“A-Argh... Hyungseokius... I think... You will have to... lead the operation...” Baroque groaned. ”I think... I will have to focus on containing this... power for now... Arghhh!” “A-As you command! I will start making plans to lure Your Majesty’s brother, Metatron, and kill him.” ”I will... leave it to you... Argh!” ”Please focus on controlling the demonic power within you, sire.” ”N-No, there’s something I must tell you... first...” ”Actually, I... joined hands with Dantalion...” “Request Dantalion’s cooperation... My brother is in possession of the Avenger... Our demons won’t stand a chance against him, so... you must seek Dantalion’s help... With his help, you will easily... kill my broth—arghh!” ”A-As you command, sire!” ”You must... kill my... brother...” After saying those words... Baroque’s head fell limp. He couldn’t control the rampaging mana inside of him and lost consciousness. ”Damn it...” Chae Hyung-Seok grumbled under his breath while using his skills to treat Baroque. He could have called for the demon physicians, but he decided not to do that for the sake of security. The demon realm was an unforgiving place where the strong would feast on the weak. If word got out that Baroque couldn’t contain the demonic powers he absorbed from Vernas, then a rebellion would surely happen. Well, Chae Hyung-Seok could grab this opportunity and lead the rebellion himself. However, he was not going to start a coup. He briefly considered killing Baroque and absorbing his demonic power along with Vernas’ demonic power. Should he snap Baroque’s neck right now and claim the throne himself? However, he knew that a coup would be meaningless without securing the Demon Sword: Avenger. If he were to absorb Baroque’s demonic power without the proper means to control it, he would just meet the same fate. In the end, some other demon would kill him and steal the very power he had stolen. Thus, rather than entertain his greed and stage a hopeless rebellion, Chae Hyung-Seok decided to remain loyal. Siegfried was horrified to confirm that members of the Illuminati had even seized the thrones of multiple kingdoms considered great powers on the continent. “At this level... they could start a full-scale war without any problems.” If the kings mentioned on the list were to join forces, their combined military power would equal roughly two-thirds of the Marchioni Empire’s might. In other words, they were strong enough to start a world war. Inciting a world war was unthinkable if the Marchioni Empire were at full strength, but that was not the case right now. The empire was dealing with an invasion from the second expedition of the Coral Race. If those five great powers united and started a world war or directly invaded the Marchioni Empire, nothing could stop them. “My god... This is really...” Siegfried muttered anxiously. What if these five great powers declared war on the empire? And what if they established a monotheistic religion? What if they started persecuting all of the other religious orders? Just thinking about these things made his head hurt. If the things he feared ended up happening, then everything he had done until now, such as stopping the Church of Healing from opening the Celestial Gates, would be for naught. “This is driving me crazy...” Siegfried muttered. Then, he turned and said, “Thanks for the intel.” “It is my duty to be at your service, Master.” “Well, I guess that’s true.” As an Irradiator, Apollonas was bound to be unconditionally loyal to Siegfried. “Anyway, what are you good at?” Siegfried asked. “I don’t have a reason to kill you, but... you’re not particularly useful in combat.” “Yes, I do agree. Hence, I will die if you wish me to, Master.” “There’s no need for that. I’m just curious, so I wanted to ask what you’re good at.” “I only walked the path of clergy so...” “Right... It was kind of funny of me to ask this to begin with,” Siegfried said with an awkward smile. Then, he shrugged and said, “I guess just go help around in the palace.” “As you command, Master.” “I’ll be going now, then.” “Have a pleasant day, Master.” After finishing his business with Apollonas, he decided to summon the kingdom’s officials to find a way to deal with those swapping the Praystones of the statues and temples dedicated to the deities of the numerous religious orders. Unfortunately, Siegfried had to sort of self-quarantine, so he was unable to attend the meeting. “I beg of Your Majesty not to wander around the palace. The radioactive energy leaking from your body seems negligible, but it is potent enough to kill the people working in the palace.” Siegfried’s physician was wearing a specially crafted suit that was layered with lead, which was designed specifically to resist radioactive energy. “I-I guess you’re right...” “Please, stay in your room and—” Thus, Siegfried had no other choice but to self-isolate in the quarantine facility, surrounded by multiple layers of anti-radioactive energy spells. “Ah... My rotten luck...” Siegfried lamented. Right now, he really wanted to cry. Despite being locked in quarantine, he couldn’t avoid his responsibilities. Siegfried was able to communicate with visitors through a room attached to his ward that was equipped with a communication crystal. Brunhilde and Verdandi, on the verge of tears, looked heartbroken at the sight of him being stuck in isolation. “Don’t worry. I will be out soon,” Siegfried reassured Brunhilde and Verdandi with a bright smile. Being in quarantine came with a lot of inconvenience, but it was not anything he couldn’t handle. Aside from his hands and feet occasionally tingling due to his radioactive energy—well, more like from boredom—nothing else really bothered him. When Brunhilde and Verdandi left... “Kyuuu! You must be starving, owner punk! Here! Eat this!” Hamchi exclaimed, throwing a banana at the communication crystal. Siegfried exclaimed, punching the communication out of anger. “You’re the first one I’m going to kill when I get outta here!” Siegfried threatened. “Kyuuuu! Owner punk—no, monkey punk! A monkey! The money is angry and