Chapter 45: Audience with King Melvin
"I'm back."
"Welcome back."
"Is the discussion over?"
Returning to the balcony on the second floor of the reception hall, the two were greeted with smiles.
"Yes, it's done. I have no intention of lingering in the royal capital, so we agreed to respect each other's boundaries."
In reality, the terms of that agreement seemed to leave both parties with a sense of winning or losing.
"So, what are you up to now?"
Looking out at the square, they saw a massive stone pillar that had been brought from somewhere. One armored knight stood at a distance, holding a bastard sword in his hand.
"It seems to be the Knight Commander's demonstration."
Demonstration, meaning an attempt to cut the stone pillar into slices. Watching closely, the knight leaped and swung the bastard sword high above in a downward arc. A surge of energy enveloped the blade, and with the momentum of the fall, the strike cleaved the stone pillar vertically.
The sound of stone shattering echoed. The blade of the bastard sword reached the ground without losing any momentum, and the pillar split neatly into two halves, falling to the left and right.
A moment later, applause and cheers erupted from the audience.
It was the Great Sword Martial Art: Roaring Divide. The leap before the strike was also one of the martial techniques. The Knight Commander placed a hand on his waist and bowed towards the king and the spectators.
"It's quite a spectacle."
"Indeed, it's a day of celebration. The Knight Commander prefers flashy fighting styles."
That was Oswald's take. Oswald seemed to have a philosophy of supporting anyone strong or entertaining, without taking sides.
"Everyone performed splendidly. I have witnessed the fruits of your daily training," King Melvin said, apparently satisfied after the Knight Commander's performance.
"This is a testament to your hard work. I shall call out the names of those whose efforts are particularly outstanding. Tell me your desires, and I shall grant your rewards accordingly."
After the king's speech, an aide began to call out the names of the knights one by one. Although they were promised rewards, the knights responded as if stamping a seal, saying, "As you wish, my lord." The rewards were left to the king's discretion.
"Sir Chester."
Among the knights lined up in the square, Chester had also returned, but he seemed absent-minded and did not respond immediately when his name was called.
"Sir Chester?"
"Y-yes! Forgive my rudeness."
"Very well. State your desires."
"...As you wish, my lord."
Chester answered while kneeling and performing the gestures of a vassal, but his response lacked enthusiasm. A perplexed expression briefly appeared on King Melvin's face, but it disappeared in an instant.
"Very well then. The knights of the Order shall receive their rewards in due course. Now then..."
King Melvin nodded and turned his gaze towards me.
...Here it comes. Considering that I defeated the demon, I had expected some kind of offer or request from the royal family.
"I must reward the one who fought for my kingdom—a small hero like you deserves a fitting reward. Therefore, I shall grant you a reward that matches your accomplishments. However, you are different from the knights who serve me, so we must have a more detailed discussion."
King Melvin gave this message, smiled with satisfaction, and turned away, leaving the square filled with cheers praising the king.
The content of the reward was subject to further discussion.
It was unlikely that they would ask me directly in a public place about becoming a retainer or the specifics of the reward. Unlike the straightforward knights who obediently followed orders, it would be difficult to deal with any foolish demands I might make.
"His Majesty has asked for your presence."
A woman knight wearing a magnificent suit of armor and a white cloak approached and spoke.
"In that case, I shall return a little earlier."
Grace hesitated, but the female knight answered with a smile.
"I have heard about your companion as well. His Majesty has sent a message for you to come all the way to the King's Tower."
"...I received an invitation, but is it okay for me to accompany him? I am—"
"Do not worry about that. In the royal castle, there are individuals of different races, such as elves and dwarves, who hold positions and come and go freely. However, that ring... Is it alright? Its seal should never be broken within the royal castle."
"Understood."
She seemed to have a relatively accurate understanding of Grace as well. The source of the information might be from the guild, the academy, or... perhaps from my father. It was also possible that the information had been known from the very beginning.
Since I wasn't impersonating anyone and didn't hide the fact that I was an illegitimate child of the Count Gardner family, it wouldn't be surprising if my father had made some arrangements if he had intended to appoint me or Grace as Byron's successor.
Following the female royal knight, we headed to the heart of Castle Theorem, the King's Tower. Climbing a large staircase, we entered the tower made of white marble, where we could see massive pillars running through the center of a vast hall.
The pillars had their walls and interiors hollowed out, creating a space inside. The female royal knight walked towards one of the small rooms inside the hollow.
"Please stand near the center."
Hmm, 'stand'? Looking up at the ceiling, I noticed a vertical hole. The patterned wall itself was shining white, and I could see quite far up... It seemed to extend to a considerably high place. I understood the purpose of this structure.
When I followed the female royal knight's words, the two of them also entered the small room inside the pillar. After confirming this, she cast something while shading her hand over a gem on the wall.
Magic power flowed through the magic circuit, and green light lines ran across the floor.
- At the same time, the entrance we came in through turned into a wall, and the platform inside the pillar started to rise vertically with us on it.
"Eh...? What on earth is happening?"
Grace looked around inside the pillar, seemingly bewildered. It felt like being pressed down by gravity, an unfamiliar sensation for someone not used to elevators.
"So, we can go up like this?"
"You understood it well."
When I explained the current situation to the female royal knight, both of them seemed to understand.
"...It's an amazing mechanism."
"People are often surprised. You might feel uneasy, but rest assured, there has never been an incident of the floating stones breaking."
