The victory celebration in Torencia concluded, and we returned triumphantly to Amister.
Naturally, preparations for a victory celebration were already underway there as well, and a ceremony was held as a matter of course.
One reason was that Amister undoubtedly played a leading role, even if they were reinforcements. Another reason was apparently to publicize their easy annihilation of the Solemne Army, which was considered on par with Amister, primarily to Retisencia.
For the same reason, the Sabers and the Torencia Alliance, who participated in the war, were also invited and were to be awarded prizes.
The Saber’s Guild had commissioned new designs for their equipment from the Torencia Crafter’s Guild, and Amister was apparently providing Jade Silver and Blue-Gray Iron as well.
Incidentally, these new designs were once again based on in-game equipment from my engraving tool, with Marina making minor adjustments.
Additionally, Viscount Iver personally bestowed a sword made of Lapis Lazuli upon Vizier, who led the Saber’s Guild.
The rewards for the Torencia Alliance consisted of money and monster materials.
For the High Classes, they received P-rank and M-rank monster materials. Sertina, however, was awarded materials from a Gold Dragoon and a Disaster Dragoon, which I believe is a generous reward.
In fact, Sertina was also awarded materials from a Slume Lord, which makes me a bit scared thinking about what kind of terrifying armor she’ll have made.
The Order’s Guild is scheduled for a transformation in the not-too-distant future, so for now, they were granted money, with their positions and honors to be adjusted accordingly.
Rex was confirmed to become the Grand Order’s Master, while Miranda and Delfina were provisionally selected to be Associate Order’s Masters or commanders of orders dispatched to Solemne.
Rosemary and Muse, being Rex’s wives, would be rewarded for their achievements by being promoted to ranks befitting their contributions after the new system was established.
As for the Amister Alliance, the Multi-functional Beast Carriages they are currently using are part of the reward, so their awards concluded with money and monster materials.
Saya, Eisen, Sley, El, Frau, Plum, and Shazara, who evolved into Ancient Classes, were also granted the Knightly Title and registered as G-rank Orders. Lark, the leader of Riot Flag, also received a Knightly Title.
Fariss, Cliff, and Caesar, who were already registered, were promoted to P-rank Orders.
After that, the victory celebration began. A few months prior, it was just the three of us—myself, Prim, and Mako—who were Ancient Classes. No one had expected the number to nearly multiply by seven after returning from the war with Solemne, and the participating nobles were also surprised.
Naturally, no nobles attempted any outrageous recruitment.
During the victory celebration, the Grand Ducal House of Lichtenfels from Libertà was also invited. Grand Duchess Ciel and Seras were overjoyed at Emperor Reinhardt and Raus’s safe return and stayed by their side constantly.
Both of them had apparently stated they would give their answers after the war with Solemne, but seeing them act that way in public, I wonder if there’s any option other than marriage?
The next day, the Saber’s Guild and the Torencia Alliance returned to Torencia, and the Amister Alliance also returned to their respective lives.
Most Raids are based in Float, but Trial Hearts will once again head to Polar, a border town with Retisencia.
Trial Hearts, recognized for their achievements in defeating the Slume Lord and their contributions to the war with Solemne, were nevertheless ready to move on. They quickly prepared and teleported to Polar with Bout’s Traveling.
The Orders that participated in the Solemne invasion force were also disbanded for the time being.
Many Orders had evolved into High Classes, but the new structure of the Order’s Guild is set to coincide with Emperor Reinhardt’s Coronation Ceremony. Until then, specific promotion procedures cannot be completed. Moreover, having been in Torencia, Bacion, and Solemne for several months, it seemed to be a welcome vacation as well.
We also decided to return to Feel for the time being.
Therefore, Rex, Rosemary, Muse, Lucas, and Lyra were also riding in the Beast Carriage with us.
“It’s been a while since we’ve been back to Feel, hasn’t it?”
“About three months. It feels like it’s been long, yet short.”
Lyra and Lucas murmured thoughtfully, and indeed, it felt both long and short.
“We’ve had some rather intense experiences during our deployment.”
“That’s true. Right after we were dispatched to Torencia, the Slume Lord subjugation battle took place, and we even advanced into Solemne’s homeland.”
