The Retired Supporting Character Wants to Live Quietly
Chapter 222

Chapter 222 – Side Story, or (3)

"The Emperor’s bedroom?! Why the hell have you been coming here?!"

"It’s just… talking to the Emperor normally takes forever with all the procedures. If I wanted a quick word, this was the best way."

Come to think of it, the room still looked exactly as it did during the war.

Looks like she hasn’t moved her quarters yet.

"Let’s go. There’s a staircase right outside that leads straight to the hall."

We opened the bedroom door and stepped out.

“Wha—?!”

The servants we met in the hallway gawked in disbelief.

"Who—who are you?! Why are you coming from there?!"

“I’m here for the coronation. The main entrance was backed up, so I came in through another route.”

I flashed the invitation.

Though they remained suspicious, they stepped aside. After all, the seal of the Emperor was right there—and more importantly, the title “Demon King Subjugation Special Forces” was printed in bold.

“Did he say Demon King Slaying? Is that Sir Kaiden?”

“Then who’s that other guy? Sir Linus doesn’t look that arrogant…”

Behind me, I could hear them murmuring.

"Are we gonna get arrested for this…?"

Kirrin was walking as close to me as physically possible, trembling.

“We snuck over the palace wall and entered the Emperor’s bedroom… that’s gotta be at least a prison sentence…”

“They should’ve built more gates if they didn’t want crowding. Or opened some teleportation gates using the mage corps.”

“Well, yeah, but… Eek!”

As we spotted palace guards on patrol, Kirrin yelped and ducked behind me.

“What are you doing here?”

The guards, spotting suspicious figures, blocked our path.

“We were invited.”

I showed them the invitation, and they immediately stepped aside with startled expressions.

Man, being in the Demon King Slaying Special Force really pays off in moments like these.

Down the stairs, the space in front of the main hall was already packed.

The corridor was wider than most homes, and it was still jammed with people.

Well, it’s a coronation. Wouldn’t make sense if it wasn’t chaos.

The entire continent must’ve flocked here.

Sure enough, I could spot representatives who were clearly from various minor kingdoms and realms.

And the races—dwarves, orcs, elves—all the intelligent races that once stood with humanity were present.

I glanced around, wondering if Nemara had come, but there was no way to spot a specific face in this crowd.

Palace staff were leading people to their assigned seats.

Kirrin and Kaiden were seated at separate tables.

Mine? It was all the way in the corner.

Just as promised by the royal aide—a perfect, isolated seat.

“See you guys later.”

I waved to Kaiden and Kirrin and made my way to the secluded table in the back of the hall.

A tiny table, just big enough for two people to sit face to face.

It was set against a column in such a way that I was completely shielded from view—perfect for avoiding attention.

I sat there and quietly observed the incoming guests.

Ten years had passed, and as the saying goes, mountains change in that time. Most of the faces were new to me.

Still, there were a few I recognized.

Guess I’ll just hang around long enough to say hi to my friends and then leave.

Kaiden had been seated at the frontmost table.

The moment he sat down, palace mages came swarming in from who-knows-where, surrounding him and chattering away.

At the same time, a commotion broke out at the entrance.

I turned—and saw that everyone had stood up and was rushing toward the doors.

“Sir Linus! Sir Linus!”

Ah. Linus arrived.

Through the crowd, I saw Linus with his golden hair and, walking beside him with a limp, was Celine.

Guess they left the baby at home and came as a couple.

From what I saw before, that kid could probably crush a walnut in one hand. If they’d brought him here and he’d thrown a tantrum, at least one pillar would’ve collapsed.

Linus and Celine sat at Kaiden’s table—yep, that must be the Demon King Slaying Special Force’s table.

With Linus’s arrival, another wave of power players surged forward, mixing with the mages in a chaotic mess.

Looks like everyone’s trying to curry favor.

But Linus? He’s too uptight for that. If it’s not “the Demon King has returned, let’s unite and fight,” he probably won’t even listen.

As I chuckled to myself, another stir swept the hall.

This time, entering alone in purple ceremonial robes, was Lormane.

