I Am a Ruined Noble of a Ruined Kingdom

Chapter 5: To the Capital (2)

Iruealfi held her hand to her forehead as if what was coming was inevitable.

"Let's sort out the titles."

Those were her first words, just before reaching the Eld Imperial checkpoint. Iruealfi added in a tired voice,

"The inspection can be done just by showing my face. However, I can't just call you 'that guy' even at the Imperial Palace, and it would be troublesome to call you Netionpies."

"I understand. It's a name that won't bring any good just by hearing it."

It was a truly unfair and infuriating reputation. A reputation worth less than a scrap of paper, in which I had no stake whatsoever.

"It's a little different. In the first place, your very existence is a top secret, so among the common people, you're treated like a myth or legend."

According to Iruealfi, among the common people, I'm treated as something like [a fat, old noble who looks like an ogre, but we don't know what he did].

In the end, it was the first Emperor who appointed the Ruined Noble of a Ruined Country. To prevent the decline of the Imperial authority, most of my evil deeds were concealed, that was her story.

"That's really dirty."

"Yes, you are."

It wouldn't be strange for Iruealfi to draw her sword at words that insulted the Imperial family.

I inferred her state of mind from the sword that lay quietly in its sheath.

The fact that she was scolding me while looking at the distant mountains gave me confidence in my guess.

"So, I was thinking. From now on, should I call you Neti?"

"I'm sorry, but that's a little dangerous in many ways."

It made me think of some righteous thief girl. Iruealfi tilted her head and corrected herself.

"I don't know what you mean. Then let's make it Nephi."

"That sounds like a girl's name."

"Shut up, Nephi."

It seemed that I no longer had the right to refuse. Iruealfi smiled brightly, as if she felt refreshed. She must be thinking that she had landed a cute blow on me.

We moved our steps toward the checkpoint. I could already see the line of people waiting their turn, but Iruealfi ignored them all and approached right in front of the checkpoint.

What greeted Iruealfi was a soldier with a rugged appearance. He frowned, creating a threatening atmosphere.

"How dare you not keep the line... Huh? Marchioness Yustiha!?"

The man's eyes widened, his spine straightened, and a salute came out involuntarily. The guard, who had wanted to correct the order, succumbed to power.

"Thank you for recognizing me. You're working hard."

'What's with this unfamiliar but familiar way of speaking.'

Iruealfi lightly tapped the guard's shoulder. Since there was a big difference in height between them, it felt more like she was reaching out.

However, far from being cute, it looked to me as if a four-star general was tapping the shoulder of a squad leader, which was painful to watch directly.

"Hah. Hah. Hah. No, it's nothing!"

"Yes, is there anything unusual?"

"Everything is normal during duty! I will do my best to inspect with sincerity!"

"Hehe, I see. By the way, do you perhaps find me awkward?"

"No!!!"

'Please stop it, Iruealfi!'

Get a clue... you damn high-ranking person! This is why you shouldn't be given power if you've been raised so well from birth.

A young, beautiful, but pathetic boomer was right in front of my eyes.

"Marchioness Yustiha, did you have a good dessert tour?"

"Huh?"

I listened carefully to the sudden story. I guessed that the journey to defeat me had been misrepresented as a dessert tour to the outside world.

Iruealfi quickly covered the man's mouth and whispered.

"It's a secret, so keep your mouth shut."

She might have whispered it quietly, but unlike her, my hearing was already in the realm of the superhuman.

Even if I hadn't heard it, the man's pale face would have told me everything.

'She's like a trauma machine.'

She and he exchanged a few more words. Iruealfi quickly came to me and led me inside the checkpoint.

"It's over. Let's go in now."

I was blankly thinking about the old days when I almost said something wrong.

"Yes, I see...! No. Uh, yeah."

Fortunately, Iruealfi didn't care and moved her steps, and we soon arrived at the capital of the Empire, .

I couldn't count how many times I had seen this place throughout the series. In the game, it was a width that could be explored in 30 minutes, but this was reality.

Seeing the countless people and newly constructed streets was a cauldron of emotion in itself.

"Is it much different from Nephi's era?"

Since someone who was supposed to be a noble was excited like a hick from the countryside, that would be a natural thought.

"Nothing has changed, but I have new feelings."

In fact, what had changed while renewing the series was the development of magical tools such as communication stones. From the game's point of view, it would have been a convenience patch.

"Come to think of it, there's something I need to tell you."

"Huh?"

