Chapter 356
My Villains Episode 356
60. end of winter(7)
“Where do you think the justification for ruling comes from??”
After a short silence, what Ulkar asked was an unexpected question..
“Justification for rule... … “This?” “This is the reason why the first king of Milan and the six kings who inherited his lineage ruled the kingdom..”
« O ”
I thought for a moment and answered.
“I heard that most of the past kings were famous for being strong - no, brave..”
“okay. King of Conquest, King of One Eye, King of Baekmyeon, King of Four, King of Juneom... … . Even though they are kings, they personally go to battle and stand at the forefront. But bravery cannot be a justification for ruling..”
“Since we were able to protect the territory and people so well, wouldn't there be justification there??”
The prince smiled and nodded.
“As expected, Kyung is smart. It's very close to the correct answer I thought..”
At his answer, I scratched my eyebrows and then suddenly asked a question..
“do you want to be king?”
Before Ulkar could answer, his subordinates raised their voices in surprise..
“Sir Phoenics!”
““What kind of tragedy is that? Be careful what you say!” Damn them. Anyone who sees this will think this is Joseon. No matter if the opponent is a king or a great lord, it's a world full of people who stab you when you make a mistake, so what's the fuss about?.
Unlike the knights and soldiers who were making a fuss, the prince still looked calm..
Ulkar tapped the round table with his prosthetic hand to attract the audience's attention and opened his mouth..
“quiet.”
The prince's men all fell silent, as if it were a silencing spell..
“I asked you if you wanted to be king?”
“……yes.”
“no.”
His voice was extremely firm..
“I swear to the Lord of Light that I will never sit on the throne..”
“…… Then why are you talking about the justification for ruling? Isn’t that something only a king or someone who would become a king would say??”
“My thoughts are different..”
“How are they different??”
“Before that, let me explain what I think the justification for ruling is..”
Ulkar, whose mouth was wet with beer, leaned his upper body forward..
“Two hundred years ago, the land of ‘Brist’ was a pit of chaos..”
……Brist? I think I've heard it before.
“Greenskins founded nations, evil wizards boasted forbidden spells, and evil worshipers hunted children. Other than that, there were only groups of refugees and bandits..”
“My ancestors came from the North and settled in Breast, that crucible of evil. They destroyed the Greenskin nation, captured and subjugated the wizards, established Orthodoxy, and gathered people..”
This is the story of Zeoth of Zeore, the founder of a kingdom and a legendary man commonly called the Conqueror. He is a rare gangster who not only brought enemies on all sides to their knees, but even defeated Eyland across the narrow sea..
“And today, more than two million people live in Brist..”
Yeah, I finally remembered it now. Brist is the old name of the King's Territory..
“This is the justification for ruling..”
“Until now, the king and royal family have cut off the chaos and pain that has spread throughout the land and spread peace and prosperity..”
Only Ulkar's voice rang low in the room, and not a single breath could be heard..
“Yes, peace and prosperity. I just walked along that path. I've fallen and stopped, but I never lost direction..”
Not only I, who asked the question, but also the other knights and soldiers were listening to the master's story without even blinking..
“Could it have been possible only with the king's will and ability??”
He shook his head resolutely..
“you're welcome. If it had not been for the Lord's gracious guidance and the efforts of the king's numerous servants, this country would have been destroyed..”
““Then, your Majesty is now acting on behalf of the King.” “To be precise, I am representing my eldest brother, not my father..”
Uncharacteristically, Ulkar hesitated for a moment. And words mixed with lament followed..
“…… My father studied national affairs with the sole intention of standing proudly before great kings. The path wasn't perfect, but at least he didn't get lost. But my brother……
Crown Prince Zacharis.
A person who is the prime minister of the kingdom and the king's successor, but who has derogatory names such as 'lion with its butt off' and 'golden pig'..
Unlike his faithful father and courageous half-brother, he is renowned for his arrogance and greed..
Finally, Ulkar, who trailed off, changed the topic again..
“As his brother and a member of the royal family, I must uphold the cause of rule. Just as we did in the past, we have a duty to do our best to keep this kingdom peaceful and prosperous in the future..”
“……“If the cause of your rule is so important, why did you swear that you would not bring down Zacharis, who does not uphold it?” He spoke of usurpation again, but this time none of the knights or soldiers gave a damn. I just looked at Ulkar with eyes filled with curiosity, anxiety, or strange heat..
On the other hand, the prince had a cold face..
“The moment I covet the throne, the justification for ruling will be lost..”
“ Why??”
“The country will be split in two and a terrible disaster will occur. A royal family that believes in peace and prosperity cannot cause disaster..”
“Is that the problem? “There must have been more than one person in this land who was willing to make small sacrifices for the greater good.” “I, the descendant of the man who calmed the chaos and sat on the throne, will wear a crown stained with the blood of the people.?”
