Chapter 318: Abram (5)
It was a scene that compelled absolute astonishment.
Upon seeing Sienna's face, the thirty-first King of Aroth, Daindolf Abram, had fallen to his knees and pressed his forehead to the ground. He had been waiting for her while pacing around the room.
Honein, the Crown Prince, was horrified to see his father in such a state. He knew well how his father upheld his dignity and authority.
Years ago, when the issue of Eugene Lionheart's entry to Akron was being debated, Daindolf had sent his son, Prince Honein, instead of participating in person.
The reason was simple.
Kiehl's Lionhearts were descendants of the Great Vermouth, and they were so prestigious that not even the Emperor of the Kiehl Empire could easily deal with them.
Daindolf had been hesitant to confront these heirs of Vermouth. In particular, despite being born from a collateral line, Eugene Lionheart was the only child to have become adopted into the main family in the history of Lionhearts.
He had found it difficult to maintain the authority and dignity of a king towards a seventeen-year-old boy with such a background.
Even during the hearings related to Akasha that followed, Daindolf did not attend in person. Despite it being a matter far more significant than the entry to Akron, he had sent his son as his proxy.
He had wanted to avoid any dealings with Eugene Lionheart. He had not wanted to take any responsibility as a king while maintaining friendly relations with the Archwizards opposing Eugene.
Aroth was a constitutional monarchy. The royal family had been in power for a long time, but they did not hold a stronger influence than Aroth’s council. That was why King Daindolf had been highly conscious of his external image and authority and why Honein, as the Crown Prince, had been sent as a stand-in since childhood.
"Your Majesty...!"
The royal guards, ministers, and servants had been previously dismissed. The only ones in the room were the Lionheart child Daindolf had long feared, Prince Honein, and Trempel, the head of the court wizards.
Yet, even in their presence, the King, who had been forever obsessed with image and authority, was on his knees, his forehead pressed against the cold stone floor.
Honein was deeply shocked. Even so, he quickly dismissed the shocking sight from his mind, then joined his father by kneeling beside him. With both the King and the Crown Prince kneeling, Trempel had no choice but to do the same.
Once Trempel also kneeled, a heavy silence fell across the throne room. Eugene felt awkward just standing there. It reminded him of his infiltration of the Yuras Papacy about a year ago. The atmosphere then and now was different, naturally. Had Anise descended in person, the Pope and Cardinals would have also knelt.
"Why are you kneeling without being asked?" Sienna asked, seemingly unfazed by the scene. To her, this situation was utterly natural. Even hundreds of years ago, when Sienna lived in Aroth, the royal family revered her greatly.
They had no choice but to do so. Aroth was renowned as the magic kingdom largely because of Sienna’s influence and achievements. In fact, the yearly influx of tourists and aspiring wizards to the capital city was a testament to Sienna's renown and accomplishments.
"How could I dare to look down upon Lady Sienna!" King Daindolf exclaimed in a gruff voice.
After the hearings related to Akasha... he had prepared himself for a day like this.
Yet, yet… how he had wished for it to be after the royal succession….
“Why not? Surely you can look down upon me,” retorted Sienna.
“Please, do not test me…. Rather, reprimand me severely for my transgressions,” confessed the King.
“Do you even know what you have done wrong?” Sienna inquired, narrowing her eyes.
“There are too many to list, but if you permit, Lady Sienna, I will dare to express them,” responded Daindolf.
“Proceed,” answered Sienna.
“The greatest failure, I believe, is not treating you, who could be considered Aroth's great matron, with proper respect,” confessed Daindolf.
“The mansion I left behind seems to have changed significantly,” said Sienna.
“I, too, lamented the destructive effects of our ancestors' greedy tourism policies,” answered Daindolf.
“And yet, why did you let it be?” inquired Sienna.
“Even if we were to restore the mansion site immediately, I believed that the numerous tourists and aspiring wizards who visit Lady Sienna's mansion would have been greatly disappointed. Although I understand that this sounds like an excuse, please, I beg for your forgiveness,” answered Daindolf.
