The victory parade planned by the Marquis was simple.
It began at the Dimension Plaza in Ravigion, where we had returned, then passed through the commercial city of Commelby before heading toward the Imperial City of Karnon.
Pa-bam, pa-bam, pa-ba-ba-bam—!
A military band in full uniform played a lively tune.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
From a carriage adorned with drums, a majestic rhythm echoed throughout the procession.
“Waaaaaaaaaah!”
The cheers and blessings of the people.
And in the middle of the main street, showered with flower petals…
“It’s the heroes!”…we marched forward, clad in armor that would never see actual combat, like triumphant warriors returning from a legendary battle.
“Waaaaaaaaaah!”
The people’s faces were bright with joy.
“They destroyed the Sky Eye, right? They’ve accomplished a great feat.”
“This will definitely turn the tide in favor of the royal family.”
“It was their biggest obstacle, after all.”
Some explorers clapped their hands.
“Daddy, what’s the Sky Eye?”
“Well, I’m not sure, but… it must have been something important.”
“I want to be like them someday!”
“Of course you can, son. You can achieve anything you set your mind to.”
A family, with a young son perched on his father’s shoulders, had come out just to witness the festivities.
“Akuraba! It’s Akuraba!”
“I thought she retired. To think we’d hear from her again in a place like this.”
“It’s Meland Kaislan!”
“Oh! There’s the Blood Spirit Marquis!”
Some had joined the crowd just to catch a glimpse of the famous explorers.
And…
“Thanks to you… my son can finally rest in peace! Thank you… thank you so much…”
A woman, who had probably lost her family to Noark, rushed towards the carriage, tears streaming down her face, and grabbed my hand.
But did they know?
That the original victory parade planned by the Marquis would have featured empty coffins bearing our names.
Beeeeeeeep—
The overwhelming crowd was making me dizzy.
A ringing sound echoed in my ears, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain my forced smile.
“Mister…”
Erwen gently placed her hand on mine.
Kaislan, who was riding in the carriage ahead of us, also looked back at me with concern.
Geez, are they worried I’m going to snap?
“Waaaaaaaaaah……”
The procession continued, and we reached Commelby after passing through Ravigion.
It was different from Ravigion.
There were more explorers, and the attire of the ordinary citizens was more formal.
Well, it still couldn’t compare to the Imperial City.
Clatter, clatter.
The carriage wheels rolled on.
“Waaaaaaaaaah!”
The cheering crowd, the outstretched arms…
I couldn’t enjoy any of it.
If it weren’t for the conspiracy behind this expedition…
If all thirty of us had returned alive…
They would have been here with us, enjoying this moment.
And I would have been able to smile genuinely.
Thump!
A heavy weight.
Thump!
Another heavy weight.
Clatter, clatter.
The carriage continued on, passing through Commelby and entering the Imperial City.
The main street led straight to the royal palace, its gates wide open.
“Welcome the heroes!”
Knights lined the entrance, their armor gleaming in the sunlight.
A military band played a triumphant tune from the top of the walls.
And…
“I never thought I’d be back here.”
The carriage finally came to a halt.
We were in front of the ‘Palace of Glory’, where my title bestowal ceremony had been held.
“Welcome the heroes!”
The palace gates swung open, and we stepped out of the carriage and entered the palace.
The formation was different from the parade.
I had been riding in the central carriage before, but now I was leading the way.
“Waaaaaaaaaah!”
The cheers that erupted as we entered the palace were slightly subdued compared to the ones on the street.
Well, most of the people here were nobles, or high-ranking officials from guilds and trading companies.
“What are you waiting for? Let’s go.”
Kaislan nudged me, impatient.
I had been standing at the entrance, looking around.
Tsk, he’s so pushy.
Step, step.
I walked along the red carpet that led to the empty throne, my eyes scanning the crowd.
Even though there were thousands of people, it was easy to spot them.
They were the only ones who weren’t celebrating.
They were mourning.
‘There they are.’
“…Wait! Where are you going?!”
I ignored Kaislan’s protests and walked towards the mourners.
Kaislan didn’t try to stop me.
Step, step.
The procession changed course.
The military band, which had been following us, quickly adjusted their formation, their professionalism unwavering.
And…
Thud.
We finally reached them.
“…..”
They looked up at me, their eyes filled with a mixture of surprise and grief.
The families of the fallen explorers, the ones I had asked the Marquis to allow into the palace.
Pa-bam, pa-bam, pa-ba-ba-bam—!
Damn it, that’s annoying.
Can’t they stop playing that music?
I wanted to complain, but the band didn’t seem to notice my displeasure.
So I walked towards them and snatched their instruments, throwing them to the ground.
Clang!
The music stopped abruptly, and silence fell over the palace.
The crowd stopped cheering, and the only sound was the soft sobs of the mourners.
And…
Thud.
I knelt before them.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t bring them back.”
I bowed my head, and the other survivors followed suit.
It was a gesture we should have done in front of the empty throne…
But I didn’t care.
The King wasn’t even here anyway.