Although he had an expressionless face and an indifferent tone of voice, it was not difficult to sense his determination. It felt like restrained emotions were beating my heart more clearly..
Ulkar's navy blue eyes were clear and distinct. Without knowing, I felt relieved at the look in his eyes that showed no trace of the king of murder..
The anxiety didn't completely go away. How long will that noble decision last? As a small citizen, I cannot get rid of my doubts..
I quietly looked at Ulkar and smiled bitterly..
“I hope that feeling never changes.”
“Of course. I hope you understand what I mean..”
“I truly respect and like you, but I think it will be a little difficult..”
“……I'd like to hear why.”
I moistened my lips for a moment. Is it okay to say this? I hesitated..
Apart from the concerns and fears about the king of murder, an unknown sympathy for Ulkar finally made him open his mouth..
“Because I hate rights without duties and duties without rights..”
“Rights without duties, duties without rights‘?”
“yes. and,”
Those who carry the latter of the two, we call slaves..
“and?" “… … no, no.”
I swallowed back my words and shook my head with an awkward expression..
The next morning, Ulkar began planning to use the surrounding farmland as a mound. Thanks to recruiting Keivor's scribe, we had a rough idea of which land belonged to whom, so it seemed like things would proceed easily and quickly..
Luckily there was nothing for me to do..
It's not like I'm going to fight against a settlement, and it doesn't matter if I'm not there to show force..
Of course, it was a bit awkward to just step out. Right now, a very sensitive topic was discussed yesterday, so if I stay behind, the atmosphere might get weird for no reason..
So, I entrusted my men to Uncle Randel, who was one of the most senior soldiers among the prince's troops. Well, there are eight Janghans - one of them, the heavy soldier dervish, is clearly a lady, but the title Janghan was not awkward for some reason - so she must be useful somewhere..
I, too, am a person with a conscience, so I couldn't leave work to my subordinates and play alone. That was the reason why I wandered around here and there, wondering if there was anything worth doing..
Doo doo doo doo-
The sound of horses' hooves was pleasant as the cold wind whipped through my ears and filled the room. The bicorn shot out like a darting arrow along the wide road between the rye fields..
“Hueup.”
My chest swelled in the cold air. I felt like a refreshing energy was filling me from head to toe..
After running with a low posture for a while, I looked back and raised my voice..
“Princess! You're slowly disappearing.!”
Theodora, who was riding behind me on a white horse, seemed to be feeling better, gritted her teeth and raised the reins..
Her Brightmere was also a famous horse, but it could not be compared to Bicorn. First of all, since the weight classes are so different, it is impossible to compete..
The reason I brought her out like this was because of the gaze of the residents of Keibor..
Perhaps because the priests who pastored here were particularly hard-line, the residents openly treated the Qalandari religious order as heretics..
Of course, there was no crazy person who showed hostility towards the prince's nephew, but he couldn't help but look at her with disdain, and Theodora, who had little tolerance for such looks, could hardly leave the room..
Taking care of the group's morale was also an important task, so I persuaded her to ride a horse to calm her down..
Of course, I've been getting sick of horseback riding recently, but riding a horse while heavily armed with metal and riding a horse wearing light clothes feel completely different..
The sunlight is also nice. The wind was still cold, but it felt a little cooler because the ground had warmed up a bit..
Theodora arrived dozens of seconds after Bicorn and I passed the big willow tree, which was the finish line..
“this isn't fair!”
When the princess was stroking the back of the white horse's neck and complaining, I responded with a sigh..
“Bicorns are not horses, but beasts, so they cannot compete in horsemanship.?”
“……exactly.”
I burst out laughing because it was the same repertoire as when I was riding the horse in Antrum before..
“That's why I told you to go for a walk instead of running a race or something like that..”
“……okay. I did something stupid.”
She pouted and got off the horse..
Unlike Theodora who left Brightmere free near the rye field, I tied the bicorn's reins to the willow tree. We couldn't keep him captive like this, but that didn't mean we could let the beast loose anywhere..
I recently reached level 33, and thanks to investing 1 point in strength, I was able to subdue Bicorn more easily. Bicorn also became quite obedient, but he still made a mess in the stable so we still needed to be careful..
“Come on, be nice..”
Actually, he doesn't seem to be a very nice guy. Yesterday too, a dog that was hiding in a stable was bitten to death..
While stroking its snout, I let blood flow through its scaly handcuffs. Thanks to the bicorn repeatedly licking my palm, the short snack time ended before the fishy smell spread..
That S
—TW
After stroking the tore-jil a couple of more times, as if satisfied, I turned around and saw Theodora sitting on a hill on a low, sunny hill..
