This Dungeon Grew Mushrooms

In the royal hall after the council ended, Sigmund did not leave immediately.

The empire had always respected strength.

Earlier, he had achieved a complete victory over Mofrei in their clash of mental power, and His Majesty had deliberately glossed over his mistakes during the meeting to preserve his dignity. That was respect he had earned.

But that did not mean that the command blunders which led to heavy losses and dragged down subsequent strategic deployments could simply be brushed aside.

After all, in the council just now, even princes who had failed due to an uncontrollable force like Wrath had still received a certain degree of punishment—let alone him.

That said, Sigmund had come prepared.

In the shadows beneath the stone steps, Sigmund knelt on one knee, both hands lifting a platinum vessel carved with intricate runes.

Before the emperor could speak, he took the initiative and said, “Your Majesty, please allow me to present ‘Twilight Kiss.’”

“Twilight Kiss…” Mortis leaned back on the throne and motioned for the guards to take the container and open the lid. Inside was nothing more than blood that looked entirely ordinary.

“This is specially selected and cultivated heartblood from special half-elves,” Sigmund maintained a humble posture. “Every single drop condenses the ultimate in delicacy.”

Mortis looked at the crimson liquid inside without much expression.

He knew this was Sigmund trying to curry favor in exchange for leniency in his punishment, but with just a single jar of blood…

For blood clans, the taste of blood from different races might vary somewhat, but in the end, they were still savoring the power within it.

The stronger the being, the more power-filled their blood would be.

Cultivating blood was not something blood clans hadn’t tried before. The result had always been the same—vast amounts of time and effort spent, for only a negligible improvement in taste. There was really nothing to look forward to.

And to dare name it “Twilight” on top of that…

Looking at the jar of blood, Mortis instead recalled that human Sword Saint.

The powerhouse who had left a wound on his neck that still hadn’t healed, forcing him to conceal it with blood armor.

That man’s blood must have been brimming with power—perfect whether consumed directly or used to cast 【Blood Manipulation】. Unfortunately, at the time he had been in a rush regarding the Demon King’s unsealing and hadn’t had the chance to deal with the corpse. What a waste.

Glancing at Sigmund, who was still kneeling below, Mortis decided to give him face despite his lack of expectations.

The ring on his right ring finger flashed several times as subtle magical fluctuations enveloped the container. No toxins were detected.

Only then did Mortis take a light sip.

Below the steps, Sigmund remained kneeling with his head bowed, his field of vision limited to the hem of His Majesty’s black robe.

Suddenly, the feet clad in boots embroidered with gold-thread patterns tensed slightly.

Though it was fleeting, this tiny change did not escape Sigmund’s eyes.

Success!

A clear swallowing sound came from the throne, followed by a second sip, then a third…

Mortis was, after all, an emperor, possessing extraordinary self-control.

After three mouthfuls, he set the jar down. Half of the blood still remained inside.

“Sigmund,” the emperor said, striving to keep his voice calm, “you should understand that today’s leniency at the council does not mean the empire will forget your mistakes.”

“I understand,” Sigmund replied with his head lowered.

“However, your original judgment cannot be said to have been wrong. Dragonroar Valley merely suffered a loss in intelligence…” Mortis tapped the armrest of the throne with his fingertip. “Hand over management rights to two mines in the eastern borderlands, and additionally contribute twenty percent of your tax revenue over the next three years to compensate Valerius’s losses.”

This punishment was far lighter than Sigmund had anticipated.

Joy surged in his heart, but he maintained a respectful expression. “I obey Your Majesty’s decree.”

After a brief silence, Mortis asked casually, “This ‘Twilight Kiss’… it must take quite some time to cultivate, yes?”

“It does require meticulous care. These special, pure half-elves feed exclusively on 【Delicacy】 fruits, eating better than most nobles. Coupled with special rituals and secret medicines, only then can such results be achieved…”

In his mind, Lin Jun watched Little Xi spin this blatant nonsense. There was no way he could possibly know where this blood actually came from.

Pure half-elves, my ass!

Lin Jun knew perfectly well what kind of stock his own D-rank personnel were.

No half-elves—just plenty of burly, hairy-legged, hairy-chested brutes.

This guy Little Xi… really had the makings of a salesman!

After spinning an entirely fabricated tale of arduous cultivation, Sigmund finally said what the emperor most wanted to hear. “If Your Majesty likes it, I can offer one jar every month.”

“Then let it be so,” Mortis nodded in satisfaction, before giving one final instruction. “The fighting has temporarily ceased. It’s time to find a way to retrieve the Sacred Codex[‘Yellow Book’]. I’m not at ease leaving it to Erinor alone—you are to assist him as well.”

“Yes!”

After Sigmund departed, Mortis rubbed his forehead as he considered his various arrangements.

The demon race had long possessed methods to roughly locate the Sacred Codex. Previously, when it fell into a dungeon within human territory, they had been unable to act.

But the latest positioning showed that the Sacred Codex had appeared in the north—perhaps connected to the abnormal cold gripping that land.

It was time to retrieve the Sacred Codex. Leaving it wandering outside was, in the end, a hidden danger.

When the seal was first broken, the Sacred Codex had been their primary suspect.

But after completing the positioning, that possibility had been ruled out.

What still remained a mystery was who had breached that barrier—and how.

There was a traitor.

In Mortis’s view, this was obvious.

The Demon King had escaped the seal, the Hero was still growing, and there was an internal betrayer yet to be exposed…

Trouble from within and without left even this ruler of the continent’s strongest empire feeling weary.

Subconsciously, he lifted the golden vessel and took another sip.

Gulp—

【Delicacy LV6】

An unprecedentedly exquisite flavor bloomed between his lips and teeth. In that instant, the worries of recent days seemed to dissolve along with that mouthful of delicacy.

Unfortunately, wonderful moments were always fleeting.

When he came back to himself, the container was already empty.

He knew Sigmund must have kept some for himself, but the quantity was likely limited.

Such a treasure was meant to be difficult to obtain. As an emperor, he wasn’t about to scheme against a subordinate’s private stash over a mere taste.

“One month, hm…”

The low murmur echoed softly through the vast hall.

…

Meanwhile, on the post road returning to Highfort Fortress, Sigmund was drinking with his head thrown back.

Gulp gulp—

Unlike the exquisite vessel offered to the emperor, what he held now was an ordinary glass jar, and its contents were slightly different—he was drinking 【Delicacy LV10】.

As provisions for this trip, he had prepared two entire large packs of such blood jars.

Having just escaped disaster, Sigmund indulged himself for once, downing several jars in succession. The sweet blood slid down his throat, bringing an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.

“By the way, that old guy wants you to go look for some Sacred Codex. What are you planning to do?” Lin Jun asked.

Sigmund wiped the blood from the corner of his lips, already long accustomed to his roommate’s utterly irreverent way of speaking.

“It’s nothing more than assisting that idiot Erinor with a mission. Even if it fails, she’ll be punished first,” he said, gently swirling the half-full glass jar in his hand, watching the crimson liquid ripple. “By comparison, His Majesty’s recent deployments of blood guards and agents are more worthy of attention. My intuition tells me there must be something important hidden there.”

Lin Jun smacked his lips twice.

The way you put that, Little Xi—aren’t you being a bit disloyal…

I like it!