Chapter 195 -The Imperial Palace (2)

I’ve visited the Imperial Capital of the Empire twice recently, and each time, it felt like I ended up at the Imperial Palace.

Upon arriving at the palace entrance, a palace steward who had been waiting for us immediately guided us inside.

“Well, I have some business to attend to, so let’s each handle our matters and meet again later.”

After entering the palace, the Archmage and I parted ways.

We didn’t even decide when or where we’d meet again, and his abrupt departure was a bit bewildering, but in this place, there was no need to worry about that.

Perhaps noticing my concerned expression, the steward guiding us spoke up.

“Our stewards will guide you. If your schedule changes, just inform one of the other stewards, and they’ll arrange a new schedule for you.”

I couldn’t help but be surprised by the steward’s words.

It meant that the palace stewards were fully aware of everyone’s schedules within the palace.

‘This feels more like magic.’

Indeed, if I ever get a territory or manor, I’ll definitely need to hire an excellent steward.

After parting ways with Count Schröder, the steward led us past the outer palace, where external affairs were handled, and deeper into the palace.

The unexpected journey left everyone with surprised expressions as they looked around.

The number of people walking through the corridors decreased, and the attire and posture of the maids and servants passing by also changed.

Moreover, the corridors became increasingly opulent.

It seemed we had entered the inner palace.

Only members of the imperial family could summon someone this deep into the palace…

‘Could it be that the surviving saintess, or rather, the princess, summoned us?’

If it wasn’t her, there was no one else who would call us this far.

I didn’t know any other members of the imperial family.

Well, I had seen one more person before.

While I was lost in thought, we were led to a relatively small room, despite the opulent corridor.

“This is the waiting room. Please wait here for a moment. Someone will come to guide you shortly.”

With those words, the steward who had brought us this far left, and we were left looking around awkwardly, having been brought to an unexpected place.

“Guess I was too stunned by the lavish corridor. Now that I look, this room isn’t ordinary either. It’s like a suite in a high-end hotel.”

Though it didn’t have the extravagant decorations and carvings of the corridor outside, the clean, spacious, and tidy interior was, as Yerim said, no different from a four-star hotel suite.

While the others were looking around, Yerim, who had casually popped a piece of fruit into her mouth, widened her eyes.

“Wow, this is delicious. Seriously, the room, the fruit, the interior decorations—everything is so luxurious. And this is just a waiting room? The imperial family is truly something.”

At her words, the others had no response.

Zahina wasn’t from Ea, and neither Hoffmann nor I had ever been to a place like this.

Even the room we stayed in at Count Sponheim’s mansion during our last visit to the capital wasn’t this luxurious.

Though the Count was a proper noble, he was closer to a military noble, so his home didn’t have this kind of lavish and sophisticated atmosphere.

‘If I use the gold bars in Yelena’s subspace, could I decorate my future manor, or rather, territory, to this level?’

I briefly entertained that thought but quickly dismissed it.

In Ea, such luxury wasn’t achieved with money alone.

It was the combination of wealth, power, and authority that allowed the Imperial Family to create such an atmosphere.

Just as I was lost in these random thoughts, there was a knock at the door.

Knock knock.

Then, the voice of another steward came from outside.

“His Grace, Duke Hulian de Charle, the younger brother of His Majesty the Emperor and the Chancellor of the New Empire, has arrived.”

At those words, we all stood up.

The door opened, and the middle-aged man I had seen before, accompanied by a knight, entered the room.

He was the other member of the imperial family I had seen.

The Emperor’s younger brother and the Empire’s second-in-command, the Chancellor, looked far more exhausted than when I had last seen him.

No doubt due to the Empire’s current situation.

The problem was that the Chancellor, instead of waiting in his office, had come here.

“Could it be that the person guiding us is…”

“He’s referring to me.”

Even if the princess had become a saintess and left, she wouldn’t have asked her uncle, the Chancellor, to guide us.

If the Empire’s second-in-command was personally guiding us, there was only one person we could be meeting.

“Could it be… that the person we’re meeting in this palace is… His Majesty the Emperor?”

“That’s correct. Originally, I could have handled this myself, but when I heard you had returned, I suggested that you meet His Majesty directly.”

Good heavens… Things have taken another strange turn.

Meeting the Chancellor was already a big deal, but the Emperor of the Empire?

I felt the blood drain from my face.

I’ve had video calls with the U.S. President before, but since that country was already in ruins, I wasn’t as nervous as I am now.

“An enormous number of undead suddenly poured out of the gate, and recently, a strange weapon destroyed part of the barrier.

Even in this situation, absurd rumors keep spreading. It seems like defeating the Demon King once has gone to everyone’s heads.”

Those spreading the absurd rumors likely included officers from the expeditionary force who had fled.

“The heroes and saintesses who should be holding things together are just young adults who’ve barely come of age. They can’t even control themselves, let alone provide stability.”

By Earth’s standards, they’re teenagers, so it’s natural they’re struggling to keep it together.

