Private Audience (1)
Chapter 158
The capital of the Empire, Dranopolis.
The very foundation that allowed the Empire to endure for over a thousand years.
The moment any threat approached, this vast capital transformed instantly into the most powerful fortress in human history.
Even if three Lords were to lead a massive army and charge forward, it was generally considered almost impossible to breach the defense system of the Imperial Capital.
Moreover, the Imperial Capital brimmed with forces loyal to the Emperor, including the Royal Guard and the Imperial Knights.
Even during the weakest period for the Empire and imperial authority, no one dared to challenge Dranopolis, ensuring the Empire’s stability until now.
“…But this place got breached too, huh.”
So, in the original history, that is.
Unfortunately, Ray had no idea how this place fell.
It was unclear whether it stood as humanity’s final fortress until the end or if it was swept away when the Demon King passed by.
Regardless, this place deserved to be called the center of human civilization, where ancient and modern architectural styles blended seamlessly with cutting-edge technology.
‘…Will this give the kids quite the impression…’
Ray’s group was touring the Imperial Capital today with the help of a servant from the Alstein family.
The name of the Alstein family servant guiding them was “Cattleya,” and she hailed from the gentry.
Cattleya pointed at the golden towers erected throughout the Imperial Capital and explained:
“These towers control the mana from the veins and transmit it to the central system. They’re made of special materials, making them difficult to damage, and even if more than half are destroyed, they can still function properly.”
As Cattleya explained, Ray and the children he brought continued walking.
A pyramid-like but sharper structure loomed ever closer—the colossal Imperial Palace.
Ray frowned as he observed the turrets positioned atop the palace’s surrounding towers.
Some of the cannons had peculiar shapes or bore calibers exceeding one meter, and it seemed unlikely that they were designed to fire metal projectiles.
At that moment, Cattleya pointed to a unique, towering silver structure standing tall.
“The tower built to the east of the palace is where the Dragon Ascension Ceremony takes place. When a new member of the royal family turns seven, a ceremony is held here to shine a light high into the sky commemorating the occasion. I saw it once when I was a child.”
The children nodded with wide-eyed curiosity after hearing the explanation.
After admiring the palace from afar and continuing their stroll through the streets, they noticed young people dressed uniformly marching in formation toward somewhere.
“Those are the Izhise students.”
Ray muttered upon recognizing the insignia on their uniforms.
Delun pointed at the Izhise students and asked Cattleya:
“Who are those people?”
“Izhise… a kind of royal military academy for cadets.”
“In simpler terms, it’s a training ground for the Royal Guard.”
Ray added his two cents.
Primarily, individuals struggling to inherit noble titles, heirs of minor families, or exceptionally talented members of the gentry typically attended Izhise.
Outstanding graduates often advanced to high-ranking positions, including the Royal Guard, while others joined the Imperial Knights or became military officers.
In short, Izhise was an educational institution established by the royal family to secure easily verifiable and highly talented individuals.
Occasionally, children of high-ranking nobles also enrolled, usually to build networks or poach talents.
Although doing so could risk angering the Emperor if important talents were improperly taken.
Delun, Ian, and Luke looked at the Izhise students with eyes full of admiration after hearing the explanations from Cattleya and Ray.
Ray placed his hand on Delun’s shoulder and said:
“Hey, if you keep working hard like this, you’ll definitely be able to enroll there within five years.”
“Really, Brother?”
“Yeah.”
Izhise wasn’t an institution that only admitted once-in-a-lifetime geniuses.
With Delun’s talent, he would likely pass the entrance exam in about two to three years.
However, the background checks were incredibly stringent, which required substantial assistance from Seria and others.
Nonetheless, Izhise was the fastest path to success for kids like Delun.
Despite their humble origins, they might appear easy to manage, which could make higher-ups prefer them.
“…Anyways, work hard.”
Delun, Ian, and Luke’s eyes sparkled brightly.
Ray chuckled briefly.
