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nChapter 331

nThe induction ceremony wasn’t all that complicated.

nThe officials applauded us as a gesture of welcome, and we knelt before the emperor, listening to his speech.

nI couldn’t tell if it was prepared or impromptu, but in the end, it was all just superficial.

nHe said he was delighted to see the exceptional talents cultivated by the Temple, an institution preparing the future of the empire, and he hoped that we would continue to strive and lead the empire. To me, it was nothing more than empty words.

nIt was similar to the headmaster’s moralizing lectures.

nThe emperor had us stand up and shook hands with each of us, encouraging us to keep up the good work. Naturally, I witnessed some interesting scenes.

n“Strive on.”

n“Ah, Your Majesty! This is the honor of a lifetime!”

n“Hmm, hmm.”

nSome of them were on the verge of tears.

nNo, that reaction was actually the majority, and it was to be expected.

n“Strive on.”

n“I shall engrave this honor and glory in my soul and serve the empire for the rest of my life!”

n“Good.”

nThere was even a guy who seemed to have prepared his lines.

nAnyway, everyone was squirming in his glory. Their reactions were rather ordinary.

n“Strive on.”

n“Yes.”

nEllen nodded her head once as if responding to a teacher while shaking hands with the emperor.

n“Strive on.”

n“Thank you.”

nI had considered trying to express my gratitude as gloriously as possible, but since I didn’t really think of it as an honor, I simply gave a brief reply.

nEllen and I had the most unusual reactions.

nThe emperor did not point out the absence of Lydia Schmitt at this event, perhaps he had been informed beforehand.

nAfterward, a banquet with the emperor was scheduled.

nMoving to the banquet hall, the Temple students and the emperor sat together at a long table and shared a meal.

nStarting with appetizers, just like the meal I had at the palace last spring, dishes began to arrive one by one.

nOm nom

n“?”

nAppetizers are always like this, but Ellen popped it in her mouth, chewed, then stared intently at the empty plate.

nWhat the…

nWhy is there only this?

nIt had that kind of vibe.

nEllen had little patience when it came to food, and course meals required too much waiting. She preferred ordering various dishes, eating them all, and then ordering more.

nShe would quickly eat each dish as it arrived, then sit blankly until the next dish was served.

nCome to think of it, she had been muttering about being hungry earlier.

nNaturally, the emperor was observing the students’ behavior as he ate.

nThe emperor whispered a few words to the lady serving his meal.

n…After that, Ellen’s portion was tripled.

nIt seemed he had discreetly instructed them after seeing her appetite. He didn’t say it openly, perhaps to avoid embarrassing her.

nOm nom nom

nNow that her portion was more substantial, Ellen could finally pace herself and eat in sync with the others.

nOf course, Ellen didn’t question the sudden increase in food.

nShe just ate.

n“Why?”

nAs I stared intently at her, Ellen tilted her head.

n“I mean, sometimes… you’re a bit… yeah.”

n“What?”

n“Never mind.”

nShe’s someone to be proud of, really.

nHer strong appetite earns her the Emperor’s consideration.

nI know I shouldn’t be embarrassed, but I am!

nEveryone else was tense and barely eating in front of the Emperor, while Ellen devoured her food and I openly scolded her. They all looked at us as if we were a strange spectacle.

nNo, I’m the stranger one here, right?

n——

nAfter the banquet, we briefly toured the central palace, Tetra.

nAlthough we didn’t visit the Emperor’s bedroom, we saw the training hall, the guards’ waiting room, and the gallery, making a full circle around the palace. I thought the audience and banquet would be the end, but the Emperor seemed to have allocated a significant amount of time for this official event.

nEveryone was stiff with tension, ready to stutter if the Emperor so much as spoke to them. However, the Emperor didn’t speak to Ellen or me.

nWe soon found out why.

nWhen all the events were over and the students, accompanied by guards, were about to leave,

n“You two, come here.”

