Chapter 131 : Chapter 131

Chapter 131. “The Crownless One”

Time soon arrived for the Great Council to be convened.

At the heart of the royal capital Orlandia, in the square before the Kingdom’s Great Assembly Hall, nobles from all five regions of the Kingdom of Orlando had gathered in unprecedented numbers.

This magnificent and ancient building was usually opened only when the kingdom faced a major decision and needed to consult the opinions of all its nobles.

And the formal coronation of a new king was undoubtedly one of the most important matters among them.

Sunlight shone upon the colorful family crests and luxurious garments, yet it could not dispel the false air that hung over the place.

The nobles from different regions had roughly divided themselves into five loose groups according to their origins, maintaining a courteous distance from one another.

Formulaic smiles hung on their faces.

They exchanged hollow pleasantries with acquaintances and strangers to their left and right, their voices merging into a clamor.

“Oh, is this not Marquess Bourbon? It has been far too long. Haha, I hear your business in the Southern Frontier has grown ever more prosperous.”

“Count Carls, what a coincidence. I never expected to meet you in the royal capital. Have you been well of late?”

“Hahaha, Dawn Russell? It seems the jewel of the Eastern Frontier shines as brightly as ever!”

These greetings sounded warm and lively, but in truth, they were filled with probing, comparison, and insincerity.

Everyone’s eyes were turning, assessing potential allies and opponents, calculating gains and losses.

This was the ruling class of the kingdom, displaying its true face nakedly beneath the halo of a grand ceremony.

Just as this false clamor reached its peak—

“Dong—dong—dong—”

A grand and heavy bell toll rang out from the bell tower at the top of the Great Assembly Hall.

The rolling sound instantly drowned out every conversation.

Everyone instinctively stopped their pleasantries, and their gazes all turned toward the main entrance of the Great Assembly Hall, upon which the kingdom’s blazing sun emblem was carved.

The heavy doors were slowly pushed open, and two old men walked out with steady steps under the protection of the palace guards.

The one walking at the front was the Regent, Duke Federico La Roche of the Western Frontier.

Today, he had changed into a solemn black formal suit, with a dark cloak embroidered with the golden lion crest draped over his shoulders.

Following close behind him was the Prime Minister of the Kingdom, Marquess Rhein Graham.

His expression was likewise solemn, and in his hands, he held a thick scroll that symbolized the laws of the kingdom.

Upon seeing these two men, who were now effectively the highest authorities of the kingdom, the nobles in the square immediately stepped forward one after another, bowing in greeting as voices rose and fell from every direction.

“Good day, Lord Regent!”

“Prime Minister Rhein.”

Federico slowly swept his gaze over the nobles before him, whose expressions varied, and sighed silently in his heart.

The unity of the kingdom? At this moment, it looked more like a fragile illusion.

But he had to preserve that illusion.

He raised a hand, signaling for everyone to be silent.

The voices in the square quickly died down, and every gaze focused on him.

“Everyone, this Great Council has been convened for a major matter concerning the future of the kingdom.

“You are here to witness His Majesty Aiden Aurora’s formal enthronement ceremony, and to offer your sacred oaths and loyalty to our great king!”

He paused, and his sharp gaze swept across the entire assembly once more.

“This is not merely a ceremony. It is also meant to demonstrate the unity and stability of the kingdom.

“Here, I hope all of you will remember the responsibility and glory we bear as nobles.”

“Now, please enter in order.”

The interior of the assembly hall was extraordinarily spacious. Seats arranged in a circular layout rose upward layer by layer, enough to accommodate every titled noble in the kingdom.

The nobles of the five regions were guided to their designated areas and seated, the boundaries between them clear and distinct.

Before long, solemn and magnificent music rang out, suppressing the faint conversations in the hall.

Everyone’s gaze turned toward the entrance at the side of the highest dais.

An attendant officer declared in a loud voice, “His Majesty Aiden I, King of the Kingdom of Orlando, has arrived—!”

