Zero opened his System and looked at the Kingdom map. He quickly found the location of Lilia's estate and followed the glowing path through the dark city streets.
Soon, he arrived at his destination. It was not just a house; it was a massive, incredibly luxurious palace surrounded by high stone walls.
Two heavily armored guards were standing watch at the giant iron gates. When Zero stepped out of the shadows, they immediately raised their spears and blocked his path.
"Who are you?!" one of the guards demanded sharply. "What are you doing here in the middle of the night? Take off your mask and show us your face right now!"
Zero looked down at them calmly. "I am here because Lilia—"
Zero stopped mid-sentence. He suddenly remembered that absolutely no one in this world knew her by her childhood name. He quickly corrected his mistake.
"I am here because Elara Valmont invited me," Zero stated.
Hearing this, the two guards instantly got furious.
"Watch your mouth!" the second guard shouted angrily. "Show some manners! You cannot just casually use her name like that! Even the most powerful nobles and guild masters respectfully call her the Matriarch! Who do you think you are to speak so disrespectfully?"
The guards stood firmly in front of the closed gate and started laughing mockingly.
"What a ridiculous joke," the first guard sneered. "Why would the Matriarch ever invite a suspicious, masked commoner to her private estate? Get lost before we throw you in the dungeon!"
Suddenly, another knight walked up to the gates from inside the estate. "What is all this noise about?"
Zero looked at the newcomer. This knight looked completely different from the regular guards. He was incredibly handsome, with shining armor, perfect hair, and a strong, righteous aura. He looked exactly like the main protagonist of a heroic fantasy novel.
The two guards immediately stood up straight and saluted him with deep respect.
"Sir!" the guard reported quickly. He pointed a shaking finger at Zero. "This man..."
The guard looked at Zero, trying to find the right words. Standing under the moonlight, Zero looked absolutely terrifying. His towering, pitch-black Abyssal Steel armor absorbed all the light, and his cold, glowing red eyes made him look like a dark, unstoppable demon king who had just walked out of a nightmare.
"...this terrifying man in the black armor is claiming that Matriarch Elara Valmont personally invited him here!" the guard finished, waiting for the handsome knight to handle the situation.
The handsome knight, whose name was Gareth Sunstrike, glared at Zero. He had a proud face and stood like a hero who had never lost a battle.
"Who do you think you are?" Gareth demanded. "How dare you take Matriarch Elara Valmont's name so casually? Do you even know who she is?"
Zero sighed behind his iron mask. "How many times do I have to repeat myself? Your Matriarch invited me here"
Sir Gareth let out a loud, mocking laugh. "Is that so? And what kind of business does a suspicious man like you have with our Matriarch?"
"That is personal," Zero replied coldly.
Hearing this, the handsome knight's smile instantly vanished. His mood soured. He did not like the dark, disrespectful attitude of this stranger.
"You are starting to make me very angry," Sir Gareth warned, stepping closer and resting his hand on the hilt of his glowing sword.
"Look at you. You arrived on foot. You have no royal carriage. You have no guards to escort you. You do not look like a great noble or a VIP. Get out of here right now, before you suddenly find yourself missing an arm and a leg"
Zero did not step back. Instead, a terrifying, heavy killing intent leaked out of his black Abyssal Steel armor.
"If you are a real man, I dare you to step forward and lay a single finger on me," Zero challenged, his mechanical voice dripping with pure menace.
The air around them grew freezing cold. Sir Gareth's eyes widened slightly at the intense pressure, but his pride would not let him back down. He gritted his teeth and began to draw his shining sword out of its sheath.
Zero simply clenched his heavy, armored fist, ready to crush the handsome knight into the dirt.
They were just seconds away from a bloody fight.
"Stop this at once!"
A loud, commanding female voice suddenly echoed from the courtyard inside the gates.
Sir Gareth and the two guards froze. They quickly looked past the iron gates. Walking rapidly toward them was the tall, fierce figure of Brielle Ironheart, the Matriarch's Sworn Shield. She looked furious.
"Commander Brielle!" Sir Gareth immediately let go of his sword and bowed respectfully. The two gate guards quickly did the same, shaking with fear.
