Episode 219: A Notable Invitation (2)
A few days later, an invitation from the Emperor arrived at the mansion.
“Brother! It’s here! The invitation has arrived!”
“Damian! Your clothes! The ones we prepared in advance!”
“Wow, is this really a letter from the Imperial Palace? It looks so ordinary.”
Everyone seemed more excited than Damian himself, which was understandable given that it was an invitation from the Emperor.
‘Finally, I can get my hands on Hemeira.’
Hemeira.
The legendary armor Damian had wielded during his days as a Death Knight.
As far as Damian knew, there was no armor on the continent that surpassed Hemeira. It was not only a masterpiece of armor but also one of the top five legendary artifacts.
However, no one knew of Hemeira’s existence now, as it had been sealed away immediately after its creation.
Even in its sealed state, Hemeira was incredibly durable, capable of repelling aura, and as light as a feather. It was superior to any armor crafted by master artisans, so much so that it was stored in the Imperial Treasury.
‘How did Dorgo come to possess Hemeira again… Wasn’t it after Pandemonium acquired it from another knight?’
The Empire had once issued the sealed Hemeira to a knight. That knight was later killed by Pandemonium during a mission.
Recognizing the armor’s unusual nature, Pandemonium investigated and eventually broke the seal.
Afterward, Hemeira was presented to Dorgo, who then passed it on to Damian.
‘But what I really want is a piece of Erebos.’
The Empire also held a fragment of Erebos, but it wasn’t something Damian could simply ask for.
It was hidden within the Emperor’s ancestral sword.
‘In my past life, how did Dorgo get it again… Oh, right, from the First Prince.’
The First Prince had taken the sword to the battlefield as a symbol of authority when he went to war in place of the Emperor.
The problem was that the First Prince made repeated blunders and was eventually captured by Dorgo.
As a result, the fragment of Erebos hidden within the sword also fell into Dorgo’s hands.
“Well, I’m off then.”
Damian prepared himself and headed to the Imperial Palace.
‘Who would have thought I’d return here?’
Standing before the palace gates, Damian looked up at the Imperial Palace, lost in thought.
At the end of the War of Destruction, Dorgo, having succeeded in killing the Empire’s greatest swordsman, advanced on the capital with Damian in tow.
After massacring the citizens of the capital, they captured the Emperor.
It was on that day that Damian regained control of his body and exacted his revenge on Dorgo.
“Damian Haxen here. I’ve been invited by His Majesty.”
Damian announced to the guards at the gate. Without a word, they opened the gates for him.
‘It’s still overwhelming, even now.’
Inside, Damian couldn’t help but be awed.
The heart of the Empire was protected by countless layers of magic, so numerous that even Damian found it difficult to discern them all.
‘Even Dorgo couldn’t breach the palace’s magic without me.’
Ultimately, Dorgo had to rely on Damian to break through the palace’s defenses.
“Sir Damian, I presume?”
A middle-aged man greeted Damian as he ventured further inside.
“I’m Balzac Jansen, the chamberlain. Please, follow me.”
Guided by the chamberlain, Damian made his way deeper into the palace.
“His Majesty is waiting for you inside, Sir Damian.”
Walking alongside the chamberlain, Damian traversed the corridor and passed through a grand door into the audience chamber.
The Imperial audience chamber was nothing short of magnificent.
The ceiling soared high, and the space was vast, almost overwhelming in its grandeur.
Golden tapestries adorned the walls, and the floor was paved with precious amber.
A red carpet stretched from the entrance to the opposite end, where the Emperor sat on his throne.
The chamber wasn’t empty; it was filled with numerous nobles.
“Let Damian Haxen step forward.”
The Emperor’s voice, though soft, resonated throughout the chamber, likely amplified by magic.
Damian walked along the carpet, observing the faces of the nobles as he passed.
Among them was the First Prince, Kael Adelite, who glared at Damian with a cold, hostile expression.
‘I’m supposed to stop where the guards are standing, right?’
Following the etiquette Rachel had taught him, Damian halted where the guards stood, about eight meters from the Emperor.
He knelt on one knee, waiting for the Emperor to speak.
”…”
But the Emperor remained silent for a long moment.
”…Come closer.”
Suddenly, the Emperor commanded.
Damian hesitated but then rose and moved forward, stopping about seven meters away.
”…Closer still.”
The Emperor repeated his request, and Damian had no choice but to comply, moving even closer.
He stopped at a distance of five meters.
”…No, come right up to me.”
A man who appeared to be a royal guard spoke up.
“Your Majesty, while I don’t doubt Sir Damian’s intentions…”
“Damian Haxen, come to me.”
Puzzled, Damian approached the Emperor.
The Emperor was a man of considerable stature, someone who could have been a great knight had he trained with the sword.
As Damian observed the Emperor, the latter suddenly rose from his throne and approached him.
