All My Summons Become Divine Girls

The King walked back up the steps of his dais and sat down, his expression shifting from warm amusement to something far more serious.

"Now then," he said, his voice carrying the full weight of the Crown again. "My daughter tells me you pulled her from a monster that killed an entire detachment of royal knights. Regardless of how you managed it, the fact remains that the Princess of this kingdom is alive because of you."

He paused, letting that statement settle across the room before continuing.

"A debt like that cannot go unanswered. Name your reward."

Hajin stood completely still, his mind racing behind his calm expression. He had already been thinking about this during the entire carriage ride, and the answer was simple.

’I can’t ask for anything that draws attention,’ he thought, keeping his hands relaxed inside his pockets. ’No noble title, no land, no position in the court. All of that would put my name on records, force me into political circles, and eventually lead the Flint family straight to my front door.’

He could feel the Patriarch’s eyes drilling into the back of his skull from across the room.

"Your Majesty," he said, bowing his head slightly. "I would like to request official Ranker status and a permit to enter controlled Gates."

The room went quiet, even the guards standing along the walls shifted their eyes toward him.

The King stared at him for a long second, then leaned back in his seat with a complicated expression.

"You saved my daughter’s life, and you are asking me for Ranker status?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," he replied without hesitation.

The King let out a slow breath, rubbing his temple with two fingers.

"I appreciate the directness, but I need you to understand something," he said, his voice completely serious.

"The title of Ranker is not something I can simply hand to someone as a gift. It is a rank earned through verified combat ability, Gate clears, and formal evaluation by the guild and the Crown. If I bypassed that process for you, it would undermine the entire system that thousands of adventurers have bled for."

Hajin felt his stomach drop slightly, but the King raised his hand before he could respond.

"What I can do," the King continued, "is give you the opportunity to earn it. I will issue a royal recommendation to the guild, which will allow you to take the Ranker evaluation immediately without the standard waiting period. That is the most I can offer on that front."

Hajin nodded slowly, as that was still a massive shortcut compared to the normal process, and honestly, it was more than enough.

"As for the controlled Gates," the King said, "I will grant you a provisional access permit. You will be allowed to enter any Gate up to a designated threat level until you officially earn your rank. After that, your access will be adjusted accordingly."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," he said, genuinely meaning it.

’That is exactly what I needed,’ he thought, already calculating how much faster he could grind his EXP with proper Gate access. ’I can work with this.’

The King studied him for another moment, and his expression made it very clear that he was not satisfied.

"You saved the life of my only daughter," the King said flatly. "And you are walking out of here with a recommendation letter and a permit. That is not acceptable to me."

’Oh fuck,’ Hajin thought, sensing the shift immediately.

"My daughter has clearly taken a strong liking to you," the King said, his tone turning warm again as he glanced at Didi, who immediately looked away like she had no idea what he was talking about. "So I will be issuing you a Royal Badge."

The words hit Hajin like a wall, ’a royal badge?’

He knew exactly what that meant. It was a personal token from the Crown that granted unrestricted access to the royal palace and every institution under its direct authority, including the Royal Academy. It wasn’t just a pass, it was a statement that the bearer had the King’s personal trust.

"With the badge, you are welcome to visit the palace or the academy at any time," the King continued casually, like he wasn’t handing out one of the most politically significant items in the entire kingdom. "To see my daughter, of course."

Didi’s composed expression cracked for exactly half a second. "Father, that is not why I—"

"And one thousand gold coins," the King added, completely ignoring her. "Delivered to wherever you are staying."

Hajin’s brain stalled.

One thousand gold coins, just like that. He had been eating deer meat for a year, living in a tent on the edge of the border and now the King was casually tossing a thousand gold at him like pocket change.

’What?’ he thought, staring at the King with an expression he was desperately trying to keep neutral. ’One thousand gold coins? Is he serious right now?’

He wanted to refuse, every instinct told him that accepting this much from the Crown would tie him deeper into the political web of the capital. The Royal Badge alone was already a massive problem.

Anyone who saw it would immediately know he had the King’s direct favor, and that kind of attention was the exact opposite of what he wanted.

But he also knew he couldn’t refuse. Turning down a gift from the King in his own throne room, in front of his daughter, his guards, and the head of one of the most powerful families in the kingdom, would be a direct insult to the Crown.

’I am already completely tangled up,’ he thought, a dull sense of resignation settling over him. ’A Royal Badge, a thousand gold, Gate access, and a direct line to the Princess. I came in here trying to stay invisible, and now I am basically carrying a target on my back.’

"Thank you, Your Majesty," he said, bowing his head because there was genuinely nothing else he could say.

The King smiled, clearly satisfied. "Before you go, I should mention that we’ve prepared guest quarters for you. You’re welcome to wash up, change into fresh clothes, and rest while we have everything prepared for you."

He gestured toward a servant standing near the wall. "The servants will show you the way."

He blinked once, not expecting that at all. ’Guest quarters?’ he thought, staring at the King. ’He’s offering me a place to stay in the royal palace?’

The King turned his head slightly toward Didi. "Didi, is there anything else you’d like to add?"

She shook her head immediately. "No, that’s enough for today. You’ve already completely overwhelmed the poor guy with everything you’ve thrown at him."

She rushed over to his side, grabbing his sleeve without even thinking about it. "Come on, follow me. I’ll show you to the guest wing."

Hajin gave the King a quick bow, his movements stiff from how strange this whole situation felt. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

He turned and followed Didi out of the throne room, Juna sticking close to his other side with her ears still flattened against her head.

The heavy doors closed behind them, cutting off the throne room from the hallway.

The King stood there for a moment, watching the spot where they had disappeared. Then he slowly turned his head toward the Patriarch, who hadn’t moved a single inch.

"That boy," the King said, his voice dropping into something far more serious. "He is your son, isn’t he?"

The Patriarch’s composed expression shattered.

He stared at the King, his mind going completely blank for a second before he could even process what had just been said. ’He knows?’