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Chapter 37
It was a moment more brilliant than starlight.
The instant the emperor, seated upon his throne, spoke a single sentence.
“From this moment on! We shall begin the ceremony of commendation for the recapture of the Helikel Gorge in the Northwestern Front!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With the clerk’s proclamation, the prepared drums resounded loudly throughout the grand hall.
Amid the majestic atmosphere, people revealed their various emotions on their faces.
The excitement and joy of being present at such a historic moment.
Some were contemplating how the empire would change as a result of the great achievement that was the recapture of Helikel Gorge.
Of course, there were also a few who concealed such thoughts behind expressionless faces.
The clerk fidgeted with a book bound in crimson leather held in his hands.
Then, at last, he shouted.
“First! Second Lieutenant Tertian of the 1st Division, step forward!”
When his name was called, Tertian straightened his uniform and slowly moved forward, climbing the platform.
Despite his squared shoulders and confident stride, his expression was somewhat stiff.
Once Tertian stood upon the platform, the clerk spoke to him.
“Kneel on one knee and show proper respect.”
Thud.
Tertian knelt on his right knee and bowed his head.
The clerk then declared,
“Second Lieutenant Tertian, as the deputy commander of the special unit that infiltrated Helikel Gorge, made a great contribution to the elimination of the savage barbarians and the recapture of the gorge. In recognition of this, he is granted a special promotion of one rank, one hundred gold coins, and one silver-grade treasure from the Imperial Palace Treasury.”
“Oooooh….”
“That young soldier… impressive.”
“I heard he’s the one they called the Reaper of the First Defensive Line.”
As the clerk finished speaking, applause erupted from the crowd.
When the emperor rose from his seat, silence fell once more.
“Raise your head.”
At the emperor’s words, Tertian lifted his head. The emperor then extended a short wooden sword carved from wood.
“With this, you may enter the Imperial Palace Treasury. I commend your merits.”
“I shall engrave Your Majesty’s grace upon my heart!”
Tertian shouted loudly as he accepted the wooden sword.
The emperor nodded with a satisfied smile, and Tertian slowly rose from his position and returned to his seat.
Then, the people’s gazes shifted toward Isaac and Arteon beside Belkane.
Who would be called next?
Amid the crowd’s anticipation, the clerk announced the next recipient of merit.
“Next, Corporal Arteon of the 1st Division, step forward!”
“Ooh!”
“So it’s that boy.”
All eyes focused on Arteon.
Arteon, in turn, looked upon the high-ranking officials gathered in the grand hall.
Surely, among them, there would be someone connected to Moldrek.
But for now, he cast those thoughts aside.
‘Eventually…’
When the time came, he would know.
For now, all he needed to do was his best in this moment.
Step.
Arteon took a step toward the platform.
His squared shoulders and the upright gaze fixed upon the dais were not something one would expect from a fifteen-year-old boy.
Rather than being overwhelmed by the atmosphere,
it was as if he exerted a strange pressure that dominated his surroundings, causing the expressions of those watching him to grow more serious.
And when he ascended the platform—
Thud.
Arteon knelt on his right knee and bowed his head before the emperor.
The light streaming down from the ceiling seemed to pour directly onto the boy’s head.
The sight of a youthful-faced boy standing in the place reserved for the greatest hero was both incongruous and strangely sacred.
At his calm and composed etiquette, the clerk fell silent without realizing it.
But soon—
“Corporal Arteon, as a member of the special unit that infiltrated Helikel Gorge, played the most crucial role in its recapture.”
“…The most crucial role?”
“That young boy?”
The grand hall stirred at once.
Yet the clerk continued, unfazed.
“Having prior knowledge of the terrain of Helikel Gorge, he served as a guide enabling the special unit to enter the gorge. Furthermore, he crossed a fast-flowing river with his bare body and installed ropes so that the soldiers could cross.”
At the clerk’s words, people recalled the frigid cold of the north.
It might sound like a trivial feat, but those who knew the north could not help but be astonished.
The clerk raised his voice.
“Therefore! He is granted a special promotion of two ranks, three hundred gold coins, one gold-grade treasure from the Imperial Palace Treasury, and an estate on the outskirts of the capital. Additionally, permission is granted for transfer to a unit other than the Northern Army.”
“…!”
“To a unit other than the north?”
“That’s unprecedented.”
“Sending someone out of the Northern Army is… extremely rare.”
It was a radical reward.
Being permitted to transfer away from the north was practically equivalent to being pardoned for the crime that had led one to be sent there in the first place.
“Raise your head.”
The emperor rose from his seat and looked at Arteon. As with Tertian, he handed him a wooden dagger engraved with numerous patterns along the blade.
“I wish you good fortune on the road ahead.”
“It is an honor, Your Majesty.”
A brief yet powerful reply.
Arteon rose and descended from the platform.
Next came Isaac.
Like Tertian, Isaac received a special promotion of one rank, along with money and treasure as rewards.
