Chapter 62

Upon arriving in the Imperial Capital, we headed straight for the Imperial Palace.


“Wait here for a moment.” The knight commander dismounted and ordered us to stay put.


Probably some sort of procedure for entering the palace, I thought.


“Very well.” I nodded and got off my horse, following the commander’s lead.


The rest of the squad quietly slipped off their horses as well, sticking close behind me.


“Captain, this is my first time at the Imperial Palace,” Lancelot said, looking around as if the palace decorations might suddenly leap up and introduce themselves.


“One of those stairway ornaments could keep a whole village warm through the winter,” Roxen remarked.


“…You’re not wrong,” Hans replied. Both of them glanced about with wry, resigned smiles.


And then there was Kai.


“…There are a lot of knights hiding nearby.”


He was the only one with his senses sharpened, eyes darting around.


I stared at my squad, each one brimming with their own peculiarities, and let out a snort.


Honestly, whoever assembled this group must have had a taste for chaos.


I gave Kai’s shoulder a light pat and addressed the squad. “Quiet. All of you, wait here.”


“We’re not going in with you?”


“If you go in there, you’ll be filleted before you can blink. Still want to try?”


“Huh? Is there some kind of Demonkin magic at work?”


“No, I mean the Knight Commander himself will carve you up.”


Lancelot gave me a look that clearly said, “What on earth are you talking about?”


I mouthed silently at him: What are you staring at?


“Come on!”


“Keep your voice down. Shouting in the Imperial Palace? You must think you’ve got more lives than you actually do.”


“…But you started it, Captain!” Lancelot protested in a lowered voice, still bristling.


I just gave him a brief, amused snort and turned my gaze toward the palace entrance.


Just then, the knight commander approached, holding a letter.


“Permission has been granted. Come in.”


* * *


As I followed the knight commander into the palace, the first thing that caught my eye was the white glow of the lights.


Demonkin magic, illuminating the place.


Unlike ordinary lamps, these lights had the remarkable ability to turn themselves on and off, entirely of their own accord. Supposedly, if you wished it, they’d never go out at all.


For someone like me, who’d never set foot in the Imperial Palace, they were nothing short of miraculous.


How curious.


I stared at the lights, sighing in wonder.


Perhaps the knight commander noticed my ongoing fascination, because he let out a faint, amused chuckle and began to talk. “Fascinated, are you?”


“Honestly, yes. To think Demonkin magic is used for something like this… The Imperial Palace really is a world apart.”


“Haha, is that so?” The knight commander chuckled, evidently in high spirits. “To tell you the truth, these lights are the true treasures of the palace. An unending light—now, isn’t that the very symbol of His Majesty?”


“Are there any other Demonkin artifacts here?”


“Why wouldn’t there be? Of course there are. But every last one belongs to His Majesty. Aside from the lights, you can’t so much as look at the rest without risking your head.”


Fair enough.


Anyone but the Emperor caught using Demonkin artifacts would likely lose their head for consorting with the enemy. Whether it was true or not wouldn’t matter in the slightest.


The only thing that mattered was this: Did you use a Demonkin artifact, or didn’t you?


“A pity, really.”


“Well, at least we get to see the lights. Ah, we’re nearly there. Just ahead is His Majesty’s Audience Chamber.”


The knight commander raised his hand and pointed in one direction.


I followed his gesture and saw a set of massive doors waiting at the end of the hall.


“That’s your entrance. I don’t need to tell you the proper etiquette. You know it well enough already.”


“Don’t worry. I’ve memorized Imperial Court etiquette to perfection.”


I straightened my clothes, loosened my neck, and took a deep breath as I stood before the Audience Chamber.


The guards stationed at the door, catching the Knight Commander’s signal, quietly stepped aside.


The doors swung open, permitting my entry.


“Young Lord Louis Berg!” the guard announced, his voice echoing through the chamber.


And with that—


Clack! Clack! Clack!


The knights guarding the Audience Chamber snapped into neat rows and columns, parting to clear a path with military precision.


A dozen or so knights—each one a monster in their own right, all seemingly at the very threshold of an Aura Master.


These were the Emperor’s Guardian Knights, and every last one of them turned their eyes on me in unison.


…This isn’t much different from suffering Crushing Presence.


I brushed off their intimidation as best I could and resumed my walk.


Soon enough, I arrived at the foot of the throne, beneath the Emperor himself.


I dropped to one knee with a thud, demonstrating flawless etiquette.


“Louis Berg, blood of House Berg and a knight who serves Your Majesty, greets the Sun of the Empire.”


* * *


The Emperor was, at present, a man well past seventy. His face was a map of deep wrinkles, with age spots blooming here and there like mushrooms after rain.


At a glance, he looked much like any other old man.


However…


“I’ve heard the third son of Count Berg is rather proud…” the Emperor began.


There was something about him—a subtle force that made people bow their heads without thinking.


Those who stood before him found themselves lowering their gaze. They offered themselves up as his vassals.


That, after all, was why he was Emperor of the continent.


“So the rumors, as always, are far from the truth.”


“Isn’t it only natural for a person to bow their head before the Sun?” I replied.


“Hah… You’re quite the flatterer.”


“I merely stated the obvious, Your Majesty.” I spoke, still bowing my head.


Perhaps my flattery had worked, because the Emperor’s expression brightened noticeably.


“Hm, yes. If we keep this up, we’ll be here all day. Let us get to the point. I heard from the Second Knight Commander—you stopped a Monster Wave?”


“Rather than a Monster Wave, it was more a matter of stopping the Kobold Lord and its army.”


