Chapter 16: Long Live the King!
Edited by Soul River
The grand halls of the royal palace didn't have so many visitors in a while. Nobles from all over the kingdom came to see the great spectacle that was about to happen. A new king was to be crowned, the second prince at that. Some doubted him, and others thought of him to be an intelligent Prince. There was balance, even if it wasn't even in numbers.
Soon, the ceremony started, and all the nobles watched carefully as the Bishop of the Six Great Gods stood before the kneeling Prince.
The Bishop was an important man in the kingdom, governing the faith of the Six Great Gods in Re-Estize, and it was his duty to also crown the kingdoms' sovereigns and give them the blessing of the gods.
"I, Zanac Valleon Igana Ryle Vaiself, swear by the Six Great Gods and the people of Re-Estize, that I will protect these lands, rule as fair a monarch, and defend the realm."
"Then I crown you, Prince Zanac, King! May the Six Great Gods guide you through the trials and tribulations you may face." As soon as the crown touched his head, Zanac grinned, but nobody noticed. He had managed to convince his father to abdicate, and now it was his turn to rule. Still, he had much to do as king, but when possessing the power he wanted, those plans seemed so distant.
Standing up, King Zanac looked down from the platform, seeing a mass of nobles looking at him with respect and awe. These were his people, the ones he must protect.
"Long Live His Majesty! Long Live the king!" The Bishop shouted, followed by a loud chant from the nobles and those present.
"Long Live His Majesty! Long Live the king!"
As King Zanac looked over the crowd, he could see happy and dissatisfied faces that didn't wish to see him as king.
These were the supporters of Barbro, who was declared dead a month ago at the hands of the Sorcerer Ainz Ooal Gown.
King Ramposa's despair grew by the day, and seeing Barbro's beheaded head was no help. No parent should have to bury their own children, and no parents should be placed in that situation.
"Thank you, nobles of Re-Estize." Zanac turned to his father and his sister - Renner. "Thank you as well, Father and my sister.." Turning back to the crowd, Zanac coughed as he brought out a scroll with his speech, "I want to hold a speech firs-."
Suddenly, the doors burst open, and a guard rushed in with a wretched look on his face as if he ran the whole kingdom to get here.
"Your Majesty! An emissary from Ainz Ooal Gown has arrived!" The guard dropped to his knees and shouted, gasping for air.
The nobles' faces changed from shock to anger upon hearing that despicable name. While furious, they had to wait for the King's orders.
King Zanac looked at the expression of those present and sighed. The pressure that a ruler faces is far greater than he had previously imagined. However, these were the responsibilities he fought so hard to obtain, so he wouldn't give it up.
To his right was a servant kneeling with a Zanac's right was a chest inside the contract, which stated E-Rantel to be made an independent nation and given to Ainz Ooal Gown. But now that he stood overall, seeing their faces that anticipated his next move, he felt an unbelievable pressure, which he couldn't so easily make an important decision under.
"Bring him in!"
Shortly after, a tall, elderly man, strangely with a peak physique, entered the room.
The nobles remembered that face from a while ago and now looked at him with pure hatred as if to kill him at any moment.
The emissary had a bold gaze, similar to the Warrior Captain, Gazef Stronoff, but It was more calm and peaceful that one could not bear a minute to look him in the eyes. It was visible that this man knew what he was doing and showed no fear when entering the throne room. His presence was so powerful that it felt as if a monster arrived, silencing their mouths only with its appearance.
The man - Sebas, simply walked through the crowd, stopping before the king and bowing slightly. "Your Majesty, I have come on behalf of His Majesty, Ainz Ooal Gown. The duration of a month has ended, and my Lord demands E-Rantel to be his domain."
Hearing Sebas word's, the nobles' expressions changed, even going as far as to shout insults at Sebas.
Amongst the nobles, Marquis Raeven watched with a serious gaze. Looking at King Zanac's face, he could see what the king's decision would be. He had just become king, so he could not appear to be a pushover.
Princess Renner looked at the scene with delight, knowing that Ainz Ooal Gown would win either way.
"I welcome you, Sebas Tian. Indeed, the time has come of which your Lord has so graciously given us. to" King Zanac gestured for his servants to bring him the scroll.
Soon, the paper was in his hands, and the emissary's eyes were right on him. King Zanac could feel the tenseness in the room.
Sweat rolled down his head as it, covered most of his face. The only thing missing from the contract was his emblem.
'They killed my brother, making all of the nobles angry. Then, he demands a city to be given to him at no price. I cannot say yes, even if it is the better option. And as a king of a nation, I cannot oblige so willingly. This is not a matter of power but a matter of decorum amongst rulers….sigh, I hope my mother will be proud.'
