Level 0 Master

Sungjin realized something a little late. When he took off the colored glasses, she was truly noble, yet colorful and yet elegant.

Even though she seems to have no awareness of her own beauty.

"Thank you, but there's no need to do this."

"Are you allergic to flowers?"

"No, it's just that you, the princess, don't have to entertain me like this."

"Don't say that. It's the least I can do to repay you, who will also risk your life against the Blood Ruler."

"Uh. No, you don't have to do that at all."

Ereka leaned down and went close to Sungjin's face.

"Please admit it."

"Huh? Oh, ye… yes."

Cool and calm was Sungjin's motto, but his eyes widened at that moment.

There was a body of fine white skin and graceful, curved eyelashes right in front of him. In addition, her breasts under her clothes seemed perfect in shape, and that was clearly visible by the angle. Her scent had a mysterious freshness and sweetness that created an even stronger presence than the flowers.

He was silent for a moment in the face of such an intense attack on his instincts.

"Thank you, Sungjin."

Ereka stood up again and smiled brightly.

My mind really reached through to him.

"Uh, well," Sungjin replied.

His silence was not a sign of consent, but rather a silence that came from a state of "enforced appreciation." Sungjin gave up because he could not make up an excuse.

This is what happens when I am enchanted.

It was an amazing thing that could be made naturally without skill.

Watching the two, Jenna's tail turned into a pointed devil's tail for a moment. It was a short moment, but a rough estimate was calculated nonetheless.

First of all, it's been a long time since I last saw the princess make such a bright face. Maybe I should allow him to have her after all?

With a princess and a small devil by his side, Sungjin smiled curiously. It was a real luxury to be awakened every morning in a fancy bedroom by a beautiful woman and a cute girl.

"I've prepared a meal in the hall. Please come after washing up."

"Okay."

Sungjin nodded with a light heart. Ten voices greeted him as he came out of the room.

"You're up!"

They were maids all waiting in a row. Looking at the women politely bowing with their hands held before them, Sungjin scratched back of his head.

"You don't have to do all this."

"Is it too much? The honored guests of Your Highness are also our honored guests. That is our duty of the royal family."

"Huh."

Sungjin gave up trying to tell them to stop because this was their workplace.

"Okay. Then show me to the bathroom."

"Yes, Sir. I'll take you."

Twenty minutes later, Sungjin marveled at the spectacular dishes.

"You don't have to entertain me like this."

"I don't know what suits your taste, so I prepared several dishes first. I will follow your wish and prepare proper meals in the future. Please help yourself."

"Don't worry, Brother! If any food is left over, then the people in the castle and I will clear them away!"

"I see."

Sungjin noticed that some of the dishes had many plates. They must have been favorite dishes for the workers of this castle

As he learned more, he found out that this royal girl was deep-hearted.

"I'll eat with gratitude…"

Sungjin gratefully picked up the dish just in front of him. A fresh vegetable salad, properly smoked salmon, nameless fish egg and pickled onion were mixed in his mouth, and they danced around splendidly.

That's great!

It wasn't just the appetizers that were good. There were so many dishes whose levels were on par with top-class hotel chefs. Moreover, all the dishes were kept in the best condition. They all were so fresh and likely to have been cooked just before he arrived. Some high-end restaurants on earth could imitate this somewhat, but it would be impossible to reach this amount of perfection.

Sungjin noticed that the secret was the dish.

The best food on a magic plate. Is this the level of a royal family?

"Brother! Princess is great, isn't she? She prepared them the whole night hoping that you would enjoy them."

"Miss Jenna, why would you say that!"

Cause you won't do it, so I'll do it instead. Jenna sighed inwardly.

"No, I'm sure you've worked hard. Thanks a lot! All of them are delicious," Sungjin commented.

"Thank you!"

She avoided his eyes because her heart fluttered at his compliment. It was not her first time hearing compliments of her food, but she was ten times happier when she heard it from Sungjin.

That is why I had that useless daydream yesterday. It is unreasonable for Sungjin in the real world to ever hold my hands and say, "I'll eat you next time."

"Brother, I've also prepared something for you! How about mine?"

"Oh, your stuff's good, too. This is yours, isn't it?"

"Oh, you recognized it correctly!"

Sungjin laughed. Among the colorful dishes, there was a fried egg having a crooked smile made with ketchup on it. How could he not recognize it?

Eating good food… It's been a long time.

Sungjin felt strange because it was the first time eating properly cooked food since his mother had died. It was markedly different from the usual lunch box at the convenience stores and the school cafeteria. Maybe that was why Ereka looked more beautiful, and Jenna looked more cute.

I should just enjoy this without reading into it too much.

Sungjin banished those worldly thoughts from his head, but the pleasant feeling still permeated his mind like a drizzle that slowly soaked through his clothes.

A noble, colorful, kind and gracious royal lady, with a golden color comparable to the sun, sincerely prepared a meal for him. Moreover, a cute and lively child tried to please him as well. If a man is to be treated like this, that man will naturally be satisfied.

Ereka smiled and touched her cheeks as she watched Sungjin eat happily.

