The knights, who were about to pull Schlus down by grabbing his shoulders and arms, froze with their faces pale as a sheet.
The chilly atmosphere proved that the knights had not misunderstood anything.
Schlus Hainkel.
The Emperor had definitely named him as a recipient of the commendation.
“Let go.”
“Ah… y-yes!”
Feeling the lifeless gaze of Schlus, the knights, even sensing a chill, hurriedly took a step back.
He brushed off the parts where the knights had touched him as if he were disgusted and walked down to the platform.
The knights were still dazed, not fully grasping the situation.
“Commander.”
“Yes.”
“Did you teach your men to invade the commendation ceremony and drag out the recipient?”
“No, I’m really sorry, Your Majesty. I’ll make sure to educate them properly.”
The commander of the Imperial Knights, seated in the front row, knelt on one knee.
He turned to assess the faces of the knights who had created the commotion.
Only then did the knights hastily begin to exit the hall.
They were supposed to quietly drag out just one pesky bug that had mixed in, but somehow it turned into this…
‘Those guys are in deep trouble…’
The knights on guard all shook their heads and sighed.
They would probably soon think it would be better to just die.
It had been a long time since they had seen the usually gentle commander of the knights looking angry.
“I present to you His Majesty, Crown Prince Gustav Friedrich von Freya.”
“That’s enough. Rise.”
The Emperor looked down at Schlus, who was kneeling in greeting, and was filled with doubt.
When he entered just moments ago, he thought he was a little bug who didn’t know manners, sitting there without standing up.
But now he appeared to be a man with poise and etiquette, hardly believable as a commoner.
Is he polite or not, I can’t tell.
“I bestow the medal in acknowledgment of your achievements in eliminating Crow Henderson.”
Schlus’s lips trembled, and he hesitated for a moment.
He thought it would be fitting to bow deeply in gratitude, yet at that moment, Schlus’s eyes subtly turned toward a direction.
In that direction, it must surely be… where his granddaughter was sitting.
Feeling that gaze, the Crown Prince smiled softly.
“…Yes. I will graciously accept it.”
Then Schlus replied, exhaling a small sigh as if he were doing it reluctantly.
Gustav was so taken aback that he almost burst out laughing.
Now he understood the meaning of his granddaughter’s words.
Schlus Hainkel was truly one crazy kid.
A court lady brought over a wooden box and opened it.
Inside, a gleaming metallic object revealed itself.
As the Emperor picked up the medal, the nobles’ eyes widened in shock.
‘The Black Eagle…?!’
The medal engraved with the Black Eagle.
In other words, it was the highest military honor a citizen of the Empire could receive.
The lifetime pension and various benefits that followed were merely by-products.
The fact that fewer than a hundred individuals in the history of the Empire had received it proves the true value of the Black Eagle.
Currently, the only surviving recipient of the Black Eagle is Sergey von Freust, the former Marshal, making it extraordinarily rare.
“The day desired by the royal family has finally come. I extend my gratitude.”
“That’s not enough.”
At Schlus’s nonchalant words, the nobles were astonished.
He may have meant it humbly, but it was practically a diminishing remark about the Imperial Police, Imperial Guards, and the knighthood that had failed to capture Henderson until now.
The Emperor personally draped the ribbon around Schlus’s neck.
As the Emperor stepped back, the Black Eagle hanging around Schlus’s neck sparkled brilliantly.
A brief uncomfortable silence swept through the entire hall.
*Clap… clap…*
At that moment, from the back, a soft sound of applause emerged from where the attendants were waiting.
Only then did the nobles glance at each other and begin to rise, showering applause.
No matter how much the recipient was a commoner, the value of the Black Eagle remained unchanged.
If they ignore Schlus here, it would be the same as ignoring the heroes and great figures who earned the Black Eagle.
Thus, they expressed their respect for the emergence of a hero, even if it wasn’t genuine.
Once the Emperor and Schlus shook hands, the applause began to gradually die down and soon stopped.
“I believe there will be many who question the basis for this commendation. You may ask them directly and resolve your doubts.”
“…?”
At the Emperor’s words, the attendants quickly climbed onto the platform and set up a podium in front of Schlus.
Schlus turned back, looking a bit bemused at the Crown Prince.
She merely smiled sweetly once more.
‘You like this, huh?’
He quickly realized that this Q&A session was a suggestion from the Crown Prince.
Such a segment wouldn’t typically exist in a commendation ceremony.
Schlus could only sigh and face forward once more.
“Please raise your hand if you have a question…”
In that moment, like a sudden gust of wind, hands shot up all over the hall.
*
I can’t even count how many times I cursed Aria in my heart.
The barrage of questions seemed never-ending, and I had to keep answering for about an hour.
How did you catch Crow Henderson?
What magic did you use?
How did Crow Henderson respond with his magic?
What conversation did you have with Crow Henderson, etc…
Questions kept spiraling endlessly, leaving no room to breathe.
At least I was lucky that most of the questions were ones I had faced during previous investigations, so I didn’t slip up.
