Chapter 411: Kiel's favor (1)
A few days passed since Ignomas called them to the palace.
"Do I really look good in these clothes?"
Allen's father, Rodan, could not keep still wearing better clothes than he was accustomed to, so he spoke to Gerda, Kurena's father.
"Hm? I guess it's fine? Don't ask me that."
Gerda did not sound particularly interested.
"I think it suits you very well, dear."
Allen's mother Theresia joined in.
That seemed to make Rodan relax a little, maybe he had simply wanted to be praised a little.
Michilda, Kurena's mother, just shook her head a little.
They were all in room in Latash's royal palace. Rodan and Gerda's family, as well as Dogora's parents were there.
The house of Grandvelle, Kiel, Nina, and Merle were also there.
Viscount Grandvelle and Duke Hamilton were there too.
They had all been brought there so they could be awarded their rewards, thanking them for their valiant efforts in defending the Holy Land from the Evil Cult.
The reward was being given to Kurena, Cecile, Dogora, and Kiel, who had helped the Holy Land. The Five Continents' Alliance had pressured Latash into doing that, as they had helped the world greatly.
Doberg, who had been fighting the Demon King's Army, had also become a marquis in a similar fashion.
That was even more reason for Latash's king to reward those other four.
Allen had been born in Latash too, but he was currently attached to Rosenheim.
He held the high position of Chief of Staff in Rosenheim.
That meant Rosenheim should be the ones rewarding him, but Allen had told Rosenheim's Queen that he did not want any reward, as long as they would help him if he ever needed it.
Merle was from Baukis, and she had already been rewarded there, becoming a baron.
That meant her family had gone from being lower ranking soldiers and stepped into nobility, which made her and her family quite happy.
Still, Rodan was in the room too.
He was there to be rewarded for a reason unrelated to the Holy Land and the Evil Cult.
When he became the chief of Rodan Village, he started wearing much better clothes compared to his days as a serf, but now he wore even more gaudy clothing as he was invited by the king.
This was something so new he could not help feel out of place and uncomfortable.
"Allen is late, it's almost time for this."
Cecile kept looking between Allen's parents and a clock magic device, frowning.
Cecile had arrived there the night before.
She had something to discuss with Viscount Grandvelle who was serving in the palace.
"Sorry, I was a little held up."
(I was still looking at how my summons could be used in battle. Also, Basque looked really lively, I wonder when I'll surpass his level.)
He finally appeared, together with Sophie, Formar, and Shea.
They had all gotten rid of their merman disguise before teleporting there.
"Hey, you're late. Wait, Peromus didn't come?"
"Yeah, Peromus finally got access to the palace's accounting book. He's looking through it to see if he can find anything that could be of value there."
They had finally obtained permission to freely enter and leave the palace from Ignomas, so Peromus was looking through their accounting books, seeing what highly valuable items they could trade with the surface
"That's a strange thing to get obsessed over."
Cecile said with a somewhat bored voice.
"Well, he is risking his life there after all."
They had successfully gained Ignomas' trust and were allowed to enter the palace, and that made Peromus feel like he was one step closer to marrying Fiona.
Peromus' goal was to obtain Makris' Tear, as he had promised Fiona, so he would do anything in his power which would bring him closer to accomplish that.
On the other hand, Allen's Insect A and Dragon A summons he had on the north of the Central Continent had started to decrease in number.
He was dealing with that, which delayed him from picking up Shea and the rest.
Allen had sent Insect A and Dragon A summons to the Central Continent, to make a front against the Demon King's Army's territory and slowly take it back, but that plan was not going too smoothly.
He seemed to approve of Kiel's decision.
"I know. Thank you for all your help, Duke Hamilton."
There was a knock on the door shortly after that.
No one would dare enter the room without asking first, considering how many nobles were inside.
"Everyone who's been called to the audience hall please head there promptly."
An official entered the room and announced that.
It was time for the audiences to start.
Those called were Allen, Sophie, Merle, Shea, and Viscount Grandvelle.
Theresia and Kurena's parents would not enter the audience hall, merely waiting in that same room.
Allen hurried to take clothes from his Inventory and changed his drenched clothes.
Then he followed the officers who took them to the audience hall.
The other nobles had already started filling their posts in the audience hall.
Many of them turned to look at Allen the moment he entered.
His name had gotten rather popular.
Allen headed towards Viscount Grandvelle, who had entered the audience hall first, and then Sophie, Shea, and Merle who changed in a separate room followed them.
(Somehow I feel like I've been entering audience halls a lot more often lately.)
He still remembered how Ignomas called him before, and he had to enter his throne room.
It seemed like he was having meetings with the rulers of countries more often.
Though Allen felt like boss rooms in dungeons were far more exciting than audience halls or throne rooms.
Soon after the Prime Minister entered through a different entrance, located near the throne.
There were special entrances used only by the Prime Minister and the king.
"His Majesty the King will start the ceremony then."
Everything was in place for the ceremony.
A short delay after the Prime Minister announced that, knights brought those being rewarded forward.
Rodan was in front of everyone.
"Hey, is that Allen's father?"
"He looks pretty normal."
"Hm? His hair is a different color too, do you think he's just Allen's foster father?"
There were other types of mumblings about Rodan.
He looked like an average man in his thirties, if maybe a somewhat musculous one.
Allen decided he would tell Theresia, Mash, and Muras who were not there, about everything that happened in the audience hall.
Rodan was brought forward, and then everyone had to wait a bit more before the king arrived.
Eventually the king appeared through his entrance.
The chattering became even more loud when that happened.
(Huh? Is that person supposed to verify Kiel receives a proper reward then?)
The knights also brought forward a Cardinal of Elmea's Church, wearing a luxurious robe.
"So that's a cardinal."
"I heard he's been waiting in the capital for more than a month until this ceremony happened."
"Oh, I think I heard that's also because this is the first time a pope is born outside the Holy Land, except for the founding pope."
"Wait so the rumors are true? That blondie is the next pope?"
"H-hey, don't point like that! The church might disappear you."
A noble pointed at Kiel, and the noble next to him quickly swatted the first one's hand away.
A cardinal of Elmea's Church's, the second most powerful role there, had come to Latash to make sure Kiel received a suitable reward from the king.
But Kiel did not seem to hear any of that.
He seemed deep in thought, staring at the thick decorative carpet on the floor.
Tension rose in the audience hall as the ceremony started.