kscans

Chapter 159 - Small Talk and a Letter

The coronation ceremony was underway.

The venue was the throne room.

The great hall was filled with countless nobles, all waiting in anticipation. We stood a step back from them. We were in our adventurer’s gear, but with knights all around, we didn’t look entirely out of place. Still, the atmosphere made it clear: we were commoners in a place we didn’t belong.

By the way, Sena, being a baby, had been left in the care of the maids.

As I was taking it all in, someone approached us.

"Well, well, if it isn’t Red Lightning. It’s been a while. I’m the leader of the ‘Owl’ party."

The man who greeted us was dressed in light armor, a member of the Owl party.

Come to think of it, I’d heard they’d recently been promoted to A-rank.

"It has been a while," I said. "About a year, I think? We haven’t seen you since the Monster Uproar, have we?"

"That sounds about right," the leader replied. "I’ve heard the rumors, you know. That you earned an A-rank title from both the Kingdom and the Empire. You’re still famous among adventurers. It seems you’ve been busy."

It was typical small talk.

Just then, a nearby knight spoke up. "Her Majesty the Queen will be arriving shortly. Quiet, please."

At his words, we fell silent. The surrounding nobles did the same. And then…

"Her Majesty the Queen! Presenting Her Majesty!"

With that cry, the doors opened and Lady Olivia appeared.

She wore a magnificent dress, a dazzling necklace, and shimmering earrings. In her right hand, she held a scepter, at the tip of which red and blue magic stones shone with a brilliant light. The sight of her left the crowd breathless, watching in silent awe.

But the knights were on full alert, their posture ready to apprehend any troublemaker in an instant.

"Lady Olivia… she doesn’t look very happy," Tina whispered.

"She doesn’t?" I asked, tilting my head. "I can’t really tell."

"Well, I’ve had my fair share of meetings and conversations with her. So I can just sort of tell," she said with a small smile.

This must have been before she met me. No wonder I couldn’t see it. As I was thinking, Lady Olivia stopped before the throne.

Prince Alphonse stood there, holding the crown.

"Olivia Harg. The moment this crown touches your head, you will reign as the new monarch. Do you have any objections?"

To his solemn words, Olivia replied, "I have none. I am resolved to support this nation as its ruler."

Upon hearing her declaration, Alphonse placed the crown on Olivia’s head. When she turned to face the crowd, a wave of applause filled the hall. As Olivia took her seat on the throne, a lavish feast was brought out.

While we enjoyed the meal, the nobles were a flurry of activity. Some approached Olivia to flatter her, while others conversed with their fellow aristocrats. Though, only the heads of each house were speaking with Olivia directly.

The other family members were chatting with acquaintances, likely discussing the future. It seemed there were many forward-thinking people among them.

One of them approached us.

"It’s been a long time, Lady Tina, young Shinsuke."

"It has indeed, Lord Rosen," Tina greeted him. "Shouldn’t you be paying your respects to Her Majesty the Queen?"

"My daughter is handling that," the lord replied. "Considering the future, I thought it best for the next in line to go." He glanced toward the throne.

There were so many young people, I couldn’t tell who was who. I didn’t know any of their faces anyway.

"By the way," I said, looking at the man standing behind the lord, "I see the Guild Master is here as well. Are you acting as an escort?"

"That’s part of it," the Guild Master answered. "But it’s also proper for the Guild’s representative to attend."

After greeting us, the lord moved on to the next noble.

"You’re a busy man," I commented. "When you say representative, do you mean for all the guilds?"

The Guild Master nodded. "That’s right. I made it to A-rank in my active days. It’s a long story, so I’ll spare you the details, but I caught the eye of the previous Guild Master, and that’s how I ended up in this position."

So this guy was a pretty big deal.

At first, I’d just thought he was an intimidating old man, but his experience was on another level.

I wished some of the elderly back on Earth could see him—the ones who act all high and mighty despite having done nothing with their lives but get old.

