Chapter 185. Enlightenment (1)
“The Empire has made peace with the Western Kingdom Union, a long time nemesis, and contributed greatly towards defeating the Outsiders. The continent is now in a state of unprecedented peace.”
Lena Donner.
This was a place that only opened for events of the highest historical importance within the Hebrion Empire.
The marble floor shone brightly under the glittering light, and the ornate marble lions seemed so vivid that they could practically leap down and maul anyone who passed.
The walls were adorned with portraits of emperors past, each highlighted equisistely by their respective golden frame.
“There was someone who has given a great deal of dignity and serves as a spectacular source of pride for this empire due to his outstanding achievements. He has saved the lives of countless soldiers as a result of his outstanding capability, and his contributions were a large factor in the swift end of this war.”
In Lena Donner, there was an unusually large crowd of people. No matter where one looked, they would be able to recognize numerous famous people.
Vang Zar from Ayuls News was one of them.
‘The capital of the Empire, Dresden, had fully returned to normal within two weeks of the war ending.’
As the Empire regained normality, the imperial family opened Lena Donner to hold an awards ceremony.
Opening Lena Donner for the sake of just one person meant that the imperial family valued this young hero enormously.
Vang was busy taking in as much of the happenings around him as possible, vigorously scribbling down every minute detail with his pen and paper.
Ayuls News, the news house he was here on behalf of, was the most famous media house in the Empire. And he was one of the most talented reporters they had.
His hyper hand, which had been furiously put to work filling his notebook with ink, came to a dead stop when a certain person passed by.
“That’s Desir Arman!”
A thunderous applause sounded. ‘Our Shy Hero has finally arrived.’ The Shy Hero.
Reporters loved to overhype the people they reported on, and Desir was no exception. Everyone they reported on received a tagline, though Desir’s situation was different from most.
Desir Arman was the largest contributing factor in the Allied Forces’ victory over the Outsiders, and the publicity value of featuring a piece on him was enormous. He was a proper celebrity now.
However, he had remained hidden, refusing to show his face after the war ended. That is, until today’s ceremony.
It was no surprise that many journalists were climbing over each other to get an exclusive interview with him.
But he was nowhere to be found. He had concealed himself to such an extent that it was almost as if he had vanished from this world.
Numerous reporters were getting anxious as the hero of the century refused to show his face.
‘I thought he was trying to increase his worth by drawing this out… ’
The Desir who had appeared in front of Lena Donner looked nothing more exceptional than any other boy who couldn’t hide their excitement. He was the very image of an ordinary boy, the exact opposite of what Vang had been expecting.
His very demeanor betrayed any theory that he was deliberately manipulating the media by being coy with them.
‘His injuries must have been bad.’
Vang made an assumption and decided to drop the issue.
“The great Sun of Hebrion, Guiltian Zedgar F Rogfelas. His Majesty the Emperor is here.” Everyone stood up.
Guiltian stepped into the room, his majestic and extraordinary aura immediately filling it to the brim. His broad shoulders betrayed his diligence in training. It was clear that despite maintaining the responsibilities of an Emperor, he still found the time to keep at it.
Vang’s pen started gliding across his notebook once again.
‘The guardian of the Empire, Guiltian Zedgar F Rogfelas, is still hale, hearty, and able to continue protecting the Empire.’
It took just a moment for Guiltian to begin his speech.
His speech was filled with glorified expressions, dripping with sophistication and grace. However, the meaning behind them was simple.
It was praise for Desir, with added emphasis on how his achievements would not be forgotten as a nation. He piled on the pathos to highlight just how loyal Desir was to this country.
He finally concluded his speech, expressing his high anticipation towards Desir’s growth. It was now time to award the medal.
Guiltian himself pinned the medal, inlaid with silver and rubies, onto Desir’s chest.
The Silver Lion medal was amongst the upper echelon of prestigious awards; it was the kind of honor that could only be presented by the Emperor himself.
Another round of applause filled Lena Donner.
* * *
Guiltian disappeared shortly after the conclusion of the medal ceremony.
The attendees followed his lead, and started to trickle out too. Desir was no exception.
Vang tried to approach Desir quickly, but was a step too slow. Desir was already surrounded by a hoard of reporters and admirers.
“Mr. Desir, could you give us a short interview… !”
“No, do it with us… !”
Multiple reporters were screaming for interviews, some going as far to physically block him from leaving.
Even though causing such an uproar over a mere boy in his late teens was a bit much, securing an interview with Desir was well worth it.
Vang skillfully burrowed into the crowd and approached Desir. “… !?”
However, it was all unnecessary. Desir instead approached him through the crowd. Desir spoke to Vang.
“Are you the reporter Vang Zar, from Ayuls News?”
“… Do you know me?”
