A half-baked evasion of the question would not work here.
Affirmation or denial.
Only two possible paths lay before the Wandering King.
Under the watchful eyes of all present, the Wandering King finally spoke.
“I have no intentions to take the crown whatsoever.”
He declared, with ease.
The atmosphere shifted dramatically.
His tempting offer sounded even sweeter with such an exemplary, just answer.
This granted the crownless king unprecedented authenticity with his words.
The assembly hall buzzed with murmurs.
Sungchul felt, in every fiber of his being, that the control of the assembly had swiftly shifted from him to the Wandering King.
“…”
Sungchul, too, was aware.
That the most potent means to sway a person was through reward.
Hadn’t Sungchul himself undertaken hundreds, if not thousands, of quests for the sake of rewards?
However, the underlying principle of that reward is that there must be something worthy to offer.
No longer being wealthy and without being a king himself, Sungchul had nothing to offer the kings and diplomats.
So, he had prepared.
Instead of the carrot of reward, he readied the whip called the Barbarians.
If there was no carrot to be had, then at minimum they had to be moved by fear.
However, the Wandering King brought a reward that no one could have ever imagined possible.
Something everyone had believed belonged to the Empire.
“If you’re not pleased with what lies within me, then I shall depart on the authority of the former Imperial Commander in Chief, or rather, by the decree of the new chair of the World Parliament.”
The helm of the Wandering King turned towards Sungchul.
Sungchul said nothing.
However, the hammer still rested in his hand.
Not sheathing one’s weapon was a sign of unwelcome.
“Leave.”
Sungchul declared.
“If that is your wish.”
Without hesitation, the Wandering King turned and left the assembly hall.
“Your Majesty! How can you give up so easily?”
Aquiroa exclaimed, hastily following the Wandering King.
“Wait.”
The king of the Ancient Kingdom spoke up.
“There’s no need send him away per se.”
The Arcanite said as he stared intently at the Elvan prince across from him, seeking agreement.
The Elvan prince hesitated for a moment.
He was uncertain about what to do.
However, after hearing the counsel of one of his retinues, he nodded in agreement.
“I share the same sentiments.”
The Elvan prince fixed his gaze on McRaed of the Eastern Regions.
While she was mindful of Sungchul’s position, she could not disregard the opinions of the power players from the Eastern Regions seated behind her.
The vast eastern territories of the empire offered by the Wandering King.
It was an irresistible lure for the Eastern Regions, currently exposed to the encroaching miasma of death barreling down upon them.
McRaed nodded to Hesserdein.
“I concur.”
Seeing this unfold before him, Sungchul felt an immense sense of disgust and disappointment in politics from deep within his soul for the first time in a long while.
‘How can they be so simple-minded?’
While on the surface, the World Parliament seemed to have undergone many changes. But its fundamental nature remained completely unchanged.
Self-centered greed packaged neatly under the facade of national interests were the driving forces behind the World Parliament.
“Perhaps the Emperor chose not to attend because he knew the Wandering King would be here.”
As Sungchul succumbed to ennui, the attendees clamored noisily amongst themselves.
But the conclusion was already predetermined.
“How about we let the Wandering King back in?”
Arcanite, backed by popular opinion, asked in his characteristically arrogant tone.
Everyone seemed to be siding with the Arcanite.
A deep shadow fell across Sungchul’s face.
Letting the Wandering King in or not wasn’t even the problem.
What irritated him beyond his patience was watching the ruling elite be so blinded by immediate gain.
Crowns, territories, authority.
With the world on the brink of destruction, what possible value could any of these even carry?
For a moment, his hand gripped the hammer tighter.
‘What if I just killed them all?’
It was such a tempting thought.
However, that was the worst possible solution.
The moment Sungchul kills the kings here, the only path left for him was slaughter.
It meant he would have to kill the kings, then all their successors, and then every successor’s successors, continuing until no one remained.
Sungchul was already aware.
Aware that he possessed the power to kill anyone as he pleased and wipe everyone out without exception.
And it could even be done quickly and effortlessly.
[Slay them all. These fleeting lives.]
He heard a voice.
And immediately Sungchul was made aware of something.
He became aware of the existence of the Seven Weapons of Calamity he possessed and the infinite potential residing within his own body.
But the moment he was conscious of this power, the image of a black giant flashed before his eyes.
A black giant that destroyed and obliterated everything in its path.
That monstrous being still stood on the ground covered in sun bleached skeletons, gazing intently at Sungchul.
“…”
He felt his heart sink.
“Are you alright?”
Bertelgia noticed something amiss with Sungchul and cautiously asked.
“I’m fine.”
