Etrion Royal Castle (3)

Before the victory celebration ceremony.

Ethan changed into neat attire.

He had brought the formal wear he wore at the Serdin mayor’s inauguration ceremony just in case, but.

• Please leave it to us.

  The castle servants flocked around him.

  Thanks to them grooming him from head to toe, he didn’t need to wear it.

  As there was still some time before the event.

  Just as he was about to return to his room to rest.

  “This way.”

  “?”

  The servants almost forcibly took Ethan somewhere.

  Leaving the annex, they arrived at.

  “Oh, you’ve come.”

  “???”

  The audience chamber.

  The person sitting on the throne was probably the King of Etrion.

  The elaborate attire and crown on his head.

  The scepter loosely held in his right hand was proof of that.

  “I am in the presence of His Majesty the King.”

  “Welcome, hero.”

  Pellis II.

  He was often evaluated as neither a wise nor a foolish king, but just an ordinary one.

  ‘Even his appearance is ordinary.’

  An average looks and average dignity.

  Ethan thought he had the typical impression of a medieval fantasy king.

  “Well, the reason I called you before the ceremony is none other than…”

  The king trailed off.

  It was the reaction of someone who wanted to say something.

  But found it a bit difficult to say directly.

  ‘As expected, was that why he sent the princess?’

  The king must also know about the succession dispute among the princes.

  So Ethan judged that it was a calculation to make him the princess’s backer by praising him as a hero, in case she might be harmed in the succession struggle.

  ‘Is this also a kind of guardianship?’

  Though he didn’t think he was in such a position.

  Soon the king opened his mouth.

  “I heard you met Elizabeth.”

  “Yes. The princess personally visited.”

  “How was it?”

  ‘If you ask how it was…’

  If he said something like she was beautiful or that he was blinded by her beauty, it might seem like he had ulterior motives towards the princess.

  But he couldn’t think of anything else to say.

  So he gave a vague answer.

  “She seemed intelligent. Also, I was deeply moved by how curious she was and how kindly she treated the children.”

  “Oh ho.”

  Without imagining that this answer would make the king have new favor towards Ethan.

‘There have been many who praised the princess’s beauty, but none who grasped her human side in such a short time.’

He had been reported that the time the two met and talked was very brief.

This means that this young man Ethan grasped various aspects of Elizabeth in that short time.

‘He has excellent insight. That’s probably how he easily saw through the demon worshippers’ weaknesses too.’

Even the Inspection Bureau Director’s report was full of praise for Ethan.

Despite being written personally by that strict Inspection Bureau Director.

With such a talent, even if he married him to the princess, no one around would be able to complain.

‘No, after today, there won’t be anyone left to complain.’

He smiled meaningfully and said.

“Thank you for seeing her favorably. I’ll see you at the banquet hall later.”

After sending Ethan away.

The king grasped the royal family’s treasured sword displayed in a corner of the audience chamber.

“It’s been a while.”

The treasured sword with a red scabbard symbolizing the king’s judicial power.

He thought it would never be used again after the nobles’ tyranny became severe.

“While riding this flow, let’s set everything right.”

• Shing.

  The sharp blade was drawn out.

  He resolved to set everything right before it was too late.

“Mmm, mm.”

“…Borka. I told you to eat one at a time.”

“Mmm! Mm! Mmm!”

“Swallow first, then speak.”

Gulp.

“The food here is super delicious!”

“There’s plenty, so eat slowly. You might get indigestion.”

“Okay~!”

Borka, wearing a colorful dress, was sweeping through the food at the banquet.

She floated up using magic because the table was too high, drawing people’s attention.

“Can I see you for a moment, sis?”

“…Ah.”

Whenever Levi said something.

It was amazing how she became obedient like a ghost.

After being introduced to the kingdom’s nobles at the victory celebration ceremony, having brief conversations and greetings, Ethan was exhausted.

He sat in a corner seat and moistened his throat with the drink Hwarin brought.

“Ughh.”

“It was hard, wasn’t it?”

“A bit, no, it was harder than I thought.”

“You worked hard.”

“Thanks to you, I survived.”

