Upon entering the meeting room, Vergel realized that he was alone. The meeting should have already started, but, as usual, the other participants were late.
'Why is it that whenever I call a meeting, they seem not to care? Maybe it's because I'm in my prince form.'
In any case, he himself had also arrived late, although he had a good excuse: he had just fought Enrico. Considering what had happened, it was hardly surprising that he arrived after the scheduled time.
Vergel gestured to the two guards accompanying him. In response, both remained standing behind his chair as he settled into his seat, waiting for the others to arrive.
"Why did you call a meeting, brat?"
A black gargoyle with gray lines appeared through the large open window, entering the room without any ceremony. Behind it, two smaller gargoyles flew silently. Instead of heading toward the chair reserved for it, the creature preferred to remain seated on the windowsill, as if it had no intention whatsoever of respecting the formalities of the meeting.
[Kirvi, Judgment Gargoyle — Nartheis Faizes, Level 2]
[Magic: Rock]
[Unique Ability — Castle Guard: while inside the castle or within a hundred meters of it, your power increases by 15%.]
Kirvi was the sixth most powerful boss in that dungeon, occupying a position only slightly below Vergel in his prince form. However, if Vergel decided to release a greater portion of his true power, the difference between them would become so absurd that Kirvi wouldn't even be able to compete with him.
"I'll explain once everyone has gathered. It'll be much easier that way."
Kirvi snorted before looking toward the presence behind the door.
"Well, here comes one of the weakest of the Seven Great Ones."
A knight in silver armor entered the room and settled into the chair opposite Vergel without saying a single word. His entire body was covered by armor that seemed small compared to the kind other knights usually wore. Even so, there was something unsettling about that silent figure.
[?????, Knight of Silence — Nartheis Faizes, Level 2]
[Magic: Sound]
[Unique Ability — Field of Silence: nullifies magic within a five-meter radius.]
Enrico, who was observing everything while disguised among Vergel's subordinates, immediately recognized the two Nartheis who had arrived. Both were among the targets he intended to eliminate during his exploration of the dungeon. He had already begun devising a plan to face them separately, taking advantage of the moments when they were without their guards.
'I think the easiest one will be the Knight of Silence, since he doesn't usually bring guards with him.'
His disguise was excellent. Besides his appearance, he had even managed to reproduce the true subordinate's Nartheis aura, making it very difficult for the others to notice the difference. However, there was still a problem: the transformation wouldn't last forever.
'I need to find a way to leave this place without raising suspicion before the disguise wears off.'
While Enrico thought about how to resolve that issue, two more Nartheis entered the room and took seats on opposite sides of the table.
The first looked like a mechanized priest. As soon as he approached Vergel, he gave a careless bow, showing so little respect that the prince let out an irritated snort.
[Marcelo, Iron Priest — Nartheis Faizes, Level 2]
[Magic: Healing and Curse]
[Unique Ability — Salvation: your healing magic becomes instantaneous, allowing you to quickly save those on the brink of death.]
The second was a knight in black armor. His expression made it clear that he wasn't pleased to have been summoned, but despite his displeasure, he continued to show loyalty and respect toward the prince.
[Baltazar, Black Gate Knight — Nartheis Faizes, Level 2]
[Magic: Spear]
[Unique Ability — Gate Guard: when this ability is activated, your resistance increases by 150% during battle.]
Baltazar adjusted his posture in his chair and turned his eyes toward Vergel, waiting for an explanation for the unexpected summons.
"Why have you called us, Prince Vergel?"
Vergel gave a small smile.
"As courteous as always, Baltazar."
Most of those Nartheis disliked Vergel because they believed the former king of the castle had died because of him. The story they knew said that the king had a son and had left on a journey to search for him, never returning and eventually being declared dead.
Vergel had supposedly appeared after those events, and many believed his arrival was connected to the tragedy.
Enrico, however, knew the truth behind that story. Vergel was the king himself, who had simply grown tired of his position. To abandon the throne without arousing suspicion, he invented the story about having a son and leaving on a journey to find him. Then, he disappeared for a while and returned under the identity of Vergel, allowing everyone to believe that the former king had died.
'Those two Nartheis will require me to reach the Third Circle to defeat them.'
Marcelo and Baltazar represented far greater threats than the enemies Enrico had faced up to that point. Both were too strong for him to fight safely at his current level.
The priest ranked fourth among the most powerful beings in the dungeon, while the black knight was considered the third strongest.
'Now only the final two are missing, and they're even stronger and more dangerous.'
The conversation was interrupted when another figure entered the room. It was a woman with black hair and brown skin whose appearance somewhat resembled Vergel's. Three scars formed the number seven on the right side of her face, extending from the area around her eyes to her mouth.
