Chapter 72

In fact, the Flat-faced Clan is a key term.

The wedding and coronation ceremonies were about to be held in a hurry.

I received the crown from King Rosais, but I was not officially the king yet.

This was because I had not received the gods' permission to become king.

Therefore, I first had to hold the wedding ceremony.

The important thing was to start with the wedding. If I didn't, I wouldn't have the right to inherit the throne.

Nobles from across the country and envoys from foreign nations came to offer their congratulations.

The second prince from King Domorgal's country also came to deliver his congratulations and gifts to me.

After the coronation, I would have to negotiate with them.

King Equus also came with his third wife, who had recovered, to give me words of congratulations and gifts.

To my surprise, people from the Adele Peninsula and the Kirisian colonies also came to offer their congratulations.

I thought, "Isn't King Rosais' country not that big?" But...

"It's not. King Rosais' country boasts the largest population in southern Adele. Until now, it has been unable to exert its power due to issues like the succession problem and powerful nobles. Now that the succession problem has been resolved, it is rapidly centralizing. And you, who have achieved this, are of great interest. That's the situation."

Tetra explained it to me.

Indeed, I had significantly disrupted the power balance of the Adele Peninsula in the war with King Domorgal's country.

What surprised me the most was the envoy from the Rozel Kingdom.

The Rozel Kingdom is a great nation that controls southern Gaul and northern Adele Peninsula.

It has a population of over three million. I never thought an envoy would come from such a country.

The envoy was a woman with black hair.

From her skin color and facial features, I could tell she was from the East.

If you go east from Gaul, where the Rozel Kingdom is, you reach Germanis.

Germanis is a region where horse-riding tribes interact, so it's not strange for someone from the East to come.

She left a strong impression on me.

The wedding ceremony proceeded smoothly.

Yuria was wearing a white dress.

I thought she would wear a purple dress to match her hair, but the white dress suited her well too.

She was as beautiful as a work of art. I wanted to put her on display.

This time, Tetra was the one to give the congratulatory speech. Last time, it was Yuria, so this was probably in return.

"Do you two swear to help and believe in each other forever, no matter what happens?"

"We do."

"O gods of heaven, earth, and sky, who have watched over us since the world was in chaos, bless this couple's marriage."

Tetra paused, then said with her usual expressionless face, but looking happy.

"May the fairies bless your love. May it last forever... Now, the contract."

I pulled Yuria close, lifted her veil, and kissed her.

When I pulled away, Yuria smiled happily.

"I won't let you go ever again."

"Me neither."

We kissed again.

Cheers went up.

After the wedding, the coronation ceremony was held immediately.

I used the crown and scepter passed down from King Rosais, but the mantle was newly made for me.

Unlike the crown and scepter, the mantle deteriorates quickly, so it is customary to change it with each new king.

I thought about who should make the mantle, and Eyns volunteered.

The finished product was a purple mantle. It was called shell purple, and I had to pay a huge amount for it.

But it was made of silk and felt good to wear, so I quite liked it.

The coronation ceremony had a very complicated procedure.

First, King Rosais was killed (in a theatrical sense).

I then killed the monster with a flat face, which was actually a member of the Flat-faced Clan (also in a theatrical sense).

I then reclaimed King Rosais' crown and scepter.

I handed the crown and scepter to the goddess (role).

I knelt before the goddess, who placed the crown on my head and gave me the scepter.

She then put the mantle on me.

Then I shouted,

"I, Almus As Rosais, declare my ascension to the throne as the twentieth king to the gods!"

This completed my coronation.

By the way, this play originated from the first King Rosais, who, along with his companions, drove away the Flat-faced Clan, who were his father's enemies, and founded the Rosais royal family five hundred years ago.

Among his companions were the first King Domorgal, the first King Faldaum, the first King Gilbert, the first King Berdibel, and the first kings of six other countries.

Including the Rosais royal family, there were seven kingdoms.

Thinking about it, the Rosais royal family has a long history.

In the play, I played the first king, the original King Rosais played his father, Yuria played the goddess, and the Flat-faced Clan were played by some of the nobles, including the guards and Baltor, who were in a good mood.

Anyway, I'm glad it went well.

Just as I was thinking that, I felt a gust of wind. The wind swirled up.

People looked up and screamed, running away.

What is it?

I looked up. There was nothing there.

