Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality Episode 168
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Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality Episode 168
40. Victory Commemoration Ceremony (3)
The introduction of "world's strongest" is a bit cringe, but when the realm of Lordmaster follows that title, the feeling itself changes.
How long has it been since this realm, equal to a 9th-circle Lord Wizard, appeared before the world?
It's said that recently there was Grand Duke Lucas as a 9th-circle Grand Mage, but the appearance of a publicly known Lordmaster would have to go back at least 500 years.
Of course, there's no guarantee that he's the only Lordmaster.
The world is vast, and there are many unknown secrets.
But given that Grandmasters had been competing for the position of the world's strongest swordsman, the emergence of a Lordmaster was bound to be a shock.
Duke Raphael straightened his posture and asked.
"A L-Lordmaster, you say?"
Even while looking at me, his expression, with all his nerves focused on Blake, was nothing but complicated.
"That is correct."
He hasn't done anything particularly wrong.
Still, if I had to find fault, would it be that he failed to strictly discipline his worthless disciple?
Duke Raphael showed a look of disbelief, but it was only for a moment.
His senses, felt firsthand upon facing Blake, would be telling him that my words weren't nonsense.
He shut his eyes tightly for a moment, then, in a thoroughly noble manner, offered Blake his respects.
"I bow to the great Sword God. Please forgive my disciple's rudeness."
That greeting, filled with dignity, carried both respect for Blake and an apology.
At that, Blake's gaze, which had been tinged with anger, settled down.
"The master is nothing like the disciple. Shaping a disciple's character is also the master's role."
"I will keep that in mind."
At Grand Duke Raphael of the Bringham Empire's earnest apology, the people around tilted their heads or looked startled.
"What, what's going on?"
"Why is Count Friedrich acting like that? Wait, is that urine?"
"Duke Raphael is bowing his head."
"Is the master of Duke Klein really that great?"
Naturally.
It wasn't as if we had advertised it loudly.
The only ones who properly understood the situation were the delegation members I had been greeting, and a few acquaintances.
Because of that, the nobles who had thought of Blake as merely a skilled swordsman belatedly realized, thanks to Duke Raphael's actions, that Arcia's master was someone great enough to receive the utmost respect from a Grandmaster of the Bringham Empire.
Blake must have thought this was enough as well, and backed off at that point.
"However... it seems now is the time for you to worry about yourself rather than your disciple."
"What do you mean by that?"
"It means you have more than enough foundation to move to the next step, yet you're distracted by all sorts of things."
At Blake's follow-up words, not only Duke Raphael himself but even those around widened their eyes in astonishment.
Didn't that mean Duke Raphael was material to become a Lordmaster?
"Th-That is truly..."
"Do I look like someone who would say nonsense?"
As Blake's silver eyes flashed and he wore a faint smile, a mix of joy, deliberation, and worry spread across Duke Raphael's face.
But I was the only one looking at Blake with narrowed eyes.
[Status: Irritated / False Statement]
Judging by the information displayed in the Myriad Mirror, anyone could see this was a lie.
That man was clearly just as narrow-minded as I was.
If he was going to bully someone, he should just stick to his disciple poor guy, now he's bullying the master too.
"Thank you. I will never forget that advice."
I let out a dry laugh at Duke Raphael, who was giving his sincere thanks, and Blake, who nodded as if it were only natural.
I guess there's a good reason Dark Elves have such a bad image.
"Ah, right."
I looked down at Count Friedrich, who was standing there dazed.
I couldn't just leave a delegation member of the Bringham Empire standing there having pissed himself, could I?
-Snap.
I flicked my finger and used magic to erase his urine stain.
As mana enveloped him, Count Friedrich snapped back to his senses and straightened up.
"M-Master."
Apparently, wetting himself was quite embarrassing after all, as Count Friedrich looked to Duke Raphael.
"I told you not to act rashly.... I will hold you accountable for today's incident. You may now take your leave."
The master's response upon returning was utterly cold.
At that, Count Friedrich flinched in surprise and belatedly looked around, then his face flushed as if burning, and he hurriedly scurried away as if fleeing.
I shook my head and apologized to Duke Raphael.
"I'm rather sorry about that."
"Not at all. Your Grace need not concern yourself."
And just like that, the situation was more or less settled.
"Duke Lawrence, where does Lord Blake usually reside?"
"His residence is in the Dragonlands. He visits our duchy every few days, gives Arcia two to three hours of instruction, and leaves right away."
"Duke Klein is truly blessed. Isn't he the finest master one could ask for?"
"Haha, I concur. I must strive as well so as not to fall behind his fiancée."
After that, Duke Raphael stuck to me like glue.
He did so for one single reason.
To have even a moment of conversation with Blake.
But no matter how much interest Duke Raphael showed, Blake kept his mouth firmly shut.
"I must be going now. As expected, human social gatherings don't suit my constitution."
He had originally promised to stay for an hour, but he signaled his intent to leave just thirty minutes after entering.
He had already done more than enough.
Having gotten the impact I wanted, I nodded without any complaint.
And leaving Duke Raphael behind expressing his regret, I escorted Blake to the exit along with Arcia.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"Don't ask this kind of favor from me again."
"Technically, it was a trade."
"Honestly, you never let anyone get the last word just like someone I know."
Though he had only stayed for thirty short minutes, Blake had given our Kingdom of Rhinehearts a great gift.
He had crafted the image of a nation protected by none other than a Lordmaster.
This not only elevated the kingdom's standing, but also served as a defensive barrier against any meddling beforehand.
It was as if the Kingdom of Rhinehearts and I had bought ourselves ample time to grow stronger.
"Well then, see you around."
Thanks to that, after seeing Blake off, my expression couldn't help but be bright, and even though the event wasn't over yet, I felt a sense of relief.
