The Response to my Drunken Proposal was Surprisingly Good

Chapter 5-6: Palace of Penance(1-2)

✦Chapter 5 – Palace of Penance (1)✦

"...They've completely turned it upside down."

The imperial palace I visited again was entirely different from the one in my memories.

Back then, during the time when the empire's destruction was being discussed due to the demon realm, the palace had been as precarious as a leaf on the edge of a cliff. Now, however, every sight that met my eyes was fascinating.

A statue bearing the sun's emblem, towering over most buildings, an artificial garden that proved the prosperity enjoyed after the portal to the demon realm was closed, and gold decorations adorning every corner of the buildings... This was the current imperial palace.

Agnes glanced at me.

"What's with that reaction, like you've been to the palace before or something."

"Yeah. I wish this was my first visit too."

— Ezekiel! Where is Ezekiel?

— Oh, Lord Ezekiel! Just this once...!

— I swear this is the last time, Ezekiel!

There was a time when I went in and out of the imperial palace dozens of times a day, but those certainly weren't happy memories.

After taking care of one task, ten more would pile up. In the midst of it all, guiding five princesses went beyond being a teacher and was almost like being a nanny. Managing members of the imperial secret organization was also my duty.

Agnes and I walked along an elegant path decorated with flowers.

"Well, the imperial palace is more like an entire region itself. Otherwise, you might get lost like an idiot."

Whether it was a symptom of being a workaholic, Agnes seemed strangely happy when explaining something. I pretended not to notice and played along.

"Really? It's that big?"

"Just separating the areas where His Majesty the Emperor and the princesses reside, there are already 6 areas. There are even underground structures too."

"Wow, how smart."

"...It's nothing special."

Agnes brushed her short side bangs behind her ear.

As we kept walking, a wide training ground appeared on both sides.

Chack—! Chack—!

On the left training ground, soldiers were simultaneously moving their spears and footwork in unison. A perfect formation without a single disruption. The perfect balance and symmetry was soothing to the eyes.

"Ceremonial training, is there some event coming up soon?"

"All the princesses except the Third Princess are currently away. They'll be returning to the palace the day after tomorrow, and this is the ceremonial formation to welcome them back."

"So currently only the Third Princess is in the palace."

"...Don't get any ideas. You won't run into her."

On the other hand, the soldiers in the right training ground were fiercely engaging in combat with wooden weapons. It didn't seem like just a mock battle.

"And that side is regular training. The erosion of mana has become serious recently, so this is in preparation for any contingencies."

"I don't recall asking about that."