Hell Mode: Volume 6, page 29
The emperor nodded cheerfully at this and began asking Helmios various questions as well. Allen kept an ear open so he could listen to their discussion while he thought back on what he had been told about Emperor Pupun III.
The Empire of Baukis was founded by Pupun III’s grandfather, who had planned to annex the other countries on the Baukisian continent. His father, who had inherited the plan, unified all of the countries into a single, giant empire. In other words, the current emperor of Baukis did not know the difficulties that came with uniting multiple countries. It seemed that he had grown up without much in the way of troubles and had no experience in dealing with such issues. In fact, the defensive naval force that would hold off the Demon Lord Army had been put in place shortly before he took the throne, so he had never personally experienced an invasion. All in all, he had had a rather pampered upbringing.
Even so, Allen bore no ill will toward him. Some rulers were cruel due to having been spoiled as children, while others were known to be wise despite having come from similar environments. However, no matter the case, it was an incredibly daunting task for a single person to wield the great power that came with leading a country.
Yeah, I’m definitely not suited to being a king or a member of the nobility. In that sense, I probably made the right choice by becoming a Rank S adventurer and further strengthening my relationship with the Adventurer’s Guild.
Once he was finished speaking with Helmios, the emperor turned his attention to Zeu.
“Ah, yes, Beast Prince Zeu. Not only was I surprised to learn that you would lend us your aid in clearing the Rank S dungeon, but I was rendered speechless when I heard that the Ten Heroic Beasts, the cornerstones of Albahal’s strength, would be joining you.”
“Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty.”
Though the emperor spoke to Zeu rather casually and Zeu replied politely in kind, there was a certain tension in the room due to the fact that Zeu had brought all of the Ten Heroic Beasts with him. As the emperor pointed out, the Ten Heroic Beasts were the greatest warriors Albahal had to offer and rarely left the country. Even when they did, for reasons such as attending meetings of the Five Continent Alliance, the entire group had never come all together.
Moreover, beyond the borders of Albahal, beastkin were seen as a rough-and-tumble race, though no one would go so far as to call them lawless. Allen had heard from Uru, the wolfkin, that beastkin had a long history of persecution and tried to keep other races in check by spreading such an image.
And yet, the Beast Prince and his best warriors were now gathered within reach of the emperor. Allen figured that Baukis had almost certainly considered his safety and readied themselves for any eventuality when planning how the audience would go and where everyone would stand. Nothing could have prepared them for the beastkin’s overwhelming presence, however.
In the case of Helmios and Sacred, they had already had countless audiences with the emperor and built up a trusting relationship, so no one gave being in the presence of Giamut’s strongest warriors a second thought. And it seemed that Emperor Pupun III felt much the same way about Zeu’s group rather than sharing the same concerns about them as the other nobles.
“What do you think? Would you mind staying here several more days as guests in my palace? I would love to hear more about Albahal and your amazing martial arts tournament.” He looked at the Beast Prince with the glimmering eyes of an excited schoolboy.
“The king has already called for our return to the kingdom,” Zeu responded firmly and to the point, “but if it is your wish, I would be more than happy to spend the time before our return here in the palace.”
The emperor nodded enthusiastically before turning his attention to Allen.
“Last, but not least, Allen from Rohzenheim, was it? Please raise your head to face me.”
“Certainly, Your Majesty.”
No sooner had Allen raised his head than a completely different sense of tension ran through the nobles gathered in the room. Allen merely fixed the emperor with a strong, unwavering gaze, and several of the nobles and ministers began mumbling among themselves at the sight.
“H-He’s still just a kid, no?”
“I’ve heard he’s already reached adulthood.”
“Is he really a Rank S adventurer?”
“That’s what the Adventurer’s Guild’s announcement said, at least.”
While those in attendance had been afraid of Prince Zeu and the Ten Heroic Beasts, a sense of shock and surprise rippled throughout the group upon seeing Allen. He had to fight back a sigh of annoyance as he deduced the reason behind all the eyes falling on him.