I'm glad you're eating well.

Did she feel as though her dream of meeting a good man and making a harmonious meal had been realized?

I am… really… despite me telling Jenna that it was not like that.

If it was true, she might be very happy, but it was just a dream that could not be achieved.

"Please drink this."

Ereka held out an herbal tea as she tried to get rid of her previous thoughts.

"Thank you."

Sungjin took a sip.

Blargh!

In contrast to the truly delicious dishes, the herbal tea was extremely bitter. At first, he thought it was poison, but it definitely wasn't because of how bitter it was.

"Why… why is this so bitter?"

"It's a medicinal herb that's good for the body even though it's bitter. Drink it, please!"

"I's medicine. However, it's a bit too bitter."

The herbal medicine from his childhood was sweet when compared to this.

"I prepared it for your body, not for the taste."

"No, I'm still young and healthy, so I don't have to take anything like this."

When Sungjin went to put the cup down, Ereka held on to his arm.

"You should still drink it. You should take care of your health even when you're already healthy."

"I see, but…"

Jenna's knife tail fluttered at Sungjin showing weakness for the first time.

"Wow! Brother is just like me! Hehe, I really hate bitter medicine too!"

"Miss Jenna!"

Her tail solidified at Ereka's quiet call.

"Oh, I'll be quiet."

"And, Sungjin."

"Hmm?"

"I see that you only ate the meat and barely any vegetables or fruits. That's very unbalanced."

"Well… I've been practicing martial arts, and I've done a lot of exercise. I have a strong body. I am still in a period of growth."

"However, what you eat is also important. I'll take care of your diet thoroughly from now on."

"On second thought, you, princess, don't need to take care of my meals!"

Sungjin's laughter wasn't genuine.

"No. I'll surely take care of this so that you can stay healthy."

"He… that's…"

"Give up, Brother! Princess never stands down when she wants to do something."

"No, still… the meal is okay, but would you reconsider this herbal drink? Please!"

"No!" Ereka said flatly.

He was really a thankworthy person. Therefore, she had to do what was best for him, what he really needed if she was to properly repay him. That was considered real sincerity. Convincing him to drink it, even though he didn't want to, was all for Sungjin.

"I'll take care of your health," Ereka declared decisively but gracefully.

She was not emitting Heroic Power, but Sungjin still felt an immeasurable amount of pressure. The force reminded him of a scene in his memory.

The boxing father… didn't beat the little mother at the table.

Sungjin scratched the back of his head.

Uh. How do I put this… It's like, just like…

It was a reenactment of his mother's nagging while she was still alive.

For this… should I be glad or sad?

He thought she was a gentle girl trying to be queen. But that was a mistake. He could see the source of her determination to fight amidst her feminine nature.

"I'll help Princess because I don't want you to get sick either!" Jenna declared.

When the two girls worried about him, Sungjin gave up because his brain couldn't find a way to refuse at all. It was a surrender. Nevertheless, it was an unusual defeat that made him feel happy.

* * *

Chapter 6

Countless heroes laid down. They waited for the closed door in front of them to be opened. And beyond that door… was a bathroom with twenty virgin bodies hanging from the ceiling.

Drip. Drop.

Blood dripped continuously from the ceiling into the bath. The bathroom, where the smell of blood was mixed with the water taken from several herbs and petals, was filled with a rich yet dangerous sexual force.

The woman in the middle of it was in her twenties with more red hair than blood. Her hair flowing in the water had a bright red glow, and she had a high, proud nose. Her long and slender eyebrows had vigor, and her red lips showed deadly temptation. Beneath that, her breasts were both ruinous and intense, and she had a sensational, smooth body.

She stretched her legs over the water; hard muscles lurked under her smooth thighs. Blood droplets slid down along her thighs and were absorbed into her skin.

Then her skin became more elastic.

This dangerous yet beautiful woman filled with overflowing vigor and deadly sexual force was Riad, the Blood Ruler.

She stood up from the bath and held a big sword by her side.

"How am I today?" Riad asked, with a voluptuous and confident smile.

When she whispered the true name of the magic sword she knew, the magic sword replied telepathically.

"You have become even more beautiful, Your Majesty."

"Huh-hoo. I suppose so."

She smiled contentedly.

"I will be stronger and more beautiful by sacrificing the weak. But that's not enough with just this country. I will consolidate my surroundings and then move to the center and make the continent my sacrifice."

"It will be so, Your Majesty."

She got out of the bath and went out through the door naked without drying herself off with a towel.

"Behold, Your Majesty," the prostrated heroes greeted in unison.

"Raise your heads."

The heroes raised their heads in hesitation. Despite being naked, Riad walked proudly through them without a trace of shame. In front of her spirit, the male heroes turned their eyes away.

"Do you desire my body?"

"How dare we?"

Riad showed a cold smile as she looked at those who were bowing once again.

"Such a trifle. A group having no courage don't deserve to be embraced in my arms…"

"Pardon our lack, please."

"I highly approve that you know your place."

