“Third-Class Meritorious Subject entrance!”
During normal times, the imperial audience is usually attended only by the empire’s officials, but it was brimming with nobles and prominent figures of the empire for the first time in a while.
So many people lined up on both sides of the grand entrance, clapping their hands in that magnificent sight which hadn’t been seen since the war with the neighboring kingdom of Silberia five years ago.
“In this investigation, we spared no effort in support, revealing the nefarious dark wizard that sought to shake the empire…”
As Count Julius, the Emperor’s chamberlain and court noble, praised the achievements of the third-class meritorious subjects with a clear voice, the applause grew even louder.
‘I heard the Crown Prince is considered a first-class meritorious subject. Wouldn’t it have been more fitting to place him among the second or third-class ranks instead?’
‘Don’t say silly things. I heard that it was the Crown Prince who practically made this investigation a success.’
‘Those guys were lucky to be nearby.’
The third-class meritorious subjects bowing before the Emperor were the lords of the surrounding territories who had responded to the Crown Prince’s call for troops during the Abyss Cult crackdown.
Seeing them being honored as meritorious subjects by the Emperor, the nobles gathered in the court were envious and resentful.
If they had been there, they could have provided as many troops as needed. They grumbled internally, calling them fortunate ones and just lucky.
Still, they had no choice but to applaud and celebrate outwardly
In truth, among them were those who had rejected the Crown Prince’s call for troops, claiming it was an overreach, which made the reality even more bitter.
‘Dammit, if only I knew not supporting that brat would lead to trouble.’
If it had only ended with bitterness, it wouldn’t be too bad, but they had already been marked by the royal family for acting selfishly in the face of the Empire’s danger.
To survive, they had no choice but to donate a considerable amount of funds.”
“Next is the entrance of the Second-Class Meritorious Subjects!”
After the praises for the third-class subjects ended, Count Julius announced the entrance of the second-class meritorious subjects.
From the second-class subjects onward, it was mainly figures from the Imperial Intelligence Department or the Crown Prince’s bodyguards who participated in the investigation.
‘The Imperial Intelligence Department wouldn’t appear at an official occasion since secrecy is their priority.’
The Crown Prince’s bodyguards had considerable merits, but because they were deemed at fault for failing to protect the Crown Prince’s well-being, they are currently under sentence.
People suddenly grew curious about who would be selected as the second-class meritorious subjects.
And when Count Julius finally called out the second-class meritorious subjects, the court fell silent for a moment.
“Second-Class Meritorious Subject Rupert Somerset. In a situation where his family was threatened, he calmly informed the Empire about the Dark Wizard’s movements….”
As the name Rupert Somerset was announced, the audience buzzed with excitement.
Having recently gained fame as an author of fairy tales and comic books, most people present knew his name.
However, since it was not a name that one would expect to hear called for a meritorious subject, there was a flurry of confusion all around.
But despite the commotion, when he was announced as a second-class meritorious subject, the protagonist, Rupert Somerset, walked slowly through the entrance of the court.
‘So that’s Rupert. It seems the rumors about him having an iron heart weren’t unfounded.’
Though he had an ordinary build, his delicate appearance seemed to harbor an air of coldness.
It must have been his first time in the court, yet it seemed he wasn’t nervous at all.
Walking down the grand entrance without any change in expression, everyone thought he was as the rumors said.
A noble with an iron heart who had mercilessly seized his family estate by imprisoning his father.
After he took over the mansion, the comings and goings of people had never ceased late into the night, generating countless rumors.
Moreover, even Esteban, a prominent merchant in the Empire, referred to him as someone who had lost all human emotion, leading many to be wary of Rupert.
Recently, it was rumored that he had been training soldiers at the barracks since dawn, causing nobles from nearby territories to be filled with dread.
It was speculated that this was a quest for bloody revenge against the surrounding nobles who had seized their interests when the Somerset family fell.
“Rupert Somerset, raise your head.”
Having arrived at the end of the court, Rupert humbly bowed before the Emperor seated on the throne.
As the Emperor’s dignified voice echoed, Rupert gently raised his head to face the Emperor.
The current Emperor of the Borus Empire, Leonius Bell.
He was the second son of the former Emperor and had ascended to the throne through a bloody succession struggle.
Those who knew even a little about the Emperor understood how dangerous a figure he was.
When his older brother, the Crown Prince, plotted against him to solidify his power, he gathered forces to unseat him and ascended as the Crown Prince himself.
He had many siblings, but most had lost their lives in mysterious illnesses or accidents, leaving only a few surviving as mere puppets under the Emperor’s watch in the capital.
Was it because he had fought through such bloody struggles himself?
Leonius hoped that no such fights would arise among his children, early declaring his firstborn, Alex Bell, as the Crown Prince and carefully controlling the power and influence of his other offspring.
Yet even such an Emperor could not control the matter of his children.
The Crown Prince, whom he had positioned as his successor, becoming known as a ruffian was a longstanding headache for the Emperor.
