Ossan Saikyō Chapter 12 Part 10
The next morning, after breakfast, we made ourselves as presentable as possible and boarded the carriage arranged by the Royal Family that was waiting outside the inn.
After about 15 minutes of being rocked along in the carriage, we passed through the gate in the second set of walls protecting the Royal Castle. Another 5 minutes later, we arrived at the garden in front of the castle.
What could be seen through the windows was an exquisitely maintained Western-style garden. Even within the fortified city, it was so vast that its far end could not be seen.
Just that alone was enough to show how great a monarch's presence was in a country ruled by a King.
However, even more overwhelming was the Royal Castle itself, which we saw after getting out of the carriage and looking up.
The enormous stone structure, with its polished surfaces, displayed a level of craftsmanship that could never be recreated through technological advancement alone.
As we let out sighs of admiration, an elderly gentleman who had already been waiting in front of the entrance for distinguished guests approached us with smooth, practiced steps.
“You all are the members of〈Saul's Guidance〉, I presume. We have been expecting you. Please, this way.”
We followed the impeccably composed butler-like elderly gentleman into the Royal Castle.
The corridors had white ceilings and walls, with deep crimson carpets laid across the floors. As we walked, feeling the softness beneath our feet, we were led into a waiting room furnished with expensive-looking pieces.
At the elderly gentleman's prompting, we sat down on the sofas, and a maid who had already been waiting there arranged tea for us. The atmosphere was rather like being in an ultra-luxurious hotel.
“Welcome, and thank you for coming such a long way. My name is Raylott, and I shall be responsible for assisting all of you. Before anything, please take a moment to rest. Afterward, I shall explain the schedule ahead and the proper etiquette for your audience with His Majesty.”
As he said this, Mr. Raylott glanced briefly at Freynil, said something quietly to the maid, and then left the room for a moment.
“Fray, do you know him?”
“Yes. When I came here before, he often took care of me. He should still be the Chief Butler.”
“That sounds like quite an important position.”
I had no idea exactly how much authority a butler at the Royal Castle possessed, but if he was the Chief Butler, he presumably oversaw the household as a whole.
I could hardly imagine someone in such a position taking care of some newly proclaimed『Hero』like me, so perhaps this too was because Freynil was with us.
Not long after, Mr. Raylott returned and explained our schedule and the etiquette for the audience.
Thankfully, we hardly had to speak at all. We only needed to give our greetings, and the rest of the ceremony would proceed on its own.
It was probably simplified so that even people from varied backgrounds, such as adventurers, could participate properly.
When the time came, Mr. Raylott led us to the audience chamber. Other than Rani fidgeting restlessly, everyone was remarkably composed, including Freynil, Sphenia, and Mariane.
I was doing my best to keep a calm expression as well, but I was nervous enough that my throat had started to dry.
We were stopped for a moment in front of an imposing door painted white and decorated with gold. Looking up, it seemed to be at least 7-8 meters tall, making it unmistakably the entrance to an audience chamber.
“Now, you will enter the audience chamber. Please follow the etiquette I explained earlier.”
At Mr. Raylott's signal, the officials standing on either side of the door slowly opened it.
“The adventurer party of five,〈Saul's Guidance〉, led by Soushi, present themselves before His Majesty~!”
Following the official's announcement, we entered the audience chamber.
It was a room as spacious as a concert hall. The first thing that caught my eye was the empty throne about 50 meters away.
The decorated pillars lining both sides of the room, the deep crimson carpet covering the floor, and even the arrangement of the marble forming the walls and floor were all positioned around the throne as their center.
The intricate decorations on the walls appeared to have been crafted by master artisans, and it was easy to imagine that the finest achievements of this country's architectural craftsmanship had been gathered here.
But in a sense, all of that was within my expectations.
What concerned me was the fact that more than 100 people stood on both sides of the audience chamber, separate from the guards. They were all dressed in formal, imposing attire, and appeared to be people holding important positions in the state or high-ranking nobles.
Naturally, Princess Margalotte was among them as well.
It's embarrassing to admit, but until this very moment, I had thought that being granted a reward meant receiving something like a substantial sum of money.
Even now, I had thought of defeating the Twilight Kin as little more than putting down a dangerous criminal.
But there was clearly nothing casual about this situation.
It was obvious that this was also an occasion to formally present〈Saul's Guidance〉to the people of the Kingdom.
“Proceed forward.”
Mr. Raylott whispered to me after I had stopped for a moment.
I pulled myself together and slowly proceeded toward the throne.
I stopped about 10 meters away and knelt down. All that remained was to bow my head and wait for the King to take his seat.
Before long, the announcement, “His Majesty the King enters~!”, rang out. Four presences emerged from a side door and slowly proceeded toward the throne. One was the King, one an attendant, and the other two were presumably guards.
One of the presences reached the throne.
“〈Saul's Guidance〉, raise your heads.”
At those words, we raised our heads. Apparently, however, we were not supposed to look directly at His Majesty's face.
“By Royal command, I, Soushi, along with the four other members of〈Saul's Guidance〉, have humbly come before Your Majesty. It is our supreme honor to be granted the privilege of standing in Your Majesty's presence.”
When I recited the formal greeting I had memorized beforehand, His Majesty the King appeared to give a slight nod.
“You have traveled a long way. You have my thanks. Now, Soushi. I hear that you recently defeated one of the Twilight Kin in Bartlan. Is this true?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. That is correct.”
“Good. And is the mana stone you obtained at that time the one before us?”
On the tray held by the male attendant was a heart-shaped magic stone.
“Yes, Your Majesty. That is correct.”
“Very well. In the name of Zeikridd Vermilion, I hereby recognize the achievement accomplished by you, the〈Saul's Guidance〉, in defeating one of the Twilight Kin. For this achievement, you shall be granted a reward.”
“We are deeply grateful for Your Majesty's gracious favor.”
And so, just as we had been informed beforehand, it was announced that we would be granted 100 million Rom and a medal.
The contents of the reward had obviously been agreed upon in advance, and none of the court officials around us showed any particular reaction.
However, as we were leaving, I heard voices saying, “Wasn't she from the Ducal House…?” and “Could she be a High Elf…?”.
It seemed that avoiding attention would be impossible after all.
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E/N:
I could feel the grandeur while reading this chapter! And wait, 100 million?! Why isn't the King finding the Elixir with that amount and instead rewarding it away?! Does he know Ossan has an Elixir?!
Stay tuned!
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