Did they see a UFO? I wish I could have seen it too.

"...Almus. Behind you."

Tetra pointed behind me. I turned around.

There was a hawk's face in front of me.

The body was that of a lion, and large wings sprouted from its back.

Its fur was a beautiful golden color... It was a griffin!

"I came to congratulate you. This is a gift. And bring me some wine."

The griffin dropped a large deer it had been carrying in its mouth and turned its blood-stained beak toward me.

"Why...?"

"I pushed you, so I came to take responsibility. I watched for a while, but I couldn't understand the human mating ritual. It would be simpler to just mate with the female in front of you."

That's too wild. But it must have been boring for the griffin...

"Um, nice to meet you... Mr. Griffin..."

"Yeah. Take care of that guy. He's an idiot. Also, indecisive and always worrying about trivial things. But if you push him, he moves quickly. Handle him well."

I'm being criticized... It's frustrating that it's true.

"Mr. Griffin!!"

Ron and the others gathered around the griffin.

They seemed happy to see him after a long time.

"Hey, you guys. You are now the direct subordinates of the pack leader. That means your share of the pack's profits has increased. Repay the favor of my raising you with wine and offerings."

I raised you, but...

Finally, the griffin turned to me.

"You are now the pack leader. Increase the amount of wine and offerings. And don't be stingy, like once a year. Once a month. I'm not forcing you, but..."

I can't disobey you.

In your case, "please" is written, but it's read as "order."

"Um, did you come here for that?"

"Hmm? That's a third of it. Another third is to fulfill the responsibility of pushing you. And the last third is..."

The griffin brought its beak close to my ear.

"Wouldn't this be more convenient?"

I looked at the griffin and us playing with it, the guests whispering and looking scared.

Not only nobles are here, but also royal families and envoys from other countries.

This is enough to confirm the rumor that I am the griffin's son.

It will probably spread throughout the Adele Peninsula...

"I'll wait for the wine under that tree."

The griffin slowly walked and lay down under a tree.

The guests moved away from the griffin.

However, one person approached the griffin.

The black-haired woman from the Rozel Kingdom.

"Hello, Mr. Griffin. It's been a while."

"Hmm? Oh... You are... Oh, the wife of the boy from Etzel five hundred years ago..."

"Yes. I'm glad to see you again."

What a fascinating conversation. That one person and one creature.

"Hey, Yuria. Who is that woman? Do you know? She's talking about five hundred years ago..."

"Yeah... Remember her. Her name is Merlin. She is the prime minister and chief sorceress of the Rozel Kingdom. The world's oldest sorceress, over five hundred years old, and the creator of sorcery. She was the former sex slave of the great king Etzel, who founded the unprecedented empire of the Flat-faced Clan, and the witch who killed that great king Etzel."

Wow, she's quite a person...

She looks like she's in her late teens... But if she's a great sorceress, living for five hundred years might not be a big deal.

I want to join the conversation, but...

Merlin left the griffin after greeting him and came straight to me.

"I'm sorry, but I have to leave now."

She bowed gracefully and left.

The coronation ceremony was over, and the guests had gone home.

Slaves were cleaning up the garbage from the banquet.

While watching this, the former King Rosais said,

"Do you regret it?"

"...No, I don't. I did it because it was necessary."

If I had left it alone, chaos would have surely erupted, just like with Tetra.

The number of war casualties would have increased.

...I've become the same as King Verm. He did it to govern the country, just like me.

"I will end the bloodshed in the Adele Peninsula in my generation."

"Don't take on too much. You have vassals and a wife. Don't forget that."

I know, father-in-law. You're here too.

"It's over. My role is done..."

"What are you talking about? You have to live. As my successor... Father-in-law?"

Father-in-law was frozen in place.

He collapsed.

"Someone!! The former king has collapsed!! Come here!!"

Yuria and the other sorceresses rushed to carry the former king away.

"Father!! Don't die!!"

Yuria cried out.

I couldn't do anything...

"Why are you alive?"

"Why can't I be alive? Did you want me to die?"

The former king answered cheerfully.

After that, he was saved by desperate treatment.

And now he is alive and well.

In fact, he seems to be more energetic than before.

"I found myself in a flower field. There was a river, and on the other side was my father. I tried to cross, but my father said, 'You haven't seen your grandson's face yet!!' I was shocked. Yes."

