CDWR Vol.2 Chapter 10

We followed the gatekeeper’s guidance, accompanied by approximately twenty soldiers, including the gatekeeper himself. The interior of the castle was spacious, and we had already been walking for about ten minutes.

I couldn’t help but think about the upcoming audience with the king. I had come to meet him as part of my own strategy, and it felt strange to be the one who had to lower their head, considering the troubles caused by the local nobility. It might be a childish perspective, but I decided not to bow down unnecessarily.

The castle’s corridors were adorned with glossy stone floors, and it was even more luxurious and decorated than Earl George’s mansion. I spotted what appeared to be a botanical garden along the way. While the earl’s mansion had a rather crude feel to it, this place exuded elegance. It made me contemplate the idea of having a mansion of my own someday.

We continued to stroll through the castle, observing the surroundings. After a while, we arrived at a set of large doors. The soldiers accompanying us took up positions to the left and right of the doors, as if following a prearranged plan, leaving only the gatekeeper in front of me.

“This is the audience chamber,” the gatekeeper informed us.

I nodded in acknowledgment and listened as he explained further instructions. He instructed us that once we entered, we would see a red carpet, and we should not proceed beyond that point. When we reached the carpet, we were supposed to kneel down and lower our heads.

I frowned, considering the instructions. It didn’t sit well with me to kneel and bow in deference, knowing that I had my own reasons for being here. I decided to voice my concerns.

“Hmm, honestly, I don’t think I can do that. They’ll probably tell me inside anyway, so I’ll explain my reasons in there.”

The gatekeeper was taken aback, and he exclaimed, “Wh-what!? You can’t just go inside like that!”

I decided not to argue further and simply emitted a bit of killing intent, causing the gatekeeper to pale and his legs to tremble.

“Now, will you lead the way?” I asked.

“Y-yes…”

My companions, Eleanor and Maria, exchanged wry smiles as they observed the situation. It wasn’t that I wanted to be pushy, but there were certain things I couldn’t compromise on. I couldn’t leave Earl George unconscious outside, so I had to bring him along. The soldiers who accompanied us would have to keep an eye on him.

“Will you watch over George for me?” I asked the gatekeeper.

“Yes…”

The gatekeeper replied with a quivering voice.

“Then, please lead the way,” I said.

I wondered if I had been a bit too intimidating as we followed the gatekeeper, me, Elenore, Maria, and Seba, in that order, through the large doors. Inside, many people were present. As I walked slowly, I let my gaze drift.

We followed the gatekeeper into the chamber, walking slowly. As we entered, I surveyed the room. On the right side, there were military officials, while on the left side, there were civil officials. Among the civil officials on the left side, I noticed a familiar face who seemed to have recognized me as well.

I continued to scan the room and saw a throne-like chair in the center. Seated in it was a middle-aged man with blonde hair, exuding an air of authority and a mixture of sternness and kindness. There was an unmistakable regal presence about him, and I assumed he was the king. Beside him on another chair sat a middle-aged woman with blond hair, likely the queen, radiating overwhelming grace and elegance that suggested a stunning beauty in her youth.

Next to them were what appeared to be the king’s son and daughter-in-law, along with their children. I didn’t have much interest in this group, so I briefly glanced at them before returning my gaze to the king.

As we reached the red carpet, the gatekeeper and Seba knelt down and bowed their heads, following protocol. However, the three of us remained standing. Predictably, some of the aristocrats in the room voiced their objections.

“You! This is in the presence of His Majesty the King! Show some respect! Bow down immediately!”

“What do you think this place is? Honestly, commoners like these…”

“Absolutely… Those of low birth lack manners, don’t they?”

I glanced at them with an expression that clearly conveyed my annoyance. The murmurs among the nobles quieted down somewhat, but they were not completely silenced. Nevertheless, I proceeded to address the matter at hand.

“First, let me reintroduce ourselves. I am Rui, an A-rank adventurer. The woman with chestnut-colored hair is Eleanor, and the blonde-haired girl is Maria. Both of them are A-rank adventurers as well.”

