Rosens Full Course (3)
The ones who appeared ahead of Elua were the Royal Guard. Soldiers clad in resplendent plate armor poured out endlessly from the dimensional gate, scattering in all directions. As if they already knew the layout of the inn and its facilities inside out, they moved without hesitation, taking up positions at key points.
The Royal Guard was an elite unit composed of the kingdom's finest knights and swordsmen. It wasn't just about being good in a fight—you had to pass background checks, ideological screenings, and grueling training to even join officially. By comparison, the city guard was honestly a step below, objectively speaking, in terms of armament, budget, and individual combat prowess.
Lambert de la Tremouille eyed the Royal Guard's gear closely before turning to me.
"Bertrand. May your inn prosper."
"What's this all of a sudden?"
"If the inn does well, the city thrives. And if the city gets richer, the mayor will funnel more funds to the guard."
"Haha. Says the guy about to get promoted to major and ship off to the capital."
Lambert replied with a stern expression. "The guard will still be here even after I'm gone."
He adjusted the feathers on his helmet as he continued. "I'm just one of many commanders who pass through, but the company's mission endures."
His words hit me harder than expected. I'd always been a lone wolf on secret missions, and now I ran my own inn. Everything I'd started, I'd finished myself, so I'd always given it my all. But officers were different. Bluntly put, you just served out your term and moved on. The culture rewarded "mood management" for superiors more than actual unit leadership. Plenty of officers claimed credit for successes and dumped blame on their subordinates—and they were thick in the capital and legions. Sure, I'd met good ones, but they topped out at lieutenant colonel at best. Promotions came from the capital, where outside influence was inevitable, and mission-focused soldiers didn't play that game. So ass-kissers climbed the ranks. That was the kingdom's military reality.
"If we had ten more officers like you, Captain, the Demon King's forces wouldn't have run rampant."
"High praise."
Even after the full Royal Guard had emerged, their captain, Kamei, was nowhere in sight. Looked like she'd truly left the capital after the late king's death. A woman like Kamei could crush most swordsmen anywhere she went. She'd claimed she'd never lost a fight before meeting me. If she'd beaten everyone else, didn't that make her the kingdom's strongest? After all, I was the world's strongest. Haha.
Next out of the dimensional gate after the Royal Guard came several men and women in plain clothes, their identities unclear. Not officials, not soldiers—just ordinary outfits and looks you'd pass a thousand times in a market. Ages varied wildly, so to an outsider, it'd look bizarre: what were these commoners doing in the king's procession?
But I knew who they were. Probably the kingdom's covert special agents, run in secret. No one knew if they answered to intelligence or defense, their size, or their missions. What I did know: before I set foot in the capital, they'd been doing my job. That meant they weren't just smart info-gatherers who could fight—they were a cut above regular intel operatives too.
This kingdom's internal structure was a mess of secrets. And for these shadows to show up on a public itinerary... Did they think the Royal Guard wasn't enough for protection? Meaning Elua hadn't fully secured power, failing to control the capital and noble council?
Maybe that's why the trip here was decided just a day ago—no time for her enemies to prepare an ambush outside the capital. The late king's suspicious poisoning, Duke Alvis's mysterious death (he'd been a top candidate for the throne), Prince Gobert's sudden frontline command. Regardless of whether Elua was behind the assassinations, rebels who rejected her were a dime a dozen. Throw in lords like those Kusobo separatists refusing loyalty oaths, and it was chaos. No wonder intel and mages bugged the capital everywhere, spying on each other.
I had no clue what was really going on there anymore. The Defense Minister seemed out of the loop (late king loyalist), the intel chief played dumb, and Brione wouldn't spill. Hmm... Elua benefited most from the king's death, sure, but would that cunning bitch really risk this backlash without foreseeing it? I had no idea. Focus on the now.
Moments later, a stern-faced royal chamberlain stepped from the gate and announced,
"Her Majesty the Queen enters!"
