For a man, a single royal summon is the greatest honor they could receive. In fact, only two people in the history of the Four Winds got two royal summons. That man was my father, Lord Miyamura Ishikawa, for his actions in the defense of Yenchei and for his heroism during his final battle before retirement – the battle of Onslog Castle. He single-handedly eliminated over a hundred men on the defender's side. He then led the charge that ended up making the battle, which was predicted to last two weeks, last only a single day. And with 10,000 fewer casualties than predicted. And guess what? The prediction said 10,000 men would die, meaning his decisions that day saved the lives of 10,000 men. Also, with the castle, which was of strategic importance, added to the emperor's battle locations, his actions got him the Reclaimer's Ribbon and the Dusk Rider Medal. He was also gifted a special black-on-crimson red armor that I still have, since I took it after we liberated our estate.
The second person to receive two royal summons would be my mother, Tomoe Ishikawa, commonly known as Lady Death for her ridiculously high kill count – and I mean it. Her kill count exceeds even my father's, and he's taken out quite the amount of people in his time. Her first summon was when the capital was attacked by the first-gen Black Tails. Those rascals ruled the seas back then. She, however, killed over 5,000 of their men. Some of those men included the ship's first mate, second mate, navigator, operations manager, three of their six generals, and their captain's then heir to the crew's leadership. That win ended up pushing the Black Tails back to the sea. For that, she was called to a royal attendance and awarded the Medal of Death for dealing such a heavy blow to the Black Tails.
The second time she was given a royal summon was when a smuggling ring was reported in the capital. She posed as a member of the B'Flames gang, infiltrated their ranks, and sabotaged so many of their deliveries that they lost most of their clients. And to add to the chaos she'd caused, she poisoned the gang's leader, the infamous "Tez." Three letters that meant death when you received a letter with his name at the bottom. That very man was found dead in his room hours after she'd planted explosives in multiple hideouts they had across the city. The explosives were big enough to cause trouble for the B'Flames, but not big enough to cause trouble for the city itself. For her espionage and her actions as a saboteur, she was awarded both the Medal of the Dark and the Medal of All Sight.
And now, both their children have received their second royal summons, both for heroic actions like theirs. After the allotted time to let the heat from the second generation of the Black Tails die out, we went to the royal courtroom to be awarded our medals. Taka stood up and asked us not to bow when we got to him. He made a slightly flirtatious remark directed towards me that went, "But you better save that bow for our room tonight, I'm feeling good today." It wasn't even low-key like we'd agreed on, but what's done is done. So, we got to the front end of the red carpet, at least until the stairs, since they lead to the throne. We stopped there. Taka then read something off a paper, "I have blessed the members of the Black Stone to appear here today for their second, some first, royal summon. As most of you know, a royal summon is a great honor when received. Hence why we kept a copy and framed it for all the members of the crew. Each received a different letter based on their individual—ahem—It is unfortunate, however, that some of the crew were unable to attend due to their duties in defending the island Yenchei. And so, all awards and the framed copy of their royal summons are to be given to Captain Rei Ishikawa to be kept until it can be given to them. On that note, I'd like to call the captain up to stand beside me so that we may begin our ceremony. He may say a few words if he wishes to do so. Anyway, captain, the eyes and ears of everyone in attendance are yours."
I smiled at Taka, knowing damn well this was a whole façade; he isn't this respectful. I could see he was getting tired of acting fancy for the nobles, so I made my way to his side to speak, so that he could take a break when he went to sit down. I began to speak, "It is an honor to have received another royal summon, as my father and mother before me once have. Both their actions of heroism and bravery were awarded during those summons. And I'd like everyone here to know that the Black Stones don't plan on stopping here. We plan to keep the empire safe for as long as our mortal bodies can handle. Isn't that right, my lads?" My crew exclaimed in unison, "HURAH, CAPTAIN!" If I said we didn't practice that, I'd be lying. We spent about thirty minutes the night before practicing that, and it was worth it. The nobles looked really impressed by our dedication to the empire.
I finished off my statement and gave the attention back to Taka, who would then present us with our medals and awards. He spoke, "Thank you, Captain, for your dedication to the empire. I'd like to begin this awarding ceremony with you, Captain. I would like to present you with the Seal of the Betrayer's End for eliminating a traitor within your crew – a person you shared meals, stories, and time with. That must have hurt you and your crew dearly. You were all tricked by that man's deception, but you didn't let his previous affiliation with your crew hinder your mission to eliminate anyone who got in the way of you and your crew's ultimate goal. I would also like to present you with an official rank as the captain of the Black Stone. The proof of your rank will be the Captain's Ribbon. Along with these two awards, you will also be presented with medals from your respective deities. If you'd please hold the crystal orb."
