Chapter 147 : What’s This?

“You’re late, kid.”

Seeing the Dragon Sword Duke speak so casually, as if nothing had happened, a surge of heat welled up in my chest.

“And whose fault is that…”

Given the place, I couldn’t bring myself to shout, so I just growled lowly.

‘Oops!’

I belatedly realized who I was talking back to.

‘This damned mouth of mine has brought disaster again…’

But fortunately, the monster before me just chuckled.

“Yeah. That’s more like you.”

…What’s more like me?

I was bewildered, but at that moment, Anthony, his face still pale, gestured from the old man’s side.

“Quickly, stand to His Excellency’s right, Muno. His Majesty is waiting.”

And as soon as he said that.

“Presenting His Excellency, the Dragon Sword Duke Kyle Dragon, the guardian of the kingdom, Sir Anthony, the pillar of the kingdom, and Sir Muno Drasen, the new star of the kingdom, the Black Knight!”

With the knight’s shout, the doors of the magnificent Great Hall slowly opened.

Gazes poured in at once.

It felt similar to when I first entered wearing that hideous formal attire, yet the atmosphere was somehow different.

It might have been because the formal wear of the ministers on either side of the Great Hall was a bit more splendid.

But it was more likely because the meaning in their eyes had changed.

Of course.

“As expected of a Seven-Star…”

“He’s in fine form.”

“To think he caught a legendary monster…”

Most of that attention was directed at the Dragon Sword Duke walking at the front left of our party.

But a portion of it was definitely aimed at Muno.

“I heard he played a bigger role than the Blood Knight?”

“An exceptional one is an exceptional one. How, at that age, by the Dragon Sword’s side…”

“Isn’t it a bit much to call him a new star now? He’s achieved a feat that reaches the level of legend.”

“I thought the next strongest in the kingdom would be the Blood Knight, or at best, the current Knight of the Gale…”

The blush-inducing compliments, which I could hear without even trying, went in one ear and out the other as I looked straight ahead.

A slightly awkward sight came into view.

‘Where did the Red Iron Knights go?’

The two knights standing guard behind the king were not wearing red armor.

And more noticeable than that was the young man standing right below the king, with silvery-white hair and gray eyes that still had a youthful air.

Silvery-white hair that seemed to shine beyond mere white and gray eyes were symbols of royalty.

But I knew that all the princes were currently outside for the succession war.

That left only one possibility.

‘…The 4th Prince.’

Leon Iron.

The prince who was said to have discovered the kingdom’s recent turmoil in advance.

The prince’s eyes, which shifted between me, the Dragon Sword, and the Blood Knight, seemed full of interest.

Unlike the stern king, he was tapping the tips of his toes even in the solemn atmosphere of the Great Hall, which made him seem quite light-hearted.

‘Is he immature?’

I heard he was seventeen this year. An age where that could be the case.

However, as I gradually approached the throne, I felt something else, and my expression couldn’t help but harden.

‘What is this…?’

The subtle ripple in the air and the waves that spread from it with the prince’s nod of the head spoke of the mass of his body.

The level of that young prince was already.

‘4-Star?!’

Hul.

I’d seen so many geniuses lately that it didn’t feel real, but considering I had been treated as special after my third evolution not long ago, it meant this prince was also abnormal, no, a genius.

‘He’s stronger than the 2nd Prince, who’s over thirty? And a guy like that didn’t participate in the succession war?’

As my mind momentarily became complicated.

Someone nudged my arm.

I flinched and looked, and I could immediately understand the message in those glaring blue eyes.

– Aren’t you going to get a grip!? Where are you staring off into space!

…Is my mind strange for receiving a curse through a gaze, or is this old geezer’s ability just that amazing?

As a wry laugh escaped me internally.

“Kyle Dragon and his party greet the rightful ruler of the kingdom, the Master of Steel.”

Thud.

The Dragon Sword Duke said so and knelt on one knee.

Muno, along with Anthony on his left, showed the same courtesy.

The king then greeted them with a pleased smile and nodded.

“You’ve worked hard, Duke Kyle. And you too have done well. Anthony, Muno Drasen.”

Huh?

“Not at all, Your Majesty. As the sword of the kingdom, it was something I had to do…”

While the old man was spouting a plausible reply befitting a high-ranking noble with a solemn face I had never seen before.

I found the king’s formal tone towards the duke strange and sneakily raised my head.

‘Just me… I guess. Tsk.’

Feeling embarrassed for no reason at the fact that no one else found it strange, I quickly lowered my head again.

But in that brief moment, the expression of the 4th Prince, Leon Iron, caught my eye again.

‘A frown?’

For some reason, he was looking at the old man with a very displeased expression.

I couldn’t help but be bothered by that sight.

“…Therefore, please punish me for failing to capture the mastermind who committed such an outrageous act.”

The old man’s words ended with a strange suffix.

