233The procession that continued from Hwanaeseong Street arrived in front of the royal palace.
Then, the royal castle gate, which had regained its original splendid appearance, opened, and the ministers, knights, and servants who were waiting in line in the large front yard of the palace bowed their heads in unison.
“Meet His Majesty the King!”
As the solemn shouts of the formally dressed officials rang out, it felt different from the cheers of the crowd.
Soon, the knights who followed the procession lined up on the left and right around the royal castle gate, and the gaze of the crowd following them turned into the royal palace.
Logan walked alone in the middle of the path made by the ministers.
And where his eyes are directed.
At the altar in front of the palace stood an old priest wearing a pure white robe that looked several times longer than his head.
I saw this once at the funeral of a pre-war king.
Grandia, no, now Archbishop Pamiel Gernheim of Aion, the god of water and agriculture, the general manager of McLane’s temple and the first of the nine great gods.
He was waiting for Logan with a kind smile on his wrinkled face.
“Congratulations, Your Majesty.”
“It’s been a while, Archbishop.”
Two people exchanging well-wishes with each other with smiles on their faces.
When the greeting ceremony was over, Archbishop Pamiel took out a colorful scroll with nine symbols stamped on it.
He immediately unfolded it loudly and shouted in a solemn voice, unlike before.
“Logan McLane, King of the McLane Kingdom, obey God’s will!”
A loud cry inappropriate for his age filled the front of the palace, and Logan slowly got down on one knee in front of it.
“Will you follow the will of Aion, pursue the law, and encourage agriculture?”
“Yes. I will.”
“Will you pursue shining values and encourage commerce according to Ageron’s will?”
“Yes. I will.”
“Will you pursue solid values and encourage mining in accordance with Atran’s wishes?”
“Yes. I will.”
“You follow the will of the Anima….”
The archbishop’s congratulatory speech continued thereafter.
In response to the Archbishop’s question listing the symbols of the Nine Great Gods, Logan calmly repeated the same answer.
And finally.
“In the name of God, I acknowledge and bless the enthronement of Logan McLane, King of the McLane Kingdom!!”
With the cry of Archbishop Pamiel.
“Long live His Majesty Logan McLane!”
“Long live the Kingdom of McLane!”
“I will offer my loyalty with all my body and soul!”
The ministers and ministers who had been standing in line fell down on the spot with a loud cry that made the entire palace tremble.
Logan looked back at them and raised his hand with a confused expression.
“I will accept your oath and open a new era as a kingdom for God and people!”
The calm voice spreads to every corner of the palace.
“Long live, long live, long live!”
The prostrate subjects once again responded to Logan’s words with loud voices.
That was the end of the coronation ceremony held ‘outside’ the royal palace.
“Listen, Your Majesty!”
Okay.
As the door to the great hall opened with the knight’s shout, Logan slowly walked inside.
Although I thought this ritual, which continued for several hours starting at noon, was a bit excessive.
– In order to increase authority, the start of a dynasty must be declared as splendidly as possible.
Remembering his teacher’s stern insistence, Logan paid attention to managing his facial expressions.
Then, he slowly moved towards the throne of the Great Hall with all the ministers and nobles kneeling.
Jump and jump.
A silence where you can’t even hear your breathing except for your own footsteps.
In that quiet atmosphere, Logan stopped in front of the throne and quietly stroked the armrests of the throne.
A position you never thought you would sit in until a few years ago.
Even now, standing in front of that place, it didn’t feel real at all.
but.
‘Use this position as a stepping stone to move the kingdom more efficiently and prevent the empire. In a way, it worked out well.’
Logan steeled his resolve again, took a long breath, and sat down on the throne.
OK.
“Long live His Majesty Logan McLane!”
“Long live the New Kingdom of McLane!”
“All the blue bloods of the kingdom swear fealty to you!”
Once again, voices praising McLane filled Daejeon.
And right after that.
“The Kingdom of McLane has inherited the traditions of old Grandia, and the temple has also recognized its tradition. Now, it is time to prove that His Majesty the King is the rightful heir who inherited everything of Grandia!”
The door to Daejeon opened once again with the voice of Marquis Patrick McLane’s father, now the Grand Duke.
Soon, a dozen knights slowly walked in with a transparent box containing treasure in the middle.
“Oh oh!”
The nobles standing next to him naturally let out exclamations of exclamation.
The Crown of ruler.
The Class 5 artifact, which was only allowed to the King of Grandia, was still showing off its brilliant light inside the box.
From Logan’s perspective, it was just mana that had lost its owner and had no place to go and was scattered everywhere, but it was true that regardless of its substance, the beauty of the crown stood out more.
Logan’s eyes lit up as he saw the overflowing mana.
‘There was talk of creating something suitable for the start of a new dynasty again, but…’
Logan thought that the 5th class artifacts, which could not be made except by the Empire, could not be eliminated for such a simple reason.
It is one of the greatest treasures in the entire royal treasury.
Moreover, there was also a legend handed down about this crown.
– It does not react unless it is Grandia’s enemy.
The reason the subjects suggested making a new crown was also because they were concerned about it.
But Logan was already convinced.
All the nonsense about Grandia being the enemy and all that was just made up to make full use of this treasure.
The wave of mana felt during the coronation ceremony of the dead king.
Because there was no magic to distinguish lineage in the waves transmitted to the transcendental senses.
‘It is nothing more than a rumor created by those who occupied the throne as bastards or second sons during a long period of history.’
