Noble Blood
Irene, who had been staring blankly, finally came to her senses. Even among women, Hilde’s beauty was devastating. Smiling brightly, the saint linked arms with Hilde.
"Wow! You’re seriously gorgeous! From now on, you really shouldn’t wear makeup or anything. You’re already insanely beautiful as it is, and this is just cheating."
"What are you talking about? Don’t tease me like that."
"Sigh... If I’d been a handsome man, I would’ve swept you off your feet right away…. What a waste…."
"Seriously, what is there to regret? If you keep saying weird things, I’m going to get mad."
Seeing Hilde react far more sensitively than usual, the saint chuckled. She must have been conscious of looking different from her usual self, too.
Watching the scene in a daze, Lee Yu-seong remembered his first meeting with Hilde.
He had asked her whether she had a boyfriend, only to fall for her at first sight.
Hilde herself had said she was a lesbian.
But it didn’t really seem as though Hilde was dating a woman. Still, he supposed that was possible. Women often grew up mistaking their own identities when they were young, after all. They might throw up an invisible wall against men around them, while someone like him—who could stay close to her—was actually in a favorable position. Before he knew it, Lee Yu-seong felt his affection for Hilde steadily filling up.
Oh... if someone like her were an NPC, I’d bow my head to her and marry her on the spot.
He was already daydreaming about the future—imagining her cooking for him and taking care of the house, just for him. In the harsh world of Makyeong, while everyone else struggled to survive, she was the kind of person who would quietly shoulder the dirty work, and she was a first-rate wife candidate besides. Lee Yu-seong decided he would ask her out on a proper date later.
"Everyone in the Hero Party. It will soon be time for the procession. Please make your preparations at once."
A neatly dressed attendant checked the time and announced that it was their turn. The waiting room the group was in and the banquet hall were separated only by a single door. In the hall beyond, nobles and members of the royal family were enjoying their social hour while waiting for the heroes—the protagonists of the triumphal ceremony—to arrive on cue.
"Already? Then let’s go."
As the saint took the lead toward the great door, everyone followed. The attendant opened it for the prepared heroes, and the staff member waiting on the other side cleared his throat nervously before crying out in a loud voice.
"The glorious star of the continent! Transcendents who have reached the pinnacle of their respective fields! The guardians of noble humanity are entering!"
The royal orchestra shifted into a grander performance. The nobles, who had been engrossed in conversations about politics and society, all turned their attention to the Hero Party entering the hall. Despite their tremendous fame, the heroes rarely showed their faces in social circles, so there were very few people who had actually seen them in person. Since they had refused countless invitations from nobles as well, the curiosity surrounding them had only grown stronger.
A road had been cleared down the center, with people in splendid tailcoats standing back on either side. At the end of the path leading to the dais sat the king, with the queen and prince beside him, all watching the Hero Party.
For the nobles who had not trained themselves, simply looking at the heroes made them instinctively shrink back from the force carved into their very bodies. Even without weapons in hand, their presence resembled herbivores standing before predators. As the Hero Party walked toward the dais with the saint at their head, small whispers rippled through the hall.
"That’s the next Tower Lord of Scotty. So young, and yet her mastery of magic is beyond measure."
The royal chief mage, standing at a slight remove as part of the security detail, spoke in admiration. The magical formulae automatically radiating around Edan—visible only to mages—surpassed even the level they themselves had been unable to reach, let alone the others. Truly, he was worthy of being the lord of Scotty Magic Tower, just as his reputation claimed.
"So that’s the Hero. Wow... is it true he really defeated Commander Ian?"
One of the knights of the Royal Knight Order, who was guarding the banquet hall from his post, muttered absentmindedly. The tale of how he had defeated Ian—the kingdom’s finest swordsman, and one of the greatest on the entire continent—as though he were handling a child had spread far and wide.
In the beginning, many rumors had circulated among the various nations mocking Ian, the commander of the Royal Knight Order, and there were quite a few within the order who looked down on Hilde because of it. But as time passed and her accomplishments became better known, those voices fell silent. Only then did they understand: Ian had suffered an honorable defeat.