‘But finally, that rascal is starting to show the qualities of a ruler.’
In such a short time, his child had grown unrecognizably, making him immensely proud, but just as he felt pleased, yet another problem had arisen, seething with anger.
‘Isn’t all this because of that brat?’
The Emperor was displeased by reports that the Crown Prince suddenly took an active role in this incident to help Rupert Somerset.
In reality, considering that the Crown Prince had changed thanks to Rupert, it was rather hypocritical.
Witnessing his firstborn return without an arm, a father’s heart couldn’t remain that cold.
Publicly, he couldn’t treat him warmly to maintain his authority as Emperor, but he definitely did not want him to fall into danger.
However, putting such feelings aside, the Emperor congratulated Rupert.
“Your contributions to uncovering the truths of this incident were significant. Although it is regrettable that you did not inform the royal family directly, you did your best given the circumstances, and therefore I hereby designate you as a second-class meritorious subject.”
As the Emperor, having recognized his contributions, stood up and adorned Rupert’s chest with the medal handed over by his attendant, Rupert modestly replied.
“It is too much of an honor for someone like me who has done nothing.”
“There is no need to be humble. Your contribution is acknowledged by all in the investigation team.”
The Emperor found Rupert’s humble words annoying. If he received an award, he should just accept it and leave, why add some words?
Normally, he would have let it slide, but it vexed him that it was someone he found distasteful.
“It’s insufficient to call it my contribution. This matter rightfully belongs to the investigation team and the Crown Prince, who led that investigation team.”
“Then shall you refuse the selection as a meritorious subject?”
The Emperor regretted his words as soon as he said it. Traditionally, humility was supposed to be accepted three times, yet because Rupert was detestable, a curt remark escaped him.
“How could I refuse the honor bestowed by the royal family? I shall strive to be a loyal servant of the royal family befitting a second-class meritorious subject.”
Despite the Emperor’s obvious displeasure, Rupert calmly concluded his words.
Thinking that bringing up issues any further might make it look bad, the Emperor let the selection of the second-class meritorious subjects conclude there.
Now only the main event, the first-class meritorious subject remained.
‘Have you all heard the rumors?’
‘Is it that the Crown Prince has lost his right arm?’
‘Tch. Just when he started showing signs of being a true Crown Prince, he makes such a disqualifying mistake.’
That the Crown Prince would surely be among the first-class meritorious subjects was already common knowledge among the Empire’s nobles.
Of course, it was astonishing that the Crown Prince had annihilated the Dark Wizards organization, but to the nobles, it was even more intriguing that the Crown Prince had lost his right arm.
– The imperial family must be divine and utterly perfect!
People tend not to tolerate flaws in those who sit above them.
Not only the common nobility but especially the imperial family would be judged far more strictly.
For this reason, while the Crown Prince’s achievements could have solidified his position as a first-class meritorious subject, instead, the situation had grown even more precarious, attracting their interest.
‘Maybe I should consider siding with the second prince this time.’
‘The second prince is quite similar to the first prince, maybe I should place a bet on the princess Ioleen?’
‘The princess has quite a few challenging factors. It seems the third prince is regarded as the best of the three….’
While the nobles held such ulterior motives and clapped their hands, the event continued.
Finally, three figures entered through the doors of the court.
In the center, the Crown Prince confidently walked in, flanked by Yustaf and Harun a step behind.
“Uh?! The Crown Prince’s arm?”
“Isn’t it fine? Was it a false rumor?”
“No, maybe he’s wearing a prosthetic arm?”
As the Crown Prince entered, called as the first-class meritorious subject, contrary to the rumors, his right arm remained intact.
However, since it was covered by clothing, some thought he might have come wearing a golem’s arm.
“But a golem’s arm would have to be much larger.”
“Right. It would definitely be two to three times thicker than a normal arm.”
“Maybe he just put on a model of a prosthetic arm?”
As people’s doubts surfaced, upon reaching the end of the grand hall, the Crown Prince seemed to have been waiting for this moment and rolled up his sleeves.
Then, his clearly visible hands and arms were the very same as a normal arm.
“What is going on here?!”
The nobles weren’t the only ones shocked by the sight; the Emperor was also astonished.
Nobles who had never seen the Crown Prince directly thought maybe the rumors were false, while the Emperor, who had witnessed his son’s loss of arm, found it utterly impossible to believe the current situation.
“Yustaf!”
Though the Emperor hastily asked in surprise, the Crown Prince calmly called Yustaf standing beside him.
Upon the Crown Prince’s call, Yustaf recited a simple spell aimed at the Crown Prince’s right arm as if it had been prearranged.
“Dispel.”
As the dispel spell, which has a counteracting effect, was cast on the Crown Prince’s right arm.
The true form of his right arm, which had appeared normal, began to reveal itself.
“What is that?!”
The assembly gasped collectively at the revelation of the Crown Prince’s right arm.
Though painted black, it was definitely a metallic arm.
How it had been made was a complete mystery, yet the craftsmanship was beyond exquisite.
