Chương 624: B9 - Chapter 2: Merits

Days passed one after another, and with each new morning, the camp's mood grew brighter and livelier. The news that the Legion had truly left had spread, and the soldiers, no matter which faction they belonged to, moved around with far more ease. Their wary gazes, which had once seemed to expect an ambush at any moment, had visibly relaxed. Zeke's prediction also had something to do with the current mood.

He had informed the other two leaders that they would likely be summoned to the capital, and they naturally knew what that meant. Rewards. The deals each of them had struck with the Matriarchy were one thing, but it was highly likely that they were in for a second round of rewards from the kingdom of Rukia. Their group in particular, the three remaining Infiltrators, had reason to expect a substantial reward.

They had taken on the riskiest role, won the most decisive battle, and ultimately forced the Legion to retreat. All that while dealing with a traitor in their own ranks. Naturally, their expectations were high. It was exactly on the eighth day that news finally reached them. Cayrnwick's right-hand woman, in the shape of a bird, had been scouting the route to the capital when she noticed the procession heading toward them. She secretly infiltrated the convoy to learn their intentions.

What she discovered confirmed Zeke's prediction: they were on their way to this very camp on business from the capital. Having learned everything she needed to, the woman snuck back and informed Captain Cayrnwick, who relayed the information to the other two. And so, that very same afternoon, when the official convoy reached their fortified camp, they were greeted by all three leaders at the gate. Zeke stood on the improvised wall, looking down on the procession as it slowly approached.

Cayrnwick and Karas stood nearby, equally silent. There were two women and one man, riding bipedal creatures twice the size of ordinary horses. They had rough, bark-like skin and short but sturdy front limbs. Zeke recognized the breed. The natives called them Striders, rather intelligent creatures that excelled at navigating difficult terrain. The small group came to a halt before the closed gate. One of the riders, a middle-aged woman with a serious face, urged her mount forward.

"We are here on the orders of the Queen, delivering her word," she proclaimed.

"Is this where the forces of House Cayrnwick of Valour, the Unending Brigade, and the Hohenheim Mercenary Company reside?" For a moment, none of the three replied. Eventually, noticing that Zeke wasn't moving, Commander Skarn took a step forward.

"I am Karas Skarn, leader of the Unending Brigade." The woman nodded at him and was just about to continue when the commander interrupted her.

"Before any other matter is discussed, please clarify something for us," he said.

"Who is the Queen you serve? Last we heard, the Queen was missing." The messenger's expression tightened. Clearly, she was displeased at being questioned at the gate, but Skarn didn't care. His unblinking eyes were fixed on her, waiting for an answer. As an Archmage, his presence exerted considerable pressure, and despite her obvious displeasure, the woman didn't dare brush him off.

"I follow the new Queen, Miriel Arden Rukia, saviour of the realm." Skarn chuckled.

"As expected." He looked at both Zeke and Cayrnwick in turn and, after receiving nods from both of them, beckoned the guards to open the gate.

"Come in, then. Let us hear what your Queen has to say." The gate creaked open, and the three riders guided their mounts inside. They looked around, but found neither an elegant hall nor a banquette prepared. This was clearly not the reception they had hoped for, but neither Zeke, Cayrnwick, nor Skarn cared. Even if the old Queen, an Exarch-level powerhouse, had sent her envoys, their reception wouldn't have been much different.

The three leaders stepped off the wall to meet the new Queen's delegation in the courtyard. The area was already ringed with hundreds of spectators. Everyone was eager to hear what sort of reward the Queen would bestow upon them. The three riders didn't dismount, now towering over everyone. Zeke inwardly rolled his eyes. This was clearly payback for greeting them from high up on the gate. It was just the usual power games.

"Hear my words," the woman announced.

"The new Queen, Miriel Arden Rukia, proclaims the following." As her words rang out, she took a sealed scroll from the satchel at her hip. Zeke glanced inside and spotted at least a dozen such scrolls. The woman carefully broke the seal. The scroll unfurled, and she began to read. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

"House Cayrnwick of Valour, for your daring acts and great service in the war against the Legion. For the acts of sabotage and infiltration. For diverting the enemy from Baiha Village, and…" A long list of deeds followed, and with each achievement mentioned, the Flesh Mages of House Cayrnwick cheered. It took a good few minutes for the proclamation of deeds to end, and eventually, the woman concluded her speech.

"For all these deeds, my Queen bestows upon you seven third-class merits, two second-class merits, and a single first-class merit." An even louder cheer swept through the ranks, and even Captain Cayrnwick had a smile on his face. The woman held out the scroll to him.

"Do you accept this commendation?" Cayrnwick stepped forward and received the scroll with care.

"On behalf of my family, I accept."

"Very well," the woman said, her stern face softening.

"Then please attend the official bestowal ceremony in the palace. It will be held in roughly a fortnight, on the first day of the new moon." Cayrnwick nodded.

"I will be there." With these words, the man stepped back, and the lead messenger grabbed the second scroll.

