“Isn’t it you who lacks the invitation?”
From behind, Aquiroa shrieked in malice.
“I am the rightful chairman of the World Parliament, Enemy of the world.”
She came forth with the very repertoire Sungchul had anticipated. It was an issue that had plagued Sungchul’s mind at his desk for a long time.
Even though her shell might have changed, the original Aquiroa of the Floating Fortress was a cunning old fox.
Given the slightest of leverage, and she could potentially use her eloquent speech to pull the atmosphere to her advantage.
Initially, Sungchul had planned to counter Aquiroa with logic and law. But from the start, he wasn’t particularly well spoken, nor was he exceptionally intelligent.
He pondered over countless possibilities and strategies, but the method Sungchul ultimately chose was the most like him.
“…”
Fal Garaz appeared in Sungchul’s hand.
He slightly turned his head, locking his eyes onto the ground where Aquiroa stood and spoke in a calm tone.
“···If you open your filthy mouth one more time, you will be executed, outsider.”
This was Sungchul’s response.
A complete rejection or eradication of his opponent’s being itself.
Sungchul was also more than willing to follow through with his threat.
“Get out of my sight.”
The quiet words of a world famous man instantly froze the room with its venomous, murderous tone.
“Who… Who do you think you are…!”
Aquiroa, trembling, was about to point her fingers at Sungchul.
Strength surged into the hand gripping the Fal Garaz. Sparks of flames seemed to fly out from Sungchul’s eyes.
Everyone who witnessed the scene instinctively knew that Sungchul’s hammer would show no mercy to Aquiroa.
While everyone watched in bated breath, only one man observed the situation with an unwavering calm.
The Wanderer King.
No, the crownless king of the former Holy Kingdom of Rutheginea, Kromgard.
“Aquiroa is my attendant.”
He declared.
Had there been even a slight delay, Aquiroa might have been killed in front of everyone by Sungchul’s hands.
Sungchul’s head, which had slightly turned away, now refocused on the Wanderer King.
“I already told you that you are an unwanted guest.”
Sungchul’s blood lust did not abate.
It had merely shifted direction.
The Wanderer King remained unfazed in the slightest, even in the face of blatant hostility by a man known as the Enemy of the World.
Rather, in full view of Sungchul, he confidentially gestured towards Aquiroa.
“Show them.”
At the Wanderer King’s command, Aquiroa, like a vassal bound in fealty, meekly bowed her head and produced a scroll from within her garments.
Aquiroa unrolled the scroll, ensuring it was clearly visible to everyone, especially to Sungchul
“What a waste of time.”
The Arcanite, who had maintained a consistently cynical demeanor, abruptly stood from his seat.
“How much longer must we endure this bullshit?”
He was furious.
Blatantly so.
Because written on Aquiroa’s scroll was something that, as the king of the Ancient Kingdom, he could never accept.
Following this, the prince of the Elvan Confederation of Kingdoms and the envoys from other nations rose in unison, vehemently protesting the content of the scroll unfurled by Aquiroa.
What had driven them into such an uproar?
There was but one answer.
[ Holy Kingdom of Rutheginea]
The name of a wicked nation, a long-forbidden word, now revealed itself at the assembly of the powerholders.
Listed on the scroll were the names of regional lords and nobles from the Human Empire, pledging their fealty to the malevolent kingdom that once provoked the outrage of the entire continent.
No one understood the implication of this list of names better than Sungchul himself.
‘Dimok, Sefan, Mugari, and now Hoht. Does this mean that most of the Empire’s provincial administrations have betrayed the Emperor? It’s one thing for former Rutheginean lords to return to their original king. But members of the old rebellion, even those who are of Summoned origins decided to side with Kromgard…’
As Sungchul became lost in thought, Aquiroa fidgeted her wrinkled hands holding the scroll and began to speak impetuously.
“The false Emperor of the Human Empire. William Quinton Marlboro lost the support of his people long ago due to a series of misjudgments and mistakes. For a long time already, he was proven to be unworthy of being the Emperor, he who was barely holding the empire together with the might of his vaunted imperial fleet and the brutality of his secret police. But even that final facade crumbled away during this recent punitive expedition.”
Aquiroa levitated and affixed the scroll in mid-air through magic, smirking with an unpleasant chuckle.
“Though he claims to be an Emperor, what he truly rules over is but La Grange, a single city. The rest of the Empire’s key regions, as you can see, have already turned their hearts to the rightful king of the Holy Kingdom of Rutheginea, His Majesty Kromgard.”
