Chapter 471
Chapter 32 The King’s Investiture
Upon the throne, the King of Pekah’s royal robe, adorned with gorgeous decorations like silver amidst golden satin, and the crown formed from gold and eight sacred gems of various colors, representing the kingdom’s thousand-year inheritance, seemed dim in his presence compared to the King’s scepter, a symbol of sacred ruling power.
The discussions and debates within the entire council hall gradually faded, drowned out by the sound of the palace gates opening. All, from high-ranking cabinet ministers to ordinary courtiers, ceased their work, their gazes falling upon Ig.
Despite having been mentally prepared beforehand, Ig felt his thoughts turn pale under the heavy pressure as he entered the cabinet hall, which held the fate of the entire kingdom.
By the time he regained his senses, he found himself escorted by two cardinals to the King’s throne.
Lancaster’s appearance was even more youthful and handsome than Ig had imagined. Seeing his arrival, the King rose from his throne, his facial expression openly revealing admiration.
“I believe everyone has witnessed the brilliance of the Sacred Sword. The young man standing before me, Lord Iglandishlopen, is the one chosen by the Sacred Sword, the heir to the title of the next Hero!”
The King’s voice awakened the atmosphere of the entire royal court. The cabinet ministers, who controlled the kingdom’s lifeline, rose from their seats, showering Ig with the utmost praise and admiration.
The opulent atmosphere of grandeur, gold, and gems, along with the praise from numerous important figures, clouded Ig’s consciousness. He bit his lip hard, struggling to maintain his clarity.
The King had already descended from his throne. His tall and well-proportioned figure approached Ig. He smiled as he looked at the young man’s face, suddenly raising his voice:
“Ig, since you have drawn the Sacred Sword, I officially grant you the titles of Hero Candidate and Honorary Grand Knight of the Royal White Iris. Furthermore, with the witnessing of all the ministers, the title of Count of Diva Palace is also conferred upon you at this moment.”
Lancaster paused, then placed his hand on Ig’s shoulder and said with a smile, “As for the position of Commander of the Holy Silver Knights, it will be formally granted to you during the Victory Day commemorative ceremony, after it’s announced to the entire continent.”
The King’s words caused quite a stir among many in the council hall.
It was known that since the King of Pekah first bestowed the title of White Iris Knight upon the marshal who repelled the imperial invasion a thousand years ago, this title had always been the highest honor for all knights in the kingdom. Even the honorary title granted to Lancaster after his campaign against the Demon King was not more significant than this.
Moreover, the Count of Diva Palace, in former eras, was among the six most respected nobles in the kingdom, possessing the right to vote on the succession of the throne.
Even though hundreds of years ago, the champagne count’s territory was absorbed into the royal domain by the King of Pekah, the preserved honorific title remained extraordinarily significant. In terms of prestige, it was not inferior to that of a Grand Duke. Indeed, it was not uncommon for the Kings of Pekah to be granted the title of Duke of Diva before inheriting the throne in recent centuries.
Although the cabinet ministers had already anticipated that the King would bestow great honors upon the “candidate” Hero, they had not expected him to be so generous even at their first meeting.
In fact, the conferral of the title of Count of Diva made the ministers present speculate about the King’s intentions.
However, Ig did not, as per etiquette, kneel before the King and accept his favor. Instead, he said:
“No, Your Majesty. I cannot accept your investiture.”
The King did not show surprise, nor did he become angry, as if he had already anticipated Ig’s answer.
A gentle smile appeared on Lancaster’s handsome face as he asked, “Can you tell me why?”
“Your Majesty, I have done nothing for the kingdom. How can I accept your investiture?”
Lancaster replied, “Drawing the Sacred Sword and being the next Hero is the greatest achievement.”
“But I merely drew this sword…”
“Ig, since you could draw the Sacred Sword, you must understand: this is the Sacred Sword’s choice of you, and destiny has decreed that you become the next Hero.”
Lancaster looked at Ig’s face, then suddenly smiled and said, “However, I can sense that you have many questions. In that case… Lord Winsor.”
A noble minister, dressed in a magnificent robe, approached the King. His decorations indicated that he was Grand Duke Winsor, the Minister of Finance in the cabinet.
The King looked at the Finance Minister’s face with a gentle gaze. Grand Duke Winsor, walking to the King’s side, lowered his head as always, demonstrating his humility as a subject.
After a moment of silence, Lancaster smiled and said, “After I leave, Lord Winsor will preside over this cabinet meeting in my stead.”
—
“Your Highness, Your Highness! Are you in there?”
Although it was a simple black and white maid outfit, as the personal maid to the little princess, the fabric of the dress was much finer than many noble evening gowns. Instead, with the embellishment of exquisite lace and ribbons, it exuded a sense of magnificence.
At this moment, the maid, wearing such a dress, showed an excited expression on her delicate little face as she knocked on the door of the little princess’s bedchamber.
“…Lily, I told you, I won’t listen to Father! Hmph, wanting me to marry that Ig, a guy I don’t even know, hmph, I won’t even see him!”
After a while, Misaela’s voice came from the room, still sounding wronged. Her tone suggested she was biting her tender lips and pouting childishly.
“No, Your Highness, I didn’t say that person… but rather, the Hero who just drew the Sacred Sword!”
After a short while, the room door was slightly pushed open by Misaela, revealing her small head to Lily beneath her moon-white silver hair. Her sapphire-like eyes were faintly tinged with red.
However, Misaela did not want to appear vulnerable in front of her friend. She took a deep breath through her delicate little mouth, wiped her eyes, and raised her head:
“Lily, what Hero are you talking about?”
“Your Highness, don’t you know? It’s the one who drew the Sacred Sword in the square earlier… He has already entered the Royal Palace and is currently being invested by His Majesty.”
The maid Lily chattered excitedly, “I heard from the sisters in the palace that this Hero is even more dashing than His Majesty, and he’s also a powerful knight of noble character! Your Highness, wouldn’t you like to go see this Hero?”
In the eyes of many, Misaela, known as the “White Iris Princess,” possessed a maturity beyond her years. However, she was ultimately still a girl just over thirteen, and with Lily’s cajoling, she soon became interested.
“A Hero who drew the Sacred Sword… Hmm, since you say so, Lily, I’ll go take a look.”
The silver-haired little princess spoke with reluctance. However, Misaela quickly turned her face away, her tender red lips pouting stubbornly:
“But I don’t want to see Father… or his subordinates. Lily, let’s use the secret passage to avoid them.”
As the highly anticipated White Iris Princess, Misaela’s ability to sneak out of the palace on multiple occasions didn’t entirely rely on Vicena’s magic.
However, when questioned by her mother and the King, Misaela often chose to use her teacher as an excuse to conceal her actions.
