I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess

149 – Carve your name

by the time the sun goes down.

Upon hearing the news that everything was ready, the two immediately left the drawing room.

“It’s kind of noisy.”

“Yeah.”

Perhaps thanks to the summoning of the ministers prior to today’s nongong ceremonies, the rather quiet imperial palace suddenly became lively.

It wasn’t so many that it was crowded, but Edgar’s stomach felt like it was twisting when he saw the luxuriously dressed people gathering and buzzing around.

“To be awarded by His Majesty in front of those people… I am nervous.”

“Is that enough? Even at the succession ceremony, there were enough people.”

Even if Ariel only glanced at it roughly, there were twice as many people who came to the succession ceremony than those gathered there.

Even so, when Edgar showed tension, he was a bit puzzled.

“At that time, I was in a position to share the attention that was focused on you. Today I have to handle it alone.”

“Put, I don’t know even though I know.”

It was Ariel who smiled sheepishly, but also seemed to vaguely understand the meaning of what he was trying to say.

What if she changed her position and stood there alone on the day of the succession ceremony?

It certainly wasn’t as comfortable as it was back then.

Even if it wasn’t to the point of tension, I thought I’d definitely heard a sense of nervousness.

“don’t worry. Didn’t you do well in front of your father?”

“Hey, that’s a different position than that.”

When Ariel smiled teasingly at the memory of the non-work she had done while at Loveheim Castle, Edgar replied in an unfair tone.

At least, at that time, they were familiar with the people standing around them and Yulken, who personally handed out the rewards, but today, they are in the position to receive the award personally from the supreme leader of this country, not anyone else, in front of strangers.

From the beginning, the level of mindset is bound to be different.

“Anyway, do your best. If you do it unsightly, it will damage my reputation, so be careful.”

“Honey, is that the only thing you can say to a lover who is anxious?”

“Hey, you gave me a lap pillow too. It’s a lap pillow personally made by the owner of the grand duke’s family, should I show sincerity?”

“damn.”

Edgar let out a short sigh, realizing that he had been pushed back by Ariel for the first time in a while.

I didn’t expect to hear even cute cheers from that Ariel, but when I faced the reality, it was brutal.

“ah… ! Sir Edgar, you are here. You must prepare soon.”

In the middle of an argument with Ariel, a man approached Edgar and politely informed him that time was running out.

As Edgar, who hadn’t even finished preparing his mind yet, turned dumbfounded, Ariel stabbed him in the shoulder with a naked sneer.

“Fuck, look. Why don’t you go, what are you doing?”

“… … .”

Edgar followed the man with his mouth shut, vowing to punish him the next time he returned.

Whether it’s a reward ceremony or something, I hope that it will end soon.

* * * * * * *

The Imperial Palace of the Hellvenier Empire is different from other achievements in its scale and splendor.

As if to prove this, there are all kinds of outbuildings and private rooms within the imperial palace grounds, and among them, there are places built only for very special purposes.

For example, this place Edgar stepped into today is a special room called the Hero’s Room.

In fact, it boasts an enormous size that is more appropriate to be called a detached building than a separate room, but it is classified as a separate room because it is a place within the imperial palace.

As the name of the Hero’s Room suggests, the purpose of this building was to praise those who made great achievements.

Therefore, it is not used for ordinary non-commissioning activities, and it is said that being recognized here is an honor that is difficult to achieve once in a lifetime.

Edgar was dumbfounded at the fact that he had come to such a place as the main character.

Earlier, I thought it would be a fairly brief event because the emperor gave me a word not to be burdened, but what kind of lightning bolt was this?

‘More than anything else, it’s quite burdensome for me to be listed there.’

And one of the biggest reasons fueling his burden was the large tombstone in the hero’s room.

It boasts its enormous majesty between the knight-shaped stone statues placed on both sides, which Edgar watched with his mouth open a moment ago, and people call it a heroic monument.

On this monument, the names of all those who have been congratulated in the Hero Room are engraved, and even Edgar, who is here today, is no exception.

As it is an object made to honor the names of those who devoted themselves to honor and life, it means that it is not called here to engrave names only because of great achievements.

However, Edgar had some doubts about whether what he had done would be praised as much.

The word hero was too far for him.

Moreover, even though he is the owner of the Grand Duchess of Amman, he wondered if he deserved to be in such a position just because he saved only one person’s life.

