How to Survive as a Dungeon Manager in Another World

50 – The Council (1)

His mind went blank.

Siron struggled to comprehend the scene before him.

The Second Lord lay still on the ground, unmoving.

When Luke touched his forehead lightly with a fingertip, the man was cleaved in two, the earth split open, and the sky seemed to tear.

‘…What *was* that I just saw?’

It defied understanding.

It was that shocking a spectacle.

A battle was supposed to be a thing of balance, a contest of comparable strengths.

That was why fights between Lords were desperately prevented.

When Lords, Continent-class powerhouses, clashed, the scale of the battle was different, devastating the surrounding lands with its mere aftershocks.

But what Chiron had witnessed… it was pathetic even to call it a fight.

His eyes couldn’t even grasp what had happened.

Luke had simply stood there, muttering something, and then, moments later, the Second Lord was split asunder, dead.

The fact that the Second Lord, infamous even amongst the Lords for his cruelty, had been slain without even a semblance of resistance, drained the color from Chiron’s face.

In the chilling silence, it was only after some time that he could coldly accept the reality.

Luke Richter, the first to ascend to the position of the Sixth Lord in the Empire.

…He had murdered Myung-gak, another Lord.

Chiron, careful not to catch the gaze of the Sixth Lord walking ahead, pondered inwardly.

‘…Just how strong *is* he?’

At this rate, was he perhaps even stronger than the Emperor’s three Guardians, or even the Sword Sovereign?

Of course, it was nothing more than vague speculation, but the scene he had just witnessed was so incredibly shocking that he couldn’t shake the doubt.

Barely suppressing the confusion and awe that enveloped him, Chiron cautiously opened his mouth.

“Sixth Lord.”

“…?”

“What do you intend to do now?”

The Second Lord was dead.

The death of a Lord was unprecedented.

In the past, the Grand Lord had executed Lords himself, but for one Lord to die by the hand of another… this was certainly a first.

And because it was unprecedented, there was no protocol to follow, and no way to predict the repercussions of the Second Lord’s death.

For Chiron, who had simply come to act as a guide, this situation was nothing short of a bolt from the blue.

No, frankly speaking, he was fucked.

Who could have imagined that the Second Lord would suddenly appear in this abandoned village, and that the Sixth Lord would deliberately murder him?

Besides, even the reason for the killing wasn’t clear.

Judging by the situation, it seemed the deaths of the villagers had triggered his rage, and though it had given him cause to meet the Sixth Lord again, the fact that he’d caused a catastrophe couldn’t be denied.

But Ciron didn’t have the courage to argue with the Sixth Lord about this. All he could do was one thing.

To plan their next course of action with him.

One thing was certain; the Lord Council wouldn’t simply overlook this.

After all, there wasn’t a sufficient justification for killing the Second Lord within the Second Lord’s territory.

“…It will be difficult to simply let this pass.”

“Probably so.”

“Do you have any particular plans?”

“Not really.”

…Not really?

Cold sweat trickled down Ciron’s back.

He tried his best to sound calm and asked again.

“Perhaps something was discussed separately with the Grand Lord?”

“Nope.”

“…A justification to offer?”

“Not really.”

Cold sweat trickled down Ciron’s back.

“Then… what in the world…”

Muttering with a bewildered expression, Ciron whipped his head around.

His gaze turned towards the two girls who had followed along with the Sixth Lord’s party.

But the two girls were just staring with wide eyes, seemingly clueless as to what the problem was, and showing no interest whatsoever in countermeasures.

Luke, walking ahead, said quietly to Ciron.

“Are you going to keep standing there?”

“Well…”

“You don’t need to worry about the Lord Council matter. I’ll take care of it myself. You just need to properly collect the bodies you mentioned earlier and hold the funeral rites. And immediately send the Second Lord’s body to the main council.”

Ciron bit his lip hard.

How could he possibly say it? What was he thinking when he committed this act?

What would the Grand Lord, upon hearing the news, think? Plundering a ruin in another Lord’s territory and even killing the Lord himself. Wouldn’t rage well up inside him?

Even if he explained the situation, wouldn’t he instead be reprimanded with something like, ‘What’s the big deal about a few dead humans?’

A lord was such a being. One who could massacre commoners like crushing ants for amusement, and no one would dare question him.

Concealing the plundered ruins might be possible somehow, but the death of the Second Lord was not something that could be hidden.

With all his heart, Chiron wanted to suggest concealing even the Second Lord’s corpse, but Luke’s decision would not be swayed.

Therefore, Chiron’s reply was already determined.

“…Understood, Sixth Lord.”

Time flowed.

Having finished matters in the Second Lord’s territory, Luke cancelled his planned visit to the duchy.

Given the circumstances, he returned directly to Blackmoore.

Meanwhile, as Luke instructed, Chiron gathered the corpses of the slain villagers and held proper funerals.

The Second Lord’s bisected body was also sent to the Main Council, but there was still no reply.

It must have been an unforeseen incident, so it would take them time to grasp the situation.

Before long, a man arrived.

Named Cheong (靑), he introduced himself as the Grand Lord’s direct successor.

And with an icy voice, he declared the purpose of his visit.

“I deliver the Grand Lord’s summons. Sixth Lord, Luke Richter, is to visit the Main Council immediately.”

The reason was clear.

A summons to answer for the death of the Second Lord.

Anticipating this, Luke calmly acquiesced.

As he placed his hand on the scroll Cheong unfurled, the space distorted and light flared.

When he regained his senses, he was in the Main Council’s central plaza.

Cheong immediately guided Luke towards the council chamber.

A heavy silence permeated the long corridor.