Everyone in the inn courtyard dropped to one knee, bowing low.
"Hnnngh..." Celereja let out a tense whimper through gritted teeth.
The chamberlain glared at me—the only one standing—but I just shrugged. Queen or not, I wasn't bowing to Elua. She wouldn't care if I knelt, groveled, or whatever anyway.
A dark shadow soon fell over the gate. Queen Elua emerged slowly, her jet-black hair and inky dress contrasting sharply with the radiant crown atop her head. The deep black queen exuded overwhelming charisma that dominated all who beheld her. The large scar around her neck and the fresh ones on her wrists were still there. No, her wrists looked worse. Sigh...
Then I gasped at who followed. Not the Defense Minister, intel chief, or cardinal. It was Grancis, standing with empty eyes, hands politely clasped. Personality extraction... She'd really ended up like that.
"Bertrand... that woman..." Hildeva whispered, recognizing her.
"Act like you don't know. Better for your safety."
"Got it..."
Grancis was followed by the intel chief, cardinal, Brione, and other high capital officials filing into the courtyard. There was even a hunched old man in black robes leaning on a staff—the capital's chief mage. Still kicking, huh.
"What a beautiful place."
Elua surveyed the inn and surroundings, then spotted me and smiled. Her signature vertical slit snake eyes curved like a crescent moon.
"Bertrand Balder."
"Welcome, Your Majesty. It's been a while."
Hildeva nearly fainted at my protocol-shattering greeting.
Elua gazed up at the inn's front. Her eyes lingered on Lurtjog's head—preserved by ritual, looking as it did in life—and she chuckled.
"That's the blue dragon that plunged this city into chaos?"
"Yes. It turned Myanfeld to ash and chased Red Dragon Aterugar all the way here."
"I'd heard reports, but seeing it up close, it's even bigger and nastier than I imagined. Good work, Balder."
Only a handful knew I'd taken Lurtjog's head. The rest couldn't fathom why the queen was praising me.
"I put Your Majesty's reward money to good use. Thank you."
That "reward" was the exorbitant sum Elua had paid—above market—for Lurtjog's corpse. The bowing crowd exchanged puzzled glances at our cryptic exchange.
Elua continued inspecting the inn and its facilities.
"I heard you'd made a place to view monsters up close—such a novel, commendable idea. I came personally to inspect and encourage it."
"I was just wondering when to invite you."
Her mouth stretched wide in a creepy grin. "Is that so? That delights me to no end."
The chamberlain, timing it perfectly, cleared his throat. "Rise and greet Her Majesty."
As people stood, Elua met each one under his guidance. Mayor Hildeva, security chief Captain Lambert de la Tremouille, the city's sole cleric Saintess Celereja, and me—the inn and Monster Zoo owner—in that order. The rest hung back, unworthy of addressing the queen.
Hildeva, despite her nerves, greeted calmly and composedly.
"Hildeva Amer, rank-5 mayor of Rosens."
"Mayor Hildeva. I'm well aware of your efforts to revive Rosens."
"It's all thanks to Your Majesty's support and trust. I'll redouble my efforts to repay your grace."
Lambert was as cool and confident as ever.
"Guard Company Captain Lambert de la Tremouille, Your Majesty."
"Tremouille... You mean from the Marquis de la Tremouille house?"
"Yes. I'm the fourth son; I enlisted upon coming of age."
"A noble's son as an officer. Not an easy choice."
"Frankly, as the not-eldest son, staying home would've gotten me nothing."
Everyone gawked at him in horror. Only Elua smiled at his brazen honesty.
"And what have you gained in the military?"
"A steady paycheck, an officer's honor, and ambition for promotion, Your Majesty."
Elua chuckled lowly. "What spirit. Lambert, was it? I'll remember that."
Hildeva and Lambert passed without issue... The problem was Celereja.
"Qu... Qu... Queen Majesty... Uh... Majesty... Um... Ahh..."