Hellmode ~A Hardcore Gamer Becomes Peerless in Another World with Retro Game Settings~

The Gold Room (1)

"I think it's time to go. Come here."

"Uh, yes. I'll be right there. We are just about done here."

Helmios said to my G-rank Bird-G Chappie that it was time for the audience.

Helmios was in the Royal Castle in the Imperial Capital of the Bakius Empire.

We were going to have an audience with Emperor Pupun III of the Bakius Empire.

My friends and I were in the room where we used to have our transactions with Adventurer's Guild. We were planning to use A-rank Bird's awakening skill [Homing Instinct] to teleport to Helmios.

Just then, we were trading the items and magic stones that we had obtained from the hunting Iron Golems in the S-class dungeon the previous day.

It had been about 10 days since Guild Master McCarran made me an S-rank adventurer.

Not long after the Guild Master arrived, an emissary from the Bakius Empire came to pick us up.

When I confirmed the schedule for the coming days, the Messenger told me that even if we went to the Imperial Capital, we would not be able to have an audience with the Emperor immediately and would have to wait several days.

(The Messenger said a few days, but it took 10 days. Good thing I went with the back and forth strategy.)

I didn't want to waste time by traveling on a Magic Ship, entering the Imperial City, and entering the waiting room at the Royal Castle.

So, we kept a record of our travels and repeatedly returned to the S-class dungeon, using the special and awakening skills of A-rank Bird.

I wanted to unlock <Kingship> as soon as possible.

So, other than keeping track of my travels, I spent most of my time hunting Iron Golems and trading with the Adventurer's Guild.

Helmios said, "That's very typical of you, Allen," and went along with my idea.

"Oh, there you are."

"Admiral Galara, you have a great Admiral feel about him. You don't look like a rag-tag at all."

I said to Admiral Galara, who was surrounded by the Golem-using dwarves he adventures with.

"What? Shut up."

Admiral Galara replied to my sarcasm.

Admiral Galara had gone back to his usual pirate hat and rogue look to his Admiral outfit.

On his Chest was a medal, perhaps the result of his many battles in the past.

As expected of an audience with the Emperor, there seemed to be a certain dress code.

''Prince Zew, has His Majesty the Beast King not called you back yet?"

I also talked to Prince Zew who was with the Ten Heroic Beasts.

Prince Zew was also dressed more firmly, befitting a Royal, than usual.

His fur-based outfit was wilder than Admiral Galara's, so I guessed that it was Beast Kingdom's attire.

"No, he has called me back. All thanks to you."

"That's good to hear. It's because of your power, Prince Zew. Did he say anything about the Ten Heroic Beasts?"

It had been years since Prince Zew had been back home.

He would be glad to see his wife after all those years.

He had a stern look on his face usually, but his face looked quite relaxed at that moment.

"Ha-ha-ha. As for that, His Majesty the Beast King wants to talk to you slowly. I just hope he doesn't get his hands on you."

"That's too bad."

I had heard that the Beast King was pretty short-tempered.

I presumed that the Beast King was half joking, half serious.

"What about you? Since you're here, why don't you come with us to the Beast Kingdom? I'd like to introduce you to His Majesty the Beast King."

"What? Are you sure?"

I had heard that it was difficult for a man to enter the Beast Kingdom, even for Hero Helmios.

I asked if the invitation wasn't just politeness.

"Of course. I'm sure that Mr. Allen has seen the beastmen in this dungeon too. It happened a thousand years ago. It's time for us to start moving on."

The foolishness of holding on to hatred was also realized during this dungeon attack, according to Prince Zew.

It was obvious that all four parties were needed to conquer the dungeon.

"Yes. The Beast Kingdom is also good. I haven't been there yet. I will definitely visit sometime after changing Merle's Talent."

(I might be able to get some information that could lead to some power-ups. If I can figure out the secret of the Beast King family's Beastification, I might be able to get closer to Extra Mode.)

Soon, the Talent changing dungeon would be in operation.

I wanted Meruru to be the first to change Talents so that she could control the Hiihirokane Golem.

I was willing to visit the Beast Kingdom after that.

"Everyone, the audience with the reigning Emperor of Bakius Empire, Emperor Pupun III is commencing."

In a fairly large room with nearly 50 people, an official from the Royal Castle came to tell us that the audience was beginning.

Guided by a few officials, the party of Admiral Galara, Prince Zew, Helmios, and minen headed one floor above to the Audience Room where the audience would take place.

(A door made of gold?)

The doors leading to the Audience Room were made of Gold and studded with red and blue jewels.

I wondered how many magic stones I could exchange for one of them, and continued calculating that the entire way to the Audience Room.

"You shall now have an audience with His Majesty Emperor Pupun III of the Bakius Empire!"

I heard a loud voice from the magic tool attached to the side of the door.

I thought that the volume was wrong as I heard rumbling in my ears and thought that I was going to lose my sense of hearing.

The gold door opened.

Then suddenly a light leaked out.

It was a large hall with the entire floor made of gold.

The Emperor of the Bakius Empire was already sitting in front.

A small fat old man over 40 curiously looked at the party of almost 50 people from a distance.

And then, perhaps gathered from all over the Bakius Empire, the Nobles were gathered at both ends of the Audience Room.

