"Coronation ceremony?"
Raon's fingertips trembled as he looked into Hoppen's blue eyes.
"So the reason everyone gathered here is..."
"Yes. We were preparing for my coronation ceremony."
Hoppen gave a small, embarrassed laugh.
"I see."
I was wondering why so many people were gathered in the garden, but now I understand.
It seems the officials here were preparing for Hoppen's coronation ceremony.
"Normally, there would be many things to do before the coronation ceremony, but..."
Hoppen turned his gaze beyond the garden. He let out a long sigh as he surveyed the kingdom that had not yet been restored.
"Since the damage to the kingdom was so extensive, it was decided that filling the vacant throne should take priority, so we're proceeding with the coronation ceremony today."
"I pushed for it."
Saintess Olga nodded, her arms crossed. More tattoos had appeared since I last saw her.
"To reassure the anxious citizens, we need a trustworthy ruler."
"It wasn't just you; everyone agreed."
Paladin Kinier waved his hand towards Olga.
"He admirably fulfilled the role of Paladin in my place during this crisis. Hoppen has not only the support of the citizens but also of the Holy Knights and priests."
He laughed, saying that Hoppen's reputation had skyrocketed.
"Actually, there's one more thing I need to tell you, Lord Raon."
Hoppen exhaled heavily and bit his lip.
"Please, go ahead."
Raon, sensing what Hoppen was about to say, slightly lowered his chin.
"It's about my father."
Hoppen lowered his eyes, messing up his neatly arranged blue hair.
"If it became known that my father, Priest Piron, and Lord Danief had conspired with demons to sacrifice the citizens, the kingdom itself might collapse. So we announced that the three of them were controlled by the overwhelming power of the demons."
He bowed his head deeply, as if ashamed.
"I'm truly sorry..."
"...There was no other way."
"I'm sorry."
Not just Hoppen, but Olga and Kinier also lowered their gazes.
"No. I think that's the right decision too."
Raon calmly nodded.
'It was unavoidable.'
For the future of the kingdom, it was far better to say that the demons used trickery than to admit that King Bauren, Acting Chief Priest Piron, and Royal Guard Captain Danief, the main pillars of Suphren, had joined hands with the demons.
If it spread that the king himself had summoned the demons, this kingdom could no longer remain a Holy Kingdom.
-Keh-lock...
Raon turned his gaze to Wrath upon hearing the slight cough.
'Why are you so quiet?'
The one who would usually cause a commotion and tell them not to underestimate demons was strangely quiet.
-Isn't that the right thing to do to maintain the kingdom? Besides, our side also committed contract fraud.
'But won't everyone in this kingdom hate demons?'
-Keh-lock. It's fine.
Wrath nodded calmly while coughing hoarsely.
-We're used to playing the villains.
"..."
Hearing those words, something felt out of place.
'God and angels, huh...'
It occurred to me that God, angels, demons, and demon kings might be very different from the concepts I knew.
"..."
"Lord Raon."
As Raon was stroking his smooth chin, Hoppen took a step closer to him.
"May I ask you to present the crown?"
"Isn't the crown usually presented by the highest-ranking person in the kingdom? Why me...?"
Raon leaned back slightly, looking at Hoppen's flushed eyes.
"I... No, we survived thanks to you, Lord Raon."
Hoppen clasped his hands together in front of him.
"You stopped my father who was surrounded by demonic energy. You also defeated the demon called Silcret who appeared afterwards. You fought alone with your sword when no one else could even stand against them. If it weren't for you, this kingdom would have already disappeared."
He bowed his head again, his eyes filled with gratitude.
"If you present the crown, Lord Raon, I think I can walk this path with the same determination as you."
Hoppen's bowed back trembled slightly. He seemed more afraid than excited about his future as king.
"There's one more reason besides that."
Olga raised a finger.
"Right now, your reputation in Suphren is beyond imagination."
"What do you mean?"
"Many people saw you defeat the demons. The demons who had manipulated the king, the acting chief priest, and the Royal Guard Captain were brought to their knees by a young and handsome swordsman. Isn't it natural for there to be an uproar?"
She shrugged, saying it was an obvious outcome.
"Unfortunately, that's true."
Kinier nodded.
"The achievements you've made are spreading beyond this kingdom to the entire continent. Your appearance is even similar to mine, so you wouldn't look bad as the presenter."
