I Didn't Want to Become the Emperor of This World

Chapter 91

“The King… no, is Father’s swordsmanship that exceptional?”

Amidst the noisy atmosphere of the banquet hall, I cautiously asked Jereuth.

“Yes. His swordsmanship is like magic. It’s embarrassing to say, but in my youth, I never once won a duel against Philip. It’s not just me; Philip has never lost to anyone. At least, not to my knowledge.”

“……”

“Perhaps if he had personally gone to war against the demons, the history of mankind might have changed significantly.”

I couldn’t believe it.

I had a similar thought earlier, and it was the same this time.

‘That dying old man… was strong in the past?’

Even a martial arts champion who once dominated the world becomes weak and frail with age. The steel-like muscles they boasted of in their youth, which seemed like they could stop bullets, disappear, leaving only skin covering their bones.

‘…Is the King a case like that?’

But I had never gotten a ‘strong’ feeling from the King. I hadn’t met him many times, but he always seemed to lack confidence somewhere and appeared devoid of will in everything.

Like a terminally ill person just waiting for his own death.

As various thoughts crossed my mind, I cleared them away.

‘It’s better to meet the King in person than to think about it a hundred times alone.’

Anyway, I had intended to meet the King before going to the ‘Wasteland of Ruin,’ where the Giants’ settlement was located.

So, I could just ask him about his swordsmanship skills then.

“I didn’t know Father possessed such great swordsmanship skills. I understand. Then I will meet Father first.”

“Yes. However, Your Highness, even if you learn the sword from Philip, I will teach you about basic physical training and army management. In those areas, I am also confident.”

“I’ll ask for your help with the physical training, but as for things like army management, since the Head of the Knight Order is here, I think I can learn it slowly later. There are many things to do right now.”

“Later…”

Jereuth trailed off before nodding his head.

“I understand, Your Highness. Then please let me know when you need me.”

“Yes. Then I will go and see my father. I also have something to ask him about the Minotaur’s dungeon.”

As I said that and got up from my seat.

Scrape—!

The knights and soldiers also rose from their seats along with me. It seemed they all stood up because I, the highest-ranking person, was about to leave.

“You may all continue to sit and enjoy the banquet.”

—……

“Go on.”

Only when I spoke again did the knights and soldiers sit back down. However, perhaps because the atmosphere had become solemn, there were no knights or soldiers chattering noisily like before.

‘They’ll probably enjoy themselves comfortably once I leave anyway.’

As I was thinking that and about to step down from the dais.

“Ah, Your Highness!”

Elly tried to follow me down from the dais. She had been standing politely at the edge of the table where I had been sitting, without eating anything.

Olivia called out to stop Elly.

“Head Maid. Could you spare me a moment?”

“Yes? Me? Uh… I’m with His Highness—”

“Your Highness, must you go with the Head Maid?”

Olivia cut Elly off as she was about to say she had to follow me.

‘I don’t know why Olivia is calling for Elly, but it’s not like I particularly need Elly right now.’

“No, it’s fine since I’m just going to see my father—”

As I was speaking without much thought, Elly’s gaze caught my eye. It was the look of a lost puppy, shocked that I had said she didn’t need to come along.

I didn’t know why she was making that face, but it bothered me for some reason.

“—It’s fine, but it would be a bit strange to go alone, so I’ll go with her. I’ve always gone everywhere with Elly, after all.”

“!”

“……”

Elly and Olivia showed opposite reactions to my answer. Elly’s eyes widened as if her gloomy expression moments before had been a mistake, while Olivia’s expressionless face became even more rigid.

“I understand. Then I will seek out the Head Maid separately to tell her what I need to say.”

“Yes. But if it’s urgent, you can just say it here.”

Olivia, who had been silently watching me for a moment, shook her head.

“It is a matter of business between me, who manages internal affairs, and the Head Maid, who manages the overall affairs of the royal palace. So I don't believe it's necessary for Your Highness to be present.”

I didn’t know what business they were discussing, but since she said it wasn't something I needed to worry about, I just went along with it.

If it were an important matter, she would have asked me to listen in.

“I understand. Then you two can talk about it separately later.”

“Yes. Then I will excuse myself first.”

Olivia replied briefly, then passed me and Elly, walking down from the dais with quick steps.

She paid no mind to the gazes of the clearly passionate knights and soldiers fixed on her, walking only towards the door.

Her gait was similar to usual, but it felt rushed, which was unlike Olivia. For some reason, I could sense a hint of displeasure.

Anyway.

‘I should go see the King.’

***

Together with Elly, I reached the front of the King’s room. Although the banquet hall and the King’s room were in the same Central Palace, the distance was quite significant, so it took a surprisingly long time.

Throughout the walk to the King's room, Elly kept smiling, as if something was amusing her. I was about to ask her why she was smiling, but I was too busy thinking about how to bring up the topic of ‘swordsmanship’ with the King.

