Chapter 384: The Succession Ceremony (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 384: The Succession Ceremony (4)
The crown, bathed in the ballroom's light, shone brilliantly.
The once-boisterous hall fell into an instant silence. Not a single person dared to raise their head.
Only an elderly woman, followed by her two escort knights and a few maids, walked quietly toward the center.
“Dukes.”
The woman stopped before the Duke of Winchester and the Duke of Rutland.
“...Glory to the Empire.”
“Glory to the Empire. I trust you have been in good health, Your Majesty.”
The two dukes bowed their heads respectfully to her.
“Hmm, Sir Henry is as quiet as ever. And Sir Rupert, you seem to have gained a few more wrinkles.”
“Haha, it is merely the cruel passage of time.”
“Is that something you should be saying in front of me, a woman five years your senior?”
Katrina Gwendolyn Adelheid, the Queen of England.
Not only was she a pure-blooded human, but she was also an ordinary person unable to wield magic, yet she was well over one hundred years old.
“A potion that extends one's lifespan has just been completed. I shall present it to the royal family at once.”
“I have no need for it, so you drink it. I intend to live according to the natural order and return to the earth.”
The Queen frowned as if she were utterly fed up.
“Your Majesty.”
The Saint and Saintess approached her.
The two bowed their heads respectfully to the Queen, showing their reverence.
“Glory to the Empire. I am Ellyn Theresia.”
“Glory to the Empire. I am Elysia Theresia.”
Amidst the lingering, powerful divine energy, the Queen's expression softened considerably.
For reference, the Queen was a devout follower of the Church.
“To think you would brave your busy schedules to visit for the sake of the Empire. I am grateful for the Holy See's deep consideration.”
“Not at all, Your Majesty. If it is to help those who suffer, we would never hesitate, even if it were on the other side of the globe. That is our fate and duty as those who have received His grace.”
“I am grateful to hear you say so.”
The Queen smiled with satisfaction and patted the Saint's shoulder.
After chatting amiably with the two, the Queen began to walk again.
The moment Kang Hyun-woo realized the Queen was approaching him, he squeezed his eyes shut.
“...Glory to the Empire. A humble mage from the East greets Her Majesty the Queen.”
“G-Glory to the Empire! Delia Pendragon greets Her Majesty the Queen...!”
“Raise your heads.”
The two cautiously lifted their heads.
Before Kang Hyun-woo stood a noblewoman whose grace was as abundant as her wrinkles.
I never thought I'd see someone in person that I've only ever seen on TV...
Coming face-to-face with the monarch of a nation, Kang Hyun-woo was seized by a strange feeling.
While the Queen projected the dignity and grace of a sovereign ruler, she also gave off the impression of a friendly neighborhood grandmother.
“It has been a long time, Delia. I am certain I told you to show your face more often at last year's National Foundation Day ceremony, yet you only appear a year later... I am disappointed.”
“M-My sincerest apologies...”
Seeing Delia's face turn pale, the Queen let out a small laugh.
“I am only jesting, so you need not tremble so. In any case, to think you've brought such a fine partner to an event like this. When did you grow up so much? I suppose I'll have to give up on my plans to set you up with my grandson.”
The Queen, who had been looking at Delia with the expression of a doting grandmother, turned her gaze to Kang Hyun-woo.
Her eyes were overflowing with interest.
“You must be Kang Hyun-woo. I've heard a great deal about you from Rupert.”
“I am deeply honored, Your Majesty.”
“Have you any thoughts of naturalizing to the Empire? For you, I would specially grant a viscounty. And I would see you promoted upon reaching the 7th Circle.”
At the Queen's words, the hall instantly began to murmur.
A viscounty for a mere Easterner?
No matter how distinguished his achievements, bestowing a formal title upon an Easterner was unprecedented in the thousands of years of English history.
“I am sorry, Your Majesty, but I have no intention of leaving my homeland.”
“What a shame.”
The Queen, who had been half-serious, did not hide her disappointment.
In contrast, the nobles watching the scene unfold let out sighs of relief inwardly.
With the two dukes so openly protecting Kang Hyun-woo, there would have been no way to stop the Queen had she decided to grant him a county.
“All of you, raise your heads. We will now begin Delia Pendragon's succession ceremony.”
*
The procedure for the succession ceremony was not very complicated.
One kneels before the Queen and pledges loyalty.
The overall format was similar to a knight's investiture ceremony, but Delia's case was slightly different.
This was because the title of 'King Arthur,' the head of the Round Table, was not bestowed by the Queen, but was naturally obtained by the one chosen by the Holy Sword.
