NOVEL WEB Chapter 9: The Court
The king's knight had no choice but to lead Elon and Matilda to the Court, a high noble house where the Lords met with the King for certain meetings.
All judgments were made inside the Court, including the condemnation of criminals and decisions on major matters after discussions between the Lords and the King. It was a highly credible place where no stamped judgment could be reversed.
With the AK-47 rifle in his hand, Elon advanced freely toward the Court building. The sight of the Salvadoran architecture made him flinch—the poorly structured buildings where the people resided were appalling. It wasn't entirely new to him, as he had read about Salvador's developmental state, but seeing it in person was far more striking. It was even worse than what the author had described.
"So unfortunate," Elon muttered, shaking his head in pity.
Upon reaching the Courthouse, the king's knight led them inside, where they spotted five men seated around a large wooden table. These men wore unrelaxed expressions, and upon noticing the king's knight, they all rushed toward him, their eyes wide with alarm.
"Is the war over?"
"Where is the king?"
"What happened?!"
"You were supposed to be by the king's side!"
The Lords bombarded the knight with frantic questions, their concern palpable. For a moment, the king's knight seemed burdened, but after a brief hesitation, he exhaled deeply and spoke.
"The king is dead, my Lords… The Negators were too powerful for us to defeat. We were moments away from dying before—"
"The Princes! Where are they?!" Lord Xan, a middle-aged man with long gray hair and pale blue eyes, interrupted urgently.
"They… They are…"
"No! Don't tell me they are dead too!" Lord Xan exclaimed, his eyes glinting with panic.
"I'm sorry, my Lord," the king's knight bowed slightly, confirming the worst.
"This is bad… This is trouble. What about King Jon Buxx? Is he still on the battlefield?" Lord Jevran, an elderly man with short gray hair, fair skin, and dull dark eyes, asked anxiously.
"Unfortunately, King Jon Buxx and his wife, Queen Eva Buxx, also perished in the war… We lost eighty percent of our warriors, my Lords," the king's knight announced grimly.
"Does that mean we've lost the war? Are the Negators approaching the walls?" Lord Tywin asked, his voice filled with fear.
"It's only a matter of time before we are all slaughtered by their dark magic! We should flee!" Lord Barton shouted in a panic.
"No, my Lords… It was quite fortunate that we ended up winning the war," the king's knight said, smiling as he delivered the good news.
Then, he turned toward Elon, who had been standing a short distance behind him.
"This young man here helped us defeat the Negators without effort. He wields a vile weapon that shoots large seeds capable of killing a Negator with a single strike. He saved the people," the king's knight explained.
The Lords widened their eyes the moment they took a closer look at Elon. For a long moment, they silently observed the young man who had singlehandedly vanquished the Last Order Army of the Negators.
"Chief Knight Norman… Are you saying that this young man saved Salvador?!" Lord Xan asked in awe.
"Yes, my Lord. He used the weapon in his hand to wipe out the entire Last Order Army," Chief Knight Norman confirmed.
Lord Xan quickly approached Elon, staring intently into his eyes.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Elon Roger, the only surviving prince of the Kingdom of Salvador," Elon replied with a smile.
"Wha—"
"He claims to be the boy the king banished eighteen years ago, my Lord. That's why we have brought him here. And this is Matilda, if you remember her. She served the second queen during her time in the palace," Chief Knight Norman explained.
Lord Xan turned toward Matilda, who stood beside Elon. To his surprise, he recognized her at once, his eyes widening. Although she had aged, there was no way he wouldn't recognize her.
She had been a well-known maid who served Queen Anice with unwavering loyalty and diligence. Even after the queen was banished, she pledged to share in her misfortune and followed her out of Salvador.
"Matilda… It's you," Lord Xan nodded.
"It's me, my Lord," Matilda responded respectfully.
"You both are not welcome here. You were banished," Lord Millish, a slightly chubby, hairless man, stepped forward and spoke with a glare.
"He saved the kingdom from doom! He deserves to be back here. This is his father's kingdom," Matilda boldly retorted.
"King Halton Roger stopped being his father a long time ago. He disowned him right here before the Court and the people," Lord Millish barked.