Under the guidance of two palace attendants, a small, thin figure slowly walked out.

Aiden wore a magnificent royal robe tailored specifically for him. The robe was embroidered all over with intricate sun patterns in golden thread.

There was a trace of nervousness in his eyes as he walked step by step toward the high platform ahead.

Looking at his young and frail figure, many nobles below the dais revealed complicated expressions in their eyes.

Some felt pity. Some felt worry. Others secretly felt disdain, even disappointment.

They, and this ancient kingdom, were about to welcome an unprecedented king who was only nine years old...

When Aiden climbed the final step and stood before the throne, some nobles in the Western Frontier section below the dais were the first to rise, letting out a resounding cry.

“Long live His Majesty Aiden!”

The cry seemed to serve as a signal. No matter what the nobles from the other regions were thinking, at this moment, they could only rise one after another and echo the shout.

“Long live His Majesty Aiden!”

Aiden stood upon the high platform, listening to the tidal waves of congratulations surging up from below.

An unhealthy flush appeared on his pale little face, and his chest rose and fell slightly.

The feeling of being watched by countless people, this illusion of standing at the summit of power, made him somewhat dizzy.

At this moment, Prime Minister Marquess Rhein walked beneath the dais. Facing all the nobles, he unfurled the long edict in his hands.

“His late Majesty Augustus unfortunately met with calamity and returned to the divine realm. We, his subjects, grieve beyond measure...

“Yet the path of the kingdom continues, and a nation cannot be without a ruler for even a single day... According to the ancient laws of the kingdom and the royal succession law.

“The son of His Majesty Augustus Aurora, the rightful continuation of the bloodline of the great Caesar Aurora, His Highness Aiden Aurora.

“Shall today formally succeed to the throne as King of the Kingdom of Orlando, henceforth King Aiden I!”

When Prime Minister Rhein finished reciting the final line, coordinated cheers erupted throughout the assembly hall once more.

“Wonderful!”

“Long live King Aiden!”

“Long live Orlando!”

The cheers shook the heavens and the earth, and everyone seemed wildly excited.

However, every single person seated there was a skilled actor.

Their cheers were not for the child on the dais, but for their own interests and survival.

Prime Minister Rhein paused for a moment. Only after the cheers had faded somewhat did he continue announcing in a ringing voice.

“Next, may the Regent of the Kingdom of Orlando, Duke of the Western Frontier, Guardian of the Western Frontier, Lord Federico La Roche.

“Crown His Majesty Aiden I and place upon his head the Crown of Inheritance, symbol of royal authority!”

This time, the applause and cheers from below the dais became even warmer and more enduring.

The voices from the Western Frontier section in particular were especially sincere, filled with support for this master of the Western Frontier.

Aiden stood on the high platform, listening to this even more fervent and genuine wave of sound, and his small brows furrowed.

Bernard’s words rang in his ears once more.

...You are nothing more than a puppet king... The Regent is the true ruler...

As he thought, Federico solemnly lifted the heavy, ancient Crown of Inheritance that symbolized Orlando’s supreme authority in both hands.

Step by step, he walked up to the high platform and arrived before Aiden.

He carefully raised the crown, displaying it to the nobles, then slowly placed it upon Aiden’s head.

However, this crown, designed for an adult, was truly too large for the nine-year-old Aiden.

After it was placed on his head, the crown was obviously unstable, almost covering his eyes.

Aiden instinctively reached out with both hands and held the crown that was about to slip down.

All the nobles below the dais saw this scene clearly.

A king who could not even wear his crown steadily.

An extremely faint disturbance and whispering spread below the dais.

Mockery, pity, or helplessness flashed through many people’s eyes.

Seeing this, Federico sighed inwardly, but his expression did not change in the slightest.

He quickly moved behind Aiden, lowered himself, and said in a low voice.

“I will hold the crown for you from behind, Aiden. Now, open your arms and accept the cheers of your subjects.”

