"From the Royal Academy... Lord Rest, Lord Wilhelm Lubeth, and Lady Isis Carbelt are here to enter!"
The attendant announced in a booming voice, and the doors to the audience chamber swung open.
In the order their names were called, Rest, Lubeth, and Isis stepped into the audience chamber one after another.
The Rosemary sisters, who had accompanied Rest, were with him as well. Escorting them, he crossed the threshold.
"...!"
The audience chamber was filled with people, and for a moment they nearly felt overwhelmed.
Every person in attendance was well-dressed—it was immediately obvious they were all nobles.
Rest had received explanations from his adoptive father Albert beforehand, but... the people gathered here were all nobles of the royalist faction that supported the king and the crown prince.
In other words, they were all allies from the standpoint of faction politics... but their eyes carried an appraising quality.
Even within the same faction, there were hierarchies, rivalries, and underhanded jockeying for position.
They were probably trying to gauge whether the young people who would carry the faction's next generation would become allies, rivals, or simply useful presences.
(Apart from Father, the ones whose faces I can more or less recognize are... Duke Crocus the Chancellor, Marquis Cattleya the Knight Commander, and the two princes.)
Also present in the audience chamber were the king's closest retainers—Crown Prince Richard and Second Prince Andrew.
Andrew, who also served as student council president, caught Rest's eye and gave him a meaningful grin.
(And so... that is His Majesty the King. This is the first time I've seen him this close up...)
The bearded man seated upon the throne, set on a raised platform several steps higher, was Davit Aiwood—the king who ruled the Kingdom of Aiwood.
The king was often compared to the tyrannical former sovereign, and was known as a gentle, magnanimous ruler of mild temperament.
Of course, much of that favorable impression was due to the unfavorable comparison... but even setting that aside, he appeared to be a man with a soft expression and a warm demeanor.
(Maybe a slight minus in terms of regal bearing... but he certainly has an approachable face. Calling His Majesty "approachable" might be disrespectful, though.)
Rest advanced to the front of the throne, parted from the sisters he had escorted, and knelt with his head bowed.
This was the court etiquette his butler Diebl had drilled into him countless times. Beside him, Lubeth and Isis knelt in the same manner.
"..."
The Rosemary sisters pinched the hems of their skirts and bowed deeply.
Though their manner differed by gender, both showed the utmost respect toward the king.
"Raise your heads," the king said solemnly.
Rest and the others lifted their heads while remaining on one knee.
Looking up at the throne from below... the king seated upon it was smiling gently at them.
"You are the young heroes who distinguished yourselves at the Sabnock Plains—slaying the lord of the demon realm and rescuing the participants of the Magic Hunt Festival. Your deeds are truly remarkable."
The king opened his mouth and spoke words of praise.
"It delights my heart to see that the young people who will carry our nation's next generation have grown so splendidly. I shall now grant you your rewards."
The king rose to his feet and descended the steps one by one, making his way toward Rest and the others.
Rest bowed his head once more, awaiting the king's words.
"Rest, who serves under House Albert, the Marquisate. I hereby ennoble you to 'Viscount' and grant you the surname 'Clover.' Serve the royal family as a faithful subject."
The king placed the tip of his scepter upon Rest's shoulder.
Rest drew a breath and answered with the oath.
"My sword shall be wielded for the royal family and for the kingdom. I pledge my heartfelt loyalty to the glorious Kingdom of Aiwood."
These words were the formal declaration spoken when receiving a noble title from the king.
Because he had rehearsed many times beforehand, he was able to deliver them smoothly despite his nerves.
"Wilhelm Lubeth of the Lubeth Knightly Lineage. I hereby ennoble you to 'Baron' and permit you to bear the title Baron Lubeth. Serve the royal family as a faithful subject."
"My sword shall be wielded for the royal family and for the kingdom. I pledge my heartfelt loyalty to the glorious Kingdom of Aiwood."
In the same manner, Lubeth was granted the rank of baron.
Next, Isis too was ennobled.
"To all three of you, I grant domains on the Sabnock Plains. Personnel and funding for frontier development will be provided, so devote yourselves to its prosperity."
"Understood!" all three replied in unison.
"Now then... there is something I must announce to everyone gathered here."
The king paused for a beat, then swept his gaze across all those assembled in the audience chamber.
A tense silence crackled through the vast room. Everyone present already knew what was about to come... what the king was going to say.
"Recently, Marquis Berlio Eiger—who was supposed to be a subject serving this kingdom—has raised the banner of rebellion against the royal family! By this decree, I hereby declare Marquis Eiger a traitor!"
"...!"
The assembly gasped. Just as they had feared...
Marquis Eiger had been taking a defiant stance toward the royal family for some time, and now he had finally made his move.
"Marquis Eiger's relatives who were already in the royal capital have been apprehended. Marquis Eiger is currently amassing soldiers together with allied nobles in his domain. From this moment, a subjugation army shall be dispatched—Crown Prince Richard as supreme commander, with Marquis Cattleya as his deputy!"
The king turned his gaze toward the three who were still kneeling.
"You three young heroes. I want you to join the subjugation army as well. Together, we shall bring the hammer of justice down upon the fool who dares betray the royal family!"
"At your command!" all three answered.
Rest and the others accepted the royal command and declared their participation in the subjugation army.
The deep darkness that had been corroding the Kingdom of Aiwood since the days of the queen dowager...
The time had come to confront it head-on.