The Royal Palace Calls
"We are here to congratulate you on your achievements."
"Eh? Eh?"
"The royal family?"
"Why are they calling me?"
"Have I done something worthy of notice in the royal eyes...? I don't think so..."
"It was something worth noticing, but I never earned any commendation from the royal family. I only ended up being chased by the Royal Guard."
"Yes?"
"My vision flickered for a moment."
"Something I've felt since those fresh-faced days in the knightly order."
"A clear reason."
"So, if some high-ranking official found me worthy for reasons I don't understand..."
"From then on, it would be nothing but suffering."
"Back then I was just eager to climb higher, naive and happy to go along with it."
"But now everything is completely different."
"What I want is simple peace and quiet."
"Even if it's only in name, I've retired from the knightly order."
"My goal is to enjoy a peaceful student life at the academy while breaking the curse that's bound me."
"If the royal family takes an interest in me now..."
"My slow and comfortable life will vanish in an instant."
"I might even be forced to rejoin the knightly order."
"Is this some kind of curse? Should I run off to a foreign country?"
"No, let's think this through slowly. Rigel Belheim."
"I recalled every situation and possibility in my head and wondered why the royal family had noticed me."
"They wouldn't give me an award for fighting the Royal Guard."
"They said they were here to commend me."
"I'd much rather have been quietly invited to join the Royal Guard."
"I did steal a bit of Megirurun..."
"And I revived a professor and saved Ferdan."
"But those aren't things the royal family would bother to commend."
"Really... what is it?"
"No matter how much I think about it, I can't think of anything the royal family would commend me for."
"I haven't shown off my strength at the academy."
"According to the external evaluations, it's Dalek at best."
"I'm only third place."
"Even though I defeated Alt in a duel, it was because I found a weakness in him..."
"They wouldn't call that unassailable."
"I furrowed my brow in thought, rubbing my lips as I sank deeper into my mind."
"No, the internal academy evaluations don't matter."
"The Royal Guard has already fought me."
"But even so, there's nothing to commend."
"I kept sinking deeper into thought until someone rescued me."
"Professor Remediela reached out and grabbed my hand, pulling me back."
"You did well, Miss Lir! Receiving direct commendation from the royal family is no small matter."
"Eh... y-yes."
"It's a happy occasion."
"I've received commendations many times before."
"As the knightly order's representative."
"When I was honored for my contributions to the suppression operation."
"Don't seem too happy, Miss Lir?"
"Ah, no."
"I'm happy... but I don't know why they're giving it to me."
"If an individual academy student like me receives such a commendation, they'll stamp me as one of the kingdom's expected talents."
"I'd rather not draw attention, but it's inevitable now that the matter has come up in the kingdom."
"Even if I knew the reason, I might still not understand their intentions."
"Receiving a commendation or medal isn't always good."
"Sometimes it becomes a shackle."
"That's why some senior knights who should have retired never did."
"My heart felt strangely heavy."
"I couldn't figure out what the kingdom's intentions were."
"Is it because of the incident at Ebonic Tower?"
"What... do you mean?"
"While I was lost in thought, Professor Helahem voiced his opinion."
"But I had my doubts."
"Just cutting down one small demon lord?"
"Back in the knightly order, I killed demons almost every day."
"Besides, the cleanup there wasn't just my doing."
"Dalek protected the golem and the monsters."
"And the tower's mages finished the rest."
"Just one demon lord?"
[Just one demon lord?]
The invitation arrived only a few days later."
"After finishing my studies as usual and completing my training, I trudged back home exhausted."
"It was common for envelopes to slip into my mailbox every now and then."
"But when I saw the luxurious black letter paper with golden patterns stamped on it, I knew."
"It was an invitation from the royal family."
"And I'd seen their emblem many times before."
"I touched the high-quality paper and stepped inside to carefully open the envelope."
"'This is the first time I've received a royal summons on official letterhead.'"
"Probably something from Drex or Bylant senior."