"What is the meaning of this, Sir Gareth?!" Brielle shouted, glaring at the handsome knight. "Are you trying to start a war at our front door?!"
"Commander, this suspicious man was disrespecting the Matriarch!" Sir Gareth tried to explain, pointing at Zero. "He claims she invited him, but he is clearly lying!"
"Are you blind?!" Brielle scolded him harshly.
"He is not lying! This man is Lord Zero. He is the Matriarch's most important and esteemed VIP guest! She has been waiting for him inside!"
Sir Gareth's handsome face instantly turned completely pale. The two guards holding their spears looked like they were about to faint. They had just threatened to cut off the arms and legs of the Matriarch's most important guest.
Brielle quickly turned to Zero. She ignored the shocked knights and gave Zero a deep, respectful bow.
"I deeply apologize for this disrespect, Lord Zero," Brielle said formally. "Please, follow me. Elara is waiting for you in the private garden"
Zero gave the terrified Sir Gareth one last cold, warning look with his glowing red eyes before walking past the heavy iron gates and following Brielle inside the massive estate.
Gareth glared at Zero's back with cold, hateful eyes. He gritted his teeth so hard that his jaw muscles popped.
'Who does this Zero think he is?' Gareth thought furiously. 'How dare a nameless commoner show me such attitude? I will definitely get my revenge.' He barked at the two gate guards, "Return to your positions!" As the terrified guards scrambled back to their posts, Gareth quietly started following behind Brielle and Zero.
As they walked through the luxurious paths of the estate, Zero glanced sideways. "Who was that?" he asked.
Brielle let out a heavy sigh of annoyance.
"That is Gareth. He is one of EL's trusted High Knights. He is an A-Rank warrior and very strong, but he irritates me to no end. He honestly believes that every woman will fall for his handsome face. Behind that shiny armor, he is a very lustful man. I see the way he looks at EL and me. He constantly tries to flirt, but he knows his limits and never completely crosses the line"
Brielle rolled her eyes. "Whenever EL is around, he acts like a perfect gentleman and pretends to be some great 'Hero of Justice,' hoping she will swoon over him. But EL knows exactly what he is trying to do. She just ignores him completely"
Zero's glowing red eyes narrowed slightly.
"You better put a leash on your dog," Zero warned, his mechanical voice completely cold. "Because if he makes me angry, I do not just ignore things. You know exactly what I am capable of"
Brielle's face instantly went pale, and she swallowed hard. Her tough expression broke into a look of genuine panic.
'I have to stop Gareth before it is too late,' Brielle thought, her heart racing in her chest.
'That arrogant idiot has absolutely no idea what kind of monster he is picking a fight with. If Zero actually gets angry, Gareth will not survive a single second. Plus, EL wants to make Zero her husband! We desperately need his power for the Valmont family. I cannot let Gareth ruin this!'
Suddenly, Gareth quickly walked up behind them.
"Do not try to act smart in there," Gareth warned Zero, trying to sound intimidating. "Make sure you call her Matriarch. Do not ever dare to speak her actual name"
Brielle quickly stepped between them.
"Gareth, you are crossing your limits right now," she snapped.
They finally reached a pair of massive, beautifully carved wooden doors that led to the inner garden. Brielle turned around and blocked Gareth's path.
"Where do you think you are going?" Brielle demanded.
"I am going inside with you," Gareth replied arrogantly, standing tall. "I need to keep a close eye on this suspicious man so he doesn't try anything funny. It is my duty to protect the Matriarch. Do not forget that I am a High Knight, Brielle"
Brielle crossed her arms and gave him a deadly glare. "It is the Matriarch's direct order. She wishes to speak to Lord Zero in absolute privacy. And you know perfectly well how special I am to the Matriarch. My word is her word. You are not allowed inside"
Gareth's handsome face twisted with frustration, but he could not argue against the Matriarch's direct orders spoken through her Sworn Shield.
Without giving him another look, Brielle and Zero pushed the heavy wooden doors open, walked inside, and shut them firmly.
Left entirely alone in the hallway, Gareth stomped his heavy boot on the stone floor in pure, raging anger. He clenched his fists, completely helpless to do anything about it. Furious and humiliated, he angrily turned around and marched away.