Chapter 5, Part 16

The capital of the Re-Estize kingdom was crowded beyond belief – today was the day that Zanac Valleon Igana Ryle Vaiself would abdicate his throne, and Marquis Elias Brandt Dale Raeven would begin his reign. Or so the rumors said. Commoners and nobles alike had come to the capital from all over the place, to witness this historic event. Naturally, the commoners were less interested in politics, and more so in how this change would affect their lives.

In contrast, the nobles packing the throne room of the Valencia Palace were more interested in political posturing and the opportunity to gain power, that the ouster of King Zanac would create. Anyone who was anyone was present, down to the lowest noble. Not only was this a once-in-a-lifetime event, but one’s absence might be interpreted as a snub by the new ruler.

The windowless hall was packed beyond capacity. Although the light was provided by magic rather than normal candles, the sheer number of people combined with the lack of any airflow resulted in quite a bit of heat. Standing in the back of the hall with other low-tier nobles, Sean Uster Evelius wiped the sweat off his forehead, the handkerchief in his hand completely wet.

Just how much longer is he going to drone on? Sean thought as he glanced at the throned Zanac, annoyed. Not that he didn’t understand the man, this was likely Zanac’s last ray of limelight. Although it seemed like he had reached some agreement with Raeven, making his execution unlikely, an exile was guaranteed. It was only natural that he would want to drag it out.

However, the things Zanac chose to speak of were a bunch of nonsense that no one wanted to hear. He began by talking about the in-fighting between various factions, how it weakened the Kingdom, and how it would be better if they were all united. He talked about the plight of the commoners, how they suffered as the result of such politicking. He moved on to his own short reign and the current situation in the Kingdom and abroad.

I don’t need a lecture, Sean thought and let out an impatient sigh. He tuned Zanac’s voice out, instead focusing on the other nobles. Marquis Raeven stood on the right side and close to the throne, a carefree expression on his face. Beside him stood the other powerful nobles. On the left side and slightly further from the throne, stood two of the Six Great Nobles, Margrave Urovana and Marquis Pespea. Originally from the royal faction, they stood by Zanac until the very end, only joining Raeven after all the other nobles did, and it became clear that Zanac would be ousted.

Sean himself once belonged to the royal faction. When Ramposa III abdicated, he was tempted by a chance at easy profit and joined the Greenhorns. After Philip was murdered and the faction collapsed, he rejoined the royal faction, and now he had joined Marquis Raeven. Some of the nobles viewed him as a weasel with no loyalty, but Sean could only scoff at them. Why should he be loyal? It’s not like the king saved his life in battle, it was a strictly business arrangement. Pragmatic to the core, he felt it was only natural for him to act in self-interest.

Oh, finally! Sean smiled when he realized that Zanac had stopped talking. Silence hung in the air for some time, as Zanac scanned the room.

“I, Zanac Valleon Igana Ryle Vaiself, the King of the Re-Estize Kingdom, hereby announce my abdication of the throne,” Zanac proclaimed.

He got up from the throne and removed the crown from his head, placing it on the throne’s seat. Afterwards, he stepped down from the dais, and took his place on the left side, near the two Great Nobles. Curiously, Zanac didn’t declare Raeven as the next king, nor did Raeven make a move to take the throne in the following seconds. An awkward silence filled the hall, soon turning into hushed whispers.

While the nobles wondered about Raeven’s actions, an oval-shaped, swirling darkness appeared in the middle of the hall. Alarmed cries of surprise were still reverberating throughout the room when a figure emerged from the darkness. Everyone’s focus was instantly drawn to this newcomer, some people reeled back in terror, others were shocked stiff. Sean gulped, he felt the previously hot throneroom turn deathly cold. His mind was completely blank, except for a single thought: What is the undead doing here?

While the shocked nobles pulled away, the undead slowly walked to the throne. Upon reaching it, he picked up the crown, sat down on the throne, then placed the crown on his head. The hall descended into stunned silence.

