＜ 151. Audience (3) ＞
#151
“Everyone, please enter.”
said the woman. It was a tiring, but powerful voice. One by one, the people who had been frozen in the battle of the two wild beasts set off.
“That’s right. Swordsman.”
Baren opened his mouth, staring straight at Jaifa. There was still no sign of retreat from the face of Baren, who stood still like a wall. Jaipa, who bit his tongue once, looked down at Ronan and said.
“See you later.”
“I get a rough idea of what you’re thinking, but that must be a misunderstanding.”
Jaifa did not answer. He turned around, wiggling his tail wildly. The water was still dripping from Jaipa’s trousers as they headed to the audience. Ronan smirked as if he was stunned.
‘Are you going to that molgol?’
It seemed that the clothes he wore when he went to see a friend in the neighborhood were more modest than that. Baren was still standing in the opposite position.
It was the moment when Jaifa disappeared inside the door. A sigh escaped Baren’s mouth as if his lungs were being pulled out.
“Whoa, I thought I was going to die…!”
“What, were you scared?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Those eyes are so… heh heh heh he almost fainted.”
Baren was shaking his hands like the man who saved his life in a flash. The reaction was similar to when I read the club activity report. Ronan chuckled.
“I was very proud of myself for saying that.”
“Yeah… it is the duty of an educator to protect students. You can’t do what you’re supposed to, can’t you?”
“It was great. thanks.”
Ronan patted him on the back. He was a better lion than a human in many ways. Baren, who calmed his emotions with a deep breath, continued.
“What the hell was the conflict with the sword? I’ve heard that he’s a very rough-tempered person, but that’s usually not a reaction to get angry. ”
“I didn’t do anything. really.”
Ronan said quietly. There was not enough time to explain the inner story. Baren drooled suspiciously, but then nodded in agreement.
“If you are, then so be it. I hope the misunderstanding is cleared up.”
Suddenly, there were only Ronan and Baren left in the drawing room. The woman in charge of the guide opened her mouth again.
“Please enter quickly.”
“Ah, yes. sorry.”
Baren adjusted her outfit. Ronan also corrected the crooked tie. The two entered the door. A long and wide hallway appeared.
A red carpet was spread like a highway. The people who entered first were walking in front of me. Ornate picture frames were lined up at regular intervals on both walls of the hallway.
Every frame was fitted with a finely detailed portrait. Ages and genders were diverse, but they all had some similarities in appearance. Things like a sharp nose or black eyes like black pearls.
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Most of the faces I remember seeing in history class at Phileon. Ronan shrugged.“They look like former emperors.”
“yes. They are the rulers of the Millennium Empire. It is admirable that blood has never been cut for nearly a thousand years.”
Ronan nodded. It was a fact I already knew, but it was great to think about it again. The current emperor was Balon 44. Considering the duration of the empire and the reign of the emperor, it was by no means a large number.
“It is thanks to some of them that they lived an exceptionally long life. The best-known bloodshed alone has lived a life of close to 200 years…”
Throughout the corridor, Baren briefly explained the successive emperors. It was a series of turbulent history. Some were assassinated three days after ascending the throne, while others were like bloodshed, who ruled for nearly a hundred years.
The portraits were arranged so that the closer they got to the audience, the more people from the past appeared. Finally, the corridor ended with the face of the first emperor with a solemn expression.
A gate, which looked exactly the same as the one they had entered, stood in front of them. When the golden soldiers in black uniforms opened the door, a large space comparable to that of Arena 1 spread out in front of them. Ronan tilted his head.
“Eh?”
Those who came in first were lined up with their backs to the door. They quietly put their hands together and bowed their heads. As if deliberately not wanting to see something.
“I’m not going in, what are you doing?”
Ronan asked a question, but no one answered. Baren took a sudden breath and froze in place.
Then he too bowed his head. Why are you sick? It was the moment when Ronan’s vision, bypassing the people, was opened. It didn’t take long to understand them.
“Jaifah?”
