Oukoku e Tsuzuku Michi Chapter 554– Road To Kingdom 11

Throne Room.

「A great hero with exceptional brute str-……ahem, exceptional prowess in the art of war. In praise of Aegir Hardlett, and with this coronation ceremony, let the whole kingdom know his might!」

Although he stutters a bit and appears slightly unwilling, the announcer fulfills his duty.

「It's finally here, Your Majesty. You have been through a lot, but I'm glad you are able to safely make it to this day.」

Bending over and currying favor next to me is Kenneth.

Two weeks passed since the day I killed the king, and there have been three sneak attack attempts and two rebellions.

Leopolt and Kenneth detected and quashed one sneak attack each, while the remaining attempt during my sleep was a success, though it ended not with the death of myself, but the deaths of five other men.

The commander of the royal army led one rebellion and a neighboring feudal lord noble led the other……neither had enough momentum to get others involved because Kenneth had proclaimed his recognition of me as king, so they wilted like salted vegetables when threatened to be treated as rebels.

「Everything for your prestige, Your Majesty. Your Majesty's military prowess and overwhelming spirit will um……conceal the minor violence. Hahaha, it's ironic that His Majesty, who is known for his strength, would win without fighting!」

Kenneth extols me devotedly, brushing even the smallest particle of dust off my shoulder and yelling at servants to pick up even the smallest pebble in my path. He is the very image of a sycophant.

Kenneth gets up really close to me whereas Leopolt is located a few steps away with his usual scowl.

Far from flattering, he doesn't show an ounce of affection. You're who you are, I guess you can't do anything about it.

「Your Majesty, Your Majesty, everyone is waiting so it's about time to……」

Prompted by Kenneth, I stand up.

I have already attained the throne by force, but there is still a formal, and unnecessary in my opinion, process to follow.

「The crown, Goldonia's rightful symbol of authority, will hereby be bestowed upon our king――」

Since there is no national minister to hold this ceremony, Kenneth is the one who will place the crown.

Well it's because I……actually Leopolt killed him.

I turn my eyes to the entire hall.

The ceremony, which was attended by nobles from all over the kingdom, was filled with an atmosphere that cannot be summed up with the word 'bizarre'.

Firstly, the large door of the hall was put back together with planks of wood.

It could not be rebuilt or repaired in time.

There are cracks splitting the stones paving the floor……it was from the time I cut down the king.

In the center of the fissure is the king's blood staining the red carpet a darker shade.

The giant carpet was not replaced, but I also didn't let it be removed.

Even the eye-catching throne still had faint traces of blood despite thorough cleaning.

「What is the matter Your Majesty? Haha, of course I'll wait as long as you like.」

Kenneth grins.

「How did this result come to be……with His Majesty dead, Lord Radhalde dead, Hardlett as king, and Kenneth standing beside him……what did we do all that for?! Was it all for nothing!?」

「Even so, the Goldonia which we and the military commissioner risked our lives to protect is still intact. If we rampage unnecessarily and shatter the kingdom, that would truly leave nothing behind! The pages of the story which began from the Wings of Dawn will be burned to ash at the end! Grit your teeth……and for now……for now-」

「If only the military commissioner was still alive. It's fine that Hardlett wants to fulfill his ambition, but why did he have to take the commissioner's life too? Does that bastard not realize how much the commissioner has done for his sake? How frustrating!」

The new nobles are past the point of dissatisfaction and are seething with anger like a single living creature.

Many are also crying bitterly.

「Are you going to tolerate this? He……slayed our comrades and the liege we devoted ourselves to. What is the governmental affairs commissioner doing-」

「Shh! This is not the time to be spouting insults. The commissioner is openly appeasing him because of how dangerous that man is. We have to quietly bide our time……」

「Still, it's quite unseemly……to be frank, my first priority is to protect my family and domain. But I have pride as a noble who has served Goldonia for a long time! Acting obsequiteously to an usurper……is shameless!」

The traditional nobles don't criticize the rudeness of the new nobles like they always do.

Many of them directed piercing gazes at me and Kenneth.

Servants in the corner all looked very pale, and some of the younger girls were even shaking.

Knights standing guard at the ceremony were boiling with rage and appeared like they could assault me at any moment.

The only reason they didn't was because Kenneth deemed me as the legitimate king……and most importantly, the Dual Crater is propped up against the throne.

I stop observing and allow the throne to rest on my head.

「All hail King Hardlett! All hail the new king!!」

Kenneth shouts.

