Jack wasn't sure what a royal procession consisted of. The closest he had ever actually seen to it on Earth was probably the President of America getting off a plane. Lots of guards, spectators, and press. Very secure but also intended to be a big event. This was similar in a way.
It was like a parade of troops. One hundred armed soldiers with gleaming plate mail and halberds marched into the compound in front of a grand carriage and several smaller carriages, followed by another hundred soldiers. It was absurd how many people packed their way into the valley, forcing the mercenaries to move back and mutter in discontent. When all the troops had assembled and lined up, a trumpeter came out of the fancy carriage and began playing an anthem. It was imperious and steady like the march of the troops had been.
When the trumpeter was finished, he called out to the valley in a booming voice. "Now presenting, Queen Evanna Herchesen and King Tryld Herchesen, rulers of the noble country of Cheria!" His voice carried over the whole valley and echoed off the walls. As one, the soldiers saluted thunderously and the door to the carriage opened.
The Queen emerged first, a shorter woman with raven hair done in long elaborate braids. She was pretty, but Jack would hesitate to call her beautiful. She had a sharp look to her, like she was dangerous, and chose to emphasize that in her actions. She wore a long flowing black dress, very modest in the cut, but slightly form-fitting. It was adorned with patterns woven in gold, the whole effect making her seen very regal. A small crown sat upon her head, golden with gems inset around its base. She was lithe and on the shorter side, perhaps only five and a half feet tall. Jack immediately thought of her as an assassin or some other dangerous person.
The King by contrast was huge. Over six feet tall and built like a bodybuilder, the man's muscles were enormous underneath his regal garbs. His clothes were also black with gold patterns, but where the Queens had looked like they suited her, his only served to make hers seem more interesting. A formal shirt with a small formal cape covered his upper half and formal pants and boots adorned his lower half. He had blond hair and a rugged face. His crown was larger than the Queens, but that only seemed to be because his head was so much bigger than her own. If you put him in flannel and gave him an axe, Jack wouldn't have been able to pick him out of a lumberjack lineup.
The two were also followed by a number of servants, a maid, a butler, and several generic serving staff. Five soldiers on each side flanked the procession as they closed the distance to Jack and the mercenaries. The whole situation was surreal, a group like this coming to see him. As they approached, Riniox made a gesture behind her back to the troops, and everyone assembled bowed low, Jack included. They were supposed to hold the bow until told otherwise by the monarchs, similar to how Lexen had treated Jack at their first meeting.
A smooth but commanding feminine voice spoke. "You may rise."
Jack looked up to see the Queen studying him intently, her eyes predatory as they passed over his features. The King was half a step behind her, so Jack internally confirmed that the Queen was the one in charge here. She gazed imperiously down the line of mercenaries as they rose, silently seeming to judge them on their form. Jack was at the front of the procession along with Riniox and Jeler, the only members of the mercenary group that had any proficiency with royal etiquette.
"You are Jack, servant of the High Deity?" the Queen asked.
Jack bowed slightly again, his instincts telling him that such a person should be bowed to. "Yes, Your Majesty. I have been sent by the High Deity to grant the reward he intends for this world."
The Queen was contemplative, considering him for a moment. "And what reward is that?"
Jack rose. "It is magic, Your Majesty. I will incant it for you now." Some of the royal guards tensed at this, but the Queen held up a hand to stall them. Jack simply said, "Status" and the blue screen appeared before him.
The Queen flinched back slightly at the sudden appearance of the screen but quickly moved forward to peer at it. She attempted to touch it to no avail, then asked after its purpose.
"It is a record and method of growth, Your Majesty. It is in its infancy as a spell right now, but the intention is to allow for the growth and development of all people." Jack said smoothly. He had been practicing what to say so that he wouldn't stumble over his words.
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"All people..." the Queen mused. "Can such a gift not be kept to the nobility and their chosen? Putting power in the hands of commoners can be dangerous."
Jack immediately felt distaste build up inside of him. He had been hoping that this kind of development didn't emerge, but supposed he could understand the sentiment. For someone in a precarious position of power, giving more agency to the masses could prove to be quite a threat. "It is the intention of the High Deity to spread this to every corner of Drowl, Your Majesty." Jack fought to keep his voice level and calm, not wanting to show his sudden disgust at politicians trying to push people down.