However, when he saw Ariel on his left, even that confusion disappeared.

For the sake of her, who will be watching this scene more than anyone else, shouldn’t she proudly stick out her chest and engrave her name on that tombstone at this moment?

In order to stand next to the owner of the grand duke’s family, he must have that level of strength and pride.

‘It’s starting.’

Eventually Bartheus, awakening his contemplation, appeared between the statues and took a seat on a golden chair.

Edgar saw the sight and carefully took one step at a time, standing in front of the golden line on the red carpet drawn like a starting line.

“Thank you to all the ministers and the Imperial Knights who came to brighten up this place today.”

‘That must have been the Imperial Knights.’

Hearing Bartheus’ words, Edgar finally knew the identities of the people standing on either side of them wearing silver armor.

I never thought that even the Imperial Knights would come to a place like this.

On the one hand, since the beings most suitable for the title of Hero’s Room could be called the Knights, I thought that it might be used as a kind of morale booster.

“You know we almost lost an important man in the country some time ago at Whitewood. Isn’t it?”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Although the news that Yulken had been captured did not come until after the incident had been settled to some extent, when the news first spread, the country was in a state of uproar.

The news that he was alive was false, and some even suggested that it was fabricated by the Loveheim family to prevent the public sentiment of the city from being shaken.

However, when Yulken appeared in public later, all such conspiracy theories disappeared and the existence of a man drew attention.

That was Edgar Bilhark, known at the time as having saved the owner of the grand ducal family by blood and blood alone.

At first, there were many people who said that this was a somewhat exaggerated story, but when Yulken and Ariel explained in detail everything that had happened from before the rescue, it was said that even the feat was implied.

There were a lot of people who expressed that if it wasn’t for him in the first place, there wouldn’t even be an option to save Yulken.

Regarding this, someone praised him as a loyalist among loyal subjects who became rare to see after the country entered a certain period of stability, and a being that showed true chivalry.

Although Edgar himself is not without a side of underestimating the achievements he has made, the reaction most of them show is truly miraculous.

“In that despair, the man in front of you, who is only a contract, has risked all the dangers to rescue him. He single-handedly blocked the front of those tyrannical foreigners, and even opened an escape route by himself, returning the owner of the grand duke’s family to our side.”

Using his somewhat slender arms and hands, Bartheus spat out a long speech.

Among those who watched, especially those belonging to the knights, they alternately looked at the young man in the center and the emperor in awe.

For those who joined the Knights, the most important thing was always the mindset.

When danger suddenly strikes and the surroundings are chaotic, can I lay down my life like straw for my lord and the people I need to protect rather than my comfort?

Most of the time, they would have joined this order just with the mindset that they could do it, but they thought they would be troubled if the situation were to come their way.

Because it is a human race.

That’s why the man standing in front of me felt so great.

“He showed us the spirit of a knight we had forgotten. Although his achievements are also great, that is what I would most highly value. Don’t you think so too?”

“You are right, Your Majesty!”

Even though the northern immigrants are setting up, this country is definitely on the peaceful side.

But peace always comes at the cost of making you forget what was precious to you.

In that peaceful time, for most people, the existence of knights and the spirit of chivalry were just transforming into old-fashioned existences.

So, Bartheus tried to win their hearts by presenting an existence like Edgar.

To awaken the spirit of the people by letting them know that such a great loyalist is still alive in this country.

“Through this place today, I, Bartheus Hellvenir, will engrave his name on this hero monument so that he will be remembered even in the future when he is gone. Let no one forget the day when a new hero was born!”

When Bartheus shouted out his hand out to Edgar, he slowly climbed onto the platform step by step and bowed his head in front of him.

Soon after, Bartheus received a sword from a woman standing next to him and tapped Edgar on the shoulder, and a blue orb appeared from his body and placed it on top of the sword.

As Bartheus approached the monument while holding the sword, the blue light leaking from the monument embraced the sphere, and Edgar’s name was engraved in the empty corner.

“Edgar Billhark. Applause for the new name engraved on this splendid heroic monument!”

As Edgar turned around in place and saluted the audience on either side, thunderous applause erupted.

Even in the midst of the noise, Ariel did not move, smiling lightly as she looked at Edgar, who was receiving congratulations and praises from these countless people.

It was her wish that only she wanted to know about his existence forever, but sometimes it was not bad to see her precious person being treated like this by an unspecified number of beings.