Of course, there was a possibility that all of these were lies, in a bid to grow their influence upon hearing of the Empire’s absence from this assembly.
However, Sungchul thought that perhaps their words might be true.
He remembered.
The words spoken by the Emperor when they met again in the Floating Palace.
The resolute demeanor the Emperor displayed during the modest banquet inside a tent.
“…The reign of Rutheginea is not yet ended.”
The emperor’s melancholy voice echoed in Sungchul’s ears.
‘So, I was right all along.’
Numerous memories flashed across his mind like a fast-moving lantern slide.
The words left behind by a traitor of a Summoned origin with a demonic blade, the Emperor’s inexplicable behavior, Aquiroa’s rise to power, and the pardon of the Wandering King.
The scattered puzzle pieces came together to form a whole.
A short sigh escaped Sungchul’s lips.
Now, he felt like he understood.
The true weight of the burden carried by the Emperor.
The Emperor’s true intent.
‘He made a compromise to save us from an unwinnable war.’
But the emperor also said this,
The Wandering King is also one of the warriors standing against the Calamity.
“My purpose for being here is not to declare the revival of a former kingdom, nor to seek validation of my worth. There is only one thing I desire: the resolution of the third Calamity.”
Receiving the gaze of everyone present, the Wandering King spoke.
“As a King wearing the crown, in lieu of the Human Empire’s Emperor, William Quinton Marlboro, who has forsaken his responsibilities.”
For a moment, Sungchul felt confused.
What was the truth?
“…”
The hall began to fill with murmur.
They have come to a point where things had to be cleared up.
But it didn’t seem necessary for Sungchul to step forward just yet.
After all, the one about to boil and explode wasn’t Sungchul.
“I did well to come here. My subjects all advised against it, but I had a bad feeling.”
The king of the Ancient Kingdom, Arcanite, stood up from his seat and pointed at the wandering king.
“How dare you show up and spew such nonsense.”
Shling.
The king of the Ancient Kingdom drew his sword.
As he unsheathed it, his subordinates behind him drew theirs in unison.
With the glinting sharpness of swords shining behind him, the king of the Ancient Kingdom spoke.
“Did you think that time would erase all memories? The name of Rutheginea, and her wicked deeds?”
It was only natural for the king of the Ancient Kingdom to show hostility. After all, during the reign of Rutheginea, they had been worst enemies, waging constant wars against each other.
Countless people died in the war, and innocents were taken captive, becoming playthings for the ruthlessly atrocious and depraved nobles of Rutheginea.
Prince Hesserdein of the Elvan Confederation of Kingdoms did not step forward as boldly as Arcanite, but he too stood up to express his agreement with the king of the Ancient Kingdom.
“Our Elvan Confederation of Kingdoms stands united with His Majesty, the king of the Ancient Kingdom. We cannot recognize the return of ‘Holy Kingdom of Rutheginea’.”
Now, all eyes turned to Sungchul.
They were demanding for him to expel that evil group from this place immediately.
Envoys from small nations, despite having seats in the assembly, had essentially no right to speak. But they, too, also cast similar glances at Sungchul.
The ball was back in Sungchul’s court.
“Leave, before there is bloodshed,” Sungchul declared with the support of all present.
“The Holy Kingdom of Rutheginea cannot be recognized.”
“Is that so?” Kromgard said, with a hint of scorn.
“But I was told the purpose of this assembly was to select a single king. Have I come under the wrong impression?”
Upon hearing those words, Sungchul’s hand, which held a hammer, subtly shifted.
“As I mentioned earlier, I am here on behalf of the Empire, solely to address the Calamity before us,”
Before Sungchul could make a move, the Wandering King waved his hand.
Then, Aquiroa unveiled another scroll, spreading it in mid-air.
It was a map of the Human Empire.
“What trickery are you up to now?”
The conference hall stirred once again.
“The Holy Kingdom of Rutheginea is fully aware of its past mistakes and deeply repents them,” said the Wandering King, gesturing to the restless crowd with a slight bow.
Aquiroa cackled, masking it with a cough, and began chanting. The map began to transform.
Different colors magically spread across various regions of the empire, and soon the names of each nation emerged within them.
Sungchul and the envoys immediately understood the implications of the Wandering King’s show.
“The Holy Kingdom of Rutheginea will relinquish the indicated territories and transfer them to the nations as labeled here.”
It was, truly, a shocking show.
