Chapter 38
We had been summoned to the royal palace, and were now facing a certain man.
"I am Ringo Jarlalabad, chief magician of the Kingdom of Greifner."
Standing there was a figure that defied every fantasy movie cliché about wizards.
A muscular physique reminiscent of a bodybuilder from the gym I used to go to. His chest was thicker than the trees around here, and I'd guess he could bench press around 250 kilos.
His arms sticking out from the cut-off short-sleeved shirt were so thick, with veins bulging like logs, that even my fat arms seemed skinny in comparison.
His lower body was thick too.
His loose-fitting pants were stretched to their limits by the sheer force of his muscles. I bet he could squat around 400 kilos. If this were Earth, I'd absolutely want to hit the gym with him and try breaking records.
"I am Ellie Golden, fourth daughter of the Golden family."
Like a proper lady, she pinched her skirt hem and bowed her head.
"Hoho, so you are Ellie Golden."
His piercing gaze wasn't evaluating me, but rather measuring my magic and strength. Strength is everything. Muscle supremacy. His rugged face and humorless gray eyes gave off a cold impression.
Rather than chief magician, "career soldier" would be more accurate. And honestly, "Protein" would suit him better than "Ringo."
"Ariana Grantino..."
"Wands Wild, eldest son of the Wild family!"
"Gargaine Gaga, son of a blacksmith."
"Debussy Asil, second son of the Asil family, Jarlalabad-sama!"
"Scarlet Circlet, second daughter of the Circlet family."
The training camp members each introduced themselves one by one.
Everyone's cheeks were a little flushed. According to Surume, Chief Magician Ringo Jarlalabad is a battle-hardened hero nicknamed the "Slayer of 5,000 Monsters" and the captain of the Kingdom of Greifner's strongest magic knight squad, "Shield." He has countless fans across the kingdom, and just meeting him is apparently a big deal. But to me, he just looks like a muscle-obsessed sweaty old man.
More importantly, Scarlet standing next to me stinks.
She still reeks of the Passion Dog Smoke Bomb (Lovely Dog).
I guess the smell didn't come off......
"From here on, you are before the king. Do not be discourteous."
"Everyone, listen. Be sure not to say anything rude."
Professor Harshüge, our chaperone, looked like he was the most nervous of all.
When two soldiers opened the grand doors, at the far end of the red-carpeted floor sat a middle-aged man with a gentle smile on his face. His brown hair was slicked back, and he wore a red cape, a brilliantly blue-glowing breastplate, and oddly thick violet kneepads.
From the mismatched colors, it was clear he prioritized defense over design. Beside the throne, two maids were holding a five-meter-tall staff topped with a green jewel. Can you even cast magic with a staff that huge?
"I am Basil Greifner, the fifty-second king of the Kingdom of Greifner!"
He used "I, the sovereign"!!
"Sovereign," here we goooo!
You hardly ever see that word, even in movie translations.
Hearing it in real life is hilarious.
If you had two kings together it'd get wild. Sovereign and sovereign...
Nah, stop. I'm a classy, stylish fat one. If I keep thinking dumb things like this, I'll be letting Ellie down.
"These are the students who defeated the sealed Bone Lizard."
Ringo Jarlalabad knelt down.
We followed suit.
"Well done!"
The king sprang to his feet, grabbed medals with small medallions from a tray brought by the royal guards, quickly descended from the throne, and placed the medals around our necks, shaking our hands.
Swift, grasp, nod! Swift, grasp, nod! Swift, grasp, nod! Swift, grasp, nod! Swift, grasp, nod! Swift, grasp, nod! Swift, grasp, nod!
He's kind of quick.
This king moves really fast. Is he just impatient?
This doesn't match my image of a king at all.
As I tilted my head in confusion, the others were so moved they were speechless, each expressing their gratitude. I mean, Ama Kuso and Scarlet didn't do a damn thing.
This is messed up—I can't accept it.
The king silently glided back to his throne and spoke.
"So, who defeated it?"
Those of us blushing from the medals froze.
Immediately, Professor Harshüge stepped forward on one knee, saying "If I may..."
"The unsealed Bone Lizard summoned a swarm of Little Lizards, and we were on the defensive. Working with the excellent students here, we withstood the Bone Lizard's fierce attacks and, after defeating all the Little Lizards——"
"Too long! Get to the point!"
The king couldn't take it anymore and cut him off, not even trying to hide his irritation. Professor Harshüge, chastised by the king, frantically wiped the cold sweat dripping from his forehead with a handkerchief and somehow managed to squeeze out an answer.
"We were lucky—lightning struck."
"Lightning?"
