After my meeting with Randolph, I headed back to the embassy for a while.
Then I had them go through the formalities for an audience with the current king.
My current standing in the Dragon King Country was roughly as follows: subordinate of the Dragon God, friend of Ariel, friend of Randolph, and friend of Benedict.
Whether I'd be granted an audience with the king of a major nation — that was the question.
I'd thought it would be a tough line to walk, but the approval came through surprisingly quickly.
"Lord
I didn't feel it myself, but it was true that lately, more and more strangers seemed to know my name.
I'd rather not be so well-known that it restricted my movements, but being able to smoothly arrange an audience like this was definitely a plus.
I'd take it.
"If it's Rudeus, of course they'd let you in,"
"Come on, Eris. The king of an entire country isn't someone you can just meet whenever you want. You've got to acknowledge that that's impressive."
"That's so Rudeus!"
Eris was the same as ever.
--- A few days later, I made my way to the Dragon King Castle and arrived at the audience chamber.
I don't mean to brag, but I'm something of a connoisseur when it comes to audience chambers.
I've had the privilege of visiting audience halls in the
An audience chamber is built on appearances.
A vast space, lavishly decorated, sometimes lined with knights in gleaming armor — a place designed to show visitors: "This is how awesome our country is, and our king is a big deal." That's what an audience chamber is.
In terms of sheer size and opulence, the Asura Kingdom was magnificent.
Their audience chamber was vast, filled with people, and left an impression of dazzling splendor.
It was probably decorated even more lavishly than usual for Ariel's coronation ceremony, but in every respect — size, personnel, cost, the throne, and the beauty of the person sitting on it — it was first class.
But let me make one thing clear.
The Asura Kingdom's audience chamber was indeed magnificent.
However, in the whole world, it ranked second.
That audience chamber wasn't just an audience chamber.
They'd taken great care with the route leading up to it as well.
From outside the castle, tasteful gardens and fine art would delight the visitor's eyes, yet they'd never encounter anyone along the way.
Corridors stretched on in silent, soundless grandeur.
Visitors would sense the solemn atmosphere and find their tension rising involuntarily.
And then, the massive doors leading to the audience chamber itself.
Beyond those doors waited a space that was, to put it charitably, not particularly ornate.
The decorations were minimal — simple and understated.
And then the twelve knights lined up before the throne.
Each wore a mask, projecting an aura of unfathomable intimidation — though in itself, that too felt understated.
Every element was designed to draw attention to the throne.
The one sitting upon it was the only man without a mask.
His overwhelming delicacy, his elegance, his sheer presence — anyone who saw him would hold their breath.
Where was this?
Truth be told, it was the Aerial Fortress Chaos Breaker.
Pergius, the Dragon King.
At the time, I hadn't realized it, but all of that was a performance.
Pergius's sense of aesthetics could honestly be called the finest in the world.
When I saw the Dragon King Country's audience chamber, a sound of admiration escaped my lips — despite all I'd seen.
This country's audience chamber had a somewhat different flavor from both the Asura Kingdom's and Chaos Breaker's.
Above all, it was rough.
First, two enormous suits of armor stood like sentinels at the entrance to the audience chamber.
They had to be about three meters tall.
The armor — roughly the same size as a magical battle suit — stood solidly as Nio guardian statues, looking down on anyone who entered.
There were no giants in this world.
There were probably large races I simply didn't know about, but at the very least, no one in the Dragon King Country could wear this armor.
In other words, these suits of armor existed solely to inspire fear and awe in visitors.
And once inside, what caught your eye was more armor.
Empty suits of armor lined the entire perimeter of the audience chamber, from near the entrance all the way to the throne.
And beside the gold-threaded carpet leading to the throne, filled armor stood guard around the king.
What they guarded was a gunmetal iron throne.
A metallic throne that looked as if armor had been repurposed directly into a chair, with cushions riveted in place.
It looked incredibly uncomfortable to sit in.
There were almost no decorations.
