Chapter 95

Suddenly, a loud cheer erupted. Amid the roars, I rode through the main street. The sound of my horse’s hooves barely made it through the overwhelming cheers filling my ears. Dressed in a fancy outfit instead of the usual maid’s dress, I led the way alongside Yulia, who wore priestly garb symbolizing the saint, with Cardinal Besalon and Prince Jeron right behind us.

Beside Prince Jeron stood Lin, who had ascended to the throne of the Kingdom of Altain. There was a peculiar, melancholic vibe between them that I found somewhat amusing. I hadn’t noticed it on the way here, but now that we were ready, both Jeron and Lin seemed off. I had no idea when or how that happened. All I knew was that Jeron had approached Lin first.

Had he given up on the throne? Of course, Jeron wasn’t a man who would easily let go of love or honor, but realistically, a consort of the Kingdom of Altain couldn’t also be the Emperor of the Empire. If he had awakened his mana as in ‘the original story,’ that would have been a different story.

“Just wave your hand or something,” Yulia said.

“…”

Heeding Yulia’s advice, I shyly waved my hand. The crowd’s cheers only grew louder. The way it vibrated was almost deafening. What did these people know that caused them to cheer like this? I heard there had been a wave of unrest throughout the Empire while we were busy defeating the demons. Apparently, all the hidden demons had sprung out and harassed the Empire.

And during that chaos, I heard a lot of knights and soldiers were mobilized. It made sense; even the people who had been in relatively safe areas of the Empire must have felt the demons’ rampage. The ones most sensitive to war are not nobles or royalty, but ordinary citizens.

Nobles and royalty won’t starve to death the moment war breaks out. They can eat because they collect taxes from the people. But for those below them, it’s a different story. All the able-bodied men are taken away for war, leaving children and women who are not of working age to fill the void. But there’s a noticeable difference in skill between those who have farmed their whole lives and those who have merely observed it.

That’s why they ended the war swiftly. They lost a year’s worth of harvest, but at least the future didn’t look completely bleak. Having won the war, the Empire would open its treasury to reward the soldiers, buying grain and necessary supplies with the money they earned.

It may be tough for now, but since they pushed the threat back, they should return to their normal lives afterward. Perhaps, since they won the war, taxes might even get lowered a bit.

Lost in these thoughts, I realized we had arrived at the Imperial Palace. The soldiers and knights returned to their camps, while Yulia, Cardinal Besalon, Prince Jeron, and I moved toward the grand hall to meet the Emperor.

This would be my first time seeing the Emperor. Despite trying not to be nervous, the anxiety crept in as I prepared myself. Perhaps noticing my state, Yulia poked me lightly in the ribs.

“Just act normally.”

“That’s a bit hard.”

“The current Emperor won’t care even if you’re a bit rude.”

“The current one?”

“Yeah. He’s still in his right mind now. I can’t say the same for three years from now.”

…That sounds a little scary. Should I leave the Empire within the next three years? As I pondered that, we stood before the grand hall, and a palace attendant slowly opened the door. Is it okay not to announce ourselves? As I watched the door open, my gaze was drawn to a massive throne.

A throne? No, an imperial seat. As my gaze drifted upward, I found someone with the looks of an Emperor, wearing a crown and gazing lazily at me. He bore a resemblance to Jeron, Meyer, and Chloe. Naturally, as their father, he would look like them. A strikingly handsome man with purple hair and red eyes. He looked far too young to be the father of those three.

Is this some reverse harem dating sim world? I thought to myself as I bowed my head. Then the Emperor spoke quietly.

“You may enter.”

It was a calm command, but it resonated deeply within my ears. Is it just me, or does his voice carry a certain weight? I took a cautious step forward, trying not to make even the slightest sound as Yulia and I approached the Emperor, quietly kneeling as we spoke.

“We offer our respect. The Hero, Catherine, greets the Emperor of the Empire.”

“We offer our respect. The Saint, Yulia, greets the Emperor of the Empire.”

“Lift your heads.”