Sungchul replied in a soft voice, nodding his head.
‘What was that voice just now?’
Sungchul’s complexion had visibly deteriorated.
“You seem unwell. Are you alright?”
Hesserdein approached, looking concernedly at Sungchul.
It must have been immediately obvious even for strangers that Sungchul was feeling terrible.
“I am fine.”
Sungchul put away the Fal Garaz and took his seat, rubbing his forehead.
In the brief silence, Sungchul felt the weight of everyone’s gaze upon him.
They were expecting Sungchul to readmit the Wandering King inside.
Sungchul ordered that the Wandering King be brought into the council chamber as he was reminded once again why he had such deep sense of disgust in humans.
Soon after, the Wandering King reappeared in the conference hall.
“Will your lords accept your proposal and willingly give up their territories?”
King Arcanite spoke to the Wandering King in a changed tone. After posing the question, he sheathed his previously drawn sword.
Sssst.
The gleaming swords behind him vanished with sharp metallic sounds.
The Ancient Kingdom had acknowledged the Wandering King.
The fact that the king of the Ancient Kingdom, who held the highest share of power in the council chamber aside from Sungchul and the Wandering King, took such action held significant meaning.
The Wandering King, after bowing to the king of the Ancient Kingdom for his actions, spoke in a small yet clear voice.
“All the lords who swore allegiance to me are aware of the danger of the Calamity. Except for a few of the Summoned lineage, they will all willingly relinquish their territories. Should they refuse, let the World Parliament subdue them. And I, the for my failures, shall stand at the vanguard against them.”
The Wandering King turned his head.
Someone from one side of the council chamber was raising a hand.
It was the prince of the Elvan Confederation of Kingdoms.
With a serious face, he questioned the Wandering King.
“I believe we have a good understanding of your proposal. But I still have one doubt. If you’re going to relinquish all lands anyway, wouldn’t it be only right to give up La Grange as well?”
Though spoken naively, it was a remark sharper than any hidden dagger.
Upon hearing these words, a faint smile spread across the face of the Arcanite.
‘Former king was known to be merciless, but this new Elvan King is on another level.’
There was no way the Wandering King didn’t grasp the true intent of this question.
Slowly, he raised his hand and removed the helmet that was synonymous with his identity.
Hidden within the opaque interior of the helmet, a weary yet surprisingly youthful and handsome face was revealed.
He sighed before replying to the Elvan prince.
“La Grange, too, will be relinquished in time.”
Then, Kromgard turned his gaze to Sungchul.
“For the sake of consolidating power under one crown as the Calamity demands.”
Sungchul calmly met Kromgard’s eyes.
A single expression sometimes had the potential to be more persuasive than a thousand words.
Though he hated to admit it, the Wandering King’s face reflected nothing but sincerity.
He seemed genuinely resolved to willingly give up everything he had, the kingdom, and of course the crown.
“And I intend to recommend the most suitable individual to wear that singular crown.”
With a tone more dignified than until now, Kromgard stared at Sungchul and announced.
All present held their breath, their eyes fixed on the Wandering King.
The hand of the Wandering King slowly lifted.
And as he pointed at his target, he named his candidate.
“You.”
It was Sungchul.
“?!”
With eyes full of surprise and confusion, Sungchul stared back at Kromgard.
Kromgard gave a nod with a smile towards Sungchul before turning his attention to the assembly, beginning his explanation.
“As all of you are doubtless aware, the chairman of the World Parliament had faced against the Calamities alone on behalf of all of us. He single-handedly defeated Hesthnius Max, a foe that the thirteen great warriors of the Continental Champions couldn’t subdue. While the Eastern Continent was thoroughly dominated and ravaged by the Colossi under the former World Parliament that elected to do nothing about it, he once again stood alone against the Seven Heroes and defeated their leader, Desfort, resolving even the second Calamity.”
Kromgard spoke with a resonant voice about Sungchul’s achievements. The feats known to all but left intentionally unacknowledged.
“I ask you. Who, other than this man who has not once but twice single-handedly tackled and resolved the burden of Calamity, is fit to wear the one crown as the Calamity demands?”
Had Kromgard said these words before reentering the council chamber, no one would have listened. Even if what he said was right, he would have had no authority to say it.
But now, having earned his place in the chamber, his words carried newfound weight. And this authority and credibility was granted to him by none other than the warlords present in the room themselves.
Arcanite’s face grew rigid.
Even with his vast knowledge and experience in politics across his long life, he couldn’t find a suitable retort.
In fact, it even made him entertain an interesting possibility.
‘Could it be that Kromgard was secretly cooperating with Sungchul?’
