The Envoys of the Steel Empire
“Welcome, Anak. How’s the senior? He seems to be doing well, doesn’t he?”
I spent a little longer with Lady Rofena than I had expected before returning to the palace. Honestly, when I stood before the palace gates, memories of my time at the Netatum Fortress overlapped in my mind and brought on an unnecessary wave of anxiety. But this was still the Ayman Kingdom. A single verification was all it took to gain entry.
“Ah, the senior’s the same as always. Brilliant and shining, like he always is.”
That strange expression I had seen on his face that night still bothered me, but there was no need to mention it to Rowell. Yet he caught my brief hesitation immediately.
“Did something happen? Your face and the way you’re holding your shoulders look uncomfortable.”
Yes. Even I had to admit that the distance and my expression had been noticeably awkward. The spot where Lady Rofena had struck me was still faintly throbbing, too.
“Ah, I just bumped into something.”
“You did?”
It was a flimsy excuse even to my own ears, but that very flimsiness kept Rowell from suspecting anything. In fact, he showed nothing but pure curiosity.
“You got hurt even though there wasn’t a battle? What on earth happened?”
Oh, Rowell. It felt strange to see you so genuinely surprised when not even a hair on your head would be harmed unless the Demon King himself returned.
“It happens when you stop setting up barriers in advance. On top of that, I even had my horse stolen.”
It wasn’t a lie. Of course, I had no idea how well an equipped barrier would have held against Lady Rofena’s fists, but the horse really had been stolen, so at least that part was true.
“Your horse was stolen too? Good heavens. Even with the war over, all sorts of things still happen.”
Rowell was genuinely amazed and amused. At the same time, he looked oddly pleased, as if my childhood self had suddenly resurfaced in his mind.
“Yeah. I was pretty dumbfounded myself.”
If I had had the time, I would have caught the thief, but that was impossible now.
“Where’s Aegina? Is she with His Majesty and Ed?”
“They’re going over the final clauses. She would have found it funny if she heard your horse got stolen.”
She would probably widen her eyes in surprise. While Rowell knew my relatively careless younger days, during the time I traveled with Aegina I had always been meticulous about safety and finances.
“It’s a bit embarrassing for me. Losing a royal steed. And to think it happened to the Summoner of Deception, the Second-Best Strategist, the Nightmare of Orsia Hill.”
Rowell smiled at my overly dramatic behavior, but his eyes trembled slightly when I mentioned Orsia Hill. Oh, Rowell. You have no reason to feel sorry.
“So when are the emissaries supposed to arrive?”
“I got word a little while ago that they should arrive tomorrow, but it looks like they’re keeping their exact location secret until the end. They didn’t even tell us the size of the delegation or who’s coming, and they said there’s no need to prepare any ceremonial reception.”
“…Oh?”
Not revealing the location or time wasn’t particularly strange. There was always the threat of assassination, but more realistically, it was a reasonable precaution against various schemes. However, the fact that they were also hiding the size of the delegation and the identities of its members suggested they were either anticipating our response or that someone difficult to reveal was included. Either possibility was intriguing.
The former would mean the Empire placed great importance on these negotiations, and that this wasn’t just about raising toll fees. The latter would imply a high-ranking or unusual individual, which was also quite interesting.
“Well, it probably won’t matter much either way, but I’m a little excited.”
Honestly, there was no way these negotiations would fail or go wrong. Even if the other side sent some master strategist or cunning negotiator, they wouldn’t be able to create any real variables against us.
* * *
“…But do we really need this many people here?”
A day later, we gathered in the audience hall to await the emissaries. His Majesty, Ed, Rowell, Aegina, Bagloros, and of course the ministers and nobles were all present. That much wasn’t unusual. It was common to hold grand welcoming ceremonies or display unity to assert dominance or intimidate foreign envoys.
History was full of cases where more than half the capital garrison lined up in formation to welcome emissaries.
“R-Right?”
But this was different. Even His Majesty, Ed, Aegina, and Rowell looked troubled and awkward. And there was only one reason.
“Big brother, look over there. It’s Sir Rowell. Princess Aegina and Sir Anak and Sir Bagloros are here too!”
“Shh. You’re not supposed to talk.”
“But still!”
“See, Father? It was worth coming after all.”
“Yes. You’re right.”
The murmuring continued. The audience hall was packed with ministers, retainers, and nobles of sufficient rank who had brought their entire families, making it look like a parade.
The reason was obvious. Welcoming the emissaries was just an excuse; they had come to see the Hero of Light, Rowell, and the rest of us up close. Those who couldn’t properly participate in the parade due to their noble status had seized this opportunity and gathered in full force.
“At this rate, there won’t even be room for the emissaries to enter, will there?”