As I slowly raised my gaze, the Emperor inspected Yulia and me with his languid eyes. There was no emotion in his gaze. Unlike me, whose facial muscles felt tense, the Emperor appeared completely indifferent.

“You’ve defeated the Demon King.”

“Yes.”

“The Hero and the Saint have followed the Church’s prophecy to push back the great calamity on the continent, marking a revival for the continent and the Empire, which is the father of the entire continent. Thus, I wish to reward you, first, Hero Catherine. Step forward.”

What? I was slightly taken aback by the unexpected situation, but I quickly composed myself and stepped forward. The Emperor drew his sword and slowly laid it on my shoulders before stabbing it into the floor. Swish, a new mark joined the countless others on the ground.

“Hero Catherine, you were born in the lowest of circumstances, always assisting others. Even before receiving the divine’s selection, you trained yourself diligently, and through that training, you have come to shine. Thus, it is not at all strange for me to grant you a title. Do you agree?”

“Y-yes?”

W-what is he talking about? I stammered in confusion as I lowered my head, but the Emperor continued undeterred.

“Therefore, I, the Emperor of the Alexius Empire, Aleister Vine Freshair Ahyn Alexius von Selvius, will bestow upon Catherine the alias ‘Alain,’ the title of Count, and grant her the Vexter Territory in the northeastern region. Let it be known that the Cardinal Besalon witnesses this, for the gods are watching.”

Vexter Territory. It’s a domain next to the Ducal Territory of Portus, which was reclaimed by the treasury after the previous lord was annihilated due to a rebellion. Originally a marquis’s domain, it was fertile and vast land, so I couldn’t blame the nobles for being all worked up.

Honestly, it was a given that the Emperor would grant me a title. After all, being the Hero is the epitome of strength in this generation. No ordinary person could beat someone with magical powers. Plus, I had been unofficially referred to as the strongest even before I had any magic. I could somewhat predict the perks that would come my way.

But I thought I’d just be given a minor hereditary title and that’s it. But a Count with a territory? That was something I could hardly grasp.

Since I couldn’t exactly ask them to take it back after it had already happened, I awkwardly nodded, momentarily becoming a Count, followed by Yulia, who proceeded behind me. Yulia received an easy gift of a hereditary title as well. Given she rarely ventured out of the Church, it made sense that she couldn’t receive a territory or hereditary title. The Saint makes appearances occasionally, unlike the Hero.

“Well then… let’s save the remaining honors for later, and I hope you all enjoy the ball I have prepared for the heroes.”

With that, the Emperor quietly left the grand hall, still looking languid. Staring blankly at his retreating figure, Yulia and I were eventually ushered out of the grand hall by Cardinal Besalon’s hand.

How many hours are left until the ball?

“Three hours!”

“There’s no time—!”

“At least we have the dress sent by Her Highness the Princess…”

“What’s the size? What’s the size?”

“You tried it on earlier, and it fit perfectly!”

“Hero, were you close with Her Highness the Princess?”

As the maids rushed around, one suddenly threw a question at me. The Princess? Ah, she must be referring to Chloe. When I nodded, the maids gasped and started chattering among themselves.

Before heading to the ballroom, we arrived at what seemed to be a dressing room for guests, thanks to Cardinal Besalon’s insistence that we needed to get ready. Being in the Imperial Palace, I figured they’d have a place to pamper guests. But I quickly felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of maids, which had multiplied tremendously compared to before.

Just a few months ago, I was in the same position as them. Briefly lost in thought, I snapped back to reality as the maids started slathering something on my face. They were smearing things, touching my skin, applying something to my hair—what on earth were they putting on me? I wasn’t a total novice at makeup, having helped Lilian with hers, but compared to these maids, I felt like a frog in a well.

Just as I was zoning out under their ministrations, the dressing room door burst open. With the maids’ startled voices following, the sound of footsteps halted right behind me.

“Long time no see, Catherine.”

“It has been a while, Your Highness.”

As I regained my senses upon hearing the familiar voice, I turned to see Princess Chloe smiling brightly, her red eyes sparkling.