The Grand Duelist

Chapter 145: Start of an Epic Journey[6]

[The system is checking the validity of the solution that you proposed for some of the problems of the Kingdom.]

[Solution has been declared as valid!] 

[Your solution has been excellent, but it takes time to see its fruits.]

[Timeskip Option has been enabled.]

[You can choose to skip to a later timeline. It is recommended to skip into the future for it lets you see the fruits of your solution faster and it doesn't harm you in any way. However, it takes quite a lot of time to restructure the variables within the world of the King's Trial based on the future so you will have to log-out for a few hours.]

[Note: This is a one-time choice and if you refuse, you cannot turn back anymore!]

[Do you want to use the Timeskip Option? Yes/No]

A time skip option? Pretty convenient... But the fact that I don't get instantly transported into the future reveals that even a Supercomputer has its limitations. That actually makes sense if this King's Trial is in a whole new world that's also open for exploration...

Joseph lightly smiled.

As a video game connoisseur, he also knew about the hardware necessary to run a virtual reality game like this and its limitations.

After all, there was a limit to how much speed one could generate while maintaining stability without overheating. Joseph was even curious as to how P.H Works actually maintained the world of Victory regarding cooling.

Joseph heaved a sigh of relief.

After experiencing one betrayal after another...

He felt glad that he had the option to skip into the feature without being paranoid that his life could end in unimaginable ways and he had to start again from zero.

Tapping on the Yes button, the world around Joseph distorted and his consciousness slowly darkened. When he opened his eyes once again, he found himself staring at the familiar ceiling of the Gaming Capsule with an LED Screen that said...

[2:59:53]

So, there's even a countdown on the external monitor.

Joseph lightly smiled and he raised his upper body up before exiting the Gaming Capsule.

As soon as he stepped a single foot outside, his Gaming Capsule rang, indicating that he had received a message.

A message? This early in the morning? Could it be that it's from those promotional marketing companies again? Just how did they escape through the spam filter that I made? 

Joseph furrowed his eyebrows.

He walked towards the flashing monitor in front of the Gaming Capsule and found that it was a message from an unknown number. Opening it up, several strings of messages appeared within the monitor.

Joseph! I saw the system notifications and wow! I really didn't expect that you weren't joking to me when you said that you had a Mythical Class!

I really am sorry for doubting you at that time. Are you available sometime this weekend? I really want to treat you to a meal so we can reconcile about the fact that I didn't believe you back then...

Joseph's frown deepened when he saw the message.

Now, who the fuck is this?

He fell into deep contemplation for a moment as he connected the dots and finally realized that the sender was Lily.

But how did he found the answer to his question after only several seconds of thinking?

Well, it was because Joseph had no other visitors apart from Lily within the past few weeks.

The strings of messages contained within the mail alone were enough for Joseph to deduce the identity of the sender.

But...

Joseph sighed.

He didn't have any enmity against Lily, but Joseph who learned several skills on dealing against those black companies on a daily basis could deduce Lily's attitude towards him.

How could he not know that she was looking at him with contempt, even though on the surface, she was helping him with his troubles?

This was why Joseph felt conflicted.

It was because he knew that even he wasn't that innocent.

He also took advantage of Lily's care for him back then so that he could get back on his feet.

Despite knowing that Lily had her own ulterior motives...

Joseph pretended that nothing was going on behind the surface and acted normally just so he could keep on taking advantage of her help.

This was the reason why Joseph didn't know how he should face this childhood friend of his.

A part of him felt guilty about taking advantage of her at those moments, but a part of him thought that him, taking advantage of her was something that she deserved due to her ulterior motives.

But when Joseph thought deeper into the problem, he realized that Lily hadn't really done something bad against him.

In fact, it was Joseph who made an action and acted as if he didn't know anything that she's planning and took advantage of her kindness. 

Joseph sighed...

After about half an hour of thinking, he finally decided as to how he would reply.

Yeah, I am free this weekend, but I would prefer it if we meet in-game instead of outside.

I would really want to see how you look like in the game. I'd bet you'd be as gorgeous as you are outside. Hahaha, since I think that you know about my in-game name and gamer tag already. Just send me a direct message regarding what time you are available...

