Many people crowded into the large hall, which even the guild officials couldn’t always enter easily. In addition to the blood relatives of the marquis family and high-ranking officials of the guild, even the small aristocrats who were ruling over a small region and big merchants who were in charge of distribution, also gathered to identify the conquerors.
The guild’s employees, including Lisi, who Walm was indebted to, was busy dealing with them. After all, there were only people with blue blood and prominent figures. Crudeness wasn’t… no, would never be allowed. Nevertheless, the staff did an excellent job of running and preparing for the event on time.
Having nothing to do at the time, Walm observed the proceedings of the ceremony cautiously from the corner.
In the course of time, Walm praised the work of the guild’s employees, but changed his mind. Why? He was assigned a seat that was only a few rows away from the front row. In contrast to the worn-out Walm, the people around him were all dressed with dignity and nobility. With the exception of the military personnel, only Walm and a few adventurers wore armor. He had nothing more decent than the armor. Had the armor not been repaired in time, the guards would have looked at him as if he were a poor citizen who somehow had sneaked in.
Contrary to the glamorous attendees, the security of the ceremony where big names gather was tight. Except for attendants and guards of the participants, all weapons were kept and managed by the guild.
Even the lonely Walm, who held nothing, didn’t feel any concern about security. Not in the least. At the venue alone, soldiers of the size of a platoon were stationed. From their behavior, he could see that they were thoroughly trained elite soldiers. In addition, the same number of escorts were present. In Walm’s estimation, if the outside of the venue was included, the mobilized soldiers would swell to the size of a company.
The head of the Marquis Borgia’s family, Orfeo de Borgia, stepped onto the stage and began to greet those present. Behind the Marquis stood the next head of the family, the eldest son. Although it was a celebration for the conqueror, he obviously wanted to lay a foundation for his successor. No one accused him of being selfish. Besides, it was necessary for the one stood at the top of the Labyrinth City to show the high level of military authority and prestige he possessed, both internally and externally.
That said, when the speech started to mention the introduction of the next head of the family, the family lineage, and even the history, it was a different story. Most of the those present listened intently, but Walm was barely awake, and on the edge of spoiling the atmosphere. One of the aims of the ceremony was to ascertain the conquerors. The rest was heavily implicated by those involved with existing interests who attended in order to strengthen their ties with the Marquis’ family. And lastly, those who had no connections certainly had the goal of getting the Marquis’ family to bite into their interests.
Even Walm could easily imagine the dizzying exchanges of money, business talks and secret agreements later at the dinner party after the ceremony. After all, you wouldn’t get anywhere in any world if you only believed in sweet empty words and did nothing.
Walm’s ears picked up a wet cough, as if it had been suppressed for a while.
It was the guard.
Walm didn’t know if it was the unfamiliar crowd, the pressure coming from those with the high status, or the inability to endure a long conversation, but some of the attendants and guards looked extremely pale.
Right. Among the prominent figures was the adventurer’s guild’s big shot, the Belgana Adventurer’s Guild Vice-Guild Leader. That must be the reason. If only he gave a short speech, the Marquis would get the most vote in the “who have the longest speech” contest. But that was a vain hope.
A long story that seemed like an eternity finally came to an end and the party celebrating the success of the Trimagitack, the new conquerors of the Labyrinth, was finally unveiled.
The colorful colors of the pipe organ, which flattered the ear, gave a splendid touch of color to the ceremony. From the pipe, which reached almost to the vaulted ceiling, emanated a sound pressure that made the stomach shook without rest. The strength of the sound changed according to the walking, the entrance of the main characters of this ceremony.
The familiar face was sublimated into a hero of a foreign country.
“…… Even as a joke, I still can’t bring myself to laugh at them.”
It was a grand ceremony after all. Even Walm, who should be used to seeing them, was mesmerized by their majestic appearance. The sunlight coming through the stained glass in the skylight penetrated the colored glass, illuminating the path they were going. Nothing but praise to the whoever came up with the design concept, that allowed the path of light to emerge depending on the time of daylight. Walm speculated that the strict time management of the ceremony was also due to the fact that the path would change as the sun tilted.
The visual and auditory production was a real coup. All eyes in the large square were focused on the Trimagitack and Marquis Orfeo who greeted them. Their graceful appearance could drive even a famous theater actor crazy with jealousy. The Marquis himself gave generous blessings and praise to the members of the Trimagitack, who were lined up in a row.
And the awarding of medals with a motif of crimson grass, the symbol of Belgana, the Labyrinth City, began.
Merrill’s hair and eyes were already conspicuous, but the sunlight pouring down and the medal on her chest added another layer of color, making her more conspicuous than ever.
It was truly a glorious moment.
As the excitement reached its climax, a blessing… no, a strange noise resounded.
“What… what’s that sound?”
It was a cacophony and shriek, like a clogged sewer backing up. It was so bad for just a sign for a surprise. So, no way it was. Looking at the confused soldiers and staff, there was no chance that it was planned.
In the roaring crowd, Walm pinpointed the source of the noise. There was one source of the noise… no, not just one. Hard to believe, but it was thrumming from the Vice-Guild Leader’s throat. Not only from him, but also from many escort soldiers, guild employees, and the participants.
“What’s going on? They’re convulsing!?”
“First of all, drag them outside!!!”
Shouted by a soldier in anger.
While the guards rushed in to get rid of the perpetrators of the incident. The various strange sounds rang out as if they were coordinated. Then, they inflated like balloons and exploded from within, all at once.
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