in a gust of wind some distance away.

After waving goodbye to the two monks, Randall and his companions set off again with the merchant caravan.

Samael and Talia headed towards the town post station—most of the empire's territory was plains, and the roads were in relatively good condition. Hiring a traveling carriage and traveling at full speed, it wouldn't take long to cross the empire's three western provinces.

“You are very popular,” Talia whispered.

"What's wrong?" Samael smiled. "If you treat them sincerely, they will treat you sincerely in return."

“My father looks a lot like you.” Talia gazed up at the empire’s azure sky, lost in thought. “If you ever had the chance to meet, he would definitely like you very much.”

“My father was very sincere to everyone around him. He was even kind to the weak exiled tribes driven away by other demon kings, allowing them to stay in his dungeon at will and even choose to settle there freely.”

“Isn’t this a good thing?” Samael asked.

“It’s a good thing and a bad thing.” Talia sighed. “Even for demons, the north is not a very suitable place to live. The demons who are willing to live in the cold north are the weak ones who have been driven there. The demon kings who have been driven to the north are also the weakest of the group.”

"My father's manner and demeanor attracted a large number of exiles and numerous weak demon kings from the north as allies. It was because of this that an unprecedentedly vast mountain demon kingdom was built—the entire continuous Rondoran mountain range was a building, and the surrounding cold snowfields, both underground and on the surface, were all the territory of the demon kingdom. It was jointly built and managed by the leaders of the exile tribes in the surrounding areas and the weak demon kings."

"Although they were not strong, not good at fighting, and not all-rounders, some were good at construction, some at strategy, some at animal husbandry, and some at planting special crops in cold regions. It was my father who united them, assigned them their respective positions, and treated them with sincerity and kindness, which ultimately led to the construction of such a magnificent feat."

"Unlike other city-state-like demon dungeons, the Rondoran Mountain Demon Kingdom is not a small regional city-state, but a huge united kingdom of demons."

"It was a magnificent miracle of unprecedented scale, occupying two-thirds of the desolate demon realm in the far north of the entire continent at its peak."

"A leader's charisma of sincerity and a willingness to share with friends appeared in a demon lord known for his greed, cruelty, and survival of the fittest. This is almost impossible, and my father is that 'impossible'."

"So, how did Rondoran collapse?" Samael asked.

“The other demon lords will not allow Rondoran to become the sole ruler; it is a threat. They fear that if Father is allowed to continue his expansion, he might launch a counterattack from the north, constantly seizing more and more territory until he conquers the whole world,” Talia replied in a low voice.

"In order to counter the growing power of their father, many demon lords united with the adventurers' alliance on the northern border. They used various schemes to sow discord, bribe, deceive, entice, and blackmail, gradually breaking up many of their demon allies and weakening their power. They also recruited spies from within."

"Under the manipulation of a web of conspiracy, the traitor killed his father and took the remaining Rondoran as a reward."

"But the traitor lacked his father's abilities and charismatic leadership. His exiled followers quickly deserted him, his territory shrank, buildings collapsed due to lack of protection and maintenance, and the army mutinied. The Demon Kingdom of Rondoran Mountains fell. And the traitor soon became an insignificant and weak demon king, reduced to an unknown stray dog ​​amidst the laughter of the demon kings who were attacking Rondoran."

“Samael,” she suddenly looked at him, “sometimes I’m confused.” “What is it, my lord?” Samael asked habitually, “What do you want to eat for lunch? We’re rich now.”

"No, no! Stop changing the subject like this! You always do this!" Talia stretched out her hands, holding up Samael's helmet so that the gap in the helmet would allow him to see directly into her eyes. "With your abilities, your talent, your strategic and tactical wisdom, why would you be willing to follow a troublesome exiled fugitive like me? Aren't I a burden to you?"

The two stared at each other in silence.

Shila-

The helmet's UI visuals flickered with a faint blue spark.

[Disorder in consciousness detected].

The cold, towering walls forged from ghost copper stood vaguely before me, seemingly endless upwards, endless downwards, endless to the left, endless to the right, without any boundary in any direction.

