Once everyone had woken up and were able to walk, the King called for them. The meeting was held in the throne room.

Unlike the streets of Caelhart, which still carried the scars of the monster attack, the palace remained untouched.

Not a single monster had reached its gates. That was only natural. The knight captains had remained stationed within the palace, and so had the Principal of the Royal Academy and the Tower Masters.

If one could breach the palace walls, that would mean they had the ability to conquer the entirety of Norvaegard.

Alexander and Mina were the most nervous. Unlike the others present, they were the only commoners among them.

’So many strong people present...’ Alexander glanced at the king. ’So that’s the king. His very presence seems to be completely different from everyone else. He is powerful, but he’s not as strong as the others protecting, but for some reason, the weight he carries seems heavier.’

Alexander did not know how to properly describe it. The king was not releasing his aura. He was not pressuring anyone with mana.

He simply sat there, yet the throne room seemed to revolve around him. Perhaps that was what it meant to be king.

Beside King Ragnor stood Baldemar Gudric, the Captain of the Royal Guard, also known as the Unwavering Knight. He did not move, but his presence was like a fortress given human form.

Near the throne stood the Tower Masters, each one carrying a presence that was difficult to ignore.

Tower Master Thelwin Keldross of the Yellow Tower stood calmly, his eyes half-lidded as if nothing in the room could surprise him. This man was the strongest mage in Norvaegard.

The Duchess, who was also one of the Tower Masters, stood with elegant composure, carrying both the dignity of high nobility and the authority of a mage who had reached the peak of her field.

Nerissa Nova of the Violet Tower smiled faintly, but for some reason, Alexander felt that the face he was looking at might not be her real one.

Harold Ravencrown of the Black Tower stood in silence, his dark eyes making it hard to tell what he was thinking.

Gabriel Mivern of the Green Tower looked more like a warrior than a mage, with a strong body and a calm gaze.

Marick Kanter of the Grey Tower had goggles resting on his forehead, and his eyes kept drifting toward Lucen and Robert as if he wanted to ask about the airships instead of standing quietly.

Principal Aldren Nikon was also there. Unlike the Tower Masters, he did not give off a strange or overwhelming presence.

He simply stood straight and silent, but Alexander had the uncomfortable feeling that the principal could see through every nervous breath he took.

Lucen, Lysette, and Robert were already present as well. Lucen stood with his hands behind his back, calm as always.

Lysette wore her usual gentle smile, looking as if she had merely attended another one of her tea parties.

Robert, on the other hand, looked annoyed, his arms crossed as he muttered something under his breath. For a second, Thelwin glanced at him, making Robert stop muttering, roll his eyes, and finally stand up straight.

Beside Alexander and Mina stood Ryan, Nina, and Cael. All of them had been healed by clerics, but none of them looked completely fine.

Ryan still moved a little carefully. Mina’s hands were wrapped in bandages. Nina’s complexion was pale, though she kept her posture straight.

Cael looked the same as always, but Alexander knew he had been unconscious only a short while ago. When they stopped before the throne, everyone bowed.

"Your Majesty," Lucen said first.

Alexander and the others quickly followed. King Ragnor looked at them in silence for a few seconds before speaking.

"You have once again done a great deed, Lucen Thornehart." King Ragnor spoke with a slight smile on his face.

"I did not do much; the ones who truly did their best are these students," Lucen answered as he glanced at Alexander and the others.

The king’s gaze moved toward them. Even though King Ragnor was only looking at them for now, Alexander and the others felt somewhat excited.

"Hm... Yes, I have heard of their deeds. Cael Thornehart, Nina Drexford, Ryan Veros, Mina Escartin, and of course, Alexander Wyrd." Each of them straightened slightly as their names were called.

"You stood before a monster that should never have appeared in the capital. Not only did you survive, but you defeated it. You have saved many of our citizens. For that, the crown acknowledges your merit. Now I’m quite curious, there was no reason for any of you to fight those monsters, but then why did you?"

The second Alexander heard the King’s question, he did not hesitate to answer. "Do you need a reason to help people in need?"

The second, Alexander gave that answer with such clear eyes and with no hesitation, caught the attention of the people present.

The knights looked at him with some admiration. The Tower Masters had different reactions; a few found it intriguing, and others thought that Alexander’s answer was quite cute.

The king himself did not show much reaction, but he looked at Alexander more intently than before.

"Is that so... I guess, that is true, indeed. There really doesn’t need to be a reason to help people in need."

King Ragnor leaned back slightly on his throne. For a brief moment, his gaze remained on Alexander.