“why are you sitting on the bare floor?”
When I took off my cloak, she quickly waved her hand away..
“No, there is nothing to be nervous about..”
“Still, you have a precious butt, no, body..”
“I am not a lady or a young lady, but a paladin, so I don't need to be treated like that..”
“Well, if you say so..”
While saying that, Theodora narrowed her eyes as she folded her thick cloak and laid it on the floor..
“Sir, I'm fine.-”
“I'm going to sit down.?”
(( 99
The princess closed her mouth in embarrassment as she saw me sitting down on the cloak. It was so fun that I giggled and patted the seat next to me that I had secured by laying down my long cape..
“The cloak is soft and comfortable. come here.”
“……I'm done.”
“Please don't talk nonsense and just come. Since we only have one water bag anyway, we have to share it, right?.”
“Please drink first and then hand it to me..”
“Princess.”
Theodora, who was fiddling with the pendant around her neck, soon grumbled, ‘Really, you are a persistent person,’ and moved to sit next to me..
Theodora took a sip of water and made a sound that was unclear whether it was exclamation or something..
“Very cool. Is that what you were holding in your arms??”
“yes. Because I’m a bit cold..”
“My body is cold?”
“Just kidding, it's because of these.”
She nodded as I showed her the pair of long and short swords on the sword belt..
“It's 'Dharmais' given to me by my maternal uncle. The other thing……
“‘It's called 'black ice'.”
Both dalmais and black ice contained unusual coldness, so just hanging a water bag nearby made the water as cold as ice..
I was handed a water bag to quench my thirst, but I felt a little empty..
“The wine here is very cheap, so I only brought water and it was a bit bland. Should I have brought some cherry brandy?.”
“Ugh, don't even bring up that drink. My head hurt so much.”
“Oh, did you have a hangover??”
I tilted my head and asked a question..
“Isn’t that something that can be solved just by praying??”
“……That hangover is why I ask the Lord for power.?”
“Uh, why not??”
“Sounds obvious. If you waste your energy on personal matters, you will pay a fair price someday..”
“okay.”
Unlike usual, where she wore armor and a coat, she was now wearing light clothing without a single piece of metal..
No, no. He wore a thick quilt over cloth pants and a loose shirt, and a cape that reached down to his waist. Although it was comfortable, it would be unfair to call it a light outfit..
The outfit does not reveal any of her beautiful curves, except for her calves, which are outlined thanks to the narrow tying of her pants, and her chest, which has an overwhelming presence.…….
Still, it must have been a while since I wore comfortable clothes like this outdoors. This is a luxury you can enjoy because it has been confirmed that the area east of Keibor is safe..
Of course, even at that time, the purple quilt covered with velvet had a diamond pattern engraved on it, and the short cloak had a ring cross embroidered on it, so it was clear at a glance that he was a Holy Knight..
I was looking at the outfit and suddenly opened my mouth..
“Sometimes you don't want to take it off?”
“……Well, what do you mean??”
“That sign. It's like a cross, it shows your identity..”
“ ah.”
Theodora looked down at her clothes and shook her head..
“I've never thought of that. It's not natural to reveal one's identity through clothes.?”
“Well, isn't there something like that in priests?.”
“Something like that?”
“Well, I'm more concerned about eye contact, or I need to behave properly..”
She smiled slightly and nodded..
“That's right. It has to be that way. However, if you know that the Lord's eyes are on you everywhere in the world, whether you are wearing these clothes or not, you will have no reason to feel uncomfortable..”
“……The Lord is watching anyway, so you have to do it well regardless of what you wear, is that right??”
“That's right, so to speak..”
In this world, various miracles and powers, including divine power, exist. In this context, it would be ridiculous to think that things like the Lord's gaze and such are nonsense..
“It's difficult. Even priests must have a private life..”
“Hehe, priests are people who offer themselves completely to the Lord. Private life, it’s natural that I belong to the Lord..”
They say that sometimes there are priests who lose their divine powers due to privacy issues, so it seems like the god of this world is quite strict. Well, it may have happened that way because it was a case with a ‘special’ private life..
The princess had a very bright face, as if she had just been upset..
“Still, it's much better than when I was in the convent..”
“Well, I heard he was almost incarcerated at the time..”
“Also, I hate skirts..”
“skirt… … Ah, a nun’s uniform.?”
“okay. It's difficult to run because of the obstruction, and I can't even dream of horseback riding. The reason I responded immediately when I was called by the Three Red Bishops was because I was sick of wearing nun clothes..”
Princess Theodora continued chatting about trivial things. I feel pretty good after running in the open field..
It was once again refreshing to see her eyes sparkling innocently and chirping like a mountain bird. Before I knew it, I was immersed in her breath and gestures, and before I knew it, it was already lunchtime..
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