Chapter 129
"It is an honor to meet you, I am Karl, a Free Knight."
As always, my self-introduction was severely short and plain.
Nowhere did my introduction change.
"Such a concise self-introduction."
"It is a fitting demeanor for the hero of the Empire."
Watching the Imperial Prince, who seemed somewhat indifferent yet not frivolous, I smiled.
He might not be the vessel for an emperor, but he was more than enough for the vessel of a prime minister.
It was like he was more suited to be an advisor than a person in charge.
"It seems you are analyzing me in the meantime."
Perhaps because of that, he was also quick-witted.
While I was briefly thinking and assessing him, he too was analyzing me.
"So... what is the reason you called for me?"
"Reason?"
"I believe I already conveyed that through a letter to Count Vito?"
"I am asking for the real reason, not just the reason of bestowing a title and praising my deeds."
My straightforward way of speaking made his expression serious.
"I wanted to see what kind of person Sir Karl is."
"That is all."
I couldn't read any falsehood in his words.
That was clearly sincere.
"Will it be helpful to see me?"
"As you can see, I am not a person who will become emperor."
"...."
Still, he was a prince, so I couldn't tell him he wasn't the vessel for an emperor, thus I answered with silence.
"So, I want to know."
"To whom our Gloster Empire will eventually be entrusted."
"And Sir Karl is one of the most prominent rising stars recently."
"Interestingly enough, you haven't built a faction."
"It seems you have looked into me a lot."
"Because I am personally a follower of Sir Karl."
In this world, which lacked the word 'fan,' a similar word often used was 'follower.'
As I was having such trivial thoughts, the Prince continued.
"Until we met today, I thought Sir Karl was someone greedy for the emperor's throne."
"So I believed you were biding your time, holding your breath as much as possible."
"What about now?"
"Sir Karl is a person who, in a different way from me, has no greed for the emperor's throne at all."
"I can tell now that I've seen you in person."
By exchanging a few words, one could understand a person to some extent, though not entirely.
This was especially true for someone smart who had been in various situations like the current Prince.
"You truly are a hero."
"I don't think so at all; you seem to be misjudging people."
"I am known for judging people very well."
The Prince smiled.
"How far do you intend to go, Sir Karl?"
"Even now, you wield considerable influence across the continent."
"Yet, the path Sir Karl is taking is not the path of an emperor."
"So I cannot predict what path you will take."
"The path of a person in power is clearly visible, but I have no idea what path a person like you will take."
The Prince's expression was perplexed.
And I could somewhat understand why he thought so.
Because I was not moving in this world out of greed.
"I don't know either."
"Where I will go."
"Oh dear... Is that so?"
"Does Your Highness know well which path to take?"
"I...."
As soon as my question ended, the Prince, who had been 고민 (agonizing) for a long time, gave a slightly bitter smile.
"Come to think of it, I don't really know where I should go either."
"Then try thinking about it once."
"Either think about becoming emperor."
"Or, if not that, shouldn't Your Highness also try living your own life?"
"...!"
To him, who held the title of Prince, to suggest he should try living his own life.
What strange advice this was.
Nevertheless, the 1st Prince, Neil Gloster, thought his advice resonated with his heart.
"Neil Gloster, not as a prince... Come to think of it, I've never considered shedding these
worthless princely robes...."
"Come to think of it, as the human Neil Gloster, I have no idea where I should go."
"You are a truly strange person."
"I hear that often."
"Hahahahahahahaha."
"I like Your Highness, so if you happen to become unemployed, please come to the County of Collo."
"I will arrange a position for you."
"What did you say? Hahahahahahahaha."
The Prince burst into laughter so loud it seemed the great hall would collapse.
And as he laughed like that, he felt his insides clear up and refresh.
"If such a day ever comes, I will definitely do so."
"You are welcome anytime."
I smiled, and the Prince also smiled.
Thus, the two of us talked for quite a long time before parting ways.
***
"The Prince has finally summoned the Knight of the Lighthouse."
"Isn't it to show off his power and gain the support of the people?"
"Isn't Prince Neil someone uninterested in the emperor's throne?"
"That's just talk; is there anyone who isn't greedy for the emperor's throne?"
The nobles decaying in the heart of the Empire exchanged their opinions, spitting as they talked about my recent arrival in the capital.
"By the way, what are they saying about Karl Meyer's title this time?"
"Isn't he already Duke Ellenhower's man?"
"It seems that's not quite the case either."
"He's acting too independently to be called Duke Ellenhower's man."
