When we passed through the castle gate of Asht, the Asht Empire, and stood before the castle, I thought that if I had come alone, I would have returned the carriage and asked them to leave without stopping. The sheer size of the castle, the stone statues carved into its walls, and the number of people greeting us were overwhelming.
Of course, I didn’t turn back and disembarked from the carriage. After I stepped out, I extended my hand to escort Rufina. Rufina, as she took my arm, behaved like a true lady.
“She’s a demon, you know!” I wanted to scream inwardly. “She looks like a little girl, but don’t be fooled! She stabbed me with a knife last night!”
I wondered if “ladies first” existed in this world too. For the White Lily Corps, it would probably be something like, “Let me kill them first!” or “Let me have them first!” I was arm-in-arm with Rufina, but I thought I should consider the concept of “ladies first” a little more. I’d try it if I made it back alive.
The black sword at my waist and Rufina’s knife were promptly taken away. Rufina had magic and was receiving a noble title, so she was fine, but I felt vulnerable being unarmed in this situation.
We were led to a waiting room by our guide, and we found ourselves alone in a large room. A subtle tension hung in the air between us. It was the kind of atmosphere that suggested one person might receive a noble title, while the other might face execution.
“Are you nervous?”
It would be strange if I wasn’t. Thinking about what was to come made my stomach ache. Rufina came towards me, wrapped her arms around my neck, and brought her face close. “What is it?!” I thought, bracing myself for a knee strike.
Rufina gently kissed me and smiled softly. Her smile was more than enough to bring me some peace. Then came the expected knee strike!
“No one said anything about letting them fondle my chest!”
If she was going to relieve my tension, I wished she’d gone all the way. The sensation of my right hand inside her robe. Small, yet soft and inviting me to touch it again. I was determined to get back alive!
Our time had come, and we followed our guide to the front of a large door. It was finally time for the judgment. As the heavy door opened, hundreds of fully armed knights lined up on either side of the path we were to take.
“Viscountess Rufina Rutland. Mikael Sin. Welcome to the castle.”
At those words, the knights in the center drew their swords and turned towards us. The red carpet path that Mikael and Rufina were to walk on transformed into a path of swords… No, I’d rather bury my face in Rufina’s cleavage…
“I’m going,” Rufina said.
“Let’s go,” Mikael replied.
Stepping onto the sword-lined path, there was no turning back. Glancing at Rufina, Mikael realized there was no cleavage to bury his face in.
Emperor Maximilian Ashtal.
I didn’t know which generation he was, but he was the man at the pinnacle of the largest nation on this continent. Nearly two meters tall, he was less an emperor and more a tyrannical ruler. He wielded such immense power that if he said “white,” men would even take off their pants.
Surrounding him were not courtiers in formal wear, but armed knights. It was only fitting that Rufina showed no fear. While Rufina moved with the elegance of the wind, I was filled with the desire to flee.
After passing through the path of swords lined by knights, we navigated through what appeared to be civil officials in formal attire before Rufina finally stopped. I quickly stopped too, and we both knelt before His Majesty the Emperor.
If Rufina hadn’t told me before we began to “just copy her,” I would have been so tense I wouldn’t have known how far I’d walked. “I’ll show you!” I thought, relying on my battle-honed reflexes.
“I am His Majesty Emperor Maximilian Ashtal of the Asht Empire. Both of you, remain seated.”
I was kneeling, but was I doing it correctly? Glancing at Rufina, I saw she was in the same posture. “This must be right,” I reassured myself.
“I am Maximilian Ashtal. Both of you, relax.”
“Hahaha.”
“Can I respond?” I wondered. “I’ll copy her.”
“Hahaha~”
“Crap, my voice cracked,” I thought, embarrassed. “I want to go home. I want to throw up.”
“These are the individuals who will be receiving noble titles today. On the right is Viscountess Rufina Rutland, daughter of Marquis Vincent Rutland, who has recently subdued the Undead Queen. On the left is Mikael Sin, the captain of the mercenary White Lily Corps, to which Viscountess Rufina Rutland belongs, and who contributed greatly to the recent subjugation of the Undead Queen.”
Hearing it put that way, I wondered if we had actually accomplished something significant. “Praise me more! Extol my virtues!” I thought. “Wait, noble titles?! Am I getting a noble title too? Not execution, right?”
“Both of you, approach His Majesty the Emperor.”
Standing up after Rufina, I approached the Emperor. When I reached the lowest step of the throne where His Majesty sat, I knelt, following Rufina’s lead. “I’m okay,” I thought. “I haven’t messed up too badly. He seemed to ignore my falsetto, so it should be fine.”
Looking up at the Emperor, he descended as if the very ground were rumbling and stopped before Rufina. The Emperor drew his sword, brought it to his chest with both hands, and then placed it on Rufina’s shoulder.
“Rufina, it’s been a while. You look younger… I’m glad to see you’re doing well,” he said.
“Huh!” I thought, surprised by his gentle tone. “Is His Majesty the Emperor this friendly?” His demeanor was completely different from his appearance. “Could Rufina know him?” I felt like I knew a celebrity through my friend.
I suspected only we heard his quiet words. I hadn’t known Rufina was a noble, or someone the Emperor would address so casually.
Straightening his posture slightly, His Majesty the Emperor repositioned the sword on Rufina’s shoulder and spoke the words of bestowal.