He smiled, flicking his hair slightly.
"What bullshit."
Olga and Martha deeply furrowed their brows as if telling him not to spout nonsense.
"You're disgustingly ugly."
"You have nothing in common with Raon except for having eyes, nose, and mouth."
The two, who usually were sworn enemies who would never agree on anything, glared at Kinier as if they could kill him.
"There's no one similar to Handsome Raon."
Runaan also gave Kinier a blank stare, as if displeased.
"Ugh..."
Kinier stepped back with a pained expression, as if genuinely hurt.
"I would like to request this of you."
Hoppen bowed his head again, asking Raon to present the crown for his and the kingdom's sake.
"Hmm..."
Raon didn't answer immediately, but looked behind him.
"There's nothing to think about."
Rimmer nodded as if telling him to accept.
"It might be burdensome, but I think it would be best to accept for the sake of the Suphren Kingdom."
"It will be beneficial for both parties."
Burren and Mark Goetun advised him to accept, saying it would be a good thing.
"I understand."
Raon calmly nodded.
"Thank you."
Hoppen raised his head with a broad smile.
"Please prepare for the coronation ceremony immediately!"
He instructed to proceed with the coronation ceremony right away, as if wanting to finish before Raon could change his mind.
Since preparations were almost complete, it wasn't long before the garden was filled with officials and numerous citizens gathered in the royal capital.
Surprisingly, the citizens chanted not only the name of the new king but also Raon's name.
"Hmm..."
Raon rubbed his earlobe as he heard his name being called from the royal capital.
'This is embarrassing.'
It was Hoppen's coronation, yet his own name was being called more loudly, which felt more burdensome than pleasing.
However, he resolved to give his all to the coronation ceremony so that the citizens could feel at ease.
Since the kingdom's restoration wasn't complete, the coronation ceremony was conducted briefly.
After offering prayers to God in the name of the new king and consoling the dead, it was time for the crown presentation ceremony.
"Will the presenter, Lord Raon Zieghart, please come up to the platform." (E/N: in raw it was 'Light Wind Division Leader' instead of Raon Zieghart but weird)
Hearing the announcer's words, Raon climbed onto the golden platform where only kings were allowed to stand. His name echoed countless times from the royal capital.
"..."
Olga stood beside him with the crown, not with her usual fierce gaze, but with the serene demeanor of a saintess.
"We ask the new king to kneel before the presenter."
Hoppen, with a flushed face, knelt on one knee before Raon.
-Keh-lek! Traditionally, the presenter gives a brief piece of advice when presenting the crown.
Wrath smacked his lips as if recalling old memories.
-It means you should say something, anything!
'I know.'
Raon nodded and took the crown Olga brought with all ten fingers. It was light, yet heavy. The thought of presenting a crown to a king of another country pressed down on his fingertips with tremendous weight.
As he brought the crown over Hoppen's head, he thought of King Bauren.
He thought that what the kind-hearted king needed most was someone who could show sincerity and share all his pain.
"Suffering alone and enduring pain in silence is not strength. You have many good people around you. Share your pain with them, talk about your hurts. A truly strong king is one who endures to the end."
Reflecting not just on recent events but on his own life, Raon placed the crown on Hoppen's head.
"I will keep that in mind."
Hoppen replied with his head bowed, as if feeling the weight of the crown.
Raon bowed to the new king and descended from the platform, while Hoppen returned the greeting and stepped up onto the platform.
"In truth, I am not a great person worthy of this position. I am weak and inexperienced. But I love this country more than anyone. Even if I cannot make Suphren a rich and powerful nation, I swear to God that I will make it a kingdom better to live in than anywhere else."
Hoppen knelt on the platform facing the citizens. The setting sun nestled in the White Crown, creating a brilliant radiance. It looked as if God was blessing the new king.
Woooooooah!
The officials in the garden and the citizens in the royal capital applauded and cheered.
Although it should have been a moment to call only Hoppen's name, a significant number of them also shouted Raon's name.
-Grrrr...
Wrath ground his teeth as if displeased.
'What now?'
-The name that should be called is not yours, but mine, the true king!
He shook his plump fist while looking down at the royal capital.
-Do you know how hard I worked not to kill those things! I also like being revered!
'Then I'll call your name.'
