-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: The Royal Treasury
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"This is taking longer than I thought."
I thought they'd keep it brief since it was the middle of a festival with a party scheduled, but the king had been conducting formal, in-person reports for five days straight.
"The Marquis went in today, right?"
"Yes. He went in this morning, so he should be out soon, don't you think? Our domain didn't have any particular issues, after all."
Peru smiled gently, as if to say there was nothing to worry about.
"That would be nice, but they could make an issue out of the very fact that monsters like the Sea Serpent and Sharkrai King appeared."
"Oh, come on, surely not..."
Life is full of unfair moments. If someone wants to find fault, they'll find a way, so you couldn't let your guard down even if you'd done nothing wrong.
*Knock, knock.*
"Yuren, are you in there?"
Speak of the devil. It was the Marquis's voice, instantly recognizable.
"Yes, I'm here."
I immediately got up and opened the door.
"Have you been comfortable?"
"I've been quite comfortable, but you look like you've wasted away, Marquis."
The Marquis's dark circles were twice as deep as when he was in the domain, and his face was so gaunt his cheekbones protruded.
"I probably look this way because I haven't slept, preparing the report for His Majesty. But for all that preparation, it ended so simply it felt almost anticlimactic."
"Is that so?"
"It was probably over twice as fast as the other domains. It's all thanks to you."
The Marquis grabbed my shoulders, pulled me into a hug, and patted my back.
"Hahaha! To think I'd benefit from your deeds before the king himself. I must be dreaming."
"Thanks to me?"
"His Majesty was remarkably well-informed about the events in our region. He even clapped his hands in delight when speaking of your exploits."
"Is that so?"
"The report didn't even take thirty minutes, and I think we spent an hour just talking about you. Hahaha!"
"Haaah..."
An image of the Marquis doting on me like a fool in front of the king began to form in my mind.
"You rascal. I'm just kidding. Kidding."
He said it was a joke, but from the look on his face, it didn't seem like one.
"Ah, the party starts tomorrow evening, so be ready."
"Understood."
"This boy is still clumsy with etiquette, so Peru, you make sure to look after him."
"I will do my best, Your Excellency."
"Well then, I'll be off. I need some rest."
"Allow me to escort you."
I followed the Marquis to his room, watched him enter, and then returned to my own.
"Tomorrow, huh..."
**
The Marquis and I stood before a massive door, its white base harmoniously blended with the emblem of a red dragon.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes."
The Marquis nodded to the guards in front of the door, and eight of them began to pull it open.
*Kugung.*
As the doors opened, the first thing that caught my eye were the dozens of chandeliers densely adorning the ceiling. They seemed to be enchanted, casting a mystical light that was almost sacred.
"Let's go in."
"Yes."
Inside the ballroom, many nobles had already taken their seats and were watching us.
The women were draped in dresses of every color and dazzling jewels, while the men, like me, wore noble-looking formal attire bearing their family crests.
"Announcing His Excellency, Marquis Willington Lox, and Lord Yuren Lox!"
As soon as we stepped into the ballroom, servants inside announced our names to the nobles.
"It seems everyone is looking at you. I must be getting old."
"Surely not."
"Look. They're all looking at you."
I replied lightly to the Marquis's words and sat down at our designated seat. Looking to the side, I saw Ilia's father, Marquis Rayeon Marcus, gesturing to us.
"It's been a while."
"You've grown even more handsome."
"Of course. Whose son do you think he is!"
"There you go again. Bragging about your son. Haaah..."
Marquis Marcus looked at Marquis Lox and shook his head.
"Has Ilia not come?"
I thought it was strange that I hadn't run into her at the lodgings, but it seemed she didn't come at all.
"It's because of you."
"Pardon?"
"Thanks to your exploits here and there, that child has locked herself in the training grounds, saying she has to catch up to you. She won't come out."
"Haha..."
With her excellent traits, she had a strong competitive streak. It seemed she was too busy training to care about parties or anything else.
She's going to be something else when I see her next.
"Announcing His Grace, Duke Ropère Elion, and Lord Kyle Elion!"
Duke Ropère, who had just entered, seemed to have met the other marquises before, as he gave them a simple nod before approaching me.
"Yuren! Thanks to your efforts at the North Wall, His Majesty wasn't too harsh in his scolding. I'm truly grateful."
"Not at all. I hardly did anything..."
"Hahaha, we're in the middle of the entrances now. Let's finish our talk a little later."