“Any other wrongs?” asked Sienna.
“Not taking proper care of the familiar you cherished is also a grave sin.”
Thump!
Daindolf bashed his head on the ground with force, and droplets of blood sprinkled within the rippling impact.
“I think there is no room for excuses regarding this. The dissection of the familiar was a betrayal to you, Lady Sienna. But there is no doubt that our gravest, greatest sin took place just a few years ago when we had doubts about your successor and held hearings and trials.”
Thump, thump!
Daindolf continued to bash his head.
“I was blind, not believing in your resurrection, Lady Sienna. Please… vent all your wrath upon this old man. Spare the royal family of Aroth, I beg you.”
His plea was desperate. Honein, who was also bashing his head against the ground, wept at the sight of the painful struggle of the King, the thumping sounds, and the small pool of blood forming on the floor.
The King had always worked hard to maintain his authority and dignity. He had never openly expressed any desire for power or directly opposed the council. How many years had Honein resented the King for his fa?ade? Now, Honein felt heartbroken when he saw the King forsaking his honor to plead for the survival of the royal family.
“Hmm.”
Sienna crossed her arms while squinting her eyes. It would take no effort for her to bury Abram at the bottom of the lake. It wouldn’t be difficult for her to kill the elderly court wizard, the young Crown Prince, and the current King right now. Even Eugene was nearby.
Even if they thought about resisting now, the right to life and death in this space already rested in Sienna's hands. But the problem was what came after the killing. Even though the King was willingly offering his head, Aroth was an influential, powerful nation. Assassinating its king would surely bring about dangerous consequences.
The council and the royal family were keeping each other in check, but they were not enemies. No matter how great Sienna's reputation was in Aroth, if she killed the king, Aroth would have no choice but to judge her by law for the sake of the kingdom.
She didn't want such problems. Since three hundred years ago, her enemies had always been the Demon Kings and the Demon race.
Her enemies were still living in this era and possessed power incomparable to the old times. Helmuth, the Devildom, was Sienna’s enemy. She was lacking in power. Like three hundred years ago, the entire continent had to unite to face the Demon King.
Sienna steeled her expression before speaking, "The thirty-first King of Aroth, raise your head."
Daindolf did not lift his head.
Looking at the spreading pool of blood, Sienna spoke further, "You, as the King, did not leverage your royal authority. You knelt down and begged for forgiveness. And you have received it."
Daindolf slowly raised his head.
Sienna continued, gazing at the blood-stained face of the aged king. "Why did I go so far? You answered this question yourself, as the Crown Prince. I was enraged at the numerous problems that occurred while I was gone. With today's events, Aroth and the world will surely realize that the Wise Sienna is alive and well. I can thrust Abram to the bottom of the lake right this moment, take the life of the commander of the court wizards, the strongest wizard Aroth has to offer, and extinguish the seed of the royal family that has lasted for several generations."
As she spoke, Sienna held up Akasha.
"As you have said, I may be considered Aroth's great matron. The honor this country enjoys in this era could be said to be my work. I can shatter and steal that honor at any time."
Rumble…!
The castle began to slowly rise again.
"Please do not forget this fact. If the royal family and this country love me, I will love this country too. But if you use my name for your gain, I will not love this country."
"Oh... yes, yes, I will remember."
"One more thing." Sienna looked at Eugene and spoke. "Eugene Lionheart is my successor. I've said it many times outside, but I would like the royal family to officially declare it too."
"We will certainly do that,” answered the Crown Prince.
"And another thing,” said Sienna once more.
She had more to say?
Everyone's gaze turned to Sienna.
Sienna cleared her throat to those gazes and continued speaking, "I have been living in seclusion for hundreds of years. I lived a simple life and left most of my property in Aroth... uh…."
How should she say it to sound plausible and imposing? Even Sienna faltered in her words.
"Aroth has been filling the national treasury in the name of Sienna for hundreds of years,” she said.
Fortunately, Daindolf was not so foolish as to not understand what she was implying.
.