The crests of allied nations and what looked like knightly orders hung here and there, but that was about it.
Rugged stone walls and silver armor.
The whole thing felt like they'd just gone with, "Just line up anything that looks strong, right?"
And yet, despite its roughness, the sheer intimidation of being watched by so many was palpable.
I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, so I'll give it a four-star rating.
"His Majesty Sterviu von King Dragon, the thirty-third King of the Dragon King Country!"
While I was lost in thought, the introduction of His Majesty the King concluded.
I knelt and kept my face lowered, waiting for the next words.
"Lift your head and state your name."
"It is an honor to make your acquaintance. I am Rudeus Greyrat, subordinate of '
Sitting on the throne in that audience chamber was an ordinary man.
Dull golden hair topped with a crown that didn't quite suit him.
He looked to be about forty.
In terms of overall bearing, he reminded me of Ariel's older brother.
Grabel, the First Prince.
"Are you the Rudeus Greyrat who defeated the Water God Reida and single-handedly held back an army invading the Kingdom of Siluone?"
The rumors had gotten embellished again.
Pretty soon I'd have turned into a fish-man.
"No, the Water God Reida was defeated by my master, and the army was repelled not by me alone, but together with my mentor and the soldiers of Charon Fort."
"You're an honest man."
The king didn't radiate much authority.
Was it because he'd only recently taken the throne, or because I'd already met people who exuded far greater dignity?
"However, it's certain that you were involved in the deaths of the Water God Reida and the North Emperor Oberyl."
"I won't deny that."
"Our country values substance over formality. Someone like you, who has achieved results while remaining independent — I hold you in high regard."
"Your words honor me."
Hmm, surprisingly good vibes.
Usually people look down on me a lot more...
It must be thanks to having followed the proper steps.
Or maybe it was the power of the borrowed clothes from the embassy.
"It's rare for me to have the chance to speak with someone like you... but conversely, someone like you wouldn't appear before me without good reason."
"That is..."
"Ah, wait — don't say it. Let me guess."
The king thrust his palm forward to stop my words and stroked his own chin.
There, he had a neatly trimmed beard.
Come to think of it, many men in this country wore beards.
In Asura, most men were clean-shaven... it must be a cultural difference.
"First, you're not here to take service. You're on good terms with King Ariel of Asura, which means you'd be better off going there. Not only would you receive a position, but a peerage as well. Correct?"
"...That's exactly right."
The king studied me more intently.
Then, with a sly grin, he continued: "A man of your caliber coming to this country, needing to secure favors from me... how curious... Ah, yes. Come to think of it, there was a strange rumor going around. Shagall, what was that rumor again?"
At the king's words, one of the knights standing nearby bowed sharply.
His face had a delinquent air about him, and from the fact that he wore the same armor as Randolph, he must be from the same knightly order...
Oh wait — Shagall.
This was someone I'd thoroughly looked into.
"That Rudeus Greyrat is issuing a call to various nations to prepare for the revival of Laplace in eighty years."
Great General Shagall Gargantis.
The Dragon King Country's foremost general.
A quarter Long Ear Race — his crude manner of speaking stood out, but he was a man of action and sharp wits.
But having now met him, his ears were short and his speech was actually polite. Maybe it was because we were in front of the king.
"Ah, that's the one."
The Saint of Milis had known about it too. You really couldn't underestimate the intelligence networks of great nations.
"And as part of that call, you've been establishing organizations in various nations and conducting business through them. Am I wrong?"
"You're not wrong."
He wasn't wrong, but...
Something about the direction of this conversation felt off.
"And so, just as with the other nations, you've come to me seeking cooperation and permission. Is that not so?"
The king wore a look of smug satisfaction.
Well, yeah.
If it weren't for the Geese situation, that would have been my intention.
This time things were a bit different, but...
He was looking so pleased with himself — if I denied it, would he get upset?
It wasn't as if I had no such intention.
"Rather than simply doing as you please, you've taken the trouble to seek my permission. I don't dislike that kind of attitude."