‘Punishment? What punishment?’

I knew he was just saying it for show, but the memory of the hardship I endured in the south made my face stiffen on its own.

The king’s expected reply came back.

“How could that be? The Duke has subjugated a legendary beast that could have been a potential threat to the kingdom. That is not just overcoming a present threat but also clearing away future troubles. It is a deed that should be duly praised, along with the two young heroes who will become the future of the kingdom.”

Of course.

“A great deed should be followed by a great reward. Duke, please tell me what you desire.”

It was an obvious but heartwarming statement, and I nodded along.

“What reward would I desire for fulfilling my natural duty, Your Majesty.”

…No, what kind of nonsense is that?!

At the old man’s dumbfounding words, my head whipped around without me realizing it.

And I met the glaring blue eyes aimed at me again.

– If you say anything funny, you’re dead!

As the telepathic message came through his gaze again, a myriad of thoughts flashed through my mind.

‘Shit, I went through all that trouble and you’re telling me not to get a reward?’

…Starting with that question.

‘No way. He’s just saying that out of courtesy. The king will surely take care of it.’

…To that conclusion.

Just as I was praising my own head for reaching a rational conclusion in such a short time.

“The same goes for me, Your Majesty. However, at the risk of being rude, I ask for only one thing. Please grant a worthy reward to Sir Rantor Selden, who died in the fierce battle, and to his family.”

“I will certainly do so.”

Anthony finished his words like that.

And naturally, Muno also.

“It was my duty as a subject of the kingdom. A reward is out of the question.”

I feigned composure and threw out the words like a true man.

‘Heh. So cool.’

The king would think so too, and wouldn’t he give an even cooler reward?

I thought so inwardly and smiled.

“The thoughts of the heroes are as noble as their deeds. I will think of a separate reward befitting that honor. Hahaha. For now, please enjoy this occasion to commemorate your great achievement.”

Huh? Suddenly?

‘I thought he was a pretty cool guy?’

Tsk.

The moment the king’s unexpected words made me pull a slightly sulky face.

The king rose as if to leave the Great Hall.

And when he soon descended from the throne and passed before Muno’s eyes.

Muno felt something strange about the smiling king’s condition.

‘Huh? Don’t tell me…?’

Then, the duke’s stiff face came back into view.

‘…Really?’

His expression naturally hardened as well.

But the atmosphere in the Great Hall, regardless of him, quickly became boisterous.

“To the heroes of the kingdom!”

“Everlasting glory to the Kingdom of Steel!”

The ministers and knights led the cheers, and suddenly, large tables and food began to be brought into the Great Hall in succession.

Viscount Trauni, who had been standing below the throne at some point, shouted in a thunderous voice that didn’t match his age.

“Given the matter at hand, we have prepared for a celebration on par with a victory party. Everyone, please enjoy yourselves to the fullest!”

“Waaaaaaah!”

As the ministers shouted.

“And for a moment, heroes, please follow me.”

Muno, along with the duke and Anthony, who also had stiff faces, followed the viscount out of the Great Hall.

And.

“Cough, cough.”

As soon as they entered the king’s splendid but small office, the smiling king suddenly began to cough with a pale face.

“Your Majesty!”

The duke, as if expecting it, immediately supported him.

And.

“Father!”

“Your Highness, we are still on official duty. Please use the clear title of ‘Your Majesty’.”

The prince who was trying to approach the king frowned at Trauni’s words, who was pointing out etiquette even in this situation.

At that moment, the viscount gestured to Muno.

“And Sir Muno, please check on His Majesty’s condition.”

At those words, Muno frowned and immediately approached the king.

He had already sensed the demonic energy hidden within the artifact’s aura when leaving the Great Hall.

“Why didn’t you call a priest…”

“We are announcing the turmoil in the palace in a downsized version. It would be troublesome if word got to the temple that His Majesty was injured in the midst of it all.”

“Hah… really…”

Muno habitually tried to draw his chains, but then met the duke’s glaring eyes again.

“Yes. Yes. I’ll do it with my hands, with my hands.”

He sighed and placed his hand on the king’s wound.

The amount of demonic energy he naturally felt was quite substantial.

‘Hoo? Look at this? This is almost demonic energy on par with a 5-Circle magic spell?’

He realized that it wasn’t just the mana of the artifact that was suppressing the powerful demonic energy, which was more than enough to rot a person’s body in one go.

‘This is the body that evolved with the Iron Corporeal Arts.’

While marveling at the king’s body, which was amazing and in some sense absurd, something one would never have guessed from the outside.

“Is it difficult for you too? Then it becomes really troublesome. If we entrust it to the temple, the kingdom’s face…”

The king’s frowning face, sweating profusely, came into view.

‘Man, what’s so important about face that he endured this.’

What a great man.

I thought so, but I couldn’t say it out loud.

