Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: The Indefinite Contractor Returns (3)
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Morning light broke.
Snow had fallen overnight, piling up on the ramparts, while frost clung to every window.
Daniel donned a thick overcoat and stepped out of his lodgings.
Elena, dressed in neat attire, followed behind.
"First, it would be best to pay respects to the young lord, right?"
"Yes. That's only proper etiquette."
The two headed straight for Rainer's office.
-Knock knock
"Come in."
'Whoa.'
The moment the door opened, a towering white spire greeted Daniel.
At a glance, it resembled a small stone tower—a mountain of documents.
A ceaseless battlefield stacked with exhibition reports and enemies disguised as paperwork.
Amid it all, Rainer was frantically waging a war of approvals alongside bureaucrat-like figures.
"What documents this time... Sir Daniel!"
Spotting Daniel, Rainer shot up from his seat and spread his arms wide.
"You've finally come to your senses! What a relief!"
"I apologize for causing you worry, Young Lord."
"Haha! No need to fret over that. Wasn't it all for defending Kazan? If anything, I should be thanking you."
Rainer laughed heartily and pulled Daniel into a bear hug.
His smile brimmed with unmistakable gratitude and warmth.
"Tonight, we'll hold a grand banquet. You must attend. What kind of celebration for Kazan's hero would this be without the man of the hour?"
"Haha. Of course."
"And skip the leather attire this time."
"Kuh! My apologies for that."
"Hahaha! Just a joke. A joke. Come on, have some tea since you're here. I could use a break myself."
Rainer's demeanor was as friendly as could be as he led Daniel to his desk.
Elena watched in silence.
Her gaze, filled with tension and wariness, never left Rainer as he poured the tea.
Around noon, Daniel ventured into the streets.
Syril, Rood, Elena, and an escort of soldiers accompanied him.
It was Syril's suggestion.
"You need to show the citizens you're safe and sound. Everyone's been worried. Let them see Kazan's hero is hale and hearty—it'll put their minds at ease, Sir Daniel."
"Sure thing."
Daniel accepted, figuring it was no big deal, just a casual tour.
"Waaaaah!!!!"
"It's Sir Daniel!"
"The Dragon Slayer's back!!!"
"Huh?"
That was before the deafening cheers rang in his ears.
"Magic Knight Sir Daniel!"
"Kazan’s hero! Kazan's calamity!"
"Daniel of the Black Flame! Just one glance here, please!"
'What's all this?'
Frenzied crowds clamoring for a word from a celebrity. He'd seen it plenty on TV.
Never dreamed he'd be the star.
From the streets, the plazas, even the rooftops, people chanted his name.
Throngs upon throngs gathered to catch sight of the hero who had shielded Kazan—their families—from harm.
Daniel stood stunned for a moment by the adoring stares, as if he were some pop idol.
-Tug, tug
"Hm?"
Feeling a pull on his cloak, he looked down.
Three kids clutching the fabric stared up at him.
"Dragon Slayer, sir. Please take this."
'No way. They're giving me this?'
He meant it.
In their hands was a wreath woven of flowers.
The symbol of Dragon Slayer Siegfried.
Daniel hesitated.
Deep down, he didn't want it.
But those kids' sparkling eyes—and the expectant crowd watching—demanded more courage than he could muster to brush off.
With no choice, he bent down and accepted it.
As he placed the wreath atop his head, the cheers erupted anew.
"Daniel! Daniel! Daniel!"
"Kazan’s Dragon Slayer!"
"Haha. Thank you, everyone."
"Waaaaah!!!"
The entire street chanting his name.
A first for him—disconcerting, sure, but far from unpleasant.
Slowly, yet surely, a genuine smile crept across his face.
From her position standing at the rear, Elena caught sight of Daniel's smile.
Her face calm as she clapped, but her thoughts churned.
'If I hadn't shown up, he'd be 100% theirs by now.'
Unlike the politically clueless Daniel, she could see it plain as day.
Stabilizing public sentiment? Controlling the masses? Just excuses.
This was political theater.
A feel-good production imprinting the slogan "You are Kazan's hero" on Daniel.
And as anyone could see, it was working spectacularly.
A quagmire.
An all-too-tempting one.
The kind of emotional trap that's impossible to escape once your feet, then torso, and finally head are submerged.
A nightmare matchup for Daniel, whose political magic was stuck at zero circle.
'My respects to whoever crafted this trap with such care. I'd have missed it entirely without me here.'
Titania, who had dispatched her here, had clearly foreseen this exact scenario.
Admiring her superior's foresight, she gazed toward the inner keep where Rainer waited.
'That was a solid hit. Without prior prep, covering it up would've been a real chore.'
This was all groundwork for the evening banquet.
The true knockout punch would land there.
But no issue.
After all, she had laid her own trap.
She awaited the evening.
The true stage for carrying out her mission from her superior.
'It's okay, Daniel. Elena's got your back.'
