As he was called upon, Gabriel had no choice but to walk up to the platform and lower his head, kneeling in front of the emperor. He felt the eyes on him. The nobles in the hall, the citizens scattered throughout the empire, even the number in the sky felt like it was looking down at him. And then there was the emperor…

"Gabriel… Young Child. I have been told that you were an orphan, correct?"

The emperor’s gaze felt like needles. It reminded him of the few meetings he had with the general in his past life. It was the kind of gaze that sized you up, gouged out your innards to understand you, to figure out how to best use you. The gaze of a rational leader cold enough to get any job done.

"You speak the truth, your highness. I was too young, so I have no memories of my parents. Were it not for Lady Alice then I would probably still be within the confines of the orphanage."

Gabriel kept his head lowered as he nodded. He was looking down at the floor with a placid gaze. This was a good opportunity. The seeds he was planting amongst the other nobles was one thing, but this meeting with the emperor was an even better opportunity. The things he said and revealed here would lay a sturdy foundation for any future plans.

The sound of soft and steady steps reached Gabriel after he spoke. The shadow that the emperor cast on him moved in tune with the steps, the gold shoes adorned by red threads slowly appearing in Gabriel’s lowered field of vision. The emperor had stepped down from the podium and walked up to him, even going as far as to placing a hand on his head.

"It must have been hard, my Child. I have been told of the orphanage you came from, filled with horrible people who engaged in abuse of the children they were supposed to protect. You had to work a lot, didn’t you? You had to suffer a lot under their disgusting hands, didn’t you?"

The emperor’s hand ruffled Gabriel’s hair. He couldn’t look up to see it, but he heard it in his voice. He was definitely wearing a tender expression, an almost heartbroken one as he showed nothing but the utmost sympathy.

"I know that it will not serve as any comfort to ease the suffering of the past, but we have already eradicated that horrible establishment. No more children will be tormented by them. As for the children that were still trapped there, we have taken them into the Imperial Palace. They will be raised into proper adults and offered positions here, so you can come meet your friends whenever you want."

In truth, the orphanage he came from had already been shut down some time ago. Gabriel had investigated it, the Crown Princess had shut it down at some point, but there were still guards patrolling the area. It was highly likely that whatever they were hiding there was still there, and difficult to move.

"I thank you for your grace, Your Highness. The times in the orphanage were hard, but the other children there were all good so I have missed them dearly. Thank you for allowing me to visit them."

The emperor was clever, at least if you looked at it from a normal perspective. What he implied with the other children, what he was trying to achieve, it was an effective strategy. Well, whether or not it worked on Gabriel wasn’t something the emperor or others had to know, they just had to know that the children of the orphanage were a ‘weakness’ of his.

"Do not thank me for something like that, my child. I am the Emperor, I exist for the people, everything I do must be for them. And every one of them that suffers is a personal fault of mine."

The emperor finally stopped ruffling Gabriel’s hair, his hand moving down to Gabriel’s shoulder. He tightened his grip and pulled Gabriel to his feet, a warm smile on his face.

"Come now, child, rise. Let me get a good look at your face."

The two looked at each other, both of them playing their roles perfectly for the onlookers. The hand resting on Gabriel’s shoulder rose for a moment before lowering, patting him strongly.

"You’ve grown up well. Sharp features, a strong body. I dare not imagine the hard work you’ve put in to reach a stage like this. It must be this persistent hard work that allowed you to stand tall in the face of that sealed beast. I’ve been told time and time again that you were the one who contributed the most in that gruesome battle, and for that you have my sincere gratitude."

The emperor spun Gabriel around after he finished speaking, showing him off to the nobles gathered in the hall. But more importantly, he showed him off to the countless citizens that were watching this broadcast.

"Look upon him, my dear citizens! It was not one of my own, it was not one of the ducal families, not one of the marquess’. Nay, the one who fought his hardest to protect the empire, the one who got rid of the foul beast that threatened us all, it was someone wholly removed from the nobility! The hero who fought to protect us all is one just like you! Truly, his presence tells us that there is a hero in all of us!"

What made an empire? Who was it that decided who would sit on the throne? Was it the nobles? Was it the strongest warrior in the empire? Was it the royal bloodline?

Nay, it was the people. The faceless masses you never saw. Even the mightiest emperor, if he went against the masses and aroused their ire, would find himself dragged out into the street and beheaded. The emperor knew this, so he used Gabriel appropriately. Rouse the masses, excite the people, make them eager to fight for the empire.

"And not only is he a hero, my dear citizens, he is also a prodigy, one rarely seen in a hundred lifetimes. But he wasn’t complacent despite this! He knew that he had to work hard, that he had to struggle and persist to properly use his talents. And that struggle is what made him who he is, if he had not struggled and persisted he would never have stood here. He is a testament to the power of hard work and unrelenting will!"

The emperor spoke loudly, his hand still resting on Gabriel’s shoulder as if he was a close confidant, a child he was especially proud of. As he spoke, as if waiting for this moment, an attendant came over with a table on wheels, a familiar item merged with the table.

