109 The Kings Wisdom
From the way the King was talking, it was almost as if he was about to marry his daughter off to me. To be honest, I would not even know how to answer him if he were to do something like that. It was not that I was trying to ignore the thing about Adel possibly liking me, it was more, that I did not wish to think about it. I mean, when I lived on Earth, I dreamt about the guys in the novels I read about, how they would one day sweep me off my feet and become my knightly prince in shining armor. I never once thought I would have my feet swept out from under me by a princess in shining armor.
Luckily he did not stick to that topic for too long. Instead, he began talking about different things and seeking my opinion on them. Some about taxes and things about reforms with nobles. Stuff I had no clue about. But when he got to talking about the military, he gained my full attention.Â
“So tell me, from what you saw at the battle against the Norian army, what would you do to secure the borders more?” The King asked. I am not sure what he was drinking, but his cheeks were slightly red now. I am starting to think he was getting drunk. As for me, I had fruit juice.Â
“To secure the borders, huh? Well, even with the forts, the Norian army could still cross our border because there is no wall protecting it but to build a proper wall would require many earth mages who could lift the rocks from below out and fuse them together. But this last attack seemed more of a probing attack, so if you truly wish to secure the border between the two nations, you should move more troops. I myself have family there, as you know. So I am always worried about that section of the border.” I couldn’t help but worry that the Norian Kingdom would send more troops at some point in the future.Â
“Faith, you look down on your father.” The King’s words surprised me.
“You know my father?” I couldn’t help but ask because this was all news to me!
“Know him!? He almost stole my wife!”The king yelled, causing my jaw to drop to the ground. What was my father doing in the past!?Â
“If not for your mother coming and beating him up, he would have had two wives and many more kids than he has now! The two of us even got into a fight, and he beat me good.. Hahahaha! I swear, your family’s bloodline is crazy strong. That is why I took such interest in you once I heard you inherited strength that went beyond his.” The king sighed as he looked at me before jumping to another topic. “I need to apologize for one more thing. I am sure you already know since Adel will not hide anything from you, but I did intend to tie you to this kingdom by marriage to one of my sons. Adel yelled at me and got so angry she refused to talk to me for quite a few days. It was as if I was trying to marry off her lover. But now, talking with you and listening to all the goals that you have planned, I can tell you are part of this kingdom and that you would not abandon it.”
“Your Majesty, as long as demi humans like myself are allowed to live free with the same rights as everyone else in this kingdom. I will always do what I can for this kingdom. I wouldn’t be going to the academy to work my way up through the ranks to become a commander if I did not wish to stay here. I see this kingdom as my home and will not abandon it as long as the kingdom does not abandon me.” I answered honestly. These were my true feelings. While the kingdom is not perfect, it still has many things I am glad about. It is now my home, and I will defend my homeland with my life if need be. Although, I do not think my life will ever be in trouble with my mana shield and all….
“I like your honesty. As I grow older, I worry about this kingdom’s future. The current crown prince is too weak minded, while my other sons seem to have no interest in anything. Only Adel is working hard every day for this kingdom and is more active in the kingdom’s affairs than the crown prince himself. I would make her the next heir if not for the fact that she said she did not want it.” The King sighed. I could see he was left in a dilemma. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
“Your Majesty, if I may ask a personal question.” After hearing him speak just now, I had a question rolling around in my mind.
“You are free to speak to me as you wish. As someone who is willing to do a lot for this kingdom without even being asked, you are free to speak freely with me.” He was basically placing me on the same level as him. While this would make things easier for me when talking, it still felt strange. I wonder just how drunk he was right now.
“Then… Your Majesty, if Adel, and this is a big if, one day said she wished to take the throne. Would you let her?” I asked. I keep getting this feeling that Prince Lance was not his first choice to be heir to the throne.
“Yes. I would.” No hesitation in his answer, but after a brief pause, he continued: “But not now. She is still young and has yet to undergo her studies at the academy.”
“I see. What would you do? Let’s say you gave Prince Lance the throne, but he became a tyrant, and Adel was forced to lead a rebellion?” I know this question was far out there, but I wonder what he would do in such a situation. A man who has been ruling his kingdom for years, born and raised to rule, must have some kind of insight in case a situation ever happens.
“That is a strange question, but if it were to come down to it, I guess I would try to beg for my son’s life to be at least spared. I may be king, but I am also a father. I love all my children. I would rather see my child spend a life in prison than be killed in cold blood. I know it would be asking a lot, especially if his crimes were so severe that a pardon was out of the question. But I would still ask. Plus, if that were to ever come to happen, I already know he would lose since you would be by my daughter’s side.” The King paused before staring at me with a serious expression. “Now, what would you do if Adel was the Tyrant?”
“As she is my first friend and someone I care deeply about, I would stop her with everything I have. If she can not be saved, then my blade would need to be stained in her blood. I know this may sound like treason, but for the safety of the kingdom, one must do what is necessary, especially when the one who is causing such crimes is your closest friend. But do not get me wrong, I would not kill her. I would only do what I need to subdue her, then take her away from this kingdom where she can spend her days trying to reflect on the things she has done.” I hoped such a thing would never happen. But I would do what I can.
“I see… You would strike her down without killing her…. But then what. Leave the kingdom without a ruler?” The King raised his eyebrows as he looked at me and took a sip of her drink.
“I am not sure. Depending on the stances of the people, I guess we would elect a new ruler to take over the position of King.” I really did not think about the aftermath of what to do if Adel was forcefully removed or if she did become a tyrant. I couldn’t help but scrunch my nose at this as I really did not know how to answer him.
“Do not think too hard on it. Wouldn’t the perfect ruler be right under your nose?” The King gave me a strange smile. But I still did not understand what he was talking about. He let out a laugh as he said: “Look into your cup. What do you see?”
I absentmindedly looked down and looked at my reflection before it suddenly hit me like a sack of potatoes. I became flustered and quickly shook my head. “No! No! I would not be a good ruler. If anything, I would be a bad choice.”
“Haha! This is hard to believe. You never know what time will tell. One day your words could be just a story you made up but then the next day comes and it has all become reality. Remember one thing. All things start from a story. An idea that gave birth to actual fact. This is just how life is. Never forget this. And always keep charging forward and always trust your instincts.”