In the joint areas, thin wires were intricately intertwined, and the forearm seemed to connect seamlessly with the Crown Prince’s shoulder.
“Alex! What in the world is that thing, no, what is its true nature?!”
The Emperor, who had never called Alex by name before in public, found himself in panic and asked hurriedly without a moment to think about his title.
“It is a New Golem’s Arm.”
“A New Golem’s Arm?”
Upon hearing the Crown Prince’s answer, the crowd began to murmur. The golem arms they knew were massive and cumbersome, looking quite unsightly.
However, the Crown Prince’s New Golem’s Arm appeared so intricate that it could be mistaken for a real human arm.
– Iron-Blooded Alchemist!
As someone shouted out the name from the comic book Iron-Blooded Alchemist, the crowd began to buzz again.
Many nobles among them recognized that it resembled the New Golem’s Arm depicted in the popular series Iron-Blooded Alchemist.
“Where on earth did you obtain this?!”
At the Emperor’s question, Alex looked at a specific spot and nodded, after which someone pushed through the crowd and stepped forward in front of the court.
“The one who made and delivered the New Golem’s Arm to me was none other than Rupert Somerset.”
The Crown Prince proudly mentioned Rupert’s name, who still stood beside him without a hint of change in expression.
*
“Did you say this was made by the craftsmen of your territory?”
The Emperor, still baffled by the New Golem’s Arm on the Crown Prince’s right arm, couldn’t hide his amazement, having heard the explanation from Rupert, yet still found many parts hard to understand.
Such a thing was impossible even for the imperial craftsmen to make, thus it was hard to easily believe.
“Of course, it was impossible for my territory’s craftsmen alone.”
“What do you mean?”
Rupert glanced sideways at someone standing on the grand entrance before calling them forth.
Then, a man cautiously emerged while carrying a box.
“Wait, isn’t that a Dwarf?!”
“A Dwarf is in the Empire?”
“Oh, will I truly see a Dwarf in my lifetime?”
The one who brought the box was none other than the Dwarf, Kroon.
The reaction of the nobles upon seeing Kroon felt akin to watching a rare animal, and being treated like a beast left Kroon feeling rather bad, but he held it together.
After all, creating a scene at an event like this would surely bring trouble not only to himself but also to Rupert, who had done him a favor.
The Emperor was just as astonished at Kroon’s appearance.
Though he interacted with Elves, he rarely had contact with Dwarves, so it was uncommon even for the Emperor to have met one.
While everyone was perplexed by the arrival of the Dwarf, Rupert, not wanting to miss the opportunity to seize their attention, quickly continued speaking.
“This is the New Golem’s Arm created through a collaboration between Kroon, a Dwarf present here, and the craftsmen of my territory.”
“Indeed, it was the handiwork of a Dwarf!”
The Emperor couldn’t contain his astonishment. Watching the one-armed Crown Prince, he had not forgotten about the golem arm.
However, the golem arm was usually enormous and clunky; he couldn’t dare recommend something that would only serve as a source of ridicule.
What Rupert introduced as the new Golem’s Arm resembled a human arm in both size and appearance.
“We believed it was right for the Crown Prince to be the first to use the very first New Golem’s Arm we created, so we delivered it to him last night!”
The Emperor felt an urge to leap from his throne and embrace Rupert immediately.
With that, the Crown Prince could dissipate any attacks he might suffer without worry.
But confirming that had to come first.
“While the newly made Golem’s Arm is undoubtedly outstanding, can we guarantee its safety for the Crown Prince?”
The Emperor managed to calm his excited heart to ask, fearing any potential safety issues might pose a threat to the Crown Prince’s health.
“I can guarantee that.”
It was not Rupert who answered the Emperor’s question, but another person.
“You, Yustaf?”
“I participated in the finishing processes of making that New Golem’s Arm and verified that it poses no threat to its user.”
Yustaf’s answer, stepping forward in place of Rupert, caused the Emperor’s expression to brighten without reservation, and Kroon’s expression became triumphant.
“Why wouldn’t it be something made by me?”
“Shh! Be quiet, Kroon. You’ll receive plenty of praise later.”
“I wasn’t looking for praise…”
Rupert cut off Kroon, who murmured quietly with pride over the Emperor’s delight sparked by the thing he had made.
“Alex, can you try moving your arm?”
Lastly, the Emperor wanted to confirm the functionality of the arm.
It may look good, but if it didn’t work properly, it would be nothing but an ornament.
As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, the Crown Prince raised his right arm and began to move it in various ways.
The new right arm, contrasting against a normal one.
The black right arm moved freely to the Crown Prince’s will without a hint of creaking.
The arm, moving freely from its joints to its fingers as though his lost right arm had returned, stirred another uproar in the court.
The Emperor watched the scene with tears in his eyes.
And someone spoke up.
“An Iron-Blooded… No, it’s not Iron-Blooded, it’s Steel. He is the Steel Crown Prince.”
It was a moment when a new title for the Crown Prince emerged, replacing the derogatory term of ruffian.
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