nSaviolin Turner, dressed in the Shanafel uniform, called Ellen and me.

n“Do you remember me?”

n“Yes, the Shanafel squad leader.”

nAlthough they hadn’t interacted much, Ellen had seen Saviolin Turner’s face when she was appointed the first-year dormitory supervisor, so she remembered him.

n“Good. His Majesty, the Emperor, has summoned you two separately. Follow me.”

nThe other students left, and Ellen and I followed Saviolin Turner to an unknown destination.

n-Knock knock

n“Your Majesty, I have brought the two of them.”

n-Enter.

n“Yes.”

nSaviolin Turner looked at Ellen and me.

n“I trust you two to behave.”

n“Yes.”

n-Nod

nShe seemed concerned about me, knowing my true nature, but not so much about Ellen.

nAs if I would lose my mind in front of the Emperor.

nWhen Saviolin Turner opened the door, the tall ceiling and walls filled with books caught my eye.

nAnd in front of a wooden table near the window, the Emperor sat on a chair, backlit.

nThe Emperor’s office, or perhaps a library.

nIt seemed like that kind of place.

nOn a nearby armchair, the cloak, scepter, and crown he had been wearing were placed. He probably wouldn’t wear them when not attending official events since they were cumbersome.

nThough made from fine materials, his clothing was not ostentatious.

nNelliod de Gardias, without the cloak, scepter, and crown, gave off the impression of a scholar.

n-Gulp

n“Come closer. You don’t need to kneel.”

nFollowing his command, Ellen and I took a few steps closer to the Emperor.

nThe Emperor looked at us.

n“How much do you two know about each other?”

nIt was an unexpected question, but I knew what he was getting at.

nEllen was hiding the fact that she was the younger sister of Artorius.

nI, too, was concealing that I was the master of Tiamata.

nHis Majesty must be asking if we know each other. If not, it must be to protect our secret.

n“Though there’s much we don’t know, we know each other well enough,” Ellen spoke before I could say anything.

nThough there’s much we don’t know, we know each other well enough.

nHer words seemed to dig deep into my heart.

n“That makes things easier. Good.”

nThe Emperor gazed at us in silence.

n“As the Emperor of the Empire, it is an honor to meet the Champion of Tu’an and the Apostle of Mencius.”

nAt his words, we couldn’t help but be taken aback. The Emperor stood up and quietly looked out the window.

n“The gods do not choose Champions meaninglessly.”

nWhether he was a believer in the Five Great Gods, we couldn’t tell.

nHowever, he couldn’t deny the existence of the gods, so he must be speaking of the divine providence itself.

n“Champions have always had their roles, and as long as there are situations in the world that require them, the artifacts and Champions will exist.”

n“…”

n“…”

n“Ellen Artorius.”

n“Yes.”

n“The Alsebringer is in the possession of the Empire.”

nThe sword of the War God Alsebringer was a memento from Ellen’s older brother.

n“I figured as much.”

nAs if it wasn’t surprising, Ellen simply nodded.

n“If the Alsebringer chooses a Champion, there will be owners of three out of the five divine artifacts in the world.”

nThree artifacts have appeared in the world. Two have already chosen their Champions, and the location of Alsebringer is certain.

n“During the Great Demon War, only two artifacts were in the world: Alsebringer wielded by Ragan Artorius and Lament. Moreover, only Alsebringer was actually used.”

nThe Emperor continued gazing out the window.

n“Now that the Great Demon War has ended, an additional artifact has appeared. What do you think that implies?”

n“Does it mean more dangerous events are on the horizon?”

n“…Perhaps.”

nEllen responded to the Emperor’s words.

nThe gods don’t let artifacts wander the world carelessly.

nEven in the Great Demon War, humanity’s greatest crisis, only two artifacts appeared. Now, there’s one more.

nThe Emperor seemed to interpret this as a bad omen for humanity’s fate.

nBut that’s a misunderstanding.

