Chapter 111: King of Bahara
All the Bahara warriors were prostrating toward Ian.
The number alone exceeded tens of thousands. Those who could not enter the palace of Bahara shouted from outside.
“You are the only one who will be our king!”
“Bahara wants Ian Kaistein!”
The shouts were so thunderous they reverberated beyond the palace and throughout the entire Balrog. Ian’s eyes widened in astonishment, and so did everyone in the palace.
“Why all of a sudden…?”
“Did they eat something wrong? Kaistein should be nothing more than invaders to them.”
In fact, the Bahara people had a solid reason for doing this.
‘It was obviously a giant large enough to cover Bahara. Even though it has been weakened by catapult attacks, it is a monster that can only be defeated by a hero.’
‘Only Ian Kaistein entered alone and killed the monster.’
‘He’s a hero! Only he deserves to be our lord.’
That wasn’t all.
Ian’s performance sparked a legend that had long been buried deep in their minds.
[A great hero will smite the head of darkness with a great hammer of light and bring glory to Bahara.]
It was like a fairy tale they heard when they were young.
But the Bahara people also had eyes.
Ian stationed everyone outside the castle and headed to the palace alone. They had seen firsthand how he fought a fierce duel with the giant demon and triumphed over it.
Furthermore, the appearance of the giant hammer of light that hovered above the palace was…
‘It must be the legendary hammer that the first king of Bahara wielded.’
‘He smashed the devil’s head with it. If so, that person is the descendant of the first king. He is the hero from the prophecy.’
‘He is the only one who can return the lost glory of Bahara!’
Therefore, they inevitably couldn’t help but want Ian.
Of course, unlike ordinary people or warriors, the chieftains were looking at Ian with more intense gazes.
The vibration they had felt since first meeting him.
Woong!
It was because a mark was ringing with light in the chests of the chieftains.
It was the symbol of Patience, one of the Seven Virtues.
The marks of the 25 chieftains were all crying out to Ian.
Of course, it was a simple resonance phenomenon between the Seven Virtues.
However, it felt different to the chieftains.
‘The one who will bring all the tribes together and return the glory of Bahara.’
‘The one our heart cries out to follow.’
So, there was only one thing they could say.
“Please be our king!”
Of course, Ian was too flustered to even answer.
It wasn’t like this in his previous life.
Chk!
The numerous weapons dedicated to him.
This was similar to the coronation ceremony of the king of Bahara, which Ian also knew.
To accept those weapons was akin to accepting an oath of allegiance.
This was not a situation to be taken as a joke.
Even if they were mistaken.
‘King of Bahara. It’s not what I want.’
Even the supreme commander of the Northern Expedition was not qualified for that.
From generation to generation, the king of the conquered land was determined by the king of the conqueror country. Even if Ian succeeded in the conquest, as long as he was a man of Kaistein, King Eloin’s permission was needed.
Thus, Ian tried to dissuade them.
“Stop it. There are procedures and rules in everything.”
But the Bahara people did not back down.
“We will not move a step until you become our king.”
“Please accept our weapons!”
Ian could never accept it.
If that happened, not only King Eloin but also the whole of Kaistein would be suspicious of his intentions.
‘They might think I’m staging a rebellion.’
So, Ian signaled to Prince Olak next to him.
‘Do something about this. It’s your people.’
Olak hadn’t had a formal ceremony yet, but he was like the king of Bahara. If he moved, their excitement would subside.
But instead, Olak smiled.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness Ian.”
“!”
As Ian was about to figure out what he was sorry for.
Olak took his sword, still with its sheath on, from his waistband. Holding the sword with both hands, he brought it forward and fell on one knee. Then he bowed his head.
“I beg you to accept my sword before anyone else.”
“What?”
“!?”
At this point, the Kaistein people around him flinched in shock. No, wouldn’t the would-be king regret it if he offered his sword to Ian?
However, Olak was serious.
“I felt a lot this time that I can’t protect the people of Bahara properly as I am now. Your Highness Ian, if it’s you, I can trust you and leave it to you. Therefore, please be our king.”
“…”
Olak’s attitude was solemn. Ian tried to get him up.
“Don’t do this. This is a problem if you insist…”
Right at that moment.
“Accept it.”
“Sister?”
Before he knew it, the First Princess stood next to Ian. But what she said was completely unexpected.
‘I can’t believe she suggested this.’
But it still wouldn’t do.
Even if Bahara became a vassal state of Kaistein, his becoming king was a separate matter.
When Ian was about to argue.
