I Am Overwhelmed...?
Time back a little, around the time when the academy students were struggling in the hell of midterms.
“Your Majesty?”
Ruprecht, the Crown Prince, looked at his father with a startled voice.
“What are you so surprised about, Crown Prince. Meeting someone who has already been awarded the medal to the princess and now to the crown prince as well. Is there anything strange about that?”
“Hah, but Your Majesty, no matter how you say that, such an event has no precedent.”
The Emperor was who? The ruler of this vast empire. The father of all imperial citizens.
That's why no one could casually face the Emperor. Especially in praising achievements, everyone thought it was enough to send only the Emperor's representative.
Of course, it wasn't to belittle Karl's achievements. He was clearly a hero of the Empire.
However, in the history of the Empire so far, the number of times the Emperor personally called someone to the palace, faced them directly, and personally praised them was so few that it could be counted on one hand.
And more than half of them were events from the early days of the empire when confusion was at its peak.
Moreover, the Medal of Honor recipients so far hadn't been treated that grandly either.
The Emperor showing respect to them was, of course, possible. Because they were heroes of the Empire. However, he didn't do things like personally calling them or giving special treatment.
“If I get it wrong, the essence of the Medal of Honor, which is honor itself, might be tarnished. So I was careful not to let the recipients' honor be sullied by their own actions, so that it wouldn't affect the honor of their predecessors and successors.”
Thinking that his father couldn't not know this fact, the Crown Prince continued.
“If there is something to praise, I will go again. That would be fine.”
“The Crown Prince is right. That's how it should be. If I do it too much, it will only make that young man uneasy, and there is also fairness towards the previous Medal of Honor recipients. Moreover, the shine given by the Medal of Honor might get scratched.”
“P-please stop, Your Majesty. Scratched? No way. Your Majesty is the ruler of this empire—”
The Emperor waved his hand as if it was settled. The Crown Prince closed his mouth and bowed his head.
“I know what you are worried about, Crown Prince. I also know. The Emperor is an existence that, the more lightly he moves, the more he conveys wrong intentions to his subordinates. It can cause confusion in that way.”
“Your Majesty.”
“However, Crown Prince. Could this matter really be passed over in silence?”
At that question, the Crown Prince couldn't immediately answer and only moved his lips.
Actually, the answer was already out there. It couldn't be passed over. That was the correct answer.
“It is said that the Heigens side awarded the Legion of Honor to Karl Adelheit.”
It was a surprising thing. The elves, especially the Legion of Honor?
He had expected that since the Heigens called Karl, there would be some movement.
But that it would be that medal. Moreover, that it would be the elves' pride, he hadn't anticipated.
“The Legion of Honor. In the past, when the elves were not divided and had no inferiority to the Empire at all. Even their population was several times more than now, the most glorious moment. The thing given to the one who led the legion they had at that time, which can be called the elves' pride and history.”
Naturally, it was a thing that humans had never received. After all, it was impossible.
Although the elves, who had declined compared to before, still had their pride.
It was the same for Heigens, which leaned towards the Empire. Because the Empire treated them well, they also viewed the Empire favorably, and never lowered themselves arbitrarily.
Yet, in that situation, the Heigens suddenly awarded the Legion of Honor to Karl.
Even if it was because they had received a lot of help from Karl, it was an honor that seemed excessive.
“Thanks to that, my friend's status has risen even higher. The elves' Legion of Honor.”
In this situation, if the Empire remains silent, the situation becomes quite strange.
Even though he had received the Medal of Honor twice, he couldn't give the last one to the elves, right?
Perhaps the Emperor had made such a determination because of the Heigens' movement.
“There is no need to worry, Crown Prince.”
However, the Emperor had already thought of everything and had a calm appearance.
“Giving excessive glory to just one person can cause jealousy from everyone. Therefore, while giving glory, I will prevent the light from focusing too much only on that young hero.”
“I would like to ask once more what Your Majesty's intention is.”
Then the Emperor gestured, and soon the palace official brought something to the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince, having received it politely, let out an exclamation of “Ah.”
“I thought that such a moment would come someday. The timing is just right, so it should be fine.”
The Emperor said that while pressing his temples near his temples with a slight headache still remaining.
As he aged, even a cold didn't come easily. Perhaps he might hand over this position to the Crown Prince sooner than expected.
