“Welcome! Heroes!”
2nd Prince opened his arms wide, welcoming us with a joyful smile. The other nobles in the conference room looked at us with expressions not much different from that of the 2nd Prince.
“Sir Quartz is a blessing of the Empire!”
“Hooray!”
“To achieve what even the first Emperor couldn’t! This is a blessing for the Empire, no, for the continent!”
Hearing these words that the original protagonist once heard felt quite strange.
Lewis must have been waiting for us to win at the Academy by now.
Honestly, it didn’t feel quite real; in the original, the battles were so brutal, but I obliterated them like neighborhood mutts.
To be honest, among all the fights so far, Renny and Harpas were the toughest.
I hadn’t fought with Renny in full condition, but back on the deserted island, even that was a struggle, and now I was finding it not so hard even after catching the dragon.
Thinking back, I felt I had become quite strong.
I even had a girlfriend… or five.
“Peace has found the continent…”
Peace, my foot.
I was about to open my mouth to say that peace wasn’t here yet, but I suddenly closed it again at a thought that popped into my mind.
Was it right to talk about outsiders in front of these folks?
Even if catching the dragon might have helped, I felt that outsiders wouldn’t be much help at all. It would be a relief if they didn’t just get in the way; there weren’t many ways to resist mental pollution.
…Well, I can think about it after I visit the Quartz Family.
“How can we not celebrate on such a joyful day? I shall request His Majesty to hold a grand celebration banquet!”
“Hooray for His Highness Killian!”
“Hooray!”
They sure were excited.
I couldn’t blame them too much, though. I looked at Renny, who seemed equally delighted, and then at Karina. A cheerful face amidst old men really was good for my mental health.
Hmm.
“Johann, you’ve saved the world once again.”
“Three times now, and I’m feeling numb to it.”
In truth, I had my doubts about whether the dragon was even the final boss because I took it down so easily. No matter how well-prepared I was, it hadn’t even taken half a day to conquer.
Of course, I did directly pop its brain, but still, it felt like a rather dull ending.
“Wow, it’s getting more and more grand, so it’s only natural at this point, right?”
“You were part of it too, you know.”
“I merely dipped bread into the prepared soup.”
Renny chuckled at my words, shrugging her shoulders as if she didn’t want to stand out too much.
Doesn’t want to be a bother, huh? But with how noticeable she already was, she couldn’t hide even if she tried.
“Oh! Renny’s excellent swordsmanship was impressive too!”
“How shocked I was when her wings were half severed!”
Just then, the nobles, who had been talking about Renny, turned to look at her, who was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. Renny looked at me with a desperate gaze, as if trying to signal something.
What, needing a favor?
I turned my gaze to Karina. As soon as our eyes met, Karina smiled playfully and held my hand, saying,
“Renny, we’ll be right back after checking on the injured here, so wait for us.”
“Huh? Lady Karina? What do you mean…?”
We left without even waiting for an answer.
———————–
“You are a hero of our Empire.”
What a burden, even holding hands. But I couldn’t show it, so I forced a smile and replied,
“You flatter me.”
“Is that something a knight who has vanquished the evil dragon should say? You should proudly boast of your accomplishments.”
So the Emperor gave me the green light to boast. But honestly, I thought I wouldn’t need to; people were already gathering around, eager to butter me up without me saying anything.
Thinking about being surrounded by people who were probing like that made me want to return to Yeomyeong-gwan.
“Sir Quartz, do you have any rewards you desire?”
“…I’ve merely done what I ought to do.”
“A hero of the Empire, and yet you remain humble!”
The Emperor laughed heartily at my answer and gilded my face with praise. Was my accomplishment so significant that anything I did was viewed positively?
As such frivolous thoughts crossed my mind, the Emperor seemed to decide on a reward for me.
“To achieve a promotion this quickly is unprecedented, but this event is unparalleled; thus, I shall grant you the title of Marquis. I will also give you 500,000 gold coins as a reward!”
500,000?
That should be enough to buy a few Mithril armors, assuming the supply exists. But isn’t there any other reward?
The Emperor continued to list my rewards, as if responding to my expectations.
“And I shall grant you the command to summon royal knights and wizards at any time!”
…He really is generous. Essentially, he’s saying I can use them like my private army. While it might not mean much right now, having reliable subordinates I can utilize in emergencies is quite beneficial.
I could even call the Grand Wizard Oatmeal for some lessons or have the captain of the royal knights train Lewis in a duel.
Not bad at all.
