4.2

The award ceremony was the first event of the Victory Celebration, followed by the banquet. With the purpose of rewarding the heroes or outstanding ones who made great achievements and gained much merit in their actions, the event is presided over by the king himself, who will bestow the awards, with all the nobles and their guests as the public in the main hall of the temple, which will be specially prepared for such an occasion. They will gain honor and prestige that will spread throughout the territory just by earning their place there.

Commoners will be able to watch the heroes of the empire through the march that will take place before and after the award ceremony, to learn about these beings who have done so much for the country. Usually, in the long history of the Yulard empire, there are always commoners participating in such a ceremony, earning merits that even nobles have difficulty earning. And, therefore, there is a feeling that it is possible to fulfill the dream of entering there and receiving the awards given by the king himself, as well as a sense of pride for being recognized by the high class.

Because of this, the streets are so full of people excited about the event that is taking place on the day and at the temple, especially on the roads of the established route on which the participants will walk. These people heard tales of such warriors, whether from the newspaper, rumors, or songs from some bard in a capital bar; good or bad; but that doesn't stop them from being curious and having respect and admiration for them.

Especially the Duke of Shadows, Cédric Noir.

A frightening figure according to rumors, who walks with shadows on his feet, an atmosphere that is only felt on the battlefield and that, if you close your eyes, you can imagine the coldness of his face facing the dead enemies, while blood falls. of the blade of his sword. He is the capital's main source of conversation and news due to his prominence on the battlefield, with stories that go back to his childhood in Linden. A celebrity who is known to all citizens of the empire.

It is because of him that so many people are on the road, excited to get their first look at the man who is so infamous for the stories about his skill, personality and past. They just want a glimpse if the person is really that scary and worthy of the reports that surround him.

There is also the newest Celestia who rose to prominence in the war against Torzik, the mercenary, who piqued the curiosity of the people. The story told by the 'Diário do Império' is that he was hired by a count to participate in the war, due to the lack of manpower, however, there are reports that it was surprising to both soldiers and enemies that he was a Celestia, when it used its power and abilities. This is something to celebrate across the country as it means that military power has grown and become more secure.

And lastly, everyone is also wanting to see the second prince, the one who was said to be the key to winning the war with his strategies and ideas. It is not uncommon for the common people to see royalty at such events, but it is usually further away than during the march. But everyone knows that he is considered a very handsome prince and that his fame is that he steals hearts just by his look; the newspapers even joke that many ladies of families would sell their families to have a night with such a man.

So, because of these three, the roads where the carriages of the Miller family and other nobles were not crowded and hardly a pedestrian in sight. Brandon was not even surprised by this, seeing closed stores and little movement, understanding that almost everyone wanted to see the march. Perhaps, if he wasn't asked to go by the earl, he would go see them too.

The redhead only went to see a crowd of people when he got close to the temple, accompanied by loud chattering sounds that coalesced throughout the place and an unusual everyday animation. It was very different from inside the carriage, where silence prevailed.

The butler, Irvin Ainz, did not speak to him the entire journey, only glancing at him occasionally and then turning to face the road. In her impression, he was a serious man who seemed to be wary of him and would assess him at all times. Not that Brandon didn't dislike it, it just proves that he was the butler who was considerate of the Miller family and responsible with his job. However, it is a little exhausting to be seen like this.

Both got out of their carriage as soon as the other two stopped and soon followed their masters. Irvin stayed behind, following the earl and countess and Brandon with James, who insisted on staying beside him, behind his parents and brother. Ferion was the only one not there, as he would march until he reached the temple.

The temple was very different from when he, Nott and James visited, as it had some decorations making it a more luxurious and refined place, but at the same time discreet. There were details with colors in the color of the flag of the empire and priests walking everywhere, while the Miller family walked to the main hall. Accompanied by them, other noble families also arrived for the event and gathered.

"Wow…" James muttered, taking in each noble and their guests in pretty clothes that matched the entire atmosphere. He spoke quietly so as not to be noticed and only for Brandon to hear as well. "It's very different from before."

"I also think." Brandon answered.

The statues of the Gods were familiar to them, as they had passed through there a few days ago and are following the same path as before. All were in the same condition as in the past, as it was forbidden to touch them other than for cleaning and preservation purposes. And they still manage to look beautiful with the environment that surrounds it, no matter how much the decorations have changed.

The outside environment and halls of the temple were just basic stuff. The main hall was what really surprised them when they arrived at the door and saw the decoration, with the flag of the empire on the walls and the road that each winner will take to reach the king and win the prize. Neither of them participated in anything like that, but they certainly exceeded their expectations of what would be an official event of the empire. The earl guided them to the seats and they stayed there.