Sizzle—The thin girl sat curled up in the dark center of the room, hugging her knees tightly, curled into a small ball, and buried her face between her knees.

A hammer and spear? A cloak? Dim crystals?
No... slippers, pajamas, cartoon dolls.

The triserine hydrochloride box lay scattered on the ground, mixed with shards of a blood-stained glass that had cut her feet.

"Brother...am I a burden to you..." A muffled voice echoed from inside the helmet, "I can't do anything right..."

Shila-

[Disorder in consciousness detected].

“You are my guide and companion in the new world, I need you.” Samael ignored the flashing of the helmet UI and answered calmly, “Without you, I know nothing about this world and it would be impossible for me to leave the Kana Plain—the Demon King Valak would have noticed me on the very first day I set foot on the Kana Plain and would have captured me and dismantled me into parts for research.”

“I promised to assist you in completing the dungeon's mission, it is my duty as your…” He paused, “It is my responsibility. I will not make promises lightly, nor will I easily break them.”

"How exactly did you die?" Talia asked in a low voice. "I know what games are. Demons also play card games and board games—but how could someone like you, with dreams, swift execution, courage, intelligence, sharp thinking, and unwavering will, possibly die from overwork due to prolonged gaming addiction?"

silence.

“Samael?” Talia held his helmet in both hands, stubbornly repeating.

silence.

Samael lifted the bronze gauntlet and slowly pressed down the black claw-shaped armor that she was holding up the side of her helmet.

“That’s a bit of a overstep, ally,” Samael changed his form of address. “Does addressing me this way make you feel more at ease?”

Talia gazed at him.

“I don’t know,” she said. “Trust me once in a while.”

silence.

“I want to say that although my father protected me very well, he has been gone for a long time. I am no longer a child who needs protection. I have been able to escape alone for so long, so please trust my abilities.” Talia let go of her hand. “We have led the monsters and cooperated with the undead army several times. You know that I am not that fragile.”

"You can rely on me when you need to."

Shila-

[Disorder in consciousness detected].

She is not... she is not Nan Nan... she is not Xia Qing Nan.

They are different.

"What would you like to eat?" Samael answered mechanically, his voice carrying a faint hissing sound like rusty metal scraping together.

He seems to only use this excuse to avoid the topic, whether in the past or present. It's as if bringing his sister some treats can make him pretend that nothing unpleasant happened.

Even though I no longer need to eat, the other party is a hybrid demon whose ability to withstand hunger is comparable to that of a camel.

This excuse has now become a clumsy and blatant lie, like sticking a piece of white paper with a cartoon smiley face on a tear-streaked face.

The two looked at each other silently.

"Let's go." Talia didn't say anything more. "The stagecoach has arrived; it's time to go."

She pulled the bag of gold coins from her waist and began haggling with the bus driver, her face darkening.

"Nine hundred? Do you think we're stupid?" she bargained with the driver. "Six hundred at most."

Samael looked at her in silence.

It was as if their roles had reversed. For a fleeting moment, he became the one who needed to be taken care of.

The travel fee was settled at 650 Erdrik gold coins. The prices of ordinary people in the habitable zone within the Empire differed greatly from those in the desolate lands, which were teeming with expensive enchanted materials. Even after haggling, the profit margin was still outrageously high. The driver of the inn's carriage was in high spirits, gently swishing his whip across the horse and enthusiastically describing the scenery along the way.

"Do you see that big chimney in the distance? That's a large foundry in the Erdrik Empire, and there are only seven provinces with such things."

"This place is very close to the [Rock Dome Kingdom] to the southeast. Many short, bearded men come from the mines in the southeast, driving jet-powered iron wagons with huge furnaces burning kerosene and charcoal, hauling ore as high as small mountains, rumbling in and rumbling away. There are also many short men living near the forge, helping out there. Every night, they make a ruckus and flock to the town, crowding every little tavern to the brim..."

He kept talking and talking, but unfortunately the two people in the carriage behind him ignored him.

"Are you two knights lovers or siblings?" the driver asked nosy.

"It's none of your business," the two people in the carriage replied at the same time.

　I will update another chapter around midnight, about an hour later.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)