Chapter 233 - New Age (3)

In a study faintly scented with old books, a visibly tense young man was delivering a report to a middle-aged man in glasses.

“Our final analysis suggests that Velvev Luingenes installed the magic circle and Lilanne Vivian activated it.”

“Which means both of them are inside the city?”

“Yes. Given that Noark's protective barrier is functioning normally, they are most likely still within Raphdonia.”

“Their disguises really are something.”

“They are a persistent nuisance. Now, I will report the casualty figures compiled this morning.”

With regret in his voice, the young man went on to report the full extent of the losses from the incident. The middle-aged man merely listened without emotion.

“Yes, quite a lot of deaths.”

Seventy percent of the explorers who ventured to the fourth floor or above had died. The only survivors, he was told, were the sixteen hundred or so explorers left behind as expendable pawns and the reactionaries who had never entered the Labyrinth in the first place.

The losses were effectively on par with a Dimension collapse.

“Perhaps it's just as well.”

Marquis Terserion, Chancellor of Raphdonia, gave a faint chuckle, as though letting the report go in one ear and out the other. The young man tilted his head.

“Pardon?”

“Nothing. I have matters to consider. You may leave.”

“... Do get some rest, Father.”

“Use my title within the palace.”

“Yes, Chancellor.”

The man waved a hand, and the young man bowed politely before leaving the study.

'It's about time I contacted the Magic Tower, too.'

He rose and approached the window. Everywhere he looked, servants were bustling about in preparation for today's event.

WHOOOOSH.

He threw open the window, and a strong breeze blew in. The sunlight was warm, and the sky was bright and cloudless.

“His Majesty will be pleased.”

It was the perfect day to usher in a new age.

* * *

Carnon, the imperial capital. A special area that commoners could not even enter without permission.

“Ooh! Is that the royal palace?!”

Beyond the enormous gates bearing the royal family's crest, a road stretched straight to the palace. Scattered flower petals carpeted the ground, and crowds lined sections of the avenue as though waiting for a parade.

Of course, there were hardly any nobles among them. Even here in the imperial capital, known as the city of nobles, servants who commuted here or lived on the premises made up ninety percent of the population.

“Hurrah! Here come the heroes!”

“Scatter the petals!”

I had no idea how much they were being paid for this gig, but countless servants lined the avenue to welcome us with wild enthusiasm.

How long did we continue like that?

“We have arrived. I trust your journey was comfortable?”

At last, our carriage stopped outside the palace walls. Hundreds of other carriages had done the same.

“Let's get out, then.”

“Oh, wait! Just let me catch my breath, okay?”

Was she getting nervous now? Well, she had said this was her first time in the imperial capital.

“... Tell me when you're ready.”

“Ugh, I think I'm ready, nyah.”

Once we stepped out of the carriage, I spotted familiar faces: survivors who had braved death alongside us during the recent tragedy. We were some distance apart, though, so we simply exchanged looks of greeting whenever our eyes met.

“My name is Pert, and I will be serving as your guide today, honored heroes. This way, please. Allow me to escort you.”

After a brief identity check at the gates, we followed our guide into the royal palace. Officially called the Palace of Glory, it was used to receive guests for banquets and royal functions.

“B-Bjorn...”

Intimidated by an interior every bit as lavish as the words “royal palace” suggested, Aynar glanced at me uncertainly.

Honestly, she always got like this over the strangest things.

“Stand tall. We're here as guests. Isn't it stranger for you to act like that?”

“... R-Right!”

“This way, please.”

Our guide led us to a private reception room of roughly seven hundred square feet.

“It is an honor to attend to you, honored heroes.”

As soon as we entered, maids surrounded us to style our hair and straighten any untidy clothing. Meanwhile, our assigned guide explained basic etiquette and the schedule for today's banquet.

A while later, we heard familiar voices.

“Mr. Jandel!”

“Oh ho! I can hardly recognize you all, dressed up like that.”

Raven and Avman, who said they had arrived about ten minutes before us, came to our reception room. Their clothes were nothing like their usual attire, either: Raven wore a traditional gown long enough to trail across the floor, while Mister Bear was in a smart suit.

“Ha! Looks a little strange, doesn't it?”

Mister Bear scratched his cheek sheepishly.

Apparently, he had dressed up with his wife's help, but the staff here had insisted on changing his clothes. I was impressed they'd found something in his size, but...