The First Princess spoke with determined eyes.
“They will not accept Kaistein’s rule without you. Don’t you know that well?”
Surely, the people of Bahara were stubborn.
It was clear that they would not move one step from there unless Ian granted their request.
But.
“In any case, that’s not going to happen. His Majesty’s permission is still…”
“We will help you with that.”
Right then, the Third Prince showed up from behind the First Princess.
He made his appearance even though he still had difficulty moving and was supported by the knight next to him.
No, it wasn’t just him.
“Come on, what do you procrastinate on and not take their swords?”
The Second Princess.
“Hmm. If you don’t like it, you can give it to me…”
The Fourth Prince also agreed with the First Princess.
Ian was greatly taken by surprise.
“Sisters… and brothers. Why…”
Regardless of how much he helped them, they were competitors vying for one crown. That was why he lent them a helping hand.
The Third Prince replied with a shrug.
“I owe you my life, so I must pay you back.”
“Me, too. Besides, weren’t you the first to help me when I almost fell into disgrace as supreme commander? You even made the Northern Expedition that I proposed a success. It’s only natural to help this much.”
The First Princess nodded at him.
Of course, the Second Princess sent a furtive glance his way.
‘You didn’t forget your promise, right?’
To make her the first female chancellor in the history of Kaistein.
She reminded him not to forget it.
Of course, there was something strange.
“I understand Brother Louis and Sister Anne. But what’s with you?”
“!?”
It’s the Fourth Prince.
Ian didn’t understand why he helped him because he didn’t profit anything from this.
The Fourth Prince managed to eke out an answer with a flustered face.
“Th, that’s right. Weren’t we in the same boat? Don’t be so cold-hearted.”
Ian squinted his eyes.
His eyes seemed to question his betrayal despite them being in the same boat.
But regardless, this met the minimum requirements.
‘The Third Prince is a general, and the Second Princess is in charge of transportation.’
Although the First Princess no longer held the position, she was the supreme commander, and the Fourth Prince was the first-class staff in charge of the siege.
Therefore, it was possible to bring out the special provisions of the Northern Expedition.
Sure enough.
The First Princess, after exchanging glances with the other siblings, spoke on behalf of everyone.
“The four main commanding officers of this Northern Expedition and the majority of candidates for succession to the throne thus agree!”
It was such a resonant voice it reached the ears of everyone present in Bahara.
“The Seventh Prince, Ian Kaistein, is the biggest contributor to this Northern Expedition! He is the only one worthy of earning the loyalty of the Bahara people!”
“!”
“In addition, we will acknowledge him as king of Bahara!”
He couldn’t believe things were proceeding so quickly.
Before Ian could even respond, all candidates for succession to the throne, including the First Princess, fell on one knee on the spot.
“Honor to the new king of Bahara.”
“May the future of Ian Kaistein be full of blessings.”
It was courtesy of the birth of a new king.
At this moment, they respected Ian as the king of Bahara, not a fellow candidate for succession to the throne.
However, Ian, who read their eyes, seemed to understand why.
‘They are trying to make me the king of Bahara and put me out of the fight for the throne.’
Of course, Ian could feel the Second Princess’ sincere willingness to help him, unlike the others. The look in her eyes was as if to say it was helpful for Ian and her if Bahara were to become a subordinate country.
But it was different for the other siblings.
Despite that, Ian, who saw through their minds, smiled.
Whatever plan they cooked up, nobody knew if it would go according to their plan.
No, they would regret it instead.
‘Not a chance, my dear sister and brothers.’
Bahara was a great nation of warriors. They might be defeated by Ian in vain, but if he could harness their true potential, they would be stronger than knights in some aspects. That was why Ian could genuinely smile at this moment.
Just then.
“Whoooaaahh!”
The Bahara people who were watching Ian cheered.
Their cheers were so thunderous it shook the whole Bahara.
Although he stood in this position for a purpose.
‘It’s not bad.’
Now that it had come to this, he didn’t hesitate any longer.
Ian slowly moved forward.
“I will take your sword.”
Shh.
He proudly raised the sword offered by Olak. Then he drew the sword from its sheath.
Shiiing!
Albeit inferior to the royal sword, it was a fine sword in its own right.
After making a cut on one palm, Ian raised his hand.
“I, Ian Kaistein, swear by the blood that runs through my body that I will be your king!”
He looked into every Bahara people’s eyes with a burning gaze.
“And I swear that I will go with you to the end without abandoning a single one of those who have devoted their allegiance to me! I swear to the gods of heaven and earth that I will share my glory with you!”