Riad sat on the throne, still naked. Heroic Power rose from her body and turned into a red armor that covered only the tender places of her body. With the armor, Riad was still practically naked. On the other hand, Ereka's light armor revealed the curves of her body while still preserving its innocence.

But there was no one who delighted in looking at Riad in this hall. The energy and vigor coming from her body were too overwhelming to do so.

"Is there no change in the camp of the princess?"

Nothing special," the heroes answered immediately.

"Hmm. I thought after being driven into a corner, she would make a frantic last-ditch effort in desperation. Has nothing really happened? Have you been monitoring her properly?"

"According to our information, they tried to summon a high-level hero to confront Your Majesty. But it was said that the person who came was just a swindler of the extra class."

"A swindler. Ugh. How could she be cheated by an extra? That's pitiful."

"Your Majesty doesn't have to come forward, it'll be easy to suppress the remnants, so please leave it to us."

It was a middle-aged man who prostrated closest to the Blood Ruler. He was a big, muscular man, and he spurted out extraordinary heat from his whole body. He was the knight of fire, Hwagrain, one of the three strongest knights in the kingdom apart from the Blood Ruler.

"Oh yeah. You want to do it?"

"Your Majesty, please don't miss the moment of Awakening and go to the great temple instead. We'll carry out the suppression of the remnants."

Generally, your level will go up if you make a sufficient number of achievements on the battlefield. But the change from level 7 to level 8 was said to be the "Awakening."

Even if one had enough achievements, leveling up was only possible through a ceremony that was held in the great temple during the Awakening time once a year. This also overlapped with "Victory Day" where people could wage war on their own land.

"Are you greedy for the chance to make some accomplishments?"

"It's not like that. It's to keep Your Majesty from working too hard."

"Ha ha ha ha! That's a plain lie. But I like your attitude of trying to butter up the ruler. Ha ha ha!"

It was just a laugh, but the whole hall fluttered.

"I'm so glad to hear that," Hwagrain responded.

"But I won't allow it."

Riad stopped laughing.

"There are more variables in attacking than there are in defense. It is true that you three, each level 6, are stronger than the remnants of the princess, but there is no need to do a useless thing in my absence."

"But…"

"I've decided."

The three knights bowed at the stern command of the Blood Ruler. Their eyes were full of discontent, but they didn't have the courage to say even a word in front of her.

"But while I'm gone, the princess may attack first…"

"Can they do that?"

"They're losing anyway. It is just about time that they make a frantic last-ditch effort, isn't it?"

The eyes of the Blood Ruler were sharp and calm. Unexpectedly calmness lurked beneath that sexual force and strong spirit.

"When it comes, the three of you will defend, and then I will allow you to plunder everything left to the princess as a reward of winning."

"Everything?"

"Of course, even up to her body and life."

The eyes of the three knights flashed. Princess Ereka was the half-sister of the Blood Ruler, Riad. Even though it was a "reward," they worried about their blood ties interfering with the prize of the princess' body.

Your Majesty, there's nothing else to think about since you've already considered the princess an enemy.

In addition to that, she broadly gave them a reward which they, the generous men, wanted.

"Leave it to us. We'll surely take care of it."

"That's good. I won't tolerate any failure."

"Naturally."

They were level 6, while on the other side, only the princess was level 6; Rittier was level 5, and Jenna was level 4. The difference in fighting power was so big, considering that two level 4 wizards could not deal with a level 6 knight. What was better, it was a "defensive battle," so the advantages of terrain were also with Riad's knights. They had the confidence in an inevitable victory.

Still, Riad wondered if the princess would attack first. Even though the Blood Ruler said that their defenses were good, would there be a chance of being attacked?

"I will go through the Awakening and come back. Then I will clean up the remnants and move on to the center of the continent. So make sure there are no deviations from the plan!"

"Yes, Your Majesty! Leave it to us, please."

The Blood Ruler strode across the hall in a dignified manner.

Outside the hall, food, other consumables and "virgins" to be used during the ceremony were ready in a carriage.

* * *

The three knights who had been kneeling stood up after the Blood Ruler left. After watching she disappear over the horizon, they finally opened their mouths.

"Your Majesty… She can leave the cleaning up to us."

"She may seek 100% perfection…"

"It's enough for us to do it."

Only Princess Ereka couldn't be ignored, but she had no other supporting forces. Rittier and Jenna were far below them. It was not even worth considering the level 0 extra on their side. They had the confidence to overcome the attackers with just their overwhelming force.

"It would have been better if she gave us the chance to do it."

"She may want to finish them off herself."

"If she is going to the center in the future, the little things like this…"

Although they could not express their dissatisfaction and criticism in front of the Blood Ruler due to fear, their faces were still filled with discontent.

No matter how much they trained, they couldn't raise their level. Only tricks utilizing the force that they already had were increased. There was only one way to level up and become stronger. They would have to win a real match on the battlefield and be rewarded with greater power from God.

These numerous mock wars were meaningless. And the remnants of the princess were easy prey, an easy opponent with whom they could have the confidence in beating.

Their true, innermost feelings were that the Blood Ruler should have bestowed such a thing to them.