Chapter 215
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The door opens.
As I step into the throne room, elaborately arranged lights illuminate the room’s decorations. I blink for a moment.
The scene before me welcomes us, exactly as it was that day.
Nothing has changed—not the German-style interior, not the red carpet on the floor, not the countless ornaments made of gold and mysterious ore.
At the end of my gaze—up the stairs sits an ornate chair, where King Arcana sits with his unnecessarily pompous white beard.
Everything began here.
What I’m feeling now—is it nostalgia, or something else?
In the silence, as expected, a large group of forty people moves according to plan without a hitch.
Looking around, next to the king sits Arcana’s beautiful princess—Puffy, and a short distance from the king stands the elderly Chancellor.
Furthermore, along both walls stand rows of church officials. From the back forward, there’s everyone from the Pope, the highest authority in the Crater Church, to various cardinals, and even numerous influential archbishops gathered in excess.
At that moment, one of them—probably a cardinal—glances at me. Though their eyes seem appraising, strangely, I sense no hostility.
In the front row of us contributors stand three Holy Knights.
Ashley Noble, guardian of the ‘Sword of Affirmation.’
Nelly Virtuous, guardian of the ‘Shield of Comprehension.’
Adam Arrogance, guardian of the ‘Armor of Acknowledgment.’
These individuals, who had been selflessly suppressing the Sealed Dungeon, deserve the highest praise.
Despite the large number of people, we quickly line up and kneel before the king. Everyone has assembled and preparations are complete, yet Ryūgūin’s figure is still—BANG!!
Finally, as if on cue for the main character’s entrance, the heavy doors burst open rudely. We have no choice but to turn our attention to the back.
「Well, well! I am the nation-saving hero Ryūgūin! I who have conquered countless Nexbies, not content to rest on my laurels, have now completely destroyed the Sealed Dungeon that has long tormented the Arcana Kingdom and its people!! From now on, address me as the once-in-an-age heroic hero for these achievements!!」
As if the earlier incident never happened, he—Ryūgūin Ouji—projects his hot-guy voice with a refreshing smile.
To his left and right are Mika and Angie, and behind them follows Eris.
Seriously, what’s with the theatrical 「address me as」?
It’s like a carbon copy of that day. Ryūgūin hasn’t changed at all.
Near the entrance, the women Ryūgūin’s group brought are being stopped. This is obviously the proper procedure. I’m sure I’m not imagining the looks of relief on their faces.
「Kyaaaa!! Sir Ryūgūin!!」
Puffy lets out an ill-timed cheer. The Chancellor’s eyebrows shoot up, and noting this, the king’s face clouds over.
In response to her cheering, Ryūgūin strikes a cool pose, blowing a kiss. This goes well beyond mere disrespect.
Before Puffy can let out another cheer, the Chancellor makes a preemptive move. He claps his hands, and the elderly tutor we saw in the guest room covers her mouth with both hands.
To think that she, who was once so intelligent, would display such madness and indignity.
Now I understand. It was all Ryūgūin’s fault.
Ah. Ah. Ah.
My chest aches with a dull pain.
Her current state—she who was once kind to everyone without discrimination and always thinking of her people—is unbearable to watch.
Satisfied with Puffy’s reaction, Ryūgūin nods several times, then leads his three companions through our ranks as if nobody told him to, treating us like mere roadside pebbles beneath his notice. While many are naturally annoyed, nobody except him is foolish enough to cause a disturbance in the throne room. Ryūgūin pushes past the three Holy Knights to reach the front row, where they line up from left to right: Angie, Ryūgūin, Mika, and Eris. After confirming that the other three have knelt, he makes a show of whining, 「Do I really have to do this? Even me?」 before reluctantly lowering himself.
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