I continued to trail Sylvia afterward.
I followed her as quietly as possible because I couldn’t easily make sense of the situation unfolding before me.
“Sylvia! Just a moment, please explain what’s going on…!”
“Don’t follow me.”
“If I’ve offended you, Lady Sylvia, please calm down and let’s talk…”
“Stop touching me, I said!”
What is this about? Wasn’t she supposed to be aligned with the Star Sect?
If my memory serves me right, Sylvia surely maintained a friendly relationship with the Star Sect and used their infrastructure to expand her influence and widen her sphere of activity.
That’s why when characters assumed to be from the Star Sect approached her in a familiar manner, I didn’t think much of it.
That’s how it went in the original story.
“…Was she supposed to align with the Star Sect?”
However, looking at this now, it doesn’t seem like she’s aligning with the Star Sect.
No, more precisely, it appears their relationship has soured somewhere along the way.
From what I can tell, the Star Sect is in a one-sided pursuit, while Sylvia is rejecting their advances coldly.
Certainly, abandoning a well-established path suggests the discovery of an even better one, does it not…?
Which means…
“The future has changed.”
Honestly, I had anticipated this.
My presence before the events of the original story had already warped the past, so it was impossible to predict how the future would change as a result.
However, I hadn’t foreseen that even Sylvia’s early-stage story arc would change.
Besides, the Title Award Ceremony itself was an event absent from the original narrative.
I pursued her as quietly as possible.
Sylvia, as depicted in the original story, was truly a quick judge of situations.
Judging by how she decisively cut ties with the Star Sect upon discovering a new route, she was surely no ordinary person.
Still, I wondered if it was necessary for her to treat them so dismissively, like they were bugs. However, I assumed she had a plan behind her methods.
“…Maybe this isn’t such a bad thing?”
In fact, this suits me well.
Given my strained relationship with the Star Sect, if the protagonist naturally distances himself from them, I can more easily isolate the Sect.
Moreover, observing Sylvia’s current response reassures me that perhaps it isn’t necessary to create unnecessary conflict with the main protagonist of the original story.
The Title Award Ceremony is a ritual in which the Emperor officially grants titles and status to aristocrats or commoners for their achievements.
This takes place in the central hall of the imperial palace, the Hall of Destiny, where only extraordinary achievements warrant the granting of a noble title, and most awardees thus belong to influential families.
Hence, every such ceremony becomes one of the most talked-about events in the Empire, with the main highlight being the formal declaration of the awardee’s achievements and the announcement of patrons.
It’s a ceremony designed for show, where patrons come forward to praise the individual being honored.
The more and the more illustrious the patrons, the more influence the awardee is perceived to have, making this the most anticipated portion for the noble audience.
However, serving as a patron is a one-time opportunity, which makes obtaining patrons itself a significant challenge.
No wonder some use offers of patronage as negotiation leverage—truly the epitome of the noble culture driven by vanity.
And now,
“Silence!”
The usher’s call rang loudly across the banquet hall.
The Emperor, described with grandiose epithets such as the heart of the Empire or the sun of the realm, stepped onto the central carpet with the Empress.
“The Emperor, His Majesty, and the Empress, Her Majesty, have entered!”
A heavy silence blanketed the hall.
Not a single clap was heard, as bowing in silence upon the entrance of the Emperor and Empress is the proper Royal etiquette and tradition.
A short while later,
“Lord Luke Richter has entered!”
Once again, silence reigned, but the quality of it had shifted.
This was not silence of respect, but more like a cautious wariness.
After all, this wasn’t a normal case of rank elevation; this was a scenario where a bastard son of a baron family was leaping directly to the rank of a duke.
Given that Luke was a Third Lord under the Lords’ Council, they couldn’t openly oppose it, but they maintained the silence as a minimum gesture of respect.
After a long while of the ceremonious main event,
As the declarations of patrons began, the entire hall began to stir since Arkhan, the Grand Lord, was entering the main hall.
“The Grand Lord Arkhan has declared himself as the patron of Luke Richter…”
Every eye in the room was fixed on Arkhan.
There was no one present who didn’t know of the Lords’ Council, and the Grand Lord was the representative of that ‘coliseum of monsters.’
[SYSTEM: Encountered ‘Grand Lord Arkhan’.]
Sylvia was also observing the scene.
Since she had already abandoned the Star Sect route, she needed to gather intelligence on the Six Lords.
Most importantly, she needed confirmation.
Confirmation that choosing the Six Lords route and abandoning all others posed no issues.
Shortly after, as if responding to a cue, another set of figures entered the main hall.
“First Lord Ekion announces himself as a patron…”
“Third Lord Kalen announces himself as a patron…”
The First Lord and Third Lord of the Six Lords who had relatively amicable relations with Luke Richter declared themselves as patrons.
The silence continued.
Though certainly all of them were illustrious, given that Luke Richter himself was one of the Six Lords, their patronage could have been expected.
