They entered the secret hall located in the middle of the capital. Gold, silver, and precious jewels rolled on the floor as if they were mere rocks.

  But the most important thing was something else.

  It was the artifacts with their own mysterious power that hovered in the corners of the hall.

  There was a sword.

  An axe.

  A spear, a bracelet, and a ring.

  If the High Priest Pedrian revealed his powers through the wards of the grand temples and the support of the evil god Angramainyu, Kapitle revealed his power through the artifacts he had gathered.

  They walked while guarding their eyes against the blinding light until they reached the curtain of water. Behind that curtain was the silhouette of a person.

  Although it was only a silhouette, its presence was large. A calmly glinting eye gave an oppressive aura despite the curtain.

  The ruler of Eldorado.

  The Golden Wise King Kapitle was there.

  Everyone in the continent knew of him, but at the same time only a few of his trusted subordinates ever saw him.

  The average subordinates had never seen Kapitle himself behind the curtain of water.

  “I see everyone has arrived. Sit.”


  “Yes, Your Majesty.”


  Before them was a table made of obsidian.

  A total of seven chairs were laid before it.

  Six belonged to the dukes.

  And the last chair belonged to Zakiya, the guardian of the secret castle in the desert.

  But even if six seats were filled, the seventh seat remained empty.

  “I wonder what happened,” they said of Zakiya, who had not responded to Kapitle’s order.

  Even if Zakiya had not revealed her true face during the meetings, she had never ignored Kapitle’s order to gather.

  “Huhu, no need to worry.”


  Kapitle’s words resounded through the hall.

  At his words, the dukes simultaneously lowered their heads. “Of course.”


  “I have given Zakiya a special order.”


  “As expected. We are reassured.”


  One reason Kapitle was called a Wise King was because of his ability to control and order his subordinates. If Zakiya’s absence was due to his order, then there was nothing to be worried about.

  “The plan to pit the young lion and that old High Priest has worked.”


  “Yes. It is due to your amazing strategy that the crazy religion has disappeared.”


  “The eight grand temples he constructed have also been demolished, so there is no protection of the evil god lingering in those lands.”


  At Kapitle’s words the dukes began praising his feat.

  “Please, take the continent for yourself by defeating that extra.”


  “I will be at the forefront.”


  “No, I am better at strategies. Please give me the opportunity.”


  The dukes fought over themselves for the opportunity to stand at the forefront.

  Kapitle had a definite line between reward and punishment. If someone showed definite progress, he raised their position, and if someone’s accomplishments were lacking, he rescinded their titles.

  That was why there was an obvious competition for any opportunity to accomplish something.

  “There is no need to fight. I will go myself.”


  “Your Majesty himself!”


  “You’d stand at the battlefield?”


  The voices of the dukes became louder.

  Even they had never seen Kapitle’s true powers.

  They only submitted to his power and flawless strategies that came from behind the curtain of water, mostly in fear.

  We can finally witness his Majesty’s true powers.

  What powers does he have?

  When their curiosity had reached a peak, the curtain of water slowly started to move.

  The silhouette’s true figure was revealing itself.

  It was the moment when his true figure, which most of his trusted subordinates had never seen, was revealed.

  He was an old man.

  But he wasn’t a weak old man.

  The beard that had grown from his chin to his chest made him look strong.

  His body, which had been trained over endless decades, revealed a powerfully consolidated power and its vibrant movement.

  The crown on his head had white gold as its foundation with multiple precious jewels embedded in it.

  And one of his eyes was an “ocular prosthesis.”


  A strange aura came from the jewel that was in the place of an eye.

  Is that the legendary eye which is said to read people’s minds?

  I’ve heard that it reads people’s future.

  No one knew the truth.

  They only feared him.

  Suddenly, Kapitle slid off his perch and placed one foot on the ground.

  Rumble.

  With only that single step, the entire room trembled.

  He waved his hand lightly.

  Crash.

  The air seemed to rush forward as one of the walls of the hall collapsed.

  Is this a show of power?

  While the dukes fell into contemplation, Kapitle murmured, “I haven’t stood in so long, that I seem to be unable to control my power.”


  “That was from standing?”


  “As expected of Your Majesty.”


  His servants lowered their heads at the careless power, which had turned out to be not his true strength.

  They could win. Their ruler could beat Sungjin.

  “Huhu. It seems like the time has come for me to reveal everything I’ve gathered.”


  Kapitle raised his hand.

  That caused the artifacts hovering in the air to gather in front of him. Like the loyal pets of an owner.

  “I will be warming up. You may watch.”


  “Yes, Your Majesty.”


  Kapitle reached towards an artifact that looked like a string. The golden string was simply that, a string. It couldn’t be called a weapon.

  But since Kapitle had chosen that over all of the other artifacts, it had to be special.

  What power did it hold?

  The string turned brighter in Kapitle’s hands.

  At the same time, the gold and jewels on the floor trembled from an unknown force.

  A strange tension rose.

  And the dukes witnessed the power of the artifact Kapitle had chosen.

  After rolling around on the floor because of the interfering flow, they helplessly saw the results of such power under the pressure.

  Half of the hall had blown over.

  And the castle walls beyond had collapsed.

  And beyond those ruins, a new moat had been created.

  And beyond that, a new crater was the collapsed outer wall.

  And beyond that outer wall, the ground had split into a crevice.

  Looking at the destruction that had cut through half of their capital, they could only sit in excited trembles.

  “This is…… the power of His Majesty.”


  “It’s unbelievable…… No, it’s otherworldly.”


  They would not have believed it had they not seen it.

  They had heard rumours that Pedrian had split the sea but couldn’t confirm its validity.

  But one thing was true.

  If their ruler tried, he could do the same.

  They all had witnessed the true powers of the string Kapitle had chosen.

  Sungjin or Sujin that extra would be defeated under its power.

  Our ruler didn’t really have a need for all his plans.

  But to use those plans despite his power made Kapitle a truly perfect ruler.

  The extra may have some strategies, but what’s that before our ruler?

  Victory is ours.

  Kapitle looked at the destruction he had caused in satisfaction.

  “Leave the ruins as they are. I will capture the extra and his servants as slave to fix this.”


  “Of course.”


  The dukes immediately understood that leaving this ruin was a part of his “propaganda.”


  “Now, go deliver my proclamation of war. The continent will be united under my rule.”


  “Yes, of course!”


  The dukes moved in an immediate fervour.

  There was nothing to fear.

  * * *