#188
The Imperial Palace (2)
The Palace of the Fifth Imperial Princess, situated on one side of the imperial grounds.
It was only natural to greet one's parents when returning home after a long absence, or to greet one's host when visiting another's house.
But when that counterpart was none other than the Emperor of the Empire, such matters could hardly end with a simple exchange of pleasantries.
In that sense, a luncheon bound by complicated procedures and stringent etiquette was inevitably a tedious and suffocating affair for those unaccustomed to it.
"Tch, I detest those kinds of gatherings. I just want to eat in peace. Do I really have to go?"
And within the Hero Party, the macho barbarian warrior Halli was exactly such a case.
"Hmm..."
"It certainly is a bit..."
Iseya, who had spent quite a long time with him, as well as Raili, who had only briefly accompanied him, both nodded solemnly.
The savage image of him tearing into griffin meat was still vividly etched in their minds.
His personality, manner of speech, and even his fashion were so outrageous that he simply did not fit into formal occasions.
"...Actually, it would be fine if only the Saint went as our representative. I feel odd saying this, but the three of us aside from the Saint feel rather like tagalongs."
Iseya exchanged a brief glance with Raili, then shrugged her shoulders lightly as if it were no big deal and continued.
"After all, our circumstances are different from the Saint, who is irreplaceable. Still, they can't completely ignore us, so it feels like they're being hospitable for the Saint's sake."
Furthermore, unlike the other two who were at least nobles, Halli was a complete wild man, lacking the so-called "station."
Had it not been for his background as a member of the crusaders, he likely would not have been able to set foot inside the Imperial Palace at all.
"Ah—then I shall also excuse myself."
At those words, Jios, who had been quiet, interjected as if he had been waiting for the opportunity.
Though he too was a noble of the Kingdom of Lesque, having been born a commoner, there was a subtle air of exclusion around him that made him far from accustomed to such gatherings.
He had been so indifferent to politics that he had rarely even met his own kingdom's king.
Of course, Hesperon, who had simply tag along by chance, was irrelevant from the start.
"So can we just eat comfortably then? Honestly, I was curious about the Imperial Palace chefs' skills, so this is perfect! Uwahahaha!"
"Yes, I shall instruct the exclusive chef of my palace. Please dine as you wish."
In the end, it was decided that only Heinrich, Raili, and Iseya would attend the luncheon with the Emperor.
And while they left to prepare, Halli and Hesperon naturally approached Jios and struck up a friendly conversation.
"Well then—shall we go? I wonder what meat tastes like at the Imperial Palace?"
"Oh! It'll be my first time eating high-class cuisine since coming to this world, so I'm really looking forward to it! Though I've pulled out this and that with my abilities to eat, of course."
"Come to think of it, you said you came from another world, right, brother?"
"That's correct. But please speak comfortably, Hyung-nim! Just call me Heron. Ah, may I call you Hyung-nim?"
"Kwahahaha—! What a refreshing fellow! Then let's do that, Heron!"
"Keuh~ To think I'd have such a cool hyung-nim, I feel so reassured!"
The two chattered away excitedly, exchanging quips back and forth.
In truth, it was little more than a farce with one side arbitrarily playing the older brother, but outwardly they appeared perfectly ordinary, with no sense of disharmony.
"Ah, Sir Jios, please call me Heron as well. Phew~ I'm so fortunate to have met such good people right after coming out. Hahaha!"
"...Very well, Mr. Heron."
And naturally, the reason they were acting this way was entirely because of Jios Kalkin seated right beside them.
*First, I'll have to make him and Hesperon get closer.*
Before moving here from the Rohan Principality, he had cautiously broached these words with Heinrich.
Among his acquaintances was someone who had revealed himself to be an otherworlder; perhaps they could obtain some information from him.
*From what I hear, it seems he's been in this world for at least twenty years. If that's true...then as expected, is he a settler who gave up on returning?*
Settler.
A term referring to those who gave up on returning after gathering Karma Points, instead settling down completely in this other world...
It was a path occasionally chosen by those who held no particular attachment to Earth and had grown fonder of this place.
Naturally, he had only ever encountered them indirectly.
In a way, this could be called a good opportunity to meet a party directly and obtain information.
*As an Earthling who just crossed over to this world, that is. In that sense, it's best for Jios, a close acquaintance, to personally introduce Hesperon.*
Of course, for Heinrich, meeting him would not be difficult, but the scope of questions one could ask as this world's Saint versus those one could ask as an Awakened from Earth were on entirely different dimensions, were they not?
"Come on, let's stop standing around and go tear into some meat together! My stomach's sticking to my back, I swear!"
"Hahaha! Hyung-nim, it's been less than two hours since you pulled out meat for a snack earlier. Ah, Sir Jios, please come quickly too!"
Throughout history and across the world, sharing a meal was the best way to build camaraderie.
The rough, fierce barbarian Halli and the clueless, naive young man Hesperon strode proudly toward the dining hall.
With Jios following between them wearing a sour expression.
***
The current Emperor of the Empire, Gario Karte Ajerion.
Now nearing sixty, he was a man with faded blond hair and intense light-green eyes who seemed more a military officer than a scholar.
"You must have had a difficult journey. I was well aware of your hard work in protecting the world, yet it is shameless of me to only now offer my greetings. Moreover, to think you have rescued Imperial Princess Raili this time as well."