Aquiroa’s territorial map indicated that the vast majority of the human empire located in the central continent would be handed over not only to the Elvan Confederation of Kingdoms, the Ancient Kingdom, and other minor kingdoms present, but also to the Eastern Regions, and even the Dwarf Kingdom that had no representative at the conference.
All of them were fertile lands, overflowing with abundant resources.
On Aquiroa’s map, the only portions left for the Holy Kingdom of Rutheginea were its capital, La Grange, and a small fertile crescent in the areas immediately adjacent to it.
If this proposal was accepted, the Holy Kingdom of Rutheginea would be reduced in stature to a city-state rather than a fully-fledged nation.
Considering that a nation’s strength comes from its territory and population, Kromgard’s choice was not only more than enough to shock, it was enough to horrify those present.
“As I’ve stated numerous times, my only concern is resolving the Calamity.”
“Why are you so obsessed with resolving the Calamity? Especially now, of all times?”
The Arcanite with the sword remarked with a smirk.
He particularly emphasized the words “now, of all times,” casting a fleeting glance towards Sungchul.
His gesture implied an accusation: if he had truly wanted to solve the Calamity, why hadn’t he assisted Sungchul 9 years ago in front of the palace of the Demon King, Hesthnius Max?
In response, the Wandering King retorted, looking towards the Arcanite.
“Is there any other choice?”
Wrinkles formed on the Arcanite’s brow, while the Wandering King raised his hand, pointing eastward.
“To the east, the yellow death approaches.”
His hand then shifted to point westward.
“To the west, the Order of Extinction is fanning the flames of war.”
Next, he directed his hand south.
“To the south, mysterious structures rise alongside floating islands.”
And lastly, pointing north with a graver tone than ever before, he said,
“And in the north, unbeatable Barbarians are decimating the Varan-Aran Alliance and preparing to march southward.”
The Wandering King’s assessment of the situation was spot on.
It was a problem the Arcanite himself was well aware of.
The Wandering King spoke again.
“How can one not focus on resolving the Calamity in these dire times? Aren’t all of you gathered here because you all, too, understand the gravity of what is soon to come?”
“…”
“You’ve come to a meeting convened by the very man you’ve convicted as the Enemy of the World.”
That one statement both defended himself and attacked the Arcanite simultaneously.
The near-perfect response of the Wandering King caused the Arcanite king to scowl and turn his head away.
‘No way, was Kromgard such a clever man?’
No one would have guessed.
That the neglectful king, the fool who pushed the Kingdom of Rutheginea, the dominating hegemony of the continent for centuries, to its end, possessed such insight and eloquence.
While there were tales of him being intelligent in his youth, who except the most foolish wouldn’t be described as a smart child?
Sungchul had thought that, in all likelihood, there was about eighty percent chance that Aquiroa was manipulating the Wandering King from behind the scenes. And therefore, if he were to silence Aquiroa then the Wandering King would surely crumble if Sungchul were to pressure him alone.
But instead, it seemed Sungchul was the one to misjudge and be out maneuvered.
With the Arcanite scowling and turning away in displeasure and shame, the Wandering King continued,
“Though it goes without saying that I aim to resolve the Calamity, I also wish to atone, even if only slightly, for the mistakes made by the past Kingdom of Rutheginea. Whether my kingdom survives or perishes for that end, matters little to me.”
At that moment, someone raised their hand and stood from their seat.
It was McRaed, the leader of the Eastern Regions.
She, with her long flowing red hair, stood and glared at the Wandering King, asking in a bright yet assertive tone,
“Thank you for your speech, but you’re not aiming to rise to the crown yourself, are you?”
The Wandering King showed no significant reaction to her words, but Aquiroa couldn’t hold back and shouted,
“How dare you! A mere provincial princess dares to address his majesty the King of Rutheginea…!”
However, Aquiroa’s words were cut short.
Suddenly, from behind, Marakia appeared and pecked at Aquiroa’s back with his beak.
“Argh!”
Sungchul cast a sidelong glance at Marakia with a faint grin.
‘He isn’t completely useless after all.’
Regardless, McRaed’s question, while pointed, was one that got to the heart of the matter.
Rise to the crown.
The sweetest of temptations to those who wish to be king.
Therefore, the most delicate and sensitive of answer to give.
Arcanite who had previously looked down upon her whistled lightly, glaring at the Wandering King.
Now, the Wandering King had to respond one way or another.
2 more chapters out! Click Next Chap to continue.
To get MCHHS Book 4 – Click here
Thank you again!