The Misunderstanding of the Northern Shield
I had misunderstood. I had misunderstood the Tashkievich woman, and quite severely at that. When she asked me to go change, I truly thought we were going to undress together. Then again, she was such a flawless, beautiful existence that she hardly needed to wear anything else anyway.
“His Majesty will have already arrived at the banquet hall. Please change without delay. I shall be waiting.”
How could her voice be so lovely? I was already head over heels. I stripped off the monster leather that had been covering my body and cleaned myself briefly with the washing artifact she had provided. Then, I put on the suit she had selected and stepped into the dress shoes. Looking in the mirror, I was a complete gentleman.
“I like it.”
“Pardon? What did you say?”
“Ah, nothing! I’m coming out now!”
As I opened the door, a flush of red crept across her face.
“I thought you were handsome, but you suit this even better than I imagined…”
She cleared her throat and continued.
“We are on our way back to the banquet hall to see His Majesty. As befits a distinguished guest, may I request the honor of your escort?”
She lowered her gaze slightly and carefully raised her white-gloved hand toward my chest.
Escort? How on earth would I know what that is? At the Northern Wall, if you carelessly extended your arm, it was standard practice for it to be bitten off by a monster.
As I stood there frozen like an idiot, Elena let out a small sigh and pulled on my right arm herself, making me bend it slightly.
Then, her slender arm slipped perfectly into the crook of my stiff, well-defined arm.
Soft.
Against my forearm, her arm and… uh, well. A very soft curve made light contact.
I’m going crazy. Someone save me.
“I, is this how you do it?”
My voice cracked without me meaning it to.
“Yes. Keep your back straight and look forward. Do not walk too fast; match your pace to mine.”
As we stood close, Elena’s subtle scent tickled the tip of my nose. It felt as if the toxic miasma of the monsters that had built up in me over ten years was being purified in an instant.
“Now, let us go. His Majesty is waiting.”
We began to walk down the ornate hallway, arms linked. I was so focused on her body heat against my arm that I was nervous enough to forget whether my left and right feet were moving properly. It was worth surviving for ten years. To be able to enjoy such luxury… I could die right now…!!
Seeing me like that, Elena gripped my arm tightly and whispered softly.
“Commander. Please don’t walk like a wooden puppet; relax a little.”
“Ah, yes. I will try.”
I said that, but I couldn’t pull myself together because of that soft sensation against my forearm. My heart hadn’t raced this wildly even when I was tearing an Ogre’s head off with my bare hands at the Northern Wall.
When we reached the end of the hallway, a massive golden door appeared. The guards standing watch at the door flinched in surprise when they saw me. It was understandable. A barbarian who had been wearing blood-soaked monster leather and tearing into meat had suddenly appeared as a proper noble gentleman.
“The Shield of the North! Commander Nikolai Tashkievich is entering!”
With a booming shout, the massive doors swung open on both sides. Every gaze in the banquet hall locked onto me at once. The contemptuous looks that had treated me like a bug when I was tearing into bones just a moment ago were nowhere to be found. Everyone was staring at me, completely mesmerized.
It was partly thanks to Elena’s insane beauty, but I wasn’t exactly lacking in the looks department myself. Hmph. Finally looking at me properly, are you, you idiot morons? With a beautiful girl like Elena by my side, I am invincible!!
She led me toward the person wearing the most extravagant clothing. Standing before him, she unlinked our arms, knelt on one knee, and bowed her head.
“I greet His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Oh, Elena. It has been a while! By the way, where has that boy Lucas gone? His father has arrived, yet he doesn’t even show his face! Hahaha!”
The Emperor held a wine glass in one hand and downed it in one go with a hearty laugh. Unlike his pathetic son, the father seemed to be a man’s man. The Emperor emptied his wine, handed the glass to an attendant, and looked at me.
“A face I haven’t seen before.”
Didn’t someone just shout at the top of their lungs that Commander Nikolai Tashkievich was entering? But I couldn’t resist the alcohol. I’ll give him that. Like Elena, I knelt on one knee and bowed my head.
“I am Nikolai Tashkievich.”
“Oh! So you are the renowned Shield of the North!”
I fought alone, so I have no idea how that rumor spread. Perhaps because monsters were pouring in from all sides, they just assumed, ‘Commander Nikolai is fighting all by himself!’ Regardless, I smiled. I smiled, lifted my head, and answered the Emperor.
“Yes, that is me.”
“Hahaha! Today is a joyous day, so drink to your heart’s content! Do you like alcohol?”
“I’m crazy about it.”