Aiden instinctively obeyed his grandfather’s instruction.

He released the hands holding the crown and opened his arms somewhat stiffly, making a gesture of embracing his subjects.

The crown no longer wavered in Federico’s steady hands.

The cheers of “Long live the king” rang out below the dais once more.

Aiden swept his gaze over the faces below that were shouting long life to him, working hard to maintain a smile.

A twisted sense of satisfaction filled his chest.

Look. They are all bowing to me! Now, I am the true king!

The coronation portion of the ceremony ended, and Prime Minister Rhein continued presiding over the ritual.

“Next, may the dukes of the three regions offer their oaths and loyalty to His Majesty Aiden I!”

Since none of the three grand dukes had personally come, the representatives were the highest-ranking members of their respective families.

The three representatives glanced at one another, then walked forward in order.

But they did not step onto the high platform. Instead, they faced Aiden from below the dais and knelt on one knee.

“I, of the Olaf Family, on behalf of the Northern Frontier and all its vassals...”

“I, of House Medici, on behalf of the Southern Frontier and all its vassals...”

“I, of the Russell Family, on behalf of the Eastern Frontier and all its vassals...”

“Swear to the great His Majesty Aiden I that we shall faithfully uphold our duty as guardians and obey the laws of the kingdom...

“In the name of our families and ancestors, we offer our loyalty!”

Their oaths were smooth and standard, yet little genuine feeling could be heard in them. It sounded more like they were completing a procedure that had to be performed.

The representatives of the three regions finished their oaths. Prime Minister Rhein’s voice rang out once more.

“May all nobles of every region offer your oaths and loyalty to His Majesty Aiden I!”

Whoosh—

All the nobles in the assembly hall, no matter which region they came from, stood up at this moment regardless of whether they were willing in their hearts.

Then, like a tide, they knelt on one knee.

A dense mass of people knelt down, and the scene was both magnificent and solemn.

“I... of the... family... offer my oath and loyalty to His Majesty Aiden I!”

The voices of several hundred people converged together like thunder, crashing against the high platform and against Aiden’s eardrums and heart.

His chest rose and fell violently. His face flushed, and he was so excited that he could barely control himself.

This feeling of looking down upon all living beings was simply too wonderful!

He was immersed in this enormous illusion of power.

However, at this moment, he made a move that no one had expected.

He actually tilted his head slightly and asked Federico, his grandfather, who was still standing behind him and holding the crown for him.

“Grandfather, what about you...?”

His voice was not loud, but in the brief silence after the nobles had sworn their oaths, it reached the ears of those nobles closest to the high platform with exceptional clarity.

In an instant, many nobles kneeling on the ground abruptly raised their heads, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.

Even Prime Minister Rhein and the three regional representatives below the dais saw their expressions change slightly.

He had actually... asked such a question on such a solemn occasion?!

He truly was a child.

The hand Federico used to hold the crown was as steady as a rock, and there was not the slightest change in his expression.

He calmly looked at his grandson’s profile, then spoke clearly in a steady voice.

“I, of the La Roche Family, in the name of the Duke of the Western Frontier and all its vassals.

“Swear by the honor of my family and ancestors to offer our loyalty to His Majesty Aiden I...”

His voice was not loud, yet it instantly suppressed the subtle ripple that had just risen and stabilized the situation once more.

Hearing his grandfather personally swear loyalty to him as well, the last trace of doubt on Aiden’s face completely vanished.

It was replaced by an extremely swollen sense of satisfaction and desire for power.

He turned his head back, revealing a brilliant smile that even carried a trace of smugness, and swept his gaze over those below once again.

Below the dais were the kingdom’s nobles, still kneeling across the hall.

On the high platform, only he stood.

I am the king!

He repeated this sentence in his heart once again, as though doing so could make it an unshakable fact.

Yet he did not know that on many of the faces lowered once more below the dais, the expressions had already become far more complicated and profound.