“And during that operation into Solemne’s homeland, we encountered an Antlion Empress. I doubt I’ll ever experience anything like that again, let alone so soon.”
As Muse, Rosemary, and Rex said, we were unlucky enough to encounter two Demise Species during our deployment, so it was undoubtedly an intense experience.
Ah, the Magic Stone of the Antlion Empress has been enshrined in the treasury of Amagi Castle along with the Magic Stone of the Slume Lord, which we received from Torencia the other day.
As a return gesture, we gave them an Orc King, an Orc Queen, and Magic Stones of P-rank or higher monsters that we obtained in the Solpreza Labyrinth and the Instant Labyrinth. Hilda’s face, however, was remarkably strained.
“I was surprised, of course, but I was even more surprised that someone could defeat them.”
“Right?”
Lucas and Lyra said, looking at us. Their eyes seemed to be calling us inhuman.
“You can’t deny it, can you? You’ve defeated three types of four Demise Species in such a short period. No one has been able to do that since the birth of the Helios Orb, so it’s no wonder you’re called inhuman.”
Mana chimed in with a retort, but Mana herself evolved into an Ancient Elf during the Slume Lord subjugation battle. So she can’t really say anything, can she?
More than that, nearly half of the total number of Ancient Classes belong to Wing Crest, and furthermore, the fact that I’m married to them… or rather, engaged to them.
“In that sense, El, you must also be in a tough spot. You’re the only Hunter besides those in Wing Crest who has directly confronted a Demise Species.”
“If you’re going to say that, then you and Muse, the two of you, defeated a W-rank Antlion Queen, didn’t you?”
“Well, that’s….”
Rex chuckled wryly. In the battle of Klagen Plain, Rex and Muse defeated a W-rank Antlion Queen together.
An Antlion Queen is a P-C Rank Monster, but the W-rank is one rank above the existing rank. Therefore, the Antlion Wing Queen is not an A-rank equivalent monster but an O-rank equivalent monster.
To think that Rex and Muse defeated this O-rank equivalent monster, the Antlion Queen W-rank, together. It’s no wonder these individuals are called inhuman.
“More than that, all the Ancient Classes who participated in that battle will likely receive similar evaluations.”
“I suppose so. After all, they defeated an Antlion Queen and an Antlion Princess with little to no damage.”
Muse and Rosemary raised the white flag, unable to refute my reasoning.
Rosemary evolved towards the end of the Klagen battle, but she actually defeated an Antlion Queen and an Antlion Princess.
Lucas and Lyra are similar, with Lucas at level 58 and Lyra at level 56, surpassing not only Iris, the Sub-Order’s Master, but even the Grand Order’s Master and Associate Order’s Master.
“Speaking of which, Lucas, what happens to you after the coronation?”
“Nothing much; I’ll continue my duties in Feel. It’s not easy to just replace an Order’s Master or Sub-Order’s Master. I might get promoted in Order’s Rank, though.”
Indeed, an Order’s Master and Sub-Order’s Master can only be appointed if they have evolved into High Classes. Since both are present in the cities where the Order’s Guild is located, a new appointment isn’t possible.
Although the Beast Knight Order of the former Estait Baronage, which was merged into Amister, has been incorporated into the Order’s Guild, there, the Beast Knight Commander serves as the Order’s Master. So, to become an Order’s Master, one would likely have to go to Solemne.
“No, there’s a proposal to establish a subordinate organization of the Order’s Guild to manage Solemne’s public order and entrust it to them. Restoring public order is a pressing issue, but Orders and Sabers alone cannot handle it. It would also serve as an acceptance venue for the remnants of the Solemne Army.”
“Eh? Is that so?”
As I thought that, unexpected information came from Rex. Mana was also surprised. Didn’t she know?
“Yes. We need to finalize this with the Torencia side, but there’s an opinion from Emperor Reinhardt and Sayuri to establish a Soldier’s Guild as a subordinate organization of the Order’s Guild and the Saber’s Guild.”