In the center of the audience, Jaifa was kneeling on one knee. A red mist covered his body. A groan mixed with pain escaped from his mouth, with the hairs all over his body standing upright.
“Wow…”
A man with a sharp impression was standing with his back in front of Jaifa. He looked like he was just entering middle age, but half of his hair was already grayed out because he had suffered a lot.
He was wearing a crimson uniform symbolizing the Balon Empire. The meticulously decorated look was the most expensive garment Ronan had ever seen.
Suddenly, Ronan’s gaze reached the throne. The seat where the ruler of the empire should have sat was empty. Ronan twisted his lips. It wasn’t that difficult to infer the man’s identity.
‘Emperor.’
Balon 44 stood before him. It was my first time seeing the real thing. Strictly raised eyes resembled that of the 7th Emperor, Blood Emperor. An indescribable uniqueness fluttered in the darkened eyes.
Next to the emperor stood a woman with her back straight. Thick lips and a gigantic body rather than quite tall were impressive. His muscular shoulders were wide enough to compare with Ronan.
Seeing that his armor was all black, he belonged to the emperor’s bodyguard, the Geumgun. She was aiming at Jaifa with a sharp javelin. A red mist was flowing from the tip of the spear. The emperor, who was quietly looking down at Jaifa, opened his mouth.
“Golden Commander. Increase the output.”
“Yes.”
The woman nodded her head. The fog that covered Jaifa grew thicker. wow. The sound of something breaking came from inside his mouth.
“Wow!”
It was written in an overly strong manner. A few drops of blood dripped down his snout. The emperor continued his speech without changing his expression.
“Jaifah. I didn’t want to humiliate you for being Jim. In the first place, the reason I called you to the Imperial Palace today was to honor the duke.”
“Do you know . . . what happened this morning?”
“Sure. It was a tragic tragedy.”
It was like a story about the incident where the Dawning Corps was massacred. Jaifa’s body exploded at any moment and began to shake as if it would blow up the whole area. A voice mixed with anger escaped through the closed fangs.
“Then why…why are you wasting your time on such things…!”
“It’s not like this, Zaypa. Observe order and morality. That’s why I suddenly called you guys today. Because it looks like it will be very busy in the future. And it’s not that I don’t understand your heartbreak…”
Suddenly, the emperor moved forward. He started stroking Jaifa’s head.
“That’s not a reason to be rude to Jim. How dare you step on the audience with your feet soaked in blood and mud…”
“Wow!”
“Remember that we are not equal. Zayfa.”
It was a gentle gesture, as if touching a pet cat. Drops of blood fell from Jaifa’s mouth again. It didn’t seem like it was because of the pain this time. The emperor placed his hand on Jaifa’s head and opened his mouth.
“Go away. Today’s rudeness will be compensated by the merits you have built over the winter.”
“······All right.”
“I will give you a new order soon, so please wait.”
The emperor lifted his hand. The red mist disappeared at the same time as General Geum lowered his sword.
Jaifa slowly got up. A life incomparable to when he confronted Baren was rising over his shoulder.
However, the emperor’s face still didn’t have a single agitation. Jaipa, who silently ignored him, left the audience. Ronan and others were watching the scene, unable to breathe.
‘What the fuck did I see.’
Ronan chuckled. The jayfa didn’t do anything. No matter how much blood he made with the emperor, he didn’t know that the relationship between the two would be so clear. The emperor, who had been kicking his tongue as he looked at Jaifa’s footprints, turned his head.
“I’m sorry. You didn’t do very well for the Winter Heroes.”
The emperor smiled perplexed. The atmosphere was completely different from before when he was holding Jaipa’s discipline.
“Please, keep what you saw today a secret. Even considering the face of Jim and the swordsman.”
“Is there any possibility?”
Baren was the first to answer. He showed respect by kneeling on one knee with both hands together. A bright smile appeared on the emperor’s face.
“It’s been a while, Prince Baren. I have heard of your achievements.”
“It’s overrated.”
“I will raise my head. First of all, I should prepare an example…”
Having said that, the emperor beckoned to General Geum. After leaving the audience, she soon returned with dozens of gold soldiers and attendants.