“Take a sip of water while you answer.”
“Th-thank you…”
Turning to the side, I found Emilia standing there, holding a water jug.
No matter that she could stab me in the back at any moment, she was indeed reliable in times like this.
After taking a sip of water, I wiped the sweat from my forehead with the handkerchief Emilia handed me.
There were only a few hands left raised in the hall.
Just a little more to go.
“Next question, please.”
…and then I had to answer for another hour after that.
*
While the questions were pouring in the hall.
Just then, when everyone was focused on the platform, someone was calmly walking out of the hall.
He was veiled in white, wandering through the corridor alone.
‘Incredible, incredible, everyone’s making a fuss, so I came out to see…’
Schlus Hainkel.
I had heard about him to the point that my ears were ringing.
A superhuman who appeared in the magic community like a comet.
Someone who might rival a Majin.
People who don’t usually praise him were suddenly overflowing with compliments, so I wondered if there was something to it.
I hadn’t come out in three years, and today I finally did.
‘But it’s not as impressive as I thought.’
But the outcome was incredibly disappointing.
Schlus Hainkel certainly had his quirks.
But that was simply it.
Just a little more outstanding than an average human, that’s all it was to me.
‘What on earth do they see as so amazing?’
As I muttered inwardly and stepped out of the building—
*Hwak!*
“….”
Someone suddenly raised their arm and shouted.
It was someone who had been singing Schlus’s praises.
It was Alexia, the chairwoman of the Imperial University.
Thinking she was trying to surprise me, she recoiled awkwardly when I showed no reaction.
Trying to casually place her hand over her head like someone using a armrest, she had to give up when faced with strong rejection.
“Hehe. How was it, Tyr? Just like I said, right? Isn’t that so?”
“No. Honestly, it fell below my expectations.”
“Eh? Why? What were you expecting?”
“They said he could rival a Majin.”
“Hey! That was definitely an exaggeration! How could a human contend with a Majin!”
“….”
Even though her hood covered her expressions, I could still see her scornful look, making Alexia flinch a little.
“That’s right. Humans are incomplete. Weak. Easily breakable. Because of that, they inevitably crave trust.”
As he lowered his white veil, a youthful face with blue hair unveiled itself.
She was known among the Majin as Tiltitz.
And in the human world, she was called the Great Sage.
“If I had been in the church, I could have guided ten lost lambs onto the right path. But because of you, Alexia, I wasted this entire day.”
“Ahaha! Sorry! Sorry! But you’re still doing it, huh? The Great Sage or whatever!”
“…There are far too many lost souls in this world. I can’t just leave them lost.”
Tiltitz was reputed to possess a unique insight that pierced through the essence of the world and reached an understanding of a different plane.
Hearing that rumor, dozens came daily, seeking her guidance.
Tiltitz did not turn away a single one of them and strived to guide them to the right path using the strength of human faith.
Although relying on religion didn’t seem like a worthwhile solution, there were times when, lacking the robust bodies and minds of Majin, religion served as a miraculous remedy for them.
For this dedication, the Papal Palace granted her the title of Wise One.
However, among the people, she was known as the Great Sage.
“Indeed! Your love for humans is unwavering, Tyr!”
“No? That’s not true at all. I’m just doing it for my own satisfaction.”
“Yes, yes. I’m sure that’s it!”
“Could you please stop mocking me?”
As Tiltitz suddenly blew up in anger, Alexia couldn’t stop herself from bursting into laughter.
Seeing the Great Sage getting angry like that was something I thought I’d never get to see.
“By the way, I really don’t get what’s so great about this kid Schlus Hainkel.”
“Really? He’s the one who killed Henderson, whom you warned the most about?”
“I can admit he’s a bit exceptional. But his limitations are exceedingly clear. Blind and deaf, right? It seems he sees and hears using mana, but with human mana sensitivity, it’s hard to completely replace eyes and ears. Surely winning against Henderson was just luck.”
“Hmm… So you think that way!”
“Yeah. Is there a problem?”
“No! None at all!”
Alexia smiled slightly and moved ahead.
Since there was something off in her smile, Tiltitz followed her with a slightly uneasy heart.
‘Tyr’s predictions are always off, after all.’
Meanwhile, Alexia hummed a tune, thinking.
While Tiltitz was adept at penetrating or interpreting the essence of things, her predictions about the future always missed the mark.
Thus, Tiltitz’s prediction that Schlus’s limitations were clear was like a check guaranteeing the opposite.
‘I can’t wait to see how far he grows!’
On top of that, there was one thing Tiltitz didn’t know about Schlus.
His mental strength rivaling that of a Majin, or perhaps even surpassing it.
He was the first person to walk into the Barrier of Fear without a hitch.
Even Alexia, entering the same barrier, would flinch at the sight of her own kin dying.
With robust mental strength backing it, just how far could human talent extend?
The thought that Schlus might answer a question I had held for a lifetime made Alexia feel her heart race.