And completing the equipment for outsiders could come in handy too; this turned out to be a nice reward. Much simpler than being burdened with a territory.
So, I guess I’ll have to play along too?
“Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!”
“Sir Quartz, I hope you continue to strive for the safety of the Empire! And… I look forward to your wonderful dance, Sir Quartz.”
The Emperor made a joke and then stood up, disappearing outside the audience hall. He seemed to be going to change clothes to enjoy the party.
Well then, I guess I should head over.
I shook off my knees and headed to the banquet hall. Karina and Renny should already be there; I was eager to get there quickly and escort them.
I wouldn’t want to see someone else asking them to dance.
Of course, whether such a madman existed was another question.
If someone wanted to fight me, they might act crazy and ask to dance, but whoever it was would eventually end up on the losing side, mentally or physically.
Considering my current reputation, unless a drunkard wanted to cause a scene, that was unlikely to happen.
“This way, Sir Quartz.”
I was ushered into the banquet hall, having changed into formal wear with the help of maids.
“Hero of the Empire! Sir Quartz, the Dragon Slayer, enters!”
Hearing it made me a bit cringe.
Still, I entered the banquet hall through the opened door. As soon as I stepped in, I felt countless gazes on me. Not one of those gazes was unfriendly.
[Contractor! There’s Karina! And next to her is someone I’ve never seen before!]
“It’s Renny.”
[Huh? Really?]
Rue, oh Rue. How could you not recognize someone you see daily with those big eyes?
It was neither strange nor surprising given that she was dressed up, but I approached Renny, who was wearing a dress that revealed her back, looking awkwardly at me, and Karina, who was beaming and waving at me.
“Both of you look beautiful.”
“Are you hitting on me now?”
“If you think that, then you can consider it true.”
“You’ve become such a playboy after dating five girls.”
“Let’s just say I’m being gentlemanly. Karina, would you like to dance a song?”
“Of course.”
I took Karina’s hand and walked to the center of the ballroom. As we stood there, the music stopped, and a new melody began to play.
“Hehe, it feels good to dance freely after such a big ordeal.”
“What a coincidence. I was just thinking the same.”
“Johann, you’re becoming more and more charming, you know?”
As we stepped together, the distance between us suddenly shrank. Holding hands, our bodies pressed against each other, we danced just like we did months ago.
One, two, three, four.
One, two, three, four.
With every step, Karina’s chest pressed against mine, reshaping.
Wearing a dress that revealed her cleavage, the different shapes of her bust dancing around made it hard to keep my gaze on her face.
“Johann, you’re being naughty.”
“It’s because you’re too charming. Please understand.”
“Okay, I’ll understand.”
There’s nothing as fun as whispering sweet nothings while stepping in rhythm. We bantered playfully until the music ended.
“That’s the end.”
“Let’s go quickly; Renny is waiting.”
We approached Renny, who had been sipping her wine in the corner with her arms crossed. As we neared, Renny put down her wine glass and spoke with a face that bore signs of fatigue.
“Did you come…?”
“You look tired.”
“Ugh, it was annoying because everyone buzzed around me while you two were gone. Sigh, why can’t they just leave me alone?”
Looking around, I noticed men glancing over at us. Oh, so they were trying to throw hints at Renny since she was solo.
“You’ve had a tough time.”
“Well, it’s better than what you and Lady Karina went through.”
“Since we’re here, would you like to dance?”
“Huh?”
Renny pointed at herself, as if asking if I meant her. I nodded, and she shook her head, looking puzzled.
“I don’t know how to dance sophisticatedly.”
“Just follow my lead.”
“Well, if I don’t know what to do at all…”
“Renny, how about just trying it once?”
“Um, but still…”
“Please. I want to see you dance, Renny.”
Karina seemed determined to get Renny dancing; her hands were clasped at her chest, and she looked at her with sparkling eyes. Renny, who had never won against Karina, had no choice but to grab Johann’s hand.
“I really don’t know how to…”
“Don’t worry; just follow my lead.”
“Alright… but if I step on your feet, it’s not my fault?”
“Agreed.”
I quietly extended my palm. Renny hesitated for a moment but then placed her small hand on mine, which was surprisingly small for a knight.
“Lady, may we dance a song?”
“Oh my, that’s cringy…”
“Lady?”
“What am I supposed to say in this situation… Ah, fine, I’ll accept it, Sir Quartz?”
“I’m looking forward to it!”
Renny and I shared a chuckle as we made our way to the center of the banquet hall.
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