hitting the wall! Kekeke!” “You little bastard...!” Siegfried trembled with anger, enraged by Hamchi’s mockery. The reality of Siegfried’s current situation was no different from a monkey stuck in a cage at a zoo. Ninetail, who came along with Hamchi, stepped forward and asked, “Have you called for me, Your Majesty?” “Yeah, I did,” Siegfried grumbled in response, still fuming. Siegfried proceeded to explain that the Illuminati had tampered with various relics, temples, and statues of different religious orders. He also revealed that the mastermind behind this scheme was none other than Michelangelo, who was renowned as the greatest architect and sculptor of this era. “Hmm... It seems we might be able to eliminate at least one branch of the Illuminati,” Ninetail muttered. Then, she said, “I will immediately look into it.” “Good. I’ll go handle it once you give me the information I need.” “Your Majesty will go personally?” “Do you want me to stay stuck in here ? This is driving me crazy, and I’m not sure how long I can last.” “Fair enough. I suppose it is quite frustrating staying cooped up in there. Plus, Your Majesty has always been the type to be out there taking action.” “Exactly. So hurry up.” “As you command, sire,” Ninetail replied with a shrug before turning and leaving. “Ughh... I really wanna get out of here...” Siegfried was so bored that he felt like he was slowly losing his sanity. Unfortunately, it would still take at least two full days before he could leave, as no matter how fast Ninetail was at gathering intelligence, she still needed time to collect and compile a report. “Just as Your Majesty said, the construction cooperative run by Michelangelo is one of the Illuminati’s branches,” Ninetail reported. “Oh really? Perfect! I guess I’ll go handle it myself.” “Yes, that would be best.” “Give me their location, and I’ll leave right away.” “Wear this before you leave.” Ninetail handed Siegfried a full-body pink tights, also known as spandex.. “W-What the hell is this...?” “It’s a protective suit.” “A protective suit?!” “Lord Quandt designed it specifically for Your Majesty. It blocks radioactive energy.” “B-But why the hell is it pink and clings so tightly?!” “I am not sure myself. Maybe it was necessary due to the material and function?” “I have a feeling this will be quite a sight. Hohoho!” Ninetail laughed. “D-Don’t laugh at me! Do you really think I’ll wear this ridiculous crap?!” “Your Majesty cannot go outside unless you wear it. If you wander around without it and accidentally harm innocent people with your radioactive energy, then...” “Or you can just stay here. We will handle things in Your Majesty’s absence.” “H-Hey, that’s a bit cruel...” “Hohoho!” Ninetail burst into laughter while watching Siegfried struggle with his choices. She was not openly mocking him or anything. It was just that imagining Siegfried in that pink full-body spandex would make anyone laugh. “The decision is yours, Your Majesty. Then, I will take my leave now.” With that, Ninetail slid the pink bodysuit under the door and left Siegfried to contemplate things. [Inverted Hazmat Suit] [A special protective suit. It is designed to protect those around the wearer rather than the wearer.] [Due to its unique manufacturing process, it naturally turned pink and cannot be altered or recolored.] [It looks hideous and has a humiliating design.] [However, it is undeniably effective.] [Effect: Blocks radioactive energy.] [Note: The wearer will always appear in this pink suit regardless of the armor they are wearing. Wearing a cape or other garments will not help.] “Ah...” Siegfried muttered as he held the Inverted Hazmat Suit in his hands, agonizing over what to do. If he went outside wearing his, then his image would surely be shattered. It would be recorded in history, and he would be mocked for eternity, but... “I’ll really go insane if I stay here any longer. I can’t go insane and quit the game now,” he muttered under his breath. In the end, he had no other choice. He had to wear the pink suit if he wanted to go outside. Unfortunately, it was a skin item, so he couldn’t even hide it under his armor. There was no way to hide it and avoid being embarrassed in public. Siegfried began putting on the Inverted Hazmat Suit with tears streaming down his face. On that same afternoon... “Materials coming in!” “All trainees taking sculpting classes! Over here!” As always, the construction cooperative run by Michelangelo was bustling with people. There were architects, construction company representatives, clients, and even students eager to learn from him. His fame as the continent’s greatest architect and sculptor was unmatched, so he naturally drew countless people to him. But today was his last day... The construction cooperative was located in the Lambda Kingdom, and the kingdom’s army quickly surrounded it. Leading the soldiers was a single Adventurer, wearing tight pink spandex. Michelangelo’s glory days were over the moment the soldiers appeared at his doorsteps. “All forces—!” Siegfried exclaimed, pointing at the cooperative’s buildings. The Lambda Kingdom’s soldiers could barely hold back their laughter. They clearly seemed to be struggling with it and were on the verge of collapsing to the ground due to it. The fact that their commander, Siegfried, was dressed in tight pink spandex completely destroyed any tension or seriousness. ‘Daaamn it!’ Siegfried cursed, screaming inwardly in despair. He was fully aware that the soldiers were laughing at him. “I’m going to smash any teeth I see from now on, got that? Or maybe should I just bash all of your jaws so you won’t have any teeth to show?” he growled at the soldiers. The soldiers immediately clamped their mouths shut, trying their best not to laugh or let their teeth show. “Ah, screw it! All troops! Attack!” Gripping the +16 Vanquisher’s Grasp, Siegfried ran toward the construction cooperative’s building. ‘I’m going to kill every last one of you!’ he screamed inwardly. He looked absolute—no, beyond furious right now, and he really needed something to vent his anger on.