The event would take a while to start, but it was close to the scheduled time, so it didn't make sense for the nobles to go social, since there would be time for that after the awards. And even if they did not meet, with the banquet that will take place in the palace, they were not very concerned about meeting and discussing some issues, after all, the award, for the nobles, was another place for their guests to interact with each other.

Each noble family could bring about two guests to the awards and serve them to create connections with each other, thus increasing the influence and opportunity of the nobility among their subordinates. Usually, people with academic achievements or talent in magic are brought, showing that such a person is sponsored by their family, or also trusted people. Therefore, it was possible for Brandon to be there, as he was trusted by both the earl and the countess, and Irvin who knew many people from the capital among the nobles' guests.

"When does it start?" James asked, sulking at the tie around his neck.

"I don't know, but it looks like it's going to take a while." Brandon responds, watching all the nobles.

There were a lot of faces he'd never seen before, from ugly to pretty, and it was a little strange considering that almost all of them were the country's elite. It seemed that the mysticism that all nobles were beautiful was a lie and is just the imagination of commoners about who was from the upper class. Brandon also had such an idea employed on him and almost forgot, as the entire Miller family could be said to be quite attractive along with the few ladies he saw at the tea party.

"I don't even see the emperor." James commented. He looked towards the stage in search of the one who would have a golden crown, the Soleil, but he saw no one. There didn't seem to be anyone from the royal family yet.

"Maybe he won't arrive until he's about to start." Brandon guessed. "The emperor's time is too precious to sit around waiting for heroes."

He finished speaking and everyone in the room fell silent. The nobles looked in one direction, surprising the duo who were talking quietly.

The side door of the main hall was opened and a man with black skin, golden hair, brown eyes, which were bowed by the occasion and the smiling expression on his face, and a figure with majestic and elegant charm entered. His body was wrapped in the most haute couture garment that highlighted his tall figure and well-crafted muscles, as well as the medals he had on his chest for his achievements in wars, which gave him as much merit as the scars hidden beneath his clothes, and the red cape that came behind him. He attracted the attention of everyone who didn't dare say anything in his presence.

He was the emperor of the empire, the one who ruled all of Yulard, Felix Varkin Yulard.

Such a man is held up as an exemplary ruler and a wise emperor by those who are admired and respected, including commoners. However, it is not just what he is famous for, other than his status and attitude towards the empire, it is due to his participation in the wars in his youth, Felix is seen as a good strategist and a formidable swordsman, earning him the nickname of White Ray, thanks to the power it showed during fights.

And among his allies and enemies alike there is an opinion that is equal between the two: that though he appears gentle, he is a fierce one and not to be offended. He is a smiling tiger, he looks tame but he is still wild.

Naturally, upon entering the hall, those closest to the emperor bowed, followed by a wave of nobles who rose from their seats just to salute the emperor, who just proceeded to the throne and sat down. His hand raised and lowered indicating that they could return to normal and the rumble spread in space again, but much quieter than before.

"The emperor looks nice." James muttered and Brandon just nodded. He felt that the other was cool, but something told him that he was also dangerous.

*

Outside the temple, the march with the prize winners walked through the streets of the capital, being greeted by excited screams and screams from people who finally saw those who were celebrities for them. The whole mood was party and almost the entire population was watching them go by. Children saw it with shining eyes, as they dreamed of being like that one day and being held by the hands of their mothers.

The three main stars were on horseback and spaced apart from one another, with Prince Aiden leading the entire march down the path at a leisurely pace.

The girls who saw the handsome young man who was leading failed to fall in love with his beauty. Many sighed for the face so beautiful that it seemed sculpted by the Gods and that, definitely, was worthy of being called the 'Thief of Hearts' that the newspapers said. The smile on his face was so handsome, with white teeth and thick lips, making his gentle face even kinder, not detracting at all from his masculinity that was exuding all over his body.

And every time he passed by people, a warm atmosphere covered their bodies, bringing a feeling of warmth and peace. But it was light and momentary, as fast as a second, making the audience think it was imagination.

This was very different from when Cédric Noir was passing by. When the Grand Duke marched some time after the Prince, although there were still shouts and all the excitement, a spine-chilling chill would come to those who were very close, causing them to take a step back. However, even that couldn't take away the beauty seen in his cold face, it seemed to make him even more charming.

As for the mercenary, he is a curious figure, which is why many have analyzed him from top to bottom, more so than the other two, since he is the main source of newspaper subject recently. The man who will be able to marry the princess and be part of the imperial family, or because he is the new Celestia of the country. But that didn't stop the dreams created by the imagination of some people when they saw what he was like, or wanted to be like him.

Just by seeing the three, plus the other awardees, the citizens of the empire were proud of their nation. Yulard was strong. And that created a sense of identity with her, along with a determination that the Victory Celebration was worth celebrating.