"Don't say anything to anyone in the Imperial Palace except me and His Majesty. Even if you receive greetings, just give a silent nod. If you need anything, I'll handle it all."

"Sure, it's not difficult."

"Thank you."

Iruealfi rarely expressed gratitude. However, she didn't know at this time. That before long, both the promise and the gratitude would become futile...

"Then let's go to the Imperial Palace now."

As she said that and took the lead, I got the impression that Iruealfi's expression was somewhat dark.

◇

The Imperial Palace, which I arrived at with Iruealfi, contained the scenery that I had imagined.

The first thing that caught my eye was the red steeple with a huge golden bell hanging from it. Just then, three people joined forces to ring the huge bell.

We passed through a garden containing all the essence of the four seasons and headed for the main palace, where golden chains, the symbol of the Eld Empire, were woven into the gate and sealed it.

When Iruealfi touched the golden chain, the chain unwound like a living snake and opened the gate.

Certainly, there were various detailed gimmicks that could not be seen in the game. When I turned my head and looked around, I felt like I was being compensated for the time I had been trapped in the Great Cavern.

"Don't stand there blankly and follow me closely. The main palace is a wide and complex structure, so you might get lost."

"Oh, okay."

After spending some time with Iruealfi and getting somewhat familiar with the interior of the Imperial Palace, I brought up a trivial question that had been bothering me.

"Iruealfi."

"Yes?"

"When we passed through the checkpoint earlier, you were speaking informally to the guard? Where did your noble dignity go?"

Iruealfi answered as if it were obvious.

"Because I'm his superior by far."

"Then what about me?"

"I was wondering what you were talking about all of a sudden, but you thought I was a rogue who selectively maintained dignity?"

"Huh? No, not that far..."

I thought it was selective dignity, but it was neither more nor less than that. Iruealfi continued calmly without pressing the point.

"The Ruined Noble of a Ruined Country is the noblest position in the Empire, except for His Majesty the Emperor. Even the Empress cannot be said to be higher than Nephi. Nephi knows this better than anyone else, right?"

"Th-then of course."

In simple terms, I was originally the second-in-command of the Empire. I was genuinely surprised, but I didn't make the mistake of showing it on my face.

"Among the privileges that the first Emperor gave to Nephi, there is a one-time exemption privilege, right? Even if you commit treason, you can be exonerated once, which is, in a way, an invincible right."

"There was... something like that...?"

I was embarrassed by the existence of the privilege that was not even written in the diary.

According to Iruealfi, the 3rd Emperor dispatched the first protagonist to defeat the Ruined Noble of a Ruined Country, but my resistance was so fierce that he had no choice but to seal me as is.

Without even using the exemption privilege.

Therefore, if the current Emperor acknowledges the exemption privilege, I can still live as the Ruined Noble of a Ruined Country... which was a hopeful story.

"However, there are circumstances within the Imperial family, so even if it is recognized, it will be in a different form."

"Yeah. I don't intend to live as the Ruined Noble of a Ruined Country either."

Who would want to carry a bad reputation and live for anyone's sake? It would be fortunate if I didn't get hit by eggs while walking by.

I want to live a normal life and enjoy this world.

"If you agree to receive a suitable noble status and launder your identity, His Majesty will gladly agree."

"That's a good idea."

"Anyway, Nephi's current status is too ambiguous. You're the Ruined Noble of a Ruined Country, but you're a criminal, so it's not easy to determine the rank of the position. So, for now, I'm using honorifics, but is there any dissatisfaction?"

When Iruealfi narrowed her brows, I felt the hairs on my body stand on end. The fear that I had forgotten for a while was slowly rising.

"...Of course not."

While having various conversations with Iruealfi, I focused on gathering information. Whatever my soul was, my current shell was the Ruined Noble of a Ruined Country.

If I showed a stupid side as the Ruined Noble of a Ruined Country, the credibility of my claim would decrease and there would be a risk that my value would be downgraded.

While listening carefully to various background knowledge and precautions, we were already standing in front of the huge door of the audience chamber.

The guard guarding the door checked Iruealfi's face and crest and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Marchioness Iruealfi Yustiha, the owner of the Golden Chain, is granted an audience with His Majesty the Emperor of the Eld Empire!"

The door to the audience chamber slid open, and soon the dazzling interior welcomed us.

The heavy chandelier, which was so heavy that it was amazing that it didn't fall, was decorated with jewels of various colors and had a captivating charm. The walls were all decorated with works of art modeled after golden chains, and the red carpet was so fluffy that it seemed to absorb the soles of my feet.

