The Hero Who Wasn't:Lord of Kingdoms

The Black Lion's Decision

Valerius took a deep breath, feeling a weight he hadn't carried in decades. He gestured to the exhausted Robert. "Return to your room and rest, boy. You've done far beyond your duty. Leave the rest to me."

Robert bowed respectfully and left, leaving Valerius and Kalia alone in the tension-heavy office.

Valerius looked at his wife, who was staring back at him with her piercing crimson eyes. "What do you think, my dear?" he asked, his voice carrying the weight of the world.

Kalia gave him a sly smile, like a cat watching a trapped mouse. "I think you're about to do something stupid and reckless. Darling, you don't actually think you're going alone, do you?"

Valerius opened his mouth to protest—to start his usual speech about danger, about how she must stay to protect the city in his absence. But before a single word escaped, Kalia moved swiftly and placed her delicate index finger on his lips, silencing him.

"No," she whispered, her eyes gleaming with defiance and affection. "No, my love. Don't even think of going alone. It's either death together… or victory together!"

Valerius looked at his wife. Normally, he would have insisted on refusing. But his deep gaze saw not only the woman he loved—his Genius skill analyzed the situation coldly. She was his wife, yes, but also his greatest asset.

"You're right," he thought. "My refusal isn't wise—it's selfish."

He knew the truth. Kalia wasn't just a powerful mage; she was the second-strongest person in all of Arcadia—second only to him. Her adventurer rank had surpassed S recently, making her more than fit to face any threat. More importantly, he knew her true strength. Her unique support skill—an S+ ranked ability—could amplify an ally's power to twice its original strength. Her presence didn't merely increase their chance of survival—it doubled it.

Then he thought of himself. "I am not the man who fled from that Vice-Emperor Beast twenty years ago."

It was true he'd been lazy, avoiding fieldwork. But his laziness didn't mean stagnation. All these years, he'd quietly trained his physical skills, pushing his limits day by day in secret drills. Now… he was at least five times stronger than in his youth.

His genius mind calculated the odds at lightning speed.

"Vice-Emperor scenario: with my current strength, I'd be on equal footing. But with Kalia's boost… we can crush it. Victory is nearly certain."

"Emperor scenario—the worst case: if the enemy is the true King, victory is impossible. But… with Kalia's boost, I can hold out. Not to win—but to escape. I can match it for at least five minutes. Five minutes… that's all we'd need to find an opening and flee. Or at least, that's all Kalia would need to escape while I keep it busy."

The hesitation vanished from his eyes, replaced by icy resolve. He had made his decision—not just as a husband afraid for his wife, but as a leader making the best tactical choice.

He took her hand, still on his lips, and kissed it gently.

"I'd be a fool to go without you, my love," he said, with a rare, genuine smile. "Get ready. We leave at dawn."

Kalia looked at him with a victorious smile. "I knew you'd make the right choice."

The two strongest in the city now stood together, ready to face an ancient nightmare knocking on their world's gates. It was no longer just a mission to rescue a promising hero—it was now an expedition to discover the true scale of a threat that could endanger the entire Empire.

And deep within the pitch-black mine, Arion—the cause of all this turmoil—lay unconscious in a rocky crevice, still dreaming of arguing with a vegetable vendor about the price of potatoes.