In the audience chamber, before the emperor's throne.
"Should we kneel? What's the etiquette in this game's worldview?"
"What are you talking about, we're just users, right?"
"Huhu, we might look like completely untrained mercenaries."
Swish.
"Shh."
Chris, who was in front, held her hand back to quiet the crowd.
To the left of the throne in the audience chamber, one person who looked like a minister.
And on the throne sat a middle-aged man.
Indeed, the leader of a huge empire that divides the Astria continent. There was definite majesty on his face. An owner of a dignified mustache. Surprisingly, his body looks firm too. Judging by his distinct features, he must have been a great beauty about twenty years ago.
"Oh."
I let out a small exclamation seeing that face.
It's familiar somehow. Certainly bloodline.
To think traces of ancestors can be vaguely seen even after a thousand years. I guess there was no dynastic revolution?
He wasn't wearing clothes that drag down to the floor, which is commonly imagined when thinking of an emperor. Of course, he wasn't wearing a crown either. Instead, he was wearing something like a uniform.
Swish.
He stood up from his seat and smiled at Chris, who was swallowing hard. Chris hurriedly bowed her head in greeting.
"Your Imperial Majesty, I hope you have been in good health... Uh, is this right?"
Small laughs were heard from among the users standing behind Chris. Chris glanced back with a glare, sending a murderous look at someone.
"Be at ease, I have no intention of forcing this empire's etiquette on you all. Adventurers from the stars, beings different from humans born and living in this world."
"Uh, hehe. Is that so?"
"Kehehe, an interesting person."
The emperor burst into laughter seeing Chris who soon started grinning and scratching her head.
He looked around the crowd and opened his mouth.
"As the emperor of the Alpharion Empire, I express gratitude for blocking the threat in the north, heroes from another world."
I slightly raised my lowered eyes. Somehow the emperor's gaze seemed to brush past me. I tilted my head.
"The empire didn't just stand by when detecting their movements either. We are the empire and guardians of the continent. That is this country's founding ideology. We were planning to dispatch knights to face the threat that revealed itself in the north."
"Ooh...!"
Exclamations flowed from among the users.
Even if the adventurers hadn't stopped the Army Commander, this continent was prepared to fight against the threat on its own.
"There will be a banquet for you all at night. Young ladies and gentlemen from each noble family will participate too, so I hope there will be suitable partners."
The emperor said that and smiled meaningfully.
"Rest from your journey at the imperial palace until then. This is my small token of gratitude."
Clap.
With the emperor's clap, several servants came to the audience chamber carrying trays with pouches on them. What's visible among the heavy pouches is, gold?
"Kuh, as expected! You know your stuff!"
"Rare items are good too, but you can buy all of those if you just have gold!"
The faces of each raid member lit up.
Such simple people.
Of course, I like gold too.
"Heh."
I received my share of the grant and checked the amount with a bright smile.
In the splendid imperial palace's waiting room.
I was sticking close to Chris among the raid members gathered in groups of three or five, chattering in anticipation of the evening's banquet and ball.
"They said young ladies and gentlemen from Alpharion Empire noble families will participate in today's banquet, right? Suitable partners? What could that mean?"
"Hmm... Does it feel like they want to match people?"
"Match?"
Chris's face became strange.
"You know? Marrying capable people to noble family children to make the empire's power stronger."
Chris's doubt doesn't seem to have been resolved.
"Huh? But if they're noble family children, they're NPCs, right? Is it possible for users to marry them too?"
"It's a game with high freedom, so why not?"
"Hmm... Even if users are fine, what about from the NPCs' perspective. We're done when we quit, right? The server could shut down too. What happens to the spouse left behind in this world?"
Chris clutched her head and pondered.
Male guild members listening to our conversation also started saying things with serious expressions.
"This is an 18+ game, right? Th-then, is that kind of thing possible too!?"
"Hey... If you're going to think like that, go play other games? Astria Online has low synchronization rate, what satisfaction would you get here? There are virtual reality games just for that purpose, right? A-ahem. Still, if there's a pretty young lady, I'd like to talk to her once."
"You crazy bastards! There's nothing you won't say in front of a child!"
Chris screamed.
I puffed my cheeks. I'm not a child.
Knock knock.
"Is Miss Rain here?"
"Yes?"
I tilted my head.