As I was thinking, I heard Bardos say, "Leona, this looks good. Want to try some?"

"Please, try to be a bit more restrained," Leona chided him gently. "You’re a nationally recognized A-rank adventurer. You need to have some manners…"

The Guild Master watched them with a wry smile. "He never changes. A battlefield suits him better than a place like this. The same goes for you, Shinsuke. You hate being the center of attention, don’t you?"

He had a teasing grin on his face.

"It’s not like I tried to stand out," I replied wearily. "It just happened while I was taking on jobs. I feel bad for the adventurers who are actually trying to climb the ranks, but… I never wanted to be this high up."

In truth, adventurers aimed for high ranks because the pay was good. At low ranks, the number of available quests was limited, and the rewards were barely enough to live on for a month. But a single high-rank quest could easily support you for a month, and it would get you noticed by nobles, leading to even better jobs.

You might even be invited to important events like this one, involving royalty.

It was only natural to aim for the perk-filled A-rank. But it was also true that it wasn’t easy to get there.

In other words, my statement was quite problematic.

"I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that," the Guild Master said. "Your master was also not too keen on being an adventurer. But considering his circumstances, he had no choice but to earn a living that way." He looked off into the distance, lost in thought.

Master Dornet. It was because I met him that I’m here today.

Respect your elders.

As a kid, I never understood what that meant or what made them so great.

But now I get it. To be alive, to learn and experience all sorts of things—I now understand just how fortunate that is. I only learned that after living through hardship.

And so, the coronation ceremony ended without a hitch, filled with casual conversation and good food. We decided to stay the night at an inn in the capital. The lord and the Guild Master, meanwhile, headed to their respective villas in the city.

That night, in the Queen’s chambers at the royal castle.

With the coronation safely concluded, Olivia sank into a sofa.

Normally, she would check if there was any work to be done, and if not, go straight to bed. But today, even though there was no work, she had a strange sense of unease.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"It’s Sakura. Forgive the late hour, but… there is an urgent matter."

Her voice was frantic. Olivia gave her permission to enter.

Sakura curtsied. "Pardon the intrusion. A messenger bird has arrived from Emperor Yorune of the Empire. The message simply says it’s urgent and nothing more."

She held out a letter.

Olivia took the letter and read its contents. When she finished, a weary expression settled on her face.

As Sakura watched with concern, Olivia said, "It seems the conflict at the Empire’s border with the monsters has intensified again. Until now, it was just skirmishes. But today, they faced a large-scale attack. Even deploying the Edgeson Unit didn’t deter the monsters. Fortunately, casualties were light, but… the letter says a powerful monster, like the one from a year ago, may have appeared. The Emperor is requesting support from Red Lightning."

Sakura gasped. "To that extent? I had heard the Empire’s military strength had been significantly reinforced."

Indeed, the Empire’s forces had improved greatly under General Goltor’s command. While they had no A-rank adventurers other than our two, their B-rankers were stronger than the Kingdom’s. Furthermore, while the Edgesons weren’t being mass-produced, they were manufacturing a set number of them.

Their national power should have been higher than the other countries. And yet, they were asking for just two people.

A grave situation was unfolding.

"Send a notice to the Guild," Olivia commanded. "Tell them a request has come from the Imperial Guild for Red Lightning, and that they are to go."

Sakura bowed and left the room.

Alone again, Olivia looked up at the night sky. Was this the source of the unease she’d been feeling all morning? Or was this just the beginning of something that would soon befall the Kingdom or the Republic? Either way, it was bad news.

To think such a difficult problem would arise so soon after her coronation.

But she couldn’t afford to stand idly by. She had to consult with her brother, the chancellor, about how to rally the nobles for what was to come. She had to write down every possible plan she could think of now. With that resolve, she sat at her desk, and her pen began to fly across the paper.

At the same time, Pope Altorine of the Church received a similar letter, this one a request for supplies.

A petition was delivered to the Republic, asking them to restrict their trade routes.

What on earth had happened at the border?

They would only find out later.