“All the tailcoats provided for our guests are enchanted.”

According to our guide, they had several thousand enchanted outfits that could be worn regardless of the wearer's build.

'Enchanting clothes?'

It seemed practical at first glance, yet it was an absurd waste. How often did guests like us, with no formal attire of our own, visit the palace?

“Then did you change here too, Raven?”

“No, I wore my own.”

“... I see.”

As a mage and a member of the upper class, she apparently owned at least one outfit fit for an occasion like this.

“Wow, it's gorgeous. How much does something like that cost, nyah?”

“Uh... I'm not sure. My master gave it to me some time ago.”

“Oh, really? Anyway, wearing that makes you look just like an elf, nyah. Not the elven race, but those old storybook elves.”

“Do you mean fairies?”

“Oh, yes! Those, nyah.”

“Hmm. You're not making fun of my height, are you?”

“What? Of course not, nyah! I'm saying you look beautiful!”

Before I knew it, Misha and Raven had launched into girl talk. Mister Bear, Aynar, and I stepped back to have a conversation of our own.

“Say, Jandel. Have you heard anything more about the rewards? There's a rank-four Essence I've wanted for a long time. I was wondering whether I might get it.”

“I'm not sure. I haven't heard that much.”

“More importantly, Bjorn, I'm hungry. When do we eat?”

“Have some jerky if you can't wait.”

“Oh, you brought some?”

“Give me a piece, too. I could use something to chew on.”

We were sitting side by side, companionably chewing on jerky, when our guide returned from his brief absence.

“Everything is ready for your entrance. Please follow me.”

The corridor outside the reception rooms was packed. The guides arranged everyone into orderly lines. Our place was at the very front and center, with Melter Fend to my left and Kyle to my right.

“Ah, there you are.”

“Those clothes suit you quite well.”

“Now, stand right here.”

... No pressure or anything.

“Why do I have to be in the middle?”

“Haha. Wouldn't it be stranger for anyone else to stand there? Everyone here followed you, with only your back to guide them.”

Uh, well...

I couldn't argue when he put it that way, but this man did have a tendency to think too highly of me. I was just about to say something when he spoke again.

“It looks like we're starting. Face forward.”

Kyle was looking straight ahead.

“The heroes enter!”

At someone's grand announcement, the doors swung wide.

BWOOOOOO!

A mighty trumpet blast heralded a lively musical performance.

“Go on.”

At Kyle's urging, I stepped through the open doors, and countless explorers followed in my footsteps.

Beyond the doors lay a rectangular hall, large enough to accommodate thousands. A red carpet stretched all the way to an empty throne.

I kept trudging along the carpet. Walking without crutches was sheer agony, but for the sake of barbarian pride, I gave it everything I had.

As I walked, knights drew their swords in salute, while priests showered us with blessings, freely spending their Divine Power. Oh, and the nobles applauded from far away.

It was far too great an honor for an explorer with just over a year's experience. It didn't feel particularly good. The others probably felt the same.

'What are we, some kind of spectacle?'

Oh, perhaps we were.

I came to a halt, and the explorers following me stopped one after another.

It was nothing like a disciplined military formation. Having never learned drills, they couldn't align their ranks and files, and their wildly varied outfits only added to the disorder.

Did that look ridiculous to them?

“Pfft.”

I heard a noble snicker in the distance.

The laughter gradually spread. At the same time, I heard the creak of something being clenched tight.

I turned my head slightly and looked back. One explorer had his fist tightly clenched. He was a warrior who had helped me fight a path through the cave.

Seriously, he'd been utterly fearless while smashing monsters' heads in.

'Shyer than I thought, huh.'

This was a side of these warriors I hadn't known back then. For some reason, I didn't like seeing it. Perhaps that was why a shout burst from my lips before I knew it.

“VEHELLLAAAAAA!!”

The cry echoed through the vast hall. I hadn't intended it, but others answered.

“VEHELLLAAAAAA!!”

It came from the few barbarians present and the warriors who had grown addicted to our battle cry.

“These lunatics. Even in the royal palace...”

Most of the explorers looked dumbfounded or let out incredulous sighs. The nobles, however, reacted a little differently. Did they think this was a planned performance?

After a moment of startled silence, they broke into applause and whistles.

'These fuckers are hilarious, too.'

