A few days later, the atmosphere throughout the Royal Capital had gone from initial shock to complete uproar.
Alderp, the lord who had once wielded immense power, was formally convicted of treason for colluding with Devils, attempting to kidnap members of the royal family, and secretly hoarding a vast number of desecrated Divine Treasures.
Although he had spent the entire journey in custody raving that everything was a conspiracy by the Adventurers, his fate had already been sealed the moment that ring and a mountain of incriminating evidence were placed before Claire.
And today was the day Kōichi and his companions were officially invited to the palace as the heroes who had saved the Royal Capital.
Inside the magnificent great hall of the royal palace, sunlight streamed through stained-glass windows and spilled across the gleaming marble floor.
Kōichi had changed into a reasonably presentable set of adventurer's formal attire, while the companions standing behind him were... distinctive, to say the least.
"Hey, Aqua, put away that Nature's Beauty fan you've been hiding in your sleeve this whole time! This is the royal palace, not some tavern in Axel!"
Kōichi lowered his voice and shot a fierce glare at the goddess, who was clearly itching to put on a water-spouting performance for the little princess.
"What's the big deal?! This is this goddess's highest-level Blessing for the royal family! That little girl Iris is definitely going to love it!"
Aqua talked tough, but after glancing at the rows of imposing Royal Guards surrounding them, she still shrank back a little.
"Kōichi, I-I can feel it... the way those Knights are looking at me... Is that awe? Admiration? And the expectation that, 'If it's this female Knight, surely she could endure any torture'? Hah... The atmosphere in the royal palace is wonderful..."
Darkness's face turned bright red as she squirmed unnaturally, prompting the surrounding Knights to exchange complicated looks. The heiress of the prestigious Dastinis family truly did live up to her reputation, in every possible sense.
Just as Kazuma nervously adjusted his collar, terrified that his more depraved exploits might somehow be exposed in public, the chamberlain called out loudly and the curtains at the far end of the hall slowly parted.
Princess Iris, young yet possessing a dignified presence, walked toward the throne accompanied by Claire and Rein.
The moment her gemstone-clear eyes fell on Kōichi, they flashed with sincere gratitude and... a subtle trace of curiosity.
"Heroes who saved the nation, please raise your heads."
Iris's clear, melodious voice echoed through the hall.
"Alderp's conspiracy has been exposed. Had you not stepped forward, the Royal Capital, and perhaps the entire kingdom, would have fallen into an irreversible darkness. As a representative of the royal family, I offer you my sincerest gratitude."
Claire stepped forward. Although the look she gave Kōichi still carried a trace of suspicion, as though she was absolutely convinced he had stolen something, she nevertheless unrolled the parchment and carried out her official duty.
"In recognition of the outstanding contributions made by the adventurers Kōichi Hayashi, Kazuma Satou, Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness during the Alderp rebellion, His Majesty the King hereby awards each of you fifty million Eris and confers upon you the title of Honorary Guardian of the Royal Capital!"
Fifty million!
After accepting a staggering reward large enough for an ordinary person to squander away over several lifetimes, the group was escorted to the royal palace's extravagantly luxurious dining hall.
The ten-meter-long white marble table was covered with delicacies that could not be found even in Axel's most expensive taverns.
There were deep-sea lobsters radiating waves of magic, roasted meat with truffles dusted in gold powder, and top-tier sparkling wine said to cost a million Eris a bottle, which Aqua had been staring at without blinking.
"This wine! Could this really be the Tears of the Snow Spirit from the Frozen Wastes?! It's crying! It's calling out for me to purify it!"
Having completely abandoned any semblance of Goddess-like dignity, Aqua was practically halfway onto the table, clutching two bottles of wine and refusing to let go. Beside her, Rein's eyebrow twitched repeatedly.
Megumin, meanwhile, wore an utterly serious expression as she prodded a massive monster egg with her fork and chanted under her breath.
"Oh, chaotic power slumbering within this eggshell, awaken within the mouth of the Greatest Mage of the Crimson Demon Clan..."
Seated at the head of the table, Iris watched this extraordinarily eccentric group of heroes. Rather than becoming annoyed, she broke into a genuinely cheerful smile.
She gracefully cut off a small piece of foie gras before speaking softly.
"Actually, besides thanking you all today, there's something else I'd like to tell you. To better understand this country, and also to hone my swordsmanship and strengthen my mind, I've decided to leave the palace in a few days and spend several months training and inspecting the border territories."
The moment she said that, Kazuma froze halfway through stuffing premium fruit into his clothes.
Iris turned toward Kōichi and Kazuma, looking at them earnestly.
"If you're willing, I can arrange for you to remain here as special royal advisors. The palace has the finest training grounds and the very best chefs, and... I'd also like to have more opportunities to learn from your experiences as Adventurers."
The moment Kazuma heard "the very best chefs" and realized they could stay at the palace, his eyes lit up like glowing Slimes.
He was just about to agree on the spot when a sudden chill ran up his spine.
He stiffly turned his head and met Kōichi's gaze.
Kōichi's eyes were shining with exactly the same sense of impending disaster.
Scenes from the past few days in the Royal Capital flashed through Kōichi's mind.
The nobles who had once sided with Alderp had been perfectly courteous to them on the surface, but the looks they gave them behind their backs made it seem as though they wanted to swallow them alive.
And then there were all the treasures they had conveniently taken during that night's "purification" operation. Claire had almost certainly started checking the accounts by now.
"Hey, Kazuma."
Kōichi spoke quietly enough that only the two of them could hear.
"You don't seriously think we're going to survive three days surrounded by nobles who'd love to chop us into mincemeat once our little protective charm of a princess leaves, do you?"
Kazuma shuddered.
An image immediately appeared in his mind of a group of burly Knights cornering him in a bathroom for a very "friendly chat," and cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
"...You're right. This place may be loaded with money, but staying alive is more important. Those nobles whose allies we took down are definitely waiting for Iris to leave before making their move."
Kōichi took a deep breath and put on an expression that somehow managed to look both deeply regretful and incredibly noble before bowing slightly to Iris.
"We're deeply grateful for Your Highness's kindness. But as Adventurers, our roots are in Axel. There are still many unfinished quests waiting for us there, and many suffering... ahem, many cabbages that still need to be harvested. Besides, as Honorary Guardians, we also need to return to the common people and uphold the authority of the royal family."
"What?! Cabbages are more important than the beds in the royal palace?!"
Aqua let out a wail, only for Kōichi to physically silence her with a swift karate chop.
"That's right! Axel is our battlefield!"
Kazuma rose with an air of righteous conviction, even theatrically wiping away tears that did not exist.
"Your Highness, please take good care of yourself. Once we've dealt with the urgent matters over there, we'll definitely return to pay our respects! (We'll come back once all this blows over!)"
A trace of reluctance flashed through Iris's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by admiration for these heroes who cared so little for wealth and glory.
"I see. Your resolve is truly moving. In that case, I won't force you to stay. I'll arrange the finest carriage to take you all back to Axel."
Claire snorted from the side. Her expression remained stern, but her tone had softened considerably.
"At least you have some self-awareness. Once you're back in Axel, don't go around using the royal family's name to swindle people!"
And so, driven forward by both money and mortal danger, the Party that had saved the Royal Capital once again set out on the road back to the beginner's village.
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