Chapter 248.
By June, the trees planted throughout the capital turned green and the sun became hot. To be honest, it was early summer, I didn’t really notice the heat so it didn’t really matter. But for me, who had a good sense of smell, the smell of the sweat of adventurers was unbearable.
So, after making a suggestion to Guild Director Glont, I set up an air conditioning magic circle and a deodorizing magic circle at the Adventurers’ Guild headquarters myself. It was guaranteed to be more efficient and high-performance than the inner court department in the imperial court.
"Oh, I really don’t know how I lived before without this magic circle.” Demuir clung to the air-conditioning magic circle and put his cheek on it with an ecstatic face.
However, Dano frowned while fanning himself with a briefing board while looking at Demuir. "Why don’t you detach yourself from there a little? The wind isn’t reaching all the way here.”
Dano seemed to be more sensitive to the heat, probably from being very muscular, so he worked overtime to enjoy the air-conditioning magic circle for a longer time.
I also added to Dano’s complaint. "I set it up on a super small budget, so if you rub it like that, it will get erased easily. If you don’t want to manage and repair it yourself, please step away from it."
That magic circle’s management and repair was also my role, so I looked at Demuir tiredly.
"Hmm, hmm! Okay."
Dano and my stinging gaze made Demuir wobble and distance himself from the air-conditioning magic circle.
Right then, Flam opened the door from the outside and said, "The promotions are starting now, so come on out."
The people from the headquarters inside the office went out.
A small platform had been set up in the hall on the first floor of the Adventurers’ Guild Headquarters. Next to it was Fiona with a script in hand, she then placed a microphone before herself.
"The promotion ceremony will be starting now. Promotion recipients, please step up to the podium for promotion," Fiona said and looked in my direction.
I smiled lightly and went forward towards the podium. There were three people standing in front of the podium, including me.
"Now, we will be starting the 103rd regular promotion of the first half of the year 1628. According to the order, distinguished guests of the headquarters will stand up and sing the national anthem."
The promotion ceremony was held twice a year under Fiona’s leadership. Adventurers who could play musical instruments began to play the national anthem and everyone, including adventurers who were watching from the surroundings, all stood up.
Since I was a civil servant of the 98th class, watching the 103rd promotion ceremony meant, it had already been three years since I left my hometown.
"Promotion recipient, Demuir Waltris."
Demuir took a step forward at Fiona’s instruction.
"The seventh rank of prestige, Demuir Waltris, is credited with the financial and accounting of the Adventurer’s Guild Headquarters, and Official Glont von Asilante, who serves as the Guild Director of the Adventurers’ Guild, dares to recommend a talent to His Majesty the Emperor."
Demuir got down on one knee after the long line from Guild Director Glont.
Standing on the podium, Guild Director Glont spoke, handing Demuir a certificate of promotion that looked like an award certificate.
"Adventurers’ Guild Guild Director Glont von Asiante will present the sixth-rank of prestige to Demuir Waltris, who has a seventh-rank prestige, on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor."
"Official Demuir Waltris dares to accept His Majesty Emperor’s blessing. Until the end of my life, I will consecrate everything for the empire and the imperial family."
Accepting the certificate of promotion politely, Demuir slowly got up, took a step back, and returned to his place.
"Promotion recipient, Den von Mark, step forward."
This time I took a step forward at Fiona’s instruction. This time, the long rhetoric was left out and I fell on one knee.
The long process was conducted only once for the person with the highest age and rank among those eligible for promotion, and the rest was shortened to proceed with the promotion.
"Adventurers’ Guild Director Glont von Asilante will award the seventh rank of prestige, Den von Mark, to the sixth rank of prestige, on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor."
"Official Den von Mark dares to accept His Majesty the Emperor’s blessing."
I took a step back after reciting some perfunctory lines and getting a promotion certificate.
"Promotion recipient Hameln von Deodorn, step forward."
Hameln was a newcomer who came under me last year. He was about three years older than me, but he was kind and good at errands. Above all, he was very good at making tea.
"Adventurer Guild Guild Director Glont von Asilante will award the eighth rank of prestige, Hameln von Deodorn, to the seventh rank of prestige, on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor."
"Official Hameln von Deodorn dares to accept His Majesty the Emperor’s blessing."
After Hameln accepted the promotion certificate and stepped down, Guild Director Glont gave a not-so-long admonition and the promotion ceremony ended.
"That’s all for the 103rd promotion ceremony of the first half of the year."
Originally, it was supposed to be carried out for a very long time, but we were not such a strict group and he did not force us to proceed in a solemn and lengthy manner.
"Thank you for your hard work. Are we having a work dinner today?” Flam clapped and asked.
Demuir nodded in agreement. "Yes, it was Den’s birthday a few days ago, so let’s have a meal together. It’d be nice to have it as a birthday party, right?”
I burst into laughter. "It’s already passed, so what do we need a birthday party for? If you’re going to have a work dinner, don’t worry about such things, and let’s just have it."
Demuir put his arms around my shoulders and smiled. "Ayy, are you embarrassed? Are you nineteen now?"
"Yes, because it’s past my birthday."
"By the way, when I first saw you, you weren’t that big, but now aren’t you taller than me?"
Demuir compared the top of his head with the top of my head, and Organ and Dano laughed at him.
"It’s obvious that Den is much bigger now."
