It was a golden palace...
Armor forged from gold hung upon life-sized marble statues.
A crimson carpet stretched from the heights of the palace down to the final marble step at its foot, then continued along a towering marble platform rising from the earth, reaching into the distance and joining the far-off horizon.
Viewed from above, the entire palace resembled a longsword laid flat upon the ground.
Its majestic silhouette and grand impression perfectly embodied the Velanders' unique aesthetic for colossal things.
Below the marble steps stood crowds of cheering people.
They stood on either side of the platform, holding flowers as though celebrating something.
A sudden breeze lifted the petals from their hands, and the intoxicating fragrance blurred Kande's vision.
Who was I?
Why was I standing here?
He lowered his head and looked at his chest, where a dazzling array of medals hung like a wall.
Those countless honors felt both familiar and alien to him, bringing with them a trace of unease and dread.
Then, hazy memories flooded into his mind like sweet spring water, and his anxious heart suddenly remembered everything.
He was a hero of the Velanders!
The conqueror of Centaurus!
The butcher who struck terror into the hearts of alien races!
He had won tremendous merit in expanding the Legion's territory, and the Legion's five hundredth planet had officially been named after him!
And the name the people were cheering was his own—
"Kande!!"
"Well done!!"
"Long live the Legion! Long live the Marshal! Long live Kande!!!"
"Marshal, above us! He's looking at me!!"
The cheers stretching across the land straightened his spine. His steps gradually grew more confident as he walked forward, ascending the steps one by one until he reached the summit of the palace.
Just as he had expected, the revered