"L-leader, what did you just say?"
"This is no time for jokes."
Julius's eyes reflected the flabbergasted expressions of his party members and his lips slightly quivered, he wished more than anything that he was actually joking.
He attempted to thaw out the awkward silence and continue speaking, but the coarse lump that suddenly formed on his throat did not allow him to do so, and no matter how many times he swallowed, it simply would not go away.
He clenched his fist and gradually began drawing rapid breaths, but it was not so obvious to his subordinates that he was beginning to hyperventilate.
Clasp...
A familiar warmth clasped his veiny hand, slowly pulling him away from drowning in the cold depths of despair.
"..."
Just one look at his wife's face and he knew he had to be strong not only for her, but for everything they held dear.
"... This is not a joke Arthur."
"There is something I need to do, and I need your help."
"Please..."
Julius shamelessly bowed his head and pleaded, knowing full-well the gravity and unreasonable nature of his request.
"Oi. Leader, stop it, why are you bowing?People are watching us you know?"
Hank quickly stood to his feet and begged Julius to raise his posture.
Because why would he, a golden plate Adventurer be bowing his head when he had already reached a pinnacle that many can only dream of?
What could possibly cause a man of his stature to prostrate himself?
As those questions corroded his mind, Hank felt his gastric juices crawl up his esophagus.
"Hank is right, Leader, how 'bout you take a seat before I start gouging out some eyes."
Arthur glared at the many Adventurers who were shamelessly gawking at them.
"I also think you should sit down Lead, these guys are starting to piss me off."
Margaret clenched the shaft of her grand wooden staff that looked to be carved from the branches of an ancient tree — no, rather than carved, it looked to have formed naturally.
"..."
Julius extended his hand to pull out a chair, but his entire arm began trembling profusely, this was why he had preferred to just stand, that way, he could keep his body as stiff as he wanted.
But he eventually managed to take a seat, his thick unibrow visibly drenched with sweat, like a woolly caterpillar caught in the rain.
"Talk to us, what did you mean by that?"
"Surely you don't mean for us to commit suicide with you?"
The man with a short stature and heavy armour furrowed his brows as he asked that difficult question.
"Fuuu... Haaa..."
Julius clasped his hands below the tip of his nose and took a very deep breath to cease his hyperventilation and to rebuke the trembling of his frame.
"... There is a request that has come, which I cannot refuse."
His eyes and expression were stern, and his party members caught a glimpse of their usually strong and reliable leader.
"..."
They all sat in silence despite that statement alone having incited dozens of questions within each of them.
[A golden ranked Adventurer and leader of an A-Rank party is unable to refuse a request?]
[That is simply unheard of!]
They all shared those thoughts, although, with a bit of variation to fit their distinct personalities.
"Dear... They need to know."
"Tell them everything."
His wife whispered those words whilst chewing her lips raw.
"..."
It was honestly easier said than done, and before he could even speak, he began twiddling his thumbs and pressing his palms together, as though kneading an invisible lump of dough.
"So what happened was..."
He began recalling the events that had transpired in the past week:
First of all, he and his wife began receiving letters from the newly appointed aristocrat of the coastal territories of the kingdom.
The aristocrat in question was the first son of the late king who ruled over the kingdom Anzark. But despite being born first, he lost the battle of succession to the third prince.
This was due to the third prince's public favour, military prowess and unparalleled intellect. So the first prince naturally stood no chance.
But he is still the son of a king afterall, so despite being stripped of his title as prince, he was given the coastal territories as well as the new title of Duke.
Now then, back to the letters...
The new Duke seemed to still have ambitions to take back what he claims was rightfully his — the throne.
And since he could not do so by way of inheritance, he figured he merely had to prove to the people that he was much better than his little brother, the third prince.
How?
By doing something no one has ever been capable of doing...
"... He wants us to conquer the TrigonOf Dread."
[!!], [!!]
"What?! Has that fat bastard lost his fucking mind?! He wants us to challenge one of the three —"
Thud!
"Ack!"
"Have you lost your mind? Sit your ass down!"
Arthur kicked Margaret in the shin to prevent her from uttering words that would cause unnecessary panick and most likely have them executed for treason.
The Trigon Of Dread — this was the name that humanity had dubbed the three Major Towers.
"... Leader, please continue."
"Please tell us the reason why you can't reject an obviously ridiculous request."
The man with a short stature sat down his Warhammer and encouraged Julius to continue speaking.
"...They have our children, and there's nothing I can do to save them."
His voice quivered, his words a catalyst to his wife's tears, causing her to break down and weep uncontrollably.
"Let's just go save them and run away! It's possible with your strength Leader!"
Arthur suggested, his fingers twitching as though eager to draw and loosen his arrows.
"Sigh... I can't. I would have already done that."
He wiped the sweat off his brow, his despair-filled gaze settled on the wooden table.
"... That bastard, he has my kids bound to a slave contract."
[!!]
His words ran chills down the spines of all his party members, and they became utterly speechless.
Why?
A slave contract is no mere contract signed on paper, but it is, in truth, a magical seal forged between two or more parties.
In the event that a slave disobeys or merely displeases their master, it is possible for said master to instantly kill them on a whim — they simply need to think of it, and the slave would explode from inside out, due to Mana deviation and the short-circuiting of their Mana Veins.
"So again, I ask of you..."
"... Please help me save my children, and challenge the Tower with me."
"I am not foolish enough to guarantee your lives, but even still, please follow me."
"... I have led you all to victory before where it seemed that all hope was lost. Please entrust your lives to me once again."
He bowed once more, disregarding his pride as a golden plate Adventurer.
"...", "..."
They all finally understood why he had initially asked them to die with him, and they had no words of response. What could they possibly have said?
"Damnit..."
Thud!
Hank slammed his palm against the table and stormed away.
"Hey, where are you going?!"
Arthur asked.
[Partner...]
"Leave him be..."
"... I am not forcing anyone to go with me."
He said, his heart aching uncontrollably, out of everyone in his party, he had known Hank and his wife for the longest.
"Sigh... Well, it's the whatever the fuck."
"It's not like I have a life outside this party anyway. And besides, we've always risked our lives. If we come back from this, then we'll be hailed as heroes."
"So I'll accompany you on this shitty request, Lead."
Margaret spoke with a bitter grin on her face.
"Yeah... Count me in too, this old hag might get you killed if no one's there to put her in her place."
Arthur chimed in, whilst tying his long hair.
"The fuck did you just call me —"
"Leader. I will also embark with you on this journey, I know more than anyone the pain of losing one's offspring."
The short-statured man, Igor, also decided to join the suicide party.
"Thank you so much everyone sniff! "
Julius's wife, Helena, bowed deeply and expressed her most sincere gratitude.
"I too... Thank you."
Julius felt a wave of relief wash over him, but he clenched his fist so as to not become conceited, after all, no one has ever returned from challenging the Trigon of Dread.
"So then, which one of the three are we challenging?"
They asked him.
"... The Obelisk of Tiamat."
He answered almost instantly, and the Soaring Boar party spent hours discussing and formulating plans on how they would challenge the Major Tower.
Which was a difficult conversation, considering how there was little to no information regarding the Trigon of Dread.
The Obelisk of Tiamat (Western Major Tower - located in the coastal region between two continents.)
It is named after a primordial being, this Tower is said to rise from the depths of the ocean, but is in truth, landbound.
It is said to be the birthplace of sea-born calamities, sending forth tidal waves of destruction.
It is located in the Peninsula of theDrowned Gods, where ancient civilizations were swallowed by the sea.
Alternate names: The Abyssal Spire, Leviathan's Wake.