“I don’t think it’ll be that bad……”
There was still plenty of space, and a path had been left clear, but without knowing the exact size of the delegation, we couldn’t be certain.
“The emissaries have arrived.”
At the guard’s announcement, everyone in the hall straightened their posture. The previously scattered atmosphere instantly turned solemn and heavy. Even the children who had been smiling innocently moments ago now radiated dignity and authority. The speed of the change made me wonder if what I had seen earlier had been an illusion.
The doors opened and a group of people walked in. The emissaries, dressed in the Sigmut style with steel plates on their left shoulders, were all imposing in build regardless of gender, and their steps were confident. Though the number of people might have been surprising, they showed no sign of it on the surface. Their gazes passed over everyone else, including Rowell, and fixed straight on His Majesty seated on the throne.
It was the textbook attitude of an envoy visiting a foreign land. They approached the foot of the throne steps, knelt on their right knees, and paid their respects.
“Dihart Gel Gafel and eight others. By the command of Macaltherwohil Buck Galates III, the Sixth Emperor of the Steel Empire, the Unified Sigmut Empire, and representative of the last shields of humanity, we offer our greetings to His Majesty Karman Del Lufilberak, King of the Ayman Kingdom.”
“Welcome, Sir Gafel. And the rest of you are sincerely welcome as well.”
Since the other side had not stated their exact titles in the introduction, His Majesty addressed them with the honorific “Sir.” Only after receiving the king’s reply did Gafel turn his gaze toward Rowell and the rest of us standing slightly to the side of the throne.
“We also offer our heartfelt respects to the Hero and his companions.”
His tone was somewhat stiff and could even be interpreted as insincere, but that was the correct etiquette. This was a place for emissaries to greet the king. No matter how much of a hero one was, showing deeper respect to anyone else would be disrespectful to the king.
Knowing this, Rowell and Aegina simply nodded lightly in response, and Bagloros and I did the same.
“We are grateful for such a grand welcome. This is a personal letter from His Imperial Majesty.”
At his gesture, one of the people standing behind him took out a golden casket from his robes and handed it to a royal knight. After the knight and several court mages verified the casket and the scroll inside, they passed it to His Majesty.
His Majesty opened the letter from the casket, but it was unlikely to contain anything remarkable. As usual, it would be filled with the standard formal greetings, well-wishes, and prayers.
“Understood, Sir Gafel. I will discuss this matter and give you my reply.”
Apparently, that was not all. His Majesty handed the letter to Ed, who was seated beside him. He would not have done so if it had been an ordinary greeting.
“Understood. However, since His Imperial Majesty specifically instructed me to prioritize this issue during this visit, I hope to return with a favorable answer if possible.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
After that, various exchanges continued amid a subtle battle of nerves. To my eyes, it looked as though small daggers were being thrown at each other, only to be caught and thrown back.
“You must be tired from your long journey. Please rest first. We can begin the discussions tomorrow.”
Perhaps sensing that his opponent was no pushover, His Majesty suggested they rest, and the other side accepted.
“Thank you for your consideration. Then we shall take our leave.”
They offered brief thanks and exited the audience hall with the same unwavering confidence they had shown upon entering. Yes. I had to acknowledge it. Not only Gafel, but the entire delegation had clearly proven their qualifications and abilities as imperial envoys, at least in this moment.
“……”
Even after the emissaries left, the atmosphere in the hall did not return to normal. Everyone—the nobles and ministers alike—had sensed something while watching the exchange between His Majesty and the emissaries, though the depth varied by rank and age.
Depending on their positions, the nobles and ministers were likely turning complicated thoughts in their heads. Even the young heirs of noble houses had probably taken one or two lessons to heart from the high-level political dialogue they had just witnessed, something they rarely got to see directly.
His Majesty thanked the remaining ministers and nobles and raised his hand to dismiss them. Disappointment was plain on the faces of the children and those ministers and nobles who had hoped to build even a slight connection with us, but no one disobeyed.
They filed out in orderly fashion. Now only His Majesty, a few royal knights, Sir Levrant, and the rest of us remained in the audience hall.
“What did the letter say?”
At Aegina’s question, Ed handed her the letter he had set aside. Rowell and I also approached to read its contents.
The first few lines were exactly as expected: heavily embellished greetings written in an unnecessarily ornate script. The praise and humility were clearly insincere, subtly elevating the writer’s own status. Confidence that could not be hidden seeped through every sentence and expression, and the word choices revealed an intent to intimidate and seize the initiative.
It was possible that the Emperor himself had written it, but the overall impression was that of a confident and passionate young man. It seemed more likely that a court scribe or scholar had composed it and the Emperor had merely signed it.
In any case, aside from the scribe’s artistic tendencies and the overly elaborate handwriting that made it feel like viewing a painting, most of the content was standard greetings and pleasantries. The truly important part had been added near the very end.