Chapter 244: Before the Imperial Throne (2)

Not only were the Emperor’s children present, but dozens of nobles and other high-ranking officials had also been invited.

And unlike the capital’s residents, who had welcomed us with applause and enthusiastic cheers, the people here greeted us with cold stares that felt like daggers piercing into our bodies.

"Ah, yes... Now that’s the reaction I’m familiar with."

Asterion smiled as he spoke, then casually made his way into the hall, utterly unconcerned by the hostile attention.

The old man was far more accustomed to this kind of treatment than the warm welcome we’d received outside.

Following in his footsteps, I made my way into the hall, letting my eyes wander across the surroundings.

One thing immediately caught my attention.

There were quite a few people with silver hair, both men and women. The oldest appeared to be in their forties, while the youngest were still children.

The Emperor had an enormous number of offspring. For some reason, the man seemed almost obsessed with having children.

Despite our arrival, however, no one approached us.

Everyone maintained their distance, almost as though they were waiting for something to happen.

The hall itself was enormous, filled with numerous tables displaying an assortment of dishes and appetizers. At the far end stood a raised platform accessible by a long staircase, with several chairs arranged across its upper level.

I quickly concluded that those seats belonged to the princes and princesses, who had been given a place above the rest of the guests.

’But... if that’s where the princes sit, where does the Emperor sit?’

I searched the hall for somewhere that might accommodate him.

That was when I noticed a balcony overlooking the elevated platform and the stage where the princes were seated.

It stood considerably higher than everything else, positioned so that everyone in the hall could see it clearly. Whoever stood there would also have an unobstructed view of everything happening below.

I immediately suspected that this was where the Emperor would make his appearance.

And then, almost as though someone had read my thoughts, every light and every gaze turned toward that balcony.

Two knights raised their voices in unison, their thunderous announcement reverberating throughout the hall.

"His Imperial Majesty has arrived! Aurelian Arden, Fourth of His Name, Lord of the Arden Empire and its Great Emperor!!"

The Emperor had arrived.

And his timing was rather peculiar.

He had appeared almost immediately after us, as though he’d been waiting for precisely this moment.

I found it difficult to believe that was merely a coincidence.

Amid the thunderous applause of everyone present, the most important man in the entire Empire finally made his entrance.

He emerged onto the elevated balcony, separated from the rest of the gathering and standing higher than anyone else in the hall.

Emperor Aurelian Arden IV.

From the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew he was no ordinary man.

Something inside me began to tremble, almost as though the temperature of my blood had started rising simply from seeing him.

He appeared to be a man in his fifties, although I suspected his true age was considerably greater than his appearance suggested.

His short silver hair had begun turning white with age, and a thick beard of the same color covered his jaw. His eyes were sharp, gleaming with the same distinctive silver light that characterized his family.

He wore luxurious garments of white and red, accompanied by an exceptionally long cloak that trailed behind him.

Upon reaching the balcony, the Emperor looked down at everyone gathered below.

Then he calmly raised his right hand.

The applause ceased almost immediately, and silence quickly settled over the hall.

With a dignified smile, the Emperor opened his mouth and spoke for the first time.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to see so many distinguished faces gathered beneath the roof of my palace tonight."

He paused briefly, allowing his gaze to travel calmly across the assembled guests.

Eventually, his eyes came to rest on us.

"I shall not burden you with a lengthy speech. You have come here to celebrate, to honor the esteemed hunters who conquered the Curse and defended our borders, keeping danger away from us all."

A faint smile appeared on his face before he continued.

"Therefore, in my name, Aurelian Arden, Fourth of His Name, I hereby declare the promotion of these hunters to the rank of official knights, and Sir Asterion to the nobility."

Just as expected.

We had all been promoted to knights, with the intention of having us serve in the capital rather than continue fighting against the Curse along the borders.

But the Emperor hadn’t finished speaking.

What came next was the real bombshell.

"Furthermore, I hereby announce the commencement of preparations for the Great Raid."

The silence in the hall seemed to grow even heavier at the mention of the Great Raid.

Until recently, I hadn’t understood what those words meant.

It was only after my squadmates explained it to me that I’d learned what the Great Raid actually involved.

It was a massive expedition in which every active hunter participated, with the objective of advancing deep into the Cursed Land and eliminating the First Boss.

Once that creature fell, the threat of the Curse would disappear from the borders for a very long time.

That would allow us hunters to become knights serving in the capital without having to fear the Curse invading the Empire while we were absent.

By the time the threat returned, the next generation of hunters would already be there to confront it.

All of this was expected.

But I still couldn’t understand why the Emperor had gone to the trouble of bringing us all the way to the capital.

Everything he’d announced so far could have been accomplished without summoning us here in person.

Initially, I’d assumed he would reveal the real reason for our presence after announcing the Great Raid.

Instead, the Emperor brought his speech to an end.

"I shall excuse myself now. Everything in this hall is at your disposal, so please enjoy your evening."

And with that, his address was over.

He said nothing more, simply turning around as though he intended to leave.

I frowned, watching him from a distance.

’Did he seriously summon us all the way here just to tell us that?’

I refused to believe it.

So, before he could leave, I activated Wise Raven Insight, hoping to learn at least something about him.

His level, perhaps, or the true extent of his strength.

Anything that might offer a clue about what he was hiding.

But the instant I activated my ability and directed my gaze toward him, a sharp wave of pain struck my mind out of nowhere.

My vision became completely distorted.

A burning sensation tore through my eyes, forcing me to squeeze them shut.

At that exact moment, the Emperor stopped walking.

He turned his head slightly, casting another glance over the gathered crowd.

Then he smiled.

I could have sworn he was looking directly at me.

The realization left me frozen in place, sweat pouring down my body.

’This man... He blocked himself from Wise Raven Insight...’

Not even Ars, the Golden Dawn Knight, had been capable of preventing me from seeing his statistics.

But the Emperor had done exactly that.

And it made me realize that he was far more formidable than I’d imagined.

While I was still struggling to comprehend what had just happened, the distant alarm bells began ringing once again.

Their ominous toll echoed through the capital, reminding us of the unknown danger lurking somewhere beyond these walls...