(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
And sorry for not uploading yesterday's chapter I went to hospital.
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The crimson streak of Jetray sliced through the clouds before swooping down toward the forest clearing.
Waiting there at the crossroads—
A dusty stretch where the paths of the three villages met—
The Royal Knight squad straightened at once, their cloaks fluttering in the breeze.
Whoosh...
With a deafening whoosh, Jetray landed, kicking up dust and loose gravel.
FLASH!!!
The green glow of the Omnitrix pulsed, and in the blink of an eye,
The towering alien form collapsed inward—
Replaced by the calm but imposing figure of King Ben.
His cloak settled over his shoulders, and his eyes carried the weight of authority.
The knights dropped to one knee, saluting.
"Your Majesty."
Ben's gaze swept over them, sharp and unwavering.
"Rise,"
He commanded.
His tone carried no warmth, only the quiet force of judgment.
The squad obeyed, tension rippling in the air.
"You've done well to uncover the truth,"
Ben said, his voice firm.
"Now the time has come for their reckoning."
He gestured toward the three branching dirt roads leading to each village.
"Bring the village chiefs here. All three of them. I want them standing before me."
"____"
"____"
"____"
The knights exchanged quick looks, then bowed deeply.
"At once, Your Majesty."
They split into groups, vanishing down the roads with mana-enhanced speed.
Ben remained still, arms clasped behind his back, his eyes narrowed as if he could already see the fear on the village heads' faces.
Beside him,
Mereoleona who just landed leaned on her broom, smirking with barely contained excitement,
"____"
Her fiery mana already flaring in anticipation of the chaos to come.
Then, raising his voice so the villagers nearby could hear,
Ben spoke, his words ringing with iron authority.
"Send word across all three villages. Every man, woman, and child is to gather here at this junction. I will speak to them—and pass judgment before their eyes."
The Royal Knights on standby moved at once, carrying the king's command.
From a distance, villagers peeked nervously from doorways and fields, whispering and curious about the visitor who was shouting.
Inside the largest of the three manor-houses, drunken laughter rattled the windows.
The three village heads lounged in luxury—
Wine spilled across tables, roasted meat half-eaten, and women of ill repute scattered about.
The stench of greed and debauchery hung thick in the air.
The heavy oak doors slammed open.
BOOM!
Royal Knights stormed in—
Cloaks snapping, steel flashing.
"____"
"____"
"____"
Before the old men could even comprehend the intrusion, fists and boots answered their confusion.
"Wh—who dares—!"
One chief sputtered, rising from his chair—
TWACK!
Only to be smashed back down by a clean punch to the jaw.
Another chief, still fumbling with his half-buttoned robes, tried to shout for his guards.
"Gau—"
He got a boot to the stomach that knocked the air out of him, spittle flying.
The third, drunk and red-faced, staggered toward the fireplace to grab the iron poker—
Only to be spun around and struck across the mouth with the flat of a knight's armored gauntlet. Blood splattered against the floorboards.
Kyaaaa! Kyaaaa!
"____"
"____"
"____"
Screams from the women filled the air as they scattered out the back,
But the knights didn't care.
Their targets were already writhing on the floor, groaning, clutching bruised ribs and broken pride.
"Y-you can't… do this!"
One of the chiefs wheezed,
THUD.
But all he got was another heavy kick to the gut that silenced him.
With ruthless precision, the knights tied them up, still half-dressed, and dragged them outside by their collars and hair.
Their ceremonial robes flapped open, their dignity stripped away as easily as their wealth had been stolen from the crown.
The villagers gathering outside gasped in shock.
"____"
Mothers clutched children closer.
Dragged through the dirt and spitting blood,
The three chiefs looked less like rulers of villages and more like pigs on their way to slaughter.
And they were about to be thrown at the feet of the king himself.
The knights shoved the three chiefs forward, dumping them into the dirt at the crossroads where Ben and Mereoleona waited.
Their fine robes were torn and hanging loose, their hair matted with sweat and wine, their dignity in tatters.
Behind them, villagers crowded in, whispering to one another.
Most wore frowns—
Frown~
"____"
"____"
"____"
Everyone knew their so-called leaders were corrupt,
But to see them dragged out like cattle by Magic Knights was something else entirely.
They assumed Royal knight's as Magic knights.
The chiefs, groaning, tried to straighten themselves.
One finally staggered upright, clutching his bruised jaw, and forced a strained smile at Ben.
The young king stood tall, dressed sharply in royal attire, his presence radiating authority.