“It’s more than possible.”

“Is that so? Then that’s a relief.”

And his boast was not in vain.

Woooong.

“Oh!”

As he absorbed the demonic energy, the king’s face relaxed in real-time, and the people around also began to feel relieved.

Right after absorbing all the demonic energy, Muno couldn’t hold back and finally voiced his question.

“How did you come to suffer such an injury?”

“That is…”

Just as Viscount Trauni was about to explain something.

“I will speak myself.”

The king, with a bitter smile, intervened.

“It all started with the news of the reappearance of the hydra you all faced.”

“Pardon?”

“That is…”

The appearance of the legendary demonic beast, the hydra, carried that much weight.

Even knowing that most of the Royal Knights were away to monitor the succession war, it was to the extent that the king had no choice but to dispatch the Red Iron Knights as well.

And through that gap, ‘they’ slipped in, and the king’s injury occurred then.

However, there was one more fact Muno didn’t know.

“…At that time, absurdly, the ‘Scepter of Glory’ was also stolen. Muno Drasen, I cannot give you the gift I promised right away. Hoho.”

The king’s words, spoken with a hollow laugh, could not be heard with a smile.

My head naturally bowed.

“Not at all, Your Majesty. How could I dare hope for a gift in this situation.”

But inwardly, a question arose.

‘Scepter of Glory? What’s that?’

The image of a large, scepter-like staff embedded with a blue jewel that I saw when rounding up the magicians in the capital came to mind.

But I couldn’t understand what that had to do with not being able to give a gift.

As if to resolve that question, the viscount’s words followed.

“It is the royal family’s greatest artifact that controls the spirits of the Royal Treasury and the capital’s protective barrier. His Majesty did activate it to its maximum during the turmoil, but…”

“But?”

The answer to the question came from the king’s mouth again.

“…If the Scepter of Glory does not return to my hands, the spirits of the Royal Treasury will remain in a state of rampage, and the same goes for the palace’s protective barrier. And if we leave them as they are… they will soon exhaust their power and scatter. All of the royal family’s greatest weapons, obtained through a contract with the Tower of Spirits long ago. And that is the reason why I have shamefully postponed my promise. Muno Drasen.”

Ah…

Muno nodded unconsciously.

But he was the only one doing so.

“…Was I the only one who didn’t know?”

At my words that slipped out without me realizing, the old man who had approached my side at some point chuckled.

“My, my, you were making an aggrieved face without any tact. You really didn’t know?”

He didn’t tell me, so how was I supposed to know!?

And.

“When did I ever make such a face…!?”

“Just now, punk! I saw it!”

How is this the duke of a nation?

My insides began to boil again at that hateful face.

“No, what…”

“Duke. Stop joking around. I heard Sir Muno was also seriously injured.”

Just then, the king spoke again with a smile.

How can he laugh in a situation like this?

“The royal treasures can be tracked anyway. Rather, it will become a clue to find their headquarters, and the royal family’s top forces, excluding you all, are already on their trail.”

“Then…”

The moment my face lit up, the king smiled and looked back at the duke.

“In that sense, as you may have guessed, I would like to borrow your hand again for a while. Duke.”

“Hah. This is…”

Just as I was wondering what kind of relationship Duke Kyle Dragon and the king had.

“I understand, Your Majesty.”

The duke, who immediately bowed his head, was about to turn away but then gestured towards me.

“What are you doing? Not coming, punk?”

“…Pardon?”

Why me?

The moment I was dumbfounded into silence.

“Puhaha. It seems the Duke cares for Sir Muno a great deal.”

What?

The king’s unacceptable words continued.

“Leave Sir Muno here for a moment, Duke. I have something to ask of him separately.”

“Ahem. Then I understand.”

The moment the old man’s eyes, which seemed to hold some lingering regret, swept over me, Muno couldn’t help but instinctively stroke his chest in relief.

However.

“Sir Muno, I’ll be direct. Could you educate my son, Leon, here for a short while?”

The words that followed were just as absurd.

“…Pardon?”

“It seems he’s gotten a bit of a swollen head after a recent miraculous achievement and contributing a little in the turmoil. I will reward you separately.”

How should I take this?

My eyes naturally turned to the prince.

“Swollen head, Your Majesty? It’s an obvious fact. Ahem.”

The prince glared at the king and cleared his throat, then turned his gaze back to me and smirked.

…Hmm?

“You should think carefully too. I have recently made great achievements, achieving my third and fourth evolutions in succession.”

Is it even possible to evolve in succession? The thought was brief.

The proud smile and arrogant expression on the prince’s lips were grating.

“Besides, our royal family’s Iron Corporeal Arts is the strongest. Will you still accept? The bubble around that Black Knight name is about to pop, you know?”

…Look at this little bastard?

The absurd nonsense of the brat brought a twisted smile to Muno’s lips.

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