The hero Alfred stepped away from the crowd and found a quiet spot where the noise of mourning and chaos couldn't reach him. For a moment, he simply sat there, letting the silence wash over him. He wanted to be alone, to think.
'I remember the princess mentioning a woman from Futama Village being brought here… but how am I supposed to find out who she was?'
Then it struck him. The investigation team.
Not far away, a knight walked past carrying a bloodstained cloth. Alfred raised his voice.
"Hey, knight. Come here for a second."
The knight immediately hurried over, his face brightening at being addressed directly by the hero.
'Hah, despite everything, he's full of energy. That's rare to see right now.'
"Could you bring me one of the investigation team members who went to Futama Village?" Alfred asked.
"Yes, sir! I'll bring him right away." The knight saluted and ran off.
'Disciplined and reliable. Good.'
Left alone again, Alfred exhaled and turned his attention inward. 'Until he comes back, let's check the achievement I unlocked.'
"Open status."
[Current Level: Unknown]
[No Special Powers Achieved]
[Hero Type: Mage]
[Hidden Attribute: █ █ █ █]
"Last achievements."
[New Title Unlocked: Demon Slayer]
— The one who turned the tide of hell itself, cutting down thousands of demons in a storm of holy wrath. To the abyss, your very name is a curse.
[Achievement Acquired: Eyes of the Golden Monarch]
"Details of: Eyes of the Golden Monarch."
[Achievement: Eyes of the Golden Monarch]
[Description: Your eyes have awakened to the truth hidden beneath the veil. With these eyes, falsehoods bend and shadows tremble. Nothing born of darkness may escape your sight.]
[Passive Effect: You may perceive lies as cracks of shadow. Hidden truths appear as glimmers of light. The deeper you look, the more the world reveals.]
[Special Trait: When invoked, your gaze may strip the mask from any being, revealing their true form, whether human, demon, or god.]
Alfred narrowed his eyes at the glowing text.
'So it's not just sight… it's judgment. These eyes could make me more dangerous than I ever imagined.'
For a moment, he touched his face, almost uneasy.
'Golden Monarch… it sounds like some king of light. But I… I'm no king.'
Just then, the knight returned, bringing a weary man in torn armor, one of the investigation team. He bowed deeply.
"Sir Hero, I was told you wished to see me."
"Aah, yes," Alfred said calmly, though his tone carried weight. "I heard you brought someone back with you when you returned from Futama. Is that true?"
"Yes, Sir Hero. We… we brought her with us. She was in terrible shape when we found her."
"What was her name?"
"I think… it was Alisha."
Alfred's eyes widened. A chill ran down his spine. "What happened to her after you brought her here?"
"I… I don't know, sir."
Alfred's voice dropped to a low growl. "Activate the Eyes."
[Activating: Eyes of the Golden Monarch]
His irises ignited with molten gold, burning like suns. The investigator staggered, breath catching in his throat. Sweat rolled down his temple as the crushing weight of truth pressed upon him.
"Don't lie to me." Alfred's words echoed like judgment.
The man clutched his chest, gasping. The power of the Eyes tore at his will, forcing every hidden truth to the surface.
"When… when we returned… our captain took her straight to the king," he coughed. "After that, I don't know… I swear, that's all I know. Please, believe me!"
"Where did the captain take her?"
"The… the basement. I saw him leading her below the palace. That's all I remember!"
Alfred's gaze dimmed, the golden fire receding.
[Deactivating: Eyes of the Golden Monarch]
The investigator collapsed to his knees, sucking in ragged breaths as if freed from drowning.
Alfred narrowed his eyes.
'So… this is what the Eyes can do. Not just sight… but judgment itself.'
"Where is the captain?"
"He… he is no more." The investigator lowered his head, his voice heavy with sorrow.
"Alright. Lead me to the palace underground."
The ruined palace loomed before them. Its towers had collapsed, sections of the walls were nothing but rubble, yet the underground remained intact. Dust drifted through the air as Alfred and the investigator entered, each step echoing on broken stone.
"Sir Hero," the knight whispered, his hand tightening on the torch, "this isn't safe. The structure could give way at any time. Do we really have to risk our lives here?"
"Shut up and lead the way."
The knight swallowed hard and obeyed. They opened the first door, nothing but cracked walls and overturned furniture. The second door revealed only dust. The third and fourth were the same, empty and silent.
Finally, they reached another heavy door. The knight froze, his hand trembling as it rested on the handle.
"Why aren't you opening it?" Alfred asked sharply.
The knight's face paled. "Sir… this is the punishment chamber. There's… there's a smell. Something inside is rotting."
"Open it."
The knight hesitated, then forced the iron door open. Immediately, a foul stench spilled out, thick and suffocating. It was the smell of rot and dried blood, heavy enough to make the torchlight flicker in the haze.
Alfred narrowed his eyes. "Activate, Eyes."
[Eyes of the Golden Monarch: Activated]
The world sharpened, the gloom stripped away. His golden gaze cut through the darkness, revealing what lay inside.
In the far corner, a mound of corpses lay collapsed against the wall. Skin clung tightly to bone, dried black with decay. Rats scurried through the heap, disturbed by the sudden light. Alfred lifted an arm to shield his nose, forcing himself forward.
Chains rattled faintly. A figure swayed from them, suspended by the wrists. A woman. Her body was pale, her skin dry and torn. Her arms were stretched unnaturally high, dislocated from the strain. The flesh at her wrists was shredded; deep, deliberate cuts had severed the major veins and nerves. The wounds were old, clotted dark, but blood had pooled below her for days, overflowing a rusted bucket that now stained the floor.
Her legs were limp, her knees bent inward, her toes barely brushing the stone. Dried streaks of red ran down her thighs. Her body was so emaciated that each rib showed clearly beneath the skin.
Her face was hidden beneath a curtain of matted hair, stiff with blood. Alfred approached, each step heavier than the last. Slowly, he reached out, brushing the hair aside.
And froze.
Alisha.
Her lips were blue, her eyes sunken but slightly open, as if she had died mid-scream. Her jaw hung slack.
Alfred staggered backward. His chest tightened, his breath hitched, and his vision blurred. The golden glow in his eyes flickered, then went dark.
[Eyes of the Golden Monarch: Deactivated]
He turned and rushed from the chamber, stumbling into the hall. He pressed his back against the wall, both hands shaking violently. His throat constricted, tears running down his cheeks before he could stop them.
The investigator hurried after him, panicked. "Sir, what is it? What did you see?"
Alfred didn't answer. His body shook uncontrollably as the image burned into his mind.
And then, his voice tore free, raw and broken—
"AAAAAAAAAH!"
The scream thundered through the ruined halls, carrying his grief and fury into the silence of the underground.