Chapter 325: An Eventful Promotion Ceremony (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 325: An Eventful Promotion Ceremony (4)
Creak.
Someone rose from their seat.
Though the gazes of the gathered nobles instantly snapped toward her, she strode confidently toward the Dmitry family.
"Duke Dmitry. My sincerest congratulations on your son's promotion!"
"Thank you. But you are...?"
Romero glanced at Roman Dmitry. Sensing that they did not recognize her, the woman took the initiative to introduce herself.
"I am Count Christine of the Umberto Kingdom."
"Christine! I recall hearing that name. What brings a noble of Umberto all the way to the Cairo Kingdom?"
"What else could it be? Upon hearing the news that the Dmitry family's third son was holding his promotion ceremony, I came solely to offer my congratulations."
"Haha, is that so?"
The atmosphere was warm and friendly.
Count Christine's ulterior motives were glaringly obvious, but Duke Dmitry was only human. He couldn't help but feel well-disposed toward someone who had traveled so far to celebrate his son's achievement. It was a victory in the game of wits. Having successfully initiated the conversation, Count Christine chatted with him for quite a while before smoothly changing the subject, as if a thought had just crossed her mind.
"Ah, by the way, I have prepared a special gift for Young Master Lauren Dmitry."
"A gift?"
"Yes. It is simply a token of congratulations on his promotion, so please do not feel burdened."
She gestured to her servant.
As if waiting for this exact moment, the servant brought forward an object that drew gasps of admiration from its appearance alone.
"It is a sword crafted by a master artisan of the Umberto Kingdom. Rather than actual combat, it is meant for ceremonial occasions like today. Great effort was poured into its forging to match Dmitry's prestige. The scabbard and hilt are adorned with pure gold, accented with precious gems like diamonds. Above all, to prove this sword was made specifically for the Dmitry family, we engraved the Dmitry crest and Young Master Lauren Dmitry's initials into it. Ah, isn't it truly magnificent?"
Just as she described, it was an incredibly lavish sword.
Even a cursory glance suggested it cost hundreds of gold coins. Count Christine wore a confident expression, certain she had prepared the perfect gift. No matter how wealthy the Dmitry family was, a boy of Lauren Dmitry's age receiving such a treasure would surely be thrilled and immediately strap it to his waist.
However, Lauren Dmitry's reaction was entirely unexpected.
Far from showing interest in the blade, he accepted it with a slightly burdened expression.
"……Thank you."
She was taken aback.
What on earth is this reaction?
Count Christine had spent a long time agonizing over what to get Lauren Dmitry, absolutely certain this artisan's masterpiece would win him over. Yet, his response was completely contrary to her expectations. Though he didn't openly say he disliked it, it was impossible not to notice that Lauren was less than pleased with her gift.
Does he dislike luxury goods?
This was a disaster. If she had spent a fortune and failed to win his favor, all her efforts would be in vain.
Just then, a voice intervened.
"Hahaha, what a truly fine sword. If you had worn that blade to today's ceremony, you would have looked absolutely dashing."
It was Count Samir. He naturally chimed into the conversation.
*
Count Christine's gift had missed the mark. The moment Count Samir saw Lauren Dmitry's uncomfortable expression, he knew this was his chance.
"My sincerest congratulations on your promotion, Young Master Lauren Dmitry. Like Count Christine, I couldn't bear to come empty-handed, so I prepared a gift as well. However, it has a completely different feel from the fine sword Count Christine presented, so I'm not sure if it will be to your liking."
He feigned humility as he carefully pulled something out—four circular, bracelet-like objects.
"This is a magic artifact recently crafted specifically for Aura Swordsmen. It doesn't have an official name yet, but I paid a premium to acquire it, thinking it might be useful to you, Young Master Lauren. To briefly explain its effects, you wear them on your wrists and ankles, and they automatically adjust to fit your body size. Once equipped, you can adjust their weight anywhere from ten kilograms up to a hundred kilograms."
"……There's an artifact like that?"
His reaction was entirely different from before.
Seeing Lauren Dmitry show a genuine hint of interest, Count Samir cheered inwardly.
