Chapter 5, Part 17

The streets of the Re-Estize capital were unusually empty, as most everyone had gathered around the central square in front of the Valencia Palace. An abdication and the crowning of the new king was a once in a lifetime event, not to mention a rare chance for the commoners to take a peek at royalty. No resident of the city would miss it.

In a certain part of the city, two men with sketchy appearances were swiftly walking down a street. The younger one, Jeden Gran, was a skinny man in his early twenties. His short dark hair was cut roughly and unevenly. His still young face was disfigured by several splotches of burned skin – a result of a drunk noble setting Jeden on fire a few years prior.

Back then, Jeden worked as a bard, his youthful appearance and decent voice allowing him to make enough to get by. One day he was entertaining some nobles, when one of them criticised Jeden’s singing and claimed that he could do a better job. Some of the others called him out on his claim, the noble of course deciding to show them. Jeden played the tune, while the noble sang. Unfortunately, the man had no voice for singing, his ill attempt sending the other nobles into uproarious laughter. The drunk noble naturally blamed his inability to sing on Jeden, claiming he was off-note. In his desire to show how mad he was that he couldn’t sing for his friends, the noble threw his drink at Jeden, dousing him in alcohol. Jeden could only smile awkwardly, as he wiped his face. He didn’t mean it, but apparently something about his half-smile set the noble off, as he grabbed a candle from the table and threw it at him.

The others hooted and hollered as Jeden’s alcohol-drenched clothes caught fire. To them, it was the highlight of the evening, something they’d tell at parties for years to come. They did have the servants put the fire out, eventually, and gave him a few extra silver coins for his trouble. Not enough to cover the cost of restoring his burned skin to normal that he was quoted at the temple though. His disfigurement meant he could no longer get work as a bard, nor did he want to entertain nobles after the incident. Forced to make a living by doing odd jobs, he eventually resorted to stealing and other criminal activities. Which was how he met his companion, Krun Pano.

Krun Pano was in his forties, skinny but wiry, the man had a rough appearance. His short light-brown hair was unkempt and poked in every direction, giving his head the appearance of an angry hedgehog. He had lived in the capital for over a decade, having moved there after he lost his wife and daughter when his village was destroyed by goblins.

Originally, he traveled to the capital in the hope of becoming an adventurer, so he could protect the weak, and do his best to ensure that others wouldn’t suffer the same fate. Unfortunately, he was just a commoner with no training or equipment. Finding a group proved difficult, but even when he did, the pay was abysmal. Disillusioned and bitter, he spent years drowning his sorrows in a bottle. Eventually, he turned to the life of crime to fuel his drunken haze.

Surprisingly, the cathartic release he experienced by robbing nobles was powerful enough to pull him out of the pit of despair he had fallen into. As a criminal, he had learned about the many vices the nobles partook in, which only furthered his distaste for them. Now, he didn’t just rob the homes of the rich and powerful, he scoured for information about illicit activities and other compromising information. The nobles were a vile, scheming bunch, and there was no shortage of findings. Krun sold the information to their enemies, and even planted evidence to frame certain nobles. Sadly, the law didn’t apply to the powerful and the most he could hope for was to pit them against each other.

Jeden met Krun over a year ago, thanks to their shared hatred for the nobles, the older man took a liking to him and began schooling him in the criminal arts. There was no shortage of fat sheep to fleece in the capital, working together, the two of them robbed dozens of noble homes. The money they made even caused Krun to regain some of his interest in becoming an adventurer. He also wanted to help Jeden get revenge on the noble who disfigured him, though it was a tough order – the noble had a high ranking, and his home was well guarded, making a break-in difficult. Still, in the turbulence sweeping the capital in recent times, they were hopeful an opportunity would present itself.

The nearly-empty streets presented a tempting target, but they had other things in mind, moving to the same place most everyone else was – the plaza in front of the Valencia Palace. They needed to know what would happen at the abdication. While Krun was disappointed the nobles didn’t slaughter each other, Marquis Raeven enjoyed the reputation of a good and fair man among the commoners. Perhaps once he became king, things would change.