“In the name of Maximilian Ashtal, I hereby appoint Rufina Rutland as Viscountess. May you always serve the Empire with loyalty and courage.”
Thunderous applause erupted! I flinched involuntarily. “Ah, how embarrassing,” I thought. “But that’s it. If I just sit here, it will be over.”
Next, he approached me. The hall fell silent, my heartbeat pounding. I felt like I was going to vomit. The Emperor pointed the tip of his sword not at my shoulder, but at my neck.
“Show me your face!”
His voice, a low rumble from the depths of the earth. The sword, a faint cut on my neck before being sheathed, and the Emperor walked away towards the inner chambers.
“C-Captain…”
I felt like I was going to vomit. I wanted to vomit now. Swallowing something other than overwhelming emotion, I said to Rufina,
“I’m okay.”
“There’s no way I’m okay!” I thought. “I thought I was going to be executed, then I was elevated, and now I’m being summoned again. I hate roller coasters!”
However, I began to walk. I didn’t want to look pathetic in front of Rufina. …At least, not on the outside. My heart was racing.
I followed the Emperor into the room he had entered. I quickly surveyed the room. There was a window. I was unarmed, and my left hand was a prosthetic. Outside, heavily armed knights stood guard. If necessary, I’d escape through the window.
“Would you like to drink…?”
“I’m working!”
“I’ll have some…”
There was no way I could refuse a two-meter-tall wrestler. I accepted the small glass the Emperor offered, but it was too large for me to drink in one gulp.
“So… what is your relationship with Miss Rufina?”
“So that’s how it is,” I thought. “I found it strange that the Emperor, of all people, was making casual remarks about Rufina.”
“That girl… she’s a good girl,” the Emperor said. “Her father is a bit strange, but she’s kind and loves flowers, a truly good girl… And yet she became a mercenary! What did you do to her!”
“Close, you’re too close, Your Majesty the Emperor!” The intensity of his face, almost touching mine, was terrifying. I felt like throwing up, even though I wasn’t drunk.
I explained everything carefully, as if to avoid ruining the Emperor’s impression of Rufina and to ensure I wouldn’t be executed.
“I see…”
Whether he believed me or not, the Emperor sat down on the sofa, seemingly satisfied.
“So, what do you think of my Empire…?”
“Whoa, the topic changed so suddenly,” I thought. “Is this a jab? A feint? Then the real issue must be next.” I spoke my mind.
Unfortunately, the Empire’s knights were weak. In my previous life, individual strength was paramount, but the weakness of those who had served Marquis Rutland and the appearance of the knights lined up here… And the small number of Mages among the civil officials. They probably weren’t all present, but it was a small number.
There were many knights, but they seemed to lack combat experience. The Empire, complacent in its size and unused to conflict, could be considered a disorganized rabble.
“Then, what should be done…?”
“This is the real issue,” I thought. “The reason he summoned me. Why couldn’t he have just called me normally? Is he fond of theatrics?”
“To make them stronger, they need combat experience. Surviving battles will lead to the next step. Expand laterally and teach those who couldn’t fight. Strength doesn’t come without time.”
“Are you suggesting we start a war with another country…?”
“That would be profitable!” I thought. “But it would leave the Empire exhausted before the battle against the Demon Lord. I want them to become stronger, but I don’t want them to fight other nations.”
“Maintain combat experience without attacking other countries. What does it mean to fight without fighting?” I wondered, even as I said it.
A quiet atmosphere settled between the two… the Emperor and the mercenary. Outside the window, the sky was blue, perfect weather for breaking a window and escaping. Paintings of the Emperor and his consort adorned the walls. His Majesty appeared to be aging, but his consort looked quite young and, perhaps exaggeratedly, had a large bust.
“…Ah, why couldn’t I remember that cleavage?”
“Your Majesty, there are ways to gain combat experience without starting wars with other countries.”
“…Such as?”
I spoke about the Lizardman inhabiting the lake district, a task entrusted to me by Manon Guiyu. I mentioned the polluted water source, the possibility of obtaining magic stones, and the killing of villagers. I didn’t mention Manon’s name.
“This is the first I’ve heard of it…”
The polluted water source should have affected the Empire too, yet there was someone who concealed this information so effectively that it never reached the Emperor. They must be a person of considerable power, or perhaps a master of information manipulation. They would be a troublesome enemy.
“I suggest the Imperial Knights defeat them. This would provide combat experience and stop the water pollution, thus greatly increasing Your Majesty’s prestige.”
If I could involve His Majesty, they wouldn’t dare act carelessly. If the Imperial Knights defeated the Lizardmen, Manon’s wishes would be fulfilled, and by returning the money, the embezzlement would be nullified, making things easier for us. This was truly a ‘three birds with one stone’ situation.
“And can my knights defeat them?”
“With the current knights, it’s impossible. The Lizardmen are likely strong.”
“If we overwhelm them with numbers, certainly.”
“Numbers… But numbers alone are useless against random mobs. Hmm, you teach them. You have plenty of practical experience, and the matter of Makjuru has reached my ears. They say your command was quite impressive.”
“What!?” I thought. “A commoner like me teaching nobles? Impossible! Besides, I’m good at fighting, not teaching.”
From this point on, whether it was the Emperor’s plan or the conversation itself, the ‘three birds with one stone’ plan seemed to have reduced to something closer to ‘two birds,’ and it didn’t look like things would be easy for me.
