Chapter 80

After that, the family of the deceased and the visitors continued the procedure of placing flowers and such in front of the memorial stone…

But those things no longer caught my eye.

I was already in a state of shock due to the insane backstory.

—

**Lacey Elmain Staldorf.**

A woman who left the Holy Kingdom and came all the way to the Empire to be recognized as a true saint, not just a saint candidate.

After helping the Empire, saving countless lives, and vanquishing all sorts of evil beings, she finally became a character known as the Empire’s Saint.

—

Wait, when they said “Empire’s Saint,” were they referring to the Third Reich…?

I recalled the saint candidate’s speech again.

—

“One race, one world, one faith. And the extermination of beastmen.”

It was a radical and extreme speech. It was almost strange that other priests or imperial figures didn’t try to stop her.

…Which probably means the speech itself was exactly what they all intended.

Was the goal to stir people’s emotions and implant the justification that all beastmen must be killed?

And to redirect any potential anger toward the imperial family toward the beastmen instead?

—

It’s definitely effective.

Both the rough and the meek were whispering to each other that exterminating the beastmen seemed like the right thing to do.

Come to think of it, it does sound kind of right…?

—

Now that I think about it, was that also why they were oddly cold toward me?

The Ka`har tribe’s reputation was no different from that of beastmen, being a non-human race. They probably secretly wanted to kill me given the chance.

But considering how strangely well Elpinel’s blessings worked for me and how I risked my life to protect the citizens of the capital, they might have been unsure if harming me was truly the right thing. So they just maintained that awkward attitude.

Personally, I think that’s probably the case. But who knows for sure?

—

While I was lost in thought, the funeral mass finally concluded.

It was now time for the award ceremony to commend the contributors to this incident and bestow appropriate rewards.

Traditionally, such events were held inside the cathedral, but this time, it was specially held in the middle of the square.

They needed to showcase the heroes who saved them and the promising talents to the people gathered here.

—

A large podium was set up at the front of the square.

Knights and soldiers bustled about, and within less than 10 minutes, they assembled a decent-looking stage.

Imperial figures and high-ranking nobles lined up on the stage.

The Emperor, his two princes, Duke Bien, the Margrave of Landenburg, the Archbishops of the Elpinel and Shaulite Orders, and a few other nobles I didn’t recognize.

The students invited to the award ceremony, including me, stepped forward.

—

Freide, Asha, Damien, Milia, Edgar.

All of them were students who had defeated beastman warriors.

I thought Ophelia might have taken down at least one beastman… but she was nowhere to be seen.

Well, given her position of hiding her abilities because of her sister, she probably kept it a secret even if she did defeat one.

Ferne probably had no intention of showing up in the first place.

She’s probably just drinking in her room as usual.

—

What was surprising was that Edgar was included.

All he does is cast healing miracles on himself and drag out battles. To win against a beastman by outlasting them in a battle of endurance… that’s not human, that’s cockroach-level vitality.

—

Countless eyes focused on us.

Milia’s expression was stiff with tension, as if she had never experienced this kind of attention before.

Damien and Asha simply smiled lightly, while Freide maintained her usual aloof demeanor.

Edgar’s eyes sparkled with emotion.

As for me, I was still in a daze and had no idea what expression I was making.

—

“Beastman Devourer… the rumors said it resembled a monster…”

“My son said she’s like a daffodil princess… she’s certainly beautiful… but is she really a daffodil…?”

Murmurs echoed around me like a reverberating chorus.

“The rumors about the Knight of the Goddess… why would Ka`har…”

“They say she’s a master at her age… I wonder how she is…”

“I saw her that day! She’s definitely a new master…”

—

Why are they only talking about me? It’s all about me.

Nothing new, so I could easily ignore it.

—

Once all the honorees were on the stage, the Emperor stepped forward.

Up close, his thinning hair and sagging wrinkles were painfully noticeable.

“In the midst of a dire crisis, young heroes, despite their tender age, have achieved dazzling feats for the sake of humanity. This is the Empire’s gratitude to you and a symbol of your honor. This unworthy one considers it an honor to stand before you.”

