Chapter Ninety-Three: Your Supreme King

In the heat of summer, a lush primeval forest stretched endlessly in green abundance.

A forest elf army advanced through a night elf village as if it owned the road, while the night elves in the settlement quietly drew aside to make way on both sides.

Lady White rode upon a white horse, escorting some precious object toward the Emerald Capital. Behind her rode a glittering elite of knights, fresh out of Grand City, still wrapped in a heavy aura of slaughter that left the night elves too frightened to offend them in the slightest.

“My lord, perhaps we should rest for the night first,” a sergeant asked Lady White cautiously. “Today is the little prince’s inauguration. Would it not be ill-advised to bring bad news now?”

Lady White shook her head. Looking out over the forest, rolling like a sea, she too did not wish to spoil such an important day for Linley. Yet what they were escorting was far too important; each day of delay only increased the danger.

“Still, we should go,” she said. “Whatever the case, we must deliver the sword to His Highness first.”

At the night elf royal palace, the banquet had already lasted two days.

Every corner of the palace had been adorned in dazzling splendor. From the tranquil Crescent Lake to the gardens, lovely maidservants could be seen everywhere hurrying along with trays of food and drink.

Envoys from nations across the world gathered in the great hall, receiving the warm hospitality of the night elves.

“Then, Lord Armand, please enjoy yourself slowly. I shall go greet a few other acquaintances.”

“Please do as you wish.”

The prime minister of Victoria had found many old friends here. After seeing off one of them, he surveyed his surroundings with bright, keen eyes.

The spacious hall was alive with voices. There were humans, dwarves, envoys from various kingdoms, and even a few fellows with graceful fish tails.

“Even merfolk have come.”

Armand was surprised. The number of people who had come to attend the night elf king’s inauguration was unexpectedly large.

But perhaps attending the inauguration was merely an excuse. Their purpose, like his, was probably to investigate the forest elf prince who had usurped the night elf throne.

That little prince’s deeds were truly terrifying; many nations had hoped to use this opportunity to study him.

Yet their plans had clearly come to nothing, for in the two days since arriving here, no one had seen that prince.

Anji had personally received them instead. The charm she displayed left the envoys of every nation astonished. From Armand’s personal feeling, that queen was indeed extraordinarily charismatic. If his own wife possessed even half her charm, he would never have gone and fathered a bastard.

The other envoys also left with an excellent impression of the night elf queen. But that only deepened their suspicion: could it be that the little prince was nothing more than a decoy?

With that thought, all their doubts were neatly explained.

“Perhaps the disturbance before was just a performance.”

“These two elf races must have been in collusion. How could there possibly be such a legendary figure?”

“That prince must be a hollow king, with Queen Anji still truly in control of the night elf kingdom.”

Thinking thus, the envoys’ curiosity about Linley diminished greatly.

Near noon, Linley was still lying in his room counting money.

“I’m rich, I’m rich!” He had a chest on the bed filled with gold coins and treasures. As he counted them, he wiped the saliva from his mouth. “This business was no loss. We can do it a few more times in the future.”

Eve stood by the doorway, looking at him coldly. “Little prince, aren’t you going to attend the banquet and receive your guests?”

“No, no,” Linley waved a hand. “As long as the money arrives, there’s no need to see the people.”

A surge of anger rose in Eve’s chest. The envoys from every nation had been invited by Linley’s own command. She had even wondered why he wanted to invite so many people. So it had all been for the sake of collecting more gifts.

“Little prince!” Eve’s tone sharpened. “Don’t tell me you won’t even attend the ceremony later?”

“That won’t happen,” Linley said, putting the gifts into his earring as he slowly got to his feet. “If I don’t even attend the ceremony, Anji will skin me alive.”

He changed his clothes and, judging the time about right, went out together with Eve.

Along the way, several nobles hurried up to flatter him. “Your Majesty, we were just about to come find you! Her Majesty says the ceremony is ready, and that you should hurry over.”

After the dual kingship system was established, the nobles’ attitude toward Linley changed by a full one hundred and eighty degrees. They seized every chance to curry favor with him, and even trivial tasks like passing on messages were things they fought over.

“Is Your Majesty thirsty? I have a water flask here.”

“Your Majesty, the remark you made yesterday was truly profound. I went back and thought about it carefully, and I feel that you are simply…”

The nobles fawned over Linley as they escorted him toward the ceremony platform.

The inauguration ceremony was arranged atop the outer wall of the royal palace. Anji and the envoys from various countries had arrived ahead of time. According to protocol, the new king would deliver his inaugural speech here.

It was the first time the envoys had seen Linley. He wore a pure white robe, his jet-black long hair gathered by a jade crown, and he carried himself with a natural and easy elegance as he walked.

Among forest elves, this fourteen-year-old youth could still only be considered a child, yet his bearing was immaculate, as though even sunlight would leave no motes of color behind upon him.

“What a clean child,” Armand thought with quiet admiration. Though Linley wore a mask, his pupils were lively, like two crystal beads that naturally inspired goodwill.

Everything about the boy radiated purity and natural grace, and there was not the slightest trace of corruption in his gaze. The envoys became even more convinced that he was merely a decorative figurehead, utterly incapable of possessing the power and wisdom to overturn a nation.

The inauguration ceremony began amid grand music, and a group of night elf children stepped slowly up onto the platform, each carrying a crown.

“This is the most unusual inauguration ceremony I have ever seen.”

Outside Emerald City, several shadowy phantoms hovered in the air, watching the night elf royal palace.

“Is this another trick of that little prince?”

“We have all along underestimated him. Are those multiverse secrets really true?”

“Was the prophecy from three years ago concerning the forest elves related to him?”

The phantoms spoke of Linley in grave tones.

At the palace, after the intricate formalities were completed, Linley and Anji put on their crowns, and the crucial moment of the ceremony arrived.

The two new kings looked at each other. Anji gave a slight nod and took a small step backward.

That single detail sent a shock through the hearts of all the envoys. What was going on?

Next should have come the inaugural speech. Whoever spoke first would reveal who held greater importance. Anji’s retreat handed the stage over to Linley, placing him squarely at the center.

“Isn’t he just a decoy?”

“Why is he the one speaking first?”

The envoys stared in shock as Linley spread his arms.

“Night elves, lift your heads!”

His clear voice rang out.

“From this day forward, I shall be your supreme king, bearing the foreign affairs, military affairs, and national security of the night elf kingdom!”