CHAPTER 2: The Weight of the Crown
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Humanity had earned the right to live.
In the years following the war, strict laws were placed upon the use of magic, the supernatural, and anything deemed abnormal.
Power was no longer free, it was watched, regulated, and judged.
Time passed.
Civilizations rebuilt.
Borders shifted.
Wars were fought, victories were claimed, and the Era of Humanity entered a new phase.
And at the center of it all
The young lord was crowned King.
He was not the rightful heir by blood.
But his achievements had carved his name into history itself,
earning him the throne through deeds, not lineage.
Yet as the saying goes
(ALL GOOD THINGS MUST EVENTUALLY COME TO AN END)
---
Seven years later.
The sun stood high in the sky, flooding the royal palace with light.
Within the throne room of Avalon, styled in classic British architecture,
the young lord now king sat upon his throne.
Time had changed him.
A faint beard framed his face, his presence more composed, more restrained.
He wore light attire: black trousers, black boots, and an unbuttoned black jacket over a dark shirt reinforced with thin chain-net armor beneath.
His left hand rested against his cheek.
His right held a thick, brown document, eyes calmly scanning its contents.
Before him stood several aged figures. merchants, heads lowered in respect, waiting anxiously for the king's response to their proposal.
"My lord," one of them spoke carefully,
"What is your judgment?"
"Hmmm…"
The king paused.
"It is… an interesting idea."
Relief washed over the merchants' faces.
"But—"
Their expressions froze.
"—the Celestial Church does not involve itself in business or commercial ventures."
"My lord, if I may be granted permission to explain further?"
the leading merchant asked, bowing deeply.
"You may speak, Jordan," the king replied calmly.
"Thank you, my lord."
"As you are aware," Jordan began,
"the late king placed strict laws on the use and study of magic."
"Only those blessed and baptized by the Head of the Celestial Church are granted permission...approval from the heavens themselves."
"This proposal is not for the profit of merchants alone," he continued.
"It is for the prosperity of Avalon."
The king's eyes lifted slightly.
"Prosperity..." The king thought to himself.
"How so?" he asked.
"Does this have anything to do with recent developments in other nations?"
"Yes, my lord," Jordan answered.
"The Empire has gained independence and now seeks to establish itself as a Republic."
"The use of magic and other phenomena has been adopted for military purposes—
not only here, but in Fortmoth, Levath, and beyond."
"Though participation depends on those willing to enlist."
"Hmmm…"
The king's interest sharpened.
"Your presence alone," Jordan continued,
"has inspired the people of Avalon and even those of other nations to stand beside you."
"But, my lord," he added cautiously,
"we are also aware of rumors… that other nations have begun using this newfound power for entertainment and public displays."
"Though unconfirmed, we believed it was… worth considering."
"I see," the king said, understanding dawning in his gaze.
"So that is your angle."
"Yes, my lord."
The king glanced back at the document.
"It states here that you seek approval for experiments, projects, studies, and inventions."
He lowered the paper, blue eyes glowing faintly as they fixed on the merchants.
"I understand the scope of such a request," he said evenly.
"But tell me, what kind of experiments are you proposing?"
The merchants stiffened.
"N-no, my lord," Jordan said quickly,
"It is not what you think."
"We are fully aware that human experimentation was banned by the late king."
"We would never dare violate such a law."
"The experiments we propose," he clarified,
"are for military and economic use only."
"Specifically...magical weapons, tools, and items."
He paused, then gestured subtly behind him.
"In light of this… I have brought an example."
"A prototype."
"A magical item," Jordan said, voice steady,
"created by one of my errand boys using his own magic."
---
One figure stepped forward from the shadows.
A black cloak parted as he moved, revealing a young boy no more than thirteen.
Red hair framed his pale face, and his black eyes carried a quiet intensity far beyond his age.
"This experiment," the leading merchant began, his voice steady,
"was a success. It was conducted to test the application of mana imprinting..what we commonly refer to as runes within objects."
The boy bowed deeply, lowering his head in reverence.
"Raise your head," the king said.
His tone was calm now, the oppressive glow in his eyes fading.
Slowly, the boy obeyed. From beneath his robe, he revealed a glass bulb, perfectly smooth, glowing faintly white even before activation.
"My lord," the merchant continued,
"I present to you a magical tool. A light bulb, an object that illuminates itself when touched by anything that possesses mana."
He turned slightly.
"Felix, please explain it properly. You are its creator."
The boy stiffened.
"M-my lord…"
His voice trembled as he spoke.
"I-I am a mage trained under the Mage Craft Academy… Light Course only."
He swallowed.
"It's m-my only attribute."
"You don't need to be nervous around me," the king said gently.
Felix hesitated, then nodded.
"S-sorry, my lord."
The merchant quickly interjected, offering a respectful bow of his own.
"Please forgive him, Your Majesty. He rarely speaks before others. Most of his time is spent alone researching, creating, studying."
"I see," the king replied. "Continue."
Felix took a breath.
"M-my brother… he is no longer with us."
"He w-was an inventor. He made many things… but only one became widely used."
"The light lamp," Felix whispered.
The king's posture shifted.
"Wait. Your brother created that?"
"Y-yes, my lord. His name was Matthew."
"I attempted to invite him here," the king said quietly.
"But I could never find him. Months later, I learned of his death."
The king looked at the boy again.
"You said your name was Felix, correct?"
"Y-yes, my lord."
"I am sorry for your loss."
Felix shook his head, surprising everyone present.
"N-no… please don't be."
"Because of my brother's work… I was able to improve upon his idea."
He raised the bulb slightly.
With a gentle touch and a faint flow of mana the bulb ignited.