"Isn't it common knowledge that the man called Count Vito is ultimately Karl Meyer's subordinate?"
"In that case, it would be a good thing to increase Karl Meyer's power on this occasion."
"To make him contend with Duke Ellenhower."
"...It's something to be careful about."
Many of the nobles in the Imperial Capital, that is to say, the central nobles, were Yevgeny's people, who could be called the de facto ruler of the east.
So when I came to the capital this time, they had endlessly agonized and debated among themselves about how far to recognize my noble title.
"This is something I heard this time, but they said Ellenhower and Karl Meyer are in a temporary alliance."
"It means he can by no means be called a subordinate."
"Ho, is that so?"
"It's information I heard from a reliable source, so it must be true."
"In that case, how about giving him the region previously ruled by Marquis Baltimo and bestowing him a countship at this opportunity?"
"If it's the region ruled by Marquis Baltimo, isn't that the place that was devastated by the undead this time?"
"That's right; if we officially recognize Karl Meyer as the lord of that place, Duke Ellenhower won't be able to expand his power in the north, and Karl Meyer will end up receiving a useless wasteland, so we have nothing to lose."
They all eagerly agreed that it was an excellent opinion in many ways.
Duke Donald Sumpner, who could be called the de facto leader of the central nobles, gathered opinions with the nobles like that and then entered the palace where the Prince was.
And that evening.
My title and the domain to be granted to me were smoothly agreed upon without any friction.
Prince Neil showed a wry smile as he watched Donald leave his office.
‘Duke, you seem to think you have obtained everything, but in my view, Sir Karl seems to be several steps above you.’
Neil, recalling his conversation with me before meeting the Duke, couldn't erase his cynical smile for a while.
[The domain they'll give will be Marquis Baltimo's domain anyway, so tell them you'll do that. The title doesn't matter whatever it is. I'll take care of the rest.]
I had already accurately predicted how they would act.
***
The next day, my title conferment ceremony was grandly held in the central square of the Imperial Capital.
A huge crowd had gathered to see my title conferment ceremony, so not only the area around the square but also the streets leading to the square were all packed and bustling with people.
In a world where no one helped the powerless, people were sincerely cheering for me, the only one who moved for the lowest among them.
"In the glory of Edward Gloster, the great Emperor of the Empire and my father, I bestow upon Sir Karl Reitz Meyer the middle name of the grandmaster Sir Arthur, our Imperial family's great ancestor, and grant him the Andersen Domain!"
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
At Neil's declaration, those present shouted so loudly it seemed the capital would be swept away.
When the roar of the crowd became so loud that the square resonated, the complexions of the nobles present noticeably hardened.
"...My word, what's the big deal about giving a title to some low-ranking noble brat."
"Exactly, now that an uneducated fellow has risen in status, all hell has broken loose."
While the central nobles spoke like that, they felt themselves shrink unknowingly at the people's fervent cheers and enthusiasm.
No matter how steeped they were in supremacism and a sense of privilege, they were also well aware that they couldn't do without the common people.
While the nobles were thus murmuring and talking amongst themselves, the conferment ceremony presided over by Prince Neil continued.
"The former Andersen Domain shall become the Arthur Domain, and he shall exercise the authority of a Margrave, so do your best for the Gloster Imperial family in your appointed position."
After Neil had spoken that far, an attendant slowly brought a box to him.
"Having heard that you already possess a precious sword called Léctĭo, I pondered what to gift you and have decided on this."
"I bestow upon you the mantle of the great Emperor Edward, Alis (Wings)."
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Once again, the cheers of the Imperial citizens filled the square.
And behind me, who was kneeling on one knee, the mantle was draped.
Unlike the usual red or flamboyant colors of emperors' mantles, the mantle called Alis was a light black color.
So it matched my attire perfectly.
When the white surcoat worn over the chain mail, the black diagonal cross emblazoned on the outside, and the light black mantle covering his back, combined with my slightly long black hair, my appearance looked like that of a knight from a myth.
"May the blessings of the Gloster Imperial family fill your path ahead."
Thus, the title conferment ceremony all came to an end.
The sky was consistently clear, and warm sunlight shone down on the land.
The people gathered in the square somehow felt that light was concentrated on my body, gently illuminating the surroundings.
***
That evening, all the knight commanders of the Empire, including the central nobles, attended the banquet hosted by the Imperial family.
"Hmph, look at that."
"Now that someone from a humble family has received a title, hasn't his shoulder soared to the heavens?"
"Exactly, besides receiving a barony from Duke Ellenhower, it's a bit... to even call him a noble... Where was it again? Meyer? Good grief, calling something like that a noble."
