The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices

Chapter 117: Coronation of the Queen (2)

The dungeon monsters keep offering sacrifices – 117

EP.117 Coronation of the Queen (2)

The sky, covered in red clouds, split open as a dazzling light poured down. This was the wide-area buff cast by Deputy Commander Riana. The light illuminated everyone on the battlefield. However, all eyes were drawn to one person standing at the forefront.

That person was Princess Elena.

Why did she stand out so much? It was no coincidence.

“Click-clack.”

It was thanks to the presence of the Skeleton Holy Knight, Maru, standing right behind the princess. Maru channeled his divine power towards Elena, making her the focal point. As a result, even within the radiant veil, Princess Elena, imbued with divine power, stood out prominently.

Unaware of the truth, people began to form their own interpretations of Princess Elena.

“Ah, she must be a devout follower of the Goddess.”

The Holy Knights whispered in reverent tones, believing that Princess Elena’s actions and appearance stemmed solely from her faith and devotion to the Goddess.

But the truth was different. Princess Elena was merely following Celia’s instructions.

“Princess! Please step back! We will handle that monster!”

The royal knights shouted desperately. They saw hope in Princess Elena. As long as she was there, the future of the kingdom seemed bright. For the kingdom they desired, the knights were ready to throw themselves into protecting the princess.

However, Elena ignored their pleas and continued her determined steps towards the King of Death. Naturally, Princess Elena was confident that she would not die. After all, the King of Death was merely a subordinate of the Great One. And she had already coordinated with Celia.

Even though her human body trembled slightly, she was not afraid.

But someone stood in her way.

“Haha, Princess. Stop this meaningless act.”

It was Count Bearton, holding a pickaxe. He wore an expression as if he owned the world.

“The tide has already turned. Look! That magnificent being! He will rule the continent!”

The count exaggeratedly pointed to the Death Knight King.

“He is the one who has given me power! Anyone who stands in my way will be crushed.”

He intended to deal with the foolish princess and bring down the royal family.

“With his power, I will soon become king! Hahaha!”

Everyone fell silent at the sight of the mad count. They felt as if they had seen the true depths of Count Bearton.

“Out of respect for our past relationship, I’ll give you some advice. Surrender now. You must realize by now that it’s all futile. Who knows? I might even take you as a concubine. Hehehe.”

He no longer referred to her as “princess” but simply as “you.” He already considered himself as good as a king.

“…Click.”

Necros, watching Count Bearton, made a throat-slitting gesture with his hand. It was a signal to cut the count’s speech short, as it was dragging on too long. This was a play, and an insignificant supporting character was overstepping his bounds.

The Death Knight King understood Necros’s intention and unleashed a dark power towards Count Bearton.

“Why am I suddenly so sleepy…?”

The dark power induced a deep sleep in Count Bearton. The supporting character had exited the stage. It was time for the lead to enter.

The Death Knight King and Necros exchanged a slight nod. Elena also nodded slightly, signaling her readiness. Vetter, standing behind the Death Knight King, immediately delivered his lines.

【Kukuku. Pathetic human… Do you think you can stop me!】

As soon as Vetter finished speaking, the Death Knight King gathered dark power to form a massive, pitch-black orb.

“Everyone, take cover!”

Before Elena’s shout had even finished, the orb was launched. It passed by Elena and struck the knights behind her. Though the knights quickly tried to dodge, some were engulfed by the orb.

“Aaaargh!”

“No!”

Screams echoed in the air, and red flesh splattered. Those who had been filled with courage moments ago now despaired.

【Hahaha! Is this all you’ve got? Did you really think you could stop me with just this?】

As Vetter’s lines ended, the Death Knight King launched the pitch-black orb upward. The orb, burning like hellfire, scorched the ground. The flaming orb flew towards the knights.

However, this time, Maru stepped forward to block the orb. It was all part of the plan. While inducing a moderate amount of fear was beneficial, killing too many humans could break their spirit. Therefore, everyone was controlling their power. This stage was meant for Princess Elena.

But the knights had already lost their will.

“Goddess, save us….”

The Holy Knights, too, prayed with despairing expressions. Despite their desperate pleas, there was no response from the Goddess. Could it be that the Goddess had abandoned them? Just as seeds of doubt began to take root in their hearts—

“Everyone, stay strong! I am here!”

A ray of hope cut across the battlefield. Princess Elena, clad in silver armor, raised her sword high. The light pouring from the sky and the divine power emanating from Maru merged into a brilliant radiance. The light flowed down the blade of the princess’s sword, creating a truly sacred sight.

Princess Elena slowly, very slowly, dismounted her horse and advanced forward. Seeing the princess approach, Vetter shouted.

【K-Kuh! Is this the power of light? But it’s futile!】

In response to Vetter’s shout, the Death Knight King gathered all his dark power. This time, instead of a single orb, dozens, even hundreds of orbs filled the sky.

“With the holy light, I will dispel the darkness!”

Princess Elena charged forward with her shining sword. At the same time, the pitch-black orbs rained down towards her.

“Princess! No!”