The Duke wanted to keep talking, but the next person was ready to enter, so he moved to his seat.
"Announcing His Grace, Duke Tanius Torn, and Lord Ken Torn."
When the Torn family entered, everyone held their breath. Duke Torn's gaze was the complete opposite of the Elion family's vibrant feel; it held the chill of a midwinter north wind.
They didn't spare a glance for anyone and went to sit at their designated seats.
"He will be here soon. Prepare yourself."
"Yes."
The entrances were proceeding in order of lowest rank to highest, so only the royal family was left.
*Gugugugung.*
After about five minutes, the doors began to open with such force it seemed they might break.
"All rise and show your respect! His Majesty, the King, is entering!"
Hearing the servants' voices, which seemed powerful enough to pierce the ceiling, all the nobles, including myself, knelt on one knee and bowed their heads.
"Hmm."
The king, having entered, accepted everyone's gesture of respect and walked slowly to his seat at the highest point.
*What?*
It was understandable that the princess wouldn't come, given what happened, but it was unexpected for the king to arrive alone, without a single prince.
"All of you may raise your heads."
I lifted my head and looked up at the king, seated on the second floor. With his short blond hair, broad shoulders, and sturdy build, he looked more like a knight than a king.
[Activating Creator's Eye.]
[Name: Egasis Bryard]
[Traits: Dignity (威嚴), Insight lv4, Charm lv4, Sword Aura (劍威), Bloodline Subspace]
[Favorability: 51 (Considerable Favor)]
[Current Mood: Proud. A slight doubt.]
I thought the marquis and the duke might have been exaggerating, but the king truly held considerable favor for me.
"It was delivered."
And seeing the slight doubt in the king's mood, it seemed my plan was working.
"This is one of the few formal royal parties of the year. I hope you all have a wonderful time."
"Your grace is boundless!"
Everyone spoke the same words, bowing their heads to the king.
"Huh?"
As I raised my head to look at the king again, our eyes met. The king was looking at me with a pleased smile.
"Lord Yuren."
"Hello, Lord Yuren."
Just as I was about to check the king's status window again, young nobles began to flock to me.
"Lord Yuren. It's a pleasure to meet you for the first time."
"Lord Yuren."
"I am from the House of Baron Pelt..."
"Just a moment..."
**
"Tired?"
"Haaah, yes..."
After being swarmed by people, I finally managed to escape and went to the Marquis's side. I kept sending the Marquis looks, pleading for rescue, but he pretended not to notice and moved to another table.
"This is something you'll have to experience often from now on, so you should get used to it."
"This is really not to my taste."
"Huhu."
Dealing with nobles was both tiring and troublesome. On top of that, given their status, I couldn't treat them carelessly, which made it even more difficult.
"Is everyone having a good time?"
"Thanks to Your Majesty, we are having a wonderful time!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The king, who had been watching from his seat until now, stood up.
"As you all know, many talented individuals have emerged this year. While exceptional knights appear every year, this year has seen many with special talents, which pleases me greatly."
The king began to raise his voice so everyone could hear as he descended from the second floor.
"There were those with outstanding skill who caught special monsters, brave souls who helped other regions in crisis, and even one who accomplished both. And so..."
The king paused for a moment, looking at me and a few other young nobles with a generous smile.
"I have decided to open the Royal Treasury for our invited heroes."
"Ooh!"
"The Royal Treasury! How many years has it been?"
"Your grace is boundless!"
"Your Majesty's benevolence reaches the heavens."
While everyone was praising the king, I was watching Beil Pabian, who was erasing his presence in a corner to the left, as if he weren't there at all.
Beil's gaze changed distinctly when he heard the words "Royal Treasury." Moreover, he wasn't looking at the king, but at someone else.
*That person is...*
The person Beil was looking at was the archer invited this time, Dar Kastein. He wasn't on my level, but he had received quite a bit of attention for catching a Bone Rex.
For a very brief moment, Beil and Dar made definite eye contact.
"Aha."
Now I knew exactly. What relationship these two had, and what they were thinking. And what I had to do.
"Everyone, follow me."
The king came down to the ballroom floor and headed for the entrance we had come through. The nobles followed the king's back as if mesmerized.
"Yuren, this is a tremendous opportunity."
"Pardon?"
"The Royal Treasury is filled with many treasures, from ancient weapons and armor to grimoires and skill books like the one you learned from."
