A few days had passed since the Magical War Games had ended.
“So the punishment for the imperial family is pretty much set?”
“Yes. Those who committed more serious crimes will be given appropriate sentences. With this, I think we can say that most of the rot within the country has been purged.”
“Huh... Well, despite everything that went down, I’m just glad it’s all settled. And now that I’ve dumped the most annoying job on you, I can finally relax!”
“Might I suggest not confiding such things to the person in question?”
“What can I say except I’m an honest man.”
Alveiro smiled wryly at my nonchalant shrug.
The end of the Magical War Games meant daily life had returned to normal. Psych. It sure hadn’t. Things were still as hectic as ever, though despite my few remaining duties, I’d mostly been taking it easy. In contrast, Alveiro found himself tackling the kind of busyness fit for an emperor. Thanks to the show we’d put on during the opening ceremony, everyone knew that Alveiro Velburn was now the leader of the Reauxgard Empire. But that didn’t mean the transition was simple. I’d taken care of as much admin stuff as I could beforehand, but there was still a mountain of stuff to do, so that was the work he was currently extremely busy with.
The awful dark circles under his eyes were tangible proof. Keep it up, dude. You got this. I’d give him some Super Potions as a gift later.
“Your Majesty Yuki... Excuse me, Lord Yuki. You’re no longer the emperor. However, we will still abide by your words. I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for this country. If we can ever repay the favor, don’t hesitate to ask.”
The one who’d just spoken was Kalcade, the steward of the imperial palace. His real identity was head of the spy organization Avend, a man who protected Reauxgard from the shadows. Now that Alveiro was the emperor, that was who he’d be working for, but since only a very small number of people knew who he really was, I’d been told not to reveal his secret either. He’s like a superspy. Also, I just realized that it was pretty unusual to know several folks who were spies or secret agents. But I also knew Runougil, the Demon King’s right-hand man.
“The good news is that we’ll still have the opportunity to communicate with you through the formation of this new group, my lord. Though I won’t be serving you any longer, as a member of the organization, I’ll continue to follow your lead. We’ll be here if you need us.”
The next to speak was Helgar Landros, the vice commander of the First Imperial Order of Knights and also a member of Avend. My relationship with him wouldn’t change despite Alveiro being his new boss too.
“Thanks, guys. Good to know you have my back. The reverse applies too. If you encounter anything you can’t handle, feel free to call me. I’ll probably notice anything monster-related before you. As for incidents to do with people, those won’t be on my radar.”
We were gathered here today to host a ceremony for the official formation of a new knightly order: Knight Order Zero, a group that was only allowed to use force when protecting this country. The name was originally supposed to be a temporary one, but we’d ended up keeping it because no one else had offered any ideas, plus maintaining the form of a knightly order was convenient for them. I was the commander. The other members were the three people present here—the twenty-fourth Emperor, Alveiro; Kalcade, the head of Avend; and Helgar Landros, vice commander of the First Order. Right now, it was just us four, though we weren’t ruling out increasing our numbers in the future.
Only a handful of folks even knew that we’d formed this group. They included the Demon King and a few high-ranking officials of this country. It was like a secret society, which was honestly kinda exciting. We’d be given a small budget. I personally didn’t need it, but I also hadn’t objected since the other members could use it. While I doubted they were hurting for money, you probably couldn’t have enough in the world outside.
On second thought, though...maybe I should’ve been keeping some in reserve too. I could earn it easily enough if I had to, but it was probably a good idea to have some readily available for when I needed it. I’d be sending Iluna and the others to school in the future, not to mention the kids waiting to be born. Plus, despite being able to buy most things in the dungeon, there were times when I had to pay others. For example, the elderly demon woman, Zena, who’d dropped in to check on Lefi and Lew. Yeah, I should start carrying a little of each country’s currency.
During a lull in the conversation, Alveiro spoke again.
“All right, let’s begin the ceremony. Commander Yuki, if you would please.”
“Roger.”
At my nod, the three of them snapped to attention, their relaxed attitudes gone. They drew the swords—katanas—at their waists, and pointed them toward me.
“Though born on different days, at different times, and to different races, we are of one heart. Though the hour of our deaths may differ, we are of one will.” I paused, looking at each of them, then continued. “So we shall aid each other, help the weak, bring peace to the people, and together protect this country. Though we may differ in all ways, we swear here to protect one another as friends and live righteously.”
Then, I also drew a katana—not En—with the same design as theirs from my waist, and lightly clinked my blade against each of theirs.
“I, Emperor Alveiro Velburn, the twenty-fourth of my line and a member of this Knight Order Zero, hereby acknowledge its formation. Commander Yuki, I look forward to working with you.”
“Likewise.”
That was the ceremony that was held whenever a knightly order was established in this country, although ours had been pretty informal. Like the Oath of the Peach Garden, huh? Though the content was pretty different. It wasn’t a pledge to become sworn brothers or anything like that, not to mention that I was completely driven by ulterior motives, but our desire to protect the country was the same. Even the emperor was just a member. Therefore, Order Zero wouldn’t be taking on any outside jobs. We would only work together to protect the country when a threat appeared. A unique order, united only by that single purpose.
Now, instead of “emperor,” my title was “knight commander.” A lot less fancy and better for me personally. Which begged the question, why had I even bothered being emperor in the first place?
“I must say, these are fine swords. The curve and the single edge tell me the design is foreign, so they must be quite expensive, no? Where were they made?”
The super serious ceremony over, Alveiro made those comments while looking at his sword with great interest.
“The materials are high-quality too. I figured you guys deserved that much, since you formed this group for me.”
“Then...I take it you made these, Commander Yuki?”
“Ohhh, yeah, you didn’t know. I actually make my own weapons. That includes En too. By the way, that katana—I mean sword. While it has a sharp edge, it’s tricky to use, so it’s basically just for ceremonial use.”
Helgar and Kalcade seemed to understand what I meant as they inspected their swords and talked to each other.
“Hmm... It certainly looks difficult to handle. Helgar, have you ever used a single-edged sword?”
“I don’t think so. A dagger might be the closest I’ve come.”
“Once more, I’m reminded of your many talents, Lord Yuki.”
Alveiro murmured that with a rueful smile.
“Ha ha! Well, demon lords can do all sorts of things. Speaking of, my life span is long. Even after you all die of old age, I’ll still be here as the commander of Knight Order Zero.”
When they departed this mortal plane, I’d be responsible for any new recruits, so I’d made these swords with that in mind.
“I designed these swords to last. No matter how many years pass, I’ll know that anyone who shows me one is your descendant or someone you’ve entrusted with it. When that happens, I’ll do what I can to help, so don’t lose them.”
The three of them exchanged glances, then bowed deeply to me.
And so, I ceased to be the leader of the Reauxgard Empire.