kscans

Chapter 125 - The Coronation

Evening fell, and the emperor's coronation ceremony began.

The throne room, decorated in lavish splendor, was filled with nobles in attendance. Along both walls, knights stood at attention, draped in white cloaks. Tina and I were among them, wearing the same white cloaks. The nobles were whispering amongst themselves, but Tina and I remained silent. For guards to be chatting during such an occasion would be completely unacceptable.

Amidst the silence, the doors to the throne room swung open.

What appeared was a figure in a magnificent red cape and a dazzling silver dress. A golden crown and a golden scepter radiated the dignity and presence of a monarch. But more than anything, it was Princess Yorune's face—her expression was stoic, but her eyes held a powerful will. All who witnessed her fell silent.

She stopped before the throne, where the general was waiting.

"The coronation ceremony will now begin," he announced. "Ordinarily, the Chancellor would preside over this event. However, as that position is currently vacant, I shall be acting in his stead. Does anyone have any objections?"

No one voiced any dissent. There was no one more fitting for this grand role than the hero who had saved the nation.

The general surveyed the room. "Princess Yorune. As you take up the crown and sit upon the throne, do you have any regrets about reigning as emperor?"

It was a crucial part of becoming emperor, symbolizing the dedication of one's entire life to the Empire.

Princess Yorune declared with piercing eyes, "This body already belongs to the nation. I have no hesitation whatsoever."

The general turned to the nobles. "Does anyone object to Princess Yorune becoming emperor? If not, let your silence be your answer."

Not a single person spoke up.

The general turned back to Princess Yorune. "Take your place upon the throne and make your new declaration."

With that, he took a few steps back, clearing the path.

Princess Yorune walked forward, one step at a time, and sat upon the throne.

"To all of you! I hereby declare that as emperor, I will lead this nation not as a military power, but as a productive nation that serves its people!"

Her voice rang out, a new oath, a declaration of the Empire's future.

A round of thunderous applause echoed through the hall. Only the nobles clapped; the knights remained silent. A guard's duty is not to liven up the atmosphere, but to protect it. So, we just had to stand there, right?

Tina and I were starting to feel a little bored. While it was good that no incidents were occurring, for people like us who were used to physical activity, it was all we could do to stifle our yawns.

Thus, the coronation ceremony concluded. The nobles exited the throne room and headed for the hall where the banquet would be held.

The knights left last, after the nobles. The only ones remaining were myself, Tina, the general, and the new emperor, Yorune.

Just as we were about to leave, the general called out, "Shinsuke-dono, Tina-jou, please come here."

We exchanged a look and moved to the front of the throne.

Emperor Yorune spoke, her voice apologetic. "Thank you for accepting my request today. I hear you were made to feel rather uncomfortable."

She was likely referring to the knights' attitude.

I made a show of not minding. "Not at all. It is out of place for outsiders to participate in such a sacred ceremony. Their feelings are perfectly understandable."

I offered a safe, non-committal response. People of her type tend to blame themselves for everything when they get stressed, which can lead to neurosis. The only way to handle it was to be polite and reassure her that it was nothing to worry about.

"Thank you," Emperor Yorune said. "That's a relief. After this, there is no escort duty for the banquet, but will you be attending?"

At this question, Tina and I were in perfect sync.

"Thank you for the kind invitation, but our duties as adventurers are complete, so we must respectfully decline."

"The same for me. It has been an honor just to be able to participate in this event."

We politely refused. Any more of this would be too much. A banquet, yes, but it wouldn't be a cheerful feast. It was sure to be a place for backstabbing nobles to talk and probe each other.

"I see," Emperor Yorune said. "No, I apologize for being pushy. Please receive your payment from the general."

As she spoke, the general handed us two small pouches. A quick peek inside revealed a considerable number of small gold coins.

"Thank you again for your patronage," I said. "We'll be on our way."

We returned the cloaks we had been wearing, gave a bow, and exited the throne room.

As we walked down the corridor, I let out a long sigh. "Phew… finally over. Guess I'll just go home and crash."

I sounded like an old man after a long day at work, patting my right shoulder.

Tina said, "Don't let your guard down too much. This is the royal castle. We don't know where the knights are."

She glanced around, her face cautious. She was suggesting that the knights' dissatisfaction still lingered. Indeed, my words just now could be considered treasonous depending on the circumstances. After all, I had spoken of the honorable duty of escorting the coronation in a negative way.

It really was a pain, though.

At the banquet, nobles mingled in a grand ballroom. It was less a festive atmosphere and more a place for them to discuss how to get in the new emperor's good graces. All around them, various dishes were being served. There were tables but no chairs; it was a standing reception.

The nobles paused their conversations and began to eat.

One of them pointed to a beautifully arranged soup. "What is this dish?"

A cook explained with a smile, "This is a dish called Suitoun. It was devised under the direction of His Excellency the General to bring something new to Her Majesty the Emperor's coronation ceremony."

The noble, though suspicious, said, "Then I'll have one of those."

The cook quickly served it in a small bowl and handed it to the noble. The moment he took a bite, he fell silent and continued to eat. After finishing, he asked the cook for another helping, looking slightly embarrassed.

With the newly filled bowl in hand, the noble returned to his group and introduced the dish to the other nobles. Intrigued, they began to line up one after another to try the Suitoun.

Watching from a distance, the general commented, "It seems to have been a success."

Emperor Yorune, standing beside him, smiled as she watched the scene unfold. "It seems so. I truly have nothing but gratitude for him."

This was the first step toward a better future for the Empire, she thought. The first step toward realizing the ideals her late father had cherished.

Tina and I were walking through the streets of the capital at night. Cheerful laughter filled the air, and the faces of the people passing by were carefree smiles. It seemed everyone was celebrating Yorune-sama's ascension to the throne.

"Since we're here, why don't we grab a bite to eat at one of these places?" I suggested to Tina, caught up in the festive atmosphere.

"That sounds nice. How about that tavern over there?"

She pointed to a shop right in front of us.

I nodded, and we went inside. The noise was loud, but not unpleasant. It had the lively atmosphere of a celebration.

We took a seat and looked at the menu. "Alright, what should we get? Is this Fried Gob-frog and Stir-fried Flame Alligator any good?"

"I think they'll be delicious," Tina replied. "I haven't tried them either, but you won't find a place that serves bad food here."

A sensible answer.

I ordered the fried and stir-fried dishes, along with some rum, from the waiter.

After about a twenty-minute wait, our food arrived. The fried frog wasn't as grotesque as I had imagined. It was properly cut up and looked similar to fried chicken. The alligator stir-fry had meat mixed with chives, bean sprouts, and garlic. Tina and I toasted and began to eat.

The frog was springy, and the juices flowed out with every bite. It was quite addictive. The stir-fry meat was a bit tough, but not so much that you couldn't chew it. The taste was similar to a stir-fried liver and chives dish.

As I ate, I wondered aloud, "With food this delicious available, why did they ask me to cook?"

"Perhaps because it's commoner food," Tina suggested. "They probably think it has a bad image for nobles to eat. It's a strange hang-up, if you ask me."

She answered with a slightly exasperated look.

I had to agree with her. I think any food is good as long as it's tasty, but this might be one of those differences in thinking between commoners and nobles. I took a sip of my rum. It was sour, but with a clean, refreshing taste.

And so, the coronation ceremony ended without a hitch.

But for Emperor Yorune, this was just the beginning of a very long day.

The next day, delegations from various nations arrived.

From the Kingdom came Princess Olivia. From the Republic, Prince Lustolfo. And from the Church, Pope Aleister himself, accompanied by Captain Altorine as his escort.