The king continued speaking in high spirits.
Ever since getting word that I was making moves, he'd probably been looking forward to seeing when I'd show up...
Or maybe not.
"However, granting permission simply because you asked would affect the nation's prestige. If the masses got the idea that you could get anything by asking the king, that would be troublesome."
"..."
"So, I have one condition to — What is it?"
When I silently raised my hand, the king made a puzzled expression.
The conversation was starting to drift.
This wasn't good.
"I apologize for interrupting, Your Majesty. What you say is correct, but the reason I came here today is for something slightly different."
"...Oh?"
Let me get my request in first.
"It's about Lord Benedict's child."
The king's expression changed.
His entire bearing shifted with it.
"According to what I heard from my friend Randolph, it seems that Lord Benedict's child... Lord Pax is being treated as a nuisance, and there are moves being made to dispose of him while they still can."
"And what of it?"
The king spoke in an imperious tone, without a trace of remorse.
"With a mother like that, he's useless for political purposes. This country has no reason to keep alive someone who will become nothing but a burden."
"What about Lord Randolph? If you kill that child, Lord Randolph will flee the country."
"The Dragon King Country is not a weak nation beholden to a single foreign power."
Indeed it wasn't.
Otherwise, the idea of killing little Pax would never have come up.
"So you came here to plead for that child's life?"
"...No."
I looked the king in the eye and said: "Rather than pleading for his life — if you don't want him, could I have him?"
The king let out a snort.
He looked at Shagall, the knight at his side.
"Did you hear that, Shagall?"
"Every word, with these very ears."
The king stomped his foot and leaned forward.
He rested his elbows on his knees and glared at me with an intense stare.
His attitude was different from before.
Was this the king's true nature?
"Then let me ask you, Rudeus Greyrat. What benefit does this proposal offer both sides?"
But there was no need to panic.
No need to be intimidated either.
Pergius had far more authority.
"Then allow me to explain."
Everything about this country's inner workings was in my company's hands.
The CEO knew everything.
What would happen as a result of my actions.
"First, since the previous king's passing, several of the Dragon King Country's tributary states have been attacked — about three of them. By nations in the northern conflict zone."
"..."
"Even though they're under your dominion, tributary states are still tributary states — you have to support them. That war, breaking out in the midst of chaos, dealt a blow to the Dragon King Country, and even now, you should be stretched thin dealing with it."
"And what does that have to do with anything?"
"I can stop it."
After all, the one fanning those flames was Ariel.
She was inciting nations that wanted nothing more than to attack the Dragon King Country and selling them weapons.
The Asura Kingdom was wealthy, and I'd benefited from them myself.
But that money wasn't infinite.
At times, they did dirty things.
Well, the Asura Kingdom produced enormous wealth even without resorting to such tactics.
So the whole thing was more about harassing the Dragon King Country.
If I told them to stop, they probably would. Probably. No, definitely.
"Furthermore, Your Majesty. When the previous king passed away and you suddenly needed a large sum of money, you borrowed from the Milis Church, didn't you?"
"..."
"While the debt has been repaid, you've permitted the Temple Knights to remain in the country. The Temple Knights have been engaging in aggressive religious proselytizing, and there seem to be some problems arising from that."
"You can stop that too?"
"I can."
If there were still a debt, I couldn't interfere.
But if there wasn't, this was just more harassment from the Holy Milis Nation toward the Dragon King Country.
If I spoke to the Divine Saint or the Pope, the Temple Knights would return to their homeland immediately.
I'd incur debts with Ariel and the Pope, but that was fine.
That's what connections were for.
If they demanded something later, I'd deal with it then.
"Furthermore, if in the future Pax causes problems with the Kingdom of Siluone, I will take responsibility and stand in the line of fire."
I'd bring
Zanoba, Randolph, and the three of us.
It would be a requital battle for Pax.
"How does that sound?"
I'd presented three points for the time being.
They should be more than enough benefit to justify keeping the "nuisance" alive.
