My friends and I came to the Royal Castle with General Lucidral, Elder Philamer, and about ten elves.
A luxurious carriage came to pick us up at the hotel. The carriage brought us to the gates of the Royal Castle, where we were greeted by many officials.
The room we were shown to was very luxurious.
"Allen, are you sure I can come?"
"Oh? Isn't that all right? And by the way, I don't have any reason to have an audience with the King either."
That time, we were not summoned by the King.
We were instead riding on the authority of General Lucidral and Elder Philamer.
Dogora, who was a commoner in a development village until a few years ago, asked me if he was allowed to be there.
He was shown into a gorgeous room and seemed to be quite embarrassed.
Rosenheim did not have the same opulence as the Royal Castle we were in. The buildings made by the elves, who valued harmony with nature, had a certain simplicity to them, even the one where the Queen resided.
I picked up a serving of fruit and ate it.
Kurena joined me and we ate lushly.
Cecile sighed, "You ate so much for lunch earlier."
"Thank you for your patience. Your audience is ready, please come with me."
After waiting for a while, an official knocked on the door and came in.
He was dressed in shiny, luxurious clothes that made me wonder if he was a fairly high-ranking official.
"It's fine, even though we have no diplomatic relations with the Latash Kingdom."
Elder Philamer replied to the official's words.
We had to wait 10 days for the audience, but I guess it could be said that 10 days was quick enough for them to contact us on short notice.
"But having an audience while armed?"
The official said, looking awkwardly at me and my friends.
We were fully equipped at that time.
Dogora came to the castle with a large shield that we had just bought. Seeing the shiny black axe and the shield, the official was puzzled as to if he had gone there to fight.
Apparently, they wanted us to disarm and then enter the audience room.
(I wasn't allowed to carry weapons back then as well.)
When I won the Academy Martial Arts Tournament, I met the Crown Prince.
Even then, I was not allowed to carry a weapon.
I knew that but I still decided to come fully armed.
"I apologize for this. I'm afraid I lacked the courtesy of the Latash Kingdom. I take it we will both be unarmed?"
"No, that's not what I meant..."
(Elder Philamer is great at diplomacy. It's like he's just playing with kids.)
I had asked Sophie what kind of person Elder Philamer was that the Queen had sent to have an audience with the King.
Rosenheim was a country where the Queen was the head of state.
However, politics was run by the Council of Elders.
The Elders, however, had their own roles to play when there was no Council.
The Elders were each assigned to run a field, such as agriculture, roads and other infrastructure, and finance.
The field given to Elder Philamer was diplomacy.
He was one of the few Elders in the field of diplomacy, as most Elders were in charge of domestic affairs.
And he usually had diplomatic dealings with their neighbor across the sea, the great power of the Giamut Empire.
He had also attended meetings between the nations of the Five Continents Alliance and had made statements that had moved the world.
Naturally, the Latash Kingdom also knew that Elder Philamer had arrived.
"Philamer. Don't embarrass the Latash Kingdom too much. The Latash Kingdom will not be rude to you."
Looking at the official, Sophie chided Elder Philamer.
"Your Highness, Princess Sofiarone. I beg your pardon."
Sophie's comment caused the official to gasp.
The official said something along the lines of, "I need a little more time," and left the room.
Then, after another half hour or so, the official came again.
He still asked us to unarm.
I had no intention of wasting any more time, so I said, "I see." and ordered my friends to disarm.
(The Spirit God is still on Sophie's shoulder.)
I looked at the Spirit God riding on Sophie's shoulder.
The official, who was desperate to disarm us, did not turn his attention to the Spirit God on Sophie's shoulder.
The Spirit God would be riding on Sophie's shoulders for the audience.
Looking at the lavishly decorated and beautifully patterned carpets, I wondered if this kind of world existed.
There were also two knights standing guard at the large door that led us the way.
The door was promptly opened, and I saw a carpet leading to the throne in the back.
And dozens, maybe more, of gaily dressed Nobles stood on either side of the carpet.
(The newly-elected King wants to show his Royal authority, huh. He could have held the audience in private but no. I wonder if Viscount Granvelle is here. Oh, there he is.)
There were many ways to get an audience with the King.
