Episode 168: Dream in the game becomes reality

40. Victory Ceremony (3)

The introduction of the world's strongest is a bit cringy, but when the title "roadmaster" is added, the feeling itself changes.

How long has it been since this level, equivalent to the 9th Circle Road Wizard, was revealed to the world?

It is said that the 9th Circle Archmage was Archduke Lucas recently, but the publicly known appearance of the Roadmaster dates back at least 500 years.

Of course, there is no guarantee that he is the only roadmaster.

The world is wide and there are many unknown secrets.

However, since the Grandmasters were competing for the position of the world's greatest swordsman, the appearance of the Roadmaster was bound to come as a shock.

Duke Raphael straightened his posture and asked.

"Did you say roadmaster?"

The expression on his face was complex as all his attention was focused on Blake, even as he looked at me.

"That's right."

He didn't do anything wrong.

Nevertheless, if one were to make a mistake, would it be that he failed to discipline his poor student severely?

Duke Raphael looked distrustful, but that was only for a moment.

The sense he felt while facing Blake in person must have let him know that what I said was not nonsense.

He closed his eyes tightly for a moment and then showed courtesy to Blake in a very aristocratic manner.

"I meet the great swordsman. Please forgive my student's rudeness."

The elegant greeting contained feelings of respect and apology for Blake.

Blake's eyes, which had seemed angry at him, calmed down.

"A teacher is different from a student. "It is also the role of the teacher to build the character of the disciple."

"I'll keep that in mind."

The people around him tilted their heads or looked shocked at the sincere apology from Duke Raphael of the Brigham Empire.

"What, what's going on?"

"Why is Count Friedrich like that? Wait, is that urine?"

"Duke Raphael bows his head."

"Is Duke Klein's teacher that great of a person?"

Of course.

Because we weren't advertising loudly.

The only people who truly understood what was going on were the members of the delegation who were greeting me and other acquaintances.

Therefore, thanks to Duke Raphael's actions, the nobles who thought of Blake as just a skilled swordsman belatedly realized that Arsia's teacher was a great person, worthy of being treated with the utmost respect by the Brigham Empire Grandmaster.

Blake probably thought this was enough, so he backed off at that point.

"however… … "I think now is the time to focus on yourself rather than your students."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It means that even though you have a sufficient foundation to move to the next step, you are distracted by this and that."

At Blake's subsequent remarks, not only the person involved, Duke Raphael, but also the people around him widened their eyes.

Doesn't that mean that Duke Raphael is the Roadmaster?

"Well, that's really… … ."

"Does it look like you're going to talk nonsense?"

As Blake smiled softly, his silver eyes flashing, Duke Raphael's face showed various emotions, including joy, worry, and worry.

But I was the only one who narrowed my eyes at Blake.

[Status: annoyed / nonsense]If you look at the information written on Mangyeong, this is clearly a lie.

It was clear that this person was just as narrow-minded as me.

You can just harass the student, but you're pitiful enough to harass the teacher as well.

"thank you. "I will never forget that advice."

I laughed out loud when I saw Duke Raphael expressing his sincere gratitude and Blake accepting it by nodding as if it was obvious.

After all, there seems to be a reason why Dark Elves have a bad image.

"Oh right."

I looked down at Count Friedrich, who was lost in his thoughts.

Still, we can't just leave the Brigham Empire's delegation in a pissed-off state, can we?

-Just right.

I snapped my fingers and used magic to erase his urine stains.

As magical power enveloped him, Count Friedrich came to his senses and stood up.

"S-Master."

Perhaps out of embarrassment, Count Friedrich went to see Duke Raphael.

"I told you not to act rashly… … . I will definitely hold you accountable for what happened today. "You should stay inside."

The teacher's reaction upon his return was even colder.

Count Friedrich was startled and belatedly looked around, and soon his face turned blazing red and he quickly left the place as if running away.

I shook my head and apologized to Duke Raphael.

"I'm sorry about something."

"no. There is no need for the duke to worry."

That's how the situation was sorted out.

"Duke Lawrence, where does Blake usually live?"

"Your residence is in Dragon Land. Then, you will visit our duchy every few days and teach Arcia for 2 to 3 hours before returning immediately."

"Duke Klein, you are truly blessed. "Aren't you the best teacher?"

"Haha, I agree. "I have to work hard not to be pushed out by her fiancee."

From then on, Duke Raphael followed me around like a chewing gum.

There's only one reason he does that.

It was to have a little conversation with Blake.

However, no matter how much Duke Raphael sought attention, Blake kept his mouth shut.

"I have to go now. After all, human social gatherings don't suit their constitution."

Initially, they promised to take 1 hour off, but they showed their intention to go back 30 minutes after entering.

He's already done enough.

I nodded without complaint as it had the impact I wanted.

And, leaving behind Duke Raphael, who expressed regret, he and Arcia guided Blake to the exit.

"Thank you for your hard work."

"I will refrain from making such requests in the future."

"To be exact, it was a transaction."

"Anyway, I don't say a word because I look like someone."

Although he only stayed for 30 minutes, Blake gave a great gift to our Kingdom of Reinharts.

Hasn't the country created the image of a country under the protection of a roadmaster?

This not only raises the country's status, but is also a shield that blocks foolish schemes in advance.

It's like the Reinharts Kingdom and I have had enough time to develop our strength.

"See you again then."

Thanks to this, after sending Blake away, my expression couldn't help but be bright, and I even felt refreshed even though the event wasn't over yet.

So I re-entered the grand banquet hall with Arcia.

A party hall crowded with numerous nobles.