The third highest ranking official in the Goddess Church, which is worshipped across the continent—General Secretary Lormane.

In terms of actual influence, she likely surpassed Linus.

Sure, Linus was a symbolic savior of the continent. But Lormane? She held real, tangible power.

Lormane entered with a worried expression, paying no attention to the crowd flocking around her. She kept looking around nervously.

She’s looking for me, obviously.

But if she greeted me here, with everyone watching… that would be bad.

I quickly ducked back behind the column and waited until she sat down near the front.

People continued pouring into the hall.

Even the tables near mine—far in the back—eventually filled with guests.

Some glanced at me, but didn’t pay me much attention.

Wearing a black tux and sitting quietly in a corner, they probably assumed I was part of the staff.

At one point, a noblewoman even beckoned me over, slipped me a gold coin, and asked me to take care of her shawl.

"Everyone, please take your seats. The coronation will begin shortly."

As the guests sat, I had a clear view of the special ops guys up front.

Linus and Celine were whispering to each other. Kaiden wore a faint smile, staring at nothing in particular.

Lormane, still visibly unsettled, looked around nervously. Eventually, she turned to Kaiden and asked something.

Kaiden replied softly, then subtly pointed a finger in my direction.

Lormane’s head snapped toward me like a hunting hawk.

The moment our eyes met, she beamed with an impossibly bright smile.

Oh god. Don’t stare like that.

Thankfully, Kaiden tapped her on the shoulder and gave her a quiet nudge.

Startled, she averted her gaze in a hurry.

# # # # #

“Your Majesty. Professor Dian is not here.”

The waiting room prepared for the coronation.

The Second Princess—now dressed in pure white ceremonial robes—looked up as her aide entered.

“He’s not here?”

“The gate guards at the main bridge checked every guest manually. There’s no entry record for Professor Dian.”

A faint smile touched the Princess’s lips.

So he never intended to come, after all.

He truly is a man who cannot be bound.

“Shall we wait a bit longer? Or send a mage to the academy—”

“No. We can’t delay the coronation for one man. Begin.”

She fastened her ceremonial cloak and rose from her chair.

A coronation is a crucial affair.

It’s the moment the empire officially proclaims the rise of its new emperor, and no matter what legal steps have been taken, if this ceremony isn’t completed, nothing truly holds.

That’s why she had invited Dian to attend.

But still.

Dian could not be tamed.

As she stepped into the hall, the military band struck up its solemn anthem.

To a thunderous standing ovation, she ascended the stage.

And instinctively, her eyes drifted to the far corner—to the seat she’d arranged just for him.

Dian was there.

…He came?

But the guards said he didn’t.

She couldn’t stop her expression from faltering.

As her gaze lingered, others noticed and began to turn and look as well.

“Your Majesty.”

Her aide gently prompted her.

The Second Princess—no, the Emperor now—snapped out of it and gave a small nod.

The coronation began.

# # # # #

Oh, for crying out loud.

Because the Emperor kept staring at me, I suddenly became the center of attention, and it was mortifying.

Why’s she looking at me like that?

Thankfully, she turned away before long, and as the ceremony kicked off, the focus on me faded.

The coronation was surprisingly understated.

No magical fireworks or anything flashy. Just some declarations, the crowning, applause—that was it.

I don’t know how grand the previous Emperor’s coronation was, but this felt very… minimal.

Probably reflective of her personality.

Based on what I’ve seen, this new Emperor isn’t the type to fuss over empty traditions.

That would explain why things were kept so simple.

After the ceremony, the new Emperor remained on stage to receive congratulations from visiting dignitaries.

Linus and the others went up. I stayed seated.

The reason I didn’t leave immediately?

There was a banquet after this.

And meals at the Imperial Palace? Always top-tier.

Even during my ten years in Brunswell, I’d occasionally daydream about that food.

And today’s event had drawn guests from across the continent.

Which meant the palace chefs would be pulling out all the stops.

At events like this, banquets aren’t about the food. They’re about diplomacy, politics, and networking.

But since I had zero interest in all that, I could focus on the most important thing:

Eating.

This kind of opportunity doesn’t come often.