"Go ahead, my child. Show the world what you have been blessed with, what your hard work and relentless will earned you."

The emperor smiled as the Mana Affinity Testing Device was brought in front of Gabriel. Hearing it was one thing, but there was no way they wouldn’t test Gabriel’s affinities for themselves to discern the truth. And naturally, an event like this had to be broadcast to notify the entire empire.

"As you wish, your highness."

Gabriel placed his hand on the device, a translucent orb that stood on a small pedestal. This device was at least three times the size of the one that Alice ‘borrowed’ for him back in the past, it was probably the most accurate device in the entire empire.

Gabriel flipped the switch at the base of the pedestal, hundreds of tiny barbs emerging from the orb to dig into Gabriel’s palm. The barbs swallowed the blood that spilt from his hand and the orb lit up as a result, meaning that his blood was conducive to mana. A blob using his blood quickly formed at the centre of the orb, its colour washing out and splitting apart into four separate colours.

The fact that they split apart meant that they didn’t mesh together so he wouldn’t be able to use any fused magic like Alice, but that was something Gabriel naturally knew better than most.

"Pitch Black for Karas, Ashen Grey for Akasha, murky yellow for Waraya, and brilliant blue for Katush. Look upon him citizens. Someone just like you has put in so much hard work and effort that the gods have rewarded him with not just two normal affinities but also two affinities on the Divine Star. Truly, ones own effort will never betray them!"

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

The emperor slowly announced all of Gabriel’s affinities, showcasing them to the public. Meanwhile, Gabriel heaved an internal sigh of relief. It was good that the covenant he made with Alice showed up as a Katush affinity. He’d used a lot of water magic when he fought the claw so if it didn’t show up as an affinity then he would have to say that it came from Akasha, messing up his current plan for it.

What surprised even him however, was the fact that Azui didn’t show up as one of his affinities. He had acquired such strange control over it after taking in the claw that he was certain that it would show up here. But well, it was a stroke of luck if you asked him.

"Do you understand what this means, my dear citizens? Not only has my daughter been blessed with Gula and Diverta, but now we have also been blessed with Karas and Akasha. For the first time, probably in history, the entire Divine Star has been gathered in a single empire. This is a revelation from the gods, my dear citizens! The Earhart Empire was made to flourish, and this is a gift from the gods to ensure that we shall remain peaceful and thrive for years to come!"

Gabriel could feel a slight rumble after the emperor spoke. The nobles were cheering to support the empire, but it was barely a drop in the ocean compared to the cheers of the citizens. He could feel them from here, the air practically vibrated as they clung to the emperor’s every word. But the emperor wasn’t done just yet.

"I heard you’ve already used your Akasha up in the north, my child. Would you mind showing the citizens what it looks like? It is not often that they get to see an affinity from the Divine Star in action."

The emperor asked the expected question. Good, he was guiding Gabriel in all the right directions.

"Of course, your highness. But I’m afraid the ancient records may have lied to us, so please do not be disappointed when my Akasha fails to live up to your expectations."

"Akasha Dai. (Demon Release.)

Gabriel spoke the spell loudly to activate it, the mana surrounding him flowing in response to his words. It gathered around his tail-bone, forming a scorpion-like tail of ice that was an exact replica of the one that the Lizard-men up north had. The ice was naturally something formed using his strange ability to control ice, gained after eating the claw.

But these people didn’t know that. No one had seen Akasha for several thousands of years, they had only an inkling of what it should be. And Gabriel used that to his own advantage.

"This is what I gained after I used Akasha on the Blue-Tint Lizards up north. I was hoping they would give me the Azui affinity, but it seems I was hoping for too much. Please forgive me for this paltry display, your highness."

Gabriel lowered his head in an apologetic bow, moving the glacial tail as if it was his arm while doing so. The sharp blade whistled as it cut through the air, notifying everyone of how sharp it was. Thus, no one dared to underestimate it.

"Not at all, my child. If something like this is paltry then I fear that all our knights won’t even amount to that. Be proud of what you have, I am sure that your Akasha will only grow more brilliant as you find more demons."

The emperor naturally pat Gabriel on the shoulder with a wide smile. It was only to be expected that not everything followed the ancient records, most of them were so old that they weren’t even sure if they were translating them properly. The tail vanished as the emperor pat Gabriel’s shoulder, the man not missing the chance to keep showing off their newest hero.

"You may think this is everything, my dear citizens, but no! Not only has our newest hero’s effort blessed him with prodigal affinities, he has also been chosen by a powerful spirit! Haven’t you, Gabriel? Would you mind introducing him to us?"

Yeah, it was as expected. He couldn’t really pretend as if Nergal was a low-ranked water spirit anymore, not after what he had shown against the claw. But still, that didn’t mean that he had to give them the full truth.

"Of course, your highness. Nergal."

Gabriel stretched out his hand and turned it over, a blob falling from his palm. It burst when it hit the ground, expanding into a black zone that contained a few circular set of teeth that spun around slowly, tendrils acting as tongues as they stretched out.