The servants cleaned the audience room that Jaifa had soiled in an instant. The golden armies, who moved in unison, lined up on the left and right of the carpet connected to the throne to create a wall.
The atmosphere that used to be heated in Junggu was instantly reverent. People lined up side by side facing the throne. There were nine people in all, but the carpet was so wide that there was no shortage of space.
The emperor moved slowly and sat down on the throne. A solemn voice resounded in the audience room.
“Nice to meet you. The current emperor of the empire, Balon 44 years old.”
****
The formal greeting was over in no time. The emperor began to congratulate those who had gathered in turn. He said looking down at the man with a fine mustache.
“Yes, Sir Nordlen. You made a great contribution to the extermination of Snow Beasts that haunt the islands by mobilizing private soldiers. I will appoint you as Earl of Neils.”
“Go, thank you. your majesty···!”
“I hope you will continue to fulfill your duties as a nobleman.”
When Ronan heard the word Count, he laughed. With this, seven out of nine were elevated to titles or became nobles despite being commoners.
‘After all, he’s an emperor, so he’s big.’
It was completely different from the people I had met so far. A seemingly insignificant act was affecting the entire empire. The emperor turned his gaze to Baren and opened his mouth.
“Varen Panasir. You made potions and medicines from herbs grown by individuals and distributed them free of charge to suffering citizens. In fact, along with Prince Ronan, I consider him to be the greatest hero of this incident.”
“I just did what I had to do.”
“It is a value that is becoming rarer day by day. Why don’t you try becoming a noble this time? You deserve it.”
“The sex is chaotic, but … I still like teaching students. As soon as herbal cultivation is stabilized, we plan to return to the school district.”
Baren said. It was a polite refusal. The emperor shrugged his eyebrows as if he was sorry.
“Hmm…then we will provide the land and manpower to grow herbs. Thirty percent of the plains of Bryn Hills shall be yours.”
“Oh, that’s…!”
“I am not going to respond. Let’s take good care of it.”
As long as the emperor had said so, there was no way to refuse. Baren frowned and shook his head.
Ronan had to get up and suppress the urge to cheer. If it was Bryn Hills, it was a fertile land that was counted among the ten in the Imperial Territory.
It is a place where you can reap a bountiful harvest just by sowing seeds, and it was not difficult to imagine how thriving Baren’s herbal business would be in such a place. The emperor’s eyes, which moved once more, reached Ronan.
“Yes… you are the protagonist of the rumor. Ronan Ball, right?”
“Yes.”
Ronan nodded. I could feel the atmosphere around me starting to get noisy. There was also a glimmer of interest in the eyes of the gold general, who had been hardened like a stone.
“I heard that no one broke the unbreakable ice. You were actually the one who defeated the Winter Witch. I heard from Rorhorn that he was younger than I expected, but I didn’t know he was this young.”
“Can I take this as a compliment?”
“Yeah, of course…Hello, General Geum.”
Suddenly, the emperor looked back at the general. She bowed her head solemnly.
“Please name it.”
“Lead the public servants to the banquet hall. Come to the audience and make sure there is no one but Ronan Ball.”
“All right.”
Ronan’s eyes widened. Suddenly I had no idea what this meant. Baren also looked at him with bewildered eyes. Commander Geum, who was striding along, said to the people.
“Then, follow me.”
“Come on, wait, what is this…”
“Please refrain from talking.”
People went out like low tide. Only Ronan and the Emperor were left in the audience room. thud. The sound of the door closing echoed through the empty space.
‘I didn’t expect this.’
Ronan licked his lips. Ronan’s head was full of thoughts about whether or not to accept the emperor’s offer to become a nobleman. It was nice to have the privileges of being a nobleman, but it could have been hampered by future actions, and nobility came with duties.
I was about to finally come to a conclusion after thinking deeply, really, but it all turned to shit. After confirming that no one was around, the emperor got up.
“I have a suggestion for you.”
“Any suggestion?”
“okay. I want you to be the dawn of an empire.”
