Chapter 439: Too Late
"This..." Roland had no words for what he was seeing—thousands of people crowded into one place, the hopelessness clear in their eyes. Some turned to him with curiosity, others rushed closer, while more joined in upon noticing the commotion.
"Guess this is your big debut, hero... try not to go wild. I’m sure there are still plenty of beautiful girls all over this place."
The king gave him a wink, but Stella wasn’t amused.
"We need to properly introduce you. Come—we’ll go to the highest point here. They need to see clearly who’s going to save them. After that, we resume training, hero. You’ve got a lot to learn, and just water blades won’t help you!"
She grabbed his arm and pulled him forward.
Roland, however, noticed the faint look of disgust the king made behind her back.
They really were alike—so many emotions in so little time.
He was brought to what looked like a plaza, where the crowd erupted into cheers the moment he stepped forward. The sudden attention made him uncomfortable, but with Stella beside him, he managed to endure it.
"As you all know, I am Stell Helstin, daughter of King Halter Helstin. And today, I present to you our new hero—Roland Ashford! We have lived in darkness, but perhaps there is still hope. Hope for tomorrow—to see the blue sky again and to finally take back our land!"
Thousands roared in response to the speech. The crowd became even more frenzied with every movement Roland made.
"Well, don’t just stand there. There has to be something you want to tell them, right?"
Stella nudged him forward after finishing her speech.