"If you give me a few days, I will prepare a solution for you, Lady Sienna, to use the assets of Aroth freely. And I will open the royal treasury to you immediately."
She didn't need the money, but it was true that she didn't have any at the moment. The royal treasury? While it might not have anything spectacular…. She was interested in the treasures and magic they would have accumulated over hundreds of years. Traditionally, products of Aroth’s magical research were stored in the royal treasury.
"I will come to see the treasury tomorrow,” said Sienna, putting down Akasha with a satisfied smile.
She coveted a staff as well. The staff she was currently using was a temporary weapon made from the branches of the World Tree. It was an excellent item, but it was possible that a better staff waited for her in the treasury.
Of course, She had Akasha, but ideally, Sienna wanted Eugene to use it.
“There won’t be any need for formal reception; it would be too burdensome,” said Sienna. She had unleashed her fiery temper, taught a lesson to an arrogant Archwizard of the current generation, and made the King of Aroth kneel with his forehead bleeding.
A satisfied grin curled up her lips as she gave a friendly pat on Eugene's shoulder. "Let's return, my heir!"
"Yes, Lady Sienna," replied Eugene.
There was no question about it. Sienna relished calling Eugene her heir or successor. He couldn't comprehend what joy she found in it as they exited the grand hall together.
Even after a while had passed since their departure, King Daindolf remained kneeling, his face streaked with blood. He made no attempt to clean the flow of blood from his ruptured forehead.
Honein and Trempel remained kneeling beside him as they studied the Crown Prince's expression carefully. However, they could only find relief in Daindolf's face.
"Haa…."
After a good while, Daindolf rose from the ground while heaving a sigh of relief. His expression shifted slightly, yet there was no sign of humiliation in his eyes, despite having had to kneel and bleed from his forehead. He calmly returned to his throne and took a seat.
"Your Highness...!"
Honein and Tremphel called out while remaining on their knees.
While wiping the blood from his forehead with his wet sleeve, Daindolf began to speak, "Honein."
"Yes...?"
"Come closer."
Honein approached the throne after jolting from his spot. With a calm and settled gaze, Daindolf studied the prince.
"Can a single Archwizard annihilate a nation?" he asked.
Honein didn’t know how to answer.
"Maybe not annihilate, but they can easily make a king kneel. An Archwizard, particularly the Wise Sienna, is such an existence."
"Yes…."
"You already know this, but Aroth is a unique kingdom." Daindolf wiped off the blood and gave a bitter smile. "For centuries, it has been so. This Kingdom of Magic houses too many wizards. In particular, we have an abundance of exceptional talents. Most of the respected wizards in the continent reside in Aroth, along with young talents who could someday become Archwizards."
Honein wasn’t sure where his father was going with this.
"In this kingdom, the royal family cannot possibly possess absolute power. It's designed this way. Even now, observe how a single Archwizard, with determination, could threaten to submerge the royal palace, make the king kneel, and cut off the royal lineage."
"It was because of my incompetence...!" Trempel bashed his head against the ground while weeping.
Daindolf shook his head and responded, "Lord Trempel, it wasn’t because of your incompetence. Every wizard of Aroth is equal in the presence of the Wise Sienna. My point is that an absolute monarchy is impossible as long as such a wizard exists."
Honein clutched his chest, stricken. His father, whom he had thought of as incapable and merely a figurehead, was now offering advice that made Honein revisit the dreams he had long cherished.
The young prince had harbored a disillusionment towards the royalty that existed merely in name. He had often contemplated the purpose of a throne that was constantly wary of the council, the tower heads, and the guild of wizards. He thought the council, driven by various interests, should be dismantled and the royal family put in charge to lead the kingdom. He had yearned to change the symbolic nature of the royalty. He had yearned for a reformation of Aroth.
"If you desire to reshape this kingdom according to your vision, there is a straightforward way, Honein. You must become a wizard as formidable as the Wise Sienna,” advised Daindolf.
“Yes…."
"I have always regarded your talent as exceptional,” continued Daindolf.