Makkaron really went too far, huh? I mean, was all this really necessary?
On the day Allen was certified as a Rank S adventurer, Makkaron had used a magic tool to disseminate information about him to all the Adventurer’s Guilds across the globe. This was to deal with the fact that the new Rank S adventurer—a position that granted him the same authority as a deputy guildmaster general, meaning he was able to give orders to all guildmasters and managing guildmasters—was a fifteen-year-old young man. He had shared this information in advance in order to prevent any unnecessary disputes among various countries’ branches since they had been operating at their own discretion up until now. Obviously, the guildmaster of each of the respective Adventurer’s Guilds shared these details with the countries in which they were located.
The fact that this was shared in a mass notification using magic tools shook each country. Nationwide announcements were not made except for matters of great importance, such as announcing the start of hostilities with the Demon Lord Army. The last time the Adventurer’s Guild had done this was when a Rank S monster appeared on the Central Continent.
The message stunned the ministers in each country. The opening text read, “We have certified Allen, a young man who has cleared the Rank S dungeon and greatly contributed to the Adventurer’s Guild, as a Rank S adventurer.”
It then went on to say, “He has been found to have made the contributions, and be skilled enough to make such contributions, of a Rank S adventurer. His fighting ability is greater than the total fighting power of a medium-sized nation. The party members working under him are capable of going head-to-head with the entire army belonging to a major nation. The Adventurer’s Guild will not interfere in any manner if you are to come into conflict with him or any other Rank S adventurer.”
It essentially meant that the Adventurer’s Guild would not get involved with either side in the event that a dispute arose with Allen. The scary thing about it was that Allen did not need their cooperation if such a thing happened.
That announcement is probably what delayed the audience by several days.
The day after the notification, Allen’s home country, the Kingdom of Ratash, was flooded with inquiries. Various countries using magic tools and foreign affairs officers stationed in the royal capital alike all wanted to know who Allen was, why they had hidden such an influential person, how the kingdom planned to deal with Allen in the future, and so on.
In response, the king spoke to Viscount Granvelle and learned that Allen was the grand strategist of Rohzenheim and no longer belonged to Ratash. In truth, Allen himself was not a noble but an adventurer.
However, that answer seemed to have aroused strong suspicion from other countries. Members of the Five Continent Alliance in particular criticized the fact that it deviated from the Alliance’s spirit of cooperating to fight the Demon Lord Army. They even went so far as to claim that the king had long been uncooperative with the Alliance. Rumors and harsh reactions flew in from all over the world, and the kingdom had spent the past few days canceling all of its events, seemingly busy dealing with the matter.
The Baukisian emperor was also panicked by this notice. While he had sent a personal letter to Allen to plan an audience, the only information he had had to go on was that Allen was “a person related to Rohzenheim.” As soon as he learned of the relationship between Viscount Granvelle and Allen, he used all of his diplomatic privileges to bombard the viscount with questions at Ratash’s royal castle. Concurrently, he made an inquiry to Rohzenheim, with whom he already maintained a diplomatic relationship, and received a stunning reply:
“Frankly speaking, we believe that it took longer than necessary for our grand strategist, Allen, to be certified as a Rank S adventurer. Furthermore, we believe that the details in the notice underestimate Allen’s abilities, so we are currently requesting the Adventurer’s Guild to send a correction. Rohzenheim stands by Allen.”
The nobles and ministers could barely hide their anxiety and skepticism at being in the same room as such a man. Unlike Helmios, who was known throughout the world for his gentle demeanor and battles against the Demon Lord Army, no one had so much as heard of Allen before now.
Allen could not tell if it was okay for him to speak or if he risked suddenly coming under attack.
I guess everyone’s so freaked out since the last Rank S adventurer, Bask, was pretty rough around the edges. That so-called “King of Shura” really put me in a tough spot.