The applause that was supposed to follow was very tepid.

The new nobles are not making it obvious and the traditional nobles are going through with the motions, but are clapping with the base of their hands so as to make the least noise possible.

The number of allies I have here are probably fewer than a handful.

「Hurray for Aegir-sama!!」

Celia claps energetically, Myla claps with big solid motions, and Irijina claps hard enough to create a strong wind that messes up Tristan's hair.

Sekrit is clapping casually with a smile, but I sense an uncomfortable malice from her.

Leopolt is……surprisingly clapping properly.

However, he can't be happy considering the upcoming development.

My gaze shifts to the two elves, Natia and Felteris.

Natia is wearing a bold dress which exposes a great deal of her chest, whereas Felteris has chosen a dress with boldness and vulgarity in a 1:9 ratio, and both are standing next to me as my acquaintances with their ears in the open.

It makes me chuckle when I think about how a knight asked Felteris for a night visit before the ceremony.

No matter the times, it's always a given that men are interested in lewd women.

Realizing my gaze, they return a concerned look at me.

I assure them I'll be fine and raise my arm high.

Same with the applause, the ensuing cheers are rather tame for the amount of people.

「Now, to a new king and a new Goldonia.」

Kenneth takes the lead and readies a cup.

He pours alcohol from a tall bottle and tests the first sip for poison before pouring a cup for me.

「Cheers――!」

I gulp down the liquid.

Leopolt just puts his lips to the rim of his cup, while the new nobles pretend to drink and dump the liquid on the floor when no one is looking, and the traditional nobles tilt their heads back with a smile that seems to be plastered on their faces.

In the next moment, the bowing Kenneth smiles and his eyes sparkle.

「How did the poison taste?」

「What……? Guh!」

I drop the cup and clutch my chest.

The cup of pure gold falls to the ground and is slowly crushed.

「Ga……!! Gh……!! You bastard……!!」

I grab Kenneth's shoulder as my breathing becomes labored.

「Die. And hold that ambition of yours.」

Kenneth stabs my chest with his ceremonial dagger.

A burning pain enters as the blade of his dagger dyes a deep purple.

Roars several times louder than the earlier toast erupt from the venue.

「Get him!」

Multiple knights among the ones standing guards move simultaneously and thrust swords into my torso from four directions.

「Nooooooo!!!!」

A shout out of shock drowns out Celia's scream.

Holding the crazily flailing Celia back from behind is Sekrit.

「Bastard……from the start……gufh.」

Confirming the anguished expression on my face after I have fallen, Kenneth then addresses the rows of people in a loud voice.

「The despicable traitor! The individual who committed the treacherous act of usurpation has been defeated!!」

Knights immediately rush out and surround Celia and Sekrit, pointing spears at them.

Celia is the only one in a frenzied state, while everyone else obediently lifts their arms up in surrender in a daze.

「Bending your waists and enduring the humiliation was for this moment! The rebel has been punished and Goldonia has returned to the hands of its rightful owners. Justice has been served!!」

Kenneth resentfully balls his hand into a fist and yells with tears in his eyes and a smile on his face.

「Oh my……so that's what was going on!? He acted like a sycophant just so he can wait for a chance!」

「Hahahaha, I trusted him all along! Although it was temporary, he accepted the humiliation!」

「He might be a strong warrior, but he is still a mountain monkey. It is fitting for him to be disposed of by ingesting poison!」

「So that is the end of the war demon Hardlett……not in battle but in the palace……with a mere cup of poisoned alcohol……」

「It's a miserable end suitable for a man of high treason who murdered His Majesty and killed Lord Radhalde, to whom he owes so much……but-」

「What is this emptiness I feel? The only thing I can imagine is the military commissioner slumping his shoulders in the afterlife.」

Those close to Kenneth understandably cheer, the new nobles express confusion, and the small number who decided to support me cover their faces and hang their heads.

「It's basic to poison the cup and not the liquid. The mountain monkey must not have known.」

Talger comes out of nowhere to stand next to Kenneth and spits at me as I lie face down.

「Ladies and gentlemen, let us rebuild the disordered Goldonia. New noble, traditional noble, that distinction is irrelevant right now. With the villain Hardlett defeated, that is a trivial issue!」

While Kenneth's speech draws the attention of everyone, Talger stands still and says one thing to me in a detached tone.

「It was inevitable that a group of individuals would emerge and struggle for achievements after His Majesty was dead even after you were defeated. Thus the most optimal move was to briefly allow your rise to the throne of vanity and wait for the situation to calm down before making you disappear.」

Kenneth walks within a few steps of the throne.