"Not at all. Is it not known the world over how busy Your Majesty is? Holding this great empire steady amid this chaos is a matter of utmost importance."
Naturally, a luncheon shared between the Emperor of the Ajerion Empire—the greatest power in Auterica—and the Saint of the Church of the Lord God could hardly be a mere meal.
It was only somewhat bearable because Heinrich was present as the leader of the crusaders rather than the representative of the Church; otherwise, the suffocating tension would have made it difficult to even think of eating.
*Ugh—should I have just skipped out too? I only attended because I thought I might be of some help to Raili... How am I supposed to eat in this atmosphere!*
Of course, the current state of affairs was hardly conducive to dining either.
Iseya let out an inward sigh, furtively gauging the mood around her as she merely fiddled with her utensils.
She was in no mood to eat right now, yet she couldn't just sit there blankly while everyone else dined normally.
"Count Iseya Pristine."
In that instant, her body went rigid.
She hadn't done anything wrong; she had simply been startled for a moment by the Emperor's sudden address while she was tense.
But that lasted only an instant.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Please command me."
She may have been an ordinary girl on Earth, but now she was an Archmage who had surpassed the pinnacle and was knocking on the wall of Transcendence.
Her nervousness until now had been due to the ego of "high school girl Iseya," but once the situation arrived, her mind calmly settled, and she was able to observe from a step back.
"Matters have been moving so quickly that I am only now bringing this up. Thanks to the Count's assistance, our empire has retained its honor. Once matters have settled to some extent, there will be good news for you soon. Thus, I ask for your continued service."
He was referring to her joining the Hero Party and distinguishing herself as the Saint's companion.
It had been an unavoidable choice to rescue Raili, but there was no need to refuse when he was offering praise and a reward.
"I am honored, Your Majesty. I merely did what needed to be done."
At her humble words, the Emperor nodded slightly, and his gaze turned to Raili.
His expression, stern throughout, wavered slightly when he looked at her, but he regained his composure in an instant and soon spoke to her calmly as if nothing had happened.
"It is a relief you have returned at last, Imperial Princess Raili. You have suffered much."
"...Thank you, Your Majesty."
"However, there is something I wish to ask..."
The exchange between father and daughter meeting after a long time felt stiff.
It did not seem to be simply because it was a public occasion; they conversed naturally, as if accustomed to this.
The Emperor's question was naturally one that anyone would find puzzling.
Namely, the question of how she had managed to escape "alone."
*It certainly isn't an issue that can be easily glossed over. It's a hard case to accept, after all.*
Heinrich nodded inwardly and slowly moved his knife to cut the steak.
Had it not been the Saint who rescued the Imperial Princess this time, she would not have so smoothly reclaimed her position.
In fact, even now, her political enemies were spreading all sorts of rumors, unable to act openly only because of the Saint's prestige.
Claims ranged from her being an impostor transformed into the Imperial Princess, to fears that she intended to detonate a lethal curse hidden in her body in the midst of the leadership, to the conviction that Raili had already been brainwashed and become the Undead King's lackey.
Each and every one was a conjecture based on the assumption that Hans had deliberately released her.
"I was able to escape solely thanks to the abilities of another who was imprisoned with me. Without him, escape would have been a dream. I was merely fortunate enough to be at his side."
She then began to explain the circumstances in a calm voice.
The Crown Prince, with whom she had lost contact since their imprisonment; the man with special abilities who appeared in the midst of it; the magical education that followed; and the sudden hope that emerged.
Of course, she deliberately omitted the conflict she had with the Crown Prince near the end.
There was no need to mention such things and leave room for turmoil.
"Hmmm—"
When she finished her tale, concluding with the crisis that followed immediately after their escape from the Undead Castle and the Saint's sudden appearance to save them, the Emperor let out a heavy murmur and closed his eyes tightly.
He had held out hope, but hearing her words, it seemed there was little to no possibility that the Crown Prince could escape using the same method.
Nor did it seem possible to exploit that method in reverse.
Imperial Princess Raili's escape had been tangled with numerous complex factors compounded by all manner of coincidences and luck.
A slim possibility that normally could not exist, one that felt almost contrived.
But since it had actually occurred, it could not simply be dismissed.
Coincidence becoming inevitability, a probability so minuscule that it seemed impossible becoming reality.
...We usually call that "fate."
Swish—
The Emperor slowly opened his closed eyes and turned his gaze back to Heinrich.
"...Come to think of it, the Second Continental Summit is not far off."
"That is correct. Scarcely two weeks remain."
Unlike during the first summit, he had been busy with the affairs of the Hero Party, but he had been steadily receiving news from the Church.
He had also heard that another Saintess was being dispatched because of it.
"I shall send the Fifth Imperial Princess Raili as the representative of our Ajerion Empire's delegation."
The Emperor continued in a calm tone.
It had been a position that the Second Prince and Sixth Prince had been fiercely vying over in a battle of nerves while Crown Prince Simon and Imperial Princess Raili were kidnapped, but...
Now that she had returned, it was meaningless.
*Finally...!*
Raili and Iseya clenched their fists simultaneously.
She was merely a delegation representative, but these were words spoken by the Emperor himself in the presence of the Saint of the Church of the Lord God.
Naturally, they contained meaning far beyond the literal sentence.
It was the moment when Raili's war—which had been a temporary ceasefire—resumed and immediately began laying waste to her competitors' camps.