(Perugius POV)
With patience, I sat in the throne room on my seat, allowing my guests to settle in before extending my greeting in person.
The events of that night when they were attacked must still be ingrained in their minds, so it was only appropriate to allow them to rest their minds of that time first.
As I waited, I couldn't help but ponder the things Rudeus Greyrat has been involved in within just a few years.
The rise of abnormal monsters is concerning, especially those that shouldn't be around the Northern Territories.
But it's clear that my assistance is unnecessary, as Rudeus is sharing his awakening method with the people, Kalman's son and grandson are present, and the current Sword God is on his way to Sharia.
Then again, I would like to avoid letting another [Bright Sky Wave] happen. The present damage from the first two is already severe as it is.
The literal impact on this world should have been the time I started keeping an eye on him, but as Arumanfi found him dead, I did not believe he would be of any further problem.
It took me until the second worldwide impact to discover that he had somehow survived and had unforeseeable cursed powers that had momentarily turned him into a Demon Dragon hybrid.
I have already considered sealing him, if not killing him, but due to my hesitation, that option is getting further away as time goes by.
Even the second option of getting into a friendly relationship seems reasonably low because of his trust issues against me.
I have recently become unsure whether to try to invite him anymore.
Not to say I'm afraid of him or anything, but a battle against him seems to come with a price to pay at the end. The image of Orsted and Silent Seven Stars coming to my castle all battered was enough proof to me how dangerous that kid can be.
In any case, a direct and unprepared confrontation would be less than unfavorable.
It wasn't long before my guest entered through the door earlier than expected, following behind Sylvaril as they walked in line through the hallway leading to this room.
I first noticed the adult man exuding an unmistakably strong aura walking closely behind Sylvaril. I assume that this is Rudeus's father.
The rest were all women, some equipped with swords and one dressed in a maid uniform. There were also two young girls, presumably Paul Greyrat's daughters, one of them looking like the maid and dressed in a maid uniform like her, and the other dressed in an attire common for Millishion folks.
Once they all came close enough, Sylvaril came over to stand beside me, and the rest of them went down on one knee and lowered their heads.
The young girl with the Millishion attire seems to stagger a bit before correcting herself, showing the nervousness and exhaustion still wavering on her. I can overlook her minor mistakes, especially given her young age.
But the young maid carried herself very well, demonstrating early etiquette training.
"I am the Armored Dragon King, Perugius Dola. Welcome to my castle." I announced for all of them to hear.
The first one to speak was Paul Greyrat.
"I, Paul Greyrat, thank you on behalf of all of us for your hospitality, Lord Perugius. I also apologize for not appearing before you in more appropriate attire."
So this is Paul Greyrat. He didn't look special at first glance, but he seemed well-built and strong in how he carried himself through the hallway.
But it was the white patches of hair that made me curious. Was what Orsted said true? It's rare for two generations to have the same mana abnormality. I should give Karowante of Insight time to analyze it.
"Such things are of trivial matter to me. But it is already acceptable that you have a more tolerable attitude than your son Rudeus."
My remark seems to affect most of the adults in the room. Paul Greyrat, in particular, seemed slightly nervous as he continued.
"If you don't mind me asking, h-how is my son doing? Last I have heard, he was in one of the Three Magic Nations."
"He and his adventurer party have left the capital of the Dukedom of Basherant, Rosenburg, and have long arrived at the Ranoa Kingdom's capital city, Sharia, for an upcoming monster raid."
"I see," He said in relief, almost like he anxiously anticipated hearing something else.
Part of me believes that he knows how trouble always seeks after his Rudeus.
After some investigation, I know that Paul Greyrat used to be the heir to the Notos household but left by the age of twelve due to some familial conflict.
The assassin attack near Rosenburg is rumored to have been instigated by a relative of Rudeus, Philemon Notos Greyrat, the current head of the Notos household.
