NOVEL WEB Ch. 26
Chapter 26
When I said I would go see the King, Jereuth thought for a moment and then rose from his seat with me.
“Your Highness, may I perhaps see the King with you?”
It didn't matter to me if I met the King with Jereuth. It wasn't like I was going to say anything he shouldn't hear.
However, since there was no mention in the
If possible, I didn't want to deviate from the flow of life's answer sheet. ……Although I had already deviated in a few things.
“I'm sorry, Head Knight. I think it would be better if we saw him separately. I have something to ask my father personally.”
“Then Your Highness may see the King first, and I will see him afterward.”
“I would appreciate it if you could do that.”
As I came out of the room, Jereuth followed behind me.
***
I had been to the King's room before, so I could go there by myself.
As I was heading to the King's room without much thought, I saw a familiar face in the distance.
It was Elly. We faced each other squarely without a word.
“……”
“……”
Elly's large, clear eyes were bright red and swollen. She looked like she had cried a lot. It seemed she had shed tears of joy because her family, whom she thought was dead, was alive.
‘Wait. But earlier, thinking Elly's family was dead, I apologized to her, but her family is alive. What should I say about that?’
I was the one in charge of this Purge. For me to have said I thought her family was dead could make Elly feel as if I had lied to her.
‘If it were me, I would have been furious with the person who told such a lie. Much more than how I had resented the paramedic who told me my parents would be okay when they were rushed to the emergency room after a car accident for a long time.’
While I was lost in these thoughts, Elly approached me. I thought she would say something sharp.
However, contrary to my worries, Elly wiped the moisture from her eyes with her sleeve and gave me a bright smile.
“Thank you, Your Highness. For saving my family…… the Heinem Viscounty.”
Thank you?
I wasn't sure what she was thankful for. I had nothing to do with saving the Heinem Viscounty in this Purge.
I felt a prick of conscience.
“Um…… that is―.”
As I hesitated, thinking about what to say to Elly, Jereuth intervened.
“Maid. His Highness is going to see His Majesty, so follow us.”
“Ah, yes! Understood!”
Elly replied cheerfully with her swollen eyes and stood behind us. I was still conscious of Elly, yet Elly herself was smiling behind me as if nothing was wrong.
‘It seems Jereuth told Elly that I saved her family—the Heinem Viscounty……. I don't know how it happened, but for now, what's good is good, so let's move on. I can just ask Jereuth about it later.’
Organizing my uneasy thoughts, I headed for the King's room again.
Soon, I arrived at the King's room. As I reached the door, Elly stepped forward, knocked, and said.
―Knock, knock.
“Your Majesty, Crown Prince Leonardo and Head Knight Jereuth have come to see you.”
It was a very polite tone. And for some reason, Elly seemed accustomed to knocking on the King's door.
―Enter.
When the King's permission came from inside the door, Elly opened it for me. In that brief moment, I remembered the time I came to the King's room before.
‘Thinking back to the last time I came to the King's room…… it wasn't a very pleasant place.’
To be honest, the King's room was beyond unpleasant; it was a ‘foul’ room. There was the distinct stench of a dying old man, a strange smell of filth, and it was filled with musty dampness from not being cleaned for a long time and a lack of sunlight.
With that unpleasant memory remaining, I couldn't readily enter the King's room. Who would want to enter a room filled with the mixed stench of death and filth?
‘Still, the
Mentally preparing myself, I entered the room.
However, unlike my memory, the King's room had completely changed.
‘……How is it this clean?’
Morning sunlight streamed through the large window, and I could hear the chirping of birds.
That window was originally completely blocked from light by thick curtains.
That wasn't all. The chandelier on the ceiling was brightly lit, and there was even a faint floral scent in the room. That scent was the floral fragrance from my room, the scent of the flowers planted in the garden that the Queen had loved when she was alive.
‘Who cleaned the King's room? But who?’
As I hesitated for a moment at the completely changed state of the room's cleanliness, the King, who was sitting weakly leaning against the bed, spoke.
“Why are you standing there? And not coming closer.”
“Ah……. Yes.”
As I approached the King with an awkward gait, Elly tried to follow me. But Jereuth stopped her.
“Does a maid intend to interrupt the conversation between the King and the Crown Prince?”
“Huh? N-No, that's not it―!”
“Be quiet and come out. Don't disturb the King and His Highness.”
In the end, Elly couldn't enter the room. I don't know if it was just my feeling, but for some reason, Jereuth didn't seem to think very highly of Elly.
‘Hmm……. I should ask Jereuth about it discreetly later. If there's some problem with Elly.’
It's not that I want to take care of Elly because I like her as a woman. I just hope that Jereuth and Elly get along well.
For now, I decided to think about the relationship between Jereuth and Elly later and turned my gaze to the King.
I wondered what to start the conversation with and decided to begin with the 'state of the room'.
“Your Majesty, the room has become much more pleasant.”
“I told you to call me 'Father,' not 'Your Majesty.'”
“Ah…… Yes, Father.”