Even in this, Arcia and I were the main characters.

* * *

"It's good to have a good son, right?"

Rayford Lawrence smiled faintly at the question of his wife, Sylvia, the mother of Duke Adrian El Lawrence, the highest nobleman in the Kingdom of Reinharts.

"I don't deserve to be happy about that guy's success."

"It's happening again. Adrian forgave everything. "Let's get rid of unnecessary emotions now, right?"

Sylvia, with her eyebrows inverted, did not look like she was in her 40s at all.

As a person who inherited Adrian's good looks, which made her look like she was a celebrity and lived well, she still retained the beauty of her 20s.

It wasn't an arranged marriage, but he was truly like the woman he fell in love with and proposed to.

"You have nothing to worry about now, right?"

At one point, she and Adrian had no choice but to distance themselves for their survival, but the only woman Rayford Lawrence cared about was Sylvia.

And as she said, as the worries disappeared, their relationship became more affectionate again, and the results of that were revealed in Sylvia's appearance.

"Be confident for the sake of your new baby."

She, with her bulging belly, was pregnant with Adrian's younger brother, who was proudly climbing the podium.

When Sylvia said that while stroking her stomach, Rayford Lawrence relaxed his shoulders and smiled.

What a lovely woman this is.

"thank you."

"It was nothing. From now on, let's live by benefiting from the good guys."

"Haha, okay."

The two people looked at Adrian on the podium with expressions full of pride.

[The title of Grand Duchy is granted to Duke Adrian El Lawrence, and a principality with independent autonomy is granted, and the title of king is permitted.]The children of two people who can only be described as truly amazing.

The second son, who had been living in the outskirts of the province and whose life was threatened by his stepmother and older brother, grew the country into an empire and became the Duke of Gong.

The scenery unfolding before their eyes was so unreal that it felt like a dream to the two people.

"Chu, congratulations. dismissal."

"Congratulations. "You really have an amazing son."

When the Grand Duke was awarded to Adrian, there was thunderous applause.

However, the nobles around Rayford and Sylvia actually congratulated the two, and seeing that, they realized that the current situation was real.

* * *

The event proceeded smoothly.

First, King Michael declared the Kingdom of Reinharts an empire and ascended to the throne himself.

This historic moment was not simply a formal event, but was broadcast to the world.

Thanks to this, when King Michael declared the empire, the residents of the capital, who were watching the broadcast in real time, chanted for national independence and even reached the castle.

"On the platform of Duke Adrian L. Laurence."

He was followed by a sergeant-major of the Grand Duchy, who succeeded the emperor.

Duke James and I were the main characters at the event, but the difference in the area of ​​the duchy granted was almost three times more, so I actually became a king with a territory larger than most kingdoms.

This means that the Archduke is not the same Archduke.

"Up on Duke Klein's platform."

This time, Arcia rose to the podium.

When I became the owner of the principality, she was given my fiefdom where the owner disappeared, and came to rule a fiefdom twice as large as that of an ordinary duke.

The number of territories and residents was appropriate for an imperial operation that went beyond the kingdom level.

Perhaps, among the lords, the only nobleman with larger land and more residents than her was the 4th Duke of the Brigham Empire.

"Up on the Marquis of Aragon's platform."

The next person named after Arsia was the Marquis of Aragon, Emperor Michael's maternal grandfather.

The old Marquis of Aragon ascended the podium, supported by his family's successor, Taylor.

Taylor is the man who fought in the last war as my adjutant and second-in-command.

Emperor Michael granted the Duke of Aragon to the Marquis of Aragon and granted a large territory to the former Croesian Empire.

As the saying goes, it is a victory, and the door of hardship has been opened wide.

Of course, so do I, but it won't be easy to rule over the Croesian people.

It was a truly fitting task for Taylor, a philanthropist.

When Duke James and I became Grand Dukes, the ducal family was reorganized into three families: Klein, Aragon, and Haines.

"… … "Up on the podium."

A large-scale appointment continued from the dukedom to the rank of marquess.

It was an unavoidable measure as the vast territory of the Croesen Empire was taken over, but not only was the former Marquis Vincent and Margrave Ignis, who had fallen as members of the Two Princes faction, reinstated as marquis.

"The title of marquess is granted to Viscount Rayford Lawrence, and the Earldom of Bent and Earl of Oheim are additionally granted to the existing Viscounty of Lawrence."

My father, who had expected to receive the title of earl, was instead given the title of marquis.

Moreover, the territory was also full of consideration, starting from the existing Viscounty of Lawrence and extending to the territory within the former Croesian Empire.

Even though he didn't do anything special, he achieved success thanks to his children... … .

Thanks to this, my father's face was very red when he went up to the podium.

My father also seems embarrassed.

'It's not a bad gift for my soon-to-be-born little brother.'

I smiled as I saw my father and mother clapping passionately below.

I haven't been able to pay attention because I have so much work to do, but I need to show up to my family more often from now on.

In this way, the victory and congratulation ceremonies lasted for five hours, and by the time the event was over, both the people on the podium and those below the podium were exhausted.

"Let's end today's event informally. Thank you all for your hard work."

The sensible young emperor concluded the event briefly, and everyone was finally able to escape from the shackles of pretending to be a party.

But I couldn't leave in a good mood.

"His Royal Highness Prince Lawrence."

"huh? Baron Eric, what's going on?"

"Count Friedrich says he would like to have a close conversation."

That's because a troublesome guy came along.

'No, did it turn out better?'

With a frown on my face, I wanted to hear what bullshit the guy I didn't like was talking about.

And then, if you don't like it at all… … .

Beat me a little.