Humanity's Hero Of Despair

The Emperor and I stand up from the dining table.

I say to my friends that I will be back soon at the table. They all wave goodbye to me as I walk with the Emperor toward the Grand Dukes, who have people all around them. The Emperor waves the other nobles off so we can have a private audience with both Grand Dukes.

The Emperor first goes up to the Grand Dukes and greets them. Then he gestures for me to step forward to meet them.

"Grand Duke Lotus, this is Grand Duke Zogard of the Grand Duchy of Zogard."

We shake hands.

"Nice to meet you, Grand Duke Lotus. I have heard a lot about you."

"Nice to meet you as well, Grand Duke Zogard."

Then the Emperor introduces me to the other Grand Duke. This other Grand Duke is Grand Duke Pedgas, whom I recognize as being the rebel leader when I first met the Emperor and him. The Emperor sees the expression on my face.

"Grand Duke Pedgas and I have our differences, though we have come to an understanding. I have allowed the Grand Duchy of Pedgas to have an assembly so the citizens in his region are able to be a part of the government of the Duchy and have some impact on how the government goes. However, he has mentioned he will have his entire loyalty to me and the Empire."

I look at Pedgas cautiously, who nods in agreement with the Emperor. It seems like they were able to resolve that issue. It helps that Zogard and I back the Emperor. The last thing we need on our hands in this war is another civil war between another nation.

As both the Grand Dukes talk to the Emperor, I notice how each one is starkly different. Grand Duke Zogard seems more rugged, down-to-earth, and battle-hardened. Grand Duke Pedgas seems to be more on the strategist side as he chooses his words carefully. The Emperor himself is a combination of intelligence and spirit together.

"It is our pleasure to be here during your official rise to Grand Duke," Grand Duke Pedgas says to me while raising his glass.

"I heard you are from the Kingdom of Tarondar. I haven't visited there myself, but I would love to see it sometime."

"Whenever the war is over, I would be more than happy to show you," I say back to him while not meaning a word of it. Grand Duke Pedgas is certainly a man to be wary of. Who knows his true motivations for backing out of a civil war unless he thinks he is truly going to lose? Perhaps the war against the magic beasts is more important.

Well, it is more important.

The Emperor lets me listen in on his conversation with the other two Grand Dukes about the status of their Grand Duchies. The Grand Duchy of Zogard seems to be occupied with increasing their military operations, while the Grand Duchy of Pedgas seems to be making economic moves to increase their economic stability before any war begins.

Soon enough, the Grand Dukes left, and it was just the Emperor and me.

The Emperor says he has to attend to some matters but told me to continue enjoying the celebration. I joined back with my friends, who were all eager to hear what I had been up to. I explained to them how I met the other two Grand Dukes and how both of them were very different from each other.

"I saw you all talking from afar. You seemed like you did a good job meeting them for the first time," Quillen says to me with a slight smile on his face. That was a genuine compliment coming from the diplomatic prodigy over here. It made me feel good.

"Thanks, Quillen," I say while smiling back at him.

We continue eating and chatting into the night until an announcement was made by someone from the live music group.

"We are ending the night with a couple's dance! Please enjoy a beautiful last dance against the evening stars of the night."

The music starts up, and couples start to form on the outdoor dance floor.

I ask Ivy if she would like to dance, and she told me something along the lines of: of course, dummy. Matteo and Neve get up from the table to dance as well, which makes me smile. We all start dancing, and it is honestly a lot of fun.

Dancing with Ivy and all my friends gives me fond memories of the Keeper Golden Ball.

Ignis was so right. Even if we knew then under the illusion all of us were in, the experience itself was still so much fun. I almost get emotional thinking about all our other friends and people we knew from that time who didn't make it. I hope they lived happy lives, even if they were short-lived.

Before we knew it, the song was over, and we all clapped to thank the live music group. People started slowly leaving as the night got darker and colder. I thanked many of my supporters who were friendly to me during the entire evening. Soon there were barely any people left in the courtyard. My friends and I started to leave as well.

We all walk and chat together through the Imperial Palace toward our rooms. Our rooms are all very close together, so it isn't like we have to separate from each other to get there. We round a corner and see the Emperor with a messenger.

The Emperor has a curious note in his hand, and the messenger and he are talking back and forth rapidly. He spots us and urges us to come closer to him. We get closer to the Emperor, and the messenger leaves.

The Emperor's eyes widen as he looks at the report and then back at Nico and his friends.

"This is very important to fighting against the magic beasts. We finally found it after decades, though I don't know why Grand Duke Pedgas hasn't told anyone."

Please, I would rather not have another civil war.