As the usually haughty, exacting nobles looked at the Hero Party with expressions of goodwill, Declen, the king of Marinella, felt somewhat taken aback. No matter how remarkable the heroes’ achievements were, he had not been certain they would win over the nobles so quickly. Though the Hero Party held a status that was in no way inferior to that of the aristocracy, the atmosphere of that enclosed society still carried a powerful tendency to reject outsiders.
As the king pondered the matter, the answer suddenly came to him.
Nobles were defined by their dignity. No matter how much money one possessed, without ability and honor, one was treated as nothing more than a mere upstart. Most nobles labored constantly to preserve their status by striving within their own fields. The majority of the nobles present here were elite figures in magic, swordsmanship, or closely related disciplines, and that was why they respected the Hero Party.
Of course, their flawless appearance must have helped as well. Even the nobles with the highest standards were staring, enchanted, at the holy knight trailing at the very back. When the king noticed his eldest son gazing blankly at Hilde, he gave a snort of laughter.
"Heh. You little rascal. Already straying, are you?"
At the sudden voice of his father, Jaun, the king’s son, hurriedly shook his head. The king knew very well whom his son liked.
"It’s not like that. I was just recalling how I happened to meet her on the street yesterday."
"Oh? So you’d already crossed paths, had you?"
After a little more time, the Hero Party came to a stop before the royal family. At the same moment, the king stood and walked toward them. The teasing look on his face was gone, replaced by a solemn expression. With the saint in the center, Hilde stood on the left, while Edan and Lee Yu-seong took position on the right. Soon, the music shifted into a tone that sounded as though it had been played in a cathedral.
"At this moment, I, the king of Marinella, pay tribute to the Hero Party, who have achieved sublime deeds in service of our great goddess."
As the dignified baritone came to an end, the Hero Party followed protocol, bowing their heads and lowering themselves onto their left knees. They placed their right hands lightly over their hearts. Then, as the next part came, the saint opened her mouth.
"The goddess, who loves humanity, has spoken her grace. Cast off all burdens and worries and leave them in my care. All humanity are my children and my disciples, and I shall watch over us all."
For about three minutes, the king and the saint exchanged the prescribed words. It was the doctrinal responsory performed in nations that honored the heroes. Since every country in the world recognized the church that followed the goddess as its state religion, it was a ritual no nation ever omitted.
The nobles likewise lowered their heads and remained silent. After a little while, the responsory ended, and the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived.
The king, who had worn a stern face until now, smiled warmly.
"Now then, everyone, stand."
All of them raised their heads and got to their feet. The king continued.
"To the members of the Hero Party, who have achieved unprecedented deeds, I hereby bestow the title of honorary nobility. This rank shall be valid in every country, and it is sworn in the name of the goddess."
The watching nobles applauded in praise. In truth, Edan already held the title of duke in a northern kingdom, and the church’s higher ranks carried authority not unlike that of nobility, so this was not a particularly meaningful reward. Still, it had value in that it symbolized their acceptance into society as one of its own.
When the king finished speaking and glanced toward the prince, the prince promptly stepped forward, carrying a resplendent box. As the king pressed the button on the box, it clicked and opened slowly upward.
Wow! So they really did exist in this world. Amazing.
Hilde barely managed to suppress the smile of delight threatening to escape. This was the real main event of the triumphal ceremony.
On a luxurious red cushion lay four pearl-like orbs. They were one of the hidden rewards one received while advancing through the game, each time defeating the high-ranking demons one by one. If used, they massively increased a character’s most important stat. They were absurdly overpowered items, though their drop rate was so low that they were almost impossible to see.
Yet when it seemed everyone else had no idea what they were looking at, the king spoke up.
"Ho-ho. It seems none of you know. These beads have no exact name, but in legend they are called heavenly treasures. If each of you swallows one, it will become a tremendous help on your journey. Now then, take one each."
As the prince stepped forward in turn, each of them took a bead and swallowed it. The Hero Party looked puzzled for a moment. And then, all at once, they were stunned.
The mana, magic power, and divine power each of them possessed rose by a factor of 1.5. Most notably, the saint’s computational ability increased dramatically, changing the casting time of all her divine arts from a chant into instant activation.
Feeling the surging magical power, Edan calculated his own combat strength.
At this level, I could even fight the Reaper of Silence in a one-on-one duel. This bead is an incredible treasure.