"This is Nergal. He’s not an elemental spirit, but rather a spirit of gluttony. He’s a ravenous little fellow with a stomach bigger than his brain."

The tendrils stretched towards Gabriel’s hand, curling in his palm like a puppy asking for some love. He made for a rather grotesque display so some of the nobles naturally recoiled at the sight. Gabriel gave Nergal a look, the open maw stretching out some more tendrils towards Alice. But they weren’t able to reach her, flailing aimlessly before they fell to the ground, almost despondently.

"He’s strong, but he doesn’t have a proper body so he can’t actually move freely. After I set him down somewhere, I am forced to move him manually like this. Karas Vara.(Darkness Move)."

Gabriel explained further as Nergal gave up on flailing, a blotch of darkness falling from his hand and pooling underneath the spinning maw. Gabriel flicked his finger and the darkness moved, dragging Nergal with it so that his tendrils could reach Alice, who stroked them like she would a cat.

"But he’s cute, so I don’t mind a flaw here and there. Karas Vara."

Gabriel smiled softly as he called back Nergal, who rose back into his palm along with the darkness. The emperor gave an understanding nod, patting Gabriel’s shoulder once more.

"I understand, all strengths have some weaknesses. It is how you utilise and work around those weaknesses that determines your strength. You are admirable, my child."

Whether or not the emperor actually believed Gabriel was unknown, but he had no choice but to at the very least act like he believed him. It wouldn’t do if the emperor didn’t trust the hero he was raising up in front of the commoners.

"Have you seen it all, my dear citizens? Prodigal affinities, unshakable willpower and determination, and a heart that bleeds for the empire. A hero like this, how can I not reward him? Is it not right that those who put in the proper effort are rewarded? Is that not how the world should work? At the very least, the world, the empire I wish to make, I want it to work as such."

The time had finally come. The emperor had built it up enough, it was time to deliver the finishing blow. He turned Gabriel around again and allowed him to sink back to his knee, taking a step back as he unsheathed his blade.

"Gabriel, former servant of house Vritara. I have recognized your courage, your devotion, and your strength. By my name as Earhart and the power invested in me with that name, I hereby knight you as an official knight of the Earhart empire."

The flat side of the blade landed on one of Gabriel’s shoulder, tapping it softly for a moment before it moved over his head and tapped the other one. In the end, it came to rest on top of his lowered head, bringing with it an almost unearthly weight.

"But as an emperor who exists for the people, I would bring shame to my name if I let it end there. I hereby grant you the rank of Viscount, and you will be the Earhart Empire’s third ever Viscount of War. This title does not come with any land, but it grants you the privilege to claim land. Any land beyond the borders of the empire that you conquer in the future, be it in the Dead lands, the frozen north, the south, or even in the far west, you may claim as part of your county. You have my permission to grow your county as large as you wish, Viscount of War."

A viscount with a special privilege, just as Gabriel had heard. But the privilege… It sounded better than it was. Sure, growing your land as large as you wanted sounded nice, but the logistics of it was a nightmare if you didn’t focus it all in one spot. What the emperor was really telling him was to go out to war and expand their empire for him. Still, it was something that could be used, so Gabriel would use it.

"You are too magnanimous, your highness. I will forever keep this gratitude in my heart and strive to become worthy of the title and expectations you have of me."

Gabriel could feel the tremors again. The empire was cheering, the citizens were celebrating the new hero that had risen from their own midst. The commoner that proved anyone could become a hero, a noble. Just as the emperor hoped.

"Naturally, as a knight and a noble, you are permitted to take on a last name. From this day forward, you will be known as such, you will be written down in the annals of our history as such, so choose wisely."

The name. All knights had it, all nobles had it. A last name that separated them from the common people, a last name that marked them as something great. The Vritara took theirs from the great dragon Vritra, the Barong took it from the beast that supposedly created the frozen northern lands, the Sorin family took theirs from the demon king that was slain where their duchy now stood. Everyone chose a name that had some meaning.

Gabriel had thought about what name to choose for himself for quite some time. He’d thought of things that suited the name Alice gave him, names that indicated his stance, names that spoke of his abilities. But none of them felt right. In the end, Alice helped point him in the right direction. Thus, he came up with his name.

"I have already chosen, your highness. Indra, your highness. I would like my name to be Sakra Indra."

It was a name not from this world, it was a name that none here would ever understand. Well, Alice would, she helped point him towards it and he had explained it to her. She smiled when she heard it. The emperor naturally had no problem with letting Gabriel choose that as his name, pulling back his sword and stabbing the tip into the ground as he announced it to the empire.

"Very well. Henceforth, let it be known that you will be called Gabriel Sakra Indra, first of your name! Tell me, Gabriel Sakra Indra, what inspired you to choose that name?"

What inspired that name? It really was simple. Well, to him at least. But while this world had dragons and the like, they didn’t have hinduism and buddhism. So they would never know of the tale of Indra and Vritra.

"It comes from a legend I was often told as a child. It told the tale of a great dragonslayer."