Cheong glanced at Luke.

But his expression was so calm, it was hard to believe he was someone who had caused a catastrophe.

‘Is he lacking awareness?’

This was a situation where his life could be at risk, depending on the Grand Lord’s mood, yet he was excessively composed.

Whether this was a facade, or he truly had no worries, was impossible to know.

But understanding his attitude was not Cheong’s concern, so he silently focused on his duty.

At the end of the long corridor, they arrived before the council chamber.

Heavily armed knights stood guard with grim vigilance, parting like the Red Sea upon spotting Cheong, granting passage.

The closer one drew to the doors, the heavier the pressure upon the air.

A phenomenon born of concentrated mana, its source lay within the chamber, amongst the assembled lieges.

Cheong swallowed a breath, cautiously speaking.

“All of the lieges have gathered to discuss your disposition.”

“……”

“Pray make a wise choice. Consider the Great Liege’s favor shown to you thus far, and persuade them with utmost care.”

Luke, instead of answer, merely inclined his chin towards the door as if urging it open.

The doors swung wide, revealing the grandiose council chamber.

Pillars of alabaster marble supported the vaulted ceiling, between which emanated the soft, azure glow of mana lamps.

At the center, a massive hexagonal table of stone dominated the space.

The impassive countenance of Liege Ekion, the First, came into view; beside him, Liege Kallen, the Third, watched Luke with a twisted smile.

The fourth liege, with hair the color of lapis lazuli, fixed Luke with a sharp gaze, while the fifth, dark hair flowing past his shoulders, rested his chin on his hand with an air of ease.

And…

“You’ve arrived?”

Great Liege Arkan’s seat was upon a raised dais, one step above the rest.

Four of the lieges were arrayed on either side of him, only the seat of the fallen Liege Myungak, the Second, remained empty.

“See that empty place? It’s yours, Liege, the Sixth. Take your seat. We have much to discuss.”

Luke sat, his expression unchanging.

The eyes of all the lieges were upon him, yet he betrayed no disquiet.

Meanwhile, Arkan watched him with a complicated heart.

‘What am I to do with this?’

When he first heard the news of the Second Liege’s death, he was struck dumb.

He had heard whispers that he intended to depart somewhere, but that it would be the abandoned village of the Second Liege’s demesne of all places…

That he would encounter the Second there, and that he would even slay him, was entirely unforeseen.

Especially when presented with the Second’s corpse, cleaved neatly in two, he was not only dumbfounded, but also exasperated.

The fact that he had met his end with a single strike, devoid of any trace of a struggle, spoke volumes about the Sixth Liege’s skill.

The situation was thus:

The Second Liege knew that the Sixth had entered his territory.

He had sought out the abandoned village alone, surely to provoke the Sixth Lord for his uninvited trespass.

The Second Lord had been wont to pick quarrels with the others, oft and carelessly.

But in the course of it, innocents tied to the Sixth Lord were slain, and that was the spark that lit the fire.

‘In truth, it is clearly the Sixth Lord’s fault, but…’

In the Second Lord’s dominion, his word was absolute.

None could intervene in matters within his territory.

The death of a few common folk was no grounds to punish him.

By the rules, Luke ought to be executed, but…

‘…it seems difficult, does it not?’

Arkan, having witnessed Luke’s power, already knew the answer.

Luke’s skill rivaled his own, perhaps surpassed it.

Perhaps the execution could be carried out if all the lords here joined forces, but the damage that followed would be immense.

‘And more than that, we can’t simply let such talent slip through our fingers.’

Thus, he had decided.

To smooth things over, to brush it aside.

However, for the sake of the Lord’s Council’s reputation, he would need to impose at least a minimal punishment for breaking the rules.

And in exchange for covering this up, he would burden Luke with a debt, intending to demand favors of him down the line.

‘Didn’t things turn out rather well?’

That Second Lord, that brat, was nothing but trouble, refusing to listen; a constant headache.

Though he had died, a new Lord with greater potential had risen in his place. A net gain, indeed.

“Well then, let us begin.”

And so, Arkan smiled brightly and proceeded with the council.

“Let us get straight to the point. The Sixth Lord visited the Second Lord’s territory without any prior notice, concealing his identity, and plundered the ruins. In that process, he killed the Second Lord. Is there any rebuttal to that?”

“None.”

Yes, there wouldn’t be.

Arkan, wearing his most severe expression, continued.

“Judging by the corpse, he was killed with a single blow.”

At Arkan’s words, all the lords turned their gazes upon Luke.

They looked slightly surprised. They knew only that he had killed the Second Lord, not that it had been a single, decisive strike.

“True.”

“Aye, so that means it wasn’t some unavoidable accident in the heat of battle, but that you intended to kill him from the start?”

“I intended to kill him from the start.”

“…Aren’t you being a bit too brazen about this?”

“Is there some sort of issue?”

“Issue? Of course there’s an issue. Sixth Lord, you murdered a Lord. If there were some justifiable cause, maybe, but as it stands, the Second Lord has all the justification, doesn’t he?”

A chill permeated the air, pressing against the skin with each passing moment.

But Luke remained undeniably composed.

No, it was as if he almost welcomed this turn of events.

“I concede that point.”

“…What?”

“Therefore, I shall take responsibility for it.”

He abruptly stood from his seat, declaring that he would take responsibility.

For some reason, he was smiling, and the words he spoke upon rising were:

“I shall relinquish my seat as Lord.”

“…Huh?”

“I must take responsibility, mustn’t I? So I shall relinquish my seat as Lord.”

“……”

…Huh?

This shouldn’t be happening.