Chapter 81

“Ka`har has indeed been a threat to the eastern part of the Empire for the past few hundred years. However, they have finally declared peace and are now walking the same path as the Empire, which is undoubtedly a great progress that will mark a new chapter in the history of the Empire.”

The Emperor stepped forward and placed his hand on my shoulder.

“And Princess Ai-shan Gi-or has proven this with her indomitable struggle, sparing no life. She personally defeated three Suin tribes and even took down their great warriors, achieving unbelievable feats. Without the Princess’s dedication, tens of thousands of our subjects would have suffered even more. She is truly a hero who saved the capital.”

When the Emperor officially confirmed the rumors of the great warrior’s defeat, a mix of admiration filled the people’s gazes.

Everyone probably knew about my exploits, but many were still skeptical about the news of me defeating a great warrior.

“To the Princess, I shall bestow the title of Imperial Knight, the First-Class Military Medal, and the title of Master. The fact that she single-handedly defeated a Suin great warrior proves the birth of a new Master. This is a joyous achievement that further advances humanity’s strength and a blessing bestowed upon the Empire by the gods.”

“Thank you.”

The blessing of the Empire. It must have been a puzzling story for those gathered.

If a Master appeared among the Ka`har, it would be a blessing for the Ka`har, not necessarily for the Empire.

“Taking this opportunity, I hereby proclaim that from today onwards, the Imperial Family will accept Princess Ai-shan Gi-or as a true member of the Empire. This decision is not only an expression of gratitude for the Princess’s achievements but also because we have discovered an astonishing fact about her lineage.”

As if sensing the people’s doubts, the Emperor continued to explain.

“Half of the Princess’s lineage is of Imperial nobility.”

Instantly, the surroundings became noisy.

Of course, most people didn’t know that I was of mixed blood, let alone that it was with an Imperial.

My appearance, being of mixed blood, was distinctly different from the average Ka`har… but they probably thought all Ka`har looked like this.

Unless they were from the east, the people of the capital had hardly ever seen a Ka`har in person.

“The Princess’s mother was originally a noble of the Empire, the young lady of the Medean family. Unfortunately, the Medean family, a now-fallen barony of the Empire, has its last heir… Therefore, I intend to restore the Medean name and the baronial title to Princess Ha-shal-leur Ai-shan Gi-or. I trust there will be no objections to this.”

There was no public dissent.

Though who knows what they were really thinking inside.

Well, with the Emperor speaking so firmly, who would dare to openly oppose?

It’s not like it’s a high-ranking title, just a barony.

“Then, let us all applaud and welcome the birth of the fiftieth Master, who carries the blood of the Empire.”

The Emperor raised me up and presented me before the crowd.

I forced a smile, trying to appear as amiable as possible.

The returning gazes were filled with various emotions.

Admiration. Relief. Gratitude. Longing. Lust. Doubt. Confusion. Distrust. Expectation.

The longing gazes of children looking at a hero. The eyes of those from the Suin, struggling to suppress their lingering hostility.

The praises of women marveling at my appearance. And the drowsy eyes of some men filled with dark desires.

Everything was bearable except for the sticky lust.

There was no oath of loyalty.

Receiving an honorary noble title and pledging loyalty to the Emperor carry different weights.

The latter was something I, as a foreign princess, should not do.

And so, the ceremony concluded.

With the Emperor’s closing speech, all official events came to an end.

The people gathered in the square dispersed in small groups, discussing today’s events.

What followed was a meeting exclusive to the nobles.

It wasn’t a banquet.

Holding a banquet right after a funeral mass would have buried public sentiment in the gutter.

It was just a time for a few nobles gathered inside the cathedral to discuss current issues or introduce new faces.

There are plans for a ball where all the capital’s nobles will gather, but that’s for another day, not today.

It’s scheduled to coincide with the official declaration of the capital’s full recovery.

For now, it’s just about wrapping up loose ends.

—

We were also invited to the meeting and guided inside the cathedral.

The interior of the cathedral was not just splendid but radiant.