"Yes. It just so happened to hit the Bone Lizard and obliterated it completely."
"Ringo, is that true?"
"Yes. Just as reported. The site shows no signs of explosive-type magic, so there's no doubt about it."
"I see......"
As expected of the king, he seemed to notice something.
"Hmmm......"
I prayed he wouldn't figure out it was a lightning spell.
If he did, this would turn into a huge mess.
First, they'd ask all about how I learned the legendary lightning spell, and then say it's for the good of the kingdom and try to use me for military purposes. I might even be drafted and put through special training.
It's the classic plot of sci-fi shows and psychic movies. Fun to watch, but I'd hate to be the main character losing their freedom and being restricted. I still have a lot to do as Ellie.
The king crossed his arms with a grim face and looked down at us.
I gulped.
——Gwah!!!
With an expression that said "I get it now," the king's eyes popped wide open.
"You lot were lucky, huh!"
I take it back. The king is an idiot.
He's got no dignity at all!
"And which one is Ellie Golden?"
"This female student, Your Majesty."
Ringo Jarlalabad immediately made me stand up.
"So it's you! I heard you protected everyone until the very end! Well done!"
"Your words honor me."
I pinched my skirt hem and bowed.
"I shall grant you a special reward!"
"Ellie Golden, name what you desire."
Ringo Jarlalabad turned his rugged face toward me.
"Money? Land?"
"Speak quickly."
I guess that meant don't keep the impatient king waiting.
Since I had the chance, I decided to use the plan I had in mind to tackle what seemed like the biggest headache. Not revenge on Bob or crushing Scarlet—that wouldn't mean anything unless I did it myself.
"Then, if I may be so bold—I would like to borrow the outer wall of a building on Main Street, First Avenue of Greifner Street."
"Hm?"
"......What does that mean?"
Ringo Jarlalabad glared at me with eyes that said, "If this is a joke, there'll be hell to pay," and twitched his densely muscled chest.
"I intend to use it for advertising."
"Advertising?"
The king leaned forward, intrigued.
"I want to hang an advertisement for clothing, printed on an enormous piece of fabric."
"Hoho......"
"How bizarre......"
"E-Ellie-kun......!!"
The king stroked his cheek, Ringo tensed his biceps in confusion, and Professor Harshüge, drenched in sweat, tried to quietly dissuade me.
"Interesting! Permission granted!!"
"Thank you very much!"
I take it back again. Best king ever!
This makes me way happier than a medal. Yes!
What the current Mirrors is overwhelmingly lacking is advertising power.
This world has no TV, no radio, and no cars running at all. The only way to advertise is through word of mouth.
So here's the plan. We'll hang a massive poster featuring Lady Amy in the main street to boost brand power and expand the market. Just like those empty spaces on buildings in Shibuya used for ads. This will totally blow the minds of the citizens of Greifner.
When the king swiftly raised his right hand, a nervous-looking dog-eared man wrapped in robes appeared with an uncharacteristic forward roll in front of the throne, said just one word—"Documents!"—and vanished with a backward roll so fast it left an afterimage.
Everyone must be keeping up with the king's impatience......
It's tough when your boss is eccentric.
"And the girl with the vertical curls!"
At the king's voice, Ringo Jarlalabad quickly made Scarlet stand up.
"Y-Yes!!"
Abruptly summoned, Scarlet stood stiffly at attention, her expression frozen with tension. Her face betrayed the pride of being called on by the king.
What the—this nuisance gets a reward too?
That doesn't seem right, Your Majesty.
If anyone deserves it, it's Ariana.
"You! You reek in a way no lady should! You stink! I hereby grant you special permission to use the palace bath!"
"Eh......?"
S-She's being warned about her smell——!!!
"Pfft"
"Puh..."
"Buh—"
"Eep"
Ariana, Gargaine, Surume, and I all barely held back our laughter. When Surume whispered "dog-fused..." under his breath, the image of yesterday's dog-fused Scarlet popped into my head.
Hold it in! I must endure! I've been through worse than this many times! If I laugh now, I lose!
Scarlet, expecting praise, was now on the verge of tears.
Kneeling and looking down, she clenched her teeth, holding back her laughter.
"What are you waiting for? Show your gratitude to His Majesty."
"Th-thank you... I am honored and happy."
"Good! Think nothing of it!"
What a wonderful king!
Scarlet seemed too humiliated to lift her head.
Pffft, serves her right.
I gave a mental thumbs-up and laughed.
The king suddenly stood up and shouted "Well done!!!" in a loud voice, then sharply raised his right hand horizontally toward us. That must mean the audience is over.