Joseph typed in his message and quickly sent it as a reply. Afterwards, he went downstairs and started preparing for his breakfast. There was still about two and a half hours left before the countdown ended so Joseph decided that he would make a fancy dish for himself. 

The fragrant smell of meat soon permeated into the air and one could find hints of sweetness amidst the meat. The smell that wafted and filled the room wasn't particularly greasy.

In fact, it was just perfect which elicited a smile from Joseph's lips as he quickly prepared the rice and the dish before furtively glancing at the clock.

There's still an hour left before the countdown ends...

Joseph turned on the television and swiftly downed the meal that he prepared for himself.

Afterwards, he stared blankly at the television.

The coldness of the room seeped through his thin shirt and it sent shivers down his spine as he thought.

Damn...

Now that I think about it.

I'm actually pretty lonely...

I had friends, but when I knew that they didn't really care about me that much back then, I was glad, thinking that I had dodged a bullet...

But now...

Apart from the world of Victory, it is safe to say that I have no life elsewhere.

Sigh... I really am quite pathetic.

This may be the reason why despite knowing that Lily has ulterior motives towards me, I am still trying to keep in touch with her. I think it's maybe because I am too lonely...

Joseph laid on the couch in a fetal position. His eyes radiated the light of loneliness as time went by and finally, the countdown had ended.

Joseph almost immediately stood up when he heard the alarm upstairs.

He rushed towards his Gaming Capsule and entered the world of Victory once again...

When the loading screen disappeared and Joseph opened his eyes.

He found himself sitting in front of a desk with several dozens of papers ready to be signed and approved by him.

Joseph casually swept his gaze around the room and he found that even though nothing had really changed. There was something different about the room that he couldn't quite grasp.

Since he couldn't quite understand that feeling then he decided to set that matter aside as he worked his ass off and signed the papers that he deemed fit to be approved.

Soon, morning came and the maids brought in his breakfast.

"Throw everything away and replace it with white bread and plain water." Joseph almost immediately commanded when he saw that there was a bottle of wine included on his breakfast and a bowl of porridge.

The maids were taken aback, none of them managed to reply until the silence was broken with the maid who looked to be the eldest of them all.

"But, Your Majesty... Her Majesty requested for you to eat this bowl of porridge that she made. She'd be sad if she knows that you decided to throw it away instead of eating it..." The maid bowed and Joseph furrowed his eyebrows.

Her Majesty...? Isn't that the Queen? In other words, it's my wife? Oh, hell no! Fuck that shit! Joseph inwardly cursed but when he thought deeper into it. Wouldn't the Queen realize that there was something strange with him if he refused the bowl of porridge?

Yes, that makes sense. I'll just accept that bowl of porridge and pretend that I ate it.

Joseph inwardly nodded before he replied to the maid, "You should've told me that it was made by my wife. Fine, I'll take that porridge, but you must replace that wine for plain water."

"By your will, Your Majesty..." The maid kneeled and obeyed.

They brought everything outside except the bowl of porridge, but they soon returned. Carrying a jug filled with plain water along with dozens of bread and pastries for Joseph to enjoy.

Of course, Joseph touched none of them.

He had already experienced what it felt like to die by poisoning, so he was quite traumatized into touching or even eating food in this world made by the King's Trial.

Thankfully, his character didn't feel any hunger so he didn't need to consume any food.

He just needed to accept them so that those who wanted him dead wouldn't be suspicious.

Joseph fell into deep contemplation.

The solution that I made regarding the food supply of the Kingdom and the funds has been accepted as a valid solution, yet why is this Trial not ending yet? Is there some kind of a hidden problem that still hasn't been solved?

Joseph thought for several dozens of minutes, but he couldn't find the answer to his question.

Left with no other choice, he proceeded to summon the Minister of Finance, Daniel Smith.

The man who Joseph reckoned to be his most loyal follower right now.

Daniel Smith soon arrived and he bowed. There was a look of anticipation and excitement on his face as if he was waiting for something from his Majesty.

"From that look on your face, I reckon that the Pyramid Scheme that I told you about is still going on, eh?"