It was all rather absurd, but at least the mood had improved. The explorers, uncomfortable with the lavish palace, the stares of so many rarely seen nobles, and their unfamiliar tailcoats, began to relax a little.

'That's right. This is how shameless explorers should act. After everything we went through to get back alive.'

As I watched them with satisfaction, Kyle grinned beside me.

“Didn't I tell you? Who else but you could stand at the front?”

Well, perhaps he had a point. Who but a barbarian would pull something like this?

“S-Silence! Silence, please! His Excellency Agheni Roten Terserion, Chancellor of Raphdonia, approaches!”

And so the Chancellor appeared amid the heated atmosphere.

* * *

He looked to be in his early fifties, with graying hair and a kindly face. Something about him reminded me of a school principal. Standing before the empty throne, he began his speech with a light joke.

“Haha, my apologies. I am terribly late. Please do not be too angry with me, honored heroes. Isn't it a fine day?”

His speech naturally turned to the weather, then flowed seamlessly into the next subject. There was nothing particularly grand about it. He praised our efforts one by one and explained to the nobles why we had been invited.

“They accomplished what even the royal knights and renowned clans could not. Without them, we might still have no knowledge of what transpired there.”

Returning alive with information about Noark. Officially, that was our meritorious achievement. After all, he could hardly announce that they were offering us a carrot to quell the explorers' dissent.

“Thus, I, Agheni Roten Terserion, commend your achievements on behalf of His Majesty the King, who lies ill!”

Once his lengthy speech ended, the Chancellor outlined the rewards according to the explorers' contributions. To begin with, every survivor would receive ten million Stones and permission to enter Carnon, with further rewards based on individual achievements. Or something along those lines.

Our rewards were to be announced first...

“Melter Fend, Commander of the Nartel Clan, step forward.”

Melter was first.

“In the battle of Goblin Forest, you slew the criminal Blue Mane of the Blue Wolf Tribe, making a significant contribution to our victory.”

Apparently, they had already finished gathering information, because the Chancellor described his achievements in detail.

“The Silver Soul Vault shall be opened to you. You may select one Essence and one item of your choice. You shall also receive a reward of twenty-five million Stones.”

“Thank you.”

Melter Fend had secured entry to a Treasure Room containing rank-four Essences and equipment of comparable value.

'... Does this mean I can get my hopes up for my turn?'

Of the three of us, Melter actually had the fewest achievements. When you got down to it, he'd only been able to kill that wolf bastard because I'd knocked out the Corpse Collector.

'Whew...'

Unfortunately, Kyle was next.

“Sir Kyle Pevrosk, Mage of Steel, step forward.”

“It has been a while, Chancellor.”

“Forgive me for only coming to see you now. Affairs of state have kept me occupied.”

The Chancellor listed three achievements for Kyle: using his wisdom to show the expedition a way to survive, escaping Verzak through Mass Teleport, and stalling the Scholar of Destruction and inflicting damage on him during the battle of Goblin Forest.

“I understand you have long desired permission to research forbidden magic. As of today, you are a proud royal mage of the Raphdonian royal family.”

“You cannot know how happy those words make me, Chancellor. You have my deepest thanks.”

Kyle had been promoted to royal mage. In other words, he now had the opportunity to study and learn any kind of magic he pleased.

“Bjorn, son of Jandel, warrior of the barbarian race, step forward.”

At last, it was my turn. Was it because my circumstances were so different from those of Melter and Kyle, who had already been famous? The Chancellor scrutinized me as though examining every detail before listing my achievements one by one.

“Your achievements are as follows.”

“Through your noble resolve, you ended the infighting and allowed more knights to return to their families.”

“You set an example by fighting more bravely than anyone on the most dangerous front lines.”

“You served as a decoy against Verzak, buying time for the explorers to survive.”

“You cornered Aveth Necrapethor, a cursed soul from another world, making a decisive contribution to victory.”

He made it sound like it had all been nothing much. Just as that thought crossed my mind, he continued.

“These few words cannot adequately express the efforts you have made. Nevertheless, on behalf of the royal family, I hereby commend your achievements!”

“...”

“The Golden Soul Vault shall be opened to you. You may select one Essence or item of your choice, and you shall receive a reward of fifty million Stones. Furthermore!”

The Chancellor continued.

“I hereby grant you the title of baronet.”

... Huh?