"That doesn't change the fact that he is the savior of Salvador and the rightful king at this point!" Matilda countered fiercely, showing no fear despite Lord Millish's power to order her execution.
"We don't care, Matilda. The laws must be upheld, regardless of any controversy—"
"Of course we do," Lord Xan interjected, his patience wearing thin.
Lord Millish and the other Lords turned to him, throwing him a stern glance of confusion.
"This man saved the people of Salvador and Thera from the Last Order Army of the Negators. In the first place, the reason for his banishment was his inability to awaken. Yet, we all know that magic has failed us for years. It was only a matter of time before the Negators destroyed the entire kingdom and even the Midlands Hills. Had he not appeared, we would all be dead right now."
"He has proven that he possesses something even more powerful than magic—something that can protect us from the Negators and other enemies," Lord Xan stated firmly.
He walked back toward the table, where a book the size of a Bible lay. He opened it, scanned its contents for a while, then closed it.
"Before the king left for the battlefield with his sons, he ordered me to find the son he banished at all costs if they did not survive. He had begun regretting his actions after the Seer foretold his fate. He realized that his banished son's destiny might not be as he had once believed," Lord Xan sighed and turned back to Elon.
"He had wanted you back for a long time… You are fated to be the next king, Elon. Fate has brought you back without effort, and we are grateful that you saved us from the Negators," Lord Xan said, his face showing visible appreciation.
**[The Key Character, Lord Xan, is touched by your service to the Kingdom of Salvador, saving them from doom and defeating the Last Order Army of the Foreign Demonic Race, The Negators.]**
**[You have gained 50 Approval Points.]**
**[Approval Points in Store: 80.]**
Elon smiled—not just because of the notification but also because of Lord Xan's genuine gratitude.
"Thank you, my Lord," Elon said, bowing slightly. Lord Xan returned the bow.
"The Court will officially terminate the Banishment Order against you, your mother, Queen Anice, and Matilda Haas. Then, we shall proceed with the coronation at once," Lord Xan declared with a smile before turning to the other Lords.
"You can't crown him just like that. Did you forget that the first queen has a daughter who is entitled to the throne?" Lord Millish interjected sharply.
"She is a woman," Lord Xan replied, his gaze narrowing.
"Page 5, Rule 3 of the Salvadoran Law Book states that the children of the first queen are entitled to the throne at any cost. Even if the heir is a woman, an election must be held between her and the second queen's son," Lord Millish argued.
"Aye… A law the king wished he hadn't created. What a shame," Lord Xan muttered.
"The laws must be upheld. He who breaks the Salvadoran Laws has angered the Great God of Mana!" Lord Millish insisted.
The fact that Lord Millish was totally against Elon made it clear... He didn't want Elon to be king, and with the Salvadoran Law being quoted, which Lord Xan had no power to go against, he decided to agree with that rule.
"Aye, if you really want to see the election happen, there are no problems with that. But the election would only be carried out amongst us, the Lords of Salvador," Lord Xan stated.
"That is..."
"Page 5, Rule 4 of the Salvadoran Law Book, all elections must only be carried out amongst the members of the Court, so as to ensure the likeness of the elected amongst the Lords who are his or her backups," Lord Xan smiled at the man who suddenly froze after the interruption.
It was actually right that the Rule Four of Page Five of the Law Book said that, so he had no objections to make. With a slight nod filled with unease, Lord Millish didn't say anymore word, remaining quiet.
The meeting ended after that long conversation, and they all agreed that the election would happen in two days after they informed Princess Sheera, the only daughter of King Halton Roger.
Elon had a thought in mind, as he understood why Lord Millish was the only effective Lord against him...
In the novel, Lord Millish was a very ambitious man who had wanted to take the throne... Not for himself, but for his son. His son had been building a strong relationship with the Princess, as they predicted that the king and his sons would die in battle.
Their plans was for Lord Millish's son to marry Princess Sheera and then kill her after he becomes the Queen's Husband in a very unsuspicious way... He never loved her, and had just wanted to get through her to the throne.
'Thanks to the fact that I read that chapter,' Elon smiled.
'The moment I become king, Lord Millish and his son will be banished from Salvador...!'
'Ah, no... That's too pitiful...'
'I'll kill them!'