The Bahara people responded to Ian’s oath.
“Honor to the one and only king of Bahara!”
“Long live the king of Bahara!”
The people’s voices shook Bahara.
And Patience, which had newly settled in Ian’s body, began to beat with vigor.
Woong!
As if to show its acknowledgment to him.
***
“Whoaaaa!”
The cheers made by the people of Bahara were truly deafening. It sent shivers down anyone’s body even though they just had a face-off moments ago.
The First Princess felt like that now.
‘I never thought it would be to this extent.’
Although she deliberately approved and led the opinion, she didn’t expect the response to be this explosive.
‘If it’s at this level, they might even be willing to wage a war with Kaistein with a single word from the youngest.’
As worry slightly gripped her heart.
A man approached her.
“Don’t you regret it, sister?”
It was Louis, the Third Prince.
The knight supporting him was nowhere to be seen. It was evident that he had come alone to talk to her.
But.
“Regret? Why would I have such things.”
She didn’t look back at Louis.
She just stared at the people of Bahara cheering toward Ian.
Her gaze was filled with longing as if wondering what it would be like to be in that position. Of course, it was only for a fleeting moment.
Soon, when the First Princess was about to take her leave, Louis smiled.
“Where are you going, sister? You have to see your brother’s coronation, right?”
“You sure have plenty of time on your hands, Louis.”
“Why the rush?”
The First Princess sent Louis a cold look.
“There is only one seat, and I would do anything to get it. So, don’t get in my way, Louis.”
“Sister!”
“The same goes for the youngest. I didn’t help that kid. He helped me. And isn’t that why you didn’t object to making him king of Bahara?”
“What?”
“How ludicrous. You and I are no different human beings.”
When Ian became king of Bahara, his mind would surely drift further away from the throne of Kaistein.
‘This is a foreign country, and there will be no one to trust. He’ll have to take on this heavy duty by himself.’
In the meantime, she would assume the throne of Kaistein with certainty. The First Princess’s eyes hardened with resolve.
‘The gap has widened so much in this competition.’
To make up for it, she had to put in more effort.
She had to deal with internal disputes among the nobles under her command, and she needed to use the trump card she had saved for the worst case.
The First Princess’s eyes chilled.
‘So, please be content as king of Bahara, Youngest. If you cross the line any further…’
At that time, even his brothers and sisters would not stand still.
This was a firm resolution.
***
The coronation proceeded very smoothly.
In particular, a messenger riding the Blue King quickly brought a letter with the king’s seal on it.
[I acknowledge the merits of Ian Kaistein. He made the greatest achievements in the Northern Expedition and proved his achievements that no one can ignore. I hereby appoint you as King of Bahara in the name of Eloin Kaistein.]
Of course, he had to pay tribute as a vassal state.
However, it was truly incredible that Ian, who had yet to hold a coming-of-age ceremony, was recognized as the king of a country.
Even so, Ian’s eyes were calm.
Galon noticed it at once.
“Your Majesty, do you have any concerns?”
“There’s none.”
“Or, are you worried about losing the throne of Kaistein because of the throne of Bahara….”
Right then, the servants dressing him in the traditional outfit of the king of Bahara intervened.
“It’s done, Your Majesty.”
If he didn’t make haste, he would be late for the coronation ceremony.
Ian went outside with a helpless expression. Now, only one step left for him before becoming the king of Bahara.
But Galon did not give up.
“Your Majesty Ian. If you have any concerns, please let me know. I will definitely try to solve it. Your will is more important than the throne.”
Ian turned his head for a moment at his words. Then he flashed a smile.
“No, I don’t have any. Please rest well, Sir Galon. We will have a lot to do in the future.”
“If it’s something to do…”
Creeaakk.
Locking his eyes at the gate of the Bahara palace in front of him, Ian said.
“There is no law stating that the king of Bahara must not become the king of Kaistein. Since I won the competition, I will go see my father right away.”
“!?”
Become the king of Kaistein as well as Bahara?
It was truly unprecedented. Besides, Ian had a special card up his sleeve.
“I will head to the royal castle right after the coronation ceremony. Get the crown prince of Cantum ready.”
He wouldn’t fall for his siblings’ little tricks.
‘Do you all think I’ll be satisfied with being the king of a tribe?’
Rather, this was just a stepping stone.
He would not only become the king of Kaistein, which he did not achieve in his previous life. He would be the emperor who would unite this continent.
‘Only then will I be able to stop them.’
At that moment, Ian’s eyes gleamed brilliantly.
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