“Thank you…”
A hand gently touched my head.
“How… how did he… how did Ashid die?”
It was Ashid’s wife.
“He… he was like a mage from a fairy tale. He wasn’t afraid of death, and he saved our lives.”
She didn’t say anything for a while.
She just sobbed softly.
“I… I see…”
He was a liar.
He had said his wife was a strong woman…
“What am I… what am I supposed to do now…? He was… he was such a good man… How could this…”
“…..”
“Waaaaaaaaaaah!”
She collapsed to the ground, her grief overwhelming her.
And then the dam broke.
“M-Mckelly Leyaders! What… what happened to him? They just told me he was dead! They didn’t tell me anything else…!”
“…Bentis Gerold! He was my father! I didn’t even know he was going on a dangerous mission like this!”
“Kala! Tell me! Why… why isn’t Rick here?! Why are you the only one who came back?!”
They rushed towards us, their voices filled with anger and grief, demanding answers.
And we, the survivors, responded like criminals, reciting the fabricated stories we had created.
And the crowd…
“What’s going on? Is this part of the ceremony?”
“Wow, the royal family really went all out.”
“I’ve never seen such an impressive victory parade!”
“It’s a bit chaotic, but… well, it’s entertaining.”
…watched with amusement.
The chaos continued for a while, and then...
“…We can’t delay this any longer.”
The knights, following the Marquis’s orders, intervened and restored order.
The ceremony resumed.
We returned to the red carpet and walked towards the empty throne.
The Marquis was standing there.
‘He finally decided to show his face. He’s been hiding behind the message stone all this time.’
I glanced at him and then knelt on one knee, bowing my head.
It wasn’t out of respect.
I just didn’t want to meet his gaze.
“You’ve walked a long and arduous path, heroes!”
The Marquis recited his lines, ignoring my actions.
He then summarized our journey.
Thirty heroes, bestowed with a sacred mission, had finally returned after overcoming countless trials and tribulations.
It was a lengthy and embellished story, but that was the gist of it.
It was a lie, a story we had fabricated.
And it didn’t even mention the fact that the rescue team never came.
But…
“Even the frigid cold of the north couldn’t extinguish your burning passion. The treacherous rebels couldn’t steal your glory.”
The crowd applauded as the Marquis praised our achievements.
“Ahem, ahem… I would like to speak about the meaning of sacrifice.”
The Archbishop of the Tovera Church stepped forward after the Marquis.
The balding priest offered his condolences, focusing on the paladins and priests who had suffered the most casualties.
Beeeeeeeep—
Next was the Duke’s family.
Beeeeeeeep—
Then the Explorer’s Guild.
And then…
Beeeeeeeep—
Those who had planned to claim the victory for themselves were now taking turns praising us.
Clench—
It was disgusting.
But thankfully, my outburst earlier had shortened the ceremony.
The victory parade was finally reaching its climax.
“May the light of the royal family be with you.”
The Marquis’s words were followed by another round of music.
It was like saluting the flag at a school ceremony.
‘It’s about three minutes long, if I remember correctly.’
I counted to two and then spoke softly.
Just loud enough for the Marquis to hear.
“Hey, Marquis.”
He looked at me as if I was insane.
It was probably unthinkable for the main character of the ceremony to be distracted at the most important moment.
Especially not in front of all these nobles.
“I’ve been thinking… what about my title?”
He must have realized that I might disrupt the ceremony if he didn’t answer.
The Marquis quickly responded, his gaze fixed on the empty throne.
“As I said before, it will take at least two months.”
“Two months…”
“That was our agreement.”
“Right.”
I chuckled and continued.
“But it feels too long. Can’t you speed things up a bit?”
The Marquis didn’t answer.
The music had ended, and it was time to resume the ceremony.
“…..”
He glared at me, urging me to be patient, and then continued his praise for the royal family.
Geez, he should have at least answered my question.
Now I have no choice.
Barbarians don’t understand unless you speak to them forcefully.
“May the light of the royal family be with you!”
The Marquis, after a lengthy speech about the greatness and benevolence of the royal family, finally turned to us and shouted.
It was the final event of the victory parade, as instructed by the Marquis.
“Expedition Leader Lihen Schuitz, report!”
It was time for the roll call.
The moment I finished this report, our long journey would officially end.
Therefore…
「Character has cast [Gigantification].」
「Size increases proportionally to Strength.」
I maximized my size, activating [Transcendence].
They wouldn’t recognize me otherwise.
Thousands of eyes turned to me as my body grew rapidly.
“How dare you use an ability within the palace walls!”
“This is an insult to the royal family!”
Some were outraged by my actions.
But others…
“…G-gigantification?”
Bjorn Yandel’s signature skill.
“Is that… a coincidence?”
“Wait, he looks familiar…”
“But he’s dead.”
“And he’s an evil spirit…”
They were confused.
And the Marquis…?
“······!”
He stumbled back in shock.
Did he think I was going to assassinate him?
Swoosh.
I ignored him and looked at the empty throne.