“Heh… If that’s not a Monster Wave, then what is?”


The Emperor continued, wearing a genial smile. “Venda, that sneaky fellow. Always parading around, moaning about his son… but it turns out he’s been spinning tall tales all along. If I had a son like you, I’d carry him on my back everywhere and still think it wasn’t enough.”


“You praise me too much, Your Majesty.”


“Too much? Nonsense. It’s only proper that a man who’s done something splendid should be rewarded. Yes indeed.”


The Emperor, still perched on his throne, regarded me, asking, “Is there anything you desire? Speak plainly and do not hold back.”


Anything I desire?


To be perfectly honest, what I wanted most was for House Artezia to be wiped from existence.


But there was no way the Emperor would grant a wish like that.


After all, he was put on the throne by the Noble Faction.


Asking him to kill the head of the Nobles would be the epitome of foolishness.


Better to take what I can and make a graceful exit.


Suppressing a sigh, I slowly began to speak. “Your Majesty, I’d like you to decide my reward after seeing this.”


I rummaged through the inside pocket of my coat and pulled out a piece of Mithril ore.


It was the very same ore I’d stashed away when I first discovered the Mithril mine.


“Well, now… This is…!” The Emperor let out a gasp of astonishment at the sight of the Mithril I produced.


“May I see it up close?” he asked.


“Yes, Your Majesty.”


As I nodded in reply, the Emperor signaled to the Head Chamberlain standing nearby.


The Head Chamberlain bowed deeply and approached, extending his hand.


I gently handed the Mithril to the Head Chamberlain as he came to my side.


Soon enough, the Head Chamberlain, Mithril in hand, brought it to the Emperor.


“…It really is Mithril. Just look at that luster—top grade, no doubt. Where did you find this?”


The Emperor’s voice was thick with satisfaction. He probably assumed this was a gift for him.


But if that were all, I wouldn’t have bothered coming all this way.


I took a steadying breath and continued. “Your Majesty, before I explain, may I first state the reward I wish to receive?”


“Hmm, go on.”


“At present, Your Majesty, I have discovered a Mithril mine and established the entire distribution network myself. I’ve recruited miners, and even set up a merchant guild. Now, I intend to offer half of all Mithril produced there directly to Your Majesty.”


Half the Mithril yield. Even that alone would strengthen the Emperor’s hold on power and cause the Imperial Family to grow enormously.


Suppose I’d handed this over to House Praha or Berg County instead.


I couldn’t say for certain, but at the very least, it would have created a Noble House that could never be forced to bow to anyone—except, perhaps, the Imperial Family itself.


Or perhaps, given enough time and ambition, it might have toppled the Imperial Family and installed a new one in its place.


But there was only one reason I hadn’t done that—the Imperial Family’s habit of keeping everyone else in check.


Would the Emperor really sit idly by while another House grew as powerful as his own?


I shook my head firmly.


Not a chance.


So, it was better to present it to the Emperor and secure the Elder Council’s recognition.


If they refused to acknowledge it even with the Emperor’s Seal, it would be no different from insulting the Imperial Family itself.


If I returned with the Emperor’s Seal in hand, those old men would have no choice but to accept it, even if it tasted like vinegar going down.


The looks on their faces will be priceless.


Suppressing a chuckle, I continued. “So I beg you, Your Majesty. Please, in recognition of my sincerity, grant me the privilege of perusing the Imperial Treasury.”


* * *


The Emperor paused, unsure if he’d heard correctly.


The Imperial Treasury, the Monster Wave—none of it really mattered.


A Mithril mine. A mine filled with the ore of the gods.


That was the kind of thing you only heard about in fairy tales.


It was hard to believe, yet he didn’t doubt the truth.


After all, trying to deceive the Emperor was about as smart as sending your entire family a handwritten invitation to their own execution.


…And he’s offering me half?


What sort of ore was Mithril, again?


Forge it into a weapon and you’d have a legendary blade for the ages; shape it into armor and you’d have a treasure that could save your life in the Demonic Realm.


Even as jewelry, its value was enormous.


This was, quite literally, a material so rare that “name your price” wasn’t a figure of speech at all. It was worth more than a king’s ransom in gold, and then some.


And yet, here was someone offering half of this treasure—half of a mine!—as tribute.


It was almost impossible to believe.


There’s never been a source you could honestly call a mine. The richest deposit on record… what was it, fourteen pieces?


Even that was enough to get a mention in the history books.


But suppose—suppose there really was a Mithril deposit on the scale of an actual mine…


Gulp.


The Empire could become even greater…!


The Emperor’s eyes gleamed powerfully as he fixed his gaze on Louis Berg.


This was a fellow who, contrary to rumor, displayed flawless etiquette.


Word had it he favored the bow over the spear. If so, whatever weapon he requested from the Treasury would likely be related to archery.


A shame, perhaps… but better than other alternatives.


The Emperor smacked his lips and nodded.


Any other weapon might have given him pause, but if it was a bow, he could part with it easily enough.


After all, it’s not as if anyone else was using it.


Better to let it see the light of day and earn some goodwill, rather than let it rot away in the Treasury like a forgotten relic.


Even if he asks for something else, nothing’s worth more than Mithril, so it hardly matters.


It would be a pity, sure, but if he thought of it as an investment for the future, it was easier to swallow.


After all, if this young man already had the mettle to hold back a Monster Wave, he’d likely become one of the Empire’s defenders in the years to come.


And having such a person owe you a favor was never a bad thing.


With that, the Emperor concluded his musings and nodded.


“Very well. I shall open the Imperial Treasury to you.”