NOVEL WEB Chapter 16: The Coronation
After inspecting the areas, Elon was convinced that he had actually discovered limestone. With a wide smile appearing on his face, he gave Ser Vorden a congenial look.
"Hah... We should head back to King's Layout. We'll return in two days to begin the work," Elon said.
"You still haven't told us what you need this for... That's just a white rock, my king," Ser Vorden spoke with a confused expression after hesitating for a moment.
"I already told you, Ser Vorden. We are going to be using this for the production of cement. And it's more than just a white rock... It's called limestone," Elon responded.
The men flinched upon hearing that unfamiliar name. Of course, all they had ever known it to be was just a white rock in the stone forest. Limestone was a name that had sparked their curiosity, and the fact that it could be used for cement production—something they had no idea about—made the situation even more confusing.
"Come on, you all will get to see what it is if we work hard to collect some of it. We'll transport it to King's Layout and gather other materials to make the cement," Elon stated.
"But, my king... How can we carry such huge rocks to King's Layout? It's impossible," one of the men said.
"No, it's not. We'll break them into smaller portions and use the carts we have to carry them," Elon smiled at the man, who suddenly nodded upon understanding the logic.
They left the stone forest immediately, aiming to reach King's Layout, the capital of Salvador, before nightfall. However, they couldn't beat the time and actually arrived at King's Layout at nighttime.
The Lords were already waiting outside the Royal Palace for Elon, as many were nervous about his whereabouts. Matilda stood outside the palace building as well, a wide look of relief appearing on her face as she saw that he was fine.
Elon smirked and stepped down from the horse, then approached Matilda first.
"Mother," he said with a smile.
"You were gone for too long... You know it's not safe out there for a young king like you," Matilda warned with a worried look.
"I know, Mother... I just had to take care of some important things," Elon replied.
He then turned to the Lords and some other nobles standing around.
"When is my coronation, Lord Xan?" he asked.
"Tomorrow, my king," Lord Xan responded with a slight bow.
"Satisfying," Elon exhaled deeply and glanced around.
"When I become king, we are going to commence many projects to develop this great kingdom. As you all can see, we are the poorest and weakest kingdom in the whole Althera Empire—the Green Continent, to be precise.
We have to end that shameful record after so many years... We have to take control of our fate and make Salvador a better place. We should make Salvador stronger, wealthier, and finer.
First, we must start somewhere. And considering that the Days of Darkness and Terrors are approaching, it's clear that improving our source of safety is more important than anything else."
Elon's speech sent a wave of silence across the area as everyone stood and listened attentively.
"We'll destroy the walls surrounding King's Layout and Windsor Estate and build new, stronger ones. We'll also expand the scope, incorporating the Westwood residence. If we try to build walls around all of Salvador, it would be impossible to complete before winter arrives," Elon added.
"Why would we have to live with the residents of Westwood? They are commoners, my king. It would be disrespectful to have them under the same protection as us," one of the nobles spoke from the side, drawing Elon's attention at once.
Upon hearing this, Elon glared.
"Well, that's not a good thing to say. Whether commoner or noble, foreign or native, no one will be left out of the protective walls," Elon suppressed his anger and smirked at the nobleman.
"But, my king... We have always fled to Thera when winter comes. Salvador is not safe at all," another nobleman complained.
"There's no need to complain. Anyone who wants to leave for Thera is free to go. As for me, your king, I will stay in Salvador when winter comes and defend the kingdom from the Parasytes."
A considerable number of people were stunned by Elon's words. Many assumed he was saying this because he had no idea what the Parasytes were, but they weren't entirely right.
It was true that Elon had never witnessed an attack by the Parasytes, but he remained fearless regardless. He had been in battles where thousands of soldiers clashed in terrifying warfare. That alone had made him strong-hearted enough for anything.
If it was death they feared, Elon did not—not even a little.
After his speech, Elon dismissed everyone and invited the Chief Knight, Ser Norman, for a short meeting. Ser Vorden was also invited, and Elon didn't mind calling Lord Xan to the meeting as well.
"To build these walls, we'll need a large workforce. We've already obtained one of the materials needed to make cement, so we'll head back to the stone forest the day after my coronation," Elon said.
"We'll need fifty men to accompany us and at least forty carts," Elon told the Chief Knight.
"We only have thirty carts in King's Layout, my king," Ser Norman responded in a cold tone, feeling a bit down.
"Well, we'll manage with the equipment we have," Elon said, which made Ser Norman feel relieved.
"Lord Xan, how much does Salvador currently have in funds?" Elon asked.
"Before the Master of Coin resigned, he stated that we had a hundred gold coins, a thousand silver coins, and five thousand copper coins. We had no iron coins," Lord Xan replied shamefully.
But Elon simply maintained his smile, which seemed surprisingly friendly. If it had been his father, King Halton, he would have shouted at the top of his lungs and blamed them for not working harder to generate more wealth. That was the wrong approach for a king—after all, it wasn't entirely their fault.
"How long would a thousand silver coins and three thousand coppers last to pay a thousand workers?" Elon then asked.
"About a month and a half, my king," Lord Xan hesitated before replying.
"Nice, then... That will be enough for the project," Elon smiled. "How long can a hundred gold coins last for food? I'm talking about feeding the entire kingdom's population."
"Umm... Five to six months, my king. There are over four thousand people in the kingdom currently," Lord Xan stated.
Elon's eyes glinted upon hearing this, realizing that relying solely on their current funds wasn't sustainable.
With a sigh, he brought out a book and wrote down the issue using the ink of ashes.
"We'll need a hundred more gold coins... A hundred and fifty at most."
"Yes, my king," Lord Xan nodded.
"We'll find a way to get them, surely..." Elon believed.
"Get the fifty men ready, Ser Norman. Ser Vorden, prepare the thirty carts as well. We don't have much time to waste," Elon ordered.
That night, he spent most of his time studying the process of making cement once he had all the necessary materials. He was trying to learn the easiest method, one that would allow them to finish quickly.
He didn't want to overburden the people at the moment because...
Most of these men were still suffering from the trauma of the losses they had endured in the war against the Last Order Army of the Negators.
...
In the throne room of Salvador, a considerable number of people gathered to witness the coronation of the new, young king.
All the nobles, Lords, and other important figures of the kingdom stood before the elevated platform where the king stood.
Elon was clad in a brown royal garment that nearly reached his toes, with silver wristbands on both wrists. It would be ungrateful to say he wasn't happy, but truthfully, Elon just wanted to get this over with and return to work.
Yes, work... There was a lot to do. Truth be told, he wasn't even sure the project would be completed before winter, and he knew exactly what that would mean if it wasn't.
Lord Xan approached him on the platform, holding the crown, and raised it over his head.
"I, Lord Xan, the Head Lord of the Court, empowered by the grace of the Great God of Mana and the support of the people, name you, Elon Roger, as King of the Great Kingdom of Salvador."
Lord Xan placed the crown on Elon's head and bowed. The entire crowd followed, and in the next moment, the grand hall echoed with a familiar chant:
"Long live the King!"
"Long live the King!!"
"Long live the King!!!"
Just like that, the once useless, banished son of King Halton Roger was now liberated and crowned King of Salvador.
Elon sighed softly, glancing around.
"The journey has begun."