Augus

Now that is something to wake me up!

"Please, bring him in!"

As the words left my mouth, the knight's reaction was somewhat strange, stammering hesitantly.

"Yes, but... Your Highness, the man said... he said..."

He was making me anxious. "Speak up. What did he say?"

A look of oddity flashed across the knight's face, and he slightly avoided my gaze.

"He said... that because of the rain, his clothes are in disarray. Fearing he might be rude, he wants to... take a bath first?"

What?

A bath?!

I raised a hand to my forehead.

"You mean... he wants to bathe first?"

"Um, yes. And he also requested a set of clean clothes."

Why would this person make such a bizarre request?

"How did he arrive?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, he... he walked."

He walked? It seemed he hadn't brought any guards or anything of the sort.

No carriage, not even a single horse?

"Did he say what his name was?"

"Your Highness, he said... his name is Augus Di Clapham."

He has a surname?

And it is a three-part name.

Most names in this world consist of two parts, so this was the first time I had encountered a three-part name.

But why would a noble not even have a servant? Did he really walk here without even an umbrella?

"...Grant his request. Have him go to the side hall to bathe and change. Nara, go and see that a well-fitting set of clothes is sent to him."

"Yes, Your Highness."

....

Several hours passed, and I still hadn't seen his face.

Beyond reason yet somewhat expectedly... he had requested many things.

At first, it was just bathing and changing.

However, immediately afterward, he demanded a meal.

Thinking it wasn't easy for him to come here in such heavy rain, I arranged some food.

But then he insisted on eating the same food I did.

After a moment's thought, I granted that as well.

Then, he really pushed his luck. Not only did he want to eat, but he also wanted to take a nap.

I didn't know what this man was trying to do, but so far, everything he had done was outside the bounds of common sense.

However, if this person truly had talent, he could afford to act this way.

So, I indulged him in everything.

The sky had already grown dark. Outside the Temple, the fierce wind howled, making the windows rattle loudly.

Dark clouds blanketed the sky, and looking up, even the color of the heavens had vanished. The stars and moonlight were completely obscured.

The only thing to be heard was the sound of the torrential rain drumming against the ground.

A mist of rain had already risen before the main gates of the Temple.

Lightning... occasionally sliced through the night sky, followed by a crack of thunder that echoed in my ears.

I sat there quietly, reading a book.

The book in my hand was about the history of the Kingdom of the Moon. Very few records remained from a thousand years ago.

But from what was written between the lines, it was clear that this continent was incredibly prosperous a millennium ago. However... those miraculous histories were like mountain peaks hidden behind a thick fog.

They were vaguely shaped but remained unreachable.

It was impossible for the devastation of the demon race to have destroyed such a long history to this extent.

Hardly even a few words were left behind.

Clearly, someone in later generations had interfered, deliberately erasing the history of a thousand years ago.

So, what exactly happened back then?

And what was it that caused the demon race to appear on this continent?

Some long-lived races might know fragments of information, but piecing it together would not be an easy task.

Looking at a story recorded in the heavy book, I found myself quite liking this nameless hero.

According to legend, this was a dragon knight, and a true one at that.

"His figure was grand, his speech refined, and he stood like a mountain to be revered. Even when facing a landscape covered in demons, he could still smile. I do not know why he smiled, but his smile... allowed me to regain my confidence."

Unconsciously, I began to read the passage aloud. Clearly, the person who wrote this record held this nameless hero in great esteem.

However, the subsequent records were not optimistic.

This hero died. He fell in the war against the demons, having held back a million-strong demon army for several days by himself.

Yet... where did this battle take place?

What was the process?

Where was the hero's grave?

What was his name?

None of this was recorded in the book.

So far, the many heroes I had read about in the history of a millennium ago had all disappeared in this manner.

Of course, none reached such an exaggerated level as he did.

A single person... holding back a million demons for days?

Had this person's strength reached the god-level?

Where did the dragon he rode go?

I put the book down and closed my eyes in contemplation.

In a daze, a grand figure seemed to appear before my eyes, still able to talk and laugh freely while facing that sea of demons.

