< 152. Audience (4) >
#152
“I want you to be the dawn of the empire.”
“···Dawn?”
Ronan frowned upon hearing the word dawn. It was her favorite time slot, but she somehow didn’t like the feeling conveyed by the words. Even though she tried to think as positively as possible, all she could think of was the Dawn Unit that suffered the disaster this morning.
‘Is this guy really trying to enlist me?’
A chill went up my spine. Wherever you go, it will be much better than the punishment unit, but now is not the time to eat jjambap yet. The emperor shook his head slowly.
“okay. You probably know it well. “I’m talking about an organization that has been on the rise in recent years.”
“Nebula Clage.”
“It is the darkness that is eating away at the empire. Now that I think about it, I heard that you visited the scene early this morning. Is this true?”
Ronan twisted his lips. I still felt like I could smell the fishy smell of blood every time I breathed through my nose. The rainwater flowing down the slope was a murky red color.
“yes.”
“It’s a shame. Although I only received the report in writing, I could understand why Jaifa was so angry. He lost about half of his men.”
The emperor clicked his tongue. He explained that each of the victims would be posthumously awarded two ranks, and a large amount of compensation would be given to their families. He added that he would quickly form a tracking team and catch the culprit who committed the massacre.
Judging from his attitude toward the Zaifana victims, he seemed like a pretty decent person. In fact, with people like this at the head, the country probably lasts for a thousand years. The emperor continued speaking in a heavy voice.
“But the really big problem is this. “I couldn’t shake the feeling that today’s work was just the starting point.”
“What is the starting point?”
“okay. The disaster that happened today is not normal. As you know, Mount Vimani, where this massacre was committed, is a five-hour horseback ride from the imperial palace. “This is effectively a declaration of war.”
A sigh flowed from the emperor’s mouth. Ronan nodded his head in agreement. Clearly, this incident was different from the actions of Nebula Clazier, who had been operating secretly in the background.
‘Has the cult leader changed his strategy?’
Of course, unless he went crazy, he wouldn’t engage in an all-out war with the empire. The star protection used by the members of the church was so inadequate that it could not be compared to that of the winged gangsters.
Ronan’s guess was that if the Empire decided to oppress them, the Church would never be their opponent. No matter what anyone says, the imperial army was the strongest army unprecedented in the history of the continent, and it had strong allies in Navardose and Lorhorn, who could actually kill giants.
However, what Ronan was worried about was that the church’s evil actions would change drastically in an ‘ambiguous’ way in the future. If active raids or operations like this massacre continued, it would be easier to catch them, but the damage to the empire would also be much more serious than before.
It was only a few years before the giants came down, so it would be difficult if the damage increased further. Clearly, this was a situation that required action. said the emperor.
“That’s why I hurriedly called you all together. “I felt like I wouldn’t have any free time starting today.”
“I understand. “It was a worthy incident.”
“Thank you.”
Only then did Ronan understand why the Emperor had taken the people. He seemed intent on launching a full-blown national emergency. Ronan took advantage of the momentary silence to open his mouth.
“So… what does it mean to ask to be the dawn?”
“Ah, the introduction was long. Jim has been keeping an eye on you for a long time. “Even before the witch crisis broke out this winter.”
The emperor said something meaningful and placed his hand on his waist. He unsheathed the one-handed sword he was wearing. The scabbard, which looked expensive at first glance, had the name of the empire engraved in an old language.
“I know that you have been stopping the cult’s plot for two years. Gran Cappadocia, the attack on the Phileon dormitory… There was also a time when we protected the Lomaira Mountains together with Jaipa.”
“that···.”
“I don’t know what kind of relationship you have with Nebula Clazier. You won’t even ask. But the important thing is that you defeated them every time and saved the citizens.”
Ronan’s eyes widened. I certainly did not expect that the emperor would know this accurately. I thought he would get a rough report every time he was with his prominent colleague.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on you since I first heard the news. “At the time, you were too young to suggest anything, but now that you’ve grown up so well, I don’t think there’s any need to hesitate any longer.”
The emperor held the sword hilt and the end of the scabbard with both hands. And then he held it out to Ronan, who was dumbfounded.
“Take it.”
“This?”
“Balon’s sword. Originally, it was only awarded to soldiers who were promoted to general. “It symbolizes my authority.”
Ronan raised his eyebrows when he heard the word general. When I thought about it, I remembered that Adeshan in my previous life was holding a sword similar to this. I wondered why I was carrying something I wasn’t going to wield, but it was just a symbolic item.
Anyway, it was a bit difficult as it was. In the end, it seemed like they were telling me to eat jjambap, but it wasn’t really true that I would rather become a nobleman. After thinking quickly but deeply, Ronan opened his mouth.
“I’m really sorry, Your Majesty, but I don’t have any intention of becoming a soldier yet. “I am not even qualified to rise to the enormous position of general…”
“Hmm? “I don’t really have any intention of having you enlist.”
“yes?”
Ronan tilted his head. I wondered what this meant again. The emperor saw his expression and laughed.
“Haha, you deserved to be misunderstood. Don’t worry. Balon’s sword is simply an item to prove that you are worthy of wielding my power.”
“It seems like there really is a separate role.”
