In the bright, spacious hall, Keske XIII sat upon the throne at the highest seat. Below him stood a gathering of distinguished nobles. None of them understood what the emperor was up to. He had summoned them early in the morning only to leave them standing there for over an hour. The last time they had all been called together so neatly was when the black dragon had appeared.
"Still not here?"
With a wry smile, His Majesty summoned the chancellor at his side and asked. If anyone else had dared stand him up, he would have sent someone to drag them straight into a cell. But this particular person was someone he could only wait for.
No sooner had Keske XIII finished speaking than he saw his foolish daughter hurry into the hall. As the protector of the imperial capital, she often reported on her work during morning assemblies. She quickly found her place and stood still.
"My apologies, Your Majesty. I kept you waiting."
The long-awaited main character finally entered the hall. Mayuna calmly offered Keske XIII an apology. Dressed in white, with hair to match, she looked like a princess made of snowflakes from a fairy tale, leaving the nobles present in amazement.
"It's all right. You must have had something to take care of."
Keske XIII nodded. Based on what he knew of Mayuna, the Mage God must have encountered some difficulty, since she had always been very punctual in the past. Tinasha, however, nearly laughed out loud at that. Mayuna had merely overslept, then delayed herself further by insisting Ruben personally make her breakfast.
"Everyone, do not doubt your eyes. She is Mayuna. Our Mage God has returned!"
Keske XIII's voice brimmed with excitement and exhilaration. As an emperor, he naturally understood what a Mage God meant to an empire. Once news of Mayuna's return officially spread, he could immediately send the two increasingly arrogant empires straight to hell.
"Is that really her? Could someone be impersonating her?"
"Are you questioning His Majesty's eyesight? Other than her, who could possibly possess such overwhelming pressure?"
The nobles present were all prominent figures of the imperial capital, so they naturally knew of Mayuna's existence and appearance. Seeing her return in such a commanding fashion left them deeply shocked, and they began discussing it on the spot.
"I know you are all curious about how she was saved. He was the one who saved Mayuna."
Facing the nobles' murmurs below, His Majesty generously redirected the subject toward Ruben, who had entered alongside Mayuna. But because the Mage God was so eye-catching, everyone had instinctively overlooked the spiky-haired youth.
"This boy? He cured a curse that even His Holiness the Pope could do nothing about?"
"I know you are all surprised, but the process is unimportant. What matters is the result. He preserved the Holy Empire's only Mage God, so I intend to reward him with Ulta as his fief."
At the name Ulta, the nobles' expressions changed. That was an incredibly rich prize. Not only did the territory produce abundant magic crystals and gemstones, it also contained a precious plant known as dragonheart grass. Whoever obtained that land would gain endless wealth. Though they each had territories of their own, they had always been thinking of ways to place their people there.
"Ulta? That has been a duke's fief since ancient times. If the previous duke had not died without leaving an heir, it would not still be without a lord today. Brother, you truly are generous."
The nobles might have been too angry to speak, but that did not mean everyone was. A man with hereditary light-green hair spoke up, wearing a roguish smile as he offered his praise. Just as he said, land and titles had always gone together. Though His Majesty had not said so outright, everyone understood.
"You have an objection?"
Keske XIII looked at his youngest brother with a headache. After he ascended the throne, all his siblings had departed. This brother was now the only one who remained in the imperial capital.
"Of course I have no objection to your decision, Brother. But he looks rather ordinary, and he does not seem like a particularly powerful mage. If he suddenly becomes a duke, I imagine many people will be unconvinced... Of course! I am the first to support it. This young man is handsome and talented, and he will surely govern Ulta into glory for all eternity. Whoever refuses to accept him will be making an enemy of me, Kelys! Hmph!"
The imperial brother kept chattering on while looking at Ruben, but suddenly felt the air around him grow much colder. When he saw the Mage God's crimson eyes fixed tightly on him, he immediately made a complete reversal in attitude. The other nobles could only curse him inwardly as a fence-sitter.
"I don't want a territory. I've never done this sort of thing before, and I don't know how to govern one. Your Majesty should find someone more suitable."
Ruben had not expected that he would somehow receive a fief simply by following Mayuna here to make up the numbers. This was the drawback of absolute imperial authority: it never asked for anyone else's opinion before forcing things onto them. Though most people would have gladly accepted, of course.
"I can send people to assist you. I assume Mayuna will go with you as well. Just treat the place as a vacation destination."
"No. I'm about to attend an academy."
"School? There are good academies in Ulta as well. But since you say so, do as you wish. I will keep the territory and title for you."
Since Ruben was unwilling, Keske XIII did not continue forcing it on him. Though it was mostly for Mayuna's sake, he had also become interested in Ruben for refusing such an enormous fortune. He was somewhat like the Church in his indifference to fame and wealth.
"Next, let us discuss how to publicize Mayuna's return as widely as possible. Does anyone have any suggestions?"
What followed had nothing to do with Ruben or Mayuna. Led by His Majesty, the assembly began discussing matters as it normally would during a morning meeting, mostly centered around Mayuna.
"The return of the Mage God is naturally a cause for universal celebration. For the next month, every customer who purchases goods from Starry Night Family stores will receive a fifty percent discount."
A plump noble was the first to speak. Ruben looked at him a few extra times because of his eyes. They were the same starry eyes as the kind young girl who had sponsored his schooling, though such eyes on a chubby man felt strangely out of place.
This was naturally Bard Edel Starry Night, the richest man on the Holy Continent. His family's shops were spread throughout the four great empires, and the profits they generated each day could drown someone in gold coins. Yet this fat man clearly did not care about money any more than his daughter did.
"Mm, then..."
His Majesty was very satisfied with Bard's proposal. Just as he was about to continue, he suddenly frowned and clutched the lower right side of his abdomen, a trace of pain appearing on his face.
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