“Come on, we gonna’ be late,” Jeden urged his companion. “Shoulda’ left sooner,” he added under his breath.

“I told you it don’t work like that. If we show up early, the guards just gonna give us a beatin’,” the older man retorted.

Soon, the two arrived near the huge plaza in front of the Valencia Palace. However, rather than going forward and wading into the crowd, they stopped in front of a narrow alley. Taking a quick look around to make sure no one was watching them, the two men entered

They walked over piles of trash and feces, advancing some thirty yards deep and arrived at a passage barely three feet wide, formed by the rear walls of two buildings. Krun stepped into the passage and shimmied his way up to the roof of the three-story tall building. Once there, he lay down on his stomach, his head and arms hanging over the edge, as he spoke to his companion.

“Throw it to me,” he said in a hushed tone.

Jeden held a long and narrow wooden plank in his hands. Holding it upright, he swung his arms upward, letting go of the plank at the last moment. It took a few tries, but eventually the man on the roof was able to grab the plank, pulling it up to him. Jeden then shimmied his way up as well.

The two crouched, their eyes sweeping over the rooftops. After confirming the coast was clear, they advanced toward the plaza, using the plank to cross from one building to the next. Soon, they arrived at the last building, the view of the crowded plaza spread in front of them. Several other people were already laying on this side of the roof, peeking over the ridge.

“Hey, is that the king?”Jeden asked as he moved to a free spot along the roof’s ridge.

“Shut ya mouth,” one of the men hissed.

Jeden recoiled under the man’s glare. He had realized the man was a well known cutpurse, who didn’t shy from using his blade for more than just cutting purses. Jeden made a placating gesture with his hands as he backed away. However, the cutpurse had already lost interest in him and turned back to look over the plaza. Heaving a sigh of relief, Jeden moved to lie down on the roof next to Krun, before peeking his head over the ridge.

A raised platform stood facing the crowd, and on it a man dressed in fancy clothes was delivering a speech. Listening to it for a bit, it became clear that he was the king of the Re-Estize Kingdom. Which would make the one next to him Marquis Raeven, right? Krun thought. He was far removed from politics, but the lack of other nobles was shocking, and his mind immediately began to wonder what it could mean. Looks like Jeden was right, we’ve missed some of the speech, Krun though as he focused on the king’s voice, apparently amplified by some magic to carry over the crowd.

“… was wrong. Once I became king I realized just how difficult it was to rule. The constant need to keep the nobles appeased and to avoid their schemes took up so much effort, it was all I could do. My wish to make the Re-Estize Kingdom great again had fallen, crushed under the unrelenting reality. Once I thought I had all the answers,” Zanac paused, his lips spreading into a condescending smirk, “but now I know better. My father didn’t fail as a king, rather it was impossible to do better. For a while, I felt I was doing better, but we all know how that turned out. Civil unrest, the threat of a new famine, the constant threat from outside the Kingdom,” he didn’t continue, shaking his head regretfully instead. “I’ve failed to make your lives better, even worse, I’ve failed to live up to my own expectations and ambition.”

Another pause followed, as everyone’s eyes followed Zanac, who walked up to a small pedestal.

“Given the events of the last few weeks, it’s clear that I am no longer fit to continue as the king. I’ve failed you, but fear not, for I know that the next ruler will be far more capable than I.” Zanac took a deep breath, his chest visibly expanding and contrasting, before he continued. “And so, I, Zanac Valleon Igana Ryle Vaiself, hereby abdicate my throne and renounce my claim to the crown of the Re-Estize Kingdom!” Zanac declared.

He reached up with his hands and removed the glittering, golden crown from his head and placed it on the pedestal, before moving back to stand beside Marquis Raeven. There was a round of cheers and conversations broke out here and there throughout the crowd, however, everyone fell silent once Raeven moved. The Marquis gave a nod to Zanac, then walked up to the center of the platform and began to speak.