The Marquis looked extremely excited, as if he had seen the Royal Treasury before.
"Knowing His Majesty's personality, he probably won't set an order, so run in and grab the best thing."
"What is the best thing?"
"Hmm..."
At my words, the Marquis began a rather unnecessary deliberation.
"You don't use a sword, so... was there a dagger? No, then armor..."
While the Marquis was lost in thought, the king had arrived at the large, ornate entrance we had come through.
"Huhu, this is the Royal Treasury."
The king, who had said he would open the treasury, was simply standing in front of the entrance we had used. The nobles who understood the meaning smiled lightly, while those who didn't looked bewildered.
"Siloca Lapeke Illuin..."
The king smiled faintly, then placed his hand on the door and chanted an incantation.
*Woooong.*
The door touched by the king's hand began to change shape as if by magic.
"The Royal Treasury normally exists in a subspace, and only appears in this world with His Majesty the King's permission. In other words, if His Majesty wished it, even a bathroom door could become the entrance to the treasury."
"I-I see."
Since the king's trait, Bloodline Subspace, *was* the Royal Treasury, I already knew, of course, but I feigned surprise at the Marquis's explanation and let my mouth hang open.
*Crack.*
When the king lightly pushed the door, which had turned completely golden, a brilliant light began to pour out.
"Whoa!"
"Ooh..."
"Incredible."
"Still as beautiful as ever."
The revealed Royal Treasury didn't just contain weapons. There were mountains of jewels, grimoires, strange materials, and items of completely unknown value.
The weapons overflowed with an edge sharp enough to cleave steel, and the nameless jewels sparkled as if they were stars in the sky.
In one corner, antique books were piled high—grimoires and magic books that most would never see in their lifetime.
"The ones who may enter this place are Yuren Lox, Ken Torn, Kyle Elion... Berit Leven, and Dar Kastein. Twelve in total."
"Your grace is boundless."
At the king's words, those whose names had been called stepped forward. I, too, lined up with them at the entrance to the treasury.
"Each of you may choose only one item."
At the king's command, all who were called entered the treasury with anticipation. But I remained calm, watching Beil and Dar from a step behind.
*Go on, make your move.*
**
'It's definitely in here.'
The moment the Royal Treasury's doors opened, Beil Pabian began to survey it, even using his abilities.
For two years, he had arranged for his subordinates to be invited to the royal party, but this was the first time the Royal Treasury had been opened.
'I have to get it this time, no matter what.'
Only the king could open the Royal Treasury. The thought that he might not know when the next opportunity would come if he missed this one made Beil's heart race with urgency.
His gaze was not on the famous swords, the beautiful jewels, or the grimoires containing ancient arts.
He was scanning every corner of the treasury, places no one else was paying attention to.
"Found it..."
Beil let the word slip out unconsciously. In the left corner, behind a dazzling sword, was a red 'tooth' that looked like an elephant's tusk swollen to twice its size.
That tooth was the reason Beil had spent the last two years in the royal palace.
Beil glanced around, but thankfully, no one else seemed interested in the tooth.
'As expected of these inferior fools. They know nothing. This is an item I wouldn't trade for all the weapons in this treasury combined.'
He and his subordinate, Dar, were the only ones here who knew the tooth's true value. Hiding his trembling heart, he calmly gave Dar a signal.
"Hmm."
Dar, reading Beil's signal, understood his intent and put down the bow he was examining.
Just as Dar was about to head to the left corner where the tooth was, someone moved ahead of him.
"Huh?"
Dar assumed the man would naturally grab something else, but without any hesitation, the man picked up the tooth and lifted it.
"Huk!"
Beil, so shocked he felt his soul leave his body, let out a scream.
"Ah..."
Dar, equally dumbfounded, could only stare at the man's back with bloodshot eyes, wondering who on earth had taken the tooth.
The man who had grabbed the tooth, Yuren, muttered with a sly smile.
"I think I'll take this one. I don't know what it is, but I like it."
In the eyes of Yuren, who was pretending to know nothing, all the information about the tooth was visible.
[Fang of the God-Slaying Beast Gladius]
This is the fang of Gladius, a beast from another realm that was said to have preyed on beings with spiritual power, such as divine beasts, spirit creatures, evil spirits, and elementals. The fang is imbued with Gladius's killing intent; if forged into a weapon, it will possess the God-Slaying attribute, allowing it to inflict fatal damage on divine beasts, spirit creatures, evil spirits, and elementals.