I smiled at Taka, looking at how annoyed he was about having to act all formal. I winked at him before touching the crystal orb. It revealed the seals of Themis, Gant, and Tenemir. The reveal shocked the courtroom, since someone who had the heavens' backing was rare in itself, much more someone who has three deities backing him. Taka smiled, and under his breath, he whispered, "I'd expect no less from you." He grabbed three medals that had the seals of the deities on them and attached them to my dress uniform. "Please also take the awards that belong to the members of your crew, who unfortunately had to stay behind and ensure the safety of Yenchei while you honor us with your presence."
I grabbed the awards that belonged to Joy, Hana, Lilliana, Max, Nori, and Jo. Then, I thanked Taka for his time and his effort.
He then called to your uncle, "Mil Austria, the first mate of the Black Stone, please present yourself to the court and receive your awards." He stood up and marched his way to the emperor's side. Taka continued his statements, "Mil Austria, it is my honor to present you with the golden eye medal for your actions and sacrifices during the raid the Black Tails ran a few days ago. Someone told me of you and Kinny providing cover fire for your captain to make sure he could properly combat the leader and avenge the late Gonzo. And for that, I am pleased to award you this medal. Another medal related to that raid, which I forgot to present to your captain – for which I apologize – is a medal commemorating your involvement in protecting the capital during that raid. Only the Black Stone and some knights are to receive this medal, so be honored. And to add to your list of honors, I'd like to present you with an official rank ribbon. Your rank as Captain Rei's first mate will be honored by the First Mate's Ribbon. Just like your captain, you will be presented with a medal containing your respective deities' seal or seals, depending on how many of them back you. Please hold the crystal orb as your captain did." Your uncle, not wanting to disappoint, followed his orders and grabbed the crystal orb, the sigil of Tenemir and Thueban – the god of medicine, and a god known for keeping his blessings as low as possible since he's had people abuse his blessings before. This shocked the court as well, not because he had two deities backing him, but because Thueban backed him. As the crowd murmured, Taka grabbed the two medals and presented them to your uncle. "There, now please go back, and thank you for your service."
While your uncle made his way back to us, Taka spoke once more: "I would like to call on Zeth Ishikawa next, the Black Stone's Second Mate." Your auntie Zeth walked up there, confident as could be, and smiled at Taka. He smiled back, of course. "Zeth Ishikawa, it is my honor to present to you the crimson medal presented to those who show drive during battle, drive that is fueled by rage and a hunger for something greater. Your brother gets one after the ceremony; we couldn't get all the medals finished in time, unfortunately. Anyway, I would also like to present you with a medal that commemorates your involvement in protecting the city during the Black Tail's raid a few days ago. You've brought great honor to your name, just as your mother once did during her mission against the B'Flames. She would be so proud of you right now." Your auntie Zeth wiped some tears away, since hearing about our mother being proud of her was her weak spot. She loved our mom so much; she mourned for weeks after her passing, so what Taka said really made her cry tears of joy. Taka smiled and continued, "I would also like to present you with the official ribbon rank for a second mate. Your skills are unparalleled, and that's why your brother gave you this position. Wear this ribbon with pride, as your mother wore her medals with pride. Now please grab the crystal orb so that I can present you medals from your respective deities." She did as she was told, tears still building up in her eyes: the seals of Adikia, Tenemir, and the revered Polemistis, the god of war who only granted five blessings in total ever, all of which are decades apart; she'd make the sixth person to have received his blessing, the lucky girl. This caused the court to exclaim. Taka was shocked as well; he presented her with medals with Adikia and Tenemir's seals but had to look for a medal with Polemist's seal on it; people rarely had a blessing from him, and they weren't really expecting someone to come up and have one from him today. Taka spoke, kinda stuttering, "Y-You may now return, Zeth."
The ceremony went on for a few more hours. Jiro received a third mate ribbon since I signed him as my official third mate. After the ceremony, everyone returned to their apartments in our mainland HQ, which was an apartment complex. They went back there to rest. I can't really blame Taka. Now, acting all formal for hours does get tiring. After that, I was so pooped. I took a shower, ate some food I took home from the after party, and slept, of course. I brushed my teeth before going to bed, and that's what you kids should do since it's getting late.