「Unfortunately, His Majesty Alexandro left no heir. But I am not like that disloyal person. I would never dream of becoming the king myself!」

「That's what he says, but it's an act. You were not beaten on a battlefield filled with soldiers and knights, you were beaten by my lord's trick in the palace. Therefore my lord's authority is unshakeable and legitimate.」

Kenneth continues in a booming yet non-intimidating voice.

「This unworthy Kenneth, as prime minister, will organize everyone until the rightful person takes the throne!」

「There is no legitimate successor. Even if there were, we would get rid of him. My lord's authority will last from generation to generation. So there really isn't a difference from sitting on the throne. Killing the king, as you have done, is the lowest of the low and is tantamount to a fight between bandits for supremacy.」

Kenneth walks until he is beside me.

「This disturbance is Hardlett's sole reckless action. And I also extolled him as king, albeit falsely, so anybody who yielded to him, opened a path for him or turned your back……will not be blamed. I will think of it all as a method for lowering the guard of the mountain monkey and put it past us!!」

「The new nobles were defeated by you after Radhalde and His Majesty were killed. The traditional nobles ran away helplessly. That feeling of indebtedness will become my lord's strength. Everything is going according to calculations.」

I see. It's very characteristic for Kenneth to put on a mask of compassion and reason and seek profit wherever he can.

I guess this is why he and Erich could not truly understand each other.

「Now then! Let us celebrate the start of a new Goldonia with an applause for the false throne――!!」

Kenneth exclaims.

An appropriately thunderous applause echoes in the room.

「Hurray for the prime minister!」

「Hurray for the new Goldonia!」

「Let's celebrate the restoration of righteousness!」

The traditional nobles in particular are clapping enthusiastically.

Kenneth gazes up at the sky with a satisfied expression and closes his eyes.

The applause stops abruptly.

Nobody stops voluntarily, their hands just seem to freeze against their wills.

No, to be more precise, only one person is still clapping.

That person is me.

「What's the matter all of a sudden……」

Kenneth turns around and stiffens up.

It's like he became a stone statue.

「What a splendid speech. The plan was one I could not begin to fathom.」

I slowly stand up as I keep clapping.

「Impossible――!! Poison was definitely on the cup! It is a deadly poison that kills merely by touching the skin――!!」

Pursuing Kenneth as he steps backward, I open my mouth.

A reddish-purple liquid spills out.

「Oh and it was painful too. But that kind of thing――」

I bring my face close to Kenneth's as he falls on his butt.

「It won't kill me.」

「Pigiiiiiiii!! Kill him――!! Kill this guy――!!」

His disgusting shriek prompts knights to once again rush in to stab me from all directions.

「It's not going to happen a second time.」

I grab the Dual Crater and unleash a spinning slash, cutting the blades of all four swords in half.

「A……ua……」

「Hiih……」

The knights are rendered speechless as they realize they are left with nothing but the handle of their swords.

Judging from that reaction, they couldn't see my slash, let alone my blade.

「Stand down.」

The knights throw away their useless weapons and stagger backward without me even having to look at them.

Surely they sensed that they were no match for me.

「H-hi-heeee! S-someone……someone……!!」

Talger runs off as soon as I am on my feet, and Kenneth, who seems to have lost the strength in his legs, crawls along the floor while seeking help from the gathered nobles, but nobody jumps in to rescue him.

Everyone is pretty much petrified in fear.

That's fine. That's the way you guys are.

I pin the fleeing Kenneth's cape with my foot.

「You have a sword on your hip too.」

I point to the ceremonial dagger attached to Kenneth's waist.

「E-eek……uwaaaah!!」

Kenneth screams, then thrusts his short sword into my thigh.

「T-this sword has deadly poison on it too! In a few seconds, you will……」

「It's already been several minutes since you stabbed me the first time.」

I remove the dagger with my sword and lift up the despairing Kenneth by his collar.

「Using me to dominate Goldonia――it indeed is a marvelous strategy. It's much more clever than running straight for the throne like I did.」

My right hand grips onto the Dual Crater.

「I can't complain though. In terms of a traitorous usurper, becoming one successfully is justice. However, not being successful means――」

The makeshift door of the hall is broken.

Brynhildr drags the escaped Talger back into the room by the leg.

「P-please forgive me――I swear to be forever loyal and subordinate to you, my king――」

I respond with a grin from ear to ear.