A Soldier’s Guild, you say? A soldiers’ association? True, the Solemne Army consists of soldiers, which is a different breed from Orders and Sabers, who are also knights. So, the idea is to create a Soldier’s Guild to consolidate the Solemne Army and, by making it a subordinate organization of the Order’s Guild and Saber’s Guild, also monitor them.
“A Soldier’s Guild, huh? It’s not bad, but it would be a new guild, and deciding who to send would be a problem.”
“Yes. The Soldier’s Master would likely be confined to Solemne, and worse, wouldn’t it risk provoking a rebellion?”
“That’s the difficult part, but the headquarters would likely be established in Float or Bestia. If we dispatched a High Order or High Saber as the Soldier’s Master, it would serve as a deterrent. Though, it’s hardly a reward.”
Indeed, that’s the issue. Solemne has no guilds, so the quality of life there was below that of Amister or Torencia. Nobles and wealthy merchants seemed to import magic tools from Libertà and Valentia, but it was almost nonexistent among the general populace. Being dispatched to such a country would be inconvenient, and the risk of rebellion isn’t zero. Thus, even as a subordinate organization, becoming a Guild Master there is hardly a reward.
“But realistically, we’re also establishing new Order’s Guilds in the former Bacion territories and the former Estait territories, so the fact is we’re short-handed.”
Muse further revealed the internal situation of the Order’s Guild, and indeed, when I thought about it, it was true. Especially in the former Estait territories, where the Beast Knight Order was incorporated. However, the Holiner’s Guild, which defended Bacion, will become a Holy Knight Order to protect the Priests’ Guild. Therefore, a considerable number of Orders must be dispatched to cities in the former Bacion territories, including Esperanza.
“It’s a headache.”
“Yeah. That’s why, if Torencia agrees, I believe the Soldier’s Guild will be established. We don’t know who will be appointed Grand Soldier’s Master, but considering the deterrent effect, it will likely be either Miranda or Delfina.”
Indeed, an Ancient Class would be sufficient as a deterrent against rebellion. After all, Ancient Classes are said to possess the combat power equivalent to an army of ten thousand, even individually. They demonstrated this very strength in past wars and in the war with Solemne. Furthermore, unlike previous Ancient Classes, they use weapons made of Jade Silver and Blue-Gray Iron, and their armor is made from the materials of P-rank and M-rank monsters. Therefore, they can be used without worrying about fatigue or degradation due to magic, so it can be said that their combat power has increased.
“Does this mean you’ll have to go to Float periodically, brother?”
“That’s how it is. More accurately, I’ve been summoned to a meeting next week, so I plan to go to Float again.”
Rex replied to his sister Mina with a wry smile. As a General Order and the next Grand Order’s Master, it’s natural for him to be called upon for post-war processing and to be involved in the establishment of the Soldier’s Guild. Fortunately, Rex has also mastered Traveling, so whether it’s Float or Bestia, the movement takes only an instant.
“We still don’t know about the Scholar’s Guild, but two new guilds might be established all at once.”
“Lucas, why don’t you volunteer?”
“And be forced to live in Solemne permanently? I’ll pass on that, thank you.”
“I’d prefer to pass on permanent relocation too, even if temporary assignment is possible.”
Well, that’s understandable. It would be different if the Crafter’s Guild or Trader’s Guild had branches there, but as it stands, it’s completely unclear what will happen. At worst, it could be seen as a demotion. However, Solemne’s public order cannot be ignored, so someone has to draw the short straw. Emperor Reinhardt and Hilda probably don’t intend to make Orders or Sabers permanently reside in Solemne. Once public order is somewhat restored, they’ll likely leave it to the local populace, but even then, the future is uncertain.
“Yamato, we’ve arrived outside Float. Please proceed.”
“Alright.”
Well, I suppose we’ll have to leave it to Emperor Reinhardt and Hilda. We also plan to visit Solemne regularly to help Hilda, but for now, I want to prioritize my activities as a Hunter. I’m also curious about Mylight and the Golud Great Glacier, and I need to replenish my dwindling Dragoon materials. Whether we go to the Solpreza Labyrinth depends on the situation in Feel, so I can’t say for sure.
I emerged from the Beast Carriage with Carol, who had come to call for me, and used Traveling to teleport to Feel for the first time in a while.
