I Noticed That It Was an Academy After 10 Years

230.Troublesome Guy, Dangerous Guy, Shitty Guy (2)

“…Oppa is strange!”

Amy, what do you mean?

Is my state-of-the-art knightly livery so awkward?

“I guess you are far from flashy. Well, that might be better. “It can be less noticeable.”

Master Kalintz said that and hugged Amy in his arms.

Amy giggled as she called me her brother because it was quite fun for her to play with me before going to bed last night.

“Brother, are you going to see the emperor now?”

“…Okay.”

“Since when did you start calling Amy that?”

Why are you looking at me like I’m looking at a thief? The age gap is so big that I look like the guy who will kidnap Amy.

When I looked at Kalinz with a puzzled look, Kalinz must have noticed his obscene behavior and cleared his throat and averted his gaze.

“Hmm… Well, it’s not like the clothes are in bad shape, so I guess I can just go as is.”

“Mr. Kalinz. “I still have 20 clothes left to try on.”

“Then I guess I should try putting it on more.”

What?

“Lord Quartz. “Please stay still.”

The Duke of Ryan’s maid, Jean Katrina, looked up at me with a fierce gaze and began to have her maids take off my clothes again.

Still…There are twenty pairs left?

Are you saying that I have to play Maso, where I get dressed up like a doll, in front of people 20 more times?

Unable to open my mouth in response to the shocking reality, I stood blankly like a scarecrow, staring into space. I guess it’s an illusion that it feels like I’m stroking my chest, right?

But since I couldn’t resist, I quietly closed my eyes and moved my body as the maids told me to do.

——————-

“There are three important things in the imperial family.”

I listened carefully to what Mr. Kalintz, who was dressed stylishly and riding in the carriage with me, said.

Since the imperial palace is a place where you get very tired if you get caught for anything, it was very important to hear the advice of someone with decades of experience working at the palace.

To put it another way, the advice of an experienced person is like a practical compression tip.

“All high-ranking nobles have strong pride. “I will forgive you for being rude to a certain extent, but I still recommend that you be polite.”

“I understand.”

“Secondly…There will definitely be people trying to find fault with you. If a guy like that shows up, don’t react. We will respond on our own. Even if you react, the situation will only become more annoying.”

Are you saying that if I, who has no title, say something wrong, the situation could go wrong? It was a valid statement. Because in the face of this annoying and idiotic caste system, I had better be careful. It gets annoying when the princes see you for no reason.

They won’t touch me because their actual affiliations are different, but… There are no normal people among the princes, so there was no harm in being careful.

“I believe you understand well up to this point.”

“It’s not that difficult, is it?”

Kalinz chuckled at my words, then suddenly took on a serious expression and spoke to me in a low voice.

“It’s the last time. This is the most important, so be sure to listen carefully.”

I smiled at his words and nodded.

“Remain as neutral as possible.”

“…Do you mean not to get caught up in the fight for the throne?”

“That’s right. You are now a famous person in the capital. Since you are the first human to catch a demon, they will do everything they can to persuade you to join their power. “I would recommend avoiding contact with other forces as much as possible.”

“Am I that famous?”

“The devil has been a long-standing enemy of mankind since ancient times. “How could you not be famous for being the first to defeat that nemesis?”

When you say it like that, it feels a bit uncomfortable. Actually, this is what the original protagonist, i.E. Lewis, should have done. It seemed like I was intercepted in the middle, so I felt a bit uncomfortable.

It’s something I can’t help since I’ve already done everything.

“…I have a feeling it’s going to be a hassle.”

“So what I mean is, do your best. “There is nothing more annoying than being caught up in the central political strife.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Mr. Kalinz. “We have almost arrived at the imperial palace…”

After hearing the words from the coachman who opened the window on the coach side, we adjusted our clothes once again. Mr. Kalintz also said to me that his usual good-natured demeanor was gone and he exuded an atmosphere that suited the words strict, serious, and solemn.

“You remember the etiquette I taught you, right? Just do it as is.”

“Former Duke Ryan of Calintz is entering!”

I could feel the shaking of the carriage gradually decreasing along with the driver’s loud voice. I guess it’s just a walk from here. Then, the carriage door opened, and Mr. Carlintz got out of the carriage first.

I followed suit and slowly got out of the carriage.

As soon as I got out of the carriage, the dazzling sunlight stung my eyes.

“Mr. Kalinz. “I was waiting.”

When I looked in the direction from which I heard the unfamiliar voice, I saw a middle-aged man smartly dressed in a butler’s uniform, leaning towards us at an angle of approximately 30 degrees.

“Good to say hello. Did everyone else eat inside?”

“No. Kalinz is the third.”

“There were people who were more diligent than us.”

It’s the third time… Who were the people who came before? I brushed aside my petty curiosity and followed Kalintz up the stairs of the imperial palace.

There were easily over 100 stairs with gorgeous red carpets, so just walking up and down them every day seemed like quite a workout.

“I will take you straight to the throne room.”

“Okay.”

The huge door of the imperial palace opened, revealing a hallway that looked more expensive than the stairs. You’ll need tens of thousands of gold coins for a hallway about four to five pyeong long. I took a picture of the imperial palace out of the corner of my eye, feeling like a country boy.

I know it’s covered in gold, but I also really like the jewels studded here and there and the luxurious picture frames. If the imperial palace is destroyed like in the original, I’ll take some with me.

As I walked with that thought in mind, the biggest door I had ever seen caught my eye. Looking at the gorgeous patterns made of gold and silver, is that the throne room door?

“You. Now, get a little nervous.”