While the voices of the nobles had toned down from before, they were still not completely quiet. However, I continued to explain our purpose.

“I’ve come to hold the kingdom accountable for the misdeeds of Earl George von Spencer. George has caused us significant trouble. He lured us to his mansion under the guise of an invitation and then used his subordinates, numbering around fifty, to attack us in the city.”

The king furrowed his brow as he listened.

“It seemed like an invitation to his mansion, but it turned out to be a recruitment attempt with his subordinates. Well, that’s not important now. We repelled all the attackers and currently have them restrained in George’s mansion. Seba, who is with us, is also under restraint as he attempted to attack us. As for George himself, he’s unconscious, so we’ve stationed guards in front of the audience chamber to watch over him.”

Upon hearing this, the king muttered something under his breath, but I couldn’t make out the words. I briefly glanced at Seba, who had a look of despair on his face. If he had been the kind of person who could advise his lord against wrongdoing, things wouldn’t have come to this.

I diverted my gaze from Seba and continued speaking.

“The blame for this incident lies with the Midgar Kingdom, which failed to properly educate its own nobility, particularly Earl George von Spencer, and ultimately with you, Your Majesty, as the highest authority in the kingdom. We’ve come here to address this scandal, yet we are expected to bow our heads in deference. Do you see the absurdity in that?”

As I spoke, some of the nobles and military officers in the room began to murmur in protest. However, I silenced them by emitting a bit of killing intent.

“If we had come here without reason or cause, I would have bowed as a matter of courtesy. But the ones who behaved rudely were on your side. Do you understand?”

The king appeared to want to say something but decided to remain silent until I had finished speaking.

“I understand that it might be difficult to keep track of the actions of all nobles. I also understand that those in positions of power are prone to corruption. While I sympathize with these aspects, it includes you as well, Your Majesty. If you can’t handle it, perhaps it’s time to retire. If nobles or the kingdom cause trouble or impose injustice, I will push back against it. If anyone disagrees with this stance and wishes to challenge me, I will certainly oblige.”

With that, I concluded my speech and let go of the killing intent I had been emitting. The audience chamber, which had been quiet for a while, once again buzzed with discussions. The king rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.

Hmm, even with all this noise, it seems no one is going to reprimand them, huh? Some of the military officers had assumed stances as if they could draw their swords at any moment.

Thinking that I might have my weapons confiscated in the audience chamber, I had already stored them in my Item Box. Similarly, Eleanor and Maria had placed their magical bags into my Item Box, and we all entered empty-handed.

Now, it’s time to drop the bombshell. I shifted my gaze to a familiar face and addressed him.

“Harves, are you doing well?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m doin’ fine.”

Harves seemed a bit uneasy to be addressed in this situation, as if he hadn’t expected it. I didn’t particularly appreciate seeing him like that.

“You’re still the same as ever. I never thought I’d witness such an attitude in this audience chamber… It’s almost refreshing.”

“You! How dare you speak to Duke Campbell in such a manner!”

“Absolutely… Those of low birth lack manners, don’t they?”

A somewhat unimpressive-looking noble in lavish attire had spoken up.

Ugh, this is such a hassle.

Thinking that, Harves took it upon himself to silence the noble who had spoken out of turn. So, I proceeded to convey our purpose.

“Do you remember when I helped you before? Have you found the culprits from that incident?”

“Since then, there have been several similar incidents, you see. With reinforced security, we managed to apprehend a few of the culprits who were tamers, but we still have no clue about their backers.”

“I see. In that case, take a look at this.”

I retrieved documents I had found in George’s office from my Item Box and gestured for Harves to approach. Given the nobles’ continued alignment, Harves seemed unsure whether to comply. He glanced toward the king, who nodded in approval. After that exchange, Harves approached, and I handed him the documents.

The contents of the documents detailed that the Steania Empire was sending a few tamers to George to use them to weaken the military strength of the Midgar Kingdom and create chaos. It was a request for such actions.

“This…!”