And so, I re-entered the grand banquet hall with Arcia.
A party venue teeming with countless nobles.
Even among them, Arcia and I were the main stars.
* * *
"Feels good to have such a capable son, doesn't it?"
Layford Lawrence gave a faint smile at the question from his wife, Sylvia the mother of Adrian El Lawrence, Duke of Rhinehearts and the kingdom's foremost noble.
"I don't deserve to rejoice in that boy's success."
"There you go again. Adrian has already forgiven you. Now let go of those unnecessary feelings, won't you?"
Sylvia's furrowed brows made her look nowhere near her forties.
Just as she had passed on Adrian's looks a face that seemed destined to live well and prosper she still carried the beauty of her twenties.
She was exactly the woman he had truly fallen for and proposed to, not through a political marriage.
"You don't have anything to worry about anymore, right?"
Though he had once been forced to keep his distance for the sake of her and Adrian's survival, the only woman Layford Lawrence had ever set his heart on was Sylvia.
And as she said, with their worries gone, their bond had grown tender once more, and the fruit of that was visible in Sylvia's very appearance.
"Stand tall, for the sake of the child about to be born."
With her belly round and swollen, she was pregnant with Adrian's younger sibling.
As Sylvia stroked her belly and said those words, Layford Lawrence relaxed his shoulders and smiled.
What a lovable woman she was.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. From now on, let's just live off the glory of our brilliant son."
"Haha, alright."
The two gazed at Adrian on the podium with faces full of pride.
[To Duke Adrian El Lawrence, the grand ducal title is bestowed, along with a duchy holding independent autonomy, and permission to style oneself as king is granted.]
Their child truly, there was no way to describe it other than extraordinary.
A second son from a backwater viscount family, whose life had been threatened by his stepmother and elder brother, had grown his nation into an Empire and become a king.
The scene unfolding before their eyes was so surreal that it felt like a dream to the two of them.
"C-Congratulations, Your Excellency."
"Congratulations. You truly have an amazing son."
As soon as the grand ducal title was bestowed upon Adrian, thunderous applause poured out.
But the nobles around Layford and Sylvia instead offered their congratulations to the two of them, and seeing that, they realized the current situation was real.
* * *
The ceremony proceeded without a hitch.
First, King Michael declared the Kingdom of Rhinehearts an Empire, ascending the Imperial throne himself.
This historic moment did not end as a mere formality it was broadcast to the entire world.
Thanks to that, when King Michael made the Imperial declaration, the citizens of the capital watching the broadcast live cheered so loudly that the sound reached inside the Royal Palace.
"Duke Adrian El Lawrence, please ascend the podium."
Next came the bestowal of the grand ducal title, following the Imperial throne.
Duke James and I were the ones at the center of that, and since the area of the duchy granted to me was nearly three times larger, I effectively became a king ruling over a territory bigger than most kingdoms.
Meaning, not all grand dukes are equal.
"Duke Klein, please ascend the podium."
This time, Arcia ascended the podium.
Having become the master of a duchy, she was granted my domain, whose master had disappeared, and came to rule a territory twice the size of a typical duke's.
It was a territory and population befitting an Imperial duke beyond kingdom level.
Among all the lords, the only nobles with more land and subjects than her would be the Four Dukes of the Bringham Empire.
"Marquis Aragon, please ascend the podium."
The next person called after Arcia was Marquis Aragon, Emperor Michael's maternal grandfather.
The elderly Marquis Aragon, supported by his family heir Taylor, ascended the podium.
Taylor was the same man who had served as my Adjutant and Vice Commander in the last war.
Emperor Michael bestowed a Duke title upon Marquis Aragon, along with a vast new territory within the former Croysen Empire.
Call it a promotion all you like, but it was plainly an open door to nothing but trouble.
I was in the same boat, of course, but ruling over the Croysen people would be no easy task.
A truly fitting assignment for the philanthropist Taylor.
With Duke James and I becoming grand dukes, the ducal houses were reorganized into three: Klein, Aragon, and Hines.
"... please ascend the podium."
Below the Duke rank, a large-scale wave of appointments began from the Marquis title on down.
It was an inevitable measure, given how vast the territory of the Croysen Empire they had acquired was, and not only were former Marquis Vincent and Margrave Ignis who had fallen with the Second Prince's faction restored to Marquis, but
"To Viscount Layford Lawrence, the Marquis title is bestowed, and in addition to the existing Viscounty of Lawrence, the County of Bent and the County of Oheim are granted as well."
My father, who had expected a Count title, was instead granted a Marquis title.
Moreover, the domain was generous in its consideration, stretching in a long line from the original Viscounty of Lawrence all the way into lands within the former Croysen Empire.
To have done nothing himself yet be promoted thanks to his son…
Thanks to that, my father's face was very red as he ascended the podium.
Father seemed rather embarrassed too.
'Not a bad gift for the sibling about to be born.'
I smiled, watching my father and my mother clapping enthusiastically below.
There had been so much work that I hadn't paid attention to them lately I should show my face to my family more often from now on.
And so, the promotion and enfeoffment ceremony proceeded for a full five hours, and by the time it ended, everyone on the podium and off it alike was exhausted.
"Let us conclude today's ceremony in abbreviated form. Everyone, thank you for your hard work."
With that, the sensible young Emperor wrapped things up simply, and everyone was finally freed from the shackles disguised as a party.
But I couldn't leave in a good mood.
"Your Highness, King of Lawrence."
"Hm? Baron Eric, what is it?"
"Count Friedrich wishes to speak with you in private."
Because a troublesome bastard had latched onto me.
'No, actually maybe this is for the best?'
Smoothing out my frown, I grew curious to hear what nonsense that man I disliked had to say.
And if I didn't like it….
I'd just give him a beating.