[Alaric Van Biht's POV]
Svetin: The source of my suffering, and the land which would now call me its king.
Svetin was a lot of things condensed into one: Starving, crying, seeing friends die from famine or war, and now, all of the hate we garnered over the years had exploded.
My father had led the Coup against the previous corrupt king and queen, but unfortunately, he had died in the final charge and uttered his dying wish to everyone.
"Let my son be the king."
Most others would be gleeful in my situation, yet I felt empty. Not because I was unhappy, but because I was simply not prepared for all this.
The king and queen were getting dragged off in front of my eyes, their heads detached from their bodies, and the princess Elara? She was crying, cursing me.
"I hope you choke on the air you breathe! May your beauty rot! May your bones snap like twigs! May your heart stop beating when you find your love! I pray that the Gods themselves come down and force you to eat pig manure!"
I stayed silent while standing on the podium in front of the mob that held pitchforks and. What could I say? She was mad. But, so was I. This wasn't my choice; I didn't want to be king. I wanted my father, I wanted food, I wanted... Anything else except this.
"I understand your grief, Elara, but-"
I was cut off as she spat onto my face in front of everyone, and this angered me. How dare she? I was already on a tight rope in front of everyone because they feared that I would end up like the old king.
And if I lost my respect in the first moments of being king, I would be beheaded like her parents.
"Take her away. Guards. But don't be too rough."
I turned back to the throne, the crown sitting on it, unattended and beckoning me to come and claim it; yet I didn't want to, I had no need to. But the curious eyes from behind my back were pushing me forward.
'This isn't a crown, it's a trap made of humanity's greed and hate, colored gold.'
I picked the crown up, the gold gleaming in the light, the jewels on the base glowing like fire, and finally. I put it on myself. I wasn't going to have a full ceremony. I needed to get this over with.
The mob cheered and roared loudly; the whole palace seemed to shake from their immense excitement and fanaticism. I wondered why they were happy under a whole new king.
I suppose that the fact my father was a good man might've contributed to this; they think I'm exactly like my father. Although I hope I never turn out like that man.
"What's your first command?!"
A man asked from the crowd, making everyone go silent for a few moments. My first command? At this instant? I hadn't even sat on the damned throne yet.
"I-I suppose I could issue it right now. But please. Calm down first."
Slowly, they indeed did calm down and looked up at me on the podium with hopeful eyes. Like the expected me to fix this nation with just a singular order.
"Well, first... Gather all of the nobles. You all deserve justice, and I know just the way to deliver it."
Thankfully, my father had taught me a few things during his time with me. I could potentially use his teachings to my advantage right now. I do not know much about politics anyway.
While I was sitting on the throne, a few people went off to gather the nobles. According to my father, they were corrupt down to their very souls.
And the fact that only they could access magic? That was unbalanced. The only way to make it balanced is to end them. Once and for all.
As they were lined up in front of me on their knees, one of the men, John, understood what I was going to do. After all, he was a trusted man I could call family.
"King Alaric. How do we execute them?"
My heart almost fell at that blunt statement, while I was definitely planning on executing them, being put out in the open with a question like that was... Quite chilling.
"I suppose... I suppose we could first ask them what is fundamentally wrong with this nation in the first place."
One of the nobles, a broad and very powerful man, looked at me with a sense of defeat in his eyes. He knew that killing me would amount to nothing.
All of these nobles would have no trouble destroying me or ripping me apart. But it wasn't worth it. The kingdom would fall the instant any more damage to the hierarchy happened, and there were hundreds if not thousands, of people gathered outside.
"You. Stand up, kill him if he tries anything, Sir John."
My voice wasn't commanding, nor was it very friendly. It was a bit quiet; I had no idea how to be authoritative or even intimidating. I was a young boy after all.
"Very well, my lord." John pulled the man up to his feet, his sword trained at the noble's neck, the tip pushing down on his skin just a bit.
"Listen here, boy-king, your father couldn't destroy this nation even more than it already is. The land produces no crops. People starve and can't earn, and trade is nonexistent. Do you still think you can be king?"
I waved my hand sideways, a gesture for the execution to happen. But what John didn't notice was that I had closed my eyes and tried to focus on something else. I didn't do well with gore.
Every time a head fell, the crowd's cheers became louder, more rowdy, which helped dampen the cries for help and mercy.
Accidentally, one of my eyes opened, the sight of the head of a female getting cut off as the crowd cheered and spat on her dead body struck me like a flash flood.
I almost vomited at this, but I reeled it in, instead holding my head in my hands, covering my eyes with my fingers. I couldn't appear weak. These bastards would kill me. All I could do was sit there and be pretty and seem wise.
After a few moments, I was tapped on the shoulder by a blood-covered John, the older man held the sword, which he had used to end the lives of most of the nobles.
"It's done, my lord."
I looked at him silently, not responding, as I nodded, sitting on the throne, which almost felt unnatural. The stench of blood was strong. I couldn't bear it.
"Good job. Sir John."
I smiled weakly, trying my best to be nonchalant, but the sight of the mob cleaning the throne room and leaving me alone with the murderer of god knows how many nobles.
"Now what do we do with the rest of them, and the children?"
John was stoic, distant, and definitely ruthless, but he still wasn't a monster. That was good, I was not going to deal with anyone who might be a threat to my life.
"Uh... Well, make the adults start teaching the peasants and, uh, you can just send the children into an orphanage. I don't really mind."
John's eyes lit up just a bit. He was an uneducated man, so the opportunity for other children to be saved from the rabbit hole of not being able to read or write was probably delightful in his eyes.
"I'll carry this out immediately. Thank you, my lord."
As he left towards the outside. I suddenly had a realization. John was the only viable person who was both strong and whom I could trust.
While I couldn't just make him a Baron or noble instantly. I could invest in his potential.
"Before you leave."
I called out, picking up a broken sword from the ground as my crown started to glow, just a bit. Since the people themselves have accepted me as king. I can now bestow Mana onto others.
"Come here."
I slowly pointed the sword at him, my hands shaky and my mind filled with doubt. What if this ended up backfiring and I dug my own grave? That doesn't matter. I'll have to make this work.
Father wouldn't be proud, and my mother needs to rest in peace knowing her son tried his best and may have helped a soul to become better.
"If I'm king now. I can even out the imbalance in this kingdom, starting with you. Congratulations."