The Queen was merely making an official declaration.
“I, Katrina Gwendolyn Adelheid, do hereby declare that Delia Pendragon is the rightful successor, guided by the Holy Sword.”
The Queen placed a small crown on the head of Delia, who was kneeling on one knee.
This signified the British royal family's official recognition of Delia's authority.
From this moment on, Delia became the head of the Round Table, one of the institutions symbolizing the power of England.
“Long live Her Majesty the Queen!!”
“Long live Lady Delia Pendragon!!”
“Glory to the Empire!!”
Watching the scene, Kang Hyun-woo clapped with a pleased smile.
He had gone through all sorts of hardships on his first-ever trip abroad, but he felt he could confidently say it had been worthwhile.
“Viscount David Blanc Coventry and Sir Kang Hyun-woo, step forward.”
Once the succession ceremony was over, Gawain and Kang Hyun-woo were summoned by the Queen and moved to the center of the hall.
Having familiarized himself with the etiquette of the meritorious service ceremony on the Duke of Winchester's advice, Kang Hyun-woo knelt on one knee before the Queen.
His impeccable posture and etiquette caused the impression a few nobles had of him to shift slightly in a more favorable direction.
“By eliminating the enemies of the Empire, you two have greatly contributed to its security. Therefore, in recognition of your great service, I shall bestow upon you a fitting reward.”
Shing—
The Queen slowly drew a ceremonial sword and pointed it toward Gawain.
“Viscount Coventry. I hereby grant you the region of Cornwall.”
“I bow my head in gratitude for Your Majesty's profound grace. I shall carry the weight of this land in my heart and pledge to serve the Empire with utmost loyalty.”
“And Sir Kang Hyun-woo.”
Kang Hyun-woo slowly raised his head.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Though you are not a citizen of the Empire, you risked your own life to stop its enemies and, furthermore, saved the lives of countless nobles. It would be fitting to bestow upon you a title worthy of your service and talent, but...”
The Queen glanced around.
Several high-ranking nobles were staring her way, their expressions clearly saying, Anything but that.
Normally, she would have ignored them and pushed forward resolutely, but since Kang Hyun-woo himself did not desire a title, she had no choice but to take a step back.
“Constitutionally, a formal title cannot be conferred upon a foreigner. Therefore, I shall bestow upon you the baronetcy of 'Lauderdale' and the authority to enter the royal treasury.”
“Your grace is boundless, Your Majesty.”
Kang Hyun-woo bowed his head with a stoic expression, but a bright smile graced his lips as he looked at the floor.
I'm glad I asked the Duke for this.
Unlike a formal title, which came with all sorts of duties, a baronetcy was a status that would be respected anywhere in Europe.
And on top of that, access to the royal treasury.
He had essentially obtained all the rewards he had wanted.
*
After both the succession and meritorious service ceremonies concluded, soft music began to flow through the ballroom.
Men and women who found a connection paired up and began to dance to the music, and the atmosphere in the hall naturally grew more festive.
Kang Hyun-woo, on the other hand, quietly slipped out of the hall and headed for the palace's underground.
A short while later, a wide space, heavily guarded by soldiers, unfolded before him.
“This way, please.”
The elderly butler guiding Kang Hyun-woo approached a massive vault guarded by knights.
The moment he turned a key in the air.
Rumble—!!
With a heavy vibration that shook the ground, the vault door slowly began to open.
Kang Hyun-woo watched the scene blankly.
It wasn't just a door opening.
It was a structure where hundreds of barriers, reacting to the key-shaped artifact, interlocked with one another to release the seal.
If one were to try to break the seal on those barriers without the key, it would surely take hundreds of years.
After pausing for a moment, Kang Hyun-woo followed the butler into the vault.
The interior of the vault seemed to be under a space expansion spell, appearing to be thousands of square feet in size. Beyond the glass cases installed throughout, artifacts, magic tools, and rare materials were sorted and stored by category.
“Sir Kang Hyun-woo, you may select one item of your choosing from this place.”
“Can it be anything?”
“Of course. However, please be careful, as some items are cursed.”
“...Are there any artifacts that specialize in breaking seals?”
“Certainly.”
Snap.
With a snap of the butler's fingers, the item displayed in the glass case before Kang Hyun-woo changed.
It was a silver dagger adorned with jewels.
“This is a Dagger of Holy Silver, forged with high-concentration holy water and blessed by the previous Saintess. It specializes in destroying seals and barriers.”
“May I see it myself?”
“Yes.”
The butler carefully took the dagger from the case and handed it to Kang Hyun-woo.
Tiring—
[New item information is being collected.]