nThe Five Great Gods are not solely gods for humans. It seemed clear that even the Emperor couldn’t break free from such prejudice.

nThe Emperor turned to face Ellen and me.

n“You must be aware of the recent rumors disturbing the Imperial capital.”

n“Yes, Your Majesty.”

n“Yes.”

n“About twenty elite Holy Knights, including the former Holy Knight Commander Riverrier Lanze, were killed by an unidentified group of demons. All of them were war heroes who had performed admirably during the Great Demon War.”

nAlthough this was already public knowledge, hearing the story from the Emperor’s mouth felt novel.

nEspecially from the perspective of the mastermind behind the incident.

n“Although this might simply be the work of remnants of the demon race, the royal family has taken the worst-case scenario into consideration.”

n“…”

n“It could be that the Demon King is not dead, or there might be a successor.”

nEllen seemed tense and swallowed hard at those words.

nThe Demon King.

nTo Ellen, that name was inextricably linked to her destiny.

nBeing the younger sister of the hero and born with an even greater talent than Ragan Artorius, Ellen had always been aware of the expectations placed upon her to become a hero.

n“You all possess sacred relics and are highly valuable talents. But you are still young.”

nAlthough they had the qualities to become heroes, they were still mere sprouts, not yet ready.

n“But when the time comes, are you prepared to face the Demon King in battle?”

nThe emperor’s question was met with silence from both Ellen and me.

nWe couldn’t say no.

nHowever, Ellen had said that she didn’t want to live a life where she had to save the world with her own life.

nShe had resolved not to make the same choice her brother had.

nAt the same time, she had risked her life to prevent innocent people from dying in Darkland.

nEllen had changed since the beginning of the semester.

n“If the Demon King desires the annihilation of humanity, if their goal is to destroy everything I love……”

nEllen spoke calmly.

n“Yes, I will fight the Demon King.”

nUnlike the original story, Ellen had created many precious things in her life.

nShe had risked her life for the world even when she had nothing, but now the meaning was different.

nIf the Demon King’s goal was to destroy everything in humanity, she would kill the Demon King.

nThat was what Ellen said.

nThe emperor then looked at me.

n“I feel the same way.”

nIt wasn’t about killing the Demon King.

nI was prepared to fight for that purpose, and I was already fighting. The emperor, in the end, gave a firm nod to Ellen and me, who gave different reasons but the same answer.

n“Thank you.”

nThe words of gratitude from the emperor’s lips were somehow surprising.

n“From now on, the empire promises to provide you with the utmost protection and cooperation.”

nTo the emperor, we were weapons to defeat the Demon King. Therefore, he promised not only the protection as Temple students but also unlimited cooperation from the empire until we became stronger.

nUnaware that the subject of their cooperation was the very Demon King they were desperately seeking.

n“And, Reinhardt.”

n“Yes, Your Majesty.”

nThe emperor’s eyes revealed a slightly different emotion this time.

nIt was a more emotional gaze than before when discussing the future of the empire and humanity.

n“Thank you for saving my daughter.”

nA feeling that could be called paternal love.

n“…?”

nNaturally, Ellen tilted her head, not understanding what he meant.

n——

nAfter exchanging those words with the emperor, Ellen and I left the imperial palace under the guidance of the imperial guards.

nThe emperor spoke to Ellen first, then to me.

n“Before long, there might be something you’ll need to do for Charlotte.”

n“…Is that so?”

n“I’m not certain what it is yet, but can you do it?”

nThe answer was predetermined.

n“Yes.”

n“…Thank you, Reinhardt.”

nThere was a deep, unexpected resonance in the emperor’s genuine gratitude.

nSomething to do for Charlotte.

nWhat that was, I didn’t know.

nBut if it was for Charlotte, it had to be done.

nOf course, that was only an aside; the emperor’s true request was something else.

nIn this situation, where the Demon King might have reincarnated, the emperor decided that my safety and that of Ellen Artorious, both of us possessing relics, should be of the utmost importance in the empire.

