Chapter 265
There was no need to ask more. I was dragged to the dressing room just like that by the marquis and the servants.
The marquis, perhaps worried that I might escape, stood guard at the door of the dressing room. In the anti, other attendants blocked my front and said.
"Your Excellency, please remove the robe."
"Why must I do that?"
"Why? ...Now you have to go out. You can't go out wearing that outer garnt."
Not content with suddenly dragging here, they were still saying things I couldn't understand?
'In the world, what country treats a state guest like this?'
This wasn't right. Sothing was wrong.
Bavaria wasn't a country that did such nonsensical things? No, this was Wittelsbach, but anyway, whether there or here, they had common sense. Since there was a letter written directly by Leo, it was certain these people were Wittelsbach people.
Looking closely, they were treating like a madman in their own way, and from this, it seed the information held by the two sides was sowhat different.
Just then, the attendants looked at with troubled expressions and coaxed.
"Your Excellency, as we said when you arrived earlier, we don't have much ti. It will end soon, so please cooperate."
"Why don't we have ti? Whether I wear the imperial robe or not, it's permitted by His Highness the Crown Prince. Is this a problem now? From the beginning, this is clothing that His Highness the Crown Prince also wears."
"We're sorry, but we have nothing to say. No matter what Your Excellency asks, we were ordered not to answer—that was His Majesty the King's command. And really, it's about to start soon...."
"No, I need to know what that start is to comply."
"You don't know?"
"...?"
Now I was so dumbfounded that I let out a hollow laugh and looked at them.
They were flustered in their own way.
"Why don't you know?"
"Marquis, Your Excellency Askanien says he doesn't know the next schedule."
"That would be the case. Continue preparing."
"What?"
The last words were mine.
They were so nonchalant even knowing I didn't know?
I looked at him with suspicious eyes and said to the attendant reaching for my robe.
"I have an appointnt with His Highness the Crown Prince. I need to wait for him, so please leave alone."
"Yes?"
The attendant widened his eyes with a greatly flustered face.
'Yes?' I was going crazy.
I was sorry to break Leo's injunction, but I had no choice but to ntion the letter contents once more. How could I not say it in this situation?
I calmly said to the new human attendants looking at with flustered faces.
"I heard His Highness the Crown Prince left for so business. Right now, I need to wait until his business ends."
"Yes?"
"......"
This ti, I couldn't hold back and grabbed my neck. It was a reflexive action. The marquis, who had been watching , said as if sorry.
"Your Excellency, as I said earlier, we cannot disclose royal duties. In fact, I myself cannot fully understand the orders I received. I want to explain all the circumstances to Your Excellency, but since I must absolutely obey His Majesty the King's commands, I cannot. Please forgive the rudeness. More than that...."
He looked at his watch and said seriously.
"30 minutes left."
"Whatever that 30 minutes left ans, it's quite a lot."
"That's not true."
'Yeah, right....'
I gave up trying to understand. The thought now was that regarding this incomprehensible situation—though I had a slight inkling, it was uncertain—I only had questions for His Majesty the King.
He had permitted my Nicolaus identity and hadn't forgotten his promise to , laying the groundwork for to participate in the magic potion experint competition, and as a monarch fitting Bavaria's liberal tendencies, with excellent political abilities, he had left a good impression on . But after going through this situation now, that evaluation was slightly shaken. He ordered not to tell anything? Why on earth?
The marquis put the pocket watch back in his pocket and approached .
"Now, I will inform Your Excellency what you must do."
"Please do."
I shouldn't have enjoyed the attendant's soulless smile so much earlier. What goes around cos around.
I knew my voice had no soul, but I didn't particularly want to add more words. I just believed that since they were Bavarian people, they wouldn't harm —though I wasn't out as Nicolaus yet, still.
"Your Excellency will now enter the Antiquarium of the Munich Residenz. Your Excellency does not need to touch the door or chair. Everything will be handled by the guard corps or ushers, so Your Excellency just needs to stand naturally looking straight ahead. For movent as well, two in front including myself and the guard corps, one each on the sides, and two behind, so no need to worry."
