Chris met with the envoy of the Alpharion Empire. Instead of me who was tired from going out after a long time, Chris, my guardian, took care of it.
"Yawn."
I yawned.
Rub rub.
I rubbed my eyes.
Logging in right after flower viewing.
I should go to sleep right away on days with long outings.
Pat pat.
I was sitting on Chris's lap, who was sitting on a tree stump, receiving her pats.
"An audience? A ball?"
"Yeah. The emperor of the Alpharion Empire sent invitations. To each of the 'Tree of the Abyss' first, second, and third clear raid parties. The emperor's envoy returned, and I said I'd deliver it to the No Name raid party."
"Hmm..."
First clear raid party, No Name raid party.
Second clear raid party, Red-White raid party.
Third clear raid party, Scada raid party.
All were invited to the imperial palace of the Alpharion Empire.
"Rain and Red-White are originally from the Alpharion Empire so that's understandable, but isn't the Scada raid party affiliated with the Betarion Empire?"
"If you dig into it, that's true. But users should be seen as mercenaries hired from behind, right? Strictly speaking, they're unaffiliated. There might also be an intention to draw them to their own country through this opportunity."
I nodded.
The struggle for interests between the two empires happening under the surface. Users fighting each other in the faction battlefield to mine precious magic stones.
Users fight to obtain magic stones through quests, and the Alpharion Empire and Betarion Empire use such users to reap benefits. In a way, the two empires can be seen as quite amazing. To think of using 'adventurers from the stars' for their own country's benefit.
I blurted out a thought that suddenly came to mind.
"By the way, inviting heroes who defeated an Army Commander means."
"That the empire was also watching the situation in the northern part of the continent where the demons' influence started growing? Isn't it amazing? To think the empire, which seemed busy only with power struggles, is showing movement."
Even though they seemed to pay no attention at all to the dark cloud hanging over this continent, the demons. Does this mean the empires were properly working too?
Then perhaps.
"Didn't an invitation come from the Betarion Empire too?"
"Sharp, aren't you? That's right. The Betarion Empire sent an envoy too, but I heard they returned after confirming the Alpharion Empire's envoy was here first."
Is this order following the raid party that did the first clear? Since I, who did the first clear with the 'No Name raid party', am affiliated with the Alpharion Empire.
Anyway, it must be because they're mercenaries without official affiliation that the Scada raid party was invited too.
"Could it be trying to give rewards for raid vanguard clears instead of the game company? Huhu. They'll commend our achievements, and as a bonus hold a banquet event too. Nobles will attend, and we'll dance at a ball! It's a staple event in fantasy games, right?"
Of course, the surface intention will be as Chris says.
Commending the achievements of their country's mercenaries, and also aiming to draw mercenaries from other countries to their side.
But it feels like there's something more.
* * *
The capital, it's been a while!
I bounced in front of the fountain in the central square of 'Fatama', the capital of the Alpharion Empire.
Hop hop.
"Unnie, unnie! It's the fountain!"
Chris looked at me bouncing in front of the fountain and smiled wryly.
"Heheh, why are you acting like it's your first time seeing it? We saw it every day when leveling in the plains area? We went shopping here with unnie too."
"It's been a while since the last expansion pack, right?"
I haven't dropped by the capital since starting adventures in the north. After the expansion pack opened, we used the northern continent's villages and elf forest as bases.
"Did you stop by the house?"
"Ah, housing. Hmm, what could have happened there?"
Chris seems to have remembered my housing in the imperial capital.
I blocked users' access with the door locking function. It doesn't apply to NPCs as far as I know, but even if thieves pick the lock and enter, there's nothing particularly worth stealing.
Tap tap.
I walked along the main street with light steps.
The imperial capital is quite large. Still, large buildings are easily visible.
Following the straight path leading from the square, the imperial palace boasting a huge presence started to appear between stone buildings.
"It's big enough to be visible from here. Among users, we must be the first to enter?"
As if boasting the power of one of only two huge empires on the continent, inside the large inner castle grounds visible from here were many splendid medieval-style buildings. Like the Baroque style on Earth, are there styles in the Astria continent's architecture too?
"You said there are no users who can enter that imperial palace yet, right?"
"Yeah. NPC guards and knights seem to block entry."
It might be possible to enter by breaking through with force, but who among users would pick a fight against the entire empire, even if they are users. They might end up unable to be active in the Alpharion Empire ever again if they're careless.
We walked for a long time and reached the front of the imperial palace.