“Hahahaha! Truly a hero among heroes! Someone! Bring a wine glass for the Commander!!”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
An attendant nearby brought me a glass and poured red wine into it. Alcohol. How long had it been since I’d had a drink? Back home, I was the type to polish off five or six bottles of soju. I didn’t usually like wine, but that was probably because I’d only ever had the cheap stuff from convenience stores. I wondered what top-tier wine tasted like. I downed it in one shot.
Gulp, gulp.
“Ahhh.”
“Indeed, indeed, a hero! You drink just like me!!”
“I am honored, Your Majesty.”
Once again, the Emperor and Elena were out of my sight. This wine was fucking delicious. It was so sweet it felt like I was losing my mind, and the aroma was insane.
“It’s paradise.”
“What is paradise?”
“Ah.”
Since Elena asked, I gave her a sweet smile and answered.
“You can think of it as something like heaven.”
Elena smiled and said,
“I see. I am glad it is to your taste.”
That smile drove me crazy again. The Emperor pondered something for a moment before opening his mouth.
“Ah, I was so busy drinking I had forgotten.”
“Forgotten what, Your Majesty?”
“That I called you here to promise you a title and rewards!”
That was certainly true. The guys who came to get me had said as much. But it felt like I had already been rewarded enough. Gourmet food and delicious wine. And a connection and physical contact with perhaps the most beautiful woman in the world. I was a man who had everything. I was confident.
“So, what are those rewards?”
The Emperor spread his arms wide and declared. Perhaps because he was tipsy, his voice was very loud.
“I bestow upon you the title of Count of Breitenfeld and grant you that territory! Furthermore, 1,000 platinum coins! And ten boxes of the finest jewels brought from the East!”
For a moment, I doubted my ears.
Platinum coins. I didn’t know the currency value of this world very well. But from what I’d heard, a single gold coin was enough for a commoner family to eat well for a month. But 1,000 platinum coins? 100 gold coins equaled 1 platinum coin. I couldn’t even fathom how much money that was. I was just going to be a rich man. On top of that, a Count title. It was a title that didn’t bow to any of those romance-fantasy bastards. I could make connections with other beautiful women besides Elena…!!
“Th-thank you…”
The words came out on their own.
It felt like I was being thoroughly compensated for the ten years I’d spent at the Northern Wall, surviving on nothing but disgusting monster meat.
“Your Majesty! That is too excessive! To grant a mere commoner a Count title and a territory, and to open the national treasury like that…!”
From somewhere, an old noble geezer smelling of arrogance popped out and raised a fuss, but the Emperor scoffed and slapped the Count on the shoulder.
“Quiet! If the Northern Wall had fallen, your lives would have been gone long ago! This is a bargain for the price of my life!”
Kuh.
This guy was incredibly likable. He was so different from that trash bastard Lucas or whatever his name was. After dismissing the geezer, the Emperor cleared his throat and shouted loud enough for everyone in the banquet hall to hear.
“And finally… I grant you marriage to my only daughter, the First Princess!!”
At the Emperor’s words, everyone in the banquet hall froze. I froze too.
“Uh… Your Majesty? Is the Empire monogamous or polygamous?”
“What a stupid question! Obviously, it is monogamous! Consider it an honor to have my daughter as your bride!!”
At that moment, my world collapsed. I was just about to start living a harem life while enjoying some perks, but my dreams were shattered by the Emperor’s words. I shouted in a hurry to fix the situation.
“Your Majesty! I am still young and have no thoughts of marriage yet!”
“Then just get engaged! Of course, if you meet other women after getting engaged, I won’t let you off easy. Hahaha!!”
He then raised his wine glass and shouted.
“A toast to the Shield of the North!!”
“Cheers!!”
I said weakly,
“Ch-cheers…”
Try saying ‘The Emperor is a son of a bitch.’ The Emperor is a fucking son of a bitch.
Kreeeeak—!!
Just then, the banquet hall door swung open violently.
“Move aside! I heard that person, the Commander, has arrived!”
Pushing past the guards, a woman dressed from head to toe in black mourning clothes burst in.
A haggard appearance with dark circles under her eyes. She looked around frantically like a madwoman, found me, and froze as if struck by lightning.
The Emperor flew into a rage.
“What is this commotion! Drag that crazy woman out at once!”
“Y-Your Majesty! The young lady of the Tashkievich family who escaped from the Northern Grand Duchy suddenly…!”
What? Tashkievich?
Then was that woman truly the blood relative of the real Nikolai Tashkievich?
The woman pushed past the guards, grabbed my pant leg tightly, and sobbed desperately.
“Waaaaah! Father…! You’re alive, you’ve returned alive…!”
The woman slammed her forehead against the marble floor and screamed. Then, looking at my face, she said with a blank expression,
“……Who are you?”