The royal blood of Aroth had produced remarkable wizards generation after generation. They could be described as lineages refined over centuries for the betterment of magic. Even the current king, Daindolf, was a wizard of the Seventh Circle.
Honein had reached the Sixth Circle as a wizard at the young age of twenty-five. It was indeed an incredible achievement for his age, yet… it left something to be desired. Despite reaching the Fifth Circle before adulthood, Honein still lingered in the sixth. Even the King had been stuck in the seventh for decades.
"I believed your talent to be worthy of pride, but no longer…. You know the reason as well as I do."
Honein immediately thought of Eugene. He had heard the rumors that the young man had created his own Signature. Even though he had the aid of Akasha, Eugene Lionheart had ascended to the rank of an Archwizard — at the mere age of twenty-one.
"I am aware of your favorable relationship with the heir of Wise Sienna. You have shown interest and kindness to Eugene Lionheart since he first arrived in Aroth."
"Yes…."
"I also know you wished to retain him in Aroth. But… the young man is extraordinarily talented. Can you keep a lion, a wild beast, within your walls…? Can you leash it and tame it?"
"I-I never thought to leash Sir Eugene…."
"Oh, you merely wished to stand by its side and borrow its fangs and claws? When you can't handle a lion's fangs and claws yourself, how can you borrow them? And what did you plan to offer in exchange?"
King Daindolf chuckled while looking at his heir. It wasn't a derisive laughter nor a reprimanding gaze. He was earnestly advising the prince on his dreams.
"The commander of the court wizards? Ha…. Will that young lion be content with merely that? He could wield the greatest power in any kingdom, should he wish."
Honein stayed quiet as he mulled over these words.
"Honein, Aroth can offer the lion nothing. With the Wise Sienna at his side, even the promise of all of Aroth's magic won't turn the lion's head. However…. If you build a relationship, perhaps you can borrow his fangs and claws without offering anything in return. If the lion is merciful, that is."
"Ah…!"
Prince Honein lowered his head in realization. Only now did he understand why his father had sent him, the Crown Prince, every time there was an opportunity to show favor to Eugene.
"But that alone isn't enough, Honein. Do you think you can, as you are now, become an Archwizard equal to the Wise Sienna someday?"
"I… I don't know."
"That's not the answer. There are endless possibilities in magic, and to reach any corner of those possibilities, you must have an unwavering belief that you will reach them. Your answer shouldn't be that you don't know. It should be that you will someday. Even if it is just that."
Prince Honein's eyes welled up, and he shed silent tears as he nodded fervently in acknowledgment.
"If you truly desire to change this kingdom, you must become an Archwizard worthy of such a task. Depend not on the lion's mercy but become a force so powerful that the lion would willingly lend you his fangs and claws," instructed King Daindolf, turning his gaze to the tapestry hung behind his throne.
The royal banner of Aroth hung in full display, bearing beneath it the emblem of the royal family of Abram. An eagle gripping a staff in its talons, its wings spread wide in flight.
"The reason I chose you as the Crown Prince was my belief that you possessed wings of your own," the Crown Prince confessed, his voice resonating with conviction.
"Your Majesty...!" stammered Honein, overcome with emotion.
"Even so, today's events should stir the council's pot nicely," Daindolf reclined further into his throne, an amused chuckle rumbling in his chest. "The management of the kingdom's budget lies in the hands of the council. I will greatly enjoy it if Lady Sienna takes it upon herself to splurge with the treasury."
Even the aged members of the council wouldn't dare challenge the fury of the Wise Sienna. Hence they wouldn't dare to contest the king's decision.
Listening to his father's laughter, Honein bowed his head deeply. After reaching the Sixth Circle, he had not dedicated himself to the practice of magic as he had in the past. Preparations for succeeding the throne were there, but truth be told, he had thought, 'This much is enough.' He did not feel a particular allure to becoming an Archwizard.
But he could no longer entertain such thoughts. He had witnessed the immense power one Archwizard could wield….
'Magic, is it…?'
Honein felt a burning desire ignite deep within his heart.
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