The female royal knight smiled at Ashley, who was wide-eyed. ...They say Castle Theorem was originally a part of a labyrinth. So, having one or two unconventional mechanisms like this in this world wouldn't be strange.
If they have never broken before... they must be maintenance-free or the labyrinth automatically repairs them. In that case, if we go deeper into the labyrinth, we might encounter more mechanisms like this.
"It's certainly fast to go up and down, but isn't this path inconvenient?"
"There are other ways to enter and exit, of course. We use flying dragons or teleportation magic circles. However, from the main entrance to the audience room, we use these floating stone pillars. We can't have our guests climb endless stairs after all."
These 'floating stone pillars' must serve as a countermeasure against intruders and also showcase the kingdom's prestige to foreign guests.
The castle is the residence of the royal family, but it also serves as a fortress. Eventually, the floating stone stopped moving, and one corner of the wall dissolved into the void, allowing us to exit the pillar.
"His Majesty is waiting for you."
When we exited the elevator, we found a long-haired carpet laid out on the floor.
It was a corridor with finely decorated pillars lining up on both sides.
Paintings were drawn on the ceiling... the corridor itself resembled an art museum.
Passing through such an artful corridor, we finally arrived in front of a large door.
"Beyond this door is the audience room. I will check you before entering."
"Please go ahead."
Hmm. So that's why they prepared a female royal knight. I appreciate their consideration for me, but I wonder if I have gained the favor of the king that much.
While the female royal knight conducted a body check on me, I glanced at the decorations of the anteroom and noticed different patterns carved on the walls and floor.
It seemed that the audience room and the connecting waiting room were protected by a barrier. It looked like a quite powerful anti-magic barrier... probably a measure against assassination attempts by mages.
As the place where the royal family interacts with outsiders, it was only natural to take such precautions.
"It seems you're fine."
As the body check by the female royal knight was completed, the door leading to the audience room finally opened.
If we advanced into the audience room, the female royal knight and court magicians would flank us, and on the stairs, we could see the thrones of the king and the queen.
"You have come. Small hero. Raise your head as you may speak candidly. Theodore Gardner, the son of Count Henry and Saintess Lisa, am I correct?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
When I answered, King Melvin smiled once again.
"A child of the Saint and an unparalleled genius magician, huh? A fitting demeanor for a Demon Slayer. She quite like the look of you, the Kirin's child."
As I thought, there probably wasn't anyone like me among his subjects, so beyond the issue of benefits and such, I felt quite amused. In the sense of being a rare creature.
Not being asked too much about magic... maybe it's thanks to Mother.
"Now then, as I mentioned earlier, the purpose is as stated. I intend to grant you a reward... but I want to hear your thoughts since you came to Termwil's. Feel free to speak your mind."
"Then, with all due respect, I would like to continue my career as an adventurer for a while longer."
"Oh? And what's the reason?"
"I want to enhance my own abilities. Also, there's Mother..."
If he knows about Grace, he probably knows about the Sleeping King as well. I won't explain too much.
Diving into the labyrinth is something the kingdom encourages, and with the involvement of demons in the Moonlight Temple, King Melvin probably sees it as a wish come true for me to delve into the labyrinth.
Besides... since the royal family still doesn't fully understand my personality, I think they would be more welcoming to this approach than if I were to suddenly seek titles, territories, and official positions.
"――You want to become even stronger, despite already being a Demon Slayer."
King Melvin chuckled happily and openly.
"That's a dependable answer. 'For a while longer'... does that mean you have different plans for the future... I see."
King Melvin glanced at Grace and Ashley standing behind me and nodded.
"Very well. Including that, I shall bless your martial fortune and future."
In other words... it means the act of delving into the labyrinth and our relationship will be officially recognized by the king.
Ashley is the head of the House of Shilun. If they want to prevent the exile of the Demon Slayer like me, it would be best for the kingdom to welcome the engagement with a noble.
If Ashley weren't here, they might have forced me into another engagement right on the spot.
"But since it's something you already obtained by your own means, it can't be called a reward. I've looked into you a bit. You're looking for a staff, right?"
"That's correct."
"In addition to the reward money, I will bestow a magic staff from the treasure vault. Choose one that you like."
"Your Majesty's generosity is deeply appreciated."
"I see. I have high expectations for your future endeavors."
From the treasure vault of Ceoleum, huh? Needless to say, it's a valuable item. It's not something that can be bought with money.
While supporting my current situation and relationships, they're also giving me a treasure that can't be bought with money.
Honestly, it's a grateful offer. It seems I'm valued more than I expected, which means the king has high expectations of me.
It also smells suspiciously of demons, and it's clear that they see me as a valuable force. Well, I'd welcome a fight against demons... rather, I'm hoping for it.
The gift of the magic staff probably comes as a result of my decreased involvement with the court.
Even if they treat me generously according to my wishes, they won't involve themselves in politics. There will be less resistance from the nobles and fewer complications due to changes in the environment. The king himself might be the one most pleased with this situation. It's the proper use of a non-essential treasure.
"In the future, if something comes up, remember to contact me. Next time... yes. I'll invite you to dinner."
If there's a next time, it would probably be if there are any discoveries or progress regarding the Moonlight Temple or the demons, right?
Well, that being said, dinner, huh? Quite fond of me, it seems.
They say the closer you get to a great tree, the more shade it provides, but if the distance becomes too close, Melvin, being of considerable age, might become a bother in the future.
... There's no point worrying too much about the future, I guess. There's Prince Albert as well, so things should work out somehow.
The only thing left to wonder about is... what kind of magic staff lies dormant in the treasure vault.