nIn return for pledging our lives to the fight against the Demon King later, we were to receive nearly unlimited support from the empire.

nEllen and I each took an item into our possession.

nIt was the same royal crest we had briefly received from Charlotte.

nThe emperor personally explained that with this, we were not merely Temple Royal class students, but possessed authority that surpassed even that of most high-ranking nobles.

nWe could receive treatment nearly equivalent to that of royalty anywhere, and in serious cases, even borrow military forces.

nPut simply,

nFrom now on, not only were our Warp Gate usage fees free, but we also had a free pass.

nOf course, neither Ellen nor I felt this reality immediately.

n“Explain what happened.”

nLeft alone, Ellen asked me directly.

nI had no choice but to explain the whole situation to her.

nFrom the incident at the Spring Palace, Charlotte’s rampage, to the struggle we had in the Spring Palace with Saviolin Turner.

nUpon hearing the dates, Ellen seemed to recall the days I hadn’t returned to the Temple and realized when it had happened.

n“You said you’d never been to the imperial palace.”

n“…I’m sorry.”

n“You lied again.”

nAlthough I had said I’d never been to the imperial palace today, it was revealed that I had, and even saved Charlotte while talking to the emperor.

n“It’s just that… it’s something no one should hear…”

n“…?”

n“It’s not that you shouldn’t hear it… It’s just that, well, there were others too.”

nEllen reluctantly nodded her head.

n“Right, it’s not your problem, but Charlotte’s. It must have been difficult to tell me because… it’s the royal family’s secret.”

nEllen lifted her head as if convinced. It was a matter I couldn’t arbitrarily discuss with anyone. Ellen seemed to be pondering something.

nShe hesitated to say something, then raised her head with a start.

n“Can I be upset?”

n“…What?”

n“It seems like something I shouldn’t be upset about, but I’m upset.”

n“Well, that’s… your feelings…”

nIt’s strange that she’s seeking permission to be upset.

n“Then, I’m upset.”

nAs Ellen said this, her lips began to pout slightly.

n“Ah… I’m sorry…”

n“You always just say sorry.”

nGrumbling, Ellen kicked a stray rock rolling around.

n“I want to hear something else.”

nEllen didn’t specify what that something else was. Just when I thought she was changing the subject, she turned her head.

nShe stared intently at the main entrance of the imperial palace, Emperatos, behind us. Then she carefully took out the royal crest she had received from the emperor.

n“He said we’re now treated almost like royalty, right?”

n“We’re not actual royalty, but… yes, he did say that.”

n“So, can we just go in there?”

nEllen tilted her head.

n“Well…? It shouldn’t be impossible, should it?”

nThe statement about being treated almost like royalty wasn’t something the emperor would say carelessly.

nThe emperor considered us as weapons to fight the Demon King in the future. As champions who pledged their lives to the fight against the Demon King, he decided to provide us with the utmost protection and treatment until we become strong.

nEllen stared blankly at the entrance of the imperial palace.

nI wasn’t sure why she was curious about that.

n“Let’s go back.”

nEllen began to stride away.

nNot towards the Temple.

n“Should we use the Gate?”

n“Yeah, we’re allowed to, right?”

nEllen was heading towards the Warp Gate.

nIt seemed I wasn’t the only one thinking of this as some sort of Warp Gate high-pass ticket.

nIf you think about it, the most frequent benefit we would use from being treated almost like royalty would be the priority access to the Warp Gate.

nIt may seem insignificant, but to me, it felt like an enormous privilege.

nNo.

nEven Charlotte, who is actual royalty, travels using the magic train in the imperial capital.

nIsn’t it a bit of a nuisance for us to use the Warp Gate so casually?

nOf course, even with that thought in mind, I followed Ellen, who was striding towards the Warp Gate.

nIf we can use it, then we should use it – that’s just how it is.

nHer reassuring back conveyed that attitude.

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