Volume 3 Chapter 27 I Mentioned Wanting To Talk, But...
It's been a week since the demon attack on the royal capital.
Right now, I'm kneeling in the Throne Room. The inside of the hall still shows some scars on the walls, but the floor and doors have already been fixed up. On either side of me are Kyunei and Mikage, dressed just like me. And in front, sitting on the throne, is the king of this country, with his daughter Aina standing beside him.
There are other nobles dressed fancy and soldiers decked out in what looks like high-end armor.
"This feels so out of place..."
'I get where you're coming from, but try to hold it in.'
I mutter quietly, and then Gram snaps back at me. At times like this, his role is to crack a joke to lighten the mood.
'Well, I pick my moments, you know. Plus, partner, you did some serious work to get invited. Stand tall.'
Why am I here? It's because of the recognition I got for my actions during the attack just one week ago.
But truth be told, I didn't witness the end of that incident with my own eyes.
After all, after I cut the evil dragon summoned by the demon with the awakened Gram (Balmung), my various limits were lightly breached, and my consciousness was blown away.
However, just as if it were perfectly timed, right after that, the Brave party led by Relix, who were fighting outside the royal capital, arrived. They burst into the hall through the destroyed doors in the aftermath of the dragon being split in two.
Thanks to the destruction of the magic circles continuously summoning monsters, and the timely arrival of the Brave party, the monsters remaining in the hall were swiftly wiped out. It seems they also managed to injure the demon, but unfortunately, they narrowly missed capturing them.
Even with simultaneous attacks on both the outer and inner parts of the royal capital, along with the assassination of key figures in the heart of the nation, the fact that there were so few casualties makes it seem almost extravagant to lament the escape of just one demon.
I woke up three days after the incident, the ceiling of a guest room in the royal palace being the first thing I laid my eyes upon upon awakening. It wasn't as severe as when I faced the Kobold King, but it seemed I had been pushed to my limits both physically and mentally.
By the way, the demon had been projecting the scene in the hall outside to the outside of the royal palace using magic, but apparently, the image cut off just as I destroyed the demon's sword. According to Gram, the impact at that moment caused a disruption in the control of the magic, rendering the projection magic unable to be maintained. So, the sight of me cutting the dragon in two hasn't been conveyed to the people.
So, it seems like my actions have spread among the people as a form of "buying time until the Brave arrives." While the details might vary, if we stick to the facts, it's not entirely wrong.
Mikage seemed frustrated with how I was treated unfairly, but I chose not to say anything about it.
Still, what I did is known to those who were there. That's why I was acknowledged enough to be summoned directly by the king.
"Lift your head."
With the king's permission granted, we raised our heads.
During the incident, there was no room for composure, and I ended up fainting halfway through. So, it's the first time I've seen the king's face up close like this. Actually, I feel like there aren't many people, even among commoners, who get to see the king's face from such a close distance.
Suddenly, I caught Aina's eye standing next to him. Things have been hectic since the incident, and it's been a while since we've seen each other face to face, aside from during the incident.
Aina was dressed in what could only be described as a princess-like gown── or rather, she was a princess. Her natural beauty seemed to shine even brighter in this outfit. She cast a gentle smile in my direction, causing me to instinctively avert my gaze, feeling a bit bashful.
'Alright, alright, let's focus on the king for now. I get it, but still.'
Oops, right. I managed to redirect my gaze that was about to wander to the side, back towards the king.
"The contributions of you all this time have been truly remarkable. Without you, our kingdom would have suffered immense damage. Neither I nor my daughter would have been safe. Allow me to express my gratitude."
You're welcome, but can I say something?
'It's extremely honorable, just stick with that.'
Got it.
"It's extremely... honorable."
'Man, that sounded so stiff...'
I guess I can't help it. I've never been in such a formal setting before, so cut myself some slack.
"...However, regrettably, it is not within my capacity to convey all of your efforts to the citizens."
Mikage's ears twitched slightly, but I lightly gestured to her to remain composed.
"That demon, as they stated themselves, is the vanguard of the Demon King. If the Brave has managed to repel them splendidly, then the citizens will harbor hope for the imminent battle against the resurrected Demon King. My apologies, but such is the nature of politics."
I had anticipated as much. Besides the soldiers present, there were also many mercenaries that I── or rather, Mikage── had brought along. Though it is said that walls have ears, I couldn't help but find the way the story was told a bit peculiar.
"Nevertheless, I am not so shameless as to forget the kindness I have received. Even if the truth cannot be made public, appropriate gratitude shall be expressed. Please voice your hopes. Though it may be within my ability, I shall fulfill them responsibly."
In a kingdom where the king rarely spoke about responsibility, people might not understand its importance. For a commoner, hearing the king talk about it was a very rare opportunity, maybe even once in a lifetime.
Such a request from the king could mean getting a lot of money and honor. It could be a chance to have enough money for life or become even more famous and respected.
However...
"Kyunei, Mikage."
"Yes, we understand."
"We are at your command."
They both nodded without asking more questions. They already knew what I wanted. Thankful to them, I turned to look at the king.
"...Your Majesty. I seek neither position, nor wealth, nor honor. I desire only one thing."
"Oh? And what might that be?"
The king asked with great interest. His face was hard to read, making you wonder how he might react next. The reward could be even better than expected.
Even so, I spoke up.
"I desire your daughter── Aina-sama."
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)