“I, Marquis Elias Brandt Dale Raeven, stand before you in this historic moment. I never wanted to be king, the title of one of the Six Great Nobles was more than enough for me. But, I wanted to make the Kingdom better, to make your lives better. Oh, the things I had to do to keep the nobles from unraveling,” Raeven shook his head at the memory. “I chose to support Zanac-sama’s bid for the throne, believing that he was the ideal candidate to lead the Kingdom forward. Yet, here we are. Now, the crown I never sought is within my reach, all I have to do is take it.”

Everyone watched with rapt attention as Raeven stood before the pedestal and reached his hand out to the crown. He stopped just a few inches short, his hand closing an opening several times as he stared at the crown. Then, he lifted his head to look at the crowd and took a step back. Before confusion could take hold, Raeven spoke in a soft voice.

“Zanac-sama stated that he learned of his limitations after he became a king, but for me, that moment came earlier. I’ve realized just how powerless I am during the Katze Plains Massacre. Faced with the unfathomable foe that was the Sorcerer King, I could only give up. I gave up on politics, on my position as an influential noble, on my desire to make the Kingdom better. I ran away, only thinking of spending what little time I had left with my wife and child. You might think me a coward, but in the face of the Sorcerer King, it was the only choice. The undead isn’t a monster of legends, like the Demon Kings or dragons, rather he is a force of nature. The very idea of opposing him is absurd. The Kingdom’s army facing him on that fated date was my greatest failure, and just one more idiotic decision the nobles made as they jockeyed for power.”

Raeven paused, scanning the crowd, looking into the eyes of the gathered people before he continued. “Things didn’t turn out the way I expected. Instead of slaughtering the humans of E-Rantel and turning them into undead soldiers, the Sorcerer King had brought unparalleled prosperity to the city. Instead, it was the Kingdom’s citizens that fell on hard times. The nobles, seemingly having learned nothing from their failure, continued to squabble for power. Scheming and plotting against each other, with little care about the hardship our citizens had to endure. Without my wisdom and support, Zanac-sama failed to control the situation, nearly sending the Kingdom into a civil war.”

A wave of whispers spread through the crowd, as people felt moved by the sadness in Marquis’s voice. It gave the expression of caring and sincerity, something one rarely saw from the nobles.

“Things may seem grim now, but the night is always darkest before the dawn. The future of the Kingdom shines brightly! In just a decade your lives will change for the better so much that these troubled times will seem unfathomable. And I will be there to welcome this future alongside you!”

Thunderous cheers swept through the crowd as people clapped and shouted, their excitement palpable. Observing the crowd from the roof, Krun felt skeptical, after all, Marquis hadn’t said anything about how he planned to accomplish such lofty goals. He turned to look at Jeden, before turning to look the other way, at the cheering cutpurse and other thieves he shared the roof with. I’d expect someone like him to be more aware of the nobles’ nature. Promises are easy to make, but are hard to keep, I’ll believe it when I see it, Krun thought, shaking his head. Though he had to admit, the Marquis was an excellent speaker. His focus returned to the present, as he watched the Marquis approach the crown.

“Now, you might be wondering if I can bring about such a future. Sadly, I doubt I could do it. After all, I am just a man,” Raeven said and spread his arms. “Which is why I hereby declare the new king of the Re-Estize Kingdom, his Majesty, the Sorcerer King!”

As his voice carried over the crowd, Raeven turned and gestured at an empty space behind him. The brief moment of silent confusion was succeeded by shocked shouting, however, before things could escalate, the space Raeven was pointing at distorted and an oval of swirling darkness appeared in its place. A moment later the avatar of death came forth, instantly quieting the crowd. In complete silence, three more figures emerged from the darkness before it disappeared. The Sorcerer King, there could be no mistake as to his identity, sat down on a long-backed throne made of black stone, which had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, while the other figures arranged themselves beside him.