"Karas Skarn of the Unending Brigade, for your daring acts and great service in the war against the Legion…" The same proclamation followed, with the sole exception that it was the members of the Unending Brigade who cheered at the mention of their achievements.

"For all these deeds, my Queen bestows upon you four third-class merits, three second-class merits, and a single first-class merit." Once again, the woman held out the scroll to him.

"Do you accept this commendation?" With a slight smile, the commander stepped forward and received the scroll.

"I accept." Just as she had with Cayrnwick, the woman named the exact same time and place before reaching for the next scroll.

"Ezekiel von Hohenheim of the Hohenheim Mercenary Company, for your daring acts and great service in the war against the Legion…" This time, it was Zeke's own people who cheered, and their voices were noticeably louder and more boisterous. Consisting mainly of Chimeroi, each of their shouts rivaled that of ten humans. First and foremost among them was Vulcanos, who was grinning from ear to ear as he cheered for even the most minor deed as if it had been the kingdom's saving grace.

The list of feats was noticeably longer than those of the other two, and everyone was growing excited thinking about how massive the final tally of merits would be.

"For taking part in all these deeds, you share a part of the credit, and my Queen bestows upon you two third-class merits, one second-class merit, and a single first-class merit." The moment her words fell, the entire area sank into deep silence. The way the boisterous atmosphere changed in an instant was as if a silencing spell had been cast. Every single face went from happy to confused, then utterly bewildered. Most eyes were directed at the woman, silently urging her to check again.

The lead messenger ignored all those gazes and held out the scroll to Zeke.

"Do you accept this commendation?" At that moment, all eyes turned to Zeke, trying to gauge his reaction. However, unlike what everyone had expected, his face still held the same leisurely expression as before.

"I accept," he said simply. In the next moment, the scroll flew out from the woman's grasp and landed in Zeke's hand. She bristled at the rudeness, but seeing that Zeke was smiling brightly at her, she swallowed back her words of complaint. But others were not so benevolent.

"WHAT!"

"THIS HAS TO BE A MISTAKE!"

"HOW DARE YOU!" Countless shouts rang out at once. First among them were, as expected, Vulcanos and Zelkara. The first had always had a short temper to begin with, and the second possessed such unyielding devotion to Zeke that she wouldn't allow even the slightest stain to his honor. The small courtyard, which had been in a celebratory mood just now, suddenly felt as if it had become a battlefield. The heat that radiated from Vulcanos made everyone within a certain radius break out in sweat.

And, on the other side of the crowd, the bluish mist coming from Zelkara made the teeth of everyone nearby begin to clatter.

"You better check that scroll again, messenger," Vulcanos growled. The woman, barely able to control her mount, which seemed fully intent on fleeing for its life, began to stutter a reply.

"I… I didn't read it wrongly… These are my Queen's exact words." At that moment, just when it seemed like the situation was going to spiral completely out of control, a calm voice rang through the courtyard.

"That's enough." It was Zeke.

"Didn't I say I accepted?" Vulcanos looked at him with disbelief.

"Master… they are stealing your credit." Not only Vulcanos but nearly everyone, including the members of the other two factions present, felt the same way. To downplay Ezekiel's achievements like this didn't sit well with them either. After all, he had been the one to save their lives during the last battle. The Flesh Mages, especially, had some strong opinions about this, and they didn't shy away from hurling curses at the messengers. Even Cayrnwick himself looked like he was on the brink of speaking up.

In all this chaos, only Zeke remained completely unfazed. Instead, he looked at the woman who had read the scroll.

"There's more, isn't there?" The woman swallowed dryly to regain her bearing and eventually nodded.

"Go on, then," Zeke urged her. Under the baleful glares of hundreds of enraged warriors, she reached into the satchel once more, grabbing one of the remaining scrolls Zeke had noticed earlier. Her hands trembled when she broke the seal. And, with a slightly unsteady voice, she began to read once more.

"Irisen of Rukia, for your daring acts and great service in the war against the Legion…" All gazes turned to Irisen, who stood there, stunned. But that wasn't yet the end of it.

"Cassius Leafless, for your daring acts and great service in the war against the Legion…"

"Rhea Leafless, for your daring acts and great service in the war against the Legion…" After that, every single Archmage Zeke had recruited from the sanctuary was named in person. These men and women, who had all the while served as portable energy sources for the Alexandria, were credited one by one. Slowly, the crowd's expression began to change. They looked from Zeke to the roughly dozen people who held their own commendations. Anger soon turned to contemplation.

Giving Ezekiel less credit would have been an act of blatant injustice. Now, however, the rewards for his deeds were several times what the other two had received. The credit had simply been split among the notable figures of his force instead of landing in his lap directly. That, at least, was an acceptable outcome for most. After all, these were powerful figures who had allied with Zeke temporarily, not his subordinates. But the woman wasn't finished yet.

"Vulcanos of the Hohenheim Mercenary Company, for your daring acts and great service in the war against the Legion. For slaying three Archmages in a single battle and ultimately forcing the enemy's force into a retreat, my Queen bestows upon you three second-class merits and a single first-class merit."