The solemn sound of instruments echoed, and the heavy door in front of Arata started to move.

 

A straight red carpet stretched out before him.

 

On both sides, there were rows of many people.

 

Everyone was dressed flamboyantly, not to be outdone by the splendid hall of the throne.

 

To at least maintain basic manners, Arata was forced to change into formal wear, like a morning coat.

 

This was a few days after the incident with the dark guild 『Fenrir.』

 

For rescuing Prince Glen and subjugating the dark guild 『Fenrir,』 it was decided that the kingdom would award Arata a medal.

 

In the story, when you achieve many feats, events occur where the king or the Knight’s Orders award medals or items.

 

But Arata suspected another purpose for this ceremony.

 

Essentially, it was a gag order and a show for both domestic and international audiences.

 

For Arata, it was a thinly-veiled threat: accept the medal and reward and let this incident slide.

 

Another goal seemed to be to clarify the position of the kingdom, and by extension, the royal family, by awarding the medal.

 

According to Vergil-san, multiple nobles and even some royals were involved with the dark guild 『Fenrir.』

 

Moreover, 『Fenrir』 treated people from other countries, like Garcia-san, as slaves.

 

Therefore, by recognizing the hero of this incident, they likely wanted to show it as a mere act of rebellion by some individuals.

 

This transparent motive made the medal awarding ceremony an uncomfortable experience for Arata.

 

The impolite stares from the attending nobles.

 

About 80% of them were a mix of disgust and contempt, the rest merely curious.

 

Only a few were friendly.

 

After the medal awarding, a party began.

 

It was not a dance or dinner party but merely an occasion for nobles to stand and talk about politics and factions.

 

Rose: “…I’m exhausted.”

 

Rose-san, in her dress, muttered her complaint.

 

In a sense, she was the biggest victim in this incident.

 

Almost killed, nearly framed, and to top it off, betrayed by her confidante, Dorothy-san.

 

The betrayal was due to Dorothy-san’s child being taken hostage, as found in her suicide note.

 

Though Rose-san pretended not to be bothered, she must have been shocked inside.

 

Ideally, Arata should say something comforting, but this was something she had to overcome herself, especially if she planned to continue as the captain of the Second Knight’s Order.

 

Arata: “Why are you more tired than me, Rose-san?”

Rose: “Because being in the same space as those nobles is painful.”

 

Though she was also from the noble side, Arata understood her sentiment this time.

 

There were many overtly disdainful glances at Rose-san in that place.

 

It seemed the kingdom’s nobility still held the belief that those not of noble birth were lesser.

 

Rose-san was the captain of the Second Knight’s Order.

 

In terms of status, she was incomparable to any minor nobility and on par with marquises and dukes.

 

After all, she was the captain of a Knight’s Order responsible for national defense.

 

However, being a reincarnated person, she had no noble lineage, effectively a commoner.

 

To those born and raised as nobles, she might seem nothing more than a noble in name, even as a Knight’s Order captain.

 

As for Arata, he was knighted and given a title for his achievements, but it was an honorary rank, not nobility.

 

In the story, he could become a knight through contributing to the kingdom, but it hardly brought any benefits other than for collecting skill points and medals.

 

At the party, a few nobles spoke to him, but it was all formalities.

 

With that, Arata and Rose-san both headed to the lounge.

 

There, they could have some snacks and spend time without worrying about the nobles’ gazes and conversations.

 

That was what Arata thought, but…

 

Unknown: “May I have a moment?”

 

A voice called out unexpectedly.

 

Arata recognized the person.

 

–Prince James the Second.

 

In the story, he had a bloody history of murdering the previous king and heirs to ascend the throne.

 

His current position was a general, and he had a strong, soldierly build, intimidating just by standing there.

 

Why would Prince James need something from Arata?

 

As Arata pondered, he recognized Prince James’ escort knight.

 

It was Theo-san, the captain of the First Knight’s Order, who had helped him in the town of Rene.

 

Seeing Arata’s gaze, Theo-san showed a smile.

 

Noticing the friendly atmosphere, Prince James looked puzzled.

 

Prince James: “An acquaintance?”

Theo: “Yes. He helped me with an incident in Loine.”

Prince James: “I see… So the kingdom owes him twice now.”

