Chapter 241
Chapter 179 Coronation (1)
“......”
Ian’s bedroom was the same after nine years, and there was not even any dust. Someone had to have taken care of the room, and everything would have been looked over by his mother.
“She has waited long.”
Ian murmured sadly, as he had not known that it would take such a long time.
‘It may have been a good thing that he had been given concession.’
Ian had tried to tie truly the last knot, and he had wanted to give back this body to the original owner of this body, who Ian had pushed away when he came back in time. Actually, he had no desire to but would have done so to return everything back to normal.
Since the final spirit was also Ian and had been sleeping while being attuned to Ian’s life, Ian thought there would not be any problem. However...
[Please, live your life.]
A surprising answer came back from the spirit, and the original owner of Ian’s body spoke like the world tired him.
[I’m worn out just by looking at your life and attitude, and how can you make me live that life. Stop saying nonsense! I’ll just watch from here.]
Ian thought that was simple, surprising, and understandable since this was his second life. Ian had thought that he had made a perfect life, but it seemed to be not the case.
[It’s the same here. I can see what you see, my thoughts seem to be yours, what angers you angers me, and I like what you like, and... Whew! Just, live your life so you won’t tire me out, all right?]
The spirit spoke on and closed his eyes while burying himself in the pink pillar with finality.
“Well...”
Ian had returned to his second life after that, and again, the interval was the problem. There seemed to have been many changes during those nine years.
“Where to begin...”
Ian looked at the mirror, and he saw that he had become a man over time.
“Look at this pale face...”
While his body was healthy due to magic, his mother’s care, and other factors, his skin’s sickly paleness was notable.
“Hmm...”
Ian thought things over, like how to greet someone after nine years. Ian had come back after solving a problem that was unfathomable to others.
‘No, since the situation has become like this, I need a more dramatic entrance...”
It was quite childish of a magician who would remain perhaps the greatest magician of all time. However, it also signaled that Ian finally felt free from all of his burdens of the past.
***
“Hey, come here for a minute!”
It was a dark night at the road to the Mogrian lands when some loud noises rang.
“......”
The two men on the road covered their entire bodies with cloth, but it was clear that one was big and the other was thin.
“Hey! Don’t you have ears?”
A horde of men was shouting at the two, and it was also evident what their occupation was.
“Is he talking to us?”
“I believe he is.”
The big man answered in a deep voice to the thin man’s murmur. It seemed from the conversation that the smaller man was of higher class.
“Well, is that so...”
The thin man took out a staff bent at ninety degrees from his waist at the big man’s answer.
“I should answer then, right?”
“Perhaps so.”
“How tiresome.”
The thin man shook his head and span the staff. It would become clear in a second what the object was for.
“Well, anyway.”
The thin man took off the cloth that had covered his head, and platinum gold hair rustled in the wind.
“I had no intention of passing by.”
“Neither do I.”
The big man also took out a sharp sword from his waist, and it seemed like a legendary weapon.
“Rest, as I will solve this myself. We can wander about like this for only a few more days.”
“No, it’s dangerous.”
“Creating moments like that is pure embarrassment for a guard...”
“Men grow on such moments.”
A man with platinum blond hair and a strange staff would be Hayden Greenriver, and he now walked up to the thieves. Why was the crown prince be going through such a path?
“Hmm! Have you called on me, sirs?”
He even politely greeted the thieves, who were way below his station and person.
“Yes. Come closer.”
Hayden followed that order, and the thieves could not see his face as the torches were extinguished to incite fear.
“What about your companion?”
“Ah, my friend is timid despite his size, and I came instead. What do you need?”
The crown prince asked in an innocent tone while describing Oliver Raywood, the greatest knight in his kingdom, as a coward.
“You can guess.”
“I don’t know much...”
“You need to pay a fee to pass.”
“Yes?”
“Have you gone deaf? A fee.”
“Ah...a fee.”
“Yes.”
“So...a fee...hmm...”
The crown prince acted like he was confused while activating the boom stick. For the past nine years, Hayden had wandered about the world with Oliver to see and think about things. He found small joy in playing the role of a vigilante in the process.
“Ah, my poor people.”
“What...”
“How about paying the price for your crimes?”
The crown prince shot the boom stick with amazing speed and grace.