Even the seasoned king of the Ancient Kingdom thought so, given the direction the mood in the council chamber was taking. This seemingly unavoidable flow of events that would have Sungchul become the one King.
But the one most confounded and confused by this series of events was Sungchul himself who stood at the center of it all.
‘Kromgard.’
Sungchul had no choice but to admit that he could not get a read on why or what that man was trying to accomplish.
That man had brought on a topic Sungchul had never even considered and weaved it into a conclusion he had not so much as imagined.
This wouldn’t be a problem per se if it had been something that was thought of on the spot in the spur of the moment. But Sungchul knew instinctually, drawing from his long political experience, that this was not the case.
There was a very real possibility that this very scenario was a result of something that had been meticulously planned over a long period of time.
‘So, he was a man of this caliber after all.’
The memory of this man shattered in Sungchul’s mind, of the soulless husk of a man he had met in the arena grounds.
It mattered little what Sungchul remembered however.
“For this reason, I believe that the chairman of the World Parliament, Sir Sungchul Kim, is most worthy to become the one king as the Third Calamity demands.”
Kromgard continued to lead the flow of the room, and this did not sit well with Sungchul, for he had no desire whatsoever to become king in the slightest.
This wasn’t even an issue of approval or practicality. Sungchul could intuitively tell that the seat of the one king was likely to become a terrible trap down the line.
‘Think, Sungchul, think.’
He had to put an end to this flow of events somehow.
And with this in mind, Sungchul struggled to open his mouth.
“I…”
The inside of his mind went blank.
Not one word came to mind.
No matter what he could possibly say from this moment forward, he couldn’t imagine a scenario where Kromgard wouldn’t have the perfect retort prepared for him.
More than anything, the memory of the black giant’s image evaporated all of Sungchul’s energy and focus.
Suffering from powerful recollection that had him physically reeling and shuttering, Sungchul was in no position to be thinking up a new idea.
‘Think, Sungchul.’
It was then.
Something came flying out of his pockets.
The small book magically increased in size upon exiting his pocket and continued to enlarge until it became quite sizable.
“Is there a reason to decide this now?”
Bertelgia said with a matter of fact tone.
The focus of the entire room were squarely affixed on the living book that suddenly made an appearance.
“I mean, why should you rush to make a decision on this? It’s not like it’s even the most urgent issue right now.”
“Who are you?”
Aquiroa asked while pointing rudely at Bertelgia.
To this, Bertelgia orbited around Sungchul as she replied bluntly.
“Unwanted trespassers should shut up.”
After shutting up Aquiroa in one go, Bertelgia called upon another collaborator hiding in the corner of the room.
“Marakia. Go ahead and bring that.”
“Reformed and repentant Marakia shall fulfill his duty!”
Along with a pitter patter, a black feathered talking penguin appeared in the halls.
Everyone was now staring at Marakia with great surprise.
‘Wha… what is that?’
Arcanite who had been cold and caustic about everything that had been going on so far looked surprised for the first time.
‘It’s super cute!’
The person who was the most surprised of all was Aquiroa.
“N…Nahak?!”
There was fear in her voice.
For reasons no one else could discern, Aquiroa shivered and backpedaled once she saw Marakia.
As if saying that the unexpected appearance of the living book and Nahak was simply a prelude to a much bigger surprise, Marakia brought forth the subject that would shake the World Parliament to its core into the conference room.
He had brought a large bird cage enveloped in a black veil.
“Marakia.”
Bertelgia said with a clear and sonorous voice, Marakia removed the black veil without delay.
In the bird cage was a man tied up with several layers of steel covering his entire body.
It was one of the barbarians pushing down south from up north.
“Ugh…Uhh…”
Despite the fact that every bone in his body was broken and in tatters, the monstrous being glared around the room with a murderous look in his eyes and growled threateningly.
“Hey! You, Elf Prince!”
Bertelgia shouted towards Hesserdein.
Hesserdein looked back towards her looking dazed. Bertelgia flapped her covers loudly as she raised her voice.
“What’s the most urgent matter right now?”
“T…That’s…”
Hesserdein didn’t know what to do and looked behind.
The experienced advisors that had accompanied him were about to give him guidance. But Bertelgia quickly flew herself between them to prevent Hesserdein from being able to see them before asking once again.
“What is the most urgent matter right now?”
Due to her insistence, Hesserdein had no choice but to glance at the Barbarian in the cage. The Barbarian glared back at him and exposed its teeth.
There was only one answer he was allowed to give.
“T…The Barbarian menace.”
This was completely brute forced.
Sungchul wasn’t the only one to think so. Others in the room got the same feeling.
But one thing was for certain, that she had broken the flow of events.
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