“It's all thanks to your maid. It couldn't have been easy to clean a room that a sick old man had defiled for so long all by herself, I am truly grateful.”
“Elly came and cleaned it?”
“You didn't know? I thought you had ordered your maid to do it.”
“I think I vaguely mentioned cleaning the room you were in last time……. But I didn't know she would change it this much.”
“I see. Anyway, your maid came by frequently and cleaned. By the way, Leonardo, you call that maid by her name?”
Previously, Jereuth had asked about me calling Elly by her name, and now the King was asking too.
“Yes, since she is my maid, I am calling her by her name.”
“Hmm…… I see. It doesn't seem like a bad choice. Seeing as you've decided to hand over the throne to the dukes, it looks like you've completely given up on royal authority, so choosing a woman who is wholeheartedly devoted to you would be good too.”
That I decided to hand over the throne to the dukes…….
Hearing him speak like that, it seemed the King hadn't heard about the Purge yet. Well, since he had only stayed in this room, he might not have known what was happening outside.
‘But 'choosing a woman'? What does that mean?’
I wanted to ask what that meant, but for now, I proceeded with the conversation rather than such a trivial question.
“From whom did you hear that I would hand over the throne to the dukes? It seems you have been in this room the whole time.”
“Your maid told me. She kept me company while cleaning for a few days.”
“I see.”
“I think handing over the throne is also a good choice. Whichever duke becomes king, they won't treat you, the one who handed over the throne, too poorly. At the very least, they might give you a small villa in the frontier, or if you're lucky, you might be able to live in a mansion in the royal capital.”
Hearing him continue to speak like that, it seemed the King truly knew nothing about the Purge.
“So, what is the reason you came to see me? You must be busy with preparations for the Throne Handover Ceremony. Or is it already over?”
“The Throne Handover Ceremony was not held.”
“It was not held?”
“Yes. I did something else instead.”
“What? Did you perhaps really marry the daughter of one of the two dukes—.”
“No, Father. I purged the nobles.”
“……?”
At my words, the King blinked his eyes as if he had misheard and asked with a trembling voice.
“You, you purged the nobles?”
“Yes. I killed and eliminated Duke Vaimal, Duke Panshin, and most of the nobles.”
“……Is that true?”
Seeing him ask for confirmation again, it seemed he really found it hard to believe.
“Yes. I purged most of the nobles.”
“……”
The King continued to look at me with surprised eyes before barely composing his voice and replying.
“Did you borrow Jereuth's power?”
“It's true that I received Head Knight Jereuth's help, but I did not borrow his power. Because he has now decided to serve me as his master. Therefore, Head Knight Jereuth's power is my power, and my power is his power. So, strictly speaking, I did not borrow his power.”
“……Jereuth decided to serve you?”
“Yes.”
“So it ended up like that in the end……”
The King, who had been muttering, took a deep breath and continued.
“You came to see me before and asked who was loyal to the royal family. At that time, I did think you were going to do something big. But I didn't know you would do something this big.”
“It was not an easy task. Still, I am relieved that the Purge was completed successfully.”
Haa—.
The King let out a sigh mixed with various emotions. Then he nodded and said to me.
“Leonardo. In the end, you have decided to become King.”
“Yes.”
“Then is the reason you came to me to receive the throne? To take the crown?”
“No. It's because there's something I want to ask you.”
The King's eyes showed a small spark of interest as he asked back.
“Something to ask me?”
“Yes. Although the nobles have been purged, that doesn't mean all problems have been solved. The people of the kingdom are still poor, and the evil deeds committed by the nobles remain. Besides that, the kingdom will face numerous problems in the future. I want to ask you, Father, how to solve those numerous problems.”
“Hmm. You, who have achieved the feat of a Purge, are going to seek advice from me, a failed king?”
“Yes. Because you, Father, have more experience as a king than I do. Whether you failed or succeeded, I believe that experience and wisdom cannot be ignored.”
“……”
The King looked at me silently again. For quite a long time.
Soon, the King gave a hollow laugh and replied.
“If I had asked my father—you wouldn't know him, but he would be your grandfather. If I had asked him something like this, as you did, my end might have been different. But I didn't ask. Because I thought that I, in the present, was more outstanding than my father, and even more so than my future self. I too was once a humble person like you, but at some point, I became an arrogant and foolish king. ……Then I learned of a future that could not be changed.”
“……”
“Anyway, before I answer what you asked, I will tell you one thing first. The reason I failed as a king was not just because of arrogance and foolishness. I lacked courage. Courage like yours to fight the nobles, or the courage to ask my father a question.”
“Courage……. I don't think I am brave, though.”
“If purging the nobles is not courage, then what is? That is not something that can be done out of madness or bravado. It is definitely courage.”
“……”
“Leonardo, you are a man of courage. And that is probably what your mother left for you. Although, besides courage, there are other elven legacies left within you.”
The King finished speaking with a bitter yet proud smile. Then, he gently closed his eyes and continued in a weary voice.