On his right stood the most beautiful woman imaginable, her long, black hair contrasting with her white dress. Black feathery wings at her waist, as well as the horns protruding from her head made it clear she wasn’t human. Next to her stood a man in glasses. His strange clothing aside, he would look normal if it wasn’t for a metallic tail swaying behind him. To the left of the throne, stood another beautiful woman, her long, silver hair, seemed to accentuate the thin black horns poking through it, and the leathery black wings on her back. Zanac stood near her, though far enough that Raeven could fit between them.

Under everyone’s disbelieving gaze, Raeven picked up the crown from the pedestal and walked up to the throne.

“Your Majesty,” the Marquis said, as he dropped to his knees while presenting the crown.

“Thank you, Marquis Raeven,” the undead spoke. He accepted the crown and placed it on his skinless skull.

Having done his job, Raeven got up and took his place beside Zanac. Despite thousands of people being present, the plaza was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. No one wanted to be the first to make a sound and draw the attention of the frightening being sitting in front of them. For his part, the Sorcerer King seemed content to scan the crowd, the red lights in his eye sockets slowly drifting over the humans.

The undead stood up and took a step forward, breaking the crowd out of their spell. Before they could run away in panic, a wave of cold, deathly energy swept over the people, halting them in place.

“It is nice to meet you, citizens of the Re-Estize Kingdom, I am the Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown,” the undead began, his calm voice projecting power. “As you have witnessed, I am the new ruler of the nation. I’m sure you have many questions regarding this turn of events, so let me address them all, here and now.”

The deathly aura which held everyone in place disappeared, but no one made any attempts to run away. Human curiosity overpowering their fright. Seeing this, the undead nodded and began to speak again.

“Firstly, I am aware that many of you might hate me due to the Massacre of the Katze Plains. It’s not my desire to kill, the hatred of all living that plagues the lesser undead has no hold over me. However, there is no mercy in war. I will not hesitate to use my full power to destroy anyone who threatens me or my citizens. If you want to blame someone, blame the nobles who chose to attack me without even attempting diplomacy.”

Some discontent noises erupted here and there, but they quickly subsided when the red dots in the undead’s eyes swept through the crowd.

“Now, why was I given the crown? Simple, as both Zanac-dono and Marquis Raeven alluded, the circumstances the Kingdom is currently in are simply too much for a human ruler to resolve. Even if the ruler is benevolent, there is simply no way for them to implement the needed reforms. The nobles would never allow anything that threatens their power, regardless of how good such changes could be for the country at large.

As the situation in the Kingdom began to spiral out of control, Marquis Raeven was looking for a possible solution. A trip to E-Rantel convinced him that humans could not just survive, but thrive under my rule. The Marquis asked me to become the next king of the Re-Estize Kingdom, and to bring the same peace and prosperity that I had achieved in E-Rantel. I’ve agreed, and here we are.” A short pause followed before he continued. “Although I am the new king, the actual day to day management will be done by Marquis Raeven and Princess Renner,” he gestured at the silver-haired demon on his left. “Mm, as you might know, Renner had been involved in the Slane Theocracy’s plot against me, for which she had received a certain punishment. However, I trust the issue has been resolved to everyone’s satisfaction?” He asked, turning to look at Renner.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I am grateful for your mercy and for this opportunity to do what I always wanted – improve the lives of the commoners,” Renner replied and gave a deep bow.

Whispered conversations broke out when Ainz identified the silver-haired woman as Renner. Although turning the Golden Princess into a monster had angered many people, seeing that Renner appeared to be content if not happy with her situation, it didn’t make sense to complain on her behalf. Meanwhile, the undead nodded in satisfaction and turned to face the crowd.

“I can’t tell you the exact changes that the Kingdom will undergo, that will be up to Raeven and Renner. However, I want to tell you about my vision for it. I want to create a nation where all races, be they human, demihuman, and even heteromorphs will live peacefully side by side. Where ability trumps birthright, where talent is nurtured and appreciated. A country devoid of suffering, where culture can flourish,” he paused briefly before continuing.