“yes. I think it will probably be an extremely attractive offer for you. The Dawn that Jim was talking about refers to a secret agent who deals with Nebula Clazier, who is emerging as a new darkness in the Empire.”
“Secret… agent?”
Ronan’s eyes widened. It was an unusual position that made my mouth water just hearing the word. As if reading Ronan’s mind, the Emperor began to explain Dawn’s mission.
“okay. Now you will have to take on that evil group in the name of your burden and the Empire. “If we discover Nebula Clage or any individuals or groups connected to it during our activities, we will grant you the authority to make independent judgments and take action.”
“Does that mean you are giving me the right to legally punish suspicious people?”
“That’s clear. You can explain it that way too. If the opponent is Nebula Clage or someone who is in secret with them, you don’t have to worry about status or class at all. “Just do whatever you want.”
It was an unconventional and shocking proposal. Of course, until now, Nebula Clage had been fighting back and forth, but now it was of great significance to be able to act legally. Because it was said that they would take care of the most annoying cleaning work.
But the shock didn’t end there. After explaining the mission, the emperor began to talk about privileges.
“First of all, you are a brigadier general in the Imperial Army. Or, they have the right to receive the same treatment and act as nobles of the earldom. He can raise private armies and use the Empire’s military facilities. “If necessary to carry out the mission, the imperial army can be officially mobilized.”
“…Is it okay for you to give me that kind of power?”
Ronan laughed involuntarily. From his perspective, it was a more valuable reward than the commission.
You would be able to receive high-quality information from the Imperial Intelligence Bureau, and if it was a scale that you thought would be too much for you to handle alone, you could request support and fight them all together. The emperor shook his head.
“I felt it earlier, but you don’t seem to know how great things you have done.”
“I just did what I had to do.”
“I made a great contribution, so don’t worry about that. “The only person who contributed to the extermination of Nebula Clazie in a similar way to you is the current sword saint, Jaipa.”
Ronan shrugged his eyebrows. It seemed that Jaipa had caught a lot. Well, aside from the fact that his relationship with the emperor was precarious and he was very angry, the tiger was also a pretty good guy.
“Your position is top secret. In fact, this incident is completely unknown except for Jim and a few people involved. “You will have to pay a lot of attention to maintaining confidentiality and establishing contacts.”
“Don’t worry about that. Ah, Your Majesty. “There is one thing I would like to ask you.”
“Hmm? Something?”
“I want to receive reliable enlisted soldiers before the mission begins in earnest. “I can give them a salary, so they are people with outstanding skills.”
Ronan said. The emperor, seeing his eyes become much more serious than before, tilted his head.
“Of course I can save you… but are you saving my comrades?”
“no. There are people in the system who must be protected. “It’s to be that person’s escort.”
Ronan briefly told Iril’s story. For him, it was as important as preventing the destruction of the world. The emperor smiled softly.
“of course. Jim will soon find some trustworthy people. “The employees’ salaries will be paid from here, so don’t worry about it.”
“thank you.”
“Thank you Jim. I said it was an attractive offer, but it’s actually too heavy a position for you to handle. “Because I am assigning the duties and rights of the Dawn Unit to just one of you.”
The emperor’s tone revealed mixed concerns. Ronan shook his head resolutely. He truly liked this reward.
To the extent that all the rewards I have received from others so far are considered nothing more than shit. That’s how great this position was. Suddenly, the emperor widened his eyes as if something had occurred to him.
“Ah, but you didn’t ask about the most important thing.”
“yes?”
“Ronan. Are you going to accept Jim’s offer?”
Ronan narrowed his eyes. For a moment, I wondered if he had dementia, but when I thought about it, he never directly answered that he would accept the offer.
Ronan laughed. The answer was already decided, but it didn’t matter. Sometimes, there are situations where such formal procedures are necessary. Ronan, who was facing the Emperor, got down on one knee.
“yes.”
“That’s great.”
The emperor laughed softly. At some point his face became serious. A solemn voice flowed from between parted lips.
“Jim stands here now on behalf of the Empire. “A thousand years of history engraved in the sky, all life on this earth, and the blessings of our ancestors have created this glorious place today.”
The emperor adjusted his clothes and pulled on the hilt of his sword. Balon’s sword was pulled out with a sound like a marble rolling on ice.
“Everyone here will die someday. We are mortals who were born from the dust and will return to the dust. However, we want to head to greater heights by acknowledging our limitations.”
The pure white sword body had the same letters engraved on the scabbard. The Emperor slowly raised his sword and placed the belly of his sword on Ronan’s shoulder.
“In keeping with the wisdom of our ancestors that those who walk alone can never accomplish great things, today I intend to make you the sword of the empire.”
Ronan didn’t respond and just lowered his head. He was too much of a refreshing shock for a bastard who had been wandering around the battlefield like a bastard. The Emperor raised his sword and this time placed it on Ronan’s opposite shoulder.
“Ronan. Will you become a sharper sword than anything else and swear loyalty to the Empire and me? “Will you become a dawn to those who are groaning in darkness?”
There was no crowd cheering. There were no knights lined up in armor. Only he and the emperor remained in the empty throne room.
It was the most frugal title award ceremony in the world. However, it wasn’t unpleasant or empty. Feeling something boiling in her chest, Ronan opened her mouth.
“I swear.”