Sean wasn’t sure how much time had passed before he noticed that there were three newcomers standing beside the throne. A woman in a white dress, black, feathery wings protruding from her waist, who was undoubtedly Albedo, the Prime Minister of the Sorcerer Kingdom. A man clothed in attire popular in the South, a seemingly metallic tail swishing gently behind him. And finally another winged woman, she had long, silver hair, but her wings appeared to be leathery, like a bat’s, as opposed to Albedo’s bird-like. Surprisingly, he discovered she was Princess Renner.

The points of red light inside the eyeless sockets of the undead scanned the room, causing the nobles to shudder under the undead’s gaze. Finally, the Sorcerer King made a sound of clearing his throat.

“Thank you all for coming,” he began, his voice surprisingly human, and not grating like Sean expected. “I’d like to take some time to explain the reason for me being here.”

A short pause followed. It wasn’t clear if the undead was gathering his thoughts or if he was waiting to see if anyone objected. Of course, no one was foolish enough to do so.

“As Zanac-dono has mentioned prior to abdicating, the Re-Estize Kingdom has failed to live up to its potential. It has been over two centuries since the Demon Gods ravaged the land. It should’ve been a time to recover, to grow, to prosper, and to prepare. Instead, this precious time was squandered away by incompetent rulers, with nothing to show for it. The confrontation between the royal and the noble factions that plagued Rampossa III’s reign has made this kingdom weak and divided. A large territory, fertile lands, and a population of nearly nine million – so much potential, all wasted by weak, incompetent, and selfish rulers.”

Those were scathing remarks, disparaging not just the nobles present but the very history of the Kingdom. However, the deathly cold aura radiating from the Sorcerer King kept everyone from refuting his words.

“The current circumstances are a product of many decades of neglect. Zanac-dono tried to change things, but failed. Marquis Raeven would likely meet the same result. But, they are patriots who love their nation and are tired of seeing the people of the Kingdom suffer, they wish to bring peace and prosperity to this land. That’s why I am here.”

The sound of people gulping or drawing sharp breaths rolled through the crowd. The act of putting on the crown and sitting on the throne made the Sorcerer King’s intentions plain to see. But to hear him, an undead, speak of bringing peace and prosperity to a nation of humans… one could only shake their head at such blatant lies. Murmurs began to spread through the hall, despite the oppressive aura.

“I am the new ruler of the Re-Estize Kingdom,” the undead declared, cutting through the growing unrest. “Which brings us to you, the nobles of the Kingdom. I have no interest in petty politics, nor do I want my people to be ruled by incompetent nobles whose stupidity is only surpassed by their arrogance,” the red lights in his eye sockets seemed to flare up, like a flame. “Those of you who care for your people, and have shown themselves competent will be given appropriate positions, with potential to rise to far greater power than what you have today. Those who have shown incompetence and lack of care for the commoners, will be disposed of. There are no scraps in my scrapbook. I will not allow incompetent people to rule in my name!” The emphasis placed on the last sentence filled it with power.

Sean gulped. This is a hostile takeover, a declaration of war! But, Marquis Raeven is quite calm, as is Zanac-sama, plus, Princess Renner arrived with the undead… I see, they’ve made a deal with the undead, despite being panicked to his very core, his mind continued to analyze what was happening. Unfortunately, that’s bad for me. Since he’s in on the deal, Raeven won’t object. Those who believe themselves competent and caring won’t object either. Which leaves the incompetent and the fools, not exactly a winning coalition. He sighed and wondered which group he belonged to.

He cared for his people, they were the foundation of his wealth and power after all, what little he had of both. And his pragmatic mindset made him a decent lord, however, he had clearly demonstrated his self-interest and lack of loyalty. It was hard to say which qualities the undead would value more. Either way, all I can do is pray, Sean thought. The Sorcerer King didn’t strike him as someone who would make a move unless he was assured of victory, meaning he could only accept his fate.

Some of the other nobles must’ve gone through the same analysis, and realized that they were undoubtedly in the ‘incompetent’ group. This conclusion filled them with strength and boldness. A red-faced noble jumped forward and began to shout.

“Wait just a minute! You can’t just come in here and claim the throne like it’s nothing. The other nations will not…”

[Silence!]

A voice filled with strange power reverberated through the hall, cutting the noble’s shouting mid-sentence.