"So, this is what a lot of dwarves spend their hard-earned money on."

"I can hear you, Kiel."

"Oh."

I admonished Kiel for being so frank.

Many dwarves were also scavenging for Gold in the S-class dungeon.

The money that many adventurers and dwarves had literally risked their lives to earn was collected as taxes and spent on that gleaming hall.

I admonished Kiel, but in truth, I totally agreed with him.

The four parties walked down the hall to the Emperor in four rows, each party in a single column.

I reached the place where a gem was inlaid and told to get down on one knee.

The gem was quite helpful to me who was walking in the lead alongside Admiral Galara, Prince Zew, and Helmios.

''Now then, to the Heroes who have conquered the S-class dungeon, the Emperor has words of praise for you!"

Even without a magic tool, the voice of the Noble standing beside the Emperor sounded loudly throughout the Audience Room.

He was probably the Chancellor, the second most powerful man in the Bakius Empire.

The Emperor opened his mouth as the Chancellor concluded the opening greetings.

"I am Pupun III, Emperor of the Bakius Empire. Admiral Galara."

(This man is the Emperor who is a leader of the Five Continents Alliance? I had heard that he is an egomaniac and a spoiled brat, but he is just as I had heard him to be.)

Up close, he was a small, fat old man with an even less dignified face.

He looked at everyone present with childlike curiosity.

"Yes."

Admiral Galara replies reverently.

"I heard that there were some casualties, but you managed to conquer the S-class dungeon without incident. I commend you."

"Thank you for..."

Admiral Galara seemed to take a strong moment of anger at the light tone of the mention of the loss of his precious comrades, but he held it in and thanked the Emperor.

The Ministers proceed with the audience, slightly impatiently, as if they know that Admiral Galara didn't think well of the Emperor.

(I still wonder if the Bakius Empire wants to give the impression that Admiral Galara was the most active in the battle.)

I had guessed that was what the audience was for.

After that, the Emperor continued asking questions to Admiral Galara with great interest.

Admiral Galara answers the Emperor's questions in a straightforward manner, while suppressing his anger.

"Your Majesty. There are Heroes who have come all the way from other continents. Please give some words of appreciation to them as well."

"Mm? Mm. Yeah."

"Hero Helmios. Still breathing well, huh?"

"Yes."

"Well done, you cooperated with Admiral Galara and conquered the S-class dungeon. I praise you!"

The Emperor proudly praised Helmios.

"I am honored by the Emperor's compliments."

"Mm!"

I had heard that the last two Emperors of the Bakius Empire had united the countries on the continent and built one huge Empire.

The current Emperor of the Bakius Empire had never had his continent invaded by the Demon King's army, so he grew up with a very low sense of tension in my opinion.

That said, I was not so sure if I was disgusted with the Emperor of the Bakius Empire.

Some Emperors may be spoiled and brought up like ordinary Princes, while others were called wise Emperors.

I thought about the Royal Family of this world as the chatty conversation between Helmios and the Emperor continued.

(As I thought, I'm not cut out to be a Royal or Noble. So, is it right that I've become an S-rank adventurer and have become more involved with the Adventurer's Guild?)

''And Prince Zew. I never thought that you would call upon the Ten Heroic Beasts to conquer the dungeon!"

"Yes, Your Majesty the Emperor."

A slight tension enveloped the Audience Room as the Emperor spoke to Prince Zew.

At the moment, Prince Zew was with all of the Ten Heroic Beasts, who were renowned as the strongest force in the Beast Kingdom.

There was also Lepe, the Musician who didn't want to attend the audience.

Except for the official events of Albahar Beast Kingdom, the Ten Heroic Beasts had never all gathered together.

To call the beastmen outlaws was an overstatement, but they did have a crude image.

It was the common perception of the world, including the beastmen themselves, rather than the Bakius Empire.

Helmios and his party, which I was not exaggerating when I called them the strongest party of the Giamut Empire, had met and worked with each other on more than one occasion.

The relationship of trust and merit had been established, so they could talk to each other without any tension, but the Ten Heroic Beasts were different.

The best force the Beast Kingdom had to offer was right in front of the Emperor.

Not all of them were classy looking to be honest.

It seemed that the Nobles and Ministers present in the room were quite nervous about the Ten Heroic Beasts that were within hunting distance of their lives.

The conversation between the Emperor and Prince Zew proceeded amidst their fears.

"Will you stay in this palace for a little while? I want to hear about the Beast Kingdom."

With boyish eyes, the Emperor gazed at Prince Zew, curious about both Prince Zew and the Beast Kingdom.

Apparently, the Emperor's lack of tension was no different when dealing with the beastmen.

"I am honored to be invited by the Emperor himself. But I'm going back to the Beast Kingdom on His Majesty the Beast King's order, if you don't mind."

The Emperor repeated the question without any tension at all, and Prince Zew answered in a dignified manner.

After some progress in the chit-chat, the conversation between Prince Zew and the Emperor ended.

The Emperor's gaze turns to me.

Apparently, it was my turn.

"Allen. Raise your head."

"Yes."

""!""

When Allen said so and raised his face, the tension among the Nobles and Ministers reached its peak.