"Hmm, a pity. Very well, how can one acquire this magic?" the Queen seemed dismissive of her idea as if she had known that it was futile to begin with. Jack was slightly surprised that she hadn't pressed harder, but wouldn't complain at the result.
"I was gifted a ritual to grant someone a status, the blue screen you see before you. There are also several priests in attendance who can perform this ritual as well, Your Majesty."
The king spoke for the first time, his voice deep and slightly rough sounding. "How can the priests perform this ritual? Was it taught to them?" His brow was furrowed and he frowned as he spoke.
Jack paused, deciding how to phrase his answer. "I possess a second ritual which gives someone access to both the previously mentioned ritual and this second one. If you will observe my status screen," Jack gestured to his screen where the three system skills were listed. "These are the described skills. The [Status] skill which creates this screen, and [Status Granting] which I will use on you and your entourage. The priests have had [Chosen of the Status] performed on them.
The Queen looked thoughtful. "Might we be given access to this [Chosen of the Status] ability? I believe it would serve my purposes well." The smile she gave struck Jack as distinctly evil. Jack was glad that he had grounds to refuse.
"My apologies, Your Majesty. The High Deity specifically instructed me to not grant that ritual without his express permission." He bowed deeply to hide his face. Jack wasn't sure if he could pull off looking sorry at not being able to grant their request.
The queen turned, eyeing the priests. They were standing resolute, conviction and refusal clear on their faces. The Queen sighed before turning back to Jack. "We will have you perform this ritual on several of our staff members before using it on us. Gerart, come forward!"
The butler that had been in their carriage smoothly slid forward, his eyes downcast the entire time. "As you command, Your Majesty?" His voice was smooth as the silk he wore. His outfit was very much in line with Victorian servant uniforms, a suit of black that fit slimmly on the body.
Once the butler was in place, Jack began the ritual. Everyone assembled and waited patiently except for the King. He peered at Jack and muttered to himself anytime Jack began the next section of the skill. Once the ritual ended, a blue screen appeared before the butler. The butler lifted his eyes to look at the screen and then froze.
The Queen, peering over the man's shoulders, frowned at something on the screen before opening her mouth to speak. But before a single sound could come out Jeler and Riniox rushed forward and seized the man, throwing him to the ground roughly. The royal guards acted immediately, five brandishing halberds at the mercenaries while the other five roughly grabbed the King and Queen, pulling them back and away. The air grew incredibly tense in a heartbeat and Jack fell down in shock at all the the sudden motion. Halberds were leveled at Riniox and Jeler even as the rest of the royal army pushed forward, ready to fight. The mercenaries also drew weapons, looking unsure but determined, they wouldn't go down without a fight.
Suddenly the Queen's voice rang out. "Stand down! Let me go right now!" The guards who had pulled her back released her instantly before saluting at her. She brushed at her now wrinkled dress and straightened herself out. Then she took a breath and her eyes filled with focus. She came forward, despite the obvious reluctance of the guards to let her through. She came and knelt by the butler, Riniox, and Jeler then looked at the status screen.
Jack collected himself and stood, coming over to see what the problem was. The name and race were incorrect. The human butler named Gerart was listed as a demon named Frox. The man was visually human in every way, his skin tone, the lack of horns, and his teeth didn't have the pointed quality that Jack had begun associating with the species.
The Queen observed the man and his screen before turning to Jack. "What is this? Why is this screen incorrect?"
Jack slowly shook his head, using [Appraisal]. A copy of the man's status appeared in front of Jack and he slowly scrolled through the skill list. There was a skill listed that Jack had never seen before [Whole Body Illusion]. "I believe he is using an illusion technique to hide his true form, can someone perform a dispelling?" Jack called out. One of the soldiers stepped forward and volunteered. He performed a short incantation and the man's skin faded away to reveal a demon being held on the ground. He snarled and suddenly started trying to break free, but Riniox and Jeler were more than a match for his strength.
The Queen gazed down at the demon on the ground before calling some of her soldiers over. "Detain him in one of the carriages. The mercenaries will have some rope or chain that we can buy off of them for the purpose. We will...interrogate him later." The Queen smiled again as she said this, and Jack made a mental note to never get on this woman's bad side.