“Your Majesty!”
The royal guard exclaimed in shock, but the Emperor did not halt his advance. He stopped so close that Damian could hear his breathing.
‘What is going on?’
Damian looked at the Emperor, bewildered.
The Emperor slowly reached out to Damian, his hand trembling slightly.
Suddenly, he grasped Damian’s hand and, to everyone’s astonishment, began to weep.
“Your Majesty!”
“What have you done to His Majesty?”
The nobles cried out in alarm. Damian felt utterly wronged. What had he done?
“Enough… Everyone, be silent…”
The Emperor’s words silenced the chamber once more.
“Nothing… nothing is wrong… Sir Damian has done nothing wrong…”
Even as he spoke, tears continued to stream down the Emperor’s face.
“I don’t know… I don’t know why tears are falling… Why… why do I weep when I look at you…”
The next moment, everyone in the chamber was stunned.
The Emperor knelt before Damian.
“Your Majesty!”
“How could you do such a thing…!”
The Emperor of the Empire kneeling before another? It was unthinkable, an act that should never happen.
Yet the Emperor’s eyes were fixed solely on Damian.
“I intend to declare you the winner of the Helian Tournament and bestow upon you the title of ‘Heavenly Sword.’”
The Heavenly Sword.
Even as the winner of the Helian Tournament, it was an exceedingly grand title for Damian, who had only just reached the Master Class.
“Ah, yes…”
But Damian had no time to dwell on the title. The Emperor was kneeling before him.
“It is customary to reward those who receive my invitation… Speak your desire. Whatever it is, I shall grant it.”
“Your Majesty!”
The royal guard cried out in alarm.
While Damian Haxen’s achievements were significant, granting an unrestricted wish was excessive.
Yet the Emperor ignored the guard, focusing solely on Damian.
“Uh… I would like to receive a suit of armor.”
“Armor? Very well. I shall give you the finest one.”
“I would like to choose it myself.”
“Granted. You may do so.”
The Emperor agreed to Damian’s request without a moment’s hesitation, leaving Damian even more bewildered.
“Your request is modest. It does not ease my heart. If there is anything else you need, speak.”
“Uh, then…”
At that moment, Damian hesitated.
Hemeira was tempting, but he desired the fragment of Erebos even more.
The problem was that the fragment was hidden within the Emperor’s sword.
He had planned to find another way, but the situation was unfolding unexpectedly. Perhaps? Maybe?
“I would like to receive Your Majesty’s sword.”
Damian spoke impulsively. As expected, the chamber erupted in chaos.
“What madness is this!”
The First Prince, Kael Adelite, reacted vehemently, leaping to his feet.
“You’ve lost your mind! Your Majesty! We cannot let this man live! Execute him immediately…”
“First Prince, be silent.”
“I cannot! The sword symbolizes the Emperor’s authority! This man is mocking you!”
The Emperor turned to the First Prince, his eyes blazing.
“It seems my words fall on deaf ears! Must I tear out your tongue for you to understand?”
The Emperor’s rebuke silenced the First Prince.
“The sword… I don’t know why you desire such a thing.”
The Emperor rose, drew the sword from his waist, and extended it to Damian.
“It’s nothing special. Take it.”
In that moment, the chamber was thrown into turmoil once more.
Afterward, Damian visited the treasury to select his armor and then returned to the mansion.
“Brother!”
“Damian!”
As soon as they stepped inside, Michael and Rachel rushed over, their faces filled with urgency.
“Is it true? Did His Majesty really kneel before you?”
“That can’t be true, right?”
Damian scratched his cheek, a bit sheepish. “Actually, it is.”
The two of them froze on the spot, stunned by his admission.
“Brother, I hope you don’t mind me asking… but is the rumor true?”
“What rumor?”
“That you’re the Emperor’s illegitimate child?”
Damian frowned at the absurdity. Both his parents were very much alive and well, so where was this nonsense coming from?
“That’s ridiculous.”
“But… that’s the word on the street. They say you’re the Emperor’s secret son, and that’s why he was so moved he cried.”
Damian looked at Michael, incredulous. “Don’t believe such nonsense.”
“Then why did the Emperor kneel… wh-why did he kneel?”
Damian found himself at a loss for words. He had no clue either.
“Maybe… it’s a midlife crisis,” he suggested, choosing his words carefully.
“Anyway, Damian, there’s a guest waiting for you. Someone you need to meet personally,” Rachel interjected.
Damian headed to the drawing room with Rachel.
“Oh, Damian Haxen! The Knight of the Celestial Sword!”
A swordsman, clearly drunk, was waiting for him.
“What brings you here?” Damian asked.
The swordsman took a long swig from his bottle before replying, “Last time we met, you seemed interested in the Demon Slayer Order.”
His eyes gleamed with excitement. “I’m going to hunt down a great evil. Want to join me?”