And then…
“I speak the truth before the only true monarch.”
I spoke calmly.
My gaze was fixed on the throne, but my voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.
One by one, I recited their names.
Remembering those who couldn’t be here with us.
“Pike Neldain.”
Executed for treason in Ice Rock.
I thought it was the right decision back then, but now I regret it.
He might have been our ally if he truly wanted the expedition to fail.
“Philip Aintropy.”
A navigator from Kaislan’s team.
He died during a surprise attack while we were waiting for the rescue team in Deadwood.
His skull was crushed.
We hadn’t spoken much, but Kaislan told me later that he was a filial son who took care of his elderly parents.
“Mite Million.”
He died instantly during our escape from Deadwood, struck by [Earth Spike].
I’ll probably always wonder…
Could he have dodged it? Or did he deliberately sacrifice himself?
“Fiona Aimers.”
She died from a stray attack while channeling the Multiple Teleportation spell with the other mages.
“Niaro Cambel.”
The priest who rushed to help an injured warrior and died.
“Milburn Naria.”
Our troll summoner, always polite and respectful.
She protected us all, but chose to die alone.
I hope she’s finally home, surrounded by the scent of coffee.
“Matt Highbury.”
A paladin, a tank.
I had forced him to discard his armor. He died protecting us, pushing himself to the limit, just before reaching the top of the Eye of the Glacier.
“Pasible Eric Colson.”
Kaislan’s subordinate and close friend. Kaislan had shed tears for him, but he had also comforted me.
He said that his friend’s death wasn’t meaningless because he had died following me.
‘That’s… the burden I have to carry now.’
I continued.
“Rick Jugsta.”
He died fighting Noark after we regrouped.
The cause of death was [Earth Spike], the same skill that killed Mite Million.
“Bentis Gerold.”
He bought us time to escape when the Rose Knights attacked from behind.
He was a man who always talked about romance.
He died a warrior’s death, so maybe his romance was real?
“Royta Mamender.”
The strict priest who died supporting us from the clifftop.
“Mckelly Leyaders.”
A mage from Akuraba’s team.
She never woke up after being hit by [Soul Extraction].
“Roan Beliaro.”
The cheerful man whose motto was to live a long and peaceful life.
He died during a surprise attack by the Rose Knights.
“Jun.”
The noble paladin who died standing.
He was a great man, even in death.
“Tsuon Iribun.”
An archer from the 5th Team.
His upper and lower body were torn apart by a monster summoned by the priest from Karui after Sven Parab’s defenses were breached.
He had asked the priest for one last favor before he died.
To sing a song of hope.
Even though he couldn’t hear it because of the penalty.
“Puta Rikerburn.”
The fixer for the Keallunus family.
A versatile explorer who could fight and guide.
He wasn’t particularly skilled in combat.
But he had killed two Rose Knights in a row…
I couldn’t believe it when I heard about it.
It was a heroic feat worthy of being recorded and shown at his funeral.
“…What power!”
The knights approach me, grabbing my arms.
But they must have realized something was wrong.
“Stop.”
The Marquis dismissed them.
He’s finally doing something I like.
“Periton Eriabos, Benjamin Orman.”
These two had used the paladins’ ultimate skill, the sacrificial spell, to defeat the Evil God’s summon.
We would have all died without them.
“Liard Ashid.”
He had used the Awakening spell, just like Dwarkey.
Not only had he inflicted heavy damage on the Evil God’s summon, but he had also killed three Rose Knights.
Marone had told me, her eyes filled with tears, that she had wanted to do it herself, but Ashid had stopped her.
“Gruold Aldidi.”
He had charged through the enemy lines, sacrificing himself to save me.
He must have wanted to live too.
‘So many… are dead.’
The weight of their sacrifice was unbearable.
I continued, my voice calm and steady.
It was time for the final report.
“Twenty casualties.”
Twenty explorers.
They had all joined this dangerous mission with their own dreams and goals.
And they had died.
In the cold, unforgiving wasteland of Ice Rock.
Longing for something they could never have.
They weren’t all good people.
Some had embezzled funds, some had tortured innocent people.
Some might even say they deserved to die.
But…
‘…None of them deserved to die like that.’
We had survived because of them.
Therefore…
“Liris Marone, Bersil Gowland, James Kala, Meland Kaislan…”
I had to say it.
For their sake.
“Sven Parab, Ravienniastorous, Emily Raines, Titana Akuraba, Erwen Fornachi di Tersia…”
I looked up at the Marquis before saying my name.
He was smiling, his eyes filled with a cold amusement.
He must have realized that it was too late to stop me.
I had already activated [Gigantification].
He muttered softly.
“Tsk, if only you had waited a little longer…”
Yes, it would have been better for you.
But I couldn’t wait any longer.
I had to reclaim my name.
I had to take back my power.
So…
“Proud Viscount of the royal family.”
I declared in front of thousands of nobles.
“I, Bjorn, son of Yandel, have returned! The expedition force has completed its mission!”
I’m back.
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