“That’s why I thought it would be best for you, who’ve experienced the frontlines firsthand, to speak directly with His Majesty.”

That reason made sense, so it seemed necessary to meet.

I also had information from the former Chinese military, and in Ea, there’s no one who knows more about the Demon King’s new weapons than I do.

“Moreover, I’ve heard from many people that you and your party’s abilities have greatly improved, so I arranged this meeting as a sort of gift… but given the situation, the gift aspect is meaningless now.”

The Chancellor turned to the middle-aged knight who had entered with him and asked,

“Well? Is his strength as they say?”

Contrary to my expectations, the knight wasn’t the Chancellor’s bodyguard.

He had been brought to assess my strength.

However, the knight bowed his head at the Chancellor’s question.

“I’m sorry. I can’t gauge his strength.”

The Chancellor looked puzzled and asked again,

“Huh? What do you mean? I specifically brought you from the Imperial Knights to assess him.”

Indeed, even I could tell the knight was highly skilled.

Before I went to Earth, he would have been far beyond my level.

“But he’s beyond my ability to measure. I don’t even need to spar with him to know. He’s stronger than me.”

However, he was no match for me.

“You’re the strongest knight in the Imperial Knights, aren’t you? I heard you’re just below the Swordmasters. So, you’re saying…”

“Yes. I feel the same wall I feel when facing the Swordmasters.”

Seeing the Imperial Knight bow his head to me gave me a sense of surrealism.

A few years ago, I would have been envious just seeing an Imperial Knight pass by.

And now, the strongest knight in the Imperial Knights was bowing to me.

Even though I hadn’t yet obtained a territory, I felt a sense of satisfaction.

Hearing the knight’s words, the Chancellor looked at me with a bewildered expression.

“Well… I was just told that having you meet the Emperor might be excessive… but it seems it’s not excessive at all.”

As he looked at me, he glanced meaningfully at the other party members.

‘If the knight has changed this much, perhaps the others…’

He muttered softly as he looked at Zahina and Yerim, then tilted his head when he saw Hoffmann.

“Well, since it’s come to this, let’s go.”

He turned and prepared to lead us out of the room.

As he moved to guide us, the stewards and maids waiting outside rushed over in surprise.

An elderly steward stepped in front of him, bowing as he spoke.

“Even if the situation is urgent, this is an audience with His Majesty the Emperor. You must be properly attired. Your weapons should also be ceremonial.”

The maids held out lavish clothing and decorated swords and staves.

Swords and staves that looked impressive but were utterly impractical.

Of course, we couldn’t meet the Emperor dressed as we were.

But the Chancellor, at the front, waved his hand at the steward and maids blocking the way.

“If it were earlier, that would have been necessary, but now it doesn’t matter. A Swordmaster can project sword aura even with a ceremonial sword. Besides, Swordmasters are allowed to dress freely even in front of the Emperor.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve just confirmed that Sir Luther is a Swordmaster-level knight. Moreover, the daughter of the Divine Tree is a Grand Mage, and the priestess from another world just healed dozens of people simultaneously with her divine power.”

It seemed the events at the portal building had already reached the Chancellor.

“In a situation like this, wasting time on formal attire would be more disrespectful.”

At his words, the elderly steward looked at us in surprise, then bowed and stepped aside.

Patting the steward on the shoulder, the Chancellor led us down the corridor.

Our destination was a large door guarded by two knights.

As we arrived, the knights looked at us, then at the Chancellor.

“I’ve already confirmed it with Sir Luther. I’ll take responsibility for them.”

At the Chancellor’s words, the two knights looked at the knight who had come with us, then removed their hands from their swords.

“Understood.”

As the knights stepped back, the elderly steward who had come with us announced loudly at the door,

“His Grace, Duke Hulian de Charle, and Sir Egar’s party, who requested an audience, have arrived.”

After the steward’s announcement, a deep voice came from inside the door.

“Let them in.”

The door opened, revealing the Emperor’s office.

Behind a lavish desk sat a middle-aged man who resembled the Chancellor, with two young boys and girls standing beside him.

It was immediately clear that this man was the Emperor of the Empire.

As the descendant of the hero who had defeated another Demon King long ago, the Emperor was clearly a highly skilled knight, but the aura he exuded was truly extraordinary.

The kind of aura that would make people turn their heads no matter where he was.

Whether it was the position of Emperor that gave him this aura, or it was his aura that made him Emperor, I couldn’t tell, but an ordinary person would instinctively bow in his presence.

Seeing Hoffmann instinctively bow, I knew my thoughts weren’t wrong.

However, aside from Hoffmann, no one else in my party bowed to the Emperor.

After all, Hoffmann was the only one from the Empire.

The Emperor looked at me and Yerim, tilting his head.

“What’s going on here?”

He glanced at the boy and girl beside him—the hero Lin and his daughter, the saintess—then frowned as he looked back at us.

“We already have a hero and a saintess. Who are you? Can there be two heroes and saintesses?”

At the Emperor’s words, everyone in the office looked at me and Yerim in shock.