Belkane, meanwhile, was recognized both for his long-standing efforts in defending the northwest and for his achievements this time, and was promoted from major general to lieutenant general.
Perhaps he now possessed the minimum qualifications to rise beyond division commander, to the rank of corps commander.
Thus, the ceremony of commendation came to an end.
After the emperor’s final address concluded the ceremony, those in the grand hall approached Belkane to congratulate him.
Even if he was stationed in the north, his influence upon the empire was considerable.
As people approached, Belkane immediately turned to Isaac and spoke.
“Captain Isaac. Take the two of them and go to the Imperial Palace Treasury. There will be a guide waiting outside.”
“Understood.”
Isaac replied at once and exited the grand hall.
A few people there tried to stop Isaac and Arteon, but—
“The commendations bestowed by His Majesty have not yet concluded.”
At the mention of the emperor, they all hesitated, left only with regretful expressions.
It was a commendation ceremony personally overseen by the emperor.
They had hoped to forge connections with the young soldiers who were its protagonists.
Knowing their intentions, Belkane had promptly sent the three outside the palace.
“Whew.”
Once outside, just as Belkane had said, a guide was waiting.
It was Taolk, the captain of the Imperial Guard who had guided them earlier.
“I thought it would take longer, but you came out sooner than expected. Have you finished exchanging greetings with the people inside?”
“The division commander told us to go ahead first. Are you the one guiding us, Captain of the Guard?”
“That’s right. Since the ceremony isn’t fully over yet, we can’t risk any unpleasant incidents.”
“……”
Perhaps because he was part of the imperial household—
Arteon found Taolk’s words oddly unsettling.
The recapture of Helikel Gorge.
It was undoubtedly a great benefit to the empire, but he had heard that not everyone in the imperial palace welcomed it.
“Then follow me.”
Taolk led the three, accompanied by soldiers, toward the Imperial Treasury.
The treasury lay deep underground, within the inner reaches of the palace.
Clank, clank.
As they descended the stairs, a massive door blocking the entrance came into view, and a custodian approached.
“You’ve arrived.”
“These are the ones. Please proceed after verification.”
Having already heard about the commendations, the custodian approached the three and received their tokens.
“Captain Isaac and Lieutenant Tertian are silver grade. Corporal Arteon is… gold grade, I see.”
The custodian looked slightly surprised.
The Imperial Treasury’s ranks ascended from the lowest—iron—to silver, gold, and finally crown.
Crown rank was reserved for marquises or higher nobility, or members of the imperial family, while even gold rank was granted only to high-ranking nobles.
Yet an ordinary soldier, not even a noble…
“This way, please.”
The custodian placed his hand on the door and infused it with mana.
Complex formulas appeared, and the magic circle began to deactivate.
He seemed like an ordinary custodian, but…
‘Was he a mage?’
Mages were exceedingly rare within the empire.
To guard the Imperial Treasury, an ordinary custodian would hardly suffice.
It all made sense now.
“Only you should follow me. The other two will be assisted by a different guide.”
Whether it was a privilege of gold rank or not, Arteon nodded and followed him inside.
But once inside, they reached a dead end.
There was nothing there—not a single treasure. As Arteon tilted his head in confusion—
“Take one step back.”
The custodian stepped forward and placed his hand on the wall. And in that moment—
Clang—Kugugugugugugung!
With a massive magic circle, the wall split in half, revealing the true treasury hidden within.
Arteon swallowed unconsciously.
‘This is… the Imperial Treasury…’
It was different from what he had imagined.
Rather than piles of gold and jewels glittering extravagantly—
Yet the instant the door opened, the complex reactions of mana emanating from within were unmistakable.
Seeing Arteon’s expression, the custodian asked, somewhat surprised,
“So you’ve already awakened to mana.”
“Yes.”
“A common soldier from the north… with mana. How curious.”
Entering with the custodian, Arteon looked at the items arranged on the shelves.
From small accessories to armor displayed along one wall, and various weapons on the other.
Each item was crafted with meticulous precision.
As Arteon stared in amazement, the custodian spoke with a satisfied smile.
“Most of what’s here has passed through the hands of the finest craftsmen in the empire’s history. Ah, this one was obtained from a dungeon in the south about thirty years ago. If you infuse it with mana, it allows you to cast a second-circle fire spell once. What’s more, after some time passes, it can be reused, which is why it’s stored in the gold-grade treasury.”
“…Magic.”
On a continent where mages were scarce, being able to use a second-circle fire spell was an extraordinary thing.
If they had possessed something like this, destroying the walls of Helikel Gorge might have been far easier.
But—
“May I take a look around?”
“Of course. There’s plenty of time, so take your time.”
At the custodian’s words, Arteon gave a light bow and began examining the items.
This might be one of the few chances in his life.
It was important to inspect everything with the utmost care.
And as Arteon was walking through the treasury—
“…Huh?”
His steps stopped before something gleaming in silver.
