The air in the hall changes. Shizu and Anin remain silent, unsure of what to say and unable to understand the sudden invitation. After a few seconds, Shizu simply looks at the King and asks, wearing a confused expression:
— Uh… what exactly do you mean by that, Your Majesty…?
The King slightly raises his head and answers while slowly stroking the fur on his chin.
— As I said, you are people who deserve respect. Both of you are heroes of a kingdom that lived under an irreversible dictatorship. Receiving you here and offering special treatment is the least we can do to show how honored we are to have you within our domain.
Shizu lowers his gaze and begins to speak in a colder tone.
— But, sir… we know how much humans are hated in this place. We noticed it as soon as we arrived — we are not welcome. If we attend an event that draws so much attention, I believe the atmosphere will not be pleasant at all…
The King falls silent. He takes a deep breath and looks at Shizu with a serious expression.
— Yes, indeed. Ferals and humans carry an ancient feud that will never completely disappear. Countless wars and losses happened long ago, scars that shaped who we are today.
Shizu quickly raises his head and tries to respond:
— Then, if we appear, it could end up being bad for all those who hate our presence so deeply… those who hurt your people so much…
Another silence fills the hall.
Then, a noble with bird-like wings points a finger at Shizu and declares:
— Of course it will be bad. In fact, I, Goulartte Fleonis, am absolutely certain it would be a disaster.
Everyone looks at her as she continues, her words harsh and bitter.
— You humans are the main cause of our suffering. On top of having the luxury of entering this city, you are also granted the honor of attending such a grand event. Know this: I — just like the majority here — am completely against it. But by order of the future King, we merely observe… and comply.
Another noble speaks up. He has horse-like features and wears a gray overcoat adorned with jewels around his neck.
— I fully agree, Lady Goulartte. From my perspective, besides staining our Kingdom with the presence of these two humans at the coronation, it would also stain Your Majesty's name for allowing such an affront.
He turns to the noble seated to his right and asks:
— Don't you agree, Vollveria Roadin?
The feral wolf woman, wrapped in a large red mantle and striking garments, rests her arm on the railing of her seat before replying:
— Without a doubt, my colleague Jeoman Souso. The presence of these "things" at the coronation would be a complete disaster. Think like a common feral: a human — responsible for deaths, for the destruction of homes, for the loss of brothers and companions — being freely allowed entry by the King himself. What would that say about us? The King would be called weak… and we, ferals, would be seen as incapable of preserving our own dignity.
After finishing, she sits down. The atmosphere becomes cold and silent.
Shizu lowers his gaze, lost in thought. Anin watches him, visibly distressed.
Then, Maprisius breaks the tension. Seated, wearing a cunning smile, he slowly swirls the wine in his glass.
— I see no problem at all.
Everyone turns their attention to him, surprised by such an unexpected statement.
— Time passes… and so does the past — he continues. — Just because we hate some does not mean we must hate all. In the past, wars were inevitable: power, money, territory, race. But those eras are long gone. Clinging to blind hatred only weakens our ties with other nations. Perhaps we should give humans a chance… and decide whether they are still enemies… or possible allies. After all… appearances change.
After that, the King speaks:
— Now I will express my own opinion. I do not hate humans, nor do I admire them. I respect them. And that is something we all must learn. My plan, as the future King of Dealgran, is to restore the bonds between the Feral Kingdom and all other human kingdoms.
The hall falls into complete shock.
Goulartte abruptly rises, gripping the railing of her seat, her face filled with fury.
— This is madness! This must never be done! Those despicable beings are home-destroying monsters! Allowing them to enter here is unforgivable!
The King raises his voice.
His orange aura erupts to absurd levels. Everyone in the hall feels the crushing weight of that power.
He looks at the noble from the corner of his eye and says:
— Enough. I will explain this in a way everyone understands: life is not a strawberry.
The aura dissipates. The King unfurls his massive tail around the throne and walks toward the center of the hall.
Deep inside, Shizu and Anin feel an inexplicable fear — not only because of the colossal size of that tail, which could cross half the hall, but also because of the King's terrifying height: four meters of pure, dominant presence.
Stopping at the center of the hall, the King looks around at everyone and begins his explanation in a serious yet clear tone.
— As Maprisius said, all this hatred and rage directed at that race are scars left by countless years of war and past conflicts. We lost much because of it, but it is undeniable that we are not so different from humans. Like them, we are greedy… we also hunger for something. It is impossible to claim that any person or kingdom is perfect. Judging everything solely by past mistakes does not only show our inability to accept the future — it also proves that we are too weak to face the past.
He slowly turns to Lady Goulartte, staring at her seriously.