Daniel Smith replied with a wide smile, "Yes, Your Majesty! Those nobles really are too foolish and greedy. Despite the fact that they know that the scheme isn't really sustainable due to its interest returns. They are too afraid of missing out so they are depositing as much money as possible, thinking that they could milk the scheme to its limits..." 

Joseph lightly chuckled, "Is that so? Then, it seems like it's about time for us to stop that scheme."

Daniel Smith was astonished, "Stop it? Why would we stop it, Your Majesty? I don't understand? The scheme is still doing well..."

Joseph shook his head and said, "The best time to attack is whenever your enemy doesn't expect your attack. Those nobles would never predict that the scheme would promptly collapse despite it still doing well and without any problems..."

Daniel Smith revealed a look of enlightenment, but he still continued on asking: "But how do I stop this scheme without arousing the suspicions of the nobles?"

"You just have to make it look like an accident... "

"I doubt that they can still complain knowing that I am the one backing you." Joseph smiled.

He turned to face Daniel Smith and realized that even though he understood what he was talking about. Daniel Smith still has some confusion that Joseph must answer for everything to work as smoothly as possible.

"It seems like you still have some questions in your mind, go ahead and ask away..."

"I will answer it for you."

Daniel Smith nodded before awkwardly scratching his head and asking with a wry smile, "Excuse me for asking a dumb question, Your Majesty... But, how do I make it look like an accident?" 

Joseph froze for a moment before he inwardly facepalmed.

It seems like even though this old man maybe excellent when it comes to finances, he's quite a dull man when it comes to schemes. But oh well, that should be because he's inherently a good man that had never used schemes in his life, but I don't know. I can't say for sure.

Joseph shook his head and replied, "You just need to hire helpers, uh... Here's how you do it..."

Joseph then rambled on the specifics about the plan on how to make the disappearance of the investor's money into an accident that Daniel Smith and Joseph wouldn't be implicated into.

The discussion lasted for at least an hour with Daniel Smith asking the questions and Joseph answering them with the help of his stockpile of useless stocked knowledge and Mister Google.

When the discussion was finally over, Joseph heaved a sigh of relief.

Answering Daniel Smith's question really exhausted him. Thankfully, it was now over and he could finally take a breather. However, when Daniel Smith was about to leave the room, Joseph suddenly remembered the primary reason why he summoned him here in the first place.

"Wait!" Joseph hastily stopped Daniel Smith from leaving the room.

Daniel Smith turned around and kneeled onto the ground when he saw how serious Joseph was.

"What is it, Your Majesty?"

Joseph nodded his head and said, "Can you tell me what the common people and the nobles think about me as the King?" 

Joseph said these words in a casual tone, but when Daniel Smith heard what he had said.

Sweat filled Daniel Smith's forehead as his face went as pale as a sheet of paper.

"Your Majesty..." 

He sprawled onto the floor and started crying, "If I did anything wrong, then please forgive me!"

He smacked his head onto the floor several times, astonishing Joseph who cried out...

"What the hell are you doing, Daniel Smith? Stop that!"

Daniel Smith abruptly stopped what he was doing, but fear was still evident in his eyes. He didn't dare to raise his head and stare directly at Joseph as Joseph asked another question and said.

"What was that all about? Why did you suddenly smack your head onto the floor like that?"

Daniel Smith shivered in fear.

"Your Majesty..."

"Did you already forget?"

"The last time someone honestly answered that question of yours..."

"You had him executed along with his family!"

Joseph's pupils constricted..." 

What...?

This character that I am using is that cruel?

"Your Majesty, forgive me but I will not answer that question! I have a family, Your Majesty and I love them more than anything else in this world. If you want me dead, then I will offer you my life, but please... At least, spare my family..." 

Daniel Smith sprawled onto the ground once again and cried.

Joseph looked quite disturbed by the sudden escalation of the situation.

"Wait, calm down, calm down... I am not going to execute you, I am not going to execute anyone. Just believe me and calm down, all right?" Joseph even forgot that he was currently in the middle of pretending to be a King as he consoled Daniel Smith who was currently crying his eyes out.

Daniel Smith finally had the courage to raise his head and Joseph found him quite pitiful. However, since he required more information from Daniel Smith so he could complete this Trial...