“Oh, but I can, and I have,” the Sorcerer King said softly. Sean got a distinct feeling that the undead was smiling, though his polished skull remained unchanged. “Um, for those of you who will remain, Marquis Raeven and Princess Renner will be in charge of the Kingdom. They will explain to you the details of my plan for this land, as well as appoint you to the appropriate positions, given your talents. As for those who will perish, it’s simple – your years of incompetence and cruelty have caught up to you, you can only blame yourself.”

Some people tried to speak, but found that they were unable to do so. Panic started to set in, and quite a few nobles rushed toward the doors, hoping to escape this nightmare.

[Stop Moving]

The power-filled voice reverberated through the room, instantly halting all movements. This time, Sean saw that it was the strangely clothed demon that gave the order. Sean didn’t try to escape, judging that there was no chance of succeeding and that doing so was equivalent to outing himself as belonging to the ‘incompetent’ group.

“You’ll have to excuse me, I have a speech to give, and can’t stay,” the undead said as he stood up. “Demiurge, Renner, I leave the rest to you,” he added.

“Yes, Ainz-sama,” the demon and Princess Renner responded in unison.

[Gate]

The Sorcerer King waved his hand and cast a spell. A familiar oval of darkness appeared in front of him, and he stepped into it with a flourish of his cloak. Albedo, and surprisingly Marquis Raeven, and Zanac followed him.

Not long after the Sorcerer King left, another portal appeared, and a young girl stepped out. She had silver hair tied in a ponytail through a large ribbon, and wore a soft black evening dress with a heavy skirt. She nodded to the demon, as she looked over the crowd.

“Let’s begin. Renner, if you would,” the demon said.

[When your name is called out, step into the [Gate]]

The demon ordered. Meanwhile, Renner pulled out and unfurled a scroll. Taking a quick glance at the crowd, she began to read the names from the scroll. As their names were called out, the nobles walked into the swirling darkness. It was obvious they didn’t want to do it, but their bodies moved on their own, obeying the demon’s order.

Unable to move his body or speak, Sean experienced several terrifying minutes that felt like an eternity. In the end, he was among those whose name hasn’t been called out. Considering the nobles remaining, he was certain that this group was the one that would be allowed to live. Meanwhile, Renner looked through the list of names on the scroll one more time, confirming that she didn’t miss anyone.

“That’s all of them, Demiurge-sama,” she called out to the demon.

“Congratulations to all of you, who have been chosen for your ability. Once Ainz-sama is done with his speech, Marquis Raeven will return and inform you of how we intend to integrate this nation into the Sorcerer Kingdom, as well as your role in it. Please remain here until he returns,” the demon announced cheerfully. A pleased, but somehow frightening, smile was plastered on his face.

[Release Control]

The moment he regained control of his body, Sean collapsed to the ground, his chest heaving heavily as he drew laboured breaths. He didn’t realize how much tension his body was under until this point. The same could be said about most of the nobles, kneeling and using their arms to prop themselves up on the stone floor. By the time he regained enough senses to look at the throne, both the demon and the silver-haired girl were gone.

“I’ll leave so you can discuss this among yourselves,” Renner said and gave a sweet smile, before stepping into the portal.

The remaining nobles exchanged glances, relief plainly visible on their faces. What’s there to discuss? Sean wondered, as he slowly got up. We survived, that’s more than those whose names were called can say. All we can do now is try our best to not disappoint our new masters.

The world is a cruel place. The powerful do what they will, and the weak suffer what they must. Without power, one could only lament their fate, he thought and sighed. Suddenly, he frowned, something didn’t feel right. Sean has engaged in plenty of trading, and would always follow his intuition, which had saved him from numerous scams. For some reason, he felt very similar to when a merchant was trying to pull one over on him. I’m missing something, but what?

He went over the events in his head. He had missed most of Zanac’s speech, but he didn’t think the clue hid there. No, it has to be something else. He continued to analyze what happened, from the Sorcerer King’s appearance, to Renner leaving, but couldn’t find anything that would explain his gut feeling. Dejected, his mind returned to the present.

“I guess Raeven won’t be king after all,” some noble whispered to another.

That’s it! Sean shouted mentally as he latched on the fleeting feeling his intuition supplied. Why was Raeven so calm and carefree? His wasn’t the look of a threatened man who has no choice, quite the opposite actually. He wasn’t just content with what was happening, but was visibly excited during the undead’s brief speech.