We could do it in a private room with the King or ministers, or the King could show it off to the Nobles in a big hall like that.
Not only the King, but also everyone present knew that Rosenheim's heavyweights were coming that time.
Viscount Granvelle also came to the Royal Castle for the audience as he knew that we were going to be present.
The Viscount was closer to the door than the throne, perhaps because he was a lower class Noble, or perhaps because he and the King were of different factions.
The King, who had ascended to the throne the same year, was slumped on his throne.
Behind him, several Royal Knights were deployed.
At the King's side, a man who seemed to be the commander of the Royal Knights was glaring at us.
If Philamer hadn't said what he did, there might have been more.
The Princess, the King's daughter, had started attending the Academy from that year.
Beside the King sat the Queen, and at her side sat several people who appeared to be Royalty.
General Lucidral and Elder Philamer stood on either side of Sophie, and stopped at a certain point.
Behind them were my friends and me, followed by about ten elves.
The King looked at a person beside him.
"We are glad that you have come all the way from Rosenheim to meet us."
The Prime Minister's words must have been the signal for the audience to begin.
The Nobles, who had been a little noisy, silently watched the visitors from Rosenheim and us.
"Yes, thank you for this audience. My name is Philamer, and I am an Elder from Rosenheim. First of all, I would like to thank the Latash Kingdom for sending Heroes to Rosenheim under such circumstances."
Saying that, General Lucidral and Elder Philamer bowed.
If my friends and I had reached Rosenheim even a day later, Tiamo would have fallen, the Queen would have been killed, and the elves would have perished.
In such a situation, there was no doubt that whatever the intention of the Latash Kingdom was, it saved Rosenheim.
So Elder Philamer showed his gratitude with words and attitude.
"Uh-huh. It's only natural. The Latash Kingdom is also a member of the Five Continents Alliance. It's just that the Latash Kingdom has decided that the salvation of Rosenheim is its top priority, even though the advance of the Demon King's army to the Giamut Empire is also severe."
The Prime Minister probably hadn't expected to be bowed to so brazenly as he looked slightly afraid.
"On behalf of the Queen of the Elves, Your Highness, Sofiarone, would like to say a few words."
"Uh-huh."
The Prime Minister took a breath.
Then Philamer used the Queen's name.
It meant that Sophie had come under the full authority of the Queen of Rosenheim, one of the leaders of Five Continents Alliance.
Sophie, with the Spirit God Rosen on her shoulder, took a step forward.
"I would like to thank the Latash Kingdom for their wisdom in this matter. Rosenheim will always return the favor it has received. Please do not forget that Rosenheim will be with the Latash Kingdom forever and ever."
Without lowering her head, Sophie looked straight at the King and thanked him.
"Yes, you're right. The Latash Kingdom just fulfilled its duty as an ally. Hmm?"
At that time, the King noticed that a squirrel riding on Sophie's shoulder was staring at him.
The King stared back at the Spirit God, but the Spirit God didn't remove his gaze either, so a strange silence descended.
"Is there something wrong?"
"In Rosenheim, you carry such small animals on your shoulders."
"No, that's not it. Master Rosen, the King of Latash wishes to speak with you."
"Rosen? Rosen!"
For a moment, the King didn't know what the word "Rosen" meant.
However, that was the name of the elves' faith, known even to those who graduated from the House of Lords, an Academy for Royalty and Nobility with no Talent.
The King's surprise was contagious to the Nobles.
"Has the Spirit King come to this place?"
"Is that the little creature?"
"You idiot, why are you pointing!?"
People were straining their eyes in the reasonably large audience hall to see the Spirit God riding on Sophie's shoulders.
In addition, Rosenheim had already announced that the Spirit King had reached the realm of God, but it seemed that recognition had not yet been announced.
At Sophie's words, the Spirit God slowly floated in the air and gazed down at the King.
"Son of human, I am Spirit God Rosen, and I want to thank you for saving my little elves. Haha."
He didn't say it that loudly, but somehow the Spirit God's words were heard by everyone in the entire hall.
The King gulped.
Thus, Allen and his friends' audience with the King of Latash proceeded.
Translator's Thoughts
I think that even Rosen thanking is going a bit overboard, don't you think?
