WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Order
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 156: Too Young to Remain King
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The next morning, a large royal carriage arrived at House Hagenlot.
The arrival of a royal carriage meant either that the king was traveling or that the king was looking for someone.
No one at House Hagenlot knew whom the carriage had come for, so they were a little flustered.
Shortly afterward, one of the king's attendants stepped down from the carriage. Of course, it was not the attendant they had seen yesterday.
The attendant briefly conveyed the king's will.
"Sir Murvach Hagenlot, Sir Elbridge, and your companions. The king commands that you attend him at the palace."
Elbridge's group and Murvach had expected this, so they boarded the carriage without hesitation.
Before long, it began rattling down the road.
After spending only a moment checking for anything suspicious, those in the carriage began talking quietly.
Elbridge spoke first, bringing up the oracle the Goddess of the Rusted Shield had given yesterday.
As expected, Marcus had no idea.
"I thought getting the believers of the Order of the God of Fox Rain to help one another was the divine power the God of Fox Rain bestowed. You're saying it wasn't?"
"As I said, it wasn't my opinion. The Goddess of the Rusted Shield told me."
"I have ears too, so I heard that. But... no matter how I think about it, it doesn't make sense."
"Which part seems strange?"
"The order is too large."
The Order of the God of Fox Rain possessed nine seats, placing it ninth by seat count.
It was small compared to the Order of the Golden Tray, which had fifty-eight seats, or the Order of the Olive Tree, which had thirty-six. Still, the God of Fox Rain was undoubtedly a deity ranked among the top ten.
"They reached the top ten without using divine power. Does that make any sense...?"
"The God of Fox Rain is always several steps ahead, reading the situation. The oracles they grant are more powerful than the divine power of most gods."
Rombel, who had listened silently, cut in.
"Then what does that say about gods with fewer seats? They use their divine power freely and still fall behind the God of Fox Rain."
It was true, but somewhat irreverent.
Elbridge immediately sensed that the Goddess of the Rusted Shield had been rather hurt by the remark. He could also tell that she was debating whether to strike the carriage with lightning.
Elbridge quickly defended her.
"...There's nothing strange about it. In peaceful times like these, a combat church's divine power isn't particularly useful. Like our Order of the Rusted Shield."
Rombel immediately understood why Elbridge had brought that up.
He also understood that if he argued any further, lightning might strike the carriage.
"That's absolutely right. By the way, Murvach, didn't you know much about the God of Fox Rain either?"
Murvach shook his head.
"I didn't. There's also something I haven't told you yet... I'm no longer a believer of the Order of the God of Fox Rain."
"You changed orders already?"
"No. The God of Fox Rain sent me away from the order."
"...You were expelled? How did that happen?"
"Please don't worry. I wasn't driven out for a bad reason. In any case, it must be true that the God of Fox Rain grew the order without using divine power. Before sending me away, the God of Fox Rain gave me an oracle. They told me what kind of life they had lived on earth."
Rombel's ears perked up. This was a chance to hear what feat the God of Fox Rain had accomplished to undergo Ascension.
"Really? How did they undergo Ascension?"
"The God of Fox Rain said they were the first Mercenary King and the Founding King of Leodel. Ah, and they also said they were the first person to rally the humans of the earth."
Rombel's expression darkened. Whether it was becoming the Mercenary King or the Founding King, Rombel knew achieving such a feat was nearly impossible for him.
Rombel tried to speak confidently.
"...That's quite an impressive history, even for a god."
"I suppose so. By modern standards, plenty of people underwent Ascension after accomplishing far less impressive feats."
Elbridge fell into thought.
What being the Mercenary King and Leodel's Founding King meant was obvious. Yet there was one phrase he found difficult to understand.
"Murvach, what does it mean that they were the first to rally humans?"
"There's a line in Leodel's founding legend. It says, 'In the ancient age when countless suns and moons rose, the Founding King walked the Road of Dawn.'"
Murvach cleared his throat a couple of times before continuing.
"The common interpretation is that the suns and moons represent people in power. Dawn exists between the sun and moon, so it likely means the Founding King lived a respected life, mediating disputes among countless rulers. Naturally, many people would have followed the God of Fox Rain."
Elbridge thought Murvach was slightly mistaken.
Old stories often sounded difficult at first, but their metaphors were quite intuitive.
Murvach was right that dawn meant something between the sun and moon. Still, in countless legends, the sun and moon symbolized gods, not rulers.
'An age when countless suns and moons rose...'
It was before the Heavenly Council existed.
In other words, it was likely an era when countless gods descended upon the earth and wielded their power directly.
'The Master of the Central Magic Tower said the Archdemon was what led to the creation of the Heavenly Council.'
A god who loved humanity could not endure the misery on earth and descended to the mortal world. That god led the world toward ruin, forcing the Chief God to intervene.
The Heavenly Council was created as a result, but the Chief God took away that god's divine throne and demoted them into a demon.
That was how the Heavenly Council came to be, and how the Archdemon was born.
'In the era when the earth was in chaos. When people lived in hiding, scattered in every direction. The God of Fox Rain walked a tightrope between countless gods, gathered people together, and created the first nation.'
That was not an accomplishment one could simply describe as becoming the Mercenary King or the Founding King.
Elbridge even doubted whether it was truly a feat one person could accomplish alone.
'Maybe I'm guessing wrong.'
Still, Elbridge believed his guess was right.