“What...?!”
Everything was over in an instant. The entire horde was on the ground except for the one who had spoken about the fee.
“Ah...!”
“Don’t worry, your friends are not dead. While you have committed sin, how can I kill you with my own hands? It’s just not done.”
The crown prince spoke in a serious tone, and he placed the boom stick back to his waist. Siram had created many kinds of boom sticks after seeing Hayden’s prowess in the Eastern Plains, and he had just used one that shot bullets that put people to sleep.
“I will persecute your crimes, and you may avoid death if there is a possibility of redemption. Think carefully.”
The crown prince took out another staff, and it was much larger than the original boom stick, to the extent that Hayden had to hold it with both hands.
“We have all night.”
The crown prince aimed the long boom stick, and something blue came out of its end. It was evident that the blue material was not to attack or put people under its influence. Instead, mana threads spread like a spider’s web to cover the entire horde of men.
“People...? Wait...”
However, the awake thief was busy guessing who the crown prince was as the web started to tie his group up.
“The crown prince...who defeated ogres with a weird staff...”
“Ogres? Yes, I did. The entire clan came out, and Oliver had to take care of them... Ah, that big coward is Oliver. You must have heard the name Oliver Raywood.”
“Ahhhh!”
The crown prince and Oliver Raywood? The thief’s eyes widened. He had just wanted some money or to relieve stress by beating some guys up.
“What’s...all this?”
“You should have led a better life. How can you steal in such a peaceful reign? There are so many jobs waiting for a healthy man like you.”
The crown prince shook his head as the nation was under the greatest reign in history at the moment. The harvest was rich, there were no wars, and jobs abounded from the bustling trade and projects. Why would a man steal at a time like this?
“Your highness, I have brought firewood.”
Oliver had gathered wood while the crown prince had taken care of the thieves and scolded them.
“You’re fast.”
“Your highness was slow.”
“You rebel much these days.”
“With all due respect, I have always guarded you in the same manner. You are the one who had turned negative due to the fact you will soon be sitting on the throne.”
“Well, if this is not a rebellion...”
The crown prince grumbled as he took out a boom stick that was about the usual size. It let out flames, which was useful for lighting fire.
“Let’s rest here for the day. Of course, you will have to stay guard all night. How can you sleep when your emperor sleeps?”
“I can sense anything approaching from several thousand steps while I sleep, which means that staying up all night is not necessary.”
“Yes, you really are the greatest knight of Greenriver! Dragonslayer! Sir Oliver Raywood!”
“It warms my heart that you know.”
Hayden prepared for the night with the expression that he gave up, and Oliver helped the process.
“However, why am I being coronated when father is healthy? I thought it would take at least ten years.”
“Since his majesty’s will is that strong, how can we go against him?”
“That is correct, but...”
The crown prince faced his coronation as emperor after nine years. The current emperor was not dead and was even healthy. It was the emperor’s will that had decided on the crown prince’s coronation.
“Abdication is too much. This is unprecedented in our empire’s history.”
“There have been such incidents...”
“But they were only political tools.”
Hayden spoke as he chewed on dried meat. He had called Vanessa’s pie dirt but was now able to eat rations.
“I’m happy since this means that Father believes in me and I am prepared, but...”
“You feel the responsibility?”
“Responsibility...It seems heavy and suffocating a bit...”
Terry Greenriver, the current emperor, refused to stay in his position despite his health. His desire to step back was shown in the planned coronation of a new emperor.
“It would be nice if Ian were here at a moment like this, but he’s still not awake. Well, he is clearly alive...”
Oliver remained silent at Hayden’s sad tone, as he could not do anything but sympathize.
“Well, he will wake up one day before I die.”
They had been silent for a while, but the crown prince came back to his usual self. While he had seemed childish, Hayden had matured enough that Terry Greenriver deemed that he could become emperor.
“Well, this is the last time we can travel like this. We’ve had some fun, haven’t we?”
“Yes, I will remember for the rest of my life.”
Oliver nodded at the crown prince’s question. Hayden smiled. The past nine years had been joyful, except for a sleeping Ian. He murmured as he went through his memories.
“All right, let’s rest and go to Mogrian’s castle tomorrow. My father-in-law will participate in the coronation, and we can ride that private airship since we have come so far.”
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