The nobles openly continued their disparaging remarks, ignoring my background.
Even though it could be said to be an excellent knightly family that had produced Master-grade knights in the past, such facts held no meaning for them.
"Count Pierre, can't you easily dispose of one such fellow?"
"Well... it wouldn't be difficult to take care of someone who has just reached Master level."
Count Pierre Baru was the Commander of the Imperial Guard Knights and could be seen as the most famous knight in the heart of the Empire.
He was the son of Count Aliang Baru, the former Emperor's right hand and a prime contributor to the unification of the continent, a typical example of a highest-ranking noble who had walked a smooth path since childhood.
"I hear that man is the third son of Baron Meyer."
"They say he was practically abandoned by the Baron since childhood."
The first thing the central nobles liked was to scrutinize pedigrees, and the second was to dig up a person's past.
And the last was to belittle and slander others based on the information thus obtained.
I could be seen as an extremely delicious prey for them.
With an insignificant pedigree and a peculiar past, I had the perfect conditions for slander.
Moreover, since I had received the title through parachute appointment, everyone except for a few nobles envied and was jealous of me.
Furthermore, the current party had a strong social gathering character, so the daughters and noblewomen of each noble family were accompanying them, and their gazes were focused on me, further intensifying the envy of the surrounding nobles.
"Good heavens."
In such an atmosphere, a man with a physique that could easily be called a giant, his long beard flowing, strode towards me.
"To see you here."
"Have you been well?"
"I thought you wouldn't recognize me."
"How could I ever forget you?"
"How long was the road we walked, and how much time passed, as we struggled to survive in the desert sandstorm that day."
"I am truly glad that you are alive."
Clutch.
The large, elderly-looking man, despite it being a banquet, embraced me tightly, genuinely overjoyed.
"Back then, we couldn't even introduce ourselves properly and were too busy cutting down those damn East Continent bastards."
"Let me formally introduce myself, I am Bastien Rolland."
"Ah... So General Lionheart Bastien was you?"
"No, did you really only just realize that now?"
The two of us first met during the East Continent expedition.
Bastien was then disillusioned with the political strife of the central nobles and had joined the East Continent expedition.
The two of us first met at the Battle of Jalalabad, one of the fiercest battles still talked about in the East Continent.
When our forces were in a dire crisis due to the offensive of the East Continent warriors, the two of us stepped forward to break through, miraculously bringing back our troops who were expected to be annihilated.
At that time, I had been cutting down the endlessly surging enemies and eventually had no choice but to take a different path from Bastien.
So Bastien had only thought that I had died sacrificing myself for our allies.
"I had heard rumors that you were alive."
"I always wanted to see you again someday, and I'm really glad to see you like this."
"I am also glad to see you again."
The image of him, who had fought back-to-back with me that day to break through the army's encirclement, was also strongly etched in my mind.
I had often thought he was a decent commander.
‘I thought this place was full of only trash, but there are people like this too.’
It was a moment when my assessment of the central nobles changed slightly.
"My, Bastien."
"You seem to have known Count Karl already?"
"What did you come here to scavenge for again, old geezer."
"...You should watch that mouth of yours."
"You and I are both old now, how long will you keep talking like that."
"Hmph, rather than gossiping about others with formal talk, it's better to speak openly to their face."
"Alright, alright... Who can stop you?"
"Anyway, step aside a bit."
"I didn't come to see you."
"I came to see the promising talent of the Empire."
"What are you trying to order around again by coaxing with that snake-like tongue."
"Tsk."
Seeing him grumble yet obediently step aside, it seemed Bastien didn't dislike the elderly man in front of him.
"It is an honor to see such a newly rising hero of the Empire; I am Marquis Nigel Hannen."
Marquis Bastien Rolland, the Lionheart General, and Marquis Nigel Hannen, the Sage of the Empire.
These two could be seen as the figures who were holding up this failing Empire, allowing it to maintain some semblance of form.
Especially in the case of Marquis Nigel Hannen, everyone was extremely reluctant to clash with him due to his profound schemes and unfathomable wisdom.
In reality, more than a few who had opposed the Marquis had disappeared from the political scene without a trace.
As the two heroes supporting the Empire thus attached themselves to me, the faces of many nobles present who had been ridiculing and mocking me contorted unsightly.
"The party has only just begun; it would be good to enjoy it a little."
As Marquis Nigel said, the party was just beginning.
[Quest: Reveal Your Presence in the Heart of the Empire.]