Lee Yu-seong, too, felt his mana roiling in an explosive tide, granting him a sudden revelation. He felt as if he might be able to fire Flying Sword—the secret technique that had still felt too demanding for him—right this instant. The saint, meanwhile, mentally tested Temenos, the highest-tier divine art she had once used to bind a basilisk with chains, and was struck dumb with shock.
This is unbelievable! A spell that used to take four minutes at the earliest is now down to just five seconds. There’s nothing left for me to struggle over.
With their enhanced divine arts, even lower demons seemed as though they might be purified merely by the saint drawing near. While everyone else was rejoicing, Hilde alone felt puzzled.
What is it? Nothing feels any different for me. Don’t tell me... it bugged out?
Hilde looked around. Everyone else was plainly delighted. Seeing her companions so satisfied with the reward made her realize that she was the only one experiencing no change at all.
Well, at least everyone else powered up. That’s a relief.
She was a little disappointed, but she could accept that their strength had increased. She didn’t know exactly by how much, but it would be a great help when the time came to conquer the demon realm.
"Then let the banquet begin. From now on, don’t mind me and enjoy yourselves. This is a happy day, is it not?"
"Thank you for your hard work, Your Majesty."
With the ceremony of rewards concluded, the king walked off somewhere with the queen. As the Hero Party descended from the dais, lively music rang out. Hilde looked around and found someone she knew. Her mother, Agatha, stood alone in her seat, wearing a dress.
As she moved toward her, a group of nobles approached. The middle-aged noble who seemed to be their representative spoke first.
"Good day to you. I am Dairon Kerf, chief mage of the kingdom. If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask whether Sir Edan might speak with me briefly about magic. It would be an immense honor for us if he would join us."
Edan, for some reason, glanced at Hilde’s mood. Hilde tilted her head.
"Do as you like, Sir Edan."
"Then I’ll be back shortly."
The nobles who had been watching them changed expression. The lofty lord of Scotty Magic Tower was looking to the holy knight for approval. The true power within the Hero Party had been made subtly clear.
In truth, it was a move Edan had calculated in a very short time. It was a lossless trade, made to prevent any troublesome flies from swarming around Hilde, who was the youngest among them. Edan also unconsciously recognized Hilde as the leader. Somehow, the atmosphere she gave off held the greatest maturity of anyone in the Hero Party.
Hilde smiled and went over to Agatha. She introduced her to Lee Yu-seong as her mother. Seeing Hilde’s mother for the first time, Lee Yu-seong grew nervous.
"N-nice to meet you! I’m still rather inexperienced, but I’m swordsman Lee Yu-seong."
"It’s nice to meet you. Fufu. Please get along well with our Hilde."
Lee Yu-seong’s heart was pounding as if he were undergoing a formal meeting between families. Her mother was beautiful, too.
Calm down, my heart!
Unaware of his inner turmoil, Agatha patted Hilde on the head.
"Come here. You’ve grown so admirable. Hilde, and after you put me through such a hard time with your teenage rebellion last year."
Hilde, who had a record, flinched. But since she knew it was said in jest, she quickly relaxed.
"Haha... but I always listened to you, didn’t I? And anyway, Mother, that dress looks wonderful on you. You’re so beautiful!"
Cheered by her daughter’s praise, Agatha smiled faintly.
"Fufu. So now you’re even acting cute. My daughter’s worn pants so often lately, and yet a dress suits you as well. Is anything uncomfortable?"
"Hmm... I’m wearing high heels for the first time, so they’re a little uncomfortable. But Mother, are you drinking right now?"
Since Hilde had never once seen her enjoying alcohol, she found it a little surprising. A pale golden drink was poured in a long wineglass.
"It is a banquet for my daughter, after all. I should at least get into the mood, shouldn’t I? You’re still too young for alcohol, Hilde. Have some juice instead."
Agatha stopped an attendant who was walking by with a tray held in both hands. The attendant bowed politely, took an orange juice, and handed it to Hilde. The saint also picked up a glass of wine.
"Hoho. This really makes me feel like Hilde is still just a little kid."
In Marinella, drinking was legally permitted only once you were past nineteen, counting from the year of your birthday. It felt strangely awkward to realize that Hilde, who had always seemed so mature, was still at an age where she couldn’t even drink.
"Even if you gave it to me, I still wouldn’t drink it."
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