-Huh?
'Wrath. Wrath. Wrath.'
Raon called Wrath's name in a drawling voice.
-Don't do that! It sounds so droopy, like a rain-soaked rag!
Wrath shook his head, begging Raon to stop.
'Wrath. Wrath. Wrath.'
-Shut up already!
Wrath waved his hand, telling Raon to shut his mouth.
"Now that I have become king, I will give my first order."
Hoppen nodded as he looked down at the royal capital.
"Although we are still in busy times, we cannot let the coronation ceremony, which can be considered the greatest festival, pass like this."
As he brought his hands together, pure white light rose hazily in the sky like starlight.
"I have prepared a small banquet, so I hope everyone will enjoy it."
As Hoppen announced the festival, another massive cheer erupted from the royal capital.
-That guy knows something.
Wrath smiled as if approving of Hoppen for the first time.
-Now that the name-calling is over, eat the food I want!
'Alright. Alright. But before that...'
Raon smiled faintly as he looked at the steaming dishes.
'I want to try an experiment. Is there any Nadine bread?'
-You crazy bastard!!!
* * *
Contrary to Wrath's concerns, the dishes laid out in the garden were all exquisite cuisines, each one creating a supreme taste.
-Urgh...
Thanks to this, Wrath let out exclamations as if his soul was leaving his body every time he ate.
-This is the taste of living! It was worth saving those people!
He grinned widely, saying this is what happiness is.
-Try that one next. Keh-lok!
Even while coughing, Wrath kept pointing at new dishes.
"Haah..."
Raon sighed as he put the spicy grilled shrimp that Wrath pointed at into his mouth.
His stomach was already full to the point of discomfort, but he couldn't stop because of Wrath.
-Now bring that grilled beef!
'I'm full, and I think I've already filled up the Gluttony trait...'
-Keh-lok! Keh-hek!
Wrath coughed instead of arguing. It seemed like he was using his illness, but since Raon couldn't examine the cotton candy, he had no choice but to listen to him.
'Ugh...'
Raon shook his head and chewed and swallowed the beef grilled with the bone.
-Urgh!
Wrath let out an exclamation.
-The texture is so tender, but it's full of juices! This is the taste! Chef! Call the chef! I'll personally give my compliments!
He smiled brightly while smacking his lips.
'I really can't eat anymore...'
It was when Raon was sighing while rubbing his stomach.
[You have filled your stomach to the limit.]
[The trait
[The reward is greatly amplified due to the first ability manifestation effect.]
[All abilities increase by 1 point.]
[The realm of the soul rises.]
[While fullness is maintained, health and physical recovery increase sixfold.]
Messages due to the activation of Gluttony popped up one after another.
-Huh...?
'Urgh!'
This time, it was Raon who let out a long exclamation.
'This is the taste. This is what living is about!'
-W-what's this first trait manifestation? Are they not just giving things away, but even making excuses to give things away?
Wrath yelled at the message as if dumbfounded.
'Thank you, Wrath.'
Raon smirked as he looked at Wrath.
'I thought I was already full, but that wasn't the case.'
He had thought Gluttony was already activated because his stomach was full, but it was a misunderstanding. To activate Gluttony, he had to eat until he was on the verge of bursting.
Thanks to Wrath, he learned one more thing. As expected, he was a sucker who gave generously.
-Shut up! Keh-hek! Keh-lok!
Wrath, who had been grinning just a moment ago, let out a series of dry coughs.
It was when Raon was laughing at Wrath who was pouting.
"Lord Raon."
Hoppen approached and offered a glass of wine he was holding.
"It seems the meal was to your liking."
"Yes. Everything was delicious."
"To be honest, I didn't know you were such a big eater, Lord Raon."
He clicked his tongue as he looked at the plates piled up on the table.
"Seeing this, I can understand the rumor that you ate all the bead ice cream."
"Ah, that's..."
Raon glared at Wrath before rubbing the back of his head. It was embarrassing, but he couldn't bring himself to say that he didn't eat it directly.
"I'm just joking."
Hoppen smiled faintly and shook his head. He smacked his lips as he looked down at the citizens of the royal capital erasing the darkness with laughter and enthusiasm.
"I didn't know the crown would be this heavy. If I had known this weight a little sooner, I might have been able to save my father..."