Pure white light flooded the throne room.
Gasps echoed among the merchants.
"J-just a small amount of mana," Felix explained, gaining confidence.
"E-even a child could supply it… if they have the will."
"The mana remains inside," he continued,
"Stored by the light-attribute rune engraved within."
The bulb dimmed and went dark as he withdrew the mana.
"Absorbing the mana back… or opening the casing… turns it off."
The king leaned forward.
"You made this yourself?"
"Y-yes, my lord."
He paused, then added quickly:
"With further research… I plan to make it autonomous."
"One that lights itself at dusk… and reacts to darkness."
A faint smile crossed the king's face.
"Impressive."
Felix blinked.
"Y-yes—!"
His nervousness vanished instantly, replaced by excitement.
"It already has a mana-magnetic reactor beneath it," he said rapidly.
"It can attach to walls, ceilings, indoors or outdoors—"
"Felix," Jordan interrupted gently.
"Careful."
The boy froze.
"I-I'm deeply sorry, my lord."
"It's fine," the king said, amused.
"Raise your head."
He studied Felix carefully.
"It's good to see someone so devoted to their craft."
"T-thank you, my lord," Felix said softly.
"My lord, if you would consider—" Jordan began.
Before he could finish
BOOM.
The massive throne room doors swung open.
Heavy footsteps echoed across the marble floor.
General Moratta entered.
Seven years had changed him.
Taller. Broader. Older.
His sword still pristine at his side.
The room fell silent.
The king rose slightly from his throne.
"You may take your leave," he said to the merchants.
"I will consider your proposal and inform you of my decision."
The merchants bowed deeply.
"Thank you, my lord. May you be in good health."
"We pray for a favorable response."
As they exited, the glowing bulb remained briefly illuminates
---
The merchants bowed deeply, one after another, before turning to take their leave.
As they crossed paths with the head knight, Moratta, they bowed once more in respect, offering silent greetings before exiting the throne room.
The heavy doors closed.
"It seems I arrived at the wrong time," Moratta said, facing the king.
"You can stop with the formality," the king replied casually.
"You're the king now, remember?"
Sath smirked faintly.
"Well, it's kind of hard not to," he said.
"Considering you were my teacher."
Moratta paused.
"And I should be the one saying that," he replied.
"Stop calling me my lord when we're alone. Just call me by my name."
"…."
For a brief moment, Moratta remained silent.
"Sath Gary," he finally said with a small sigh.
"Are you happy now?"
"Not quite."
Moratta raised an eyebrow.
"Why don't we have tea while we talk instead of standing around?" Sath said, rising from the throne.
There was a warmth in his smile, one that made refusal nearly impossible.
"…As you wish," Moratta replied.
---
They walked through the palace corridors and emerged into the heart of the royal garden.
A vast space stretched endlessly before them—its size impossible to measure, its borders unseen. The sun never directly touched the garden, yet it was bright, alive, and calm, as though sheltered by the world itself.
At the center, Sath and Moratta took their seats as maids in traditional black-and-white attire quietly served tea, bowing before retreating into the shade.
"The aroma is pleasant," Sath said, lifting his cup.
"Yes," Moratta replied.
"Indeed."
"The aroma.... it's a traditional tea brand his mom favourite " Moratta thought to himself while eyes focused on the tea "and the garden, this must been the closest thing tying both him and his mom"
Moratta smiled while whispering "You're becoming more like her Sath"
"Hmm?" Sath noticing his lips moving but couldn't get what he was saying.
"It's nothing, just me talking to myself" Moratta said covering his attentions completely.
"So you've finally reached that age, huh?" Sath said taking a sip from his tea cup.
"Not just his mother but his father it's seems, forming one hell of a son altogether" Moratta thought to himself.
They sipped in silence for a moment.
"So," Moratta began,
"How did the meeting with the merchants go?"
Sath exhaled softly.
"You could tell the moment you walked in," he said.
"I don't disagree with their reasoning. I simply have… other arrangements in mind."
He took another sip.
"Our age is entering a new era," Sath continued.
"And I intend to see it through—without unnecessary chaos."
"…."
Moratta didn't respond.
Instead, his gaze drifted toward the garden.
A butterfly hovered gently, settling atop a blooming flower.
"…A new era," he murmured quietly, almost to himself.
Sath noticed.
"You seem to really like the garden," he said with a light smile.
"Didn't take you for the nature-loving type."
Moratta turned back, slightly startled—his guard had been down.
"…Or is it this particular garden that interests you?" Sath added, smirking as he followed Moratta's earlier gaze.
Moratta paused.
He lifted his teacup, took a slow sip, then spoke.
"My mom…"
Sath went silent.
"My mom… was like that," Moratta continued.
"I guess I took after her."
"I guess I'm not that different from you in that aspect"..he thought to himself smiling a bit.
"I see," Sath said softly, his expression brightening.
"Yeah."
Moratta looked at him and immediately frowned.
"…Okay. Stop."
"Huh?" Sath replied innocently.
"I didn't even say anything."
"I know you're thinking something stupid right now."
"Stupid?" Sath said, placing a hand on his chest.
"All I thought was that you're surprisingly open-hearted. Nothing ridiculous."
He failed to look serious in the slightest.
Moratta sighed.
"…Yeah. Sure."
Sath grinned.
"Mommy's boy."
"I knew it," Moratta snapped calmly but clearly annoyed.
"You haven't changed one bit since the day I met you."
Sath chuckled.
Moratta exhaled deeply.
"…I didn't come here just to drink tea."
Sath's laughter faded instantly.
"Hm?" he said, his eyes sharpening.
Moratta straightened.
"There's something I need to report."
---
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To Be Continued...
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