CH 57

—Four days later, on the day of the ceremony to declare the end of the war and our conferment ceremony.

The royal castle was decorated in all its splendor in preparation for welcoming the guests of honor. There is still large debris and large holes in the walls of the castle. However, the presence of such debris and holes in the walls of the castle still conveyed the intensity of the battle against the Demon King’s army and the fact that the Demon King’s army had actually been defeated. The nobles who arrived saw the scars of the battle and entered the royal castle with stunned faces.

And we went to the waiting room with those nobles by our side.

“It doesn’t suit you, Gustav.”

“Really? Nina is the one who looks more like she’s in clothes than she is dressed.”

“What about me, Gustav? Do I look good?”

“Spera, do you… well, is that the right size? Really? Really? Your chest is a bit too flat.”

“Well, where is it? Can you poke it with your finger and tell me?”

“What?”

Before entering the throne room where the ceremony is held, we members of Princess Leia’s Guard were dressed in unfamiliar formal wear by the royal butlers and maids.

I should take this opportunity to learn it well. From now on, such etiquette that you might think is a bit troublesome will no longer be irrelevant.

I’m a little nervous, but I put a lot of strength under my belly to get into the swing of things. My physical condition is perfect. All I have to do now is try to behave in a dignified manner.

“Well then, let’s go.”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

We stepped into the throne room where there were many signs of people.

“─Then, from now on, we will present awards to those who have made significant achievements in the course of defeating the Demon King.”

The ceremony to declare the end of the war ended without a hitch, and then we moved on to our awarding ceremony. After the introduction, Morgan-san, the facilitator, finally gave us a look, so me, Nina and Spera went to the front of the throne. We then got down on one knee in accordance with the etiquette (which we had been taught beforehand).

“Nina-kun, deputy commander of the SS. I commend you for your outstanding contribution to the destruction of the enemy leaders and the defeat of the Demon King during the recent invasion of the Demon King’s army. Forward.”

“Uh!”

Nina moves forward with stiff, robot-like movements. The king rises from his throne in the center in response. Princess Leia hands him the medal of honor, and the king attaches it to Nina’s left breast with his own hand.

“Nina, Deputy Commander of the SS, We thank you for your service to the Kingdom.”

“Ha! I’m so sorry!”

“As a reward, in addition to 500 gold coins, I am appointing you to the position of special guardian chief of the castle town, and also to the position of special advisor to the Slum Control and Budget Committee. …Let’s work together to help the people who suffer from poverty. I look forward to working with you, Nina.”

“Yes! Thank you, Your Majesty!”

Nina bows and returns to her original position with a radiant smile.

…Good for you, Niña. For some time now, Nina has not only been taking care of the slum children in the guard dormitories. but has also been frequently visiting the slums and doing this and that to improve the lives of everyone there. Now that she is in a position to have a say in the town’s security policy and slum budget, it is easier for her to fulfill her goals.

“Spera-Dono, the representative of the Elven Village and a member of the SS. The Kingdom hereby commends you for your similar contribution. Forward.”

“Ha!”

This time it is Spera, whose name is called by the Morgan-San. She too goes before the king. The king then attaches the medal to Spela’s chest, just as he did with Nina… and struggles with it, as if it were difficult to attach.

Well, it’s because her chest area is so tight.

Nevertheless, the king managed to attach the medal without incident, and with a single cough, he changed his air.

“Spera, a member of the SS and representative of the Elven Village. I thank you for your contribution to the Kingdom.”

“Yes, I’m very grateful.”

“As a reward, in addition to 500 gold coins, you will be given the authority to head the kingdom’s magic research institute. I also promise you active support for the restoration of the elven villages.”

“As a representative of the Elven Village, I would like to express my great gratitude for the recent evacuation, this reward and the offer of support. For the further prosperity of the kingdom, I will certainly repay your kindness with my magical research.”

“I look forward to your continued support, Spera-Dono.”

“Yes!”

Spela also bowed and returned. Her expression was as cool and expressionless as ever, but her mouth relaxed a little and she looked somewhat happy.

“Hmph, now I can do lots of research on magic. It seems I don’t even need to go back to my village anymore, I think I’ll just move here permanently… fufufu…”

…You’re saying something in a whisper. Well, it doesn’t matter, anyway, as long as you look happy, that’s all that matters.

And now, finally, it’s my turn.

“Gustav, the SS captain. You have saved the kingdom from crisis time and time again, and for your final defeat of the Demon King, I would like to award you with a commendation. Forward.”

