Mize barely had time to process what was happening before the butler took a step forward, hand pressed to his chest as he bowed.
"My lady, please do not be alarmed. You are, in fact, neither delusional nor deceased. This is not the afterlife."
The voice was clear and smooth, the taste of the decayed age wasn't there, instead the tone was filled with vigor.
Like a person that had just tasted the fruit of life after several years of starvation.
Mize jerked, gaze flicking between the butler and the towering guards behind him.
His lips pressed into a thin line as his thoughts ran laps in his head.
"...Then I suppose I'm alive?"
"Well and breathing." The butler straightened, a polite smile stretched across his face. "Now, if I may, my lady, please allow me to escort you to the dining hall. The lord is already awaiting your arrival."
Mize froze.
"W-wait... I mean, yes? I think?"
Her own voice betrayed her.
One step back, hesitation.
A pause in mid-sentence, uncertainty.
And then, despite her instincts screaming that something was very, very wrong, she stepped forward.
Head tilted. Fingers tapping against her lips. Eyes scanning every detail of the grand hall around her.
"But before we proceed, can I ask why is my apartment room... Y-you know, got here?" It couldn't be helped, he had to ask this away or else he might really go insane at this moment.
Would you believe it that somehow your whole house was suddenly transported into a huge palace like castle?
And a butler with a group of medieval soldiers stood outside the door to greet you?
I wouldn't believe it if I was him, though such a thing wouldn't really be impossible when it comes to the Freak Yama Lord.
"This... " the butler hesitated, "I am unsure on how the Lord did it, My lady. It is best for the lady to inquire it personally to the lord"
"Alright... " Mize sigh and feigned to his fate, "let's go now, I am hungry anyway"
The butler's smile widened. "That's wonderful to hear, my lady." He turned gracefully, hand extended toward the long corridor ahead. "Then, please, this way."
Mize followed, bare feet silent against the smooth floor. And the guards, they trailed behind at a steady distance.
The presence of the black-armored knights loomed, but Mize couldn't help but sneak glances their way, curiosity itching at the back of her mind.
"You guys…" she finally muttered, peeking over her shoulder. "Are you all human? Or… summoned creatures from Liam?"
The guards remained silent.
But the butler, he answered effortlessly, his steps light and deliberate as he walked ahead.
"They are human soldiers, my lady. The honorable Shadow Guardians do not oversee the castle's defense"
'The shadow guardians?' Mize eyes gleamed for a moment, recalling the scenes when Liam sent a couple of shadows into his back at the ceremony.
"Incredible… So Liam trained them? Or recruited them?"
The excitement in his voice was undeniable.
This, all of this, felt like a whole new world unfolding before his eyes.
And he wanted answers.
'Since we are about to merge our territory, it wouldn't be bad to learn a little bit more in advance' Mize thought to himself.
The butler chuckled, hands clasped neatly behind his back. "It is neither, my lady. We are like the Lord's summoned creatures, yet also different."
Mize blinked. "How so?"
For a brief moment, her earlier panic was forgotten.
Completely. As if her entire reality hadn't just shifted in the past five minutes.
Women sure were forgetful creatures.
Oh, wait.
Men...
"The difference lies in the medium from which we were summoned," the butler continued, his voice as calm as a bedtime story.
Mize was hooked under the butler's tone undoubtedly.
"The Shadow Guardians, were brought by the Lord's ability"
"However, we common humans are a product of the territory's ability."
Mize's brows furrowed slightly.
"So… you're saying you were all summoned here?"
"Indeed. Most of us were homeless refugees before we were granted the Lord's grace just a few days ago"
Mize faltered. "Ah… I'm sorry to hear that."
"Please, there is no need, my lady." The butler inclined his head slightly.
"In fact, we should be the ones thanking you instead. As the Lord's wife, you are also our leader. Thus, you are deserving of all the respect we have to offer."
Mize's eye twitched.
Wife.
Liam, you manipulative bastard.
But, well. It was too late to argue.
"...Right." She coughed, swiftly changing the subject. "So, uh... how many people are there in Liam's territory right now?"