"I see. If I ask why on earth to go there, you won't tell , right?"
"That's correct."
The steward brought his hand near my chin with a serious face.
"Your Excellency, please lift your head slightly. Gaze about 15 degrees down. Good. Maintain this until entry."
"Now a feeling ca to ; let state my guess once."
"No. I cannot hear it. I'm sorry."
The steward answered with a face that wasn't sorry at all and gestured to the attendants. He began guarding the dressing room entrance again.
The attendants ca to and placed a hand on the brooch of my robe. I rolled my eyes at this incomprehensible situation, shrugged my shoulders, and said to the attendants.
"Anyway, you an I have to take off the robe."
"Yes."
"Then I'll do it alone."
If it had been Prussia, I would have desperately escaped, but since it's Bavaria, I endured.... Having heard sothing from the marquis in the anti, the attendant now nodded without fluster.
"Yes, understood. I just heard you'd say that."
"You know well. So, I'm saying I'll do it."
"No. Please grant the honor of attending Your Excellency."
"I'll grant it next ti."
No matter what I said, the attendant smiled in response and suddenly lifted my left arm. He had a beaming smile on his face, as if he'd heard sothing. Now he seed in cahoots with that marquis.
As another attendant took my Eschet robe, the attendant in front draped a red sash over my right shoulder and tied it under the left. Then, he draped a dark blue robe brought by a servant handling odd jobs over my shoulders. The Eschet robe had a red carpet lining, but this robe was dark blue even on the inside. It wasn't a robe normally fastened at the chest but had a clasp in front of the right shoulder, and due to influences from neighboring countries, it was much more decorative than usual.
Knowing in what situation such a robe was used, anxiety slowly surged.
"This can't be...."
"We'll leave the clothes worn inside as is. It's fine to just change the robe."
The marquis cut my words and smiled softly.
"That's a relief now, belatedly."
I stroked my chin while looking at the marquis.
For now, it was better not to voice my guess. Considering that neither Anhalt nor Bavaria nor Leo gave any hint, it was probably nothing much. The one giving the rice cake might not even think of it, and I could co off as saying sothing absurd.
The marquis, who had said earlier there wasn't much ti, now took out a notebook and approached, starting to say sothing out of the blue.
"Now, I'll briefly guide Your Excellency's schedule. From now on, Your Excellency must carry out the schedule regarding the terror for the next 3 days. The matters from tomorrow to the day after will be organized and shared by Anhalt, so hear from there, and the joint governnt of Bavaria and Baden has scheduled Your Excellency's final press conference and etings with each head of state 3 days later. It's a decision considering the public opinion war, but the final decision is with Your Excellency."
3 days?
Of course, it was that big an incident. I still hadn't checked 'even a single' newspaper, so I had no idea about overseas reactions or dostic public opinion, but it wasn't sothing the heat would die down in just a few days.
To the extent that public opinion war needed consideration.
Earlier, Anhalt also said the subjects' anxiety was heightening, so to hold a press conference with them first. I thought it was just anxiety about the Pleroma Askanien, but it wasn't.
"Understood. While we're on the topic, could you give a newspaper?"
"Hm, that...."
"Yes. Understood."
Aigoo, yeah. How dare I read a newspaper.
Knowing the answer that would co, I cut his words and looked around. Now the clock had 20 minutes left.
'Hm, shouldn't I have waited until Leo's business ended.'
He said not to share the letter contents, but that marquis seed to know so circumstances, and since he dragged here abruptly, it seed Leo's business would take a long ti. In the anti, I just needed to finish what I had to do.
20 minutes passed quickly.
"Now, let's depart, Your Excellency."
"Yes."
At the marquis's words, I answered dryly and stood up from my seat.
We left this annex and went through the portal to the Munich Residenz, the main palace of the Wittelsbach royal family.
