Chapter 282. The Mercenary King (1)
It had been three full days since the Queen and her pirate crew entered the Neon Kingdom. The kingdom's territory wasn't particularly vast, but the long years of war had left most of the roads in ruin, which made progress painfully slow.
"Open the gates! They are guests of His Majesty, the King!"
The shout came from a man atop the city wall who seemed to be in charge. Soon, the thick gates of the capital city, Saan, creaked open.
The carriage carrying the Queen and Caron's group rolled into the city at a slow and deliberate pace.
And then...
"Wooooaaah!"
"Welcome! Welcome!"
Cheers erupted from the crowds lining the streets.
Caron peeked through the window and gave a faint, cynical smile. He remarked, "Looks like they prepared a lot, huh?"
It wasn't hard to tell this welcome was staged. The expressions on the citizens' faces were vacant and drained, with not a single trace of genuine joy. Even as they raised their voices in cheer, the air around them felt weighed down by despair.
The Pirate Queen, Kynda, nodded in agreement and said, "Looks like he wanted to put on a show. Nelson's always been a vain bastard. Now that he's got a crown on his head, he probably thinks he has to play king properly."
"Do you think he's a tyrant?" Caron asked casually.