We all knelt on one knee to pay our respects to the Emperor.

This was also part of the prearranged procedure.

—

The rewards were to be given in reverse order of merit, so my turn would be last.

The Emperor approached Asha.

“Asha Gong of the Red Copper Bloodline. Despite being a demi-human with no ties to humanity, you bravely fought against the beastmen who attacked the special admission students…”

“To the warriors who faced the city’s spread of evil, I express my gratitude for your noble devotion. I hereby bestow upon you the title of Empire Knight and the Second-Class Honor Medal.”

The title of knight and the honor medal. Honestly, it was a reward with little significance.

A half-breed wouldn’t serve as a knight in the empire, and what use would an empire’s medal be to them?

“And I’ve heard that you’ve generously expended your resources against the Suin. I shall reward you with three times the silver you lost.”

“I sincerely thank the empire for its grace.”

Yes. For Asha, this was the practical reward.

Asha, whose wealth had just multiplied, bowed her head with a smile, clearly revealing her joy.

“Edgar, a paladin candidate of the Elpinel Order. You stood firm against the Suin attacking the citizens, fighting without retreating to protect them. Truly, your efforts are worthy of being a model for the Elpinel Order. I bestow upon you the Second-Class Honor Medal as well. The Order will also duly commend your faithfulness.”

“I accept this honor with pride. May Elpinel’s blessings forever grace the empire.”

In Edgar’s case, he only received the medal.

Perhaps there was no need to grant a knight’s title to someone already destined to be a paladin.

“Lord Damien, Lady Milia. Despite your young age, you defeated two pure-blood warriors and one half-blood warrior, and heroically fought against a Suin grand warrior. Without you, the academy students’ casualties would have been unimaginable.”

Indeed, if Damien and Milia hadn’t held Natalia back, the first-year students would have been dead before I arrived.

“All the citizens you saved will long praise the courage you displayed that day. I bestow upon you the title of knight and the Second-Class Military Medal. If you continue to serve the empire’s citizens, there will be nothing more to desire.”

“I am deeply grateful for this excessive honor.”

“Th-thank you!”

Damien and Milia were awarded military medals, not honor medals.

Because they had achieved outstanding military feats by stopping the enemy’s core forces.

By defeating pure-blood Suin, they had proven their skills surpassed those of ordinary knights.

With this, I guess those kids have successfully taken their first step.

“Lady Freide von Pailoon. Your achievements in defeating several pure-blood warriors and numerous Suin, and your splendid combat that once again reminded us of the great house’s reputation.

I bestow upon you the Second-Class Military Medal as well.”

“It is the duty of one who bears the name of Pailoon.”

Perhaps because it was an official occasion, Freide’s demeanor was exceedingly polite.

The lack of additional rewards probably holds little significance.

She likely already holds a knight’s title, and monetary rewards would be of little value to the daughter of a great house.

“Truly reliable words. Having Pailoon in the empire’s north is nothing short of a blessing from the gods. I shall convey the royal court’s favor to Duke Pailoon as well. I am sure the Duke is proud of you.”

“It is an honor. Pailoon will forever protect the empire’s north.”

So, it seems the royal court plans to appropriately reward the Pailoon house, not Freide personally.

Actually, with the Suin appearing in the capital, one could blame the north’s lax defenses… but there’s no reason to antagonize Pailoon.

Especially now, with the imperial authority weakened and the Suin threat gaining strength.

“Finally, I wish to introduce the greatest contributor to this event. Please give them a warm welcome.”

At last, it was my turn.

As I stepped forward, tens of thousands of eyes focused on me.

Admittedly, it’s a bit nerve-wracking.

Not to the point of trembling fingers, but enough to make my mouth dry.

I thought I was getting used to the experience of many people’s eyes on me…

But with tens of thousands, it’s definitely a bit overwhelming.

“Princess of the Ka`har, Lady Ha-shal-leur Ai-shan Gi-or.”

My exploits were already known throughout the capital, so no one was shocked to hear my identity.

Though there was murmuring about the rumors.

…At least the bad reputation of resembling a monster might fade. Should I be happy about that?