The Antiquarium was on the 1st floor of the Residenz, but since the portal arrival was a distance away in preparation against external attacks, we walked a full 10 minutes more.
The Munich Residenz was the largest palace in this country and a place with deep history, so there was fun in looking.
However, as the marquis said earlier, I walked looking only ahead. Even if the marquis hadn't said, I would have done so of course. For Luka's honor, I had always done that.
The marquis suddenly stopped his steps. Then, turning his body toward , he said.
"Your Excellency. This is the Antiquarium."
A hugely decorated door was firmly locked in front of him.
He took out a letter from his jacket with a much more serious face than earlier and handed it over.
"Before entering, there is a letter Your Excellency must check."
Again?
Thinking that, I took the letter expressionlessly, but this ti it was different.
For a mont, I couldn't close my mouth.
"......"
[Lukas Karl Friedrich Leopold Prinz von Anhalt]
It was clearly a letter to , but the na notation was different.
Prinz was a title given to those born as heirs to ruling families, so that was fine....
von Anhalt. Written according to traditional notation.
One could tell from the current way everyone omitted the von between na and region and used the family na like a surna—Lukas von Anhalt, not Lukas Askanien—. This was the writing thod from the pre-magic era, and a na used very rarely in events among nobles who highly valued tradition and formality.
So, an event where such a na must be used....
I opened the folded letter and froze right there. I couldn't imdiately understand what I was seeing. Even understanding it, I couldn't easily believe it.
"...Heh."
Unknowingly, a hollow laugh escaped.
The marquis, who had stopped in front of the door, smiled softly and said to .
"Will you accept the honor of Bavaria?"
I looked at him and held back the laughter trying to co out. The reason he had dragged here relentlessly until now was this.
Now I understood completely why this situation was happening.
Anyway, my answer had been decided long ago.
"Of course."
I answered with a faint smile.
The marquis had the sa expression as .
He gestured to the servant following at the very back, who placed a feathered hat on my head. Since the robe I wore was sowhat flashy, it didn't look too strange.
At his gesture, the door of the Antiquarium hall slowly opened. The long hall, built in the Renaissance era, was flashy and majestic. Arch-shaped walls and ceilings had Christian paintings, and on both sides, li statues related to ancient Greece and Ro were lined up. It was ti for the sun to set, so the light pouring from the windows stretched long, illuminating the interior.
The Bavarian governnt officials and Bavarian nobles seated on both sides of the hall stood up. The collateral Wittelsbachs seated closer to the altar did the sa.
Directly opposite where I stood, at the end of the hall, there was a low podium. On both sides of the middle part of the hall, orchestras were seated half each, and above and below them, people were seated in two rows. Thanks to the people seated on both sides of the hall, a central aisle was naturally ford. On the other hand, no one was on the podium.
The marquis pointed to the passage toward the podium. In this quiet hall, only our footsteps echoed.
Standing on the right below the podium and turning back toward the door, a solemn voice ca from outside the door.
[The representative of the King has arrived.]
Representative of the King. From the mont those words were heard, it was obvious who would enter.
The one entering now wasn't the king, but the crown prince who lied about having business and left first. According to the letter I read earlier, it would be so.
As expected, when the door opened once more, the first person seen was soone I knew well.
Leo walked toward the podium, escorting the guard corps commander and the kingdom's pri minister, with no expression on his face like . Unlike usual, he was wearing a sword.
As he went up to the podium a hand's breadth high and looked ahead, the orchestra began playing the Bavarian national anthem. The majestic brass sounds flowed powerfully. He looked ahead with a relaxed face for the 1 minute 30 seconds the anthem played, and when it ended, he lightly gestured to .
As I moved in front of him, the guard corps commander and the kingdom's pri minister stood on the crown prince's right.
The kingdom's pri minister began reciting the speech he held in a weighty voice.
