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Leo and Marem rose from their kneeling position. Leo waited for Marem to start speaking, but he turned to see her staring expectantly at him. That is when he noticed the king also was awaiting for someone to start speaking. He realized that all the eyes in the room were on him, that he was the one who needed to talk with the king.

“Greetings, your majesty, my name is Leo Eule. There is a danger that threatens to destroy the world as we know it. There’s a group that refers to themselves as calamities, and from what I know, they’re attempting to destroy humanity.”

Leo saw the king shift in his seat, intrigue covering his face. “What do you know of these calamities?” he asked.

“I don’t know much. My first encounter was with a dracolich that went by the name of David. We fought in the Eversunk mountains, where I managed to kill David and an army of undead,” explained Leo. “This is where I learned about the calamities. They seem to be related, and they seem to be in some sort of competition. David mentioned becoming a God, but I don’t know if that was mere exaggeration or truth.”

The king raised an eyebrow when Leo mentioned the Eversunk mountains. “We received reports of severe damage in the Eversunk mountains and the surrounding forest. Would that be related to this David individual?”

Leo froze for a second. “Yes, your majesty. There was a lot of collateral damage caused by our fight,” he sheepishly admitted.

“Clearly,” stated king Raegis. “So you’re certain of the Dracolich’s death?”

“I can’t imagine any situation where he lived. The collateral damage was caused by me making certain that he wouldn’t live through the attack.”

The king’s hand started to tap on his armrest. “I see. What about the news from Fald city?”

“Oh, it’s actually Faelde city, your highness. That is where we encountered the second calamity.”

“Yes, that mayor’s letter mentioned you saving the city.”

“That is correct, your honor. We arrived to find the city abandoned, most of the citizens having been taken. They were under the effect of a calamity called Cordylia. She seemed to be some sort of fungal hivemind, and she was capable of taking over the population of the city,” explained Leo.

He caught his breath before channeling all of his focus, “She is the main reason for my arrival here today. I managed to kill a monster that seemed to not only spread, but also be a conduit for her control, but she is still a danger to the world. With the shared efforts of me and the kingdom, we can remove any trace of her existence.”

The king looked at him with shock. At some point in their conversation, the energy in the room had shifted. Leo stood by nervously, increasingly aware of each passing second as he waited for a response. He needed the king’s help if he wanted any chance of defeating Cordylia.

“Did you say she spreads through infection? And that you fought a monster that spreads her contagion?” asked the king.

Leo recognized the look in the king’s eyes, the face of fear. This situation must look awful in the eyes of the king. Leo needed to calm him down before he panicked at the idea of a spread.

“Oh, no, your emperor of mankindness, it’s not what it seems. I’m immune to her effects due to my class, and I broke the connection that controlled Marem.”

“Does your immunity mean that you are no longer contagious?” demanded the king.

Leo had been so occupied with reaching the capital that he hadn’t wondered if they were still contagious. Even after he beat the Hive Lord, Marem could still be controlled by Cordylia, even if just for a brief moment. His head began to spin as he remembered the crowds they had passed, stopping at multiple tourist spots in the capital.

They have now ended up in the king’s throne room. In close quarters with the ruler of the world. The person who would be the most valuable for Cordylia to control.

“I’ll take your silence as your answer. Guards, seize them for questioning and quarantine,” he ordered.

Marem started to protest but Leo beat her to it. “What, no, you’re not going to lock us up. I know this is a bad look, but we still need to focus on taking down Cordylia.”

“You two are a contagion risk for this entire kingdom. From what I understand, you are also a highly skilled fighter. So, I hope that you come along quietly while we take charge of this matter,” stated the king.

Marem stepped forward. “How long would we be held?”

“It would only take a matter of weeks to run the proper examinations and precautions,” he responded.

The guards had already started to march towards them, brandishing spears that threatened to slaughter them. He really wanted to avoid a fight, especially one directly against the king, but he couldn’t be held for so long. There was no way to guarantee these living legends would be able to fight off Cordylia’s forces without his assistance.

“King Raegis, please don’t do this. We can’t risk being away for weeks, not when she is actively attacking and terrorizing people. I understand where you’re coming from, but this is unreasonable,” he pleaded.

“It’s what must be done, do not defy my will,” said the king.

“I hope you understand that I am also doing what must be done.”

The two guards closest to Leo had their weapons aimed squarely at his chest. He rushed forward and grabbed the spears, and before the guards could react, he snapped them in half. With the distance closed, Leo reached forth and grasped onto the front of their armor.

With a simple yank on the breastplate, their suits of armor shattered, leaving the guards unprotected. The guards were frozen in shock, having been disarmed and left defenseless in a matter of seconds. The others that originally headed to capture Marem turned their focus onto Leo.

They shouted for him to stop as they charged forward. Leo met their pace to collide head on, ignoring them. Their spears collided with perfect precision, one placed in the center of his forehead and the other directly over his heart. This was a guaranteed death to any ordinary man. Yet, it had no effect on this unstoppable force.

The shattered spears threw the guards off balance, but Leo quickly caught them. With a light toss, they went flying towards the wall. Their landing was a brutal clashing of metal as they collapsed to the floor. With all the guards left inert, Leo turned his attention back to the king.