"Ah—ah, good sir,"
The chief wheezed, bowing clumsily,
"surely this is a misunderstanding. We—ah—must have… offended you unknowingly. But I assure you, we are loyal servants of the kingdom. If you'll allow me to explain—"
Ben didn't answer.
He only regarded the man with a flat, almost bored expression, his green eyes cold.
"____"
To him, their words were the croaking of toads in a swamp.
And then—
Pfft!
HAHAHAHA!
Mereoleona burst into laughter, her wild mane of hair shaking as she pointed a finger at the three men.
"Servants of the kingdom?!"
She roared, her voice echoing across the gathering.
"You rats burned your own lands and stole from your people, then fattened yourselves on the crown's gold! Servants? Don't make me laugh!"
The crowd rippled with shock at her words,
And the chiefs froze—
Caught like criminals under torchlight.
Ben finally spoke, his voice calm but carrying sharp weight.
"Do you know what the real mistake was?"
He asked quietly, stepping closer so his shadow fell over them.
"Not your greed. Not your lies. But thinking you were clever enough to fool me."
The chiefs paled, and the villagers murmured louder, anger beginning to rise in their voices.
"____"
"____"
"____"
The three chiefs, faces red with bruises and pride, snapped back in defiance.
"And who are you,"
One spat,
"To question us? Everything we did—everything—was for the village's sake! Our people have been starving! Our farms ruined by fire! We sought only to earn what was needed to feed them, even if it meant… desperate measures."
The other two nodded furiously, seizing the excuse like drowning men clutching driftwood.
"Yes! For the greater good!"
Another barked.
"Do you think you understand our suffering, noble stranger? We carry the burden of the poor on our backs!"
The villagers, packed close around the square, faltered at the words.
Murmurs spread, confusion threading the crowd.
Could it be true?
Had their chiefs really sacrificed honor and law to feed them?
But before the lie could take root—
Ben laughed.
Hahaha!
It was not kind, nor gentle.
It was a wicked, echoing laugh that rolled out across the gathering like a storm breaking.
His grin was sharp, his eyes glowing with cold fire.
Grin~
"For the greater good?"
He repeated, his tone mocking, each word dripping venom.
"You dare stand before me—me—and dress up your greed as charity? You steal from the crown, drink and whore yourselves senseless, and then claim it was all… for the starving?"
He stepped forward, the ground seeming to quake beneath the weight of his presence.
"The only thing you've been feeding… is yourselves."
The crowd erupted with fresh murmurs, this time angrier—
Villagers glaring at their chiefs, recalling nights of hunger while their leaders threw feasts behind closed doors.
Mereoleona, grinning ferally, crossed her arms and added,
Grin~
"'Greater good,' they say. The only thing greater is your guts to spout that lie in front of the King."
The three chiefs froze as if struck by lightning—
Realizing at last who stood before them.
"____"
"____"
"____"
Ben let the silence stretch, his smirk sharp as a blade.
Smirk~
The moment Mereoleona's words cut through the air, the crowd froze.
"...The King?"
One villager whispered.
The word spread like wildfire—
"the King, the King, the King—"
Rippling through the crowd until every voice trembled with it.
Dozens of eyes turned to the young man before them, dressed not in extravagant jewels or golden armor,
But in a simple noble's attire, his presence commanding far more than any crown could.
Those who had once glimpsed him at the coronation gasped, their memory snapping into place.
They had seen him before—
Distant, far across the ceremonial stage.
But now, here he was.
Face to face.
The villagers stumbled back, heads bowing instinctively, their breaths caught in reverence and fear.
The three village heads, however… their faces drained of color.
The realization hit them like a cannonball to the chest.
"____"
"____"
"____"
They swayed on their feet, knees trembling as though the very earth had betrayed them.
The bravado, the excuses, the shameless boasting—
It all crumbled into dust.
One dropped to his knees outright, forehead nearly smacking the dirt.
The second clutched his chest, as if his heart might burst from terror.
The third looked ready to faint, his lips quivering soundlessly.
Before them stood not just a noble, not just a knight—
But the King of Clover Kingdom himself.
"____"
"____"
"____"
Ben let the silence linger, eyes sweeping over their pitiful forms and then across the villagers.
His voice, when it came, was calm but thunderous, carrying to every corner of the crowd.
"So…"
He said, almost lazily, though his words struck like a blade.
"Now you see. You've stolen from the crown. Lied to your people. And then, when cornered… you dared spit falsehoods in my face."
Mereoleona smirked savagely beside him, her fiery gaze locking on the cowering chiefs.
Smirk~
"Pathetic,"
She muttered, loud enough for the crowd to hear.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N)Thanks for reading the chapter!
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