The reason Ethan, the main character of the banquet, could rest for a while avoiding people’s attention.

Was because Elkar, whom Hwarin brought, spread a perception-disrupting veil.

• This much is easy. Thanks to this, I can watch my contractor nurture precious love… not.

  Elkar’s words didn’t quite reach his ears.

  He did see Hwarin clenching her fist as his eyes were gradually closing, but.

  Ethan decided not to mind it.

  During the banquet, he also met Count Sharian and his daughter.

  Cecil fidgeted and explained at length that the princess had no ill intentions, but.

  Ethan couldn’t understand what she was talking about at all.

  He only vaguely understood that the two were close friends.

  ‘The mana stone mine development is complete, and full-scale mining has begun…’

  He sent the Regin Merchant Group, established through Albert, to Count Sharian’s territory to handle mana stone distribution.

  After agreeing to discuss the distribution of related profits later, he parted with Count Sharian.

  Nod nod.

  His head was gradually tilting to the side.

  ‘I might doze off at this rate.’

  As he was like that for a while.

  “Are you Ethan-nim?”

  “Uh… yes? That’s right.”

  A black-haired maid suddenly approached and spoke to him.

  “Huh?”

  Hwarin and Elkar were startled.

  ‘Come to think of it, the perception-disrupting veil…’

  “Excuse me. I am Jenny, the maid serving Elizabeth-nim.”

  “Is something the matter?”

  “I’m very sorry to disturb your rest, but could you call your wards?”

  “The kids, why…”

  “It’s an important matter.”

  Jenny answered seriously and then closed her mouth, looking at Ethan.

  As if she couldn’t answer beyond that.

  “Alright. Hwarin, could you bring Kenny and Hwaryon?”

  “I’ll bring them right away.”

  Ethan went to the opposite side and brought Borka, Ponya, Elyssia, and Greg with Levi.

  “Please wait here for a moment.”

  “Sure, why not.”

  An indefinite standby order was issued.

  ‘What could be happening?’

  He didn’t have any major complaints since he was still resting while sitting.

  Rather, with the addition of people to the seats.

  The children clung tightly to his left and right, and he could feel their warmth.

  So he felt even more sleepy.

  He started nodding off again, but.

  “Seal off the banquet hall!”

  “Wh-What!?”

  “What is the meaning of this!”

  “Inspection Bureau bastards?! Do you know who we are, how dare you!”

  Dozens of people led by Inspection Bureau Director Tom rushed in and sealed off the banquet hall at once.

  “Yes, yes, I know well, Count Mecksworth. 3 counts of instigating murder, 12 counts of illegal bribery, 22 pieces of actual evidence of involvement in illegal drug distribution and 42 pieces of circumstantial evidence. On top of that, you even committed the crime of insulting the royal family?”

  “What nonsense… Gack!”

  Those who resisted were subdued without mercy, even if they were nobles.

  The banquet hall instantly became a crucible of chaos.

  And into such a banquet hall.

  “Be quiet.”

  King Pellis II appeared.

After the underworld subjugation operation.

Tom submitted the information gathered from Baron Degron and Lauren to his superiors.

In the past, it would have been thrown in the trash by a corrupt Inspection Bureau Director who took hefty bribes from nobles and the underworld.

But now he is the Inspection Bureau Director representing the Inspection Bureau.

As the Inspection Bureau is directly under the king.

He has only one superior.

Pellis II.

Decisive evidence of the nobles’ corruption came into the king’s hands.

A justification was created to purge the nobles he had been itching to deal with but couldn’t due to lack of physical evidence.

‘If I don’t handle this now, it will rot and crumble someday.’

He decided to seize the opportunity.

“The crime of daring to disturb the kingdom.”

Pellis II raised the royal family’s treasured sword.

“I will judge your crimes here today!”

The nobles completely surrounded by the royal guard and Inspection Bureau.

Those among them who were innocent were identified and sent out, leaving only those to be punished in the banquet hall.

“Your Majesty! What is this nonsense?”

“The House of Lukli has faithfully served the royal family for generations. We cannot tolerate such unfair treatment even from Your Majesty!”