"What's past is past. The only thing we should take from the past is reflection."
Raon continued, looking at Hoppen's shoulders that seemed to have become narrower than before.
"Your Majesty has a clear sense of judgment, so you'll be able to communicate with many people while discerning right from wrong. If you ever have serious concerns, you can talk to me. As the one who presented the crown, I'll think through things with you."
"Thank you. However..."
Hoppen calmly shook his head as he looked into Raon's serious eyes.
"It's us who should be helping you."
He reached out and grasped Raon's shoulder.
"I and the Suphren Kingdom will stand with you and the Light Wind Division whenever and for whatever you ask, no matter what it is."
Hoppen put his hands together, saying this was his first oath as the new king.
"There's no need for that..."
"It's all thanks to you, Lord Raon, that I'm standing here and that the citizens are smiling and enjoying the festival."
He slightly bowed his head, asking Raon to accept this oath.
"There's no question of accepting or not. Thank you."
Raon smiled as he helped Hoppen stand up. Behind him, he could see the road where Wrath's Snow Flower had exploded. It seemed there was still a long way to go for restoration.
"Are there any issues with the restoration?"
"To be honest, it's a bit challenging."
Hoppen let out a short sigh.
"Recently, wars have broken out in several places, so we can't get supplies from the merchant guilds we used to deal with. Some places don't seem to have any intention of giving us anything at all..."
He frowned, saying it was strange.
"Dorian."
Raon extended his hand to the right.
"Yes."
Dorian, who had been eating snacks, hurried over.
"This guy is the successor to the Sepia Merchant Guild."
"S-Sepia's?"
Hoppen's jaw dropped as if he hadn't even considered Dorian's true identity.
"I'm not the official successor yet, I'm still in training."
Dorian shook his head with a sheepish grin.
"He mentioned it's difficult to obtain supplies for restoring the kingdom. Could you perhaps act as a bridge?"
"I do have some construction materials..."
As he said this, he pulled out enough lumber from his belly pouch to cover the entire garden.
"Whoa..."
Hoppen's jaw trembled as he looked at Dorian and his belly pouch.
"But it would be better to start trading with our guild."
Dorian grinned broadly as he led Hoppen to sit at a table.
"How much have you looked into so far?"
"Well..."
"First, we can offer you a discount on your first transaction, and we can also provide bulk purchase discounts..."
He had suddenly become a merchant, holding Hoppen tight and not letting go.
Raon smirked as he looked up at the star-filled sky.
'It's time to return to Zieghart.'
* * *
Raon returned to his lodgings after ending the festival a bit early.
-Dessert! We didn't get to eat the bead ice cream!
'That's because you all ate it all!'
The bead ice cream eaten by Wrath and Gluttony hadn't been replenished yet.
They said there was none in the vicinity either, it seemed Gluttony had swept through everything.
Thanks to that, only Runaan looked gloomy at the festival.
-Ugh! I did something unnecessary! I shouldn't have told that glutton about it...
'Be quiet for a bit.'
It was when Raon was pushing Wrath aside and preparing to practice.
Tap tap.
A yellow sparrow flew to the window and flapped its wings.
"There was a yellow sparrow... Hm?"
Raon's jaw trembled as he looked at the sparrow. The yellow sparrow had its beak curled up at the end as if it were human.
-Keeeeeh! Keh-lok!
Wrath screamed and hid behind Raon's back.
"Merlin..."
Raon swallowed hard as he looked at the smiling sparrow.
He had thought it was fortunate she didn't appear suddenly, but seeing that smile made him even more creeped out.
Calming himself, he opened the window, and the sparrow flew in with a flutter, perching on his shoulder.
"Raon!"
As expected. A clear voice, refreshingly crisp, came from the sparrow's beak - Merlin's voice.
"When did you get here?"
"That's the wrong question."
She shook her head, saying that wasn't it.
"I've been with you since the moment you arrived here."
"The moment I arrived... Huh?"
Raon's eyes widened as he heard Merlin's answer.
'So from the very beginning?'
If she had come in with me, she might have seen me talking with the demon king.
In fact, her animal possession magic isn't even detected by Wrath.
"You don't mean..."
"I saw everything while waiting to save you if anything dangerous happened. A demon king..."
Merlin's voice sank deeply. At the same time, alarm bells rang in my head.