36 CHAPTER XXI -- WHY WAS WE TARGETED? (1/2)

The day after Sherry's birthday.

I'm going to the castle.

After what happened yesterday, they're not going to stop planning on rewarding me.

So today I'll wear formal wear and ride alone in the carriage.

Then when I arrived at the castle, I was ushered into the audience chamber, where I was instructed in the manner of an audience in front of the room.

When you enter, His Majesty the Emperor is sitting on his throne, and you should walk straight up to a good distance and get down on one knee and put one arm on the other knee. Oh, and please bow your head afterwards .

I understand.

Well, come on in.

Then the guide opens the door.

I went through the door and entered.

The audience hall is wide and there are nobles on either side.

By the way, Grandma didn't come because she couldn't leave the saint and Lina at home.

Walk up to the emperor at the back of the room and, when you feel you're in the right place, kneel down on one knee and put your arms on your knees and bow your head.

Then the emperor says, ”Lift your head.

I raise my head.

The emperor confirms it and reads from a piece of paper in his hand.

”I reward you for capturing the impregnable underground dungeon and defending my daughter and our guests from yesterday's attack. As a reward, I will knight Leons Forster with a baronetcy and grant him an imperial residence.

At this, the nobles in line buzzed.

Quiet! This reward seems reasonable to me, but what's the problem?

The Emperor asked the nobles.

And the nobles fell silent.

”You seem to be all right. You're all right, then, Leons Forster. Will you accept it?

Okay, yes. I'd appreciate it.

How could I say no here? .....

When the audience was over, the guide took me to the room where I usually talk to the emperor.

When I entered the room, I saw the emperor, my uncle and a woman I didn't know.

I looked at the woman and the uncle introduced me to her.

Come to think of it, Leo, you haven't met Elise yet. This is Elise Forster, the Prime Minister of the country and the political supporter of His Majesty.

Forster? Are you related?

Yeah, that's my wife.

”What? My uncle was married?

I didn't expect that!

I always thought I was all about work: ....

'I shouldn't be that surprised. I'm old enough to be married.

'Yes, but I always thought you were single...'

I look at Elise as I say that.

”It's nice to meet you, Leo-kun.

And then the emperor.

Elise is a remarkable woman. She's a woman, but she's so good, and at her age she's become a vizier.

I complimented Elise on that.

'That's because the emperor has chosen me.

It means I'm talented enough to make me want to choose.

Thank you. Let's stop talking about this and get to the point.

Elise has changed the subject.

Yeah, I'll cut to the chase and tell you about yesterday.

After all, were you able to get any information from the ninja you caught yesterday?

I asked the most important question of all.

And then the uncle.

'No, they only say it's because they're all on a mission, and it's like they weren't actually told what kind of request it was.

He answered.

So I don't know what the point was, then.

That's pretty much it.

'What? Really?

Yeah, Allen taught me that.

He did?

That's right. That's when I thought I'd won.

Yeah. So what did you want?

Well, first of all, the targets this time were Leo, the princess, Rihanna, and Frank.

'What? Why us?!

I yelled out in surprise.

'Allen says that this time we had a number of requests on top of each other.

Yeah. So who asked you to kill us?

”I'm going to tell you in order. First, Leo-kun. ”Your son was targeted by the Kingdom.

'What? What have I done to the kingdom?

I don't see any reason to believe that we would be targeted at all.

He said he was after the Holy Sword.

'Yeah, Grandma said something about the kingdom going after the Holy Sword.

You really wanted the holy sword: ....

Then there's Little Rihanna. Little Rihanna seems to have been commissioned by the Pope.

I knew it: .... But why didn't you go for the saints?

The holy woman is old. He said that the reason why Rihanna was targeted was so that Rihanna wouldn't be as popular as she was when the saint died.

It's really rotten: ....

How much does the Pope want to be popular: ....

'And it was your brother, Frank, who was after Mr. Frank.

'What? Why bother with your brother?

incline one's head to the side (in doubt)

Frank's brother was so badly behaved that he couldn't be made the next head of the family. So maybe he's trying to kill his brother so that he'll be the only heir apparent.

It's rotten too: ....

Finally, there's the princess: .....

Speaking of which, why is Sherry the target of this attack?

That's .....

Uncle said stagnantly.

Okay. I'll talk to him.

The queen just walked in.

Okay. Yes, please.

”Shelia has a half-brother. . she has a half-brother. .... That mother wants her child to be the next king for sure.