Chapter 2149: The Future of the Throne

After listening carefully to my grandfather's words regarding the future of the throne and my own possible place in it, I was left speechless for a long moment. I rubbed my chin thoughtfully and then looked back into his steady eyes.

"I see..."

I would not get upset, nor cry about it, and even less would I grow angry at him. He was not wrong in anything he said, and I was no longer a child who would become overly dramatic about every single matter that came my way.

This was simply what it meant to be part of such a prestigious family, perhaps the greatest noble house in the entire world when one considered the sheer size of our country, especially when compared to the Human Alliance.

But this revelation also carried a heavier meaning.

"W-Would I really make a good queen, I wonder...?" I muttered. Ruby, my brother, and my sister all turned to look at me with wide eyes full of surprise.

"Y-You're actually considering it?!" my brother gasped in disbelief.

"I would not want to place that heavy responsibility on you, brother," I said gently. "You still have a long path ahead with Celica..."

"I-I do not know what you are even talking about..." Aquarina sighed, her voice carrying a mix of curiosity and mild concern. "But would that mean I am also going to be part of that future?!"

"Likely," I giggled softly at her reaction. "What? Are you afraid?"

"Nah," she shrugged with a small smile. "I-I was just asking! I am not going to leave your side over something like that... ever! We will face that challenge together if it ever comes... though I truly hope it never does."

"It remains only a possibility," my grandfather said with calm wisdom. "The future is yet to be written, young ladies. Now, I shall take my leave. You are all still very young. Enjoy your youthfulness. Go be with your friends, eat, drink, laugh... Treasure the little moments, for those are what make the hardest times in life worth enduring." My grandfather nodded with a warm smile and then walked away, rejoining the dwarves as they continued mobilizing huge logs and boulders while cleaning with muscle and magic.

We were all left standing in thoughtful silence, each of us reflecting deeply on everything he had shared. Opportunities like this were extremely rare, especially the chance to speak with the King in such a personal and honest moment.

It was even rarer to receive these kinds of revelations about a possible future that, as he had said, was "yet to be written." So I supposed it truly was only a possibility, and nothing set in stone.

But... was my mother truly willing to take up the mantle herself?

And just as grandfather had mentioned, the many aunts and uncles I possessed, most of whom I had only barely met, would almost certainly raise protests against that decision, would they not?

Come to think of it, I had barely ever known much about my elven relatives beyond that one distant celebration where we had all gathered together. It often felt as though my mother preferred that I not interact with them too closely.

In truth, they were either constantly busy with their own affairs or simply held some quiet resentment toward me for reasons I could only guess at. I suspected it was because I was only half-elf, though with my fairy bloodline now fully awakened, they would probably die of pure envy if they ever saw me now.

"Well, he is not wrong," Aquarina said with a firm nod, finally breaking the lingering awkward silence. "Shall we get going?"

"Y-Yeah!" Ruby agreed quickly. "Hey Zephyrus, say something."

"Uh, ah! Yeah," Zephy nodded, seeming to snap out of his own thoughts. "I mean... I would not really mind, sis. If you did not want the throne, I could become King myself."

"You?!" I gasped, turning to him in surprise. "Y-You really want such a huge responsibility placed on your shoulders?!"

"No... I mean, not right now, okay? It was just a passing thought," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I simply thought that if I became the King of the Elven Kingdom, then Celica... and all the Demons, we could grant them greater rights. And if a Queen were also a Demon, would that not change a great many things for the better?"

"...And cause a tremendous amount of outrage as well," I sighed, though I could not deny the merit in his words. "But you are not wrong... I suppose you want to do this for her sake?"

"For her, and for her mother, and for all the other Demons," Zephyrus admitted quietly. "I do not fully understand why, but I have always felt a deep connection with them."

"Huh..." I nodded slowly, feeling a warm sense of pride. "There is nothing wrong with that at all! It is a very kind and admirable way of thinking, Zephyrus. And I am also seriously considering the possibility myself, though I would feel terrible if I forced the mantle onto you instead... perhaps once we are both truly, truly old."

"Hahaha, true enough," he nodded with a light laugh. "But mother should take the throne for now, I suppose... What will we do about those who oppose her?"

"We might have to protect her," I whispered as I drew him a little closer to me, lowering my voice. "We can handle them if needed. They are little more than a bunch of arrogant bums anyway."

"Maybe if we take them down first and then force them into a soul contract promising never to bother her again... would that work?" he asked with a thoughtful expression.

"Wow, that is actually a great idea," I nodded, my mind already racing ahead. "And then we could force them to share half of their riches with the poorer areas of the population. No, even better, we could invest those resources into improving the socioeconomic differences, create more homes for orphans, and—"

"Okay, enough chit-chat, you two!" Ruby interrupted. "I remember the girls were waiting up there. Let's go already!"

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