“—!”

I also stepped forward like the two before me. The king looked into my eyes with a very kind gaze, looking very deeply moved.

“You have truly achieved this, haven’t you, my lord?”

“…Yes.”

The king takes that medal given to him by Princess Leia and personally attaches it to my left breast.

“Captain of the SS, Gustav-Dono, you. I thank you for your contribution to the kingdom!”

“Yes, I’m very grateful!”

“As a reward, I will give you 1,000 gold coins. And in addition, I shall bestow upon you the title of [Viscount]!”

Immediately afterwards, a stir. The throne room suddenly became noisy.

“Everyone, be quiet!”

The noise subsides with a single word from the king.

“This conferment is a just reward. Gustav is not only the one who saved the kingdom from the hands of the Demon King. At one time, he led the training of the Royal Castle Guards, at another time, he destroyed a band of thieves who threatened the people, and at another time, he is the hero of the kingdom who has continually repelled the Demon King’s army that has been targeting Leia, whom the Demon King has always wanted to kill.”

The king gestures and speaks passionately.

“I believe that he will lead the territory that he has been given, as he has continued to act with true care for this kingdom. I hope that you will also believe in me, who believe in him.”

At these words, the nobles all stood up promptly and put their hands on their chests. Apparently, this was a sign of their loyalty. Apparently, they all recognized the knighthood to me.

“Mm, thank you.”

The king smiled at the nobles and princes, then turned to me.

“Gustav, I give you the eastern lands administered by the kingdom, the [Maubra].”

“Ha! Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Mm. And you don’t have a family name yet, do you?”

“Yes, I don’t.”

“Then from now on you shall be known as [Gustav von Hier-Maubra], Lord of Maubra.”

“I am honoured!”

I bowed and I, too, received a big round of applause.

Then, after that, as the representative of the awarded order, I gave a slurred speech, and the ceremony was closed by the king’s words.

” huh, it’s finally over, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

Perhaps her shoulders were stiff. Nina put her arms around me. I stretched too. I didn’t even move that much, but I felt a sudden sense of fatigue. I’m not sure what to say, but this kind of ceremony seems to have made me tense up and my body has become strangely tense.

“Ah, it’s Leia.”

Nina points her finger at me, so I look in that direction and sure enough, there is Princess Leia. She was coming out of the throne room with her attendants.

“Hey, Leia!”

As soon as Nina calls out to her in a friendly manner, Princess Leia’s face perks up and she looks radiant.

“Nina-san! Thank you for your hard work at the conferment ceremony, you behaved very nicely.”

“Haha, thank you. Leia looked so splendid and beautiful too!”

“Uh-huh, thank you very much.”

The two seem to run up to each other and instantly start chatting.

…They’ve become good friends, haven’t they? I think their relationship was pretty rocky when they first met, but the girls hit it off before you knew it. It’s very strange.

“Well, it sounds like you’re having a lot of fun. Gustav, we should go too.”

“Eh, no, that’s…”

Spera tugged my arm towards the two lively people.

“Please let us join you.”

Spera breaks into the two. Princess Leia turns to face us, still smiling.

“Yes, by all means! Spela and the others… eh? The ”we”?”

Noticing the plural subject matter, her expression stiffened.

“Mo-Mo-mo-mo, could it be that Gustav-sama is here too…?”

“Ah, um, yes…”

“?Yeah”

As soon as I replied, Princess Leia jumped like a startled cat and her face turned bright red.

“Ah, ah, ah, that, that…!”

“Hi, Princess…?”

“Wa, me! I have to change for the party afterwards!”

And then, again, a poof! And then, again, she disappeared from my sight like a puff of wind.

“Gustav, are you… still…?”

“No, because I’ve been busy, and so has the princess…”

“Awww, really, Gustav-san. If you keep reacting so lovingly Nyannyan, as expected, I’m at the end of my patience too, you know? I’m going to attack you tonight, OK?”

“Yeah, don’t come…”

…Huh. I can’t stand it at all. I wonder how many times I’ve already crossed paths like this with the princess.

I don’t think Princess Leia, who has come to her senses and cooled down, dislikes me… She probably still likes me… which means she still doesn’t know how to look at me and talk to me. I guess that’s what’s on her mind.

“Really, it’s time to do something now…”

After the ceremony is over, a dinner party attended by the nobility is awaiting.

…Enough, let’s settle it there.