Chapter 216
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After confirming that Ryūgūin’s selfishness has somehow settled down, King Arcana clears his throat and speaks in his baritone voice.
「Well then, shall we begin?」
He directs his gaze toward us standing below.
「First, I want to express my gratitude to all of you who have come from far and wide. Especially to those who traveled here from the frontier region of Boldaf—it must have been quite an ordeal. Thank you.」
His gaze moves from one person to another among us.
As someone acknowledging our achievements, he too straightens his posture.
I’m sorry, but I can’t bring myself to tell him we got here instantly by warping…
「Now then, I would like to honor the achievements of those who contributed to this matter.」
At his words, tension runs through many of those present.
King Arcana’s voice becomes even more weighty.
「The existence of the Sealed Dungeon has been humanity’s greatest concern, and its subjugation has been the earnest wish of Arcana—no, of this entire world. Those who accomplished this feat can truly be called heroes.」
His baritone voice echoes through the throne room. Though his manner and attitude have a somewhat theatrical quality, this characteristic of rulers gives more of an impression of dignity rather than extravagance.
「First, to the three Holy Knights who protected the Arcana Kingdom—Ashley Noble, Nelly Virtuous, and Adam Arrogance—before praising your achievements, I wish to express my gratitude.」
The three maintain their formal postures.
「I also wish to express my gratitude to all the successive Holy Knights, including yourselves, who have maintained the seal. I take pride in the noble spirit with which you have protected this country for so long. Thank you, truly.」
The king, while remaining seated, grips both armrests and bows his head.
There are no small number of nobles among those summoned today. They break into murmurs at the sight of the king bowing his head.
However, paying no mind to this, the king continues.
「Now then—Holy Knight Adam Arrogance, guardian of the Armor of Acknowledgment. I hear that you not only provided appropriate advice to members of famous clans but also took the lead in eliminating enemies yourself. I’ve also heard that your presence greatly raised morale. It’s not hard to imagine that without someone like Adam Arrogance, this battle would have been much more difficult.
For these achievements, Adam Arrogance—I grant you the title of baron and financial compensation befitting your service.
Furthermore, I bestow upon you personally the Armor of Acknowledgment that you have protected until now.
I sincerely hope that with this, you will continue to be among the first to stand up when the nation faces crisis.」
The Holy Knight Adam, whose physique rivals even Saga’s, responds with a loud 「HAH!!」 Tears fall from both his eyes.
「Next, Nelly Virtuous, guardian of the Shield of Comprehension—」
The king then praises Nelly’s achievements.
Like Adam before her, Nelly responds with a solemn 「HAH」 to receive the king’s commendation.
Finally, it’s time for Ashley, the last Holy Knight.
「Holy Knight Ashley Noble, guardian of the Sword of Affirmation. I have long heard tales about you—as a Holy Knight beloved by the people. And this time, I hear that you not only bravely fought monsters that leaked from the seal but also took the initiative to enter the enemy’s stronghold, the dungeon itself. Inside the dungeon, you faced unknown powerful foes without taking a single step backward and destroyed them. You are a Holy Knight who possesses both kindness and valor, and you are this country’s pride.」
I notice that while Ashley maintains a sharp expression, she’s holding back tears at the corners of her eyes. But perhaps it’s best left unsaid.
「For these achievements, Ashley Noble—I grant you the title of baron and wealth befitting your service.
Furthermore, I bestow upon you personally the Sword of Affirmation that you have protected until now.
I am certain that should any crisis befall the Arcana Kingdom in the future, you will be among the first to stand up.」
King Arcana finishes praising the three Holy Knights who were central to this matter. Then Chancellor Madison takes over directing the proceedings.
「Now then, it seems more people and organizations than ever before have worked tirelessly to resolve this situation. We could continue like this, but it wouldn’t be right to keep the heroes who saved the Arcana Kingdom kneeling. So, let’s have everyone stand up and line up in the back, following the instructions of the stationed personnel.」
I see—perhaps they’ve reached a good stopping point after acknowledging everyone’s contributions and especially praising the achievements of the three main Holy Knights. Though it’s a simple matter, there was one person who couldn’t accept it: Ryūgūin. Ignoring the solemn atmosphere, he raises his voice mockingly, 「Holy Knight!! That’s the same job as Yamada!!」
Chancellor Madison seems to be carefully observing this behavior. However, without commenting on it, he continues with the proceedings.
「Now then, when King Arcana calls your name, step forward.」
After confirming that we have finished lining up in the back, King Arcana begins calling the names of meritorious adventurers and organization leaders, announcing and praising their achievements one after another. Of course, this includes Puru and the Knight Commander, as well as Angie’s family and the master of the clan Orphe belongs to. All the notable figures are called without fail, and finally, it’s my turn.
「Now, wandering adventurer Yanmar D. Low.」
Chancellor Madison calls for me. I feel his piercing gaze. If the reports I received are correct, perhaps he too is trying to determine which side is right.
「I hear that you worked alongside Holy Knight Ashley to eliminate the Sealed Dungeon and slew numerous powerful foes. I also hear that this would have been impossible without your presence. Your achievements don’t end there. In Virtuous, together with Purume and the many warriors she leads, you defeated a massive dragon. Regarding this as well, many have said that without your presence, the damage would have spread endlessly, and its subjugation would have been utterly impossible.」
I feel Ryūgūin’s gaze turn toward me.
「Given that we hadn’t heard your name before, I wonder if you might have drifted here from some other country? Though perhaps it’s crude of me to ask such a thing.」
King Arcana chuckles.
「I suppose it’s just my selfishness to want to see the face beneath that mask—the face of such a brave individual.」
I simply respond, 「No.」
「Would you lend your strength again should another crisis befall the Arcana Kingdom? I ask this of you.」
He bows his head to me.
A commotion erupts, far greater than during Ashley’s recognition.
The reason for the uproar is clear—how dare he show such respect to a mere adventurer of unknown origin? It’s understandable, of course. But precisely because of this, I cannot give him a halfhearted answer.
「I will only act according to my own judgment—」
At this point, the murmurs turn into an uproar.
「However, I am not the kind of prudent person who can silently watch when my beloved neighbors are harmed.
That is my answer.」
He nods with satisfaction at my response.
「Your answer satisfies me.
Therefore, I shall grant Low both money commensurate with his work in this matter and one of the national treasures from our treasury.」
I bow deeply and return to my original position.
After this, many others continue to be praised for their achievements, and eventually everyone summoned to this place has their turn—except for Prince Ryūgūin and the other three.
「Now then, I would like to conclude the commendations regarding the Sealed Dungeon matter.」
However, King Arcana announces.
「Huh?」
Ryūgūin’s voice echoes in the silence.
He asks Mika and Angie things like 「Eh? What about me?」 and 「Hey, what’s going on?」 They maintain their silence, and King Arcana too ignores Ryūgūin’s reaction and continues speaking.
「We will continue to question Hero Ryūgūin Ouji and the three members of the Hero’s party regarding the long-standing suspicions against them.」
Ryūgūin, unable to comprehend the situation, stands there with a dumbfounded expression on his face.
「Huh?」
And once again, he lets out a confused voice.
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