I find it difficult to understand what this person came up with. This simple approach was far from well thought out. And now, this meaningless conflict jeopardizes the fate of his people purely because he sees Rudeus Greyrat as a threat to his status.
"Does anyone else have a question?"
"I do," the blond woman replied. "Therese Latreia, your grace."
"Ask away then."
"About the accusation against my nephew Rudeus... is there a method for us to prove his innocence?"
"I can assure you that these assumptions made by the Millis Church are purely out of denial of reality and actual knowledge of Laplace. If Rudeus Greyrat were truly Laplace, he wouldn't be caught dead living with humans, let alone cooperate and fight alongside them. Those incompetent fools are just seeking a scapegoat for what he has done to Millishion."
"For what he has done to Millishion? How do you mean?"
"The ambient mana between the Holy Sword Highway and Millishion was used to empower the first [Bright Sky Wave]. I do not know the details of the mechanics of the spell itself, but I assume the empty space forced the natural imbalance to refill it, making the rainy season expand further south."
This small but meaningful revelation seems to impact all of them, but the Latreia woman is only momentarily shocked before glaring at Paul Greyrat, who is getting pale without the need for eye contact.
It seems a conflict within the family has unexpectedly resulted before the disaster. It would be prudent to investigate further.
"Thank you, Lord Perugius."
Thanks are misplaced on me. Even though I know the cause, I have neither the power nor the means to undo it, and I highly doubt the culprit knows himself.
Laplace would be the only person I can think of who could possibly do something about it. But I won't be caught dead myself ever asking him for a favor!
"Anything else one of you would like to ask?"
"I have a question I would like to ask of my own."
The next one to speak was the young girl with the maid attire.
"I am Aisha Greyrat, second daughter of Paul Greyrat, my lord."
"What would you like to know, young one?"
"Could it be that my elder brother, Rudeus Greyrat, is the new number five of the Seven Great World Powers?"
"Aisha!" the woman in maid uniform exclaimed, visibly upset by the child's question.
"Lord Perugius, I, Lilia Greyrat, apologize for my daughter's abrupt behavior just now."
I am quite taken aback by her level of panic. The rest of the group seems equally alarmed.
"I assumed you all would be aware of it once you saw the symbol on the monument, but it seems I was wrong. The three-pronged spear is indeed the symbol representing Rudeus Greyrat."
They all stopped immediately, looking at me with widened eyes of shock.
"Wait, so Rudeus really IS a World Power?" Paul Greyrat asked in astonishment. "How and when did that happen?"
"A few months ago, he defeated Death God in battle during a monster investigation near Rosenburg. According to some rumors, Rudeus pissed him off during his stay in the King Dragon Kingdom, making him go after Rudeus and fight him to the death. He lost the battle in the end, and so the Death God symbol was replaced with Rudeus's."
"He did what?!" Paul exclaimed. If the conflict between Rudeus and the Death God caused him so much panic, I wonder what will happen when he finds out that the person he met a week ago was the Dragon God, who also had a conflict with his son.
"But how do you know it's his symbol?" the Latreia woman asked. "Does he perhaps bribe people to spread that rumor around?"
"Not in the context you may think. Part of his plan to find his mother by spreading his name around the Northern Territories was to sell various figurines he created from his Magic and sell them for a considerable sum. They are quite popular, especially amongst children and art enthusiasts. All the figurines bore his signature and the symbol of his pendant, making it easy for many to deduce that he had surpassed Death God."
"I apologize if I am prying too much," she replied, her tone doubtful. "But it doesn't seem like very solid evidence. Anyone could claim that symbol as their own."
"The people of the city he saved from an abnormal Red Dragon say otherwise. His abilities as a Magician have been fully recognized since he put his life on the line to protect the citizens. Some even call him a hero."
"Risking his life!?" Paul Greyrat exclaimed as he sprang up. I almost pity him for having such a troublesome child as his son.
"What happened to him?"