In front of the huge castle gate, two guards and one knight wearing splendid ceremonial armor greeted us.
Chris approached the knight and handed over the invitation received from the emperor's envoy.
"Confirmed. Miss Chris, Miss Rain."
The knight bowed politely with imperial etiquette and opened the castle gate through the guards.
Creeeeak-
"This way."
A middle-aged man wearing something like a butler's uniform guided us. What was his name, something de something? Anyway, it seems he's a noble judging by how long it was. Come to think of it, didn't they say even butlers in the imperial palace are of noble origin?
The central imperial palace, a wide and long corridor.
Various decorations and artworks lined up on both sides of the corridor caught my eye.
Indeed an empire that has continued for a thousand years. Its power could be felt even from such trivial things.
"A thousand-year empire, huh."
The Alpharion Empire and Betarion Empire from a thousand years ago in my memory. No, they weren't empires then.
What was this country like a thousand years ago?
Actually, it couldn't even be called a country. It was just humans who had lost their homes to demons gathering with the intention of driving out demons and establishing a human country together!
The leaders of the two countries at that time met in field tents. Such splendid buildings? They didn't even exist.
Chris and I arrived in front of a large door.
Tap tap.
Chris, who had been gaping and looking around the imperial palace constantly, tapped my shoulder.
"Rain, Rain! Look here! Is this the audience chamber in front? Is the emperor waiting for us inside? Will a ball be held right after meeting him? What should we do? Should we have bought dresses? Should we buy from the auction house even now...!"
"Unnie..."
I poked Chris's side while glancing at the butler. Meaning to stop making a fuss.
"This is the waiting room. When all invited guests gather, I will guide you to the audience chamber."
Creak.
The door opened, and familiar faces appeared from inside.
Tap tap tap tap.
"Rain! Chris unnie!"
"Bae Merong unnie, you were here first."
I held hands with the pink-haired Mage who ran over and smiled brightly.
"Among our guild members, Rain and Chris unnie were the latest?"
Behind Bae Merong, familiar faces of the Red-White guild were visible. Deathly Death and Cherni waved their hands towards us.
Next to them were the Warrior duo and Ranger duo, and Mages and Elementalists were also nearby together.
Chris looked at Bae Merong's outfit and felt disappointed.
"What, Bae Merong. Why didn't you dress up?"
"Huh? Dress up?"
Bae Merong was wearing a Mage robe.
Some people had put on clothes resembling formal wear, but everyone was wearing outfits unique to each class obtained from dungeons and such.
I poked Chris's side again.
"See, Chris unnie. Everyone's in their usual outfits, right?"
"Tsk, for a ball event at the imperial palace, how unromantic."
Chris clicked her tongue.
"Huh?"
I looked at the people gathered in this room and tilted my head.
Bae Merong asked.
"Rain, what's wrong?"
"The Scada raid party members aren't here."
"Ah, Scada unnie? She said they'd be a bit late, but they should be here soon? There's still some time until the appointed time anyway."
Judging by how she's already calling Scada, whom she's only raided with a few times in sub-character parties, unnie, Bae Merong seems to have already become close to Scada with her unique friendliness.
Knock knock. Creak-
The wait wasn't long.
As much as we were late, the Scada party arrived soon too.
"Everyone was here first. Huhu, nice to see you."
The 'Tree of the Abyss' third clear party, 'Scada raid party'.
They appeared in the waiting room.
Led by the brown-haired beauty, raid leader 'Scada', accompanied by the tank 'Park Jeongkwon' next to her. A few people who were together in the sub-character raid party looked familiar, but there were also people I saw for the first time.
"Is everyone here now? One, two, three..."
Chris started counting the number of people.
Red-White raid party 12 people, Scada raid party 12 people.
Everyone was here. There didn't seem to be anyone busy.
"Hm...? Is Rain-nim participating alone from the No Name raid party...?"
Scada looked towards me and tilted her head.
I avoided Scada's gaze and grabbed Chris's collar.
"It's crowded with people."
"It's not just one or two. But since it's the audience chamber, it should be quite spacious, right?"
Knock knock.
A knock was heard, and the butler who guided us earlier appeared again.
"It's time for the audience."
25 heroes showing various reactions, some feeling a bit nervous, some rejoicing in expectation of rewards.
I too started to feel expectant, but in a different sense from them.
A thousand years ago.
The leaders of the two countries who fought demons together with me.
Their bloodline.
Well, let's see their faces.