So he came back from the River Styx.

"Also, the succession problem has been resolved, and my worries have been lifted. I will enjoy my short remaining life looking forward to my grandson. Maybe three years?"

So I have to show him a grandson within three years. Hmm...

Wait, will he die if I show him a grandson?

But he might come back saying he hasn't seen a great-grandson yet.

"Father..."

"Hehe, sorry, sorry."

Yuria seems happy despite everything.

Well, it's good that it turned out this way.

"Hey, Yuria. What do you think about Rigal Dibel's mysterious death?"

"About that... It's called the reversal of the blessing, apparently."

Reversal...

I see, the blessing can reverse.

Rigal had the same blessing as me, so I might end up like that too...

"Didn't you see it with the 'Blessing of Insight'?"

"Yeah... It was the first time. I can see it now, clearly. I don't know why... Probably because it was inconvenient, so it was hidden."

"Inconvenient..."

The fairies' convenience. I wonder what kind of convenience it is.

At least, it's not a pleasant one.

"So, what effect does the reversal have? What are the conditions for it to activate?"

"Well... The effect is that the burden on the body increases by the number of people who recognized you as king. The condition is when you lose many followers, admit defeat, and are no longer fit to be a great king... That's what they say."

"Not fit... So the standard is set by the fairies."

Scary. The same thing might happen to me.

"Hey, Yuria. Is there any effect that can rewrite thoughts to make you act as your followers wish?"

"...Maybe? If there are still inconvenient things..."

"I see... Then..."

I paused and looked at Yuria.

"Is there an effect that can rewrite thoughts to make you act as your followers wish?"

"...I can see it now. Yes, it seems to be there. Apparently, the seal is broken when I notice the effect. It's like giving up on hiding it any further..."

...So it does exist.

The first time I thought something was off was after the battle with King Verm and the wedding with Tetra.

At that time, I thought there was no need to fight.

But the next moment, I was overwhelmed by a sense of duty to fight.

My headache at that time must have been when my thoughts were rewritten.

This is the biggest reason I didn't consult Ron and the others about my marriage to Yuria.

Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. If I had, the blessing might have activated and forced me to become king.

But I should have become king by my own will.

Definitely, certainly, probably...

"Scary... to be made into someone I'm not..."

I leaned on Yuria.

I can't even consult properly.

"It's okay. I'm here, and so is Tetra. She's no longer in the follower framework, right?"

"Yeah, she's not. Recently, I've been able to tell how much loyalty people have to me. Tetra's feelings are those of love between a man and a woman, not loyalty."

Recently, I've gradually been recognized as a ruler, and I can feel my physical abilities improving day by day.

Unfortunately, the number of 'followers' whose physical abilities improve due to the blessing's influence has not increased.

It seems that to be a follower, one must have loyalty that is willing to die for their master.

Such deep loyalty is rare.

Boros, Baltor, and Raymond seem to have a certain level of loyalty to me, contributing to my physical abilities.

However, their own abilities do not seem to improve as much as their loyalty to me.

Most people are like that.

But I can't consult them.

Positionally.

"Mutsio is a friend, but... I can't even talk to him. So... I'll have to rely on Yuria and Tetra a lot from now on."

But I need to come up with a plan.

What my supporters want is not necessarily good.

Supporters can sometimes become radical.

Due to the side effects of the great king's blessing, I might be forced into an unprofitable war.

I need something or someone to stop me.

Can Baltor or Raymond stop me?

"Well, let's think about it slowly. There are many reforms to be made."

The power in this country has shifted from the nobles to me, the king.

To further centralize power and balance it, administrative and legal reforms are essential.

"But before that, there's something else to do, right?"

"Yeah. First, we need to make the next successor."

I pushed Yuria down.

"Gently, okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm pretty confident."

And so, Chapter 2 ends.

There are three interludes.

This is where the main story begins.

I'm thinking of a two-part structure with 'Rising Action' in Chapter 3 and 'Climax' in Chapter 4.

This is just a plan.

It will take some time to unify the Adele Peninsula.

Since I don't have enough stock, I might take a break for up to two weeks.

The interludes can be posted immediately, but...

Option A: Post the three interludes at the current pace, then take a two-week break.

Option B: Take a two-week break, then post the three interludes.

Option C: Sprinkle the interludes over the two weeks.

Which one is better?