Delun had followed Ray since childhood and experienced a much lighter adolescence compared to Johanna, maintaining respect and diligence in his training.
On the other hand, Ian and Luke somewhat forced themselves into studying and training.
Thanks to Ray occasionally pushing them, they couldn’t become lazy, but it was clear they lacked sufficient motivation.
‘Now, will they start putting in effort on their own?’
Having seen a broader world and set new goals, they should be able to push themselves harder.
Ray gathered the three kids in his arms and asked:
“What do I always remind you not to forget?”
“…Not to forget our debts of gratitude?”
“That’s right. No matter where you end up in life, never forget whose grace helped you get there.”
Many people, including Ray, had worked hard to bring these orphaned children to where they stood today.
After lightly tapping the children’s heads, Ray glanced at Johanna.
“You don’t have any interest? Your age might be an issue, but with your skills, you’d easily pass the entrance exams. Attending Izhise could help you address most of your weaknesses.”
You could learn various advanced sword techniques, receive support suited to your talents, and build valuable connections.
All of these were essential for Johanna.
Johanna hesitantly asked:
“Would Ray also enroll in Izhise?”
She didn’t want to go alone and certainly didn’t want to lose touch with Ray.
Ray shrugged and said he’d see when the time came.
Following the Izhise cadets, they arrived at a vast square located in the middle of the Imperial Capital.
Over ten knights guarded the central plaza, among them some members of the Royal Guard.
After receiving permission from the knights, the instructor leading the Izhise cadets marched them to the center of the square.
In the middle of the square stood a solitary sword adorned with intricate patterns embedded in the ground.
The cadets lined up and, under the instructor’s guidance, took turns grabbing the hilt of the sword.
Struggling to pull the sword out, each cadet eventually shook their head and stepped back.
Karen asked:
“What… are they doing?”
“It’s a tradition all Izhise freshmen undergo.”
“To… grab that sword?”
“I’m sure those cadets wanted to pull it out.”
“Is that sword an Artefact?”
“You’d better avoid calling it that. Classifying the most powerful existing relic as an Artefact could provoke the Church’s wrath.”
“…!”
Only then did the children realize what it was.
This was the Sacred Sword they had read about countless times in storybooks.
Around 600 years ago, the last recorded use of the Sacred Sword was by a Paladin of the era.
During times when the world was shrouded in darkness, only the exalted chosen by El-Lam could wield this strongest of relics.
The children regarded the Sacred Sword, visible only vaguely from a distance, with awe.
Delun, mouth agape, finally turned to Ray:
“Brother, wouldn’t you be able to pull it out?”
To Delun, Ray was that great a figure. And frankly, he wasn’t entirely wrong.
Ray smiled faintly while looking at the Sacred Sword.
“It would come out, sure.”
After thoroughly exploring the Imperial Capital all morning,
Ray’s group stopped by a dessert shop.
It was far more luxurious than any shop they’d seen near the Imperial Capital.
Alessya was delighted upon entering the dessert shop.
“They let us in! Amazing!”
Seeing Alessya happy despite not being turned away made Ray feel oddly sympathetic.
The reason they managed to enter today was because Alessya and the others borrowed relatively decent clothes from the Alstein mansion and Cattleya had made prior arrangements.
Inside the dessert shop, there were many young couples.
Their attire was significantly more elegant compared to Ray’s group.
Nevertheless, neither Ray nor the children paid much attention to such details as they were guided to a reserved table by the staff.
“Wow…”
The children marveled as they were led to a large round table and took their seats one by one.
Ray sat down first, followed by Alessya to his left, Luna to Alessya’s left, and Karen to Ray’s right.
On the opposite side, the boys sat in a row.
Observing the seating arrangement, Yohanna felt inexplicably irritated.
“Yohanna, are you uncomfortable?”
Upon hearing Karen’s question, Yohanna pouted and squeezed herself between Karen and Delun.
Once everyone was seated, various desserts and drinks were promptly served onto the table.
Ray lightly clapped his hands together.