“The House of Solas is the same! Your Majesty knows who has been protecting the southern granary region of the kingdom all this time, don’t you?!”

“To suddenly brandish a sword without concrete evidence! We have the right to a fair trial!”

They all had something to rely on.

They struggled, saying such treatment was unacceptable, but.

“Inspection Bureau Director.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Tom stepped forward.

“The Inspection Bureau recently wiped out the underworld with the help of the hero, and succeeded in obtaining ‘confessions based on physical evidence’ from Lauren, the one-armed knight of the ‘Knight Order’, and Baron Degron of the ‘Red Rose’.”

At those words, both Duke Lukli and Count Solas turned pale.

‘So that’s why there’s been no news from those underworld bastards lately…’

‘Damn it all.’

“Everyone here is clearly a traitor. However, thanks to His Majesty’s great, great consideration, you can still stand on your two legs.”

“My patience is running thin. Arrest them.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Arrest them!”

The arrests went smoothly.

Who would dare to carry weapons or bring security personnel when entering the royal castle?

There were no means to resist.

Even if they resisted, they would be shot dead on the spot.

One by one, they were dragged away with dumbfounded expressions.

“Don’t fuck with me!”

Except for one person.

The head of a prestigious magic family that has produced archmages and high-level magicians for generations.

Duke Curcloud bit into a mana stone he had hidden just in case.

“What!”

“He smuggled in a hidden mana stone!”

“Stop him!!!”

Duke Curcloud, who skipped the incantation process thanks to the tattoo on his palm.

He froze five royal guards on the left and burned three Inspection Bureau agents on the right.

Then quickly headed towards the platform where the king was standing.

‘The king’s cloak is an artifact that maximizes magic resistance. Shooting a <Fireball> here wouldn’t even scratch him.’

So he needs to get as close as possible.

To unleash the strongest firepower from the closest range.

He should be able to inflict at least a serious injury.

“If only you die!”

Only the leaders were arrested.

The heirs of the noble faction are still intact.

The current royal family hasn’t clearly established a successor.

And the princes are each connected to various nobles.

If only the current king dies.

The nobles would be able to make a comeback.

Finally, he approached within about ten steps of the king and snapped his fingers.

Praying for the king to burn to death in the most horrible and cruel way.

But then.

“…Huh?”

The mana enveloping his body wouldn’t move.

More precisely, his mana should have burned according to his will, raising the temperature and simultaneously projecting flames forward.

But it didn’t.

“Why?”

An artificial restraint of mana.

Something impossible happened even if a legendary archmage came back to life.

As he turned his gaze towards the source of that restraining force.

The man who was said to have caught three demon worshippers.

The man the king praised as a hero was pointing at him with his index finger as if curious.

“Wow, this mana blocking really works well.”

“What…”

Duke Curcloud couldn’t finish his next words.

Because his head was cut off by the longsword of the royal guard captain who rushed in urgently.

Roll roll.

Thud.

The king alternately looked at Duke Curcloud’s head that stopped at his feet and Ethan whom he pointed at last, then.

“Haha.”

He laughed helplessly.

‘Can he even neutralize magicians?’

The more he saw, the more he liked this man.

After the victory celebration ceremony cum great purge of the noble faction ended.

Elizabeth, who had been watching from a safe place, trotted over to the king.

“Father.”

“Ah, you’ve come at a good time. Now if we just announce that fact…”

“Actually, I came to talk about that.”

“Hm?”

She lowered her voice.

“I was hoping you wouldn’t announce anything about marriage or engagement.”

“Why is that?”

“I don’t think it suits this unsettled atmosphere to make such an announcement. It would look like we eliminated the opposition in advance to marry a commoner to the princess, wouldn’t it?”

It was a reasonable argument.

But he was a father who knew his daughter better than anyone.

“…It seems there’s another reason.”

“Actually, such a rigid method isn’t romantic. Marriage is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, isn’t it?”

“That’s true. Then what would you like to do?”

He was also an incredible daddy’s girl.

“I have an idea. Would you be willing to listen?”

“Alright, let’s hear what it is first.”

Elizabeth blushed and whispered in the king’s ear.