Just as I thought.
It was exactly as expected. Just as Henry Albert had advised, Lauren Dmitry was deeply interested in anything related to self-improvement. A magic artifact designed for training was bound to tempt him. But if it only had a weight-adjustment function, Count Samir wouldn't have chosen it. The true selling point that would captivate the boy was its mana circulation capability.
"The greatest strength of this artifact is its built-in mana circulation function. Normally, Aura Swordsmen perform mana circulation training using magic circles to purge impurities from their bodies. Wearing this magic artifact periodically circulates your mana and filters out those impurities, though perhaps not to the absolute extent of a full magic circle. It is truly a revolutionary item. It may not be a dazzling, treasured sword, but I believed such an artifact was necessary for Young Master Lauren's 'growth.'"
"……!"
His eyes changed.
From the moment mana circulation was mentioned, Lauren Dmitry's eyes lit up like a puppy waiting for a treat.
It worked. Count Samir was certain of his success. The moment he handed over the gift, Lauren flashed a bright smile.
"Thank you so much!"
The difference in reaction was stark. His thanks to Count Christine had been soulless, but Count Samir's gift made him look as excited as a child on a festival day. It was a perfect development. Samir felt his effort in visiting the Cairo Kingdom a few days early had truly paid off.
"Actually, this gift was specially prepared by His Majesty the King of Frank. Although he could not attend the promotion ceremony in person, he asked me to convey his congratulations on your promotion, Young Master Lauren. Seeing how much you like it makes me incredibly happy as well."
"Of course you should be! We are already grateful enough that you came all this way, but to prepare such a gift for my son... I shall host a grand feast in your honor!" Duke Dmitry laughed heartily.
If it had ended there, Count Samir would have thought his success was absolute.
But the problem began right then.
"Duke Dmitry. We have prepared gifts as well."
The other nobles stepped forward one after another.
The promotion ceremony wasn't over until it was truly over.
*
It was a veritable onslaught of gifts.
Baron Berk of the Hector Kingdom, having witnessed the previous exchange, spoke in a confident voice.
"Prince Edwin Hector has sent a special gift. Does everyone know of Terkan?"
"……Terkan? Do you mean the First Sword of Hector, who was once called Hector's Sword Master?" Count Samir asked, his face filled with surprise.
At that, Baron Berk grinned.
"Indeed. The First Sword of Hector. There is a training journal recording exactly how he trained during his lifetime. It has been kept in the possession of the Hector royal family for generations, but Prince Edwin Hector wished to present it as a gift, stating that he owes a great debt to the Dmitry family. Of course, with the recent Swordsmanship Revolution, we cannot say the old ways are the absolute answer, but I am certain that Lord Terkan's training journal will be of great help to Young Master Lauren Dmitry."
"……My goodness."
Count Samir's expression cracked.
Terkan's training journal! That was a priceless treasure. He had never expected they would simply hand over an invaluable royal artifact just for Lauren Dmitry.
The problem was, yet another noble stepped forward as if in competition.
It was Viscount Jansen of the Redford Kingdom. He, too, had prepared a formidable gift.
"Everyone has prepared such grand gifts. We also agonized over what to bring, but His Majesty the King of Redford insisted that we repay our debt of gratitude to the Dmitry family, and ordered us to prepare everything Young Master Lauren Dmitry might need."
He glanced back and gave a signal.
Just like Count Christine had done, a servant brought something forward—except this time, it was an entire cart's worth of items.
Thud.
"These are twelve types of magic artifacts and thirty magic scrolls needed for training. It is enough to last for a full year, so please use them freely. When you run low, we will bring you fresh supplies. This is to repay the grace we received from Dmitry, so please do not feel burdened at all."
Jaws dropped.
A cart overflowing with magic items. It was on an entirely different scale compared to Count Samir's gift, and the total value easily exceeded a thousand gold.
He had heard the rumors. Since Count Rondon ascended to the throne, the Redford Kingdom was rapidly stabilizing, and its financial situation was improving. Still, he hadn't expected them to prepare a gift of this magnitude. Count Samir, who had thought he held the upper hand at first, felt his presence shrinking as the gifts were revealed one after another.
