Lewd King's Bucket List

And thus the King of Lunacy spoke!

"How nonsensical!"

Abd al-Rahman made no gesture. With a flat expression, the man waited a few moments to plead his case.

A man whose word and input were as valuable as gold. He was a man descended from legends from the East; a group of pilgrims who braved the corrupted lands to travel to Catatran in hopes of finding a place to continue their fight.

Abd al-Rahman, due to his heritage, obviously hated Ixion's passive actions. In fact, he was Marlowe's right-hand man in the plotting of the rebellion; even more, he was the one who initially pushed Marlowe down his treacherous path.

'But unlike Marlowe, Abdo stands as the epitome of resplendent stature! A man whose values are not mere words — a man of the people.'

A man who represented Catatran's ideal almost as well as King Antion once did.

After letting the other nobles show their disgust at Ixion's refusal, Abd al-Rahman continued:

"Your Majesty. If I may be so bold, paying our force to sit around all day while in such a crisis only breeds a worse crisis; a crisis that will truly undermine Catatran's defense when we'll need it most."

A chittering hiss escaped Ixion's lips.

"Abdo, don't be like that! As long as I am in Catatran, our defenses are unbreachable! You're suggesting we move the army around the same time I'll be gone? Madness!"

Abd al-Rahman's face contorted in displeasure; especially after Ixion acted like his close friend.

Marlowe leaned forward.

"King, Ixion, tell me. If our defenses mean nothing under your might, why maintain our force at all. Why not disband the army?"

"Marlowe, my friend, are you dumb! They'll be needed in my absence. Even after I return, don't you know what happens to soldiers made jobless mercenaries?! They get mad!"

"That they do." Marlowe interlaced his fingers and crested his hands. "But tell me, King, what happens when a warrior is forbidden from fighting?"

A laugh erupted from Ixion.

"They get to live in luxury and peace!"

"No, sir. They get angry and point their polished blades at the one who sourced their weapons."

Ixion shrugged at Marlowe's words.

"If they want to be idiotic, let them. It would be of no consequence to me."

Abd al-Rahman, cut in the moment there was a breath of silence.

"Your Grace… If you see our soldiers as mere ornaments, then let's decorate the south and spread your ornate influence."

'Oh?'

Trying to use Ixion's feigned idiocy against him?

'Marvelous!'

"What are you suggesting, Abdo? Elaborate."

"It may be within our drawn borders, but it's no secret Catatran has sunk down to its capital, as with most nations. Yet south of Catatran's walls is plagued by beasts. If we clear out those beasts, Catatran may once again extend beyond these stone walls. And since you can protect us alone, why not use the useless soldiers to fight a useless battle to claim more land under your rule? Even in your absence."

Ixion pretended to think for a moment. Rubbing his chin with one hand and tapping the table with his other.

"What an interesting way to insult Catatran. Since when has the world had borders?"

Instead of a quip or insult, all the steadfast warrior said was.

"I see."

However, the point was not ceded, but had been passed over to Marlowe, the better negotiator.

"King, I understand you see Catatran as the entire world. However, what would that make the rest of the land outside Catatran? You can't flat out deny its existence. So then, are they their own worlds as well? If so, why not expand our world?"

'Even when trying to control my insanity you still fall into irreverency? How laughable.'

Ixion smiled at the sly merchant.

"But it's already been stated earlier, no? The beasts are within my world, not outside."

Count Nayu, an older man with sleek dark hair with streaks of grey, spoke up:

"Your Grace, do you truly wish to allow those who don't recognize your status to tread and march on your land? Would it not be an utmost priority to evict those rebels?"

"Have you forgotten the ideal upon which Catatran was founded? 'Freedom and equality' for all! I would be a failure to Catatran if I didn't recognize the individuality of each inhabitant on my land. Or would you say Catatran's honor should be forsaken? That I should fall into treachery? Such nonsense!"

A few of the nobles and Cecelia sneered, all probably wanting to say he was already a failure to Catatran, but none dared.

Marlowe's gaze narrowed on the king, one of the few bold enough to argue with him.

"That freedom extends to those who don't follow your laws and actively kill your citizens?"

"Everyone has the right to expression? If their expression is violence, then so be it."

Marlowe tapped his foot.

"In that case, why have laws at all? Let alone, should the Scourge not deserve autonomy by your logic? You spent plenty of years culling them and regular beasts. So, why do they deserve equality now?"

"No laws, huh…" Ixion looked up at the painting on the ceiling. "What a genius you are, Marlowe!"

The Duke's face paled, searching for a rebuttal.

However, Lorkel came up with one first.

"My old friend, by your logic of equal freedom… That would also erase any meanings of nobility, including your own title. You would become a king of the past. Catatran's ideal is indeed freedom for all, but it's a quiet lie. There's no such thing as freedom in a chained world. For your sovereignty to mean anything, we need laws. We need to decide who and what that freedom extends to."

Marlowe added on to the end of that.

"King, tell me. With that in mind, do you truly wish to accept such insolent beasts under your rule who don't care for you or anyone's freedom?"

Ixion tapped a finger to his cheek.

"Interesting points, interesting points… but to call Catatran's ideal a lie is to call my very existence and yours a lie. Now, now! Who would trust a lie!"

Marlowe chuckled a bit, then said:

"King Ixion, all anyone trusts are lies. The truth is much too grating these days."