Even when facing life and death, he never felt fear.

Such a person... was indeed worthy of respect.

But for such a fearless man to leave so little trace in history was very strange.

As I thought about it, sleepiness gradually crept into my mind.

Just then, a report suddenly came from outside the door.

The knight who entered looked as if he were grinding his teeth. It seemed this man's arrogant attitude had made my knight quite dissatisfied.

"Your Highness, that Augus has woken up and says he wants to see you."

"At this hour?"

I turned to look at Nara. Nara glanced at her pocket watch to give me the exact time.

"It is currently 11:33 PM."

"When did he arrive?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, it was around five o'clock."

In other words... it had been over six hours.

I rubbed my sleepy eyes and sat up straight.

"Let him come."

Nara hesitated for a moment and offered her advice.

"Your Highness, it is late today. Why not let him stay in the side hall for the night and see him tomorrow?"

I waved my hand.

This person had acted so theatrically up until now, yet he was confident enough to want to see me at this time.

Either he was a fool, or he took me for one.

Or... he had been testing the limits of my patience all along.

First the bath, then the clothes, followed by the food and the sleep.

If it were someone with insufficient magnanimity or a narrow mind, they would have probably kicked him out by now.

Rather than believing he was a fool or that he took me for one, I was more willing to believe... that he was testing my character and breadth of mind.

"Let him come."

I tidied my face. Fortunately, although the flow had been heavy earlier today, it had calmed down quite a bit, so there was no need to change the pad.

Though the knight looked as if he wanted to say more, he eventually gritted his teeth, nodded, and turned to leave.

Soon, a young man with long black hair was brought in from outside.

He was wearing a priest's robe from the Temple. With his pitch-black hair, he appeared somewhat frail, and his skin had a pathologically pale hue.

His eyes were very bright, possessing a soul-stirring intensity—not one of charm, but of a chilling coldness.

He had thin eyebrows and narrow eyes, a slightly high bridge to his nose, and extremely thin lips that were somewhat bloodless and dark.

His entire being exuded a sense of being sickly.

As he walked in, his gaze immediately landed on me. He didn't continue further into the hall but instead stopped at the main entrance, meeting my eyes directly.

He seemed to be sizing me up. That cold gaze was quite uncomfortable.

But I still looked at him with a gentle expression.

"Mr. Augus, it is windy and rainy outside, and quite cold. Why don't you come in and have a seat?"

He froze for a moment, as if he hadn't expected me to show such kindness.

A flash of hesitation crossed his face. After a moment of silence, he spoke.

"Augus Di Clapham greets Her Highness the Saintess. I pray for your well-being."

He placed a hand over his chest, bowed his head, and bent his waist to a seventy-five-degree angle, performing a perfectly standard greeting to me.

"May you be at peace. Please rise, Mr. Augus."

I raised my hand slightly to signal him to stand. Seeing this, he followed suit. However, he didn't walk in directly. Instead, he stood at the entrance of the hall, straightened his collar, and rolled up his sleeves to reveal his wrists before finally stepping inside.

Watching his unhurried attitude, I simply watched him with a smile, remaining calm and patient.

If I were more restless than he was, I would have lost the upper hand.

For now, I just watched him peacefully to see what kind of tricks he could pull.

He walked to the base of the divine platform. Before anyone could stop him, his steps stopped precisely at the position where a subordinate should stand.

This alone made my eyes light up.

Judging by his actions and movements, his noble etiquette was standard, without the slightest breach of decorum.

Just a moment before he stopped, his eyes had subconsciously swept across the floor.

The main hall was where the Saintess met her subjects, and there were very strict requirements here that most people would find difficult to notice immediately.

Although I had never made any demands, strictly speaking, no foreign official was allowed to step past the line currently under Augus's feet.

This boundary was distinguished by the color of the floor.

The area where I sat was made of a white, jade-like material, and the color it displayed was white.

This white area extended from the top of the divine platform to one meter below it. The furthest point was where Augus was currently standing, about four meters away from me.

And the position where he stopped was the dividing line between the marble floor and the white jade floor.

"Nara, please bring a seat for Mr. Augus."