"On February 21, 1898, an unprecedented danger occurred in the unified German Empire. This was a cri by Pleroma that had plunged the imperial subjects into suffering for the past 13 years, a serious problem threatening the lives of 600,000 subjects and foreigners. Our Wittelsbach Bavarian royal family expresses sincere gratitude and deep respect to Prince Lukas von Anhalt, who showed courage and dedication in the face of this unprecedented threat to our people, our empire, and our continent."
I looked at the imperial pri minister.
It might sound a bit out of the blue, but it was the sa as my initial guess, and it matched the contents written in that letter.
In the anti, Leo's gaze was directed at . In fact, not just Leo, but everyone was looking at .
"The leadership, strategic insight, and brave spirit fulfilling the noble's duty to the subjects of Prince von Anhalt played an important role in preventing 600,000 casualties and damage to the imperial spirit. This announcent is a thank you to His Highness Prince von Anhalt for the dedication shown to protect the justice, peace, and freedom of our people and continent. Prince von Anhalt showed the true aning of heroism and bestowed hope and deep trust to all subjects of our great German land. In accordance with the royal tradition and norms, we bestow this letter of thanks and 'honor' upon Lukas von Anhalt to express respect for the precious dedication to our people and continent."
The kingdom's pri minister took his eyes off the speech he held. Now, the gazes of others were all directed at the crown prince.
Now, as far as I knew, words that might be a bit perplexing from a modern person's perspective would co out.
"Can Lukas von Anhalt beco a mber of the Order of Saint Hubertus and pledge loyalty to the Kingdom of Bavaria and the monarch of Wittelsbach?"
"...?!"
It wasn't surprise at the knight order. Hubertus?
Unknowingly, I held my breath for a mont. I hadn't anticipated this far. I saw Leo reading the bewildernt passing over my expressionless face and holding back a laugh. Thanks to that, I regained composure, wanting to hit him once.
The Order of Saint Hubertus was Bavaria's highest knight order and dal. There was no higher dal than this.
One thing to note.
This wasn't a real knight order wielding swords and rampaging, nor one where you really got your head cut off for wronging the monarch—diplomatically, perhaps—. Fortunately, since knight titles of the British Commonwealth still existed in modern tis, modern people are familiar with what knight titles an. This was an honorary position containing respect and encouragent. In addition, in this era, it was part of diplomatic activities to show friendship between ruling families and strengthen ties.
I didn't know how many dals Leo had, but as the crown prince of one ruling family, he must have received dals from nurous federations making up the German Empire until now, and nominally added his na to nurous knight orders like now. The sa went for Adrian Askanien, Yulia, and Elias, who lived as an outsider of Hohenzollern. Because they were ruling families.
But for Luka, for who must live in his na, it was the first.
Until now, no one in the empire had tried to give honor to the Pleroma Askanien, nor shown affection and respect.
The reason he said to go to Bavaria over two tilines was in 'this' aning. Now I could fully understand why he said that obvious statent solemnly.
"I pledge."
I answered in Luka's voice.
The corner of Leo's mouth rose softly. That ceremonial smile conveyed to to move to the next step.
I knelt on my left knee and lowered my head. Leo brought the sword of Wittelsbach to above my left shoulder. After he moved the sword above my right shoulder, he withdrew it from . I slowly stood up from my seat and looked at him.
"From this ti, the Kingdom of Bavaria and the Wittelsbach royal family appoint Lukas von Anhalt as a knight of the Order of Saint Hubertus, and as proof, bestow the Kingdom dal of Saint Hubertus."
Leo's voice echoed in the Antiquarium hall. The faintly laid Bavarian national anthem now entered my ears.
The officer handed the dal case he held to Leo. Leo grabbed the left lapel of my robe, draped it over the left shoulder, and attached and fixed the gold sun-shaped badge dal.
As he took one step back, Leo continued the pri minister's speech he hadn't finished earlier.
"May the courage and dedication of Prince Lukas von Anhalt be eternally engraved in the chronicle of our empire and kingdom history. End of the decree of His Majesty King Hildegard II of Bavaria."
After finishing his words and pausing, he cast a soundproofing spell and smiled.
"Congratulations on coming to Bavaria."
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