Wish Granting Right.
The Wish Granting Right, bestowed directly by the Emperor, is an exceptional honor in which all authority of the Empire is temporarily assigned to an individual.
It takes precedence over law and exists above all nobles, and at times, can even govern life itself.
According to the game’s setting, there were instances in the past when the Wish Granting Right was granted during times when the Energy Accumulation Technique had not yet properly developed.
Without any aura, the first knight in history to subdue a Greater Demon Beast used the Wish Granting Right to request tax exemption for his hometown, and the Emperor at the time directly moved the Empire’s finances to implement that request.
And at that moment, the Wish Granting Right was given to me.
I lifted my head and directly met the Emperor’s gaze beyond the veil on the stage.
Despite being obscured by the veil, the Emperor’s gaze felt unmistakably blunt.
“State your wish, hero of creation.”
The Emperor’s voice resonated like a strong wave throughout the grand hall.
I pondered briefly over what wish to state.
Since it was a situation that had rarely appeared even in the game, I had not anticipated that the Emperor would grant me the Wish Granting Right.
There is no doubt that this world is somewhat twisted.
However, it is also true that the apocalyptic branch that appeared in the original work has not disappeared entirely.
If it is indeed possible to fulfill any wish, what should I wish for?
After much contemplation, I spoke.
“Three times. At the time I determine, at the place I designate, with the questions I choose… I ask Your Majesty to grant me the truth.”
I did not say something like, “Please execute all members of the anti-Empire group, Red Star!”
Nor did I say, “Please declare war on the Southern region, which conducts horrific biological experiments!”
To be more precise, it was closer to saying that I could not do so.
The instant I recognized that the characters from the original work had changed, I began to think that my knowledge of the original work might be flawed.
Moreover, if I carelessly bared my teeth, it would be easy to suffer a counterattack.
What if Red Star has already taken control of the Empire and is merely determining the timing to replace the Emperor?
In that case, as soon as I made my wish, numerous assassins would come for me.
That would just become a hassle.
Therefore, what I desired was information.
To know if this world truly corresponds to the world I know.
To understand if the factions that existed in the original work actually still exist now.
I needed to know that in order to prepare for the apocalypse.
And what I truly seek is――
“Is that truly the end of your questions?”
“That is all of my wish, Your Majesty.”
A quiet murmur spread throughout the banquet hall.
Everyone must have noticed. It was such a simple wish.
The Emperor remained silent.
After a moment of stillness, he calmly continued.
“It is an utterly insufficient reward compared to your merits.”
There was a suppressed discontent in the Emperor’s voice, as if expressing that things were not going as he wished.
“The wish I can grant you is everything that the Empire can achieve. If you wish to become the king of a nation, I shall create your kingdom for you.”
A murmur spread among the nobles.
Becoming the king of a nation.
That could be seen as a hope for the nobles.
“If you desire it, I will make all the beauties of the Empire voluntarily line up before you. A thousand or ten thousand. I shall set even the standards of beauty to your liking.”
Irene and Freya stiffened slightly.
“State your other wish. I swear by the name of the Empire that I shall grant whatever it may be.”
I took a breath again and made my request.
“Please incorporate the Wave Device I invented into the official curriculum of the Empire Academy.”
A brief silence ensued, and the Emperor chuckled softly.
There was a hint of incredulity mixed with a sense of absurd emptiness in that laughter.
However, the gaze beyond the veil was still clear.
It was evident that he was intentionally revealing his emotions.
“Is that truly all?”
“…Yes.”
“Ha…”
The Emperor exhaled deeply.
“Even now, it is still entirely insufficient compared to your contributions. I could give you anything.”
And as if he had grown weary, the Emperor declared.
“Very well. Then I shall bestow a reward upon you as I see fit.”
Behind the veil, the Emperor raised his hand with a bored expression.
“Ian.”
My name echoed once again, and at that moment, the Emperor continued speaking slowly.
“I shall bestow upon you the title of Duke of Valencia.”
When those words finished, the banquet hall froze.
In that moment where even breaths could be heard, the Emperor’s voice fell heavily once again.
“Moreover, I shall grant you access to the Empire’s Vein of Blood.”
Vein of Blood.