"I have……"
"As a special gift……"
The nobles were in a frenzy.
Count Samir took a step back. He had confidently assured the King of Frank to leave everything to him when preparing the magic artifact, but now he looked utterly foolish.
There was one crucial fact he had overlooked.
The other nobles.
They, too, had received advice from Henry Albert.
"Sigh."
A heavy sigh escaped his lips. For some reason, Count Samir suddenly dreaded the thought of returning to Frank.
*
Two weeks later.
Dmitry officially declared its transition from a duchy to the Dmitry Kingdom.
On that day, Duke Dmitry ascended to the throne as king and spoke to Roman Dmitry, who stood watching him.
"This throne is yours. On the day Dmitry declares itself an empire, I shall pass this seat to you."
Initially, he had intended to hand over the kingship immediately. However, because Roman Dmitry still had much to do on the front lines, he had declined the throne, deeming it premature. No one found this strange. Although Duke Dmitry had ascended to the throne, everyone knew that the true, practical leader of Dmitry was Roman Dmitry.
The festival began.
Kings and key figures from various nations gathered, creating an even grander venue for diplomacy than the promotion ceremony.
From the encounters of that day, people became certain of one thing.
In the future, the continent would be led by the Dmitry Kingdom—no, by Roman Dmitry himself.
*
Time passed.
The continent regained its stability.
Since the Dmitry prisoner incident, the Kronos Empire had remained exceedingly quiet, and the Kingdom Alliance, led by Dmitry, rapidly established a new order.
The problem lay with the Valhalla Empire.
Valhalla had been plagued by troubles recently. Duke Vieto, who had lived in seclusion since the death of Morales, had begun to move in earnest. His actions split the empire into two fiercely confronting factions: those loyal to the Valhalla Emperor, and those backing Duke Vieto.
Those who had lost their romance were now weathering a turbulent storm to reclaim it.
Six months after the declaration of the kingdom, in Dmitry's Endless Mountains, soldiers on patrol conversed while gazing into the dense, overgrown forest.
"Did you hear the news?"
"What news?"
"They say the Emperor of Valhalla is gathering forces to suppress Duke Vieto's rebel army. The atmosphere in Valhalla is incredibly grim lately. The common folk support Duke Vieto, but the Emperor's military might is formidable. If a full-scale civil war breaks out in Valhalla, even Dmitry will feel the aftershocks."
"Damn imperial bastards. Whether it's Valhalla or Kronos, I wish lightning would strike from the heavens and wipe them all out."
The Valhalla Empire.
It was the center of everyone's attention. The friction caused by Duke Vieto emerging from seclusion had finally begun to show signs of erupting into war. A civil war in Valhalla was no simple matter. Unlike the conflicts in the Cairo Kingdom, this wouldn't be a clash of thousands or tens of thousands; the scale of casualties would be unimaginably massive.
It was a bitter thought. Just when they thought they had finally found some peace, another war was on the horizon.
The soldiers exchanged a few more words before refocusing on their guard duty.
Right then.
Rustle.
"Who's there?!"
"State the password!"
Beyond the bushes, a strange sound echoed. The soldiers reacted like lightning, leveling their weapons, while the soldier in the rear immediately prepared to send a magic communication.
The Endless Mountains.
In truth, it was a place with little reason to be on high alert. Yet, Dmitry never let its guard down under any circumstances.
Before long, a man emerged from the thicket, stumbled forward, and collapsed onto the ground.
Thud.
"……?!"
It was a baffling situation.
After reporting the incident, some of the soldiers kept watch on the surroundings while others cautiously approached the man to check his condition.
His face was worryingly emaciated.
Looking up at the soldiers, the man squeezed out a few words with great difficulty.
"……Please…… help……"
"Could you say that again?"
His voice was too faint. Leaning in close, they finally caught what he was trying to say.
"……Please help…… Luna……"
Luna.
What that meant was unmistakable.
The nation of Saintess Isabelle. The only place beyond the Endless Mountains where humans had established a settlement. That place was none other than Luna.
Which meant, this man was a citizen of the Luna Kingdom.