「I'm glad your loyalty was a lie. Well, I didn't have a reason, but I've always hated you personally.」

Brynhildr punches Talger, knocking him in my direction.

I match her timing and toss Kenneth up in the air.

「M-my king! Please have mercy, my king!!」

I inhale deeply and ready the Dual Crater in front of me.

「If you meet Erich, tell him that I'm really sorry and I'll pour alcohol on his grave.」

I swing my Dual Crater down with all my might.

Kenneth and Talger are cleaved simultaneously, and the resulting shockwave sends their dismembered bodies and entrails flying.

「Hiiih!!」

「Uwaah!!」

The scattered parts and blood shower the nobles.

Resting the Dual Crater on my shoulder, I walk to the spot in front of the throne where Kenneth was making his speech earlier.

「Sadly Lord Kenneth is in pieces so he won't be assuming the position of prime minister.」

The room is enveloped in silence.

Admiration is absent from the faces of the nobles, but so is discontent and displeasure.

Everyone is visibly frightened.

「Why don't we talk about something more tasteful?」

I'm not the greatest at conversing, but leaving will also create chaos.

As I am about to open my mouth, I receive the ready signal from Leopolt.

I spread my arms and say.

「The blood here stinks. Let's get some ventilation.」

The walls on either side crumble as the Smoothie and Pochi burst in and roar.

「Dragons……」

I'm sick of that surprised reaction.

Brynhildr walks over with glowing red eyes after throwing Talger.

She isn't hiding the fact she is not human anymore.

「A vampire……」

Brynhildr bows once and then kneels down next to me like an attendant.

Of course this is all an act, which I asked her to do in return for a few holes in various places on my body.

「King hurray! Hip hip hurray! Pii!

「Pih! Hardlett, chicken skewer hurray!」

「Something stinks.」

Harpies swoop down and enter the room through the large hole, squawking as they fly around.

「He's the demon king……」

Alright, the sideshow is over.

I'm not a monster taming street performer.

As expected, everyone is in shock.

I'll just smile and try to lighten the mood.

「I'm a rebel and an usurper. And I'm also your king.」

I address them with a smile.

「Scary……」

Myla's shoulders tremble.

Celia, whose hips gave out after finding out I was safe, shivers adorably.

「As an usurper, I will not deny your insurrection. If anybody has a complaint, you may draw your sword now or if you're not confident in your skills, you may return to your domain and prepare for battle. Come at me however and whenever you like, let's fight.」

I plant my Dual Crater into the floor through the carpet.

「But I won't tolerate half-hearted attempts. I'm not looking to forget friendships in battle nor am I looking to observe how courageous you are.」

The corners of my lips curl up as I see a young knight reach for his sword.

「Ah……gguh……」

His eyes dart back and forth between his sword and me, and after a brief pause, his hand returns to his side.

Man, how boring.

「Um……you'll be letting us go, right?」

「The governmental affairs……I mean, Kenneth's instructions were to……stab Your Majesty when you fell to your knees――」

The knights who attacked me earlier ask with scared looks.

「Oh I forgot. Hahaha, was that how it was?」

「Ha, hahaha……」

Chuckling, I lop off the heads of the four knights and then turn back to the front.

「As I was saying, you either obey or die. There is no third option.」

I beckon Rosario over who has now changed into a mourning dress.

「What will you choose?」

「……I will obey, Your Majesty.」

I pull her waist to my body, grab her chin from turning away and steal her lips.

She sticks her arms against my chest to reject me, but eventually gives in and allows my tongue to enter her mouth.

Her loosely hanging arms informed everyone of her submission.

Pochi roars again, signalling Sekrit and Myla to stand in front of me for protection.

Celia stands in a dignified pose next to me while Leopolt stands at a slight distance away.

I quietly catch Nonna as she runs to me, and that completes the roster of related people.

「I look forward to everyone's loyalty or rebellion.」

The coronation closes with one final smile from me.

Waiting Room.

「My, that was a horrible coronation. It was like an inauguration ceremony for the demon king.」

I fling squeezed lemon juice at Tristan and continue gargling once I hear him groaning.

Celia brings milk and fruit juice as well, but I can't get rid of the nasty taste no matter how much I rinse my mouth.

「It's the poison of the Gramm snake, which is said to kill ten people with a single drop. You'll have to bear with it for now.」

I really ingested poison by drinking from that cup, huh?

「Knowing it can kill you just by entering through the skin…… and even though precautions were taken, I was pretty nervous.」

「……I was the only one who wasn't told about it.」

Myla comments, while Celia puffs up in a pout.

