Chapter 77: Cooperation

Bartlo shivered from shame and fear.

The latter came due to him possibly heralding the Hard Steel Empire's fall, his home. As the fourth son, Bartlo wasn't aware of all matters within the empire.

While many of them knew that the empires planned to thoroughly absorb lesser kingdoms due to the sudden dungeons' disappearance, they didn't and couldn't see the whole picture.

Bartlo didn't know about the Overlord Enemies, for example.

His shame came from the fact that he would guide a man to his bedroom. If Minato was sadistic, he also would force Bartlo to watch him doing all his women.

That would make Bartlo fall to the bottom and become lowest out of lowest.

"Oh? So you've been given the land with the dungeon as per decree of your royal father? That's great. Your land is the closest dungeon. Please, kindly invite us in," Minato sneered in his carriage.

He pushed his map to Bartlo, then explained, "We will make a circle around the capital, then your royal dungeon will enter my world as the final one. Quite an entertaining plan, don't you think so? Hmm, Bartlo?"

"Yes, it is... Lord Minato," Bartlo uttered with his face red, contorted by shame and indignation.

Minato's carriage was pulled by the horses as usual, but it had much better defenses now. All soldiers under Bartlo who had survived Minato's Ice Trolls moved orderly and protected them.

Of course, Ice Trolls got a big thumbs up from their new master, and they all returned to his world. Right now, all of them teased Frost Dwarves due to their recent feat and drank alcohol endlessly.

Minato's World has had four races so far.

Elves, Frost Dwarves, Demon Spiders, and Ice Trolls as the latest addition.

Out of all races, the elves held the crown so far. It didn't even look possible to overcome them as their queen was close to Minato. 

They were the only race Minato dual cultivated with too. However, Ingrid and Minato had an adorable aura around them when together.

Two new additions weren't aware of Yuna and Bei, so they mistook Ingrid as Minato's wife in the beginning. Elves and Frost Dwarves quickly cleared that impression as no one knew how that would happen.

If the elven queen somehow got hurt due to that misunderstanding, then the elves would beg for years to Minato's wives.

Of course, that was an exaggeration, and nothing wrong happened at all.

"You guys have 7 dungeons, right?" Minato asked while caressing Ingrid's arm as she stuck close to him, "How about dungeon races, though?"

Bartlo hovered his eyes on the couple, his eyes utterly lacking any lust or jealousy, "Royal dungeon works with the dungeon race. We have a few dungeon raiders' parties aware of it, but the rest normally clear the dungeon. Other dungeons don't believe in us, and they all remain the same."

Minato nodded with a bit of respect toward the royalty, "Cooperation with the dungeon races sounds just right. That was what Julia wanted to do with the elves too."

"Mmm!" Ingrid cutely agreed with her master.

Minato continued, "I guess your armors and their uniqueness is due to that dungeon? Those soldiers didn't use any magic circles, which makes me believe you used a different method to make those armors.

Was it magic circle writing? No one is good at those from my side yet." Minato honestly asked.

Bartlo bit his lips, but just for a second.

He couldn't show any hesitation, or that would result in him having his body hurt. Minato would've naturally urged the royalty to speak with his life force-sucking magic circle. And that would be enough.

Fortunately for the Overlord, Bartlo knew where he sat, so he sang all the information Minato wished for.

"It's Volcano Dungeon," Bartlo honestly replied, "You are right too, Lord Minato. Our Empire rose to strength after we found a unique ore. It's known as HS ore now, and we could produce equipment better than the rest of the world.

Our strength surged during Emperor Ren's Era. He was known as the Blacksmith Emperor, who personally studied the ore. He spent more time in the smithy than in his throne room."

A smile bloomed on Bartlo's face as he spoke about his grandpa.

Emperor Ren was also the man who started cooperating with the dungeon race from his royal dungeon. He used their volcanoes and knowledge to create those unique armors.

It was the main reason their empire was in the contest for the top 1 spot across the whole world!

"I would like to meet that Emperor... Unfortunately, he is gone," Minato knew that a different Emperor was in charge now and that the former one died.

He connected the dots and sighed, "He wouldn't really face me, would he? For what I am about to do to you, no parent or grandparent would."

Bartlo shivered from fear.

Indeed, the Overlord was here.

Overlord's Pride was his strength, so Bartlo had fucked up.

He was about to feel the Overlord's wrath.

His eyes expanded when Minato's fingers lit up in golden mana, "..."

"You eyed my women with lust. You failed to see through me," Minato declared while his hand extended toward Bartlo's face.

Once his all fingers landed on Bartlo's face, Minato said, "You fucked up, boy."

His golden mana permeated into Bartlo's skin, then Minato created mini walls around his fingertips. He slid his hand down, and those tore through Bartlo's face, leaving deep and horrifying scars on the royalty's face.

"Ahhhh!" Bartlo cried loudly.

That golden mana was too powerful! It hurt so much, but it also seared his face! Even after Minato's touch disappeared from his face, Bartlo felt a burning pain on his face! His two hands rose to cover that pain, to no avail.

He trashed in one spot while Minato and Ingrid stuck close to each other!

On the outside, all soldiers heard their prince's screams!

That didn't stop them from moving forward. They knew what kind of existence hurt their prince, and that was enough to steel their hearts.

Their fear toward Minato rose, to say nothing of Bartlo.

Minato felt the changes in his body, "I see... So this shall be it. I will leave this whole Empire fearful of me... They, who don't know the Overlord, will know about me. They all shall tremble just from my name alone."

Overlord's eyes flashed with golden-red light!