Realizing the situation too late, Lenon rushed towards the princess.

– Boom— KABOOM. –

The collision between Elena and the monster resulted in a tremendous explosion. The impact was immense.

– Beeeep. –

A ringing filled their ears, rendering them deaf to all other sounds. The vast light and dark energy, combined with the explosion’s aftermath, filled the air with thick dust, obscuring their vision.

No, it was more accurate to say they couldn’t see anything at all. Everyone simultaneously closed their eyes and covered their ears.

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“Well done, everyone. Especially you, Sir Vetter. Your performance was excellent.”

“Thank you, Lady Celia.”

Celia, who had appeared out of nowhere, praised Vetter. Although humans were nearby, it didn’t matter much. They were currently covering their eyes and ears. Moreover, the area was already filled with thick dust, and Maru was emitting a vast amount of divine light. Even if someone opened their eyes, they wouldn’t be able to see anything.

“Sir Death Knight King, you did well coordinating with Sir Vetter. Please keep up the good work until the end.”

The Death Knight King nodded brightly at Celia’s unexpected encouragement. Celia then turned to look at Elena. In this plan, Elena had followed instructions particularly well, making everything proceed smoothly.

“Well then, our dear Princess Elena? It’s not over yet. Shall we finish the final act?”

At Celia’s words, Princess Elena took her position. She posed as if she were stabbing her sword into the Death Knight King’s body. Of course, the Death Knight King felt no pain. After all, the princess was an ordinary human and couldn’t inflict any real damage. Still, since the play wasn’t over, the Death Knight King pretended to collapse. To any onlooker, it would appear as though Princess Elena’s sword had defeated the Death Knight King.

“Well, once this is all over, you won’t just be a princess anymore.”

Celia smiled as she spoke. Many had witnessed Elena’s heroics, including the kingdom’s citizens and the royal knights. Even if Princess Elena didn’t want it, she would walk the path of a queen. Moreover, the remaining Holy Knights and Deputy Commander Riana had also clearly seen Princess Elena’s feats.

“The Order will undoubtedly take a great interest in you.”

At Celia’s words, Elena nodded silently. Even if it was all an act, it would officially be recorded that Princess Elena had defeated a 7-star calamity. This was no small matter. For a while, the Order’s attention would be focused on Princess Elena. Although it would bring about many bothersome situations, Elena had already made up her mind.

“Very well. Once this is over, you too will be able to serve the Great One formally. Remember, this is a tremendous honor.”

Elena was already captivated by the power of the Great One. Serving such a being was nothing short of a tremendous honor for her.

“When you become the ruler of the kingdom, document everything about the Sael Kingdom that you didn’t know before and submit it to me. The kingdom will be reborn.”

This was just the beginning.

“We shall meet again soon, Princess Elena. Or should I say, Queen Elena.”

The moment Princess Elena became the queen of the Sael Kingdom, it would no longer be a kingdom of humans. Celia turned her back. Necros and Vetter followed her, and behind them, skeletons carried the unconscious Count Bearton. Only Elena and the Death Knight King remained in the street as the monsters departed. Gradually, the light began to fade.

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As the dust settled and the light disappeared, visibility returned. People immediately searched for the princess. They had seen the princess clash with the calamity known as the King of Death. In their minds, they had already concluded that the princess had been defeated. Yet, they clung to a sliver of hope. Humans always wished for miracles, hoping the princess had survived.

And then.

“……!”

Everyone wore expressions of disbelief.

“P-Princess?”

Even Lenon, who had long guarded the princess, looked as if he had seen a ghost. The princess they had desperately hoped would survive was indeed alive. Not only that, but Princess Elena stood with her sword piercing the King of Death.

“God… a miracle has happened….”

A Holy Knight murmured in disbelief. The royal knights, overjoyed by the princess’s survival, hugged each other and wept. The citizens also erupted in cheers that shook the ground.

“Long live Princess Elena!”

“Long live Her Highness, the Princess!”

The people cheered and focused their attention on Princess Elena. Slowly, she withdrew her sword from the monster she had impaled.

Then, she raised her sword high into the sky.

“We have won!”

At Elena’s proclamation, everyone fell to their knees. The citizens, the royal knights, and even the Holy Knights knelt on the ground. Deputy Commander Riana of the Holy Knights also knelt, quietly murmuring.

“A true saintess has been born.”

Princess Elena was no longer just a princess. She would be revered as the hero who saved the continent from evil, the apostle of the Goddess, and a saintess.

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The long, arduous battle had come to an end. Princess Elena led the knights back to the royal palace. The surviving citizens were rebuilding the fallen structures. More importantly, all the kingdom’s nobles had pledged to support the restoration of the capital.

It was only natural. Count Bearton, the leader of the noble faction, was the criminal who had summoned the calamity. However, the calamity had met its end at the hands of Princess Elena. Although Count Bearton had vanished, he would now be designated as a heretic across the continent.

This event had given Princess Elena a strong justification. She was now the saintess who had saved the continent. Everyone who witnessed her heroics spoke of her in this way. Princess Elena had effectively gained the backing of the White Order.