「Kenneth hates adventure. Even if he wanted to make a move at the coronation, he would have let it slide and looked for another opportunity at any sign of caution. Then he might betray you some other day. I had to make him finish the job right there.」

「Are you saying he would have found out if I was told!?」

Leopolt calmly explains as Celia inflates even more.

「Don't get so big. It all went well in the end.」

「Still……it pains my heart.」

When I empty the air out of Celia's mouth, Nonna wobbles over.

Right, she was probably on the verge of fainting from seeing me almost poisoned to death firsthand.

「Haha, I said precautions were made.」

I am able to withstand the poison because of the power of my tenacious di――I mean, Natia's antidote.

I drank the potion she mixed prior to the ceremony.

「You would have died instantly if there was a tiny mistake in the nature of the poison or the process of mixing! I was sweating when he pulled out the poisonous knife. If it was a different type of poison……」

Natia unravels her trembling finger tips to warm them.

When I thank her by putting her fingers in my mouth, she squeals and pours milk over my head.

By the way, Rosario also drank the antidote when I kissed her.

She should be similarly gargling in the waiting room.

「But how did you defend against the following attack by the knights? You weren't wearing chainmail.」

Sekrit asks curiously.

She's been rubbing herself against my body hopelessly since the coronation ended.

I can practically see the vapors of her arousal wafting in the air.

「That Kenneth was checking to see if I was wearing anything by brushing dust off my shoulder and straightening my clothes. It would have been easy to detect if I was wearing chainmail. That's why I did this instead.」

I pull down my pants, revealing my cock.

「Okay, I see it's big.」

「My mistake, I meant this.」

I take off my shirt and show what's underneath.

「It's the waistband of the proud elves. It's made of many layers of finely woven plant fibers, making it soft yet very durable. It's also very warm, so you won't need to wear any other clothes」

Felteris sticks out her chest with pride.

It is certainly lightweight, durable and warm, but it only covers the area from below the chest to the bottom of the belly button. You actually go outside wearing only this?

Anyways, this waistband feels no different from cloth.

Kenneth's search didn't inform him that blades can't penetrate me.

Basically it was Natia's antidote that defended against the poison and Felteris's waistband that defended against the swords.

A bit of tension seems to have been relieved as everyone begins to get excited, though Leopolt adds a word with his usual sour look.

「With no legitimacy and no cause to speak of, you have only one thing to rely on for a smooth reign.」

He's getting straight to the point.

Well, it's true I don't have either.

「That one thing you have is absolute fear. They won't obey because of something vague. They obey because you'll take everything away if they don't. This really be a rule through terror, the reign of a demon king. If you ask me, that is one person I don't want to obey.」

Shut up, Tristan.

I'll execute you for the sin of being lazy.

「Well, that was the only option from the start. We maintain the rule with fear, then use policy to make the citizens and nobles think, “Oh, it's surprisingly not too bad”. Thankfully, the initial impact is so great that even a somewhat positive policy will work.」

Adolph says with his hands on his head, wondering where to begin.

「I'll leave that part to you. Because of what was said, anybody who opposes will be killed, so you can keep things as they are or you can change them. Do as you want.」

I start preparing for a journey in a hurry.

Damn Schwartz, because his injury is quite deep and he's resting, things will take twice as long.

「Aegir-sama? Did you forget something in Rafen?」

I grab Celia's face as she peeks at me.

「I've become king, right?」

「Yes. You've lost many precious things……suffered through hardships……and your reputation is in tatters. But Aegir-sama is undoubtedly the king!」

Good.

I'll be right back then.

「W-where are you going!? I'm coming too!」

「Wai-!? Leaving the throne unattended will be problematic right now! Heeey!!」

Celia and Tristan stand up, but Tristan bumps his pinky finger on the corner of the desk and winces in pain.

Adolph and Leopolt also look genuinely flustered.

It's a familiar sight to see Adolph like that, but unusual for Leopolt. I'll make a mental note.

Before I go, I should at least stop by Erich and Agor's graves.

I'm sure they would love to appear as ghosts and haunt me, but I can't entertain them until I come back. I hope they can wait.

Protagonist: Aegir Hardlett. 26 years old. Spring.

Status: King of the Goldonia Kingdom. Usurper. Demon King. Frightening King. Poison Resistance (strong).

Mountain Legend. Friend of the Dwarves. Friend of the King of Aless. Dragon Slayer Hero.

Elf Mediator.

Chapter end