"Very well, I have decided. Since you have risked your lives for the people of Caelhart, then the crown cannot allow such merit to pass unrewarded."

"Your Majesty, I do not know about my companions, but I did not do what I did for any kind of reward. I appreciate the sentiment, but I must decline the reward." Alexander answered with not a shred of fear.

The atmosphere became tense for a second when the king suddenly clapped his hand. "I respect your decision. How about the rest of you, do you feel the same way?"

The king’s gaze moved away from Alexander and toward the others. For a brief moment, none of them spoke. Mina looked nervous; her hands were still wrapped in bandages.

She was only a commoner from a small village. She had never imagined that one day, the King of Norvaegard would personally ask her something. Still, after hearing Alexander’s answer, she also had an answer of her own.

"I..." Mina hesitated for a moment before taking a small breath. "I feel the same as Alexander, Your Majesty."

King Ragnor looked at her. Feeling the King’s gaze, Mina’s fingers tightened slightly, but she continued.

"I did not fight because I wanted a reward. I fought because people were in danger, and because everyone else was fighting too. If I had run away after seeing that, I do not think I would have been able to forgive myself."

The King showed a kind smile before responding. "That’s a good answer. As one would expect from a warrior of Norvaegard."

Mina lowered her head, clearly relieved that she had not said anything wrong. The king’s gaze then moved to Ryan. Feeling the King’s gaze, Ryan blinked as he pointed at himself.

"Ah, me next, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, son of House Veros. Do you wish for a reward?"

Ryan scratched the back of his head with a slightly awkward smile. "Well, Your Majesty, I would be lying if I said rewards don’t sound nice."

Ryan then straightened his posture. His usual carefree expression remained, but there was a firmness in his eyes.

"I don’t really need a reward. Just the fact that you have acknowledged our efforts is enough for me. I fought because people needed help, and because everyone else was already moving. If I had stood there doing nothing while Alexander and the others charged forward, I wouldn’t be able to call myself a warrior of House Veros."

King Ragnor looked at Ryan for a moment before nodding. "House Veros has raised a good son."

Ryan’s eyes widened slightly. In that moment, the bright and energetic Ryan looked genuinely stunned. "Ah... Thank you, Your Majesty."

The king’s gaze then moved to Nina. "Nina Drexford." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Hearing her name being called, Nina stepped forward with practiced elegance and curtsied. "Your Majesty."

"How about you? Do you wish for a reward?"

"I am honored by Your Majesty’s consideration," Nina said, her voice calm and clear. "However, I too must decline."

The king raised an eyebrow slightly. "And your reason?"

Nina straightened her back as she spoke in a rather grand tone.

"As a noble of Norvaegard, I was taught that strength is not something given for one’s own comfort. It is something used to protect those who cannot protect themselves. If I had stood aside while the people of Caelhart were in danger, then I would have brought shame upon myself and House Drexford."

Her gaze did not waver as he continued. "So I did not fight for a reward. I fought because it was my duty."

King Ragnor looked at her for a moment before nodding. "As one would expect from someone from House Drexford."

"Your words honor our house, your majesty."

The king’s gaze then shifted to Cael, who, as usual, did not show much of a reaction. "Cael Thornehart."

Hearing his name being called, Cael stepped forward. Unlike Nina, he did not show practiced elegance.

Unlike Ryan, there was no awkwardness in his movement. He simply stepped forward, calm and silent, as if the gazes of the king, the Tower Masters, and every knight present meant nothing to him.

"Do you also decline the reward?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Cael’s answer came without hesitation.

"Your reason?"

Cael’s expression did not change. "I saw a monster in front of me, as a Thornehart, there was only one action to take, and that was to kill the monster."

"Truly a Thornehart through and through. Well, then, let us move to the next order of business."

"Wait, aren’t you going to ask us if we want a reward?" Robert suddenly spoke.

The second Robert spoke, Thelwin looked at him like he wanted to kill him. There were a few, like the Duchess Seraphina, who looked at Robert with amusement.

Most of those present, including the king, who already knew of Robert’s personality, were not really offended by what he said.

King Ragnor stared at Robert for a moment, then laughed. "Very well, what is that you wish for?"

"Huh? Nothing really, I just wanted to know why you weren’t offering a reward as well?"

After hearing Robert’s answer, King Ragnor could not help but laugh louder. Thelwin looked at Robert, shook his head, and sighed. Lucen smiled faintly as he was totally amused by the scene before him.

Robert did not understand what was funny about his question and asked. "I don’t understand, what’s so funny?"

No one answered as Lysette and a few others smiled at his question. That only made Robert frown deeper.