New chapter of The Demon King is out! (1/2 chapters)
“Look, it’s your father!” (Caféty)
When the head maid took the baby’s hand and waved it, the three-month old baby with blue eyes simply waved along with a blank look on its face. It had been three months since I last saw her, and human babies sure change a lot in that time. Her cheeks have become plumper, evolving from looking like a monkey to a human.
She looks healthy. Despite being born prematurely at about eight and a half to nine months, her skin looks healthy. This must be because she was literally raised in a protective environment.
“Daa.” (Baby)
Daa, she says.
When I put my finger in her hand, she grasped it tightly as a reflex. Her soft, warm hand wrapped around my finger.
“Hmm…” (Yuri)
It’s somehow touching. It brings a sense of peace. It’s soothing.
“Will she start crying during the ceremony?” (Yuri)“As long as I’m holding her, she should be fine.” (Caféty)
The head maid was wearing a white long-sleeved dress-like outfit and a slightly unusual hat on her head. It was a hat similar to the veil worn at funerals, but the veil was long and thick enough to cover the entire face.
For convenience, the head maid was to hold the baby while seated on the throne. A three-month-old infant obviously couldn’t sit on the throne alone. If not in the head maid’s familiar arms, she would likely cry and fuss.
The head maid was the only suitable person. However, sitting on the throne might lead to some strange interpretations. Hence, her attire was designed to be symbolic and devoid of humanity, to avoid misunderstandings. In other words, it was part of the performance.
“I moved her feeding time earlier. The wet nurse will feed her again just before noon… I think she will be sleepy after that.” (Caféty)
“I see. That would be good.” (Yuri)
Well, if she cries, there’s nothing we can do. It wouldn’t be ideal if she cried and fussed too much, so I hoped she would stay quiet.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
“Excuse me, it’s Tigris Hamon. May I come in?” (Tigris)
The hallway was bustling with ceremony preparations, so people were shouting.
“Come in!” (Yuri)
“Excuse me!” (Tigris)
Three people entered. Tigris, Dimitri, and Gin Toga, who had returned from Kilghina.
“The three of you have completed your mission and have now returned.” (Dimitri)
Dimitri spoke, and the three saluted in unison.
They had been working on pacification in Kilghina until the last moment and returned just yesterday. After resting, they changed into formal attire.
Reform fell 13 days ago. With only 500 soldiers, they had fortified the collapsed walls with sandbags, but when ships slipped in through the morning mist and troops landed using the same tactics as Oregano, they surrendered immediately. As with the previous battle, distributing leaflets promising no massacres led to a lack of fierce resistance. If the siege had dragged on, I would have gone, but the fortress fell on the second day, so it wasn’t necessary.
“Thank you for your hard work. You did a great job.” (Yuri)
Finally, things are settling down. The Verdun Fortress can be dealt with easily.
“Oh… so cute. We’ll call this child Her Majesty the Queen from now on.” (Tigris)
Tigris said, looking at the baby girl in the head maid’s arms with mesmerized eyes.
“Yes.” (Yuri)
Her Majesty the Queen, huh? Carol was always called the Princess, so it feels strange to call her child the Queen already.
“It’s truly moving… the blood of the Hou Household and the royal family mingling to create a queen.” (Dimitri)
Dimitri said.
It may certainly be that way for the Hou family, a family of knights for generations. Tigris and Gin wouldn’t share that sentiment.
“Have you decided on a name?” (Gin)
Gin asked.
“Yeah.” (Yuri)
It was already decided.
“What will her name be?” (Gin)
“Wait for the ceremony.” (Yuri)
“Then, her surname?” (Gin)
He’s asking that, huh.
“Orl Chartres.” (Yuri)
Carol’s full name is Carol Full Chartres, where “Full” means “four” in ancient Shan language, indicating the fourth daughter of the royal family. This name began to be used during the period of division in history. Originally, the empress simply went by Chartres or Orl Chartres.
“Orl” means true, genuine, or legitimate in ancient Shan. During the Great Empire period, cadet branches would add words like “Niral” or “Peta”. It may seem a bit harsh, but it’s a word that means inferior, cracked, or broken, to their names.
As the number of side branches increased and everyone took the name Chartres, it became troublesome, so as the number of branches increased, the Empress bestowed new surnames on them and moved them away from the Chartres surname. Apparently, in order to lower the hurdle, they made people add terrible words.
“I see…” (Gin)
“Do you have any objections?” (Yuri)
Telor, of course, is still alive. It still feels a bit unbelievable, but if she were to marry Dolla, she would be called Telor Godwin.
“No, none.” (Gin)
“Good. Don’t misunderstand, this is something Queen Jacoba also wished for. That’s why she gave a piece of the royal seal to Carol. Giving it to Telor would have only caused future trouble.” (Yuri)
“I understand. Meeting Princess Telor recently made that very clear to me.” (Gin)
I noticed a fleeting sadness on Gin’s face. Perhaps he had feelings for her.
“I see. That’s good.” (Yuri)
You probably understood it a hundred times better than if I had explained it. The thing is, it’s the royal family themselves who are the least likely to want a comeback.
“It’s almost time.” (Yuri)
The wall clock showed it was nearing 10 AM. The coronation date was announced nationwide, and the coronation would take place precisely at noon.
“Let’s go.” (Yuri)
—
Various people had gathered in the grand hall of the royal castle. Former Witches, Knight households, great merchants, and notable individuals.
