Chapter 192 – Chapter 192 – Audience With the Emperor
Cryer Sylve, Emperor of Gaia. He was also the man to look out for in the Gaia Empire. When he arrived at the place where he was to meet the emperor, a vast and bright space appeared before his eyes. When the door opens, the eyes of the people waiting for me are drawn. Probably all the nobility gathered. Ariana and Ryze’s father also came into view.
He moves his feet one by one on the white marble floor.
It was the first place I had ever been to.
It also came with me as the main character. I glanced ahead. The emperor sits in a higher position than me. And next to the emperor were the bloodlines of several imperial families. Among them were Asabel and Lucia.
In a slightly nervous moment, Ray grabbed my collar. The eyes were mixed with the meaning of just doing what you normally do. It’s still not better than Lucia because of the lack of time spent, but now Ray knew me too well.
I arrived at the place where I had to stop before I knew it. He said what should I do here? When Grace met the emperor, he had told her what manners to adopt.
“I see Count Dran, Your Majesty, Emperor of the Gaia Empire.”
“This is Saint Ray.”
Bend one knee and place the other knee on the floor. And lean your upper body down. Ray lightly bowed. Ray is already a proven saint. In a way, he was in a position comparable to that of the emperor, so this was enough. But I’m different. Although she is said to be a warrior, she is not recognized. Since she had come here to receive that recognition, it was necessary to bow her head as best she could from the start.
“Raise your head.”
I just raised my head. One knee was still in contact with the floor. It seems like this should always be like this.
“Count Dran. I missed you very much.”
The middle-aged man with beautiful platinum hair like the two princesses solemnly opened his mouth.
“I’m sorry.”
“No. I’ve heard many stories about the Count. As the emperor of the empire, I have no choice but to be curious about you, right?”
“As for me…”
“You were originally an ordinary soldier belonging to our empire, right?”
“… That’s right.”
Of course, the preliminary investigation on me would have been thoroughly completed. At least you shouldn’t lie. You just have to do it like you did in front of the dragon.
“After resolving the unfair death of his superior, he grew up quickly and made a big contribution in the monster subjugation operation. You even saved my daughter, Asabel.”
“Yes.”
“In addition, I recently received a treaty from the Duchy of Lancelot. Heh heh, that Kashid… I’m going to bake Grand Duke Nova and give him life.”
Even the emperor could not command the ruler of the principality, Grand Duke Nova, at will.
“And it was the count who was actively trying to inform us that the Demon King’s army was going to attack us. I heard that he is working hard to prepare for it.”
Demon King.
The nobles did not fall into great confusion at this sound. Except for a few aristocrats who were not familiar with the situation, it was something they already knew. It can’t be unknown. Testimonies keep coming from things that happened in the principality and from the captured demons. So, it was a fact that all nobles who deserved to know knew.
“Recently, I was curious about the man Asabel raised, but considering the achievements you made, it makes sense.”
“It’s an overstatement.”
I said it out of courtesy.
“Excessive praise? No. Didn’t you even show it properly this time? Fighting a dragon that suddenly appeared in the Empire.”
The emperor’s eyes were directed directly at me. He was the insight to get me figured out even while giving compliments.
“Warrior… Lader. A warrior with a different aura from the one who already existed…”
It was like the appearance of a superhuman different from the hero Charlotte, who is on the side of justice and exists to protect the world. It was not pushed at all by the dragon, and its momentum was no different from that of the original hero. However, the difference is that the source of power is different.
Unlike the positive energy of life, an ominous death. Even if I tried to hide it, I couldn’t hide everything.
“It is the power of Ceres, the goddess of death.”
“Death… Goddess?”
According to Stella, the dragon, traces of the goddess of death have disappeared in human history. There is no big reason. It was said that Ceres had nearly lost her powers to Gaia, and she was naturally forgotten due to the nature of creatures that wanted to reject death itself. In particular, it is said that humans who wanted to erase Ceres for sure erased her records as well. So, in this era, the name of Ceres was inevitably unfamiliar.