"..."
But the king's expression didn't improve.
He glared at me with a fearsome look.
Had I missed something?
"I think it's a good proposal."
The one who threw me a lifeline was the knight called Shagall.
"Lord Rudeus holds influence with both the Asura Kingdom and the Holy Milis Nation. His credibility is solid. While the measures Lord Rudeus proposes are already being addressed by our country and won't represent a major net gain... however, it's said that Lord Rudeus holds leverage over both King Ariel and the Milis Divine Saint. Maintaining a connection with someone as well-connected as Lord Rudeus would be a plus. The current situation is essentially trying to replace a large negative with a smaller one — therefore, a net positive would..."
"Shagall, be quiet."
At the king's quiet command, Shagall quickly fell silent.
"I understand that there are benefits."
So what was the complaint?
"But this man's attitude is grating. It's as though I'm being toyed with in the palm of his hand."
Ah, I should have been more humble?
Had I come across as too condescending?
That kind of calibration was tricky.
"That's not to say I'll reject it just because I find you irritating. The treatment of Benedict's child is a matter that should be decided by the council. Should it be settled based solely on the proposal of someone who showed up unannounced?"
"Your Majesty, as I explained to the council, this is a difficult choice. Leave the seeds of future turmoil, or lose the 'Death God' now. The council leaned toward the former, but if a better option presents itself, choosing it would be entirely reasonable."
"That's not the issue. What I'm concerned about is whether the prestige of the Dragon King Country's long history will be preserved. If, the moment a new king takes the throne, he's seen as conducting weak and indecisive politics, it could affect the loyalty of future subjects."
The king was concerned about his image.
Shagall, on the other hand, seemed to be on my side.
But having this conversation right in front of me kind of defeated the purpose of preserving dignity.
"Hmm..."
Well, he could take his time deciding — including the input of those not present.
The prime minister and the rest. Take all the time you need.
Once they discussed it properly, they'd realize it wasn't a bad deal.
And even if they refused, I still had other cards to play.
I'd already obtained personal information on every key figure in this country.
Likes, dislikes, weaknesses — if I used all of that to surround them, changing their minds would be possible.
I didn't want to resort to that since it could drag on, though.
"...Kirk, what do you think?"
The king addressed a young man seated some distance away.
He was about my age.
He had golden hair similar to the king's and a light beard.
I'd looked into him too.
Kirkland von King Dragon.
The current First Prince, destined to become king one day.
Extremely intelligent, with a gift for politics.
But a pitiful future awaited him.
A future called heartbreak.
Right now, he was in love.
He'd gone to the Asura Kingdom's coronation as an ambassador and fallen in love with Ariel at first sight.
After that, he visited the Asura Kingdom many times, but when he confessed around the age of twenty-five, he was rejected outright.
Ariel must have rejected him quite harshly, because afterward Kirkland became openly anti-Asura.
"I believe we should accept the proposal."
Of course, he hadn't been rejected yet.
In the present, he was advocating friendship with the Asura Kingdom.
"It has long been my position that we should not openly antagonize the Asura Kingdom until the conflict zone is pacified. I am well aware that Lord Rudeus is on close terms with King Ariel. If we accept Lord Rudeus's proposal here and additionally establish a cooperative relationship with Orsted, the Dragon God, the Asura Kingdom would find it more difficult to meddle as they have been doing. Above all, I believe this would benefit our country in the long run."
He spoke with crisp confidence, and a capable man's aura radiated from him.
He and I were nothing alike.
Half of his reasoning probably had to do with ulterior motives toward Ariel, but thanks to that capable-man aura, not the slightest hint of guilt came through.
The hallmark of a handsome man, perhaps.
"Hmm..."
The king looked up at the ceiling in response to those words.
As if the answer were written there.
"Very well... then I'll accept the proposal."
The king murmured that and turned his gaze back to me.
The answer had probably already been reached inside the king's head — he just hadn't been satisfied with the reasoning along the way.
"Thank you."