The octagonal floor had arch-shaped walls rising to support the dome ceiling.

Instead of ordinary glass windows, stained glass pieces formed dazzling holy images on the second-floor walls.

The high dome ceiling was adorned with frescoes depicting the achievements of Emperor Carolus and the Twelve Knights.

The long chairs that would have lined the central hall were temporarily removed, leaving it empty, while various nobles gathered in small groups, chatting.

The Emperor had returned to the Imperial Palace due to health reasons, leaving only the two princes in the cathedral.

Leopold and Ernst, the two princes, each had their factions of nobles gathered around them, eyeing each other.

Growling.

Meanwhile, Marquis Ludwig and Duke Bien were having a quiet conversation with two archbishops in a corner of the cathedral.

Naturally, no nobles dared to approach them. Everyone was curious about what the four electors were discussing, but… a mere noble wouldn’t dare to intrude on their conversation.

Freide stood in a corner, sipping wine. She seemed uninterested in getting involved in the factional issues of the other nobles.

So, no one approached her either. It was the wisest decision to leave the Pale Lun alone, maintaining neutrality.

Asha was talking to the newly risen nobles about her business plans. A good choice. Since they were nobles who had risen through the power of capital, they were sensitive to anything that could make them money.

Edgar headed toward the members of the Church Order. Apparently, he was moved by Lacey’s speech. I can’t understand the emotions of these religious folks.

I took Damien and Milia to tour the cathedral. If left alone, some weird nobles might try to approach them, especially Milia.

Fortunately, no one had approached them openly yet. Maybe it was because I was giving off a strong “don’t talk to me” vibe.

If this were a ball, someone might have stubbornly asked for a dance, but this wasn’t that kind of place.

…Still, there were some who kept glancing at me.

“Everything’s so shiny… It feels like I’ve entered another world.”

Milia seemed really awkward in this place. She kept fidgeting with her dress and looking around nervously. Honestly, it was pretty cute.

“It *is* another world. Except for the grand cathedrals in the Holy Kingdom’s capital, you probably won’t find a more splendid cathedral anywhere else.”

At least, according to the setting.

“Really? You know a lot about this?”

“…I read it in a book.”

I made up a quick excuse. A book-reading barbarian? As rare as an orc ballerina. Speaking of which, orcs were already extinct in this world, weren’t they?

“It’s quite splendid.”

Damien, surprisingly, was calm. Even though he wasn’t used to places like this either. What a peculiar personality.

I planned to take him along on future extermination missions, so I’d have more chances to figure out his personality then.

For now, there were no immediate enemies, but nurturing Damien was a task I’d have to undertake eventually. In the distant future, a holy sword would be necessary… but only the chosen hero could wield it.

In other words, only Damien could do it. I couldn’t just rely on Durandal and handle everything alone.

—

After some time of sightseeing, Leopold called me over to his side. He wanted to introduce the Empire’s new master to everyone.

…Right. I did ask him to act somewhat friendly. Though calling me over like this in front of Ernst was a bit too obvious.

I glanced at Ernst, who was looking at me with a “I knew it” expression. Well, he probably already had an idea, so it didn’t matter.

“Freide, can you look after these two for a bit? Make sure no flies bother them.”

“Huh? What? Hey, wait a minute. What are you—”

“Thanks a lot!”

I quickly passed by the flustered Freide and headed toward Leopold.

With that, Damien would probably handle himself well. He’s quick on the uptake.

As I approached Leopold, he greeted me with a bright smile. The nobles around us gasped in admiration as they got a closer look at my face.

“Welcome, officially, as a member of the Empire. Princess Ha-shal-leur Medyan Ai-shan Gi-or.”

“I am overwhelmed by Your Highness’s welcome. If it’s not too presumptuous, may I ask why you called for me?”

The fluent honorifics flowing from the mouth of a barbarian made the nobles flinch in surprise.

“Though this is a formal occasion, there’s no need to be so stiff. The princess is my friend. Feel free to speak comfortably… but not too comfortably.”

The surrounding nobles laughed, thinking it was a joke. Though it was probably sincere.