In the beginning, it was believed that there was only one Goddess. So, since she is the goddess of life and the goddess of death, she did not even divide them. There was only one goddess to us, Gaia. So, even though she was a bit reluctant to hear that she was the goddess of death, she couldn’t just blindly deny it. Because she is “God”.
“It is a god that has been forgotten from the past and currently maintains its existence intact.”
“Hmm. But how did Count Dran become a hero? Are you even a devout believer?”
“No. Rather, I am a believer in Goddess Gaia.”
“But why did you receive the protection of the hero?”
“… I also don’t know the details. But one thing I can assure you of.”
In fact, I didn’t even know, but even so, the risk was too great to tell the whole thing I’ve been through. Other than people I really trust, I have no reason to share what I’ve been through while regressing.
“More than ever before, the Demon King will lead the largest and most powerful army and launch an invasion in earnest. The current hero may not have enough strength, so maybe he means to save the world by creating another hero — I guess.”
“Is that the will of the goddess?”
“I’ve never met him in person, but that’s the story of me.”
I opened my eyes straight and received the Emperor’s eyes squarely.
“I will make sure that the Demon King never tramples this world.”
This was no pretense. It was my belief and the ultimate goal I set after returning. Momentarily engulfed in static. The nobles had many things they wanted to say to each other, but since the emperor was doing it with a worried face, they all kept their mouths shut.
“What do you guys think? I’ve come to some conclusions, but just in case you don’t know, let’s listen.”
The emperor asked the nobles for their opinions. Only then did the nobles begin to say what they wanted to say.
“Looking at what you’ve done so far, Earl Dran actually made a big contribution to the Empire.”
“The first princess also expressed her trust in Count Dran.”
“It will be a very powerful force now that the invasion of the Demon King’s Army is coming into reality.”
There were many aristocrats who defended me like this. However, there were also many who gave negative opinions.
“If you have power, I wonder why you kept it hidden until now.”
“He went from being an ordinary soldier to a count, no, a hero in just a few months. It is so suspicious.”
“I am very concerned that she might have purposely approached the princess and tried to solidify her position.”
“I heard that you are planning to marry the ladies of aristocratic families! What to do to the Empire…”
“Uh huh. A man my daughter approves of! And as I’ve been watching for a long time, the Count’s personality and skills are both excellent.”
And there were also supportive remarks from the father-in-law. Since Ariana was already pregnant with my child, Countess Catherine had no choice but to be with me unconditionally. The same was true of Baron Salt.
“I agree with Count Catherine. Had it not been for Count Dran in the first place, the empire and principality would have suffered great damage. You probably didn’t even know that the Demon King was preparing for war.”
Ryze’s father in particular defended me really hard, his face blushing. It became an impossible task, but the baron tried to marry his son to Ariana, the daughter of Countess Catherine, for the revival of his family. But just in time, her daughter, Rise Salt, had asked for an even greater treasure.
“Ugh! Can you rationally evaluate Count Dran? Isn’t Count Dran taking your side now that he’s becoming your son-in-law?”
“I can proudly say that I am more rational than anyone else!”
When the emperor gave them a chance to discuss, their voices grew louder and louder.
“May I speak?”
At that time, the nobles become quiet with a soft voice. The main character of the voice was none other than Ray. She is a saint who is also the agent of the goddess Gaia. Her evaluation of me is probably the strongest she has ever seen.
“I can’t honestly say that the Daron I’ve seen is a good person.”
Ray… ?
“But he is the man who tried harder than anyone else to protect the world from the demon king.”
Ray reinforced her beliefs I just said.
“I am not as good as a saint, but good is… I know how to protect… Well, anyway”
Her voice trembled when she said that she just knew how to be good. Well, it’s not like I’ve been fucking and eating women in moderation, so that’s understandable.
“It is not evil, I can say on behalf of the goddess Gaia. He is a man who will use the power of a warrior for peace.”
She even came forward to defend me. The nobles who opposed me began to shut up one by one. Soon, everyone’s eyes turned to the emperor.
The Emperor will soon make a decision.
“I hope you continue to work hard for our empire, no, for this continent.”
The emperor’s words are the position of the entire empire. The Gaia Empire recognized Na Daron Dran.