It's the minister who was next to the emperor in the audience chamber. He called for me.
"The emperor wishes for a private audience."
"What!"
Chris gasped and hugged me tightly. And she lit a fire in her eyes.
"Talking about suitable noble family children and then calling for Rain, could it be...!"
"Unnie... That's impossible, right?"
"W-we don't know! The emperor might have a taste for small women...! Rain is an incredible beauty!"
I blushed at Chris's fuss.
The praise is embarrassing, and the fuss is embarrassing.
"Grrrr! Anyway, Rain can't go alone! Take me with you too!"
Chris blew steam from her nose and took a defensive stance towards the minister.
The minister made a troubled expression. He had no choice but to go to the emperor once more.
Guided to the emperor's office, we walked down a corridor deep in the imperial palace with the emperor.
"The reason I requested a private audience with you is not for any other purpose, but because I have a favor to ask. Unlike those who faced the Army Commander in guild units of adventurers, I heard you infiltrated the Tree of the Abyss alone. ...Is the one behind your guardian? Kehehe! It's good to see you together."
The emperor burst into laughter looking at Chris circling around me.
"..."
The emperor's intelligence is better than I thought. He knew the fact that I conquered the Tree of the Abyss alone.
Chris was constantly letting out exclamations, appreciating the scenery of the corridor that was much more antique than the imperial palace we had walked through so far.
"Do you see? These are portraits of past imperial emperors."
Portraits lined up endlessly on the corridor walls. There were faces of those who have supported the Alpharion Empire for a thousand years.
"From my father, the previous emperor, to the founding emperor. What you're seeing is the very history of the Alpharion Empire."
Walking with him, I went back through history.
"This country, which rose to protect humans from the threat of demons, has continued for a thousand years already. During that time, the purpose has become vague, and we've been in power struggles under the surface even with the Betarion Empire which was a brother country. Huhu, don't criticize too much. When a country becomes this size, there are things that get entangled whether you like it or not."
The emperor continued speaking while walking.
"Empires dividing the Astria continent. Alpharion in the east, Betarion in the west. The reason we couldn't pay attention to the north was because the eastern threat started stirring."
"Eastern threat?"
"That place is 'Erins Gorge', land of countless monsters. Even with the empire's power, we can't completely conquer it, just blocking it by building a large castle. The trends there are not ordinary. After a thousand years, the hand of evil threatening human existence is reaching the continent again."
Chris whispered to me in a small voice.
"Is this a teaser for the next expansion pack?"
"Hmm, it might be."
Northern threat, northern Army Commander of demons.
Eastern threat where the Alpharion Empire is.
Is there an eastern Army Commander there?
But why show this to us? If it's a quest, they could give it in the audience chamber or office.
The emperor's footsteps stopped at the end of the corridor.
The portrait hanging on the wall there was.
"The founding emperor."
I stopped in front of his portrait.
It's certainly a face I know.
When I saw him, he looked much older than in his youth, but.
And next to the founding emperor's portrait, at the end of the corridor.
"Oh."
I opened my mouth blankly.
"Huh? Huh?"
Chris showed a similar reaction to me.
Silver-white hair slightly covering one eye.
Sharp obsidian eyes stand out amidst a somewhat young-looking face.
A bit different, but this is certainly.
"Ra-Rain! Th-this, this!"
Chris frantically pointed at the portrait.
Actually, I didn't have anything to say either.
Why, here.
In the imperial palace of the Alpharion Empire.
Is there a portrait of me?
"...The founding emperor was also a great artist. After the empire was fully established, court painters drew them, but I heard he drew his own portrait and the portrait of the hero of that time himself."
The current emperor.
After looking at the founding emperor's portrait and my portrait for a moment.
"Adventurer from the stars, being who does not flow along with this world's history."
He turned towards me and asked.
"Who are you?"
Things that happened in this continent after I left.
A thousand years of history I didn't know.
I recalled him, who wasn't much different in age from me.
I smiled wryly.
"...Did he say he'd save humans and become their king? That Bern kid, he drew a cute picture."
Thud.
The emperor knelt.
Chris was startled.
I wasn't surprised.
The emperor didn't hide his agitation.
"...Hero from a thousand years ago, Great Mother of the empire."
And he kissed the back of my hand.
Chris jumped up.
I scratched my face.
Great Mother?
I'm not a mother though.