< 153. Audience (5) >
#153
“I swear.”
Strangely the voice sounded loud. The single word of oath echoed throughout the throne room. After a moment of silence the Emperor removed the sword from Ronan’s shoulder.
“…Raise your head.”
Ronan did so. The emperor was looking down at himself with a solemn expression. His own face reflected in his pitch-black eyes also had a solemn expression.
“You are now the sword of the Empire and its new dawn. With power in her hands she will always have to be on guard to avoid being seduced by evil. “Because shadows only appear next to light.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Now stand up and take the sword.”
Ronan got up. The leading emperor held out the sword of Balon. He accepted the sword with both hands trying to be as graceful as possible.
‘It’s light. ‘I can’t use it in real life.’
These were her first impressions of the dawn of an empire. Apart from being happy she had almost no sense of reality. She said it was a problem that would be resolved over time but it seemed like she would need more time to get used to it.
With that the award ceremony ended. The spleen that had pervaded her air was slowly cooling down. The Emperor who was quietly looking at Ronan chuckled.
“You’re so hard. Now that the ceremony is over let’s continue as usual.”
“I will work hard.”
“I’m glad you said that. “A secret agent can’t carry that sword so she wears it.”
The emperor rummaged through her inner pocket and took out a round metal plate. Its color was red like the setting sun and its size was as large as a woman’s palm.
The thickness was similar to three gold coins stacked on top of each other. On both sides was an engraving of a falcon with wings spread wide. Ronan tilted her head.
“What is that?”
It was an unfamiliar item. It had a different shape from the badges used by inspectors and military police. The Emperor handed Ronan a plaque.
“Dawn plaque. “It’s a very old item.”
The emperor explained that the enemy he had to deal with was different but the secret agent called Dawn itself had existed since the distant past. The Dawning Plaque he is holding right now was also made during the bloody era. Ronan who accepted the card shrugged his eyebrows.
“It’s so light.”
It was hard to believe that I was holding it. I thought it would be similar if I cut La Mancha to the same size. The Emperor nodded her head triumphantly.
“That’s because it’s made of blood mithril.”
“aha.”
Ronan nodded her head in understanding. That could have been possible with Blood Mithril. In fact it was a completely different metal from mithril but it was given that name simply because it was that hard and rare.
‘I never thought I’d see the real thing like this.’
It was hard and light so it was considered a dream metal but it was a really difficult item to find. According to rumors the reason was that only the royal family of Balon could obtain and handle Blood Mithril but the truth was unknown. A meaningful smile appeared on the emperor’s lips.
“It’s also great for using as a base when you don’t have money. No matter how much you don’t get you’ll be able to get enough so that the three generations don’t have to lift a finger.”
“Can I really sell it?”
“of course. Only if you commit a serious crime in the Empire and go into exile in another country. “If you get caught you’ll rot in a dungeon for the rest of your life.”
Ronan laughed without even realizing it. Now I see that he is a man with quite a sense of humor. Ronan bowed silently and took the Dawning Plaque in his arms.
“thank you. “I will use it well.”
“If possible bring it out only at critical moments. “It’s something that could cause defenseless officers to faint if they see it.”
Ronan nodded. Seeing him say such things in a serious voice it seemed like he was an ignorant punitive soldier and didn’t know about it but it seemed like it was something all regular soldiers knew about. The emperor’s face became serious again.
“Then is it okay if I give you the first mission?”
“That bastard…no anything to do with Nebula Clazier.”
Ronan nodded heavily. I felt like I could do anything now. Although there was an academy schedule it was enough to just treat it as a club activity. If anything Varen or the imperial family will solve it. The emperor’s expression became solemn.
“Jim would like you to attend the Sword Festival tomorrow.”
“okay. “It’s a sword festival… huh?”
Ronan raised his eyes. This was another unexpected order. the emperor asked.
“hmm? “Why but?”
“Uh…no. “Keep talking.”
“Of course. As you know Nebula Clazier’s evil deeds are generally carried out in places where they can cause harm to many people. The Festival of Swords where swordsmen from all over the continent gather is a strong candidate. “I would like you to inspect this place.”
“So you will be participating as part of the imperial family?”
“Hmm? What does that mean? “Affiliation?”
The emperor raised his eyebrows. He looked like he couldn’t understand anything Ronan was saying.
“Isn’t there a certain number of people who can participate in each organization?”
“…The number of people who can attend the ceremony is limited but anyone can go to Farzan. “Has the rules changed without Jim’s knowledge?”
“ah?”
Ronan stiffened. There was little chance that the emperor who was still young and prosperous would be mistaken. For a moment Nabi Rose’s smiling face passed before my eyes.