Joseph had no other choice but to continue asking.

"Daniel Smith. Right now, I swear to the gods that I won't execute you, nor anyone in your family even if you gave me an honest answer to that question of mine earlier."

Joseph directly used the fact that everyone in this Kingdom was religious so that he could convince Daniel Smith that he had no intention of executing him or anyone in his family.

Daniel Smith finally looked convinced, but he still hesitated on answering.

However, seeing the look of encouragement within his Majesty's eyes.

Daniel Smith mustered his courage and bravely answered.

"If I were to answer that question of yours, Your Majesty. I say that you are a cancerous tumor in this Kingdom. The reason why you're called the most foolish King in the current Epoch isn't just because of your bad decisions..."

"It's also because you have no idea how to maintain relations with your citizens and is needlessly cruel to everyone that did the slightest of wrong towards you..."

"Right now, even I still remember the scream of that child as he was skinned alive due to merely calling you as Uncle."

"There was even that incident when you sent the husband of a woman to his death just because you wanted that woman into your harem..."

"In the end, her husband died, and she also died when Her Majesty learned about what had happened and killed her out of jealousy..."

"What's worse was that after you had taken advantage of her, you just set her aside and completely forgot about her as if she was nothing but a mere broken toy that deserved to be forgotten..."

"This is the reason why I didn't want to tell you the answer to that question earlier, Your Majesty..."

"It's because aside from designing that brilliant scheme against those nobles and introducing the concept of Crop Rotation to the farmers. You are nothing but still a cancerous tumor in this Kingdom..."

Daniel Smith then bowed his head and when he realized that he had directly committed sacrilege against his Majesty. Sweat filled his forehead once again as his body continuously shivered like a sieve.

However, contrary to his expectations that His Majesty would go back on his promise...

Joseph just dismissed him and he left as fast as possible as if there was something chasing him that wanted him dead.

Meanwhile, within the room...

Joseph could be seen leaning on his chair as he bitterly smiled.

So, that's the reason why my trusted aide and my wife betrayed me. It turns out I'm actually a huge piece of shit and a human that doesn't even deserve to live.

However, the question is...

Will doing that make me complete the King's Trial?

I only have three lives left and if I chose to do that and it failed. That would be quite wasteful.

However, apart from that method. I really have no other method that I can use to test that particular theory as to why the King's Trial still hasn't ended despite me introducing a long-term solution that would help this Kingdom in the future.

Joseph deeply sighed...

He thought for several minutes and finally decided that he would test his theory. 

Joseph waved his hand and summoned his Rapier of Grandeur and Beauty.

Opening his Main Menu and navigating to Options. He manipulated the values within his Pain Sensors and afterwards, he finally closed the Main Menu.

Holding the Rapier of Grandeur and Beauty in his right hand.

Joseph took a deep breath, and... 

Stabbed the Rapier into his heart.

A mouthful of blood escaped from his mouth and he promptly collapsed.

However, the system notifications that appeared right in front of him made him smile.

So, it turns out... My theory was actually right... I'm actually the biggest traitor and troublemaker of the Kingdom. I, who forgot the roots of this Kingdom and was always needlessly merciless to my residents actually deserved to die.

Only through this method could I grant Justice to everyone that I wronged back then, and only through this method, would the Kingdom move forward...

Joseph's consciousness darkened but he felt no pain.

In fact, he was quite happy that he finally completed his stressful trial.

However, his happiness soon disappeared due to the emergence of another series of system notifications.

[You have completed the Part One of the King's Trial!]

[Welcome to the Final Part of the King's Trial...]

[Initializing...]

[Initialization complete!]

There's still a Part Two?! I wasn't informed about this!

Joseph opened his eyes and he found himself staring at another unfamiliar ceiling once again.

[Information: You are an evil immortal that's about to ascend and fight against the Heavenly Tribulation! Your mission this time is to understand "Order", "Law" and "Justice"! Understand these concepts and you will pass the Final Part of the King's Trial!] 

An Immortal? What the fuck? Isn't the genre Video Games? How did it become Eastern Fantasy all of the sudden?

Joseph inwardly lampooned.