And then,
An unexpected voice broke the silence, causing all the nobles to turn their heads.
“Laurence von Stein, the Envoy of the Seven Principalities, declares himself as patron on behalf of the Duke-King’s will…”
An entire principality’s royal representative stood as Luke’s patron.
It didn’t stop there.
“Castille, representative of the Southern Lords’ Council declares herself…”
“Creton, representing the Great Trade Consortium ‘Dongha Bang’ announces himself as a patron…”
“Marco, as the Chairperson of the Free Port City declares himself as a patron…”
Representatives of the principality’s direct royal-led factions were entering the main hall.
With each successive declaration of patrons, the faces of the nobles grew increasingly pale.
Beyond receiving support from the Lords’ Council of the Empire, massive factions from outside the Empire were now also standing as Luke Richter’s patrons.
Sylvia, too, was astonished.
While she had known through the System that Luke Richter had connections to a principality, seeing it with her own eyes was far more shocking.
Especially, she had never imagined their relationship was so close that they would declare themselves patrons.
Moreover,
“The Chairperson of the Imperial Magic Academy, Ariel, declares herself as a patron…”
The Chairperson of the Imperial Magic Academy, Ariel, also declared her patronage over Luke Richter.
Ariel knew that Luke Richter was the same individual who had once devastated the Academy under the pseudonym ‘Rabshil’ and was now seeking to establish a direct connection. This was a secret known only to the Academy’s elite.
The common practice was for authors’ identities to be hidden, making author names almost pseudonyms, which preserved old customs.
Thus, others could only assume there was some sort of connection between Luke and the Academy.
“…Is this real?”
Sylvia was similarly astonished.
The Imperial Magic Academy was no small faction, and even its Chairperson Ariel stepping forward directly was shocking enough.
Absolutely bewildering.
“Vice Tower Master of the Red Magic Tower and Dean of the Imperial Academy, Selena, declares patronage…”
Even Selena, representing the Red Magic Tower and Academy, stepped forward to support him.
Patronage, in essence, was publicly acknowledging oneself as the figure’s supporter. For that reason, representatives of powerful factions generally didn’t proclaim themselves patrons easily.
That Selena had done so indicated that the Red Magic Tower and Academy would also stand behind him.
“Completely insane.”
It felt as if her senses were leaving her.
At this point, one could categorize Luke beyond being just a final boss; he’d become an actual force of nature.
Afterward, figures representing factions directly managed by the Lord’s Council continued entering.
Even representatives from trade conglomerates who were saved by the preaching of Saint Elfried appeared in gratitude.
Then,
“Head of the White-Haired Tribe, Arkaban…”
Sylvia involuntarily gasped.
The White-Haired Tribe, known as the divine beasts’ lineage among the Beastmen, were famous for their abilities to handle white power and white vortexes, placing them among the physically strongest in the Beastmen’s races.
Naturally, they were among the factions that needed to be recruited as part of any conquest route. While they were notoriously challenging to approach and lived secluded lives, the leader of this hard-to-reach species had made an appearance.
“…The White-Haired Tribe should despise humans, right?”
Sylvia was at a loss.
Certainly, Arkaban, as the leader of the White-Haired Tribe, supported Luke because he was the rightful owner of a treasure the Tribe had guarded for centuries, but Sylvia had no way of knowing this.
“Insane. This is utterly insane.”
Sylvia could only mutter these words to herself.
At the time when she was drenched in cold sweat,
The final patron made their entrance.
The identity was none other than
“His Majesty, Emperor Thermiir Eckhart of the Sublime Empire…”
The Emperor himself declared his patronage for Luke Richter.
For the Emperor of the Empire to personally serve as a patron for an individual was unprecedented.
Naturally, it was a matter of fairness, yet strangely, Luke Richter, being from the Lord’s Council, a faction aligned with the Royal family, fit the exception despite his illegitimate birth and aristocratic disdain.
Above all, it was an effective method to prevent the incessant escapes of Luke.
But,
“…”
Watching this, Sylvia was almost on the verge of unconsciousness.
The Title Award Ceremony abruptly ended, and the banquet began.
Of course, I had no intention of attending the banquet and was making preparations to return to Blackmore.
“Damn it.”
That blasted Emperor.
While others’ actions were understandable, when the Emperor gleefully declared patronage, it made my head hot.
Just how much does he intend to exploit me in the name of the Empire?
As I tried to cool my temper,
“Six Lords of the Lord’s Council.”
Suddenly appearing before me, Sylvia bowed.
Her unexpected appearance momentarily choked me.
Confused by my silence, she gulped and quickly continued.
“My name is Sylvia.”
…What’s this all about suddenly?
Not knowing what to say, I stayed silent.
Then,
“I have something to say to the Six Lords.”
With a slightly trembling voice, she said,
“…It might sound far-fetched, but I can see the future.”
She claimed she could see the future.
Upon hearing this, I could only think one thing.
‘This girl, could she possibly…’
Could she be trying to win my favor?