Twenty years prior, Bask, the King of Shura, had become a Rank S adventurer after saving a huge number of people from monsters. He greatly disliked serving under the Five Continent Alliance or armies led by nobles, however, and had disappeared. As a result of that experience, the various member nations of the Five Continent Alliance kept a wary eye on Rank S adventurers. That was why the Adventurer’s Guild had sent the deputy managing guildmasters of Baukis to attend the audience as well.
The Empire of Baukis, where the Rank S dungeon was located, inevitably received a lot of income in the form of commission and tax payments from the Adventurer’s Guild. On the other hand, the Guild could not simply overlook that much of their income from Baukis came directly from the Rank S dungeon. In that sense, they needed to keep a close watch on Allen so that he would not do anything crazy while also being prepared to react quickly in case there was an emergency. This, of course, was cause for concern for Baukis as well.
“Silence,” the prime minister said in his loud, booming voice. “You are in the presence of His Majesty.”
The murmuring immediately came to a stop. With the room quiet once again, the emperor continued speaking to Allen.
“Allen, you are the one known as the Summoner of the Beginning, correct?”
“Yes, I am.”
Allen had first used the title “Summoner of the Beginning” during his battle against Helmios at the Academy. According to Makkaron, it was common for Rank S adventurers to have two names, just like how Bask was known as the King of Shura.
“And you can put these Summons of yours to work? I wish to see this in action.”
“Certainly, Your Majesty.”
Allen nodded and, after thinking for a moment, Summoned a Bird F, which looked to all present like a pigeon. The Bird F left Allen’s hand and went high into the air, where it flew in lazy circles near the ceiling.
The ministers and nobles lining the room looked up, some with looks of surprise and others with barely contained worry as they wondered what Allen would do. Conversely, the emperor’s face flushed brightly with curiosity as he watched on.
“This is amazing! Bring it closer! Wow!”
Allen sent the Bird F to rest on the emperor’s shoulder. While the nobles and ministers gasped, ready to leap away at any moment, the chubby emperor thumped his legs against the throne in excitement.
“That bird is a symbol of peace in my homeland. I called it here out of a desire to build a peaceful relationship with Your Imperial Majesty as well as all the people of Baukis.”
Technically speaking, they were a sign of peace back in my past life.
“Ooh, I see!” Pupun III nodded enthusiastically at the Bird F perched on his shoulder.
“I appreciate you taking the time to grant me an audience. In fact, there is something that I would like to thank you personally for.”
The emperor cocked his head to the side. “Oh? Something you wish to thank me for? And what would that be?” The prime minister and other nobles gathered in the room all looked on with great curiosity.
“Meruru, a member of my party, is from Baukis. We first met her at the Academy in Ratash. She joined us in taking on the Rank S dungeon and is an important member of our team who I hope will continue to join us on our adventurers. I would like to personally thank you for having granted her the opportunity to study at Ratash’s Academy.”
Baukis often sent talented people to study abroad. Part of it was to have them get an education in a foreign country, of course, but it served multiple purposes beyond that as well. Students could interact with up-and-comers from other countries and build relationships that would be beneficial for future diplomatic relations in the process. However, Allen believed that the emperor had chosen the small Kingdom of Ratash for Meruru as she would not have gotten a kind reception were she to study in Giamut. As the country had a hegemonic national policy, there seemed to be very few examples of talented people from other nations being sent to study there.
“Oh, is that so? I’m certainly pleased to hear it!” The overly excited emperor with the Bird F still perched on his shoulder nodded enthusiastically at the boy bowing before him.
“What?! No, I’m afraid that just can’t happen!” the prime minister chimed in shortly after the emperor. The look on his face made it clear that he knew they had been had. After all, Allen had mentioned that he hoped Meruru would “continue to join” them on their adventures, which essentially meant that he intended to bring her along with him.