Who would dare oppose the royal family now? The nobles, without a moment’s hesitation, acted to curry favor with the royal family. From Princess Elena to the common folk, everyone was busy.

Deputy Commander Riana, who had come as an envoy of the Order, was no exception.

“The true identity of the King of Death is the Death Knight King….”

Deputy Commander Riana looked at the calamity that the princess had defeated. The calamity was, in fact, the Death Knight King. Princess Elena had revealed the monster’s identity, claiming she had heard it from the Great One.

‘If she heard it from the Great One, does that mean she received a divine revelation from the Goddess?’

Deputy Commander Riana thought of Princess Elena.

‘I had thought she was just a weak princess….’

But she had been hiding her strength. Suddenly, she recalled the princess’s words about returning to the palace to wrap things up. It was a significant statement.

‘Well, by now, she must have already arrived at the palace.’

Enough time had passed for that to be the case. Deputy Commander Riana felt that the ruler of the Sael Kingdom might soon change.

“Well, she already has the justification.”

Even if she were to depose her father and ascend the throne, no one would object. Princess Elena had already become a figure of significant influence. Separate from that, Riana called her subordinates to fulfill her duty.

“Lift it carefully!”

They were to transport the defeated Death Knight King to the Order. Of course, those remaining wouldn’t move it themselves. They would wait for additional support from the Order to arrive. The Order had suffered too much damage in this incident. They had confirmed the deaths of High Priest Titan and Commander Gerard, and most of the envoy had perished. This was the Order’s response.

However, the Death Knight King’s form began to rapidly disappear.

“Deputy Commander! The Death Knight King is vanishing!”

Riana quickly approached the Death Knight King, but it was already gone.

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– Special mission completed! –

– All monsters dispatched to the Sael Kingdom are being recalled. –

– Rewards for completing the special mission will be given! –

– Warning! After 6 hours, the temporary evolution of the Death Knight King (★★★★★★★) will be undone. –

– As the temporary evolution is undone, the Death Knight (★★★★★) will be incapacitated for a certain period. –

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“Have you heard the news? They say a saintess has been born in the Sael Kingdom, and it’s causing quite a stir.”

The news had already spread rapidly within the Order. Princess Elena—now Queen Elena—had become famous for single-handedly defeating the 7-star Death Knight King. The story had spread across the entire continent. It was said that the Great One had spoken about the Death Knight King. There must have been a divine revelation from the Goddess.

Not only in the Sael Kingdom but also among the priests of the Order, Queen Elena was being called a saintess. After defeating the calamity, Queen Elena immediately turned her forces towards the royal palace. Even her father, the king, could do nothing before her, the hero of the continent. Most importantly, Elena had gained the support of the people through this event.

Count Bearton, along with most of the kingdom’s nobles, was found to have traces of summoning demons.

Who could have predicted that skeletons would be found in the mansions of the nobles within the capital? However, someone needed to be held accountable. It was an incident that could have brought down the entire continent. In the end, the king abdicated his throne.

“All of this must be the will of the Goddess.”

The Order defended Elena’s ascension as the will of the Goddess. Although the coronation ceremony had not yet taken place due to the kingdom’s unrest, Elena was already effectively the queen of the Sael Kingdom. However, the situation was not entirely favorable for the Order. There was already a saintess, Helisa, within the White Order. The emergence of a second saintess was something even the Order’s leadership had not anticipated. Yet, having witnessed Elena’s actions, it was difficult to deny her the title of saintess.

Naturally, this caused Helisa great irritation.

“A mere princess dares to claim the title of saintess?”

Helisa refused to acknowledge Elena as a saintess, let alone as a queen. However, the reality was that the atmosphere favored recognizing Elena over Helisa as the saintess.

“AAAAAAAH!”

Helisa screamed in frustration. Nothing was going her way. This situation even led to some within the Order doubting Helisa. There had been continuous disappearances of priests and Holy Knights. Moreover, with the recent 7-star calamity, the Order had suffered significant losses. Now, there were even questions within the Order about whether Helisa was truly a saintess.

Helisa was incredibly annoyed by the current situation.

“It all started when that bastard Lee Kang-hyun was sent back to Earth!”

It had all begun since then. There had been an incident where a man named Lee Kang-hyun was sent back to Earth. Strangely, after that, things stopped going well. It might have seemed like a forced claim, but as a saintess, Helisa had a feeling. Lee Kang-hyun must have done something.

“Did he cast some kind of curse?”

Otherwise, how could things have become so tangled!

As she pondered, Saintess Helisa’s eyes hardened.

“Yes, if I eliminate him, everything will be resolved.”

To solve the problem, she had to eliminate the cause. Regardless of what anyone said, she was the true saintess.

“I just need to get rid of Lee Kang-hyun. Only Lee Kang-hyun… Even if I have to find a way to summon him here!”

She had been the one to forcibly send Lee Kang-hyun, who had been summoned to the continent of Eldorad, back to Earth. If there was a way to send him back, might there also be a way to summon him again? She was determined to find that method, no matter how long it took.

Helisa clasped her hands and began to pray.