— If we continue like this, it will be impossible for Dealgran to evolve. We all share the same pain, but persisting in this foolishness is even more intolerable. If we show that we are capable of offering them a chance… they may offer us one in return.
Vollveria Roadin does not accept those words. With a clearly irritated tone, she addresses the King:
— Wait… what do you mean by "them giving us a chance"?! All of this happened because they started a war against us! They killed our people and destroyed everything precious to us! How can they be the ones to give us a chance, Your Majesty?!
The King looks at her and responds calmly, without ceremony:
— Just as they killed ours, we also killed many of theirs. Yes, we suffered greater losses… but that does not mean only we suffered. The disaster did not happen only here. When we retaliated, we also took countless human lives. Many ferals lost their families… but have you ever thought about how many humans grew up without a father or mother because of these wars?
The nobles fall silent.
Then, the King approaches Shizu and Anin and asks once more:
— Dear Shizu and Anin, heroes… would you grant us your presence at my ascension to the throne and help put an end to this malice that so many ferals still harbor toward humans?
Shizu is about to agree.
Suddenly, Anin shouts in anger:
— No!
The hall is thrown into shock.
Shizu stares at Anin, confused. The nobles watch, stunned. Maprisius lets out a low laugh and stops swirling his wine. Even the King looks surprised.
— What do you mean… no?
Anin raises her face, her eyes burning with rage, and repeats while staring directly at the King:
— I said NO.
Shizu turns to Anin, clearly confused by her sudden response.
— Anin… why…?
She glares at him angrily and answers while pointing directly at the King.
— Shizu… you don't understand? Do you seriously not understand why I'm angry…?
She then turns to the King and speaks loudly, holding nothing back:
— They… all of them. They KNEW how the Kingdom of Babadar functioned. They knew what she did to us. They knew how horrible everything was! AND THEY DID NOTHING! They did not dare lift a single finger! They only watched… that sea of blood and suffering! They knew everything… and chose not to help!
With tears in her eyes, she looks at the King, losing her composure as she asks the question she had carried for years.
— How can a future King… who says we must leave past grudges behind… allow that monster to remain in power and do nothing? That is unforgivable. It does not make you good for accepting humans… it makes you accomplices. Monsters who knew that children were growing up and suffering in that place!
Anin falls to her knees. Tears stream down and drip onto the cold floor of the hall.
— Why…? Why did you do nothing…?
The King remains silent.
Then, before the absolute shock of the nobles, he does something unthinkable.
The King kneels.
— Please… forgive us. Forgive me not only as a King, but as someone who did not have the power to raise even a single finger to help you. I, future King Napolix Neathan, bow and offer my sincerest apologies to all who suffered… and to those who lost their lives.
Chaos erupts.
— Your Majesty, don't do this!— You must not bow before humans!— Our King, what are you doing?!
Still kneeling, Napolix thinks for a moment… then answers:
— You're right. This is wrong. I am not the only one who should be kneeling.
He looks at the nobles.
— All of you should kneel before these two. Apologize for our negligence. For our pride. For holding positions of such high status… and doing nothing to help those who suffered.
The nobles begin to protest angrily.
Then the King's aura explodes.
The ground trembles as his massive tail slams violently against the floor. His voice echoes through the hall, overwhelming.
— THIS WAS NOT A REQUEST… IT WAS AN ORDER!
The aura is felt throughout the entire Kingdom.
Overcome by absolute fear, the nobles kneel at the same time.
— WE ASK FOR FORGIVENESS!
Shizu and Anin watch everything, shocked and frightened.
With a sorrowful expression, Anin finally speaks:
— You neglected us out of hatred… because of an ancient feud. Even so, it is hard to accept all this. There were years of suffering. I was born and raised in that horrible place. I was fortunate enough to be recognized as a strong warrior and appointed as a commander under Babadar… but even that did not erase the hell of living there. No one deserves to go through something like that. Not even our worst enemies.
The King looks at Anin and speaks again:
— That is why, once more… we apologize for being too negligent and too proud to offer the necessary support.
Anin walks toward him.
— It's fine. I, as a former commander of that place, accept your apology… but that does not mean everyone who suffered there feels the same way.
The King rises.
— Certainly. Everyone has their own way of thinking. Still, we thank you for accepting our apology. So… may we count on the presence of both of you at my coronation?
Anin turns, smiling softly at Shizu.
— So, Shizu… shall we go?
Shizu smiles and nods.
The nobles, clearly dissatisfied, accept it in silence.
Maprisius hardens his expression, empties his glass, and murmurs:
— Fine… seems it wasn't this time. Hmph…