"Or that bastard Roan who might have delivered the message in person."
"Or maybe they sent a simpler letter."
"Inside the envelope were the date and time, along with an entry permit for the palace."
"A brief explanation that the royal family themselves were here to commend me on my achievements."
"'I didn't want to go...'"
"A few days have passed since then."
"I'm standing near the palace entrance."
"Just seeing this grand and massive palace still sends a jolt through my chest."
"'...' My fate."
"If it had to be the royal family, then so be it."
"Their authority is absolute."
"When I was knight commander, I could have refused on grounds of a battlefield."
"But as a mere student, there's nothing I can do."
"I checked that my uniform and cape were still neatly arranged."
"'Still, it doesn't look like they're giving me some huge award...'"
"If it were commending a hero or something on that level, it would be more dramatic."
"The whole capital would be buzzing with the news."
"But the palace interior is quiet, and the entrance looks normal."
"I could at least relax my shoulders a little."
"'No royal dinners with the princesses... I hope I don't run into any of them.'"
"Meeting royalty or internal nobles is awkward."
"The etiquette rules are stricter than those of the nobility."
"I always feel watched, so I can never be fully at ease."
"I'll meet them, but I'd prefer to keep my distance."
"'It's pointless to overthink it.'"
"Sigh."
"I let out another sigh."
"As I approached the palace gates guarded by soldiers, they blocked my way."
"Do you have an entry permit? Without one, you cannot enter."
"Yes, here."
"Familiar faces."
"Haven't they been reassigned yet?"
"They've been on duty here for years."
"Lir Ostrin, correct? Before entering, please note that bringing weapons is not permitted."
"Ah."
"I unstrapped Rondo's sword from my waist."
"'Back then I could just walk in with it... This is annoying.'"
"The weight I'd always carried vanished, leaving me strangely empty."
"But the guards would look after it properly."
"I handed the sword over and walked naturally into the palace."
"The location listed on the letter was inside the palace."
"I entered the main gate, turned the corner, and..."
"Welcome. Miss Lir Ostrin."
"A servant waiting for me bowed."
"An elderly servant with the air of a noble family's butler greeted me."
"I'll take you to the waiting room."
"He checked my entry permit again before leading me deeper inside."
"The palace was still enormous."
"What I could see now was only a tiny portion."
"From the flatter areas to the middle of the hills, the scale was vast."
"I followed the man as we passed countless servants hurrying about."
""Please wait here for a moment, Miss Lir."
""I'll be right there.""
"He opened the door to what looked like a reception room."
"Inside, someone was already seated in the modest waiting area."
""You came too, Lir.""
"Sure enough, Dalek Ron Lagrand was sitting on the chair."
"The door closed quietly behind us."
"I sat in the opposite chair."
""You were invited too, Dalek.""
""Surprised."
""I didn't think the royal family would commend me."
""If they did, then of course you'd get one too.""
"Dalek, dressed in clothes closer to formal wear than I was, looked elegant."
"Of course, he's a young master."
""Should I have worn my uniform too?"
""Simon said to wear it when this happens and put a seal on it.""
""The student's duty is to wear the uniform.""
"'Tch... how enviable.'"
"Just looking at those clothes would pay for months of my living expenses."
"Even I could tell the price of that one outfit."
"I'd love to try wearing something like that."
""But it's not quite as grand as Simon expected.""
""The royal family isn't granting me a huge award for a little... or rather, they're here to commend me."
""For just one demon lord? I don't understand why they're making such a fuss.""
""Haha... even if I don't know, aren't your achievements impressive?"
""A demon lord that would normally require several knights to take down was slain by a student like you."
""Of course, your strength isn't student-level, so it's only natural if you think so.""
"'Yeah, I guess it is natural.'"
"Footsteps sounded from outside the door."
"A knock, and the door opened."
"A woman in a dress entered, followed by a woman in a restrained, ornate priestess robe."
"The Saintess, Clotila."
"And the princess of the kingdom."
"Laela smiled in front of me."