“Alright, all expenses for this tour, including this place, are covered by my aunt—no, our Young Miss. So, everyone, thank me.”
Alessya’s shoulders slightly slumped.
But soon enough, everyone returned to cheerful conversation.
The dessert shop was filled with wonders and beauty.
The dishes, lighting, and overall interior decoration were sophisticated and splendid, something one wouldn’t encounter in remote areas.
Needless to say, the sweetness of the food was unmatched.
While listening to the children’s conversations, Ray quietly mused:
‘The locals must be gossiping fiercely about some country bumpkins visiting.’
Still, as long as the kids enjoyed themselves, that was all that mattered.
Just as Ray was slicing bread to eat, an unfamiliar male voice reached him from behind.
“Young Miss.”
Alessya turned around.
However, the man approaching the table wasn’t looking at Alessya but rather at Karen.
Disappointed, Alessya watched as Ray scrutinized the two men approaching the table.
Both men wore Izhise cadet uniforms and were looking at Karen and Yohanna respectively.
The man who approached Karen slightly bowed his head.
“Hello, Young Miss. My name is Sebas from the Lilford family.”
Sebas introduced himself and began chatting enthusiastically. The gist was predictable:
He and his friend had seen the two beautiful ladies—Karen and Yohanna—and couldn’t help but approach due to their racing hearts. Would they share their names?
Ray pondered for a moment.
Was Yohanna grouped with Karen simply because she sat next to her, or was Sebas’ friend genuinely interested in Yohanna?
The answer remained unclear, but regardless, Ray felt stressed.
Karen’s modest appearance contrasted sharply with her striking beauty, attracting those who underestimated her.
The Lilford family was a prominent noble house, and it was unlikely Sebas approached Karen seriously given her seemingly low status.
Ray pointed his fork at the overly friendly Sebas.
“Hey.”
“…Are you referring to me?”
Exhaling deeply at the startled Sebas, Ray said:
“Yeah, stop bothering my wife already. Why are you eyeing another man’s wife?”
“…?!”
What, this guy’s wife?
Sebas stared at Karen in shock.
Blushing furiously and lowering her head, Karen muttered:
“Husband…”
Watching Karen twist uncomfortably, Sebas wondered if he had indeed been flirting with a married woman.
Meanwhile, Yohanna tapped the table with her spoon, glaring at Ray.
Her action implied: Say something to me too!
Hearing the spoon sound, Ray alternated his gaze between Yohanna and Sebas’ friend, then smiled warmly.
“You two seem to match well. Give it a try.”
Immediately after, the spoon Yohanna was holding struck Ray’s forehead.
While preparing his attire with Adoia’s help for a private audience with the Emperor, Ernst suddenly asked:
“Adoia, has Rubia Kingdom ever reversed its stance regarding the First Crown Prince incident?”
“To my knowledge, over the past three years, the Rubia Kingdom hasn’t changed its position concerning matters related to the First Crown Prince. However, I’ll recheck and report back if necessary.”
The incident involving the First Crown Prince had been awkward for both the Empire and the Kingdom, leading to a tacit agreement to sweep it under the rug.
Although the conflict resolved with the weaker Rubia Kingdom conceding, it consistently maintained that “the Empire sent assassins again to kill the First Crown Prince, resulting in the loss of the Dragon Heart.”
Through spies, the Empire learned rumors circulating within the Kingdom, some absurd claims included: the successful restoration of the Spatial Blade, or that a Royal Guard trained in Spatial Blade techniques personally came and killed the fallen Crown Prince.
Imperial officials, including Ernst, believed the Rubia Kingdom intentionally spread false rumors domestically to evade responsibility and then blamed the Empire.
Though they mocked these futile efforts…
“…”
Ernst glanced at the map.
Sigini Mountain Range, Phillip’s County, the escape route of the First Crown Prince.
As Ernst’s eyes narrowed, Adoia spoke up:
“Mr. Ernst… Is there any problem?”
“…No, nothing serious.”
Ernst fastened the remaining buttons.