Unseen by all, Allen had a devious smirk on his face. From behind him, Cecil let out a heavy sigh and muttered, “And so it begins...”
The prime minister panicked and glanced back at the emperor, who was looking at Allen with a smile on his face. Despite his joy, however, the next words to leave his mouth would significantly impact Allen’s ability to take Meruru with him on his travels across the globe.
“Well, I see you certainly are a Rank S adventurer. You definitely know whom you should show your appreciation to.”
“Of course. There is no one here that I am more appreciative of than you, Your Majesty.”
“Y-Your Majesty, please...” the prime minister said, trying his best to work his way into the conversation. Things could end poorly depending on how the situation surrounding Meruru played out, and he had no way of knowing what direction Allen would lead this conversation.
Hey, keep outta this!
Allen was just about to lay his cards on the table when they were rudely interrupted.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty!” A dwarf dressed as an officer rushed into the hall, drenched in sweat. He appeared to be the equivalent of a low-ranking knight in Ratash.
“Wh-What are you doing here?! Do you have any idea what’s going on right now?!”
While Allen was busy figuring out how to deal with the situation unfolding in front of him, his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the prime minister, who was shaking with rage.
“M-My apologies, sir. It’s just that there’s an urgent matter and I—”
“Oh? And what might that be?” the emperor asked, directly addressing the officer.
“Y-Your Majesty. We’ve received a request for help from the Holy Land of Elmahl. It seems that the capital, Teomenia, is ablaze.”
The moment those words left the officer’s mouth, the whole room erupted in cries of shock. Apparently, a new battle was about to begin.
Side Story 1: Prince Zeu and His Bride
One day, several years prior to Allen’s arrival at the Rank S dungeon, a group of beastkin outfitted in armor and carrying a palanquin approached the south gate of Albahal’s capital. On any other day, this gate, which led directly to the city’s business district, opened for business with the sunrise and would typically be bustling with merchants and travelers. On this day, however, it remained closed and silence blanketed the streets. It was clearly due to the arrival of the palanquin.
For the past three years, relations between the beast kingdoms of Albahal and Brysen had been worsening. Neither wished to go to war, however. Thus, in order to strengthen their ties, the two beast kingdoms had decided to bind their fates through marriage.
“We hereby announce the arrival of Princess Rena of Brysen! Open the gates!” the frontmost guard on the right side of the formation shouted once the palanquin reached the gates.
Silence again fell upon the scene before, moments later, the massive gate began to groan as it opened. Beyond it was a wide road that stretched all the way to the royal castle. This road, like the area surrounding the south gate, would be full of foot traffic on any other day, but none of its usual liveliness was to be seen. Rather, it was lined with large groups of onlookers gazing at the palanquin.
The guards, balancing the palanquin on their shoulders, marched slowly and silently through the gate, following the road toward the palace. Upon arriving at their destination, an Albahalan band, accompanied by a contingent of royal guards, began to play. Once the song was finished, the palanquin was lowered onto the castle’s main yard and Princess Rena stepped out. Accompanied by several members of the Brysen royal guard, she was led by the Albahalan guards to the throne room on the second floor.
In the throne room, the group was met by Beast King Muza and the Beast Queen, as well as Beast Princess Shia, Zeu, and several ministers and nobles. The gathered nobles immediately burst into applause as Rena entered, ending abruptly the moment she reached the throne. Muza, a lionkin, remained seated on his throne as he spread his arms in a welcoming gesture.
“I am Beast King Muza. I would like to express my appreciation to you for coming all the way here to meet with us, Princess Rena.”
In response, Lena pinched the edges of her exquisite gown and curtsied low to the ground. The wolfkin princess with gorgeous silver fur held that pose, her head angled toward Zeu, as she spoke with a smile. “I can’t possibly thank you enough for welcoming me here. For the sake of Albahal’s prosperity, I would like to join Prince Zeu on his life journey.”
