Vol 5: Chapter 31
The magic airship “Queen of the Night” still served as the base of the Lev Magic Empire’s government.
(Lark should be somewhere on this ship… I wonder if Lady Eva will be attending the ceremony too.)
I was thinking about that while walking down a long, narrow corridor.
I returned to End Fang’s location after the Red Gate was closed, but Lark was no longer there. I was told she was taken away by a fellow sky pirate to receive treatment from a noble lady.
The noble lady was most likely Lady Eva.
How mysterious… When did those two get in touch with each other?
Lark’s 6-star skill orb,【Shadow King】, seems to have eroded her body.【World Ruler】provided the same conclusion when I checked her condition through recalling my memory. If I don’t remove that skill orb from Lark… her body will soon become unable to bear the cost. And she did seem like she had been pushing herself too much during the fight.
「—Reiji? Reiji, are you listening?」
「Ah, y-yes.」
「Try to listen please. Etiquette is essential for things like this.」Dante-san said.
We reached the waiting room to proceed to the audience room while I was absorbed in my thoughts. We received an explanation of the procedure for the audience in the waiting room.
Not only that, but Dante-san, who was dressed the most dirty, was frowned upon by a Lev chamberlain and he was forced to change clothes. It seems that Dante-san, who said that etiquette is essential, did not match up to the etiquette.
In addition, he had his face wiped, stubble shaved, and his hair trimmed. Dante-san looked like an elegant adult in his new simple red-based jacket and slender trousers.
I also had my hair trimmed. And I wondered if the chamberlain would say something about my clothes, but after pondering for a little while, he said it was okay. He must have noticed that my and Mimino-san’s clothes were in line with the Halfling tradition. Non-san was in her religious attire, so she was safe.
「Somehow, it feels like I am the only one who is not an adventurer.」Dante-san said, wearing a tight jacket that seemed formal.
「Father, you usually don’t get to wear this kind of thing, so I hope you enjoy it.」
「Um, well, sure. I suppose it is a rare opportunity for even Platinum-rank adventurers to get an audience with the king of a nation.」
Right then, there was a call which announced our arrival.
「——The adventurer party, Silver Balance, has arrived.」
At the same time, the door of the waiting room opened, leading to a dim corridor. Beyond that, there was an entrance to a hall, from which dazzling light shone.
Whoa…….
I was about to make a voice.
The ceiling was so high that it was hard to believe that we were inside an airship. The chandeliers were shining brilliantly. Since those were magic tools, the amount of light was constant.
High-ranking Levs were lined up on the left and right, and a golden carpet woven with geometrical patterns led straight to the Emperor’s throne, which was situated above several steps.
(The Emperor of the Lev Magic Empire…)
The jacket woven with plentiful golden threads seemed rather heavy on the old Emperor. There was also a crown and a gold scepter, but those were placed on a table next to him.
I felt his powerful gaze on us.
The Emperor’s aura was indeed different from the rest.
「…Father, walk forward.」
「Y-Yeah.」
Even Dante-san was feeling under pressure, but Non-san was calm and pushed her father’s back. Has she become accustomed to such places?
「I-It’s going to be okay, Reiji-kun. Don’t worry. I will be with you!」
「Mimino-san, don’t pull on my clothes…」
Mimino-san, who was pulling on my sleeves, was also daunted. I held her hand to calm her down. In response, she squeezed my hand tightly. So cute. …Even though she is supposed to be 24 years old.
After Dante-san entered, Non-san, I, and Mimino-san followed.
Faint whispers among the high-ranking officials could be heard. Even with【Hearing Enhancement】, I could only pick up soft voices. It was mostly just trifling whispers.
「We are Silver Balance.」
As instructed in advance, Dante-san announced our party and knelt in the middle of the room, and we followed suit.
The elderly Lev next to the emperor opened his mouth. The old Lev had quite a cunning look to him.
「We have heard that your participation was significant in the expedition. You shall now hear from the glorious His Majesty the Emperor of the Lev Magical Empire.」
We bowed our heads.
After a little while, we heard a hoarse voice.
「In spite of not belonging to any army, your achievements are comparable to that of an army. Moreover, you worked hard for Lulusha’s sake.」
I was slightly surprised. I didn’t think he would bring up Lulusha-san’s matter. Mayhaps because Heroic Gears are of great importance to this country, but I felt that the way the Emperor put it sounded like he was in support of Lulusha-san.
「Whether you are adventurers or not, I value achievements impartially. Your achievements this time are of the order of the 1st class.」
The 1st class? Meaning ours are the highest achievements?
The high-ranking officials began to make remarks simultaneously. “Have you ever heard of anyone receiving the 1st class in our country?”, “No, I have never heard of it.”, “Even the discovery of a Heroic Gear is only 5th class.”, ”It is equal to a hero saving our country.”
「Silence. You are in the presence of His Majesty the Emperor.」
When the elderly Lev announced so, the hall was quiet again.
「Originally, I would promise a pension life in the Empire, but would you want something like that? At any rate, we are half-destroyed right now.」
We didn’t know how to react to those self-deprecating words.
「In that case, speak what you desire. I will make that wish come true. If you want honor, I will be your sponsor and recommend your promotion to “Mithril-rank” adventurers. If you want money, I can prepare 3000 Imperial gold coins. If there is any “Magic Gear” you would like, just say it. I will have the companies make it for you. What do you say?」
Wow, I didn’t expect such a reward.
3000 Imperial gold coins is about 1.5 billion yen(15mil usd).
These rewards are unprecedented for an adventurer party to receive.
「…May I speak?」
Dante-san raised his head.