And it wasn’t just him. Zanac seemed strangely uplifted for a man who was about to be sent into exile. Even Renner. Shouldn’t she be crying, her country being taken over by the same evil being that turned her into a monster? Once he recognized the issue, more pieces fell into place. Unlike the nobles around him, who had sour, frowning, and dejected expressions, Raeven, Renner, and Zanac gave off a feeling of excited anticipation.

I am still missing something, Sean thought, as he made his way to sit down on one of the chairs placed along the hall’s walls. He went over the events again, hoping to find another clue. Could that be it? He thought, as he recalled what the undead said. Back then, he was so shocked by the announcement that those deemed incompetent will perish, that his mind didn’t pay much attention to what followed.

“Those of you who are competent will be given appropriate positions, with potential to rise to far greater power than what you have today.” Sean recalled. Is this the reason for their behavior? For Zanac and Renner, such circumstances are clearly better than an exile. And while Raeven won’t become king, he also won’t have to deal with the headache of being one. With the Sorcerer King behind him, who would dare scheme against him?

Plus, if what the Sorcerer King said about wanting to bring peace and prosperity to the Kingdom is true, then the commoners are likely in for quite a bump in their quality of life. Hmm, going by that, my own luck might be quite good. Before, I was a low noble, with little wealth or power, trying to make my way in this cruel world. But now, if I play my cards right and show myself as worthy, I could very well be bestowed with a position far more powerful than I could ever achieve on my own.

Sean let out a carefree laugh. He ignored the nearby nobles giving him strange looks. What a wonderful opportunity that has fallen into my lap, he revelled in his thoughts. It will be hard to impress the Sorcerer king, but the effort will be worth it. Unknowingly, a smile spread across his lips. Despite the tragedy to which he bore witness a short while ago, life was looking up, filling Sean with optimism for the future.

***

After going through the [Gate] Ainz found himself in the king’s office of the Valencia Palace. He moved closer to the window overlooking the plaza a few hundred yards away, where a huge crowd of people had gathered. He let out a ‘hmm’ sound and turned away from the window, sitting down in one of the comfortable chairs arranged around the room.

“Mm, understand, I take no joy in the deaths of those nobles. However, it had to be done. How can I proclaim my intentions to bring peace and prosperity to the commoners, only to leave them under the rule of the same nobles that had caused them untold grief?” Ainz said, the red dots in his eye sockets moving between Zanac and Raeven.

“It is as you say. People fear change, especially when it seeks to undermine their way of life. While no one would oppose you openly, it’s likely they would seek to sabotage your orders, if only subconsciously,” Raeven said.

Zanac chuckled softly. “I had wished to do just such a thing so many times. To actually witness it, I’m truly grateful to Your Majesty,” the former king concurred.

Huh? They aren’t even the slightest bit distraught over me just casually ordering dozens of nobles to be led to their death? Ainz thought shocked, while his skinless skull provided the perfect poker mask. I just can’t understand their thought process at all. He was prepared to apologize for his actions and seek to justify them as ‘it had to be done,’ but neither man seemed to care for the fate of their fellow human beings.

“All these people have gathered to witness Zanac’s abdication, and the coronation of the new king. Instead, they will bear witness to something far more important, the conquest of this nation by Ainz-sama,” Albedo murmured as she stared out of the window at the crowd ahead. “To manage to turn the commoners, whose hearts are filled with hatred and distrust, into rabid supporters with just one speech, I am so excited to witness the greatness of Ainz-sama.”

Ainz coughed, unsure if he should thank Albedo for her confidence, or if it would be better to act as if it was all a matter of course. He was still deciding which was more appropriate when Zanac spoke.

“It’s about time, Your Majesty. Should Marquis Raeven and I head out?” Zanac asked as he looked at the nearby wall cloak.

“Mm, yes, please do. We’ll proceed as was discussed previously,” Ainz said, waving his hand.

He watched the two men leave. A feeling of nervous excitement spread through his bones. Ainz shifted uneasily, a single thought persisting in his mind.

Can my speech really live up to everyone’s expectations?

*****

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