“In my country you will no longer be restrained by your low birth or lack of gold, you’ll be free to pursue whatever aspirations you have, be it in crafting, Martial Arts, magic, or something else. As you might’ve heard, I had revamped the Adventurer’s Guild to provide a better environment for the up and coming adventurers, one that allows their potential to flourish while minimizing casualties. I implemented similar changes to alchemy, runecrafting, and other professions.

I plan to create schools that will assess talent in children and will guide them into adulthood. You no longer have to worry about threats, be they external or internal, as my undead will provide security against both external foes and the monster threats inside the country. Similarly, food is no longer of any concern, as my skeletons work the fields without rest. We’ll set up hospitals – places where your injuries or illnesses will be healed for free. With the threat of hunger, war, and sickness eliminated, you will be free to pursue your passions and accomplish things you’ve never thought possible. Fall under my rule, cast off your shackles, and help me usher the brightest future in human history!” The Sorcerer King ended his speech with a fist pump.

The crowd cheered in response. Undead or not, if even half of his promises came true, their lives would experience a monumental change. On the roof, Krun couldn’t help feeling excited, he heard rumors regarding the Adventurer’s Guild of E-Rantel, but felt doubtful about their authenticity. Now that he heard it straight from the horse’s mouth, the possibility of becoming a successful adventurer made him tremble with excitement. He turned to his partner, who was mumbling something.

“Hospitals… free healing… could my burns be healed?” The young man muttered, seemingly in a daze.

Krun gave him a pat on the back before turning his attention back to the undead. The Sorcerer King stayed silent, waiting for the crowd to calm down.

“Of course, bringing my vision to life requires a unified will, where everyone works for the sake of that vision,” the undead began speaking once the excitement subsided. “This puts us at an impasse with most nobles, since they are more interested in having their fun than advancing the country. I have solved this issue by eliminating the useless nobles. Some might call it cruel, but I will not allow incompetent fools, whose only achievement is being born to the right parents, to sabotage the future I envision. Nobles and commoners are no different in my eyes, what I care about is your ability. If you’re good at leading people, you’ll be placed in a position of leadership. It’s as simple as that.”

The crowd erupted in even more thunderous cheers than before. Subconsciously, Krun found himself on his feet, fist raised toward the sky as he shouted his approval. He had no doubt that the noble that controlled the territory of his former village was among those eliminated. After all, the reason for his village’s destruction was that the noble refused to hire adventurers to cull the goblins, claiming that he couldn’t afford it after sparing no expense on his son’s marriage. The village itself wasn’t able to afford adventurers due to the levies the noble placed on them to pay for said wedding. I’ll need to confirm it, but I doubt a moron like that would qualify as a competent leader, Krun thought as his face split into a smile.

Nearby, Jeden was experiencing similar euphoria. And so did many others in the crowd. The nobles weren’t shy about abusing their status when it came to interactions with the commoners, earning them plenty of hate and grudges. Eliminating that bunch of arrogant, incompetent fools made many feel happy, the Sorcerer King earning an addition praise for this accomplishment.

It took awhile for the crowd to calm down, prompting the undead to gesture for them to quiet down. When they finally did, the Sorcerer King made a sound of clearing his throat before speaking.

“It warms my heart to see you express such joy in regards to my vision. I hope all of you work hard to make it a reality. Um, there is a lot of work to be done, but I’m sure Raeven and Renner can handle it,” he paused briefly and looked behind at his two servants who had remained silent, except for applauding. Neither monster showed any reaction to their master’s brief gaze. Turning to face the crowd, the undead stood silent for a moment. “Then… I’ll take my leave. Marquis, Renner, I leave the rest to you.”

The crowd erupted into chants of “Sorcerer King!” as they watched their new king cast a spell that created the familiar oval of swirling darkness. The undead turned to face the crowd and gave them a wave before disappearing into the darkness, followed by the dark-haired beauty, the tailed demon, and surprisingly Zanac.

Rubbing his chin, Raeven stepped forward and gestured for people to quiet down.

“Well, you’ve heard His Majesty’s vision, now let’s talk about the details,” he began.

*****

Previous | Next