Chapter 76

Noah left the audience chamber.

Optimus, seated on the throne, watched him go.

Optimus was born a king.

He always had to consider the future of the Kingdom of Albion.

What was required of a king in this world was how to navigate through the dark ages successfully.

It sounds simple, but first, he had to unite the local lords, skillfully control the noble families that had continued for generations, and build up the nation's strength.

Until now, the Alliance of the Five Great Nations had exerted its power. Ironically, it was because of the dark ages that peace was maintained between nations.

However, the system was beginning to show signs of ending.

The Lotus Empire is the oldest and largest nation on this continent.

The once powerful empire had been quiet for several decades.

But with the new emperor's ascension, it was gradually regaining its strength.

The new emperor immediately annexed several neighboring small countries upon taking office and distributed wealth to the nobles.

He reviewed the industries and reminded the people of the past glory.

The threat also came from his skillful use of the Frater religion to increase the number of believers.

"Your Majesty."

"Robert. It seems this country has not yet been abandoned by fortune."

Robert, who had returned, bowed to Optimus, who was deeply seated on the throne.

"Noah Ignis. It seems he has caught your favor, Your Majesty."

"Yes, we seem to be complete opposites."

Robert tilted his head, as if unsure of Optimus's thoughts. With a smile, Optimus asked for Robert's opinion.

"What do you think of Noah?"

"It seems he possesses more magical power than I do."

Robert recalled the feeling of his magic being sealed by the audience chamber's mechanism.

"I only noticed the discomfort after visiting the audience chamber several times."

"Indeed, he seemed to move awkwardly despite his constant calm smile."

Robert continued, recalling the report on Noah.

"At the guild, he used skills continuously without ever running out of magic power."

"Is that certain?"

Optimus looked at Robert with a slightly surprised expression.

"Yes, Your Majesty. He completes a daily quota of about fifty status imprints without taking a break or complaining of discomfort after each one."

"That's... efficiency and profit are important, but the guild is pushing him quite hard."

"Yes, I thought so too. However, the magic guild, which cooperated in skill experiments and textbook creation, seems to believe he can handle it."

Any skill requires a certain amount of magic power. The ability to use such a powerful skill, which reveals one's abilities like an ability score, continuously, was quite extraordinary.

"For now, he is taking a very cooperative attitude. He is not overly interacting with the nobility and is strictly following the words of the late king."

"I see."

If Noah were to become close to a particular noble, that person might gain significant power. If Noah were to strengthen his own faction, it could become a seed of rebellion. The late king chose to place Noah with the Mencius Knights, whose leader, Tristan, is from a duke's family and a relative of the royal family. Tristan, the second son, is known for his serious nature. Entrusting Noah directly to the duke's family would be risky, but the late king believed Tristan could handle it.

"On the surface, that seems to be the case. He is known for his peaceful and conflict-averse nature."

"And?"

"Do you remember the first time I met him?"

Optimus nodded. The late king had ordered Robert to see the man he favored.

"He managed to capture a group of fraudsters and their noble patron within a limited time and with limited manpower. He is not just a tool for copying abilities."

"The ability to make use of those around him... to have such skill and still refuse to take a leadership role."

Optimus was against Noah becoming too close to any particular noble. However, he wanted to keep Noah attached to the country while maintaining a friendly relationship. The easiest way would be marriage. The Earl of Essex, whom the late king trusted, had a daughter, and she was Noah's childhood friend. Yet, Noah had refused to become the Earl's adopted son and marry his childhood friend.

"Robert, I am a born royal. To stand here, I sometimes have to let go of important things."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Optimus ran his hand along the throne.

"The reason Noah is so attached to his guild position is probably because of this. He seems to have many things he cannot abandon. He is truly the opposite of me, isn't he?"

"Your Majesty..."

"Would he prefer friends and freedom over power and money...? But even if he is not a noble, I cannot let him go."

Optimus touched the gold ring in his ear and murmured.

"Regarding the enhancement, it seems we can proceed with Noah at the center. Robert."

"Understood. I will summon the three nobles to the council."

Optimus took the paper Robert offered, which listed the conditions for joining the royal guard, and reviewed it again.

"Will the last condition pass?"

Robert was not against allowing beastmen to join the royal guard. He was concerned about the nobles' objections, understanding Optimus's intentions.

"It will pass."

Optimus smiled confidently. Robert, for the first time in a while, found the king intimidating. Optimus was a bold and wise king, inheriting the late king's wisdom. However, this expression, which he occasionally showed, was truly the face of King Optimus.

"The Lotus Empire seems unwilling to let go of the Imprint Bearers."

"Does that mean they will withdraw from the Alliance of the Five Great Nations...?"

"Perhaps. They are still being vague, but it might come to that."

Robert's expression stiffened. Optimus frowned and sighed.

"The issue is the timing. The Lotus Empire might use the dark ages to absorb Albion."

Imprint Bearers are indeed attractive. But the world will soon realize how important it is to efficiently raise one's status.

"At this stage, they cannot act too strongly. If they criticize us for separating Noah from the guild, we can counter by asking if they are monopolizing the Imprint Bearers."

Optimus vowed to place Noah under his protection and persuaded him. He would give him a title to protect him from interference, like naming Cerberus and putting a collar on him.

"Noah will be our country's trump card."

---

Although I said it would be a Persona chapter, I couldn't finish writing everything I wanted to.

I will change the chapter name eventually.

I still haven't caught up with the plot I came up with around this time last year. I wonder why.

Please don't point out that Quincy had logged out at some point.

I was planning to write a scene where he was watching over Noah from somewhere, but I gave up halfway.

I'll do my best on the next chapter.

January 12, 2015 - Revised