King Zanac looked around again and again. Now he was king. Nothing was as easy as he thought it would be. His words had weight, and his actions had created ripples that could change the entire destiny of the kingdom.
King Zanac turned his head, looking at Ramposa III, who was looking at him, to see what decision he would make. At Rampoas III's side, the Warrior Captain, Gazef Stronoff, stood loyally.
Looking at his father's eyes, King Zanac knew what had to be done.
"I have decided." King Zanac held the scroll out and opened it. Then, with a sudden movement, he tore it in half, "I will not give E-Rantel to Ainz Ooal Gown!"
The nobles were shocked and excitedly chanting his words. Even those on the first Prince's side were fond of his decision.
"Sebas Tian, you may leave now." King Zanac said, and the butler bowed and left with no words. There was no anger. If anything, one could see pity and sadness briefly flashing in Sebas's eyes as he left.
King Zanac cleared his throat, readying himself to address his people.
"Nobles of Re-Estize Kingdom! Forgive me if I had made a rash decision. However, I could not give away the land my family and the citizens had worked so hard to obtain." The more King Zanac spoke, the more quiet and respectful everyone became, "How can I in good conscience call myself a King if I gave the enemy a title they do not deserve?" Turning to see his father's proud face, King Zanac smiled, "Prince Barbro, my dear older brother, was slain by Ainz Ooal Gown, and nothing will change this fact! We will meet him on the battlefields to preserve the honor of the kingdom!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, which seemed to do the trick. Most nobles were already thirsty for blood. "We will meet Ainz Ooal Gown on the Katze Plains! Then march on to fight the empire as well!" He said everything possible to gain the nobles on his side, even if they were false promises. Nobody would remember, only the chanting and praising of his dignity as a king. Looking at his father, he could see him being proud yet fearful of what was to come.
"Long Live the King!"
"Long Live His Majesty!"
On a sunny day, outside his imperial palace, the Bloody Emperor Jircniv was trying to relax and find some peace and quiet.
Suddenly, however, a messenger arrived. However, even after waiting for a long time, the messenger only arrived today.
"Tell me, how was the coronation? What did the king decide in the end?" Jircniv already had a guess of the course of events, but without confirmation, his worries could not be resolved. He needed Re-Estize and Ainz Ooal Gown to go to war. Only then could he gain the profit he saw. He could snatch the kingdom if he was lucky enough, greatly expanding the empire. Kneeling before his emperor, the messenger repeated the information he gathered.
"The crowned king, Zanac Valleon Igana Ryle Vaiself, has decided to forgo a peaceful handover of E-Rantel and will meet Ainz Ooal Gown on Katze Plains." The Bloody Emperor Jircniv chuckled so hard tears appeared in his eyes! No wonder today was such a good day. It was preparing for this good news!
"Perfect. Still, I wish I could reach Ainz Ooal Gown somehow. If we agreed on a non-aggression pact. Even then, I will have to hand over a big chunk of the kingdom. That's not bad, as I would be allied with a caster of similar strength to Fluder." Jircniv knew the caster was powerful, maybe almost as strong as Fluder himself. But to him, everything was a variable, and Ainz Ooal Gown just had more strings attached to him.
'Soon, the annual battles will take place. My troops stand strong, all trained to be the best imperial knights possible. Their levies won't stand a chance, even in such large numbers. One cannot simply expect an army of 250'000 sheep to defeat an army of 80'000 lions. Even with good strategies, the lion will simply kill ten times or even more sheep than a sheep itself, meaning an army of 80'000 lions could kill 800'000 sheep. And the point isn't even fighting them, and they know it. Either they rally up the levies or get invaded by my troops. Either way, their harvest is disrupted, destabilizing their economy. I only have to wait.' If Jircniv could get one gold coin every time he was this smart, he would amass a wealth of the Baharut's treasury.
Down in the Colosseum of the 6th Floor, two monsters were practicing swordsmanship. Their attacks sent shockwaves all over the place.
For hours on end, Ainz had been trading blows with Cocytus, seeing improvement in his skills. This could only be possible because of his teacher's guidance.
"Hya!" Thrusting his sword into a dummy, Ainz's blade pierced through the neck, separating the head from the body in one fluid motion.
Cocytus let out a vapor of coldness at seeing Ainz's technique. He seemed surprised, even though it was hard to tell from his exoskeleton.
"Well done, Lord Ainz." Cocytus nodded and felt Ainz might become unstoppable if he continued training.
After training Ainz, Cocytus could see that Ainz gained levels in Warrior class, becoming more versatile as a result. However, magic was Ainz's main power.