‘She said she tricked me…!’
Realization was instantaneous. She thought something was strange. If the ultimate goal of the ritual was to find a holy sword that exists somewhere in the sacred place it was much more efficient to gather the participants and then filter them out rather than restricting participants by receiving recommendations.
Butterfly Rose had originally planned to take both of them. Schlieffen Didn’t that kid know? Damn this is why women with big breasts have to be careful. Ronan’s expression distorted in various ways. The emperor spoke in a voice filled with confusion.
“I think a test of your level will pass the level of consciousness without difficulty but if you don’t feel like it…”
“…no. I want to do it a lot. So you’re saying that all we have to do is go to the Festival of Swords and kill all those who look suspicious?”
“That’s right.”
“Please leave it to me. “I was already planning on going tomorrow.”
Still I wasn’t particularly angry. Ronan calmed his mind as he looked at his thick wrist. Whatever the intention of Butterfly Rose it was true that it achieved rapid growth in just one month.
However there was work to be done before his mission could begin in earnest. It was important. Ronan looked directly at the Emperor and opened his mouth.
“But Your Majesty I have one question.”
“hmm? what?”
“Don’t you think I’m suspicious?”
For a moment the emperor’s eyes distorted. Ronan responded to his expression with a straight face.
I know. In many ways it would have been easier not to say anything. In fact she wished she had said it before dawn but it was something that needed to be addressed even if it was belated. I couldn’t feel uncomfortable about a job that would last for several years no matter how short it was.
‘If you look at their actions so far it’s worth being cautious.’
At least that’s what he would have done if he were emperor. It is safe to say that Ronan was the eye of the typhoon. Wherever he went he tangled with Nebula Clazier and committed various incidents. And that too since I was a young child.
Of course the results were all good so he could be seen as an excellent talent. Still if he thought about it a little he had never been as suspicious as this. The emperor who was dumbfounded for a moment opened his mouth.
“Your thoughts are deep. “It’s not a good quality for a sword but it’s a good quality for Dawn.”
Ronan didn’t answer. An awkward silence fell. The emperor suddenly turned his head and looked at his throne.
“…When you sit on that chair you can see things that you normally can’t see.”
“yes?”
“A representative example is the inner self of a person. As an emperor when you deal with all kinds of people you get to know that person just by having a short conversation with him and you naturally get to know what kind of person he is. “It’s amazing.”
Ronan also turned his head to follow him. The chair which had an oddly long backrest had become bare where the buttocks touched. It was a position granted only to those who ruled the empire.
The Emperor must have been sitting there greeting countless people even before Ronan was born. People who came with their own good intentions and evil intentions. When I thought about it it was a reasonable argument. The emperor opened his mouth.
“You hate Nebula Clazier. More than anyone else. “Was Jim wrong?”
Ronan’s eyes widened. It was an incontrovertible inference. He shook his head slightly.
“no.”
“Your fire has no time to burn anything but Nebula Clazier. Just waiting for the day to burn them. “I won’t lie to you that I wanted to take advantage of that blindness.”
The Emperor began to look Ronan up and down. Perhaps because I heard what was going on inside I felt as if the gaze was penetrating through my body.
“But if you ask me if I hired you for that reason that would not be the case. “As I said before you need to realize that you are a great person.”
“that….”
“Whatever your intentions you do good. We defeated evil and saved innocent people. This is a known fact and that is enough. “Your background or the reason you hate Nebula Clazier so much are not that important.”
Every syllable the emperor uttered was filled with power. Despite the difference in height between him and me I felt overwhelmed.
Is this the majesty of a monarch? The Emperor who had lowered his gaze to his chin looked Ronan in the eye again and opened his mouth.
“Jim is the emperor of Balon. “His eyes are not damaged to the point where he cannot distinguish between light and shadow yet.”
With those last words the conversation ended. Ronan nodded his head slowly. He asked a pointless question and his answer was so clear that it made me feel pathetic. The emperor smiled again and patted Ronan on the shoulder.
“Then the conversation is over so let’s move on.”
“Where?”
“Shouldn’t we congratulate the heroes who brought spring even if simply? “You the main character weren’t planning on leaving right?”
The emperor also added that this banquet could be the last banquet of the year. Suddenly I remembered talking about what drinks and snacks would be served at the imperial palace during my time as a punitive soldier.
I was giggling that Cheadle was probably going to make gold instead of poop so it was a good opportunity to check. Ronan grinned.
“Good.”
They left the throne room and headed to the banquet hall. The sound of people murmuring could be heard from the other side of the long hallway. I could hear the faint sound of glasses clinking so it seemed like they were enjoying themselves.
