"...Your Majesty?"
"Your Majesty!!"
The moment his presence was recognized, a ripple of gasps and awe spread across the vast chamber. Dozens of high-ranking administrators and officials instinctively recoiled a few steps and then, in unison, dropped into a deep, formal bow. Their backs were straight, hands pressed to their chests or knees, faces lowered in utmost reverence.
Even though Robin's appearance had changed dramatically — his once flowing hair now trimmed short, a well-kept beard framing his jaw — and even though he had vanished from the public eye for a full century without a single confirmed sighting, his image had never left the heart of the Empire.