Perhaps that was why the God of Fox Rain could become such a major deity without using divine power.
"What do you think the God of Fox Rain's true divine power is?"
Sonia shrugged at Elbridge's question.
"I don't know. If it's a divine power nobody can predict... a lot comes to mind, but every possibility sounds absurd. So absurd that I wonder whether even a god should wield something like that."
After thinking hard, Sonia said, "Should I join the Order of the God of Fox Rain too?"
"Sonia. You're a mage."
"So what if I am? I don't think I can undergo Ascension, and I have no intention of escaping the influence of gods. I only didn't serve one because other mages didn't. And if I want to kill the Master of the Central Magic Tower... it'd be better to serve a god and be promised divine power."
Most mages did not serve gods.
That also meant mages made up only a tiny fraction of the countless believers who did serve them.
A capable mage like Sonia had a good chance of drawing a god's attention.
Marcus lowered his voice and objected.
"Join a different order. Don't join the same order as me for no reason."
"Are you worried the God of Fox Rain will stop paying attention to you?"
Marcus looked startled, as if Sonia had struck the mark.
"It's not that. Since I serve the God of Fox Rain, it'd be more efficient for you to serve a different god and receive new divine power. It wouldn't be good if our divine powers overlapped, right?"
"Hmm. I wonder whether the God of Fox Rain would see it that way..."
Sonia grinned as Sonia teased Marcus. His voice grew desperate.
"There are orders mages can join, like the Order of Vines and Knots, the Order of Soot and Wine, or the Order of the Library of Wisdom. Wouldn't it be better to look into those?"
"I don't know. I'll think about it..."
The vaguer Sonia's response, the more anxious Marcus became. The God of Fox Rain had recently taken an interest in him, and he had finally been able to walk around with his shoulders back. If Sonia joined the order, that seemed likely to change.
'Even if I were a god, I'd pay attention to Sonia before me...'
While Sonia toyed with the fretting Marcus, the carriage arrived at the royal palace.
"This way, please."
The attendant guided them toward a reception room.
As they walked through the palace, Elbridge's group watched the people around them. Most seemed unaware of what had happened last night, but those who appeared to hold high positions were visibly tense.
A few perceptive people even sent Elbridge meaningful looks. They seemed to be asking, 'Would you care to have tea later?' or saying, 'I have a youngest daughter...'
Elbridge avoided their gazes and entered the reception room.
The attendant did not follow them inside. After leading them there, they departed.
The King of Leodel was already seated in the room.
The king gave them a slightly tired smile.
"Thank you for coming."
"I suppose we can't say it's been a long time."
Elbridge, Rombel, and Marcus reacted calmly.
Sonia and Murvach, on the other hand, were somewhat flustered.
Normally, anyone seeking an audience with the king had to receive permission before visiting the royal audience hall.
Yet the king had come to the reception room. More shocking still, the king had arrived before them and waited for Elbridge's group.
"I expected to hear from you, but I didn't expect it this quickly. Why have you summoned us?"
The King of Leodel answered Elbridge's question.
"I am strict about rewards and punishments. Before I step down from the throne, I should reward you."
What caught Elbridge's group's attention was not the reward, but the phrase about stepping down from the throne.
Elbridge's group did not notice, but Murvach, standing behind them, flinched slightly.
"What do you mean, stepping down from the throne?"
"When I felt my life hanging by a thread yesterday, do you know what the first thought that came to mind was?"
"I don't."
"I regretted spending my life staying in the royal palace in a daze."
Marcus's expression became strange. It sounded like an awfully pampered concern.
Of course, Marcus did not say that aloud.
"I told you yesterday. If you were going to kill me, I asked you to hide my body well. That way, my nanny would think I had left for the east..."
"I remember."
"I couldn't sleep last night. As all kinds of thoughts ran through my head, the eastern sky gradually began to brighten. I thought I should leave for the east before it was too late."
"What will you do in the east?"
"I haven't thought that far ahead. But perhaps I'll become a mercenary, as the Founding King did."
Marcus could not hold back any longer.
"Mercenary work isn't full of romance like Your Majesty imagines. You travel around looking for people with no real leads, handle dirty work only to be cheated out of your pay, and spend days walking behind a cart. You don't make much money, and it isn't especially honorable. There are no romantic adventures."
The young king smiled.
"Yes. I suppose not. Still, I intend to leave Leodel soon. Do you know what I realized while living on the throne?"
"I don't."
"The throne isn't a place suited to the young. It's better suited to those who are older and weary. And there is too much life left in me to spend it sitting in the royal palace and letting it drift away in a daze."
The words were somewhat impulsive, but they clearly came from the heart.
Elbridge was certain. Sooner or later, whether satisfied or regretful, this young king would leave Leodel.
"What will you do with the throne? I've never heard that you have a younger brother or a son."
"I don't intend to leave immediately. Before I go, I need to find someone who can succeed me, someone who has grown a little too tired of wandering the world. I should show at least that much responsibility if I want to avoid criticism."
The king was already restless. The king rose from the seat and paced around the reception room.
Then the king looked at Elbridge's group and Murvach with eyes that held a hint of admiration.
Unlike Elbridge's group, who met the king's eyes calmly, Murvach quietly avoided the king's gaze.
The young person who would soon be called the former king asked, "At any rate, we should discuss your reward now. What do you want?"
Footnotes:
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