"Aren’t you the shortest among us now?"
When the two made fun of him, Demuir cried injustice. "But I’m taller than Miss Fiona!"
Dano kicked Demuir’s butt. "Oh, man, how can a man compare height with a woman!"
"Aheuk!"
Everyone burst into laughter as Demuir laid down, holding on to his kicked butt.
I had grown over 10 centimeters in the past two years and had to re-fit my uniform several times.
"Come on, let’s talk about heights and work dinner after work and get to work now."
Fiona clapped and encouraged us, and we went back to the office and started our respective work
-o-
Prime Minister Arcanta plopped across on the office sofa.
William, who was checking the papers, looked at the drooped prime minister, and asked, "Did something happen?”
Arcanta rubbed his face. "No, I’m tired from thinking about where to get the money from in the budget."
"Oh, because of having to receive the Fairy Tribe’s delegation this time?”
The prime minister smiled bitterly and affirmed William’s conjecture. "Yeah, I heard that this time, a Khan of the Fairy Tribe is coming." Arcanta sighed.
Bloody, who was eating snacks next to him, asked, "Khan? Compared with the empire, would it be a duke?"
Arcanta shook his head. "No, the Fairy Tribe’s nation doesn’t have a class system like the empire, so he’s not a duke. If you want to place a name to it, it’s more of a king than a duke."
"Is that so?"
"Well, even though I say a king, there’s not much of a difference from a duke because a Khan manages territory given by the Great Khan, the emperor."
There was a status system in the Fairy Tribe’s nation, but there was no distinction in status between nobles, unlike the empire. Its status differentiations were only for the Great Khan, the emperor of the nation, imperial family, nobles, middle class, ordinary citizens, and low-class peoples. Even though a Khan was a king, the status ranks were quite complicated, as there were hereditary Khans, inheriting the title from generation to generation, and there were Khans appointed by the emperor without hereditary succession.
"So who’s the Khan coming this time?" William asked.
Arcanta sighed. "Well, it’s the grandson of the Great Khan, Khan Palamut who is leading the delegation, but in reality, it is likely the Guardian Knight Marsen who is in command."
"Guardian Knight Marsen? The guardian knight of the Great Khan that I know?"
When William was surprised, Bloody tilted his head.
"Who is Marsen? Is he strong?"
At Bloody’s one-dimensional question, Arcanta sighed deeply once again.
"He’s the Fairy Tribe’s guardian knight who fought with your grandfather, Galak Blade, against the Demon King!" Arcanta cried.
Bloody, who had been pondering, clapped his hands as if he finally remembered. "Oh! That pointy-eared ahjussi? I met him once when I was playing with my grandfather when I was a kid. He was a strong ahjussi."
Arcanta looked at Bloody, who was nodding to himself, with surprise. "You have met the Fairy Knight, Marsen?"
Bloody nodded his head like it was no big deal and put a cookie in his mouth. "Yeah, he looked very young for a friend of my grandfather’s.”
"Well, the Fairies are famous for nearly not aging. No, so tell me more in detail so I can use it for reference in welcoming the delegation."
The prime minister didn’t have to worry too much about the budget because the money would come if he squeezed the departments. However, due to the nature of the closed-door Fairy Tribe, foreigners were not welcomed, leading to a lack of knowledge about their culture and etiquette, causing a headache for the prime minister.
"Hmm, what comes to mind is that he was a very simple person.”
"Simple? A man famous for his resourcefulness?" Arcanta eyed him distrustfully.
Bloody shrugged. "That’s what I felt. Well, maybe I could be remembering it wrong because I was so young."
"Really? I’ll filter through the information myself, so keep going.”
"He said if you easily show your back, it’s a disgrace as a warrior, and if you grill the meat whole, it’s...”
"Wait, meat? I understand the Fairies are generally vegetarian.”
"What are you talking about? He ate a wild boar all by himself. And what kind of vegetarian are they to learn archery and horsemanship from a young age? You don’t need archery and horsemanship if you’re a vegetarian."
Bloody’s rebuttal left Arcanta perplexed.
At Bloody’s words, William swept his chin and said, "Perhaps it’s the thin bodies of the Fairies that makes others mistake them as vegetarians?" William surmised.
Arcanta looked shocked.
"I heard from my father that the Fairy Tribe used to be nomadic people, but if nomads had enough water to cultivate crops, they wouldn’t have been nomads."
Bloody nodded at William’s words.
"Right, you can’t be that strong from just eating grass. He really ate like a pig."
At Bloody and William’s words, Arcanta looked slightly shocked.
"I feel like the image from my childhood fantasy is shattering. In the adventure children’s tales I read about defeating the Demon King, the Fairy Tribe were elegant."
At Arcanta’s dismay, Bloody shook off the crumbs from his hand.
"Oh, that children’s tale with my grandfather as the main character? Everything in it is fake. The just warrior Galak Blade? As far as I know, there are very few people who are as selfish as my grandfather. If we’re talking about being just, my father is a lot more just than my grandfather."
When Bloody snorted, William nodded with a sorry face.
"I’ve read that children’s tale, and I also definitely felt a sense of dissociation. My father came out as a wise man who was completely detached from the desires of the world, and for a moment I thought it was talking about someone else.”
At Bloody and William word’s, Arcanta felt like the last of his little remaining childhood innocence was shattered.
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