“You asked me how to solve the numerous problems the kingdom will face in the future, didn't you?”
“Yes.”
“Leonardo, you already know the answer. The answer to the numerous problems you will face in the future.”
“……I already know the answer?”
“Yes.”
“I don't quite understand what you mean. That I already know the answer to the numerous problems I will face in the future?”
When I asked again, the King stroked my head with a faint smile and replied.
“Seeking advice from others, just as you came to me for advice now, that is the ‘answer’.”
“Seeking advice from others is the answer……?”
“Yes. Not even a legendary hero, or an outstanding king beloved by history, can solve everything alone. Human life is so short that no matter how outstanding one is, there are bound to be more things they don't know than they do. There are also plenty of things beyond one's own abilities.”
“Yes.”
“So, when a problem arises, don't agonize over it alone; seek advice. Just like you came to me for advice. And if you think that advice is right, accept it.”
“……”
“Keep this in mind. A king must be humble rather than arrogant, and must admit his shortcomings rather than being foolish. For that, the courage to be humble and admit one's shortcomings is important.”
I felt like I had realized something.
‘……Right, I didn't need to try and figure out how to solve every problem myself. I just need to get help from skilled people who know more about the respective fields than I do.’
For example, if farming is the problem, I can seek advice from farmers. If commerce is the problem, I can listen to the advice of merchants. If the military is the problem, I can seek advice from a soldier—Jereuth.
I didn't know what kind of problems would come my way in the future, but it seemed I could handle them somehow by dealing with them in that manner.
‘To do that, I need to gather talented people. People who are skilled and whom I can trust.’
The King, who was watching my expression, stroked my head.
“As expected, you are the son of the woman I loved the most. You have her courage, intelligence, and humility, which I did not possess.”
“……”
“To you, who has such treasures, I, a failed king, will give one more piece of advice. Leonardo, learn from failure, not success. The reason for success may be one, but the reasons for failure are always many, so there will be much more to learn from failure than from success.”
The words to learn from failure, not success.
It was truly good advice. I could understand why my future self in the
“I am glad that I can at least leave you with such advice. It is nothing much compared to the strong royal authority my father passed down to me…… but I hope it will be helpful to you.”
I didn't know, but it seemed the King had received strong royal authority from his father. But the King had lost it all to the nobles during his own generation.
“Will you leave now? I am tired from talking so much after a long time.”
“Yes. But Father, Head Knight Jereuth said he wants to see you. Would that be all right?”
“Jereuth? ……It should be fine. Let him in. If you have nothing more to say, you may leave.”
It was the King's order to leave. I had nothing more to ask the King, so I obediently nodded and stepped back.
Before opening the door and leaving, I bowed.
“I will come to see you again.”
“Yes. At that time, I hope I can give you the crown myself. ……Wait, Leonardo.”
As I was about to leave the room, the King called me again.
“Yes?”
“Let me tell you just one last thing. If you truly want to rule this kingdom properly, first see the kingdom with your own eyes. You will be able to see how much the people of this kingdom are suffering because of a lacking king like me, and what they need right now.”
“To see the kingdom with my own eyes, do you mean I should go outside the royal palace and see the lives of the people myself?”
“Yes. A king who does not experience the lives of the people firsthand cannot become a true king. That is why I, too, once stayed by the people's side, watching their lives and betting my all for them. ……Until I realized that there are things that cannot be changed no matter how hard one tries.”
After finishing his words, the King looked at me pitifully. It might have been my imagination, but in that gaze, I felt as if my father from my previous life was looking at me.
My father, who had passed away after the accident, sustained by a ventilator just before his death.
‘That man is a failed, incompetent king. He's not my father to begin with. But…… to that man, I might be a son.’
Keeping that gaze in my heart, I bowed to the King once more and left the room.
***
I came out of the King's room. Outside the room, Jereuth and Elly were waiting for me. I spoke to Jereuth.
“Father is looking for you.”
“The King, me……? Understood, Your Highness. Then I will go in.”
“Yes. Oh, and Head Knight. After you see my father, would you be able to go outside the royal palace with me?”
“Outside the royal palace? Do you mean to go on an inspection tour?”
“Well, it's not something as grand as an inspection tour, but it's similar. My father advised me that to become a true king, I must see the lives of the people for myself.”
“Advice……? Frankly, I don't know if the King is qualified to say such things to Your Highness.”
Jereuth thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Understood, Your Highness. Then I will bring the entire knight order—.”
“No. I want to go as discreetly as possible. I think that's the only way I can see the 'real' lives of the people.”
“Still—.”
“I ask this of you.”
“……Understood.”
Unable to overcome my insistence, Jereuth nodded.
Click.
Jereuth entered the King's room, and I said to Elly.
“Miss Elly, please prepare to go outside the royal palace.”
“Understood, Your Highness!”
Until now, I had only indirectly experienced the lives of the people through the letters and words of the
Now, it was time to see it with my own two eyes. The true state of this kingdom that I must change.