“I am very interested in your articles. The feature article you wrote last time about me was quite impressive too.”
Vang was embarrassed, but he wouldn’t be a pro if he missed an opportunity that fell into his lap like this.
“I’m honored, but there’s still room for improvement. I’d like to have an interview to rectify this.”
“I see. Sure. Come this way please.” Desir led him to a private room.
Vang internally cheered as things appeared to be going so smoothly for him. The two people left, leaving the remaining journalists deeply disappointed. “What would you like to drink?”
Vang flipped open his notebook and took out his pen.
“Ah, I’m okay. I’d rather do the interview as soon as possible.” He put his hand into his bosom and pulled out a recorder.
“Is it okay if I record our interview?”
“No. Not yet. I’d like to say something before we start the interview.” Desir clasped his hands together and smiled, sitting across from Vang. Vang shrugged his shoulders.
“All right.”
He was a veteran journalist. He wasn’t about to do something like putting his interviewee in a bad mood, and spoil his hard-earned opportunity.
Desir started talking first. “I knew you’d be here.”
“It was as if you were waiting for me to approach you.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Desir’s answer flustered Vang.
“There are loads of reporters who want to interview you. But why me… ?”
“Yes, there are. But I don’t have the time to sit through interviews with all of them. I have a lot to do. So, I’m going to have an interview with one news corporation. And I thought it should be the media with a reporter who knows me very well.”
What he said, in a nutshell, indicated that he was offering an exclusive interview. It was an amazing opportunity for Vang.
‘It’s a scoop.’
Interviewing the Shy Hero, Desir Arman, was already a huge boon for his career, but now he would also be landing it as an exclusive!
A smile broke out on his lips. “Right. I understand thoroughly.”
“In that case, I hope you understand what I’m about to do.”
“What? Gah!”
Vang’s pen dropped out of his hand. It had suddenly increased in temperature, lightly scalding him.
*Thud*
*Bang*
There was a small explosion from the fallen pen. A small amount of mana escaped the pen and scattered before disappearing.
Vang’s face stiffened. His dilated pupils stared at Desir.
Desir returned his gaze in the same manner he had before. That of a naive boy’s face. Sweat ran down Vang’s back.
‘How did he know?’
That pen was a piece of magical equipment that had recording magic enchanted into it. Vang had been covertly attempting to record using it.
Before Vang even had the chance to process his newfound joy, the seemingly-innocent boy sitting comfortably in front of him had easily detected it and destroyed it.
“… ”
Vang finally realized just who he was dealing with. ‘… a hero.’
An individual cunning and strong enough to identify the enemy’s plan and deflect their attempted sabotage on a critical supply route. The person who had dominated the enemy commander in The Bloody Battle of Mahayu. The hero who smashed the homunculus, the Outsiders’s secret weapon, and crushed their organization in a final raid on Jormungand Citadel.
These were all the achievements of one individual. The boy sitting right in front of Vang’s eyes.
His naive face could lull you into a false sense of security, but he was not one that you could afford to ever underestimate.
Vang asked Desir calmly. “What is it that you want?”
The exclusive interview with Desir Arman, the most popular celebrity right now.
He had been offered the sweetest fruit for journalists, so Vang was sure that he wanted something in exchange.
“According to your articles, your take on the relationship between the Empire and the Western Kingdom Union is very positive.”
Vang Zar nodded.
“Well, that’s obvious. The war with the Western Kingdom Union is something that happened long ago. I think it’s time to normalize peaceful relations with them now.”
“Yet, there are still a lot of people that remain antagonistic towards the Western Kingdom Union.”
The Hebrion Empire and the Western Kingdom Union had been enemies for such a long time, people naturally harbored negative feelings towards them.
When the alliance against the Outsiders was formed, there was a fair number of malcontents. Desir spoke with a bitter smile.
“It’s not easy to quickly change someone’s viewpoint on a situation. It’s like breaking an old habit. People who had fallen for the Empire’s chauvinism opposed sending troops without realizing just how serious the war was. They insisted on using this opportunity to attack their ‘sworn enemy’ while their military was preoccupied elsewhere.”
“They cannot foresee the true threat. For example, if we didn’t assist the Western Kingdom Union this time, the entire continents would have been engulfed in flames by now.”
Desir nodded to Vang’s opinion. A smile broke out on his lips.
“I agree. I am going to advance a view supporting the alliance between the Hebrion Empire and the Western Kingdom Union through this interview. And I would like your editing direction to be the same as my idea.”
Vang opened his eyes wide. He said in a very excited tone without hiding his feelings.
“Of course. I’ll do my best to write a good article.” Desir held out his hand.
“I look forward to your help from now on.” From now on.
Vang did not realize the full weight of what this phrase entailed. He grabbed Desir’s hand without any trace of hesitation.
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