Nara looked at me, then her gaze shifted to Augus. A hint of dissatisfaction flashed across her delicate face, but under my command, she said nothing and ordered someone to bring a stool.

Augus stared at me the entire time. Normally, staring like that would be very rude, but I didn't stop him, nor did I let anyone else interfere.

Only when the stool was brought and placed at his feet did I smile and make a gesture of invitation.

"Mr. Augus, you must have seen enough by now. Please sit and talk."

Augus was slightly taken aback. A flush appeared on his pathologically pale face. Looking at his expression, he was unexpectedly... shy?

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Seeing him sit down, I then asked.

"Mr. Augus, since you have come in response to the Recruitment Order notice, as the one who issued it, I would like to ask... where do you believe your brilliance lies?"

Augus looked up at me, his expression turning somewhat serious.

"I believe I have the ability to help Your Highness implement your national policy."

"You say you have the ability to help me implement my national policy?"

Wasn't that a bit... too boastful?

"Yes."

Augus didn't waste any words, nodding directly in response without even a hint of hesitation.

"Then... Mr. Augus, do you know what kind of national policy I wish to implement?"

"Suppressing the nobility, abolishing privileges, centralizing royal power, reforming the system, and revitalizing the Kingdom of the Moon."

He spoke those words in a single breath, leaving me utterly shocked!

The number of people in my inner circle who knew I wanted to suppress the nobility could be counted on two hands.

Yet, he had exposed my intentions in a single word.

By saying this, regardless of whether he was willing to help me or not today, he could no longer walk out of this Temple!

I made a secret gesture to Nara. Seeing this, Nara gave a slight nod.

But before Nara could leave to give orders, Augus looked at me with his chest out and his head held high.

"Your Highness need not go to such lengths. I came here today prepared to die."

Hearing him say this, I was completely stunned.

Nara beside me was also stunned. After a long while, she cautiously asked me.

"Your Highness... what should we do?"

"Seal the hall. No one is allowed to enter. Have Lola come here. Is Hilda still here? Tell her to increase security."

"Yes."

Since Augus hadn't beaten around the bush, I spoke plainly as well.

"Mr. Augus, you must know... by saying these things to my face today, regardless of whether you are willing to help me or not, you cannot leave this Temple."

"I certainly understand. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come."

There was no trace of fear on Augus's face. His pathologically white complexion was stained with a hint of crimson.

An inexplicable brilliance also erupted in his eyes.

"Good! A fine ruler with magnanimity, breadth of mind, courage, and means. Kind to people, yet never soft-hearted at critical moments... this is the monarch I wanted to see!!"

What... what was he talking about?

"Your Highness, I, Augus, have come here today either to sacrifice myself or to achieve greatness. Your thoughts have been gradually revealed since that counterattack."

He pondered for a moment and looked up at me.

"The Kingdom of the Moon is vast and rich in resources and talent. I assume that besides me, many others have noticed your intentions. I fear your future actions will be restricted at every turn. Those nobles will certainly not sit by and wait for their end."

At this point, he actually stood up and looked at me excitedly, his face full of confidence.

"I can help you! No! Please, let me help you!!"

"How... can you help me?"

At this moment, I began to hesitate. The person before me was definitely a genius, and the fact that he could deduce my thoughts from a few details was terrifying.

No matter what, he could not be allowed to leave.

In this situation, I only had two choices.

Either... use him.

Or... kill him!

And his words clearly made me lean toward the former.

"Your Highness, I have been well-read in ancient books since childhood and believe my strategic skills are decent. If Your Highness is willing, you can give me a trial!"

Augus looked up at me, his breathing even becoming somewhat hurried, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

That sickly feeling was unmistakable, and even his face showed a morbid flush.

This wasn't because of shyness, but because of excitement.

Just being excited caused such a sickly reaction. I truly wondered... if I agreed with him, would he instantly collapse and extort me?

Since he wanted to try, then I would let him!

"In that case, Augus... it just so happens there is a troublesome matter right now. If you can solve it, I will use you. If not..."

"Your Highness is likely referring to... the million refugees outside Brilliant City?"