A different name for the Empire’s treasury.
It is not simply a treasure trove.
It is a sort of subspace built upon the hearts of Greater Demon Beasts that the Empire’s emperors have subdued through the generations.
The place where the magic accumulated in the bodies of the Greater Demon Beasts remains can essentially be seen as housing the history of the Empire.
Weapons that seem to belong only in legends, ancient contracts, potions that can no longer be made, spellbooks passed down from the Eastern lands…
It is even said that the ‘Egg of a Demon Beast,’ which could destroy the world, is sealed there.
In the game, there were various accessories, including buff items and semi-final tier equipment.
Of course, by that time, play styles would already be fixed, so not everything would be necessary.
“They’re going to open that…?”
Naturally, the Vein of Blood is not simply a space for granting rewards.
It is a space that the Emperor allows only to the successors of the Empire or those who have etched their names in history.
A few high-ranking nobles flinched, unconsciously rising from their seats with murmurs.
They looked more shocked than when the title of Duke was granted.
All eyes fell on me.
Nobles, generals, and high-ranking officials alike.
Gazes of coldness as if they were anticipating this and looks of awe and bewilderment unable to be concealed fell upon me.
Breaking that silence, someone stood up abruptly.
A stout noble with multiple chins, a fat aristocrat.
The head of the Count’s family responsible for the royal treasury, the well-known Count Balor Roen.
In the original work, he appeared as a member of Red Star.
Unlike the Emperor and Franz, Count Roen had not undergone a transformation into a handsome figure but rather had become even uglier than in the original work.
I wondered why, but no one was here to tell me the answer yet.
His face was turning red.
“Your Majesty! This cannot be!”
“……?”
“There has never been a precedent for granting a title of Duke to a commoner! The order of the aristocracy will collapse!”
He pointed a trembling hand at me with a flushed face.
“That person is merely an unknown who shed blood on the battlefield. Such a shocking disregard for the Empire’s bloodline and traditions—”
The Emperor raised his hand to silence Count Roen’s statements.
As the banquet hall quieted in an instant, the Emperor, having calmly seated himself once again, spoke evenly.
“—Then let me ask you. What reward do you think is fitting for a hero who achieved the creation?”
“Although Ian’s influence on the battlefield is significant, it is unthinkable for a commoner to receive the title of Duke. Therefore, I request a title of Baron instead of Duke—”
“—Again.”
The Emperor interrupted Count Roen’s declaration once more.
“I shall ask again. What reward do you think is fitting for a hero who achieved the creation?”
“……Even the title of Baron would be a valuable honor for a commoner—”
“—Again. What reward do you think is fitting for a hero who achieved the creation?”
At the moment Count Roen was about to open his mouth with his face turning crimson.
Count Roen soon realized that the Emperor was staring at him intently.
The Emperor’s golden eyes.
Long vertical slits resembling those of a reptile.
The instant my gaze met those eyes, Count Roen felt his limbs go numb.
“Have you suddenly become mute? Count Roen, I shall ask again.”
Even if he opened his mouth, no sound would come out.
It felt as if his internal organs were not functioning at all.
“To the hero of the empire.”
Even as he tried to turn his head, his body wouldn’t move.
The rigid muscles in his neck resisted Roen’s will.
“What reward.”
Even if he tried to tear his gaze away from the horrifying golden eyes, he could not.
It felt as if the Emperor had taken control of his body.
A duration of less than 10 seconds began to feel like an eternity.
“What do you think is fitting?”
His breath was constricted, as if squeezing his lungs.
Count Roen gasped for air, desperately trying to breathe.
“Do you think?”
As soon as the words finished, Count Roen slumped down.
He knelt, exhaling the breath he had been holding back.
After coughing for a moment, he bowed his head to the Emperor.
A strange liquid began to seep out around him, gradually expanding its territory on the banquet hall floor.
“……Your, your greatness, the will of Her Majesty truly is correct.”
“Indeed it is.”
At last, a satisfied chuckle escaped the Emperor beyond the veil.
The frozen air inside the banquet hall began to thaw.
“Ian. No, Ian Valencia. From now on, you shall be the Duke of Valencia. What a fine resonance it has.”