Iruealfi didn't even glance at all of those things, as if she was used to them, and walked straight ahead with dignity.

I felt so burdened that I wondered if I could go in with her. However, no one stopped me as I hesitated and followed Iruealfi.

While I was shrinking and looking around, Iruealfi reported with dignity.

"Iruealfi Yustiha reports that she has returned, having received the Imperial Order."

Thud!

Iruealfi, kneeling on one knee, faced the throne in front of her. My eyes followed her gaze as well.

Right then, I experienced the sensation of my consciousness fading away.

I was sure it was because I had made eye contact with the Emperor.

I didn't know why, but as soon as I made eye contact with him, my heart pounded spasmodically and I sweated profusely. My consciousness kept drifting away, and it felt like my body was about to collapse.

That would certainly have been the case if I hadn't heard Iruealfi's call.

"This is the Emperor's presence. Show respect."

"Ah..."

I was still foolishly dazed. But when I looked at Iruealfi's blue lake-like eyes, it felt like the strange symptoms that had just struck me were being washed away.

The person who stopped me from kneeling was the Emperor.

"Haha, that's enough. Aren't you the Ruined Noble of a Ruined Country, who is below one person and above ten thousand people? It's okay if you stay as you are."

In response to the Emperor's generous favor, I answered with as much courtesy as possible.

"In the end, isn't it still below one person? Since that one person is in front of me, I will gladly kneel."

It was my own gesture to submit. The Emperor seemed very pleased and welcomed me with a hearty laugh.

"It's truly amazing to see the Ruined Noble of a Ruined Country, who has only been passed down in records, in person. But somehow, your impression is quite different from what I had imagined?"

The Emperor was genuinely interested and scanned me. While I was choosing what to say, Iruealfi opened her mouth instead.

"It's because he has managed his energy. However, I hope Your Majesty will not forget that this person is a dangerous element."

"Dangerous? It doesn't seem that way to me. It's not that he lacks power, but rather that he has no murderous intent, so it doesn't seem like he'll be harmful..."

'What is this feeling?'

The Emperor's accurate insight was surprising, but more than that, what bothered me was a sense of discomfort.

When I was making eye contact with him, it felt like I was showing my inner self completely.

"Marchioness Yustiha. I don't think the Ruined Noble of a Ruined Country is threatening. So, I was thinking, I would like to acknowledge the exemption privilege and grant the Ruined Noble of a Ruined Country a new name and status."

"Your Majesty! Isn't it too hasty?"

Iruealfi admonished, urging. But the Emperor was autocratic and radical. The situation was too convenient for me.

"Let's see... the title is about Marquis. It's difficult to give you a territory right now, but I can give you a mansion. Did you know? Your mansion is of great historical value, so it has been very well preserved."

"Your Majesty, are you perhaps giving that mansion...!"

"Why shouldn't I? Since the owner has returned, the owner should use it."

"Don't you consider that there will be many voices?"

"With Marchioness Yustiha here, what should I be aware of and afraid of?"

'I admit that much...'

I forgot about my dignity and nodded vigorously. The Emperor showed an amused reaction to my behavior.

Iruealfi clenched her fist and trembled, forgetting that she was in front of the Emperor.

I was so pleased with that sight that I already liked the Emperor.

The Emperor looked at Iruealfi, who was still sulking, and asked.

"Marchioness Yustiha's dissatisfaction is ultimately because the Ruined Noble of a Ruined Country is a dangerous element, is that correct?"

"There are many things I want to say, but if I had to say it, yes."

"Then there is a clear answer."

The Emperor straightened his posture and declared majestically. The cheeky smiling face was nowhere to be seen, and the aura of a ruler was emanating from him.

It was a bonus that Iruealfi's expression was more distorted than any time I had ever seen before.

"I issue an Imperial Order to Marchioness Yustiha. From this moment on, I appoint the Marchioness as the supervisor of the Ruined Noble of a Ruined Country. The duty of supervision does not distinguish between day and night, so defend the security of the Empire with all your heart."

I had spent more than half a month with her and seen a lot of her daily life. But I swear, I had never imagined a reaction like the current one.

Iruealfi forgot even her selective dignity and squeezed out an answer, grinding her teeth openly in the Emperor's presence.

"I... humbly... accept... the... Imperial... Order...!"

Witnessing her exerting all her patience, I almost collapsed from a dizzying feeling.

'I wanted to see Iruealfi suffer, but... this is a bit too much...?'

And so, the irrational cohabitation between the trauma machine and I began.