The Shadow Nartheis dungeon extended for more than thirty kilometers in both directions. After traversing that entire region, the only thing anyone would find was an endless void. The entire place remained shrouded in darkness, except for the few torches scattered throughout the environment and the floating light cores that illuminated certain areas.
"What a strange place."
"Strange? To me, it's terrifying."
"So, are you going to be a coward, Caelan?"
"First of all, I'm not a coward. Second, I'm not a monster like you, Enrico."
The environment was truly sinister. It seemed like a combination of a dark forest and caves filled with bodies, some with human appearances and others belonging to creatures. It was a place that gave the impression that a massacre took place there every single day.
Elian looked up with some nervousness.
"Even with a sky above us, it's still completely dark, without a single sign of light or anything like that."
Even the sky of that dungeon was swallowed by absolute darkness, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to the sky of the outside world. Looking into the distance to his left, Enrico noticed a small point of light. A tower could be seen in that direction, and as soon as he identified it, he immediately knew what they needed to do.
"Everyone, let's head over there."
Caelan placed one hand over his forehead, trying to see better in the direction Enrico had indicated.
"A light? That's great! I can barely see anything here."
After resting the previous day, Enrico had trained a little and reviewed everything he knew about that dungeon through the original story. He already knew what would happen as soon as all the participants entered the Queen's great hall: they would simply be transported to that place without receiving any explanation about the environment or the Nartheis they would encounter inside.
"The first thing we need to do is find a source of light."
Yumeha, who was standing beside him, summoned a Hitodama to illuminate the path ahead. Enrico had already explained that dungeon to her the previous night, before they went to sleep. Therefore, thanks to the information he had obtained about the future, the girl knew exactly what to expect.
'As always, Master is amazing. He knows so many things!'
Yumeha walked beside him with considerable confidence, while Enrico continued calmly, keeping his hands in his pockets.
[You know, this excuse about coming from the future is so good and convenient that it's actually irritating.]
'That's exactly why I came up with it. After all, having to create a different explanation for every single thing I do would be quite exhausting.'
[You're right. But I have to say I'm surprised we still haven't seen the Queen or the director today.]
'It must be because they're attending the meeting of the kings. After all, the King of Floravita finally managed to arrive yesterday, so it's possible they're discussing some matters related to me.'
The Empress of Tianlong would probably also be present, receiving information about him. Therefore, Enrico needed to be careful. After everything he had told the spy from that territory, it was difficult to predict what that woman might do.
'Actually, it's not just her. The other kings are involved too...'
While Enrico and his companions walked toward that light, in a meeting room outside the dungeon, eight people holding the highest authority were seated around a large table. In front of them, three figures stood, presenting a reproduction of Enrico's memories of the future. They were Virelle, Hao, and Angela.
"I can't believe it... If this is fake, I promise that..."
Hao looked toward the man with a polite smile.
"If you wish, you can analyze this magic in depth, Lord Dom."
Dom Bonifácio was the King of Floravita and was also considered the second strongest man in his territory, perhaps currently being the closest to reaching the Ninth Circle. He was around thirty-two years old, with short black hair that reached his shoulders, completely brown eyes, and fair skin. His gaze showed the exhaustion of someone who seemed not to have slept in quite some time.
"I certainly will. And if it's true... I'll help you. Dealing with the Nartheis in my lands is already complicated enough. Imagining the existence of these Evil Gods makes everything even worse."
He sighed, showing his exhaustion. After all, he had to manage an extremely difficult territory to control. The problem wasn't just the Nartheis, but also the people who had ended up separated from one another because of the terrain conditions. Over time, different groups had emerged, each trying to survive in their own way.
"You must be tired, Dom."
"Of course I am. Before, I could still keep people united, but things have gotten much worse now."
"If you need help, just let me know. My lands can offer considerable support."
"Of course, that would be very good. But I'm sure you'll want something big in return, Lady Wu."
Xuelan Wu, the Empress of Tianlong, was also known as the Ice Orchid of the White Dragon. Her hair was bluish-black, long and slightly wavy, held in place by an ornament of frozen flowers. Her grayish-violet eyes were cold and deep, while her skin was as white as snow.
"Perhaps just a few parts of your territory."
"If that's the case, then you can offer that help to someone else."
"What a shame. I really wanted to help you with all my strength."
'Liar.'
No one in that room believed her. After all, that woman was quite cynical and almost always concealed her true intentions. They had good reasons to be suspicious, especially because Xuelan wanted those parts of the territory to conduct experiments on the Nartheis and discover why they evolved so much specifically in Floravita.
Renzou cast a brief, irritated glance in Xuelan's direction, but soon changed his expression. He brought one hand to his face in a theatrical gesture, as though he were about to reveal something quite interesting, while a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
"Anyway, I already knew about this. After all, he's my son-in-law."
"Wait, what do you mean you already knew? Tsk... I'll have to talk to my... I mean, to Enrico later."
Virelle crossed her arms and glanced at Akirama no Renzou, annoyed that he had discovered Enrico's identity before she had. In fact, both Hao and King Alaric were also wondering why Renzou hadn't mentioned it earlier.
Renzou observed their expressions with considerable satisfaction and continued speaking.
"Why are you so surprised? Have you forgotten that he isn't from Sanos?"
After Renzou mentioned that, the situation began to make sense. Enrico had parents from two different territories and lived between them: Floravita and Vesparello. Upon realizing this, the kings of those two territories showed even greater interest, especially Sofia, who was quite curious about the future.
'I need to talk to Matteo later, in the VIP room.'
She had discovered that Enrico was Matteo's son after the qualifiers. That man had never mentioned having a fourth son. The only reason she hadn't been able to speak with him yet was that she had left on a trip that had lasted several months.
In the chair in front of her, Dom also had his own thoughts.
'I need to have a conversation with Titanza... As far as I know, his entire family should be watching the competition in the VIP room.'
The Empress of Tianlong looked at the two kings.
'So, does that mean these two will have an advantage? Now that I know the boy knows the future, I can't let someone who knows about the elixir slip through my fingers.'
Xuelan had plans of her own and even considered capturing Enrico, but soon abandoned the idea. After all, trying to capture someone who had attracted the interest of so many people would be practically asking to start a war with another territory.
'What can I do to bring him over to my side?'
Meanwhile, Hao, Angela, and Virelle had to admit, even if reluctantly, that Renzou's words made sense. Enrico really didn't belong to their territory, but...
The three exchanged glances before turning toward Alaric, who simply nodded.
'Should I bring forward my plan to make him grow closer to my daughter?'
Alaric was also thinking about moving some things forward. He hoped that, during the dungeon expedition, Narisse would at least try to get closer to Enrico, as he had asked.
'I hope that girl manages to bring the two of them closer. I don't want to force my daughter into an arranged marriage.'
While the other four were busy with their own plans, Renzou remained completely calm. After all, Enrico was already his son-in-law. He even thought about rubbing that fact in the other kings' faces, but the time hadn't come yet. First, he needed to know the opinions of the three representatives from the other continents.
"And what about you three? I would very much like to hear the opinions of the kings from the other continents."
The three figures moved discreetly as they watched the reproduction of the future disaster, displayed inside a magical sphere created through Hao's magic. After witnessing those images, they all reached the same conclusion.
"We accept this temporary alliance."