"Lord Ainz, your footing needs adjustment. You cannot exert your full strength without first generating that strength from your feet. Observe my steps closely." Cocytus said, moving at a slow pace that seemed to follow a certain rule.
Ainz tried to copy, visualizing how he would do it. Soon, he found it out, finding his balance to be better than he expected. He could now take each step forward and attack without losing too much balance or momentum.
"Thank you, deserves a reward for your outstanding teaching."
Ainz was about to grab something from his inventory, but Cocytus quickly stopped him from doing so.
"Please, Lord Ainz. This is the purpose of my existence. I do not need compensation for teaching my own master the way of a Warrior." Cocytus said and knelt to one knee. But Ainz wasn't backing out.
"I don't want to hear that. Everyone deserves a reward for doing such a good job, and I have already gifted some guardians gear, so I won't miss anybody out." Ainz said, finally removing the item he had wanted to give Cocytus for so long.
"This here, Cocytus is the [Scarabeus of Protection], and as you can guess, it does exactly that. It forms a sort of bubble around the wearer, which protects them in a way that reduces the damage of an attack, if in speed or general strength. It works for magical attacks as well." Ainz explained to the Vermin Lord, who slowly exhaled freezing air out of his nostrils.
"Lord Ainz. It would be my honor to receive this gift." Cocytus knew it was too late to decline, and he was actually excited to receive it. He imagined that he could increase his strength a little with this item.
"But first, Cocytus, I want you to see the effect. I will attack you first without you wearing the scarabaeus. Then the second time, I will give it to you." Ainz said with dual swords in hand, ready to attack Cocytus.
"Of course, my lord." Cocytus said, standing up and placing his weapons in his inventory.
"Are you ready, Cocyus? Very well, here I come!" Ainz said as he dashed at the giant of an insect, slashing at his exoskeleton, doing little to no damage in progress.
"Your strength has grown, Lord Ainz." Cocytus said, feeling that his master's attacks had more punch behind them than before.
"Thank you, Cocytus. Now with the Scarabeus." Ainz handed the blue-colored Scarabeus to Cocytus, who placed it on his back.
The scarabaeus sticks itself on the Vermin Lord.
"I can feel it, Lord Ainz." Cocytus said, noticing the effect take place.
"Good. Now, for the second time." Ainz again attacked Cocytus but noticed his attacks to be slightly slower and not possess the strength from before anymore.
"Now, how was it, Cocytus?"
"I felt even less than I expected, Lord Ainz. I thank you for this gift." Cocytus said, bowing before Ainz.
"Well, it is a divine class item. I wouldn't expect less. And about the lizardmen, you can continue to the next step now."
"As you wish, Lord Ainz."
"Now, what was it? Ah, yes! I have something to do, don't I! Cocytus, these were good lessons, and I thank you for that. But it seems Demiurge is ready with an experiment I wish to witness." Ainz said, making Cocytus slightly disappointed but knowing the importance of Ainz's plans.
"Of course, my Lord. I wish you safe travels." Ainz nodded and was gone from sight, only for Cocytus to remain on the 6th Floor alone.
"Maybe I will visit the twins before I leave."
Cocytus made his way to the giant tree, trying to hear from a distance if anybody was home.
Arriving before the tree, Cocytus heard some commotion at the top. Deciding to knock, he waited for someone to open the door.
'I haven't talked to the twins much since we arrived in this world.' Cocytus knew every guardian had particular jobs, but now that he was without one for the moment, he deemed it acceptable to visit two of his colleagues.
Soon, the door revealed a short dark elf dressed in a red and white suit.
"Hey there, Cocytus! What brings you here?" Aura asked, surprised to see the Guardian of the 5th Floor before her house.
She knew he and Ainz were sparring, but her Giant Tree was quite far from the arena.
"Lord Ainz left for Demiurge. Now I find myself without a job and decided to come to see how you two are doing." Cocytus said, Aura knowing the feeling.
"Yeah, I know how that is. Me and Mare don't have much to do around here. Patrol the Floor is all we do. And sometimes we even play catch! Or rather, I force him to, hahaha!" Aura said.
"You should not aggregate your brother, Aura. If you wish to play with him, why not simply ask the next time?" Cocytus offered some advice to Aura. He didn't stand for such things. One should always be honest with his desires.
"Mmh, maybe next time I will. But thanks for stopping by, Cocytus!" Aura said, ready to say goodbye to the giant blue insect.
"Until later then." Cocytus responded, making his way back to his Floor.
Edited by Soul River, go read his stories!
A short chapter, but I felt it needed to be that short. It's just better for the next part to be a lone chapter and not put into this one.
Again, Ainz doesn't have the race-changing ability YET. It's still coming, and it will change EVERYTHING. But it still isn't time for that.
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