 

Convinced by Theo-san’s words, Prince James turned back to Arata and began to speak.

 

Prince James: “I’ll get straight to the point. Arata—join the Knight’s Order.”

 

This was an abrupt invitation.

 

Prince James: “Of course, I promise you a position of considerable status. How about… the position of vice-captain of the Second Knight’s Order is currently vacant. Join there, and when I become the king in the future, you could serve as a general. What do you think?”

Arata: “Why me? It’s a tempting offer, but why choose me?”

Prince James: “The kingdom has fallen. The rotten nobility prevails, and the corruption has even spread to the Knight’s Orders.”

 

Arata learned that the captain of the Third Knight’s Order had connections with Fenrir. It seemed that not a few nobles were involved in this incident, and the kingdom’s corruption was at a serious level.

 

Prince James: “As a member of the royal family, I have the duty to guide this country and its people. Therefore, to carve a future for the kingdom, we need talented individuals like you.”

Unknown: “—Nonsense.”

 

A voice dismissively interrupted Prince James, who was speaking passionately. Arata turned to see a man, accompanied by several knights, walking towards them.

 

Theo: “The Crown Prince Edward.”

 

Theo-san, who had come near unnoticed, whispered and explained to Arata. The Crown Prince, meaning the eldest son.

 

According to Theo-san, Crown Prince Edward was entrusted with the kingdom’s finances and was at odds with Prince James, who was in charge of the military.

 

Prince James: “Nonsense, you say?”

Crown Prince Edward: “Yes, nonsense indeed. I don’t understand why we need to introduce an outsider into a well-managed country run by the royal family and nobility.”

Prince James: “You’re the one who doesn’t understand, brother.”

Crown Prince Edward: “What did you say?”

Prince James: “The nobility are noble because of their past glories… Now, how many among those who boast of being nobles have woven achievements worthy of their status?”

 

Crown Prince Edward seemed to be a conservative, advocating for the privileges of the royal family and nobility. In contrast, Prince James appeared to be a reformist, believing in meritocracy.

 

As Edward suggested, granting power to the common people might irreversibly disrupt the current balance of power. However, as James argued, if the country was led only by nobles by blood, the situation would only worsen.

 

While it was hard to say which was better, it was clear that the kingdom’s nobility needed at least some purging of corruption, if not a complete overhaul.

 

After a tense standoff, Crown Prince Edward left abruptly, following a whisper from one of his knights. Perhaps he had some other engagement.

 

Prince James: “…What nonsense about nobility and noble blood. In battle, rank means nothing, and in death, we’re just lumps of flesh.”

 

Prince James muttered darkly, almost as if eager for conflict.

 

Prince James: “That was quite the interruption… Let me ask again. Arata, won’t you become a knight?”

Arata: “…I appreciate the offer, but I can’t decide right here.”

 

Arata implied he had no intention of becoming a knight. Being a knight would restrict his actions and divert him from his original goal of exploring this world. While it promised stability, serving under Prince James seemed tiresome.

 

Prince James: “I see.”

Arata: “I’m sorry.”

Prince James: “Don’t worry. But if you change your mind, let me know.”

 

Prince James seemed to have anticipated Arata’s refusal. He gave up surprisingly quickly and left.

 

There might be other reincarnated individuals in this world, like Arata. Friendly former players like Rose-san were fine, but there could also be hostile players.

 

Someone was definitely creating cheat items, as evidenced by the current situation.

 

And there would be unavoidable battles with this world’s people and monsters, like with 『Fenrir.』

 

The kingdom was rife with conflicting interests – the Crown Prince, Prince James, the nobility, the Knight’s Orders, and the Seventh Prince, Princess Glen.

 

Arata, now known publicly, was inevitably caught in these machinations. He could no longer pretend to be unaware.

 

For a while, he might be safe. After one turmoil, it seemed unlikely to be involved in another soon. But he had a premonition that he would eventually be entangled in the roots of this matter.

 

He needed to become stronger – level up, acquire skills, gather weapons. It was a dangerous path, and not one he necessarily had to take. A single mistake could cost him his life, and with no known resurrection method, that meant death.

 

But why? This wasn’t a game, yet part of him enjoyed this situation.