[Dagger of Holy Silver
Grade: Unique
A dagger forged from silver blessed by divine power.
It is specialized for destroying seals and barriers.]
Reading the dagger's description, Kang Hyun-woo clicked his tongue inwardly.
The sealing device suppressing Iris's power was a holy relic.
A dagger that was only Unique grade would clearly be insufficient.
“Is there anything else?”
“My apologies, but there is currently no item stored in the vault that specializes in Breaching [破界] superior to the Dagger of Holy Silver.”
At the butler's words, Kang Hyun-woo returned the dagger to him.
“...Then, by any chance, do you have any elixirs related to demons?”
“Pardon?”
“I'm actually conducting some personal research on demons. Is there anything that might serve as a reference?”
“If that's the case, I have just the thing.”
Snap.
With a gesture from the butler, the item displayed in the case changed once more.
It was a small, dark-red pill.
“Hundreds of years ago, a demon descended upon this land due to a ritual conducted by demon worshipers. The aftermath was a catastrophe that left half of London in ruins, but fortunately, the knights of the Round Table and the clerics of the Church joined forces to defeat the demon.”
The butler carefully took the pill from the case and continued.
“This pill was discovered deep within the heart of the demon that was subjugated at that time. According to the Holy See's appraisal, it is a condensation of the demon's power.”
Kang Hyun-woo received the pill from the butler with both hands.
Tiring—
[New item information is being collected.]
[Naberius's Core
Grade: Unique+
The power and avatar of Naberius, a Marquis of Gehenna, are sealed within.
※Upon consumption, your mind may be corrupted by Naberius's avatar.]
The ominous item description made Kang Hyun-woo's expression turn slightly grave. Just then...
Tiring—
[The 'Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword' is reacting to 'Naberius's Core'.]
[The 'Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword' says it wants 'Naberius's Core'.]
...What?
The moment he saw the screen pop up before him, Kang Hyun-woo was at a loss for words.
The Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword, which wasn't even an ego sword with a consciousness, was expressing its will like this?
It was absolutely impossible.
Immediately after, a plausible hypothesis surfaced in Kang Hyun-woo's mind.
...Is it Tam (Greed)?
Considering how it had latched onto Talion's corpse and absorbed demonic energy of its own accord, it was an undeniable fact that the avatar of 'Greed' sealed within the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword possessed a consciousness.
Because of this, Kang Hyun-woo couldn't make a decision easily.
Was it really right to keep nurturing this unknown entity?
Just the fact that it feeds on demonic energy proves it's not a normal being...
He was lost in thought for a while, silent.
Tiring—
[The 'Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword' claims it can absorb the demon's avatar sealed within 'Naberius's Core'.]
...Hah.
Kang Hyun-woo let out a dry laugh inwardly.
Absorbing demonic energy on its own and speaking to him from the inventory wasn't enough, and now it was promoting itself?
At this point, he was starting to wonder just what kind of being was sealed inside it.
But at the same time, it sent a chill down his spine.
What it had just said meant it had seen through his intentions perfectly.
The reason Kang Hyun-woo was looking for a demon-related elixir was simple.
He needed a cure for Cheon Yeo-hwa, who was suffering from the side effects of the Heavenly Heart Extreme Yang Flower Poison Lotus.
Of course, he could find one in another world, but he wanted to give her something nice as a gift if possible.
He wanted to see Cheon Yeo-hwa's happy face upon receiving the gift, and he also wanted to take this chance to appeal to her as a capable man.
However, according to the item description, Naberius's Core was more likely to act as a poison to her.
In the worst-case scenario, Naberius's avatar might even take control of Cheon Yeo-hwa's mind.
...If this fails, I'm locking it in my inventory for life.
Tiring—
[The 'Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword' makes a confident expression.]
After a moment of deliberation, Kang Hyun-woo held the pill out to the butler.
“I'll take this one.”
“Very well.”
It was all or nothing.
The possibility of the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword failing certainly existed, but it was still worth a try.
There was no guarantee he could find an item as potent as Naberius's Core, whether on Earth or in another world.
Of course, giving up the chance to choose any item he wanted from the royal treasury was a shame.
But when he thought of it as being for Cheon Yeo-hwa, it didn't seem like a big deal at all.
Kang Hyun-woo took the carefully packaged elixir(?) and followed the butler out of the vault.
A short while later, after parting ways with the butler, he was walking back to the ballroom alone when a familiar face appeared before him.
Eyes and hair that shone brightly even in the dark corridor, and a divine power that enveloped her surroundings.
“Hello?”
It was the Saintess, Elysia Theresia.