Therefore, this kind of consciousness was also proposed.
Instead of discarding the best artifacts, we can use them and add justification to them.
thud.
The ruler’s crown placed in front of the stairs leading to the throne.
My father and teacher next to me were still looking at me with concern as they watched the knights retreating back.
– How about trying it out before that?
– Light looking for its owner? There is no one who can oppose His Majesty without that.
Logan smiled slightly as those words came to mind, then opened the box with a calm expression and lifted up the crown.
And he placed it on his head amid all kinds of mixed expectations and worries.
OK.
Ugh.
The crown, which once shed dazzling light, soon began to lose that light with a slight vibration.
The mana that had been scattered outside without being able to find its target became complete magic and began to be given to Logan’s body.
At that moment, Logan could clearly feel that ability.
‘Class 5 defense shield, class 4 detox and fatigue relief, and even an automatic recovery function.’
Indeed, the ruler’s crown was the best artifact worthy of its reputation.
and.
“really…?”
“…The Crown recognizes Your Majesty!”
“Huh, are you really saying you’ve inherited Grandia’s legacy?”
Excited whispers spread among the nobles who were watching.
As Logan listened to those words, he realized that he had definitely achieved the additional effect he intended.
Soon he looked around with a calm expression and said.
“I, Logan McLane, hereby declare the beginning of the McLane dynasty that ‘carries on the tradition’ of Grandia and announce the beginning of a new era!”
“Long live, long live, long live!”
“Long live, long live, long live!”
As soon as Logan’s voice rang out, all the nobles in Daejeon, starting with the swordsmith’s chant that started half a beat late, knelt again and shouted for national independence.
‘In the end, we came here.’
It was definitely not what I had initially planned.
However, as I overcame each and every obstacle in front of me, I found myself standing here at some point.
What you have done so far may not be the best.
Maybe there was a better option.
But what is clear is that even though he may have fallen short, he always did his best and this was the result he achieved in the process.
Logan once again remembered that every moment so far was also part of the process of doing his best.
‘So I just keep doing the best I can.’
May the voices of those people cheering for you one day be filled with sincerity.
And so that you can wash away the resentment that is deeply embedded in your soul.
‘I will try endlessly.’
Logan strengthened his resolve again and raised his hand toward the audience.
“Wow!”
The cheers that erupted seemed to support that determination.
* * *
– A new dynasty has begun.
– Martial law was lifted.
– A festival commemorating the start of a new dynasty begins.
Flags with flame patterns announcing the start of a new dynasty were hung throughout the capital, and invited merchants and street vendors set up stalls on the streets.
However, even after news of the world had changed and news of the festival spread, residents of the capital city did not easily leave their homes.
“They’re all the same nobles. They just swapped food among themselves, so there’s a difference.”
“It’s scarier. Have you forgotten the massacre they committed when they entered the capital?”
“Don’t go out and wander around just because it’s a festival. Rats and birds will be taken away and killed without you noticing.”
As the rumors became more and more sinister, the streets became more desolate even though it was the festival season.
“Tsk, tsk. What is the new dynasty? It’s usurpation.”
“They are the ones who became king after killing the previous king, so they are cursed.”
“I’m from Grandia, but since when did I say I’m from McLane?”
The voices whispering in unseen places never seemed to die down.
As those voices came together and gathered together.
As this is a new dynasty founded with blood, the worst tyranny will soon begin.
Baseless rumors began to spread among the capital’s residents like a fait accompli.
In the end, less than a week after the coronation ceremony, Sword Duke and Padric had no choice but to visit the king’s office together.
“Your Majesty, the public sentiment is not good because of the scandalous rumors. I wonder if you could at least empty the royal family’s treasury so that the people can actively enjoy the festival….” “
If that is not enough, I will also unpack all of Esperanza’s warehouses.”
“Why can’t we just pass the burden on to Esperanza? We will also unpack McLane’s warehouse. Please allow it, Your Majesty.”
Even though the swordsman and Padric asked that with stern faces.
“No, don’t do anything useless. Even if you gain public support temporarily, it’s just a waste.”
Logan cut through the request like a knife.
“But the mood in the capital is not very good right now.”
“The rumors are so bad that if something is not done, the situation may get worse. If this continues, the atmosphere of the founding system will be…”
“There is a lot of work to be done. I refuse to waste money just to change the mood.”
The two had no choice but to take a step back while looking anxious at Logan’s continued firm attitude.
After Swordsman and Padric left, Logan turned to look out the window.
Red, looking down at the desolate street. Concern deepened in his eyes.
* * * As the period of the desolate festival was coming to an end, Logan, who was about to hold the first great meeting of the new dynasty, gathered his aides.
“The biggest goal of the new dynasty is to strengthen national defense. Preparations to prevent the invasion of the empire, which will begin within 3 to 4 years at the earliest or 5 years at the latest. Keep in mind that this is a goal that must take precedence over everything.”
“Even in this situation…?”
“Wouldn’t it be right to control public opinion at least to some extent?”
All of Logan’s associates could not hide their perplexed expressions at Logan’s words. .
They couldn’t have been unaware of the atmosphere in the capital. However, Logan’s attitude was stubborn.
“It is better to have a bad atmosphere now than to all become slaves or die in a few years. If there is a way to strengthen military power, if there is a way to think of it, “Please tell me everything.”
The determined, unwavering red eyes shone fiercely.