‘Is it best to just be direct and say, “Please teach me swordsmanship.”? It’s better than beating around the bush.’

As I was continuing my thoughts, Elly knocked on the King’s door.

Knock, knock—.

“Your Majesty, Prince Leonardo has come to see you.”

—Come in.

When the King’s permission was heard from inside, Elly grasped the doorknob. Before opening the door, she looked at me, seeking permission to open it.

Nod.

When I nodded, Elly opened the door, and I calmly entered the King’s room.

“I apologize for visiting so suddenly, Father. The reason I came is none other than…”

As I was offering a formal greeting while closing the door.

I noticed that the King’s condition was different from usual.

‘He’s not lying in bed today?’

I hadn’t seen the King often, but whenever I visited, he was always lying in bed. Like a living corpse.

But today was different. The King was standing steadfast, bathed in the moonlight streaming in from the terrace window.

It was a far cry from the image I had of him until now as a sick and frail old man.

That appearance was… well, it was hard to describe, but if I had to put it into words, it would be ‘one who has achieved everything, enjoying the final moonlight.’

Thud—.

The King closed the book he was looking at and placed it on the side table next to the terrace as he spoke.

“You’re here.” Thıs content belongs to noᴠelfire.net

His tone was as if he knew I would come.

“I heard you returned from Misty Port today. You must be busy with one thing or another, so why have you come?”

The King slowly turned to me and asked why I had come, but it seemed the King already knew the answer to that question as well. For some reason, I felt that way.

‘I decided to state the reason directly, so let’s do that. No need to beat around the bush.’

“I came to ask you about swordsmanship, Father.”

“Swordsmanship.”

“Yes. I asked Commander Jereuth for swordsmanship training, and he told me to ask you first, Father. He said that you are far more skilled in swordsmanship than he is.”

“……”

The King watched me silently for a moment, then smiled faintly.

“It’s an honor that Jereuth said so. I merely swung the sword haphazardly to protect the woman I loved and the people I had to be responsible for.”

“You swung the sword haphazardly?”

“Yes. But there was a condition attached. The condition that it was ‘to protect the woman I love, and the people I had to be responsible for.’”

The King, speaking calmly, took something out from the dark space next to the side table. It was a pitch-black sword.

‘That sword… I’ve seen it somewhere. Ah!’

It was the sword from the royal treasury’s ‘secret space.’ The very same ‘secret space’ where I had gotten the Mithril necklace to persuade Seria before the Purge.

Whoosh—!

The King swung the pitch-black sword casually—so lightly that it was impossible to believe it was the strength of that frail old man. Even though there was a considerable distance between the King and me, I could feel the heavy force of his sword cutting through the air.

At that absurd scene, a dazed thought crossed my mind.

‘How can the King swing a sword like that…? Wasn’t he a dying old man?’

And one more thing.

‘…Can an old man swinging a sword be so cool, so beautiful?’

As I stared at him blankly, the King smiled again and spoke.

“Leonardo. I can teach you the sword. But before that, there is something you must confirm for yourself, with your whole heart.”

“Something I must confirm for myself?”

“Yes. Why do you want to learn the sword? For what purpose?”

The King suddenly threw out a completely random question.

Why did I want to learn the sword? Well, of course—

‘…To seal the Minotaur again. To conquer that dungeon, I have to become stronger. If I fail to seal it, the Minotaur will be resurrected, and it will lead an army of monsters and destroy the kingdom. I’ve struggled to come this far; I can’t accept such an ending.’

This seemed to be my true feelings.

But the words that came out of my mouth were slightly different from my true feelings.

“It is to acquire the abilities to become the King of the kingdom. I do not wish to be a source of shame for the other knights and soldiers.”

This was a ‘plausible’ answer. A formal and close-to-correct ‘plausible’ answer that a crown prince who wanted to learn the sword from the king might give.

The King, upon hearing my words, shook his head.

“With such a mindset, I cannot teach you the sword.”

“…You cannot teach me?”

“Yes. With such a mindset, you will not be able to understand my swordsmanship. You might be able to imitate the outer form, but even so, you will not be able to achieve what you truly desire.”

The King continued to speak in riddles.

“Tell me. The real reason you want to learn swordsmanship.”

“I already told you. To become king and not be a source of shame for the knights and soldiers—”

“If that were your true heart, you would not have come to me. You would have just asked Jereuth to teach you. Learning from him would be more than enough to earn the respect of the knights and soldiers.”

“……”

“You have another reason. A reason you deliberately sought me out, who is said to wield the sword better than Jereuth.”

The King spoke as if he knew my true feelings, which even I was unaware of. For some reason, I felt a sense of stuffiness.

‘…Should I tell him my true feelings?’

The problem was that if I said I wanted to learn the sword to seal the Minotaur, the King would obviously ask questions. He would ask, “Why are you suddenly concerned about sealing the Minotaur?”