"He had single-handedly defeated two abnormal dragons just before facing Death God in battle. The Red Dragon attack happened on the same day but after that. Due to his exhaustion after his battle against the previous dragons and Death God, he lost his guard and got severe damage inflicted upon him."
"I-Is he alright?"
"It was close, but he survived and finished the fight, having gone through recovery right after."
A little too soon, actually. The damage he endured would have killed most people many times over and over again. It may indicate that the Demon part of him is from the Immortal tribe, a nuisance to fight against.
After Paul became relieved again, he realized he was standing, returning to his position.
"My apologies. I didn't mean to step out of line like that."
"No, it was my mistake to be tactless and report your child's misfortune. So, I'm the one who needs to apologize."
After I said that, all my Spirits were looking at me. It seemed they hadn't realized my intention of not making the same mistake as Orsted.
The damage done to the Red Dragon Lower Jaw is much more than just destruction against nature. Entire merchant trading has been put on hold because of the lack of safety in the recently more active Red Dragon territory.
Despite my will to remain inactive until Laplace is reincarnated, this matter needs my attention. However, I do not have the necessary power. But, Rudeus Greyrat does.
I plan to leverage the fact that I provided shelter for his family to request a favor in helping to fix the situation he has caused. With the right resources, he should be able to use his near God-class Magic to perform this.
Orsted suggested this idea after Arumanfi reported about Paul Greyrat's conditions in response to my invitation. I was initially skeptical, but considering the future damage to the economy of the Central continent, I had to agree in the end.
I am surprised that Orsted is so keen to help the Greyrat family. I don't know him well enough to guess his reasons, but I am certain there is more to this than meets the eye. He must have a plan. Is he planning to eliminate Rudeus, or is he trying to resolve their conflict? We'll see what happens soon enough.
"Anything else someone would like to know?"
"I do, Lord Perugius."
This time, it was the woman in the maid attire. Given her association with the young maid, I guess she is Paul Greyrat's second wife.
"It is about Rudeus's... change in behavior."
"How do you mean 'change in behavior'?"
"I can't put it into words, but his behavior drastically changed ever since his first [Bright Sky Wave]. I wanted to ask if the effects of that spell could be the cause."
This detail may be small, but it made me think about it for a moment.
I already told them that I don't know the deeper mechanics of that destructive spell, but what she just said may indicate some stray spirit having possessed his body while he was dead, which isn't outside the realm of possibility.
It could have affected the Laplace factor within that body at some point, giving the current Rudeus the boost that makes him so strong and possibly having something to do with his cursed power that changes his race.
But still, this is a unique territory I'm unfamiliar with. Any of the various assumptions could always lead to a dead end.
"I'm not sure what else to tell you other than that I don't know myself how it came about. Such Magic is a first for me as well."
"... I see."
My answer to this question was met with disappointed looks. It seems that this topic was weighing heavily on her mind like the Latreia woman's question did.
"Is there anything else you'd like to inquire about?" I asked away, but no reply came.
"Well then, I think this may have been enough for the moment. I suggest you properly settle down first. We can talk about this later. Sylvaril, guide them back to their rooms for now."
"Yes, Lord Perugius."
On my command, all of them stood up again.
As they followed Sylvaril through the corridor, Paul Greyrat, who was behind everyone else, looked behind momentarily to present me with an unusual sight.
I only caught a short glimpse of it, but they were the golden eyes of a member of the Dragon race, which only confirmed what Orsted had told me a while ago. Similar to Rudeus, Paul has the abnormal ability to change into a Dragon race.
Holding out my hand, I stopped my Spirits. Prior to this, they had been tasked to defend if the situation demanded it. But was that the right decision? I have a sinking feeling that another surprise I'm not ready for.
I should try and get to the bottom of this next time I get to talk to Paul.
'The ability to change race. Father and son both have some peculiar powers. Hmph. I wonder what else may occur.'
A slight grin formed on my face, and my curiosity increased to unravel this mystery.
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