That night, as I lay on my bed, once again I kept thinking about that incident. Truly, every time I interact with Hellraider, there is always some unexpected turn involving him.
I feel that his heart and mind have opened up slightly.
When we returned to headquarters earlier, Hellraider seemed shaken by what I had said.
Honestly, I am still afraid that I have revealed the truth about myself, Hellraider, and every world we have entered.
What if he becomes a "boomerang" in this journey of mine? I truly hope he does not respond to it harshly and recklessly later.
The next morning, I was woken again by the barracks chief. He told me to prepare immediately to meet Gruzhnil once more.
During breakfast I kept thinking, would he ask in detail what I had done to Hellraider? If he truly asks, I must polish my answer carefully without mentioning the game The Mayhem at all.
I feel that Gruzhnil already knows I understand a rather serious "weakness" of Hellraider.
I went to the front of the headquarters building and saw Commander Gruzhnil, Grelmure, and several high-ranking officials of The Graendall already present. I noticed that these officials were not the same ones who had accompanied us to the mining inspection. A shuttle was also parked there, and it seemed I would be taken somewhere again. Grelmure greeted me and asked me to board the shuttle immediately.
I obeyed, and when I entered the passenger cabin, I saw Hellraider already seated in the far-right corner. His head was turned toward the window. I sat at the front-left seat.
At this moment I did not want to provoke Hellraider. Shortly after, the officials boarded and took their seats. Gruzhnil sat right beside Hellraider, and Grelmure sat next to me.
The shuttle took off and flew. I asked Grelmure where Hellraider and I were being taken.
"Ohhh yes… Right now we are attending a grand and important meeting with Emperor Gregustus at the palace you have visited before. All the high commanders and others from every planet will attend as well. Commander Gruzhnil wants you and Sir Hellraider to join," Grelmure said.
My feelings were mixed—nervousness, excitement, and fear, especially when Gruzhnil decided to bring Hellraider to the palace for the first time. He might become the center of attention there. And what would be discussed that involved all the highest officials of The Graendall? I suspected there would be something extraordinary beyond the deadly duel between Gruzhnil and Hellraider.
Still, I doubted Hellraider's participation. He could not yet fully understand The Graendall's power structure and its empire. But recalling what I told him yesterday that shocked him, I feared he might begin to grasp the situation and do something that could endanger the entire system here. I hoped he would not do anything that would worry everyone during the event.
"Sir Grelmure, I would like to say something. Could you perhaps provide proper attire for Sir Hellraider and me whenever we visit the palace and meet the emperor? I feel embarrassed and uncomfortable wearing clothes like these," I protested.
"Hahahahaaaa… Johann, I would like that too. But since both of you are still under supervision as outsiders and not yet officially part of Grivendal, I do not have the authority to provide formal attire for such events. Emperor Gregustus understands this and is not someone who judges solely by appearances. So you need not worry," Grelmure reassured me.
His words about Hellraider and me not yet being part of their society made sense. I was simply worried about how other nobles might judge us. Even though they welcomed me during my previous visit, who truly knows what people think? They may speak kindly in front of someone yet mock them behind their back.
After some time, the shuttle landed. As I stepped out, I saw many shuttles flying and parked above and around the palace grounds. High-ranking officials of The Graendall, imperial government members, and nobles crowded the palace. As our group walked toward the palace, all eyes turned toward us, especially glancing at Hellraider.
I feared they might anger him again. But he seemed indifferent.
The meeting was held in a vast conference hall, structurally similar to the lecture hall at headquarters where I studied. At the front was a stage with a row of seats, a long table, and a large screen behind it. Two seats in the center resembled thrones. The stained-glass images of the first emperor Grhemolus and Archangel Marsiel flanked the large screen.
The high commanders sat in the front and center rows. I counted seven of them, including Gruzhnil. Grelmure had once told me that the Grivendal Empire consisted of seven planets, each led militarily by a high commander as Gruzhnil had explained. Hellraider and I sat directly behind them. I felt awkward again sitting beside Hellraider. I glanced at him—he stared forward, arms folded across his chest, as usual in such situations.
High imperial officials entered from the side of the stage, and among them were Emperor Gregustus and Princess Glynpatra. They took their seats, with Gregustus and Glynpatra occupying the two central chairs.
The meeting began. I soon realized that its core topic was the upcoming expedition to the realm of terror. I recalled what Gruzhnil had said after the mining inspection.
Commander Gruzhnil addressed everyone, stating that during the last expedition, The Graendall had discovered two individuals who were "trump cards." They had the potential to significantly improve the outcome of the next expedition.
The large screen displayed Hellraider and me seated side by side. The entire hall erupted in cheers and applause.
I was extremely embarrassed seeing my face magnified there. My cheeks flushed red, and I lowered my head.
Hellraider, meanwhile, remained motionless without any expression.
During the meeting, my attention shifted to Princess Glynpatra, who was seated on the throne upon the stage. She truly resembled my late mother. I had not realized it while still in my world because in The Mayhem gameplay, her face looked slightly different from how she appears now, although her hair color was similar to my mother's.