Jereuth was a loyal subject who would simply believe and follow my words, so I didn’t need to explain much, but the King would press for details. That would be troublesome.

‘But even so, there’s no other good way to put it… If he asks about the Minotaur, I’ll just have to be vague.’

“It’s because I must enter the dungeon to seal the Minotaur.”

“The Minotaur’s dungeon? That mythical monster whose seal is broken once every 1,000 years? Why are you trying to seal it?”

“That monster might be resurrected someday, so I intend to eliminate the danger beforehand.”

I wanted to learn the sword to seal the Minotaur.

I thought that was my true heart. So, my answer was filled with conviction.

‘He’ll teach me the sword now. Since I’ve told him my true heart—’

I thought so, but the King shook his head again.

“That is not your true heart.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m saying that you are not trying to learn the sword to seal the Minotaur.”

“…I don’t understand what you mean. The reason I want to learn the sword is—”

“I know. I know that the reason you want to learn the sword is to seal the Minotaur, something I failed to do. However, that is merely a ‘fact,’ not your ‘true heart.’”

“……”

“If you truly say that sealing the mere Minotaur is your true heart, then I cannot teach you the sword. Because such a mindset is not enough to learn the King’s sword.”

The King withdrew the pitch-black sword as if he had no lingering attachment. Then he carelessly threw it onto the floor of the room as if discarding trash.

Clang…….

The clear sound of the sword bouncing on the floor spread through the quiet room. Unlike that clear sound, my heart felt heavy.

‘…If I knew this would happen, I would have looked at the <Future Diary> before coming. There would have been some kind of answer there.’

I should just go and look.

“Father. I will go to my room for a moment to think. About what my true heart for wanting to learn the sword is—”

“No, do not leave. If you cannot speak your true heart now and leave this room, I will never teach you the sword. Even if you realize your true heart and come to me again.”

“……”

“Leonardo, do not think so hard. Wielding a sword is a much simpler and easier task than becoming a king. Just listen to your heart. No one else knows, but you do. And only with that one simple reason can you learn my swordsmanship. The moment a ‘king,’ who already carries countless worries and agonies, wields a sword is the only moment he can find peace.”

“……”

“I will ask you again. Why do you want to learn and wield the sword? For what purpose?”

The King’s same question repeated.

At that question, I tried to recall the words the King had said.

‘The King said earlier. The reason he used the sword was to protect the woman he loved and the people he had to be responsible for.’

But that was the King’s reason. I had neither a woman nor a person I loved.

I don't have anyone to be responsible for—

‘…No, I do have that. I do have people to be responsible for.’

I just hadn’t clearly recognized it, but I had a great many people to be responsible for.

Elly, who has taken care of me ever since I came to this world. My vassal, Jereuth. Seria.

Heinshtangl. Ronak and his pirates, Olivia. The knights, the soldiers, and—

‘The countless people of this kingdom who bowed their heads and expressed their gratitude as I passed by. Those people who were thankful not for being wealthy, but for being able to live at least like human beings.’

I had only acted to save myself.

But in any case, as a result of those actions, I now had many people to be responsible for.

……Was that my true heart?

Nothing else came to mind.

“I don’t know if what I’m about to say is the answer that will satisfy you, Father.”

“……”

“But I will say it. The reason I want to learn the sword is—”

Just as I was about to speak.

Flash—!!

A light burst forth from the pitch-black sword that the King had dropped on the floor. It was a light bright enough to cover the entire dark room, but strangely, it didn’t hurt my eyes.

The King’s sword flashed for a very brief moment.

The light from the sword disappeared.

When the light vanished, I could see the sword properly again.

But… the sword had changed. The sword that had been a pitch-black longsword when the King held it was now a short, silver-white short sword.

Strictly speaking, it was shorter and thinner than a short sword, looking like a child’s sword that was perfectly suited for my physical age.

“…………?”

As I was staring blankly at the silver-white short sword.

The King picked up the sword and handed it to me. With his other hand, he stroked my head and spoke.

“The thought you just had. You did not say it to me, but that is the reason you want to wield the sword, and that is the reason you want to become king.”

“……”

“You are not trying to learn the sword merely to seal something like the Minotaur, to conquer that dungeon.”

“That… is the reason I want to learn the sword.”

“Yes, that is your reason. You do not need to explain it to anyone else. For that reason, you may wield the sword even if you hear all sorts of insults. Because this sword, which only acknowledges a true king, has acknowledged your reason.”

“……”

“It seems you are now almost ready to wear the crown. You have truly grown up, my son.”

The King’s wrinkled face, illuminated by the moonlight, was smiling brightly. Tears were faintly visible in the corners of his eyes, but even they seemed joyous.

But for some reason.

I saw the King’s tears as the last petal falling when a flower, its time come, finally bears fruit.