*
Clatter clatter—
He heard an odd sound and glanced down. His leg was shaking like an earthquake.
My leg is not my leg. It's not happening with my will. It's just shaking.
“The Emperor? The Emperor? The Emperor!!”
From what I knew, the Emperor summoning a subordinate directly to the palace was a very limited case.
At best, dukes, the pinnacle of imperial nobles, and occasionally marquises or imperial counts. Apart from that, meeting the imperial family's representative was all.
Yet I am neither a duke nor a marquise or imperial count. Leaving that aside, I am not a titled noble either.
Although I am a Medal of Honor recipient, has the Empire only I received that medal in history? No, that's not it either.
I had heard that previous recipients were treated as heroes, but I had never heard that after receiving the medal, the Emperor personally called that person to the palace and faced them directly.
It's not some other person, it's the Emperor. Not the first princess, not the crown prince. The pinnacle of this empire, the Emperor.
My father is supporting the Emperor with sincerity, and I also have the mind to do the same. In any case, he is an individual standing at the absolute center of power. Being called suddenly can only be scary.
“Could I have done something wrong?”
Of course, it can't be. If there is, it's just that I was too patriotic?
Everything I have done so far has been beneficial to the Empire and the imperial family. There is nothing to be guilty about.
...Still, the reason I'm shaking is because as an individual noble, I was summoned by the Emperor. That's natural.
“Karl Adelheit. We have been waiting.”
Unlike before, there was thorough security by the imperial knights. No matter how much of a Medal of Honor recipient, it's not a path to meet the Emperor.
Those who showed guilty expressions every time they searched didn't care. They were doing their own jobs, and I am a noble with the duty to be loyal to the Empire.
“This way.”
Every time I took a step, my breath was coming short. Even though it wasn't the first time at the palace.
I thought that if the Crown Prince had shown his face even once, this tension would have been relieved.
“Your Majesty. Friedrich Count's Karl Adelheit has arrived.”
The attendant who was moving with me opened his mouth in a polite tone.
And immediately after, a voice was heard from beyond the door, calm yet rough.
“Let him in.”
After taking a quiet deep breath following the attendant's gesture, I moved my feet. Then I knelt at the spot and bowed as all others who had met the Emperor had done.
“Long live His Majesty the Emperor. Karl Adelheit, the eldest son of Count Friedrich. I have received Your Majesty's summons.”
“Finally, I get to see you. The young turbulent child of the Empire. Come a little closer.”
At that moment, I thought I should crawl. But it didn't seem so, so I raised my body, took a few more steps forward, and knelt again.
“You may look up and see His Majesty.”
“G-gratitude is endless.”
Very carefully, I looked up and gazed at the Emperor in front of me.
The first thing that caught my eye was his completely white hair. And deep wrinkles.
Seeing that, I felt that even the ruler of this vast empire cannot escape the passage of time.
Nevertheless, the heavy aura felt in his eyes could not be taken lightly.
“It is indeed the son of Count Friedrich. The appearance of the count in his youth remains. He was also a loyal subject of the Empire. If the Adelheit family had been there from the beginning beside the invited one, the confusion of the Empire would have been a little less.”
“My gratitude is endless. Your Majesty.”
The face was clearly smiling, but I couldn't tell if it was really smiling. I had heard that those who play in the political world have different inside and outside, but the Emperor at the center would be even more so!
“It seems you are full of worries on your face. You must have been greatly surprised by the sudden event.”
“I-I am sorry.”
“No. It's natural. I called you knowing that. So, Karl Adelheit, the eldest son of Count Friedrich. I hope you understand.”
It was an outrageous thing to say. I had pleaded to stop, but the Emperor waved his hand.
“I called you for the purpose of talking. What should I start with. Ah, yes. I would like to invite you to this year's New Year's ceremony. Is that okay?”
“I will accept it as an honor.”
“It is not a simple New Year's ceremony. This year's New Year's ceremony is a little different from the previous ones.”
Different from before? What do you mean?
“At this year's New Year's ceremony, I plan to invite all the Medal of Honor recipients of the Empire. The heroes who have bravely stepped up to protect the Empire since a long time ago. I will call them all again and praise them once more. And I will be their representative.”
The Emperor's finger slowly pointed at me.
“Karl Adelheit. I want to set you up.”