However, something strange caught my notice—Princess Glynpatra kept stealing glances in our direction. She was not looking at me, but rather toward Hellraider. I wondered whether Princess Glynpatra had begun to take an interest in Hellraider.
As far as I remember from the gameplay, Hellraider once saved Princess Glynpatra during an expedition to the realm of terror. At the end of his journey in Grivendal, she said something to Hellraider which, according to the fans, was her attempt to confess her feelings to him, yet he did not respond and simply left her behind.
I felt worried that she might try to question me about Hellraider's condition.
Afterward, several high commanders and Emperor Gregustus explained the technical preparations for the next expedition. The meeting concluded, and attendees began leaving.
I saw Hellraider immediately stand and stride out. People around him gave way as he passed.
Was he bored because he understood little of the explanation, or did he feel humiliated by seeing his face displayed on the screen with mine?
In the palace corridor, I saw Commander Gruzhnil conversing with other officials. I intended to approach him. Midway, Gruzhnil glanced back, his face brightening. Someone jogged toward him—it was Princess Glynpatra. She embraced Gruzhnil warmly, like siblings reunited after a long time. I withdrew, giving them space.
I asked a palace guard for directions to the garden and walked there. Why did I choose the garden? I felt certain Hellraider needed solitude again. Yet upon exiting to the vast garden, I did not find him.
My interface slot suddenly appeared again. I was a little surprised because it appeared so randomly. I decided to retrieve my binoculars.
I noticed something new in my slot—a compass illustration.
Ah… I remembered. It was the military compass I had carried since the early days in the realm of terror. I had only used it once. When I awoke in Grivendal's prison, it must have been placed in one of my interface slots.
What should I do with this compass? It and my kitchen knife seemed trivial, yet I could not bring myself to discard them. I could not explain why, so I kept them.
Through the binoculars, I saw a small hill partly hidden by dense trees. Had Hellraider gone there? The garden still had guests, so perhaps he sought a more secluded spot. I walked toward the hill closest to the palace grounds.
After walking far from the garden, I reached a wide grassy plain with only a few trees. Suddenly my neck prickled again. What was happening? Was I nearing Hellraider?
Suddenly someone shouted my name from behind. I turned—it was Grelmure running toward me.
"Whyyy… why didn't you hear me shouting back in the garden…??? It is dangerous if you wander freely in the wild like this, Johann…!!!" Grelmure said, slightly annoyed and breathless.
I apologized and explained I intended to meet Hellraider, who might be beyond the hill. I said he liked to be alone while looking at distant views.
"I am worried you might encounter a wild beast!!! What if you meet Groth alone?!?! He will surely return, Johann!!! Let us go back to the palace. We still have plenty of time. If he has not returned, we will search together with the others!" Grelmure insisted firmly.
I fell silent, almost forgetting that apex predators roamed these plains—the massive lions. Had Grelmure not reminded me, I would have ventured deeper into the forest. But why had I not heard his shouting earlier? I had no answer. I could only obey him.
As we turned back, a thunderous roar echoed across the plains. We both froze, clutching each other and scanning around.
Oh no… a Groth had detected us!!!
I reflexively glanced behind. From the dense trees emerged a colossal lion. Its entire body was covered in thick black fur, its eyes glowed yellow, its fangs protruded from its jaws, and its size rivaled that of a full-grown elephant.
"G-GRELMURE… T-THAAT… THAAAAT'S…!!!" I stammered in fear, pointing at the beast.
Grelmure turned and gasped.
"BY MARSIEL, PROTECTOR OF GRIVENDALL… IT IS GRESLAN… THE EMPEROR OF THE GROTHS!!!" he shouted.
I immediately recalled that name—Greslan—from The Mayhem. In the lore, he was not merely a lion but the embodiment of Grivendal planet's spirit. All ecosystem's life on this planet existed because of him.
According to the mythology I read at the archives, Greslan was created by Marsiel to watch over the land. The elder archivist had said Groths were not merely apex predators but guardians and sources of strength for Grivendal's people.
In gameplay, Greslan was an optional unique boss encountered through specific missions while Hellraider was in Grivendal. If defeated, Hellraider would take part of his mane as a cloak during the final war. I often did this, as Greslan was easier to find and defeat than Turgash.
We stood trembling, clinging to each other. Greslan advanced toward us, the ground trembling with each step. What would he do? Would he devour us for trespassing? But his domain encompassed the entire planet. We could not run—he would outrun us easily.
Just as we resigned ourselves, Greslan halted and looked to the right. We followed his gaze. From the trees emerged someone.
Hellraider walked toward Greslan.
I wondered—would Hellraider fight Greslan to save us? If so, would he do it barehanded? It would resemble the tale of Hercules in ancient Roman mythology. I believed Hellraider could do it.
Greslan turned fully toward Hellraider and growled. When the distance between them was about five large trees, Hellraider stopped. He locked eyes with Greslan.
Then Hellraider growled loudly and long, as if answering Greslan's roar.
Greslan ceased growling. Suddenly he turned and walked back into the dense forest.
Once again, I was left speechless.
Hellraider truly seemed to have changed since our personal encounter days ago.
He then glanced at the two of us still clinging together, like two mice cornered against a wall.