“Okay.”

I quietly adjusted my clothes and looked at the door of the throne room.

Will it start when that door opens?

“The former Duke of Ryan of Calintz and Lord Johan Quartz requested an audience with His Majesty the Emperor!”

“Come in!”

Isn’t it true that people call themselves emperors for style? I was amazed by the voice of the ruler who almost ruled the continent. Because it was a voice with more dignity than I expected. However, I couldn’t hide my sickness.

“From now on, just look ahead.”

As Kalinz whispered, I followed him behind and entered the throne room.

I took a quick glance at the nobles wearing fancy clothes out of the corner of my eye and the old emperor sitting at the end of the throne room, then knelt down along with Kalinz.

“O Lord and Sun of the Continent! New Kalinz greets you!”

“Greetings!”

Is this right? I said hello as I had learned in advance and looked to both sides with my head down.

If I had Rue, I would have loved it like a child. She must have been caught by Milia and taken for a walk by now.

“Raise your head.”

I got out of my thoughts and raised my head. The emperor’s face is clearly visible. The numerous wrinkles on his face and tired eyes clearly showed that he was not healthy at all.

I couldn’t tell if she wasn’t wearing makeup or if she couldn’t hide it even with makeup. I don’t know much about makeup.

“I heard that the demon Harpas was defeated thanks to your efforts.”

“Isn’t it thanks to the emperor’s kindness?”

“Hehe, you are putting gold on my face.”

“How could we have achieved such feats if it were not for the benevolence of His Majesty the Emperor, who ruled the empire in peace?”

No, he’s older than his grandfather, the emperor.

I resisted the urge to look at the back of Kalinz’s head as he casually poured out his words and kept my gaze blankly fixed forward.

“That’s it. “I’m tired of that kind of talk.”

The emperor answered in a simpler tone than he expected and looked at me. Our eyes met.

What did you say? Did I tell you to make eye contact, but not to put pressure on your eyes?

“You are the young hero of the West.”

“God Johann Quartz. “I come to see His Majesty the Emperor!”

I screamed at the top of my voice, put my right hand on my chest and bent down at exactly a 45-degree angle, just as I had been taught.

“Good to say hello. Are you the young knight who defeated Harpas?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm… “How old are you?”

…Should I say it properly?

They say that if you lie, you will be found out right away, so it seemed better to be honest.

“I’m 20 years old.”

“This body doesn’t like lies.”

“It’s true.”

“You’re 20 years old with that face? “He looks older than my eldest son…”

“I thought I was in my mid-20s, but…”

What why what? If this wasn’t the throne room, I would have secretly dug a hole and dropped everything. I listened to the whispers of the nobles and waited for the emperor to open his mouth again.

“Hehe… Looks like you went through a lot of trouble.”

“Is there anything more difficult than having His Majesty the Emperor rule over this land?”

“Haha. “You’re saying the same thing as Duke Ryan.”

The emperor was giggling, wondering what was funny, and then he glared at me and asked.

“Young hero, you have defeated one of the empire’s archenemies, so you will be rewarded accordingly.”

The emperor stopped talking for a moment and spoke in a hushed voice with a middle-aged man standing next to him, then looked at me again.

“From now on, I will give Lord Quartz, who saved the West, a baronet! And as a reward, I will give you 50,000 gold coins!”

Wow, a rise in status. Wow, slush fund!

A card that could be useful came into my hands. At this level, it was worth all the hard work.

In a world where nobility exists, the difference between being a noble and not being a noble is too big to ignore.

“I am devastated!”

“And, I will grant you one thing you want!”

This is a bit big.

What should I ask you to listen to?

After a moment of thought, I decided on a wish.

“Your Majesty, I wish to enter the royal treasury.”

It seemed surprising that he was an emperor.

Did you think I was going to say that I wanted to join the Imperial Knights? When I think about it, I guess they assumed that would be the case since they didn’t even offer to recruit him.

“It’s an imperial treasury… Great! “I allow it!”

Oh my, our emperor is so big.

Originally, if I was given a title, I was planning on returning it and entering the imperial treasury.

I know what I’m taking.

Well, since items that are considered national treasures are stored in the royal family’s personal safe, it doesn’t matter what they give them. If you think like that, I’m eating it raw, so it’s good for me.

Isn’t this a win-win strategy?

“Thank you for your grace!”

“Enough of lip service, go straight to the imperial treasury.”

“Yes!”

“Remember, there is only one treasure you can bring.”

So my first meeting with the emperor ended more smoothly than expected.

——————

“I will be resting in the drawing room, so you can go to the imperial treasury.”

“I understand.”

“Follow me. Sir Quartz.”

I quietly walked down the hallway to the imperial treasury with a palace official who introduced himself as Hertz.

“This is the imperial treasury. Keep in mind that you can only take one thing with you.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

The door to the imperial vault opens.

Without hesitation, I entered the imperial treasury and searched for the item I wanted to obtain.

Fortunately, I was able to find what I was looking for without difficulty.

As soon as I grabbed the item, I left the safe without hesitation and told him.

“I will take this item.”

“Huh, that’s fast. It’s as if they decided what to bring from the beginning.”

“It just so happened to catch my eye.”

“You have a good eye for attention.”

“That’s too much praise.”

“That’s too much praise. I think you’re a person who deserves that kind of praise.”

Huh?

I turned to the voice coming from behind me and checked who was speaking to me.

…Huh.

Land mines come on their own.

“Greetings to Prince Killian.”

I immediately fell to my knees upon the sudden appearance of the 2nd Prince.