Harves was so astonished that he could hardly speak. Well, I can’t blame him; it’s his own country’s count who betrayed them. The documents included George’s signature and were undoubtedly genuine. Along with these, there were also records of illegal slave trading and illicit transactions, which I handed over as well. Harves went through these documents thoroughly before thanking me and rushing over to the king.

“Excuse me, Your Majesty. Please take a look at this.”

After reading the documents handed to him, the king’s expression visibly changed. He then summoned a nearby soldier and gave him some instructions. The soldier headed towards the entrance, presumably to apprehend George.

George is no longer my concern. He and the attackers who were likely involved in various illegal activities under his command will face punishment together.

“Now, what will you do?”

I asked the king, locking eyes with him.

With this question, I intended to convey meanings such as: What about an apology? Compensation for the attack? A reward for exposing George’s wrongdoings? I expected these implications to be understood by the king. The commotion in the room had not yet subsided. The king rose from his chair and addressed the assembly.

“Everyone, first of all, be quiet!”

His resounding voice spread throughout the audience chamber, bringing silence.

“I am King Euro von Midgar of the Midgar Kingdom. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for the inconvenience caused by our noble, Earl George von Spencer, to the A-rank adventurers, Rui-sama, Eleanor-sama, and Maria-sama. I am sorry.”

As King Midgar bowed to apologize to me, the surrounding area erupted in commotion once again. It was undoubtedly surprising to see a king of a nation bowing to a mere A-rank adventurer. However, whether I would accept the apology or not depended on how things would proceed from here. After about ten seconds, the king raised his head, and at the same time, the nobles began to quiet down.

Complete silence took hold of the audience chamber, and the king began to speak.

“All the attackers will be sentenced to slavery, including Seba here. Count George von Spencer will have his title and lands confiscated and will be executed. Additionally, he will be charged with the crime of treason against the state, and all his relatives up to the third degree will also be sentenced to slavery.”

It was unfortunate for the relatives of George who were innocent, but there was no other way.

“The Midgar Kingdom will pay thirty mithril platinum coins as compensation for the inconvenience caused by our noble to Rui-sama and his companions, who are A-rank adventurers. Furthermore, in recognition of capturing Count George von Spencer, who is a major criminal under the charge of state treason, sixty mithril platinum coins will be awarded. A total of ninety mithril platinum coins will be paid to Rui-sama and his group. Additionally, due to the inconvenience caused by this incident, the Adventurer’s Guild will be exempt from taxes for one year. We will send an emissary to convey this to the guild later.”

The taxes paid by the Adventurer’s Guild to the country were divided into two parts: one for the land where the guild was located, and the other as a residence tax for guild employees and adventurers residing in the country. The guild deducted these taxes from the rewards earned by completing requests and paid the remainder to the adventurers. The exemption from these taxes for a year would likely be welcomed by the adventurers in this city. Well, I was also pleased with it. The king’s attitude and decisions felt sincere, so I decided to accept them.

“I accept the apology and the rewards.”

“Very well. That’s a relief.”

The king appeared relieved, and when I glanced at Harves, he was wearing a contented smile.

Afterward, both the king and Harves persistently invited me to a banquet, but I declined. Noble-related events were too troublesome for my taste. Besides, many other nobles approached me, trying to recruit me into their private armies or strangely proposing marriage arrangements, making it quite exhausting.

I politely declined any discussions on these topics and nodded along to casual conversations. Eventually, I excused myself, stating that I was tired and wanted to return home. On our way back, there was something about the king’s demeanor that bothered me, so I decided to ask Maria about it.

“When I mentioned your name, I noticed the king’s expression briefly changed. Have you met him before?”

“Nope, I haven’t met him. However, being a member of the royal family, my name is probably known. Plus, there were likely spies sent from the Midgar Kingdom to the Fall Kingdom, so maybe he recognized me? It doesn’t really matter, though. I’m already a former princess.”

It was a relatively insignificant reason, and I couldn’t imagine the Midgar royal family doing anything to us, so I decided to let it go.

While chatting with the three of us on the way home, I almost forgot to retrieve Fenrir. That was a close call. We also stopped by the Adventurer’s Guild and reported the successful completion of the Earth Dragon subjugation request.