The butler hummed thoughtfully. "Let me see…" His fingers brushed against his chin, his gaze momentarily flickering toward the vast expanse beyond the windows.
Mize followed his line of sight, her breath hitched slightly.
A town.
Sitting further down the hill, stretching outward with rows of buildings, streets, and flickering lights.
'Wait… Liam built this castle on top of a hill?'
It was an accurate guess.
The butler finally answered, voice smooth.
"So far, we have just under two thousand people."
Mize whipped her head back to him.
Two thousand?!
"It may seem like a lot," the butler continued, "but in reality, the territory has only just begun to develop. The Lord's rule over this land is still in its infancy."
"After all, we barely had time to develop. All of the current achievements were achieved through the Lord efforts himself"
Mize stared.
A couple of days.
It had only been a couple of days.
And Liam already had a functioning castle, an army, and an entire town forming at its base?
"...I don't know if I should be impressed or terrified"
And the reason why he said so was that, 'I am beginning to suspect his golden finger might have some correlation with me. Or... ' He thought further, hands touched his chin. 'I am his golden finger? His cheat?'
But of course, they were all speculations.
Then, Mize eyes shuddered for a moment.
Groan...
A noise...
And it came mysteriously from a person's stomach.
Mize barely lasted a few more minutes before his stomach started protesting.
He gritted his teeth, held it in, and pretended to be fascinated by the scenery outside the windows.
'Looks peaceful.'
For now, anyway.
The journey through the corridor finally came to an end when they stopped in front of a set of massive doors.
Rich, deep redwood, intricately carved with swirling patterns, floral engravings, and golden inlays that shimmered faintly under the candlelight.
The metal handles were huge, arched like the hands of a divine being bestowing mercy.
On each side, two enormous vases stood proudly, filled with delicate purple flowers that leaned gently toward the entrance, as if bowing in reverence.
Mize stared.
It was… extravagant.
'Why would a door has this much details?'
He then shrugged it off.
The butler stepped forward and pressed his gloved hands against the handles.
"Please, go ahead, my lady."
With a smooth yet undeniably hefty motion, the doors swung open.
Mize heard it, that subtle resistance.
They were heavy. The kind of heavy that made her wonder if they were meant to keep people out… or keep something in.
She rolled her shoulders, adjusted her oversized hoodie, and finally realized, she was completely underdressed for this place.
A castle.
A formal dinner. And here she was, looking like she just rolled out of bed.
Her lips twitched.
"Well, this is his fault anyway." She muttered under her breath, cursing Liam for not giving her a damn warning.
She stepped inside.
Her gaze flickering, taking in the scenery as she walked from this side of the room, but then...
She froze.
'Crap. There are other people here.'
A long, ornate dining table stretched across the hall, grand and impeccably set.
Tall golden candelabras lined the center, their flames casting a soft glow over rows of dishes, exotic delicacies, and enough food to feed a small army.
But Mize wasn't focused on that.
Nope.
She was too busy scanning the people sitting at the table.
First, a man in a loose, white robe, draped elegantly over his slender frame.
His green hair fell neatly behind his ears, and thin-rimmed glasses perched delicately on his nose.
Scholar.
Definitely gave 'safe person' energy.
Mize nodded and approved.
Then, the guy next to him.
Dressed in a well-fitted suit with a high-collared cloak, exuding a kind of quiet authority charm that made Mize's alarm bells ring.
'Aizen vibe, nu uh. Liam's doppelganger'
His face? Too smooth. Too pleasant. And the way his eyes crinkled at the corners, as if he were always secretly smiling at something.
Yeah. Immediate red flag.
'Nope. Not trusting that one.'
And then her gaze landed on the final figure at the table.
A hulking man with broad shoulders, crossed arms, and a thick red beard.
His fiery hair practically radiated aggression.
Yup. Definitely not dealing with him either.
That left Green Hair Guy as the only remotely safe option.
She had barely paused for a few seconds when Liam's voice cut through the air.
"What are you still standing there for? Come sit"
Mize snapped to attention, his mind turning though his body and mouth was obedient on the outside.
"A-ah, okay!"
With slightly hurried steps, she trotted forward, doing her absolute best to ignore the curious gazes drilling into her from all sides.