I lowered my head in proper form.
But a voice immediately came from above.
"Enough, raise your head."
The king's aura shifted once more.
I did as told and raised my head. The king was smiling wryly.
It was the wry smile of a weary man — all pretense of authority gone.
"The current Dragon King Country is... like this. Because of an indecisive king with no real authority, the confusion persists. I'm sorry, given that you're preparing for what comes eighty years from now, but I may not be able to offer much in the way of cooperation."
"...No."
So this was it.
This was the king's true nature.
At the same time I realized this, I recalled Orsted's information.
King Sterviu's reign would be short.
In less than ten years, he would fall gravely ill and pass the throne to his son.
After Kirkland became king, the Dragon King Country would experience tremendous growth.
That was when the true Dragon King Country would begin... Sterviu was merely a transitional figure.
That was why I hadn't remembered much about this man.
But for some reason...
Right now, I found myself more interested in this king than in important figures like Shagall or Kirkland.
Had this brief exchange won me over?
"I like it, you know. That sort of thing."
He sat upon that throne, surrounded by armor.
Without extraordinary talent, he had to fulfill his role as king.
But he never gave in to despair — he lived, or would live, doing his utmost as king with help from those around him.
At least, putting on the act of being a king.
"Hahaha, you like it, do you? What a rude man you are, Rudeus Greyrat."
"My apologies for the insolence."
He was probably the kind of man who would leave nothing behind in history.
Even if I built a relationship with him, it probably wouldn't lead to any great benefit.
But while he was alive, I wanted to get along with him.
I genuinely thought so.
--- And so, little Pax's life was saved.
Benedict was freed from his daily fears, and Randolph was delighted.
The Dragon King Country was probably rejoicing at not having lost Randolph.
As for me, I also got what I'd originally come for — having Geese put on the wanted list — and could breathe a sigh of relief.
Establishing the mercenary company would have to wait for another time, but if I brought it up while this king was still in power, it would probably work out.
It seemed like I could maintain a good relationship with the Dragon King Country going forward.
If only I hadn't been running a double game, it would've been perfect.
I'd incurred debts with Ariel and the Divine Saint, but I'd repay them eventually.
Something might come up again in a few years related to little Pax, but when that time came, I'd settle things alongside Zanoba.
"You have my thanks. If things had gone differently, I would have had no choice but to take my master and destroy the Dragon King Country."
As we parted, Randolph said that with a rattle of laughter.
In reality, he probably didn't have the power to do so, but he'd certainly had the resolve.
Fight Randolph and see soldiers die?
Or cause an incident with the Kingdom of Siluone down the line?
Why would anyone choose the former — weren't they stupid?
The reason I thought that was because I'd experienced Randolph's strength firsthand.
"Now that His Majesty the King has taken a liking to you, there's nothing more I can do for you. That's... not ideal."
Randolph was making it clear he intended to stay by Benedict's side, no matter what.
Well, that was fine in its own way.
"Lord Rudeus, are you acquainted with the Demon Emperor Kishrika Kishirisu?"
"...Yes. I've met her twice."
"If you're looking for someone, I'd recommend finding her first."
Right.
There was Kishrika.
She possessed a mystic eye somewhat like clairvoyance.
If I asked for her help, Geese's location might not be found in a single shot, but I could narrow it down considerably.
Why hadn't I thought of it?
No, it was because I wasn't sure how reliable she actually was.
"She might demand payment, but if you show her this ring and say 'Randolph's wish,' she should be willing to accommodate even some unreasonable requests."
"Oh..."
So I wouldn't have to treat her to a meal.
"Understood. I'll take it, then."
I received a single white ring from Randolph.
It was probably made from some kind of bone.
A creepy item. It seemed cursed, but... I'd equip it anyway.
"Well then, Lord Rudeus, I wish you good fortune."
"You stay well too, Randolph."
And with that, we left the Dragon King Country.
Next stop: the Demon Continent.
Where the Demon King Atopha Latopha resided.