The sun dipped below the horizon, and night fell.
The banquet hall, site of Daniel's welcome feast weeks prior, blazed with light once more.
That welcome had been somewhat stiff; tonight was different.
From the outset, smiles and ease lit every face.
Nobles, knights, officials, soldiers—every last high-ranking figure in Kazan was there, no exaggeration.
At last, the banquet's star made his entrance.
"Sir Daniel's here!"
"It's the Dragon Slayer!"
Cheers and adulation poured down on Daniel as he entered, Elena at his side as his partner.
The crowd surged toward him.
"Thank you for protecting Kazan, Lord Daniel."
"A hero like you comes once in half a century."
"Sir Daniel! A handshake, please!"
"Ahem. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you."
Daniel was flustered.
Such treatment was utterly unprecedented for him.
The awkwardness didn't last. Growing accustomed, he smiled and returned the warm welcomes.
He was human, after all.
Celebrity-level attention and applause were bound to tug his lips upward.
Elena, watching from a slight distance, clicked her tongue.
'Doesn't know politics after all.'
Elevating someone to protagonist status.
A classic ploy politicians use to win allies.
This wasn't pure goodwill.
Just a stage for an agenda-driven operation.
Her eyes turned to the operation's architect.
Young Lord Rainer.
Laughing and sharing drinks with the nobles, his gaze invariably fixed on Daniel.
'Attacks from morning till now, relentless. Making full use of home-field advantage.'
A withering offensive from the defender's perspective.
Yet she remained unflustered.
Simply observing the situation with cold detachment.
'This can't be all you've got.'
The mage's eyes gleamed, placing faith in her foe.
'Lay all your cards on the table, Young Lord. That's when my counteroffensive begins.'
At the rear of the banquet hall.
Nobles clinked wine glasses, exchanging words.
"What a shame. The north would be so much more secure with a mage like that."
"No need to worry. You think the young lord doesn't know what you do?"
"He's already making moves."
"Of course."
"Once the young lord acts, that hero becoming one of ours is a done deal."
A banquet blending gratitude and politics.
The atmosphere reached its peak.
'This should do it.'
Judging the mood ripe, Rainer lifted his glass and stepped forward.
As he took center stage, all eyes and attention converged naturally.
From the eye of the hush, he spoke.
"Comrades who defended Kazan. I ask you."
Rainer's voice rang through every ear.
"Who crushed the Steel Scale Tribe and defended Kazan without a single sacrifice? Who is the hero who wrought Kazan's miracle?"
Every gaze pointed to the answer.
Rainer raised his glass high.
"That's right. Sir Daniel! Kazan's Magic Knight, Sir Daniel!"
"Waaaaah!!!"
Thunderous applause exploded.
Glasses lifted in unison, signaling agreement.
Amid the crowd's roaring fervor, Rainer steadied his breath and played his prepared card.
"A hero deserves an honorable reward. Thus, I, Rainer von Carta, in my capacity as proxy for the Northern Archduke, do hereby, in this very hall! confer upon Sir Daniel the title of 'Knight of Carta'!"
"……!!!"
The entire room held its breath.
"A knighting!"
"Incredible."
Imperial knights typically earned their rank by passing the knight academy exams.
But did you know?
There's a way to become a knight without taking the test.
The Knight Conferment Right.
A privilege among privileges, held only by the empire's top five high nobles.
Of course, it doesn't grant full knightly authority.
It's purely honorary.
But that doesn't make it trivial.
High nobles possess exactly four such rights each.
They can't be handed out lightly, so their uses are inherently limited.
The ultimate badge of honor, bestowed in a high noble's family name upon one whose merits they personally acknowledge!
With only four available, its value soars, burnishing the recipient's glory even brighter.
The pinnacle honorary title a high noble can bestow!
And it was now being granted to Daniel!
Rainer clasped the stunned Daniel's hand.
"Magic Knight Daniel. It's my honor to grant such a position to a hero like you. Let's keep working together."
"Waaaaah!!!!"
Cheers and applause dwarfed anything before, raining down on the pair.
Amid the universal joy and smiles, one person failed to join in.
'Going all out, aren't you, Young Lord.'
Elena bit her lip.
The knighting—Rainer's highest honor to offer Daniel. But it was also a shackle.
Daniel, once a mere outsider, was now—honorary or not—a knight of the Northern Archduke's house.
Paper once stained by ink can never revert.
The same held here.
From this day, 'Knight of Carta' would trail Daniel's name until his dying breath.
No finer wedge to forge him into a true [Knight of Carta].
'Brilliant, Young Lord. You landed a solid blow.'
But Elena felt no anxiety.
The reason was simple.
'Without me, Daniel would be yours starting today.'
The trap-setting hunter bared her fangs.
'I've seen your cards loud and clear. Now, behold mine.'
The banquet wasn't over.
The battle wasn't over.
The real banquet—the real battle—began now.
Elena's eyes gleamed with cold ruthlessness.