[Firlanda, Maiden of Chains — Nartheis Faizes, Level 2]
[Magic: Dungeon]
[Unique Ability — Spiritual Chains: allows her to manipulate chains capable of draining mana and reducing an opponent's physical abilities by 20%.]
Firlanda was Vergel's daughter and held a position among the most powerful Nartheis in that dungeon. Upon entering, she cast a suspicious glance at her "brother" and took her seat, making no attempt to hide her impatience at having been summoned.
"You'd better have called us for something truly important, Prince."
"Yes, it's important, Princess. We can begin."
Kirvi tilted his head to the side.
"Aren't we going to wait for Sir Silavam?"
"No. He already knows what's happening. He discovered the same thing I did and had to remain there to stop them from advancing."
Those words immediately shifted everyone's attention. Until then, some had seemed barely interested in the meeting, but the mention of a threat that required Silavam's presence was enough to arouse everyone's curiosity.
Enrico also became attentive. He had never found any information about a similar event in the original story, and the possibility that something new was happening in that dungeon piqued his interest.
Marcelo was the first to break the silence.
"What are they?"
"Nartheis from another dungeon who somehow managed to break through a portal and enter this place."
Kirvi looked at him incredulously.
"Wait! Shouldn't that be impossible? We Nartheis can't do something like that."
"Exactly. We can't. However, from what it seems, someone who ordered them to take over this place possesses some means of doing so."
The possibility of someone capable of breaking through the barriers between dungeons was extraordinary. It was something every Nartheis would want to accomplish, as it would mean surpassing one of the fundamental limits of their existence.
However, there was a detail in Vergel's explanation that particularly caught Firlanda's attention.
"What do you mean, take over this place, Vergel?"
"Exactly what you heard. They arrived here and proposed an alliance to us, but in exchange, they demanded that this place be conquered and sacrificed to fulfill their leader's objectives."
Upon hearing that, Baltazar tightly gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist. His expression darkened, and the indignation in his eyes was evident.
"Sacrifice our land? That's unacceptable! How dare they make such a demand? My prince, don't tell me you accepted!"
The possibility of leaving the dungeon and reaching the outside world was tempting. If the proposal had involved only an alliance with those Nartheis, many might have been willing to consider it. After all, being able to surpass the limits of that place was a desire few would abandon without thinking twice.
However, for those who lived in the castle, the situation was different. That territory held special meaning because it represented the kingdom of the king who had given them a purpose to continue existing. Even those who had been his enemies in the past were unwilling to allow their lands to be sacrificed.
Vergel wore a serious expression as he answered Baltazar.
"Of course I didn't accept. Why do you think I left Silavam behind to face them?"
Baltazar relaxed slightly upon hearing the answer, although he still appeared irritated by the situation.
"This is the first time I've agreed with you, Vergel. We can't allow our lands to be sacrificed."
"Thank you, Princess."
Firlanda clenched her fist, demonstrating her determination to defend that territory. For a moment, Enrico observed the Nartheis around the table and began to understand that something much bigger was happening in that world.
[Your expression... Tell me, what have you realized?]
'What a curious System. Well, do you remember the number of Nartheis that were appearing across the continent?'
[Yes. From what I know, more Nartheis began appearing because of the increase in difficulty, but there shouldn't be this many, even with that increase... Wait.]
'Exactly. It seems we've found the culprit. Now I just need to discover who it is, after eliminating the Nartheis in this dungeon...'
The conversation finally seemed to be offering him a clue that could connect the recent events. The unexpected increase in Nartheis across the continent might not be a random consequence of the increased difficulty, but part of something planned by someone trying to expand their influence.
Enrico was still organizing the possibilities in his mind when Vergel revealed the detail that would completely change his plans.
"The name of this leader, apparently, is Jago."
At that moment, Enrico's mind went blank.
His body remained motionless for a fraction of a second, but the shock was so intense that his disguise began to unravel. Before anyone could understand what was happening, he stepped onto the table, immediately attracting everyone's attention.
'System, change of plans.'
[Enrico, what are you going to do?]
Ignoring the question, Enrico turned his eyes toward Vergel. His appearance no longer completely concealed his true identity, and the dark expression on his face contrasted with the cold, silent behavior he had maintained until that moment.
"Hey, Prince Vergel, I'd like to offer you something."
The Nartheis immediately realized that there was a human among them. Chairs scraped across the floor, and several of them began to stand, ready to attack the intruder.
However, Vergel raised one hand, stopping his subordinates before any blows could be delivered. Instead of showing irritation, he observed Enrico with a curious expression, as if he were looking at a particularly interesting surprise.
'That human was so well hidden... Truly, what an amusing human.'