In the villages devastated by the Noza and Boff Households, governance was sometimes done by elected village chiefs rather than knights. Since the Hou and Rube Households had become too numerous, relatively more of these people were invited. They would likely become a new breed of politicians. Writers and painters were also invited to document this day.
Myaro, members of the Rube Household, Satsuki, the three who arrived earlier, and various dignitaries were seated on either side of the throne. Among them were Cuff Ornet and Beaure Ornet, who had recently married despite their busy schedules. In terms of economic scale, he was the head of a large corporation that was comparable to General households. They deserved to sit here.
“Now, before the new queen arrives, let me say a few words.” (Yuri)
Holding my arms open in my velvet cloak, which was a little too hot for my taste, I stood at the front of the stage and spoke in front of the silent audience.
“It has been seven months since the Great Witches conspired with the Crusaders, resulting in that disaster. However, thanks to your dedication, our last remaining kingdom has been spared from the Crusaders’ calamity.” (Yuri)
Though the grand hall of the royal castle was spacious, sound carried much better than in an open field. Speaking loudly without shouting made my voice resonate. It probably reached most of the audience, even if not all the way to the entrance.
“Moreover, just half a month ago, we managed to reclaim Reform. I want to express my gratitude to those who followed me. No single person can stop an army of 10000. Defeating the Crusaders and reclaiming Reform was thanks to those who believed in me, fought for our homeland, and faced gunfire with their bare bodies. I wish to thank the countless lives lost and the brave souls still living.” (Yuri)
I paused, closing my eyes to remember and give thanks to the fallen. I thought I saw Soim’s face pass behind my eyelids for a moment.
“Here, I want to talk about the Kurans. As you all know, they call us demons. But I want you to understand that this is not due to their nature but to the teachings of an evil religion. As proof, we have established formal diplomatic relations with the Albio Republic. That country believes in a different faith and is not tainted by evil. They do not regard us as demons. The person here was invited from the Albio Republic. Of course, he is a Kuran.” (Yuri)
With that, I gestured toward Ovelin Octar with my palm. He was sitting in his chair with a serious expression on his face, but since he didn’t understand Shan, he probably had no idea what I was saying.
“He serves as a member of the Grand Council on Albio Island, which lies to the south across the sea from the Hou territory. Naturally, he doesn’t consider us demons. If they have not been tainted by evil teachings, or if they have returned to the righteous teachings, then we are not evil.” (Yuri)
This was something that had to be said eventually. Otherwise, the Shanti would persecute the Kurans. If it becomes a relationship where it’s natural to throw stones at them, governance will never work. We need people to support the vast territory. There are too few Shanti for this.
“I have traded with the Albio Republic to import food. Moreover, they negotiated with the Crusader nations to exchange our captured and enslaved compatriots. Our compatriots taken in the previous Crusades will return. They will return to their homeland and cultivate the land. I believe this is a very noble thing.” (Yuri)
People were looking at Ovelin Octar. Not understanding why he was attracting attention, he looked a little confused and bowed to me.
“I do not ask you to see them as compatriots. They are a different race from us. But, like us, they are born innocent and live their lives influenced by various things and fate. Of course, I do not intend to treat those in the occupied territories as our equals. I will restrict their freedom and punish them severely if they call us demons. However, I will also punish anyone who harms them without reason. When dealing with them, remember that they are human too, even if there is hatred. If we treat them as naturally enslaved as they do to us, we will surely face retribution. This is my concern.” (Yuri)
I could feel the resentment from some. However, if we do not communicate this at this opportunity, problems will arise in various places in the future. We can’t massacre Kurans everywhere we go. If we provoke strong resentment and partisan-like activities, we won’t be able to progress on the continent.
“Even the vast territory of the glorious Shantilla Empire was less than one-tenth of this continent. Most of the remaining regions were inhabited by Kurans. When a man named Kanjar Khan created a great empire that ruled a quarter of the Kurans, the great empire’s army succumbed to their numbers. Learning from this history, I aim to restore the glory of the Shantilla Empire.” (Yuri)
I intentionally paused, looking around at the people.
“That is, the recapture of Shantinion. Under the new Queen’s rule, it will be accomplished.” (Yuri)
As I finished speaking, music played loudly. The sound of trumpets echoed, and string instruments harmonized beautifully. Thanks to Myaro’s arrangement, it was an elegant and delicate sound that couldn’t be achieved by the noble families.
The podium where I was speaking was cleared, and from the side, the head maid, Caféty Lotti, walked forward. She sat gracefully on the throne, her face covered by a black veil. A boy appeared from the other side, holding a stand with a crown on it in both hands. In the tradition of the Shaalta Kingdom, if the Queen was alive, she personally crowned the successor. If the Queen was absent, the head of the Holy Mountain would perform the duty.
Then, the music suddenly stopped.
As the instrumental sounds faded, the murmurs of the people also quieted, leaving an almost painful silence.
“Shulika Orl Chartres. My beloved child and orphan of my wife, Carol Full Chartres. I bestow upon you the crown as the Queen of a new era.” (Yuri)
I held the crown myself.
Shulika, who had been forced to wear earplugs, looked up at the face beneath the black cloth, wondering if she would feel safe in Caféty’s arms even in this situation.
I placed the silver crown on my child’s golden hair.
“Blessings!!” (Dimitri)
Dimitri shouted.
“Blessings! Blessings to the new queen of a new era!!”
As the high-ranking knights shouted their pre-rehearsed cheers, magnificent music began to play. In the distance, the bells signaling noon rang out. But no one heard those sounds. The grand hall was filled with the people’s joyful shouts.
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