Chapter 233
Chapter 233
"I, Felix Esperanza, pledge my loyalty to the monarch of the new kingdom."
The Sword Duke's declaration—something no one had anticipated—cast an unnatural silence over the grand hall.
The nobles exchanged glances, each doubting their own ears before their eyes widened in unison.
'The Sword Duke?'
The hall grew so quiet that the sound of a pin dropping would have echoed.
Within that abrupt silence, Logan's expression gradually shifted.
The uncertainty in his eyes steadied, and his parted lips pressed into a firm line.
A look of resolute determination.
Beside him, Patrick, who had been watching his son, also felt some of the tension leave his expression.
'The Sword Duke... has acknowledged Logan.'
How had he appeared in the grand hall at this moment?
Why had he acted this way?
Though the situation was baffling enough to warrant questions, none of that mattered now.
Patrick knew the turmoil his son had endured—all he could do was exhale in relief.
And so, the two most influential figures in the room remained silent.
Amid the heavy stillness, the Sword Duke alone spoke again.
"I have heard that all subjects of this kingdom have already made their decision. For the sake of the people who have suffered through years of calamity, I implore Your Majesty to act decisively."
Your Majesty.
The weight of those words made Logan, seated in the regent's chair, tremble once more.
His clenched fists and quivering lips betrayed the storm of emotions within him.
Yet when he finally spoke, his voice rang clear and unwavering, as if that momentary hesitation had never existed.
"I accept your oath."
Then—
"Hah—"
"This is..."
"Then..."
Gasps of astonishment rippled through the silent hall.
Ignoring them, Logan, his expression resolute, made his declaration to all present.
"I, Logan MacLaine, hereby accept the will of this kingdom's people and proclaim the dawn of a new dynasty!"
"Ooooh!"
Cheers erupted through the grand hall, heralding the birth of a new era.
Following this, Patrick MacLaine's voice boomed across the chamber.
"Ministers! Prepare the coronation to announce the beginning of this new dynasty! Prepare for the dawn of a new age!"
"Yes!"
The proclamation of a new kingdom.
As rumors of this spread rapidly from the royal palace outward—
Logan found himself face-to-face with his master, who had appeared in a manner he had never expected.
"Master, what is the meaning of this?"
"I had resolved to do this from the moment I stepped onto the battlefield. The defeated must follow the victor. For the sake of this kingdom's people."
The Sword Duke's reply was firm, and his altered manner of speech was still difficult to adjust to.
"...Please, speak comfortably, Master. This sudden formality is unsettling."
Logan's face twisted awkwardly, but—
"No, no. If I were to disregard honorifics simply because I am your master, the authority of this new dynasty would never take root."
"It makes me uncomfortable. At least when we are alone, speak to me as you always have."
Despite Logan's plea, the Sword Duke remained obstinate.
"No. A leaky bucket drips both inside and out. Thus, this is the proper way. In that spirit, I must confess a transgression."
"...Huh?"
"In my haste to escape prison, I injured several knights. Punish this criminal as you see fit."
Thud.
The Sword Duke's excessively deferential attitude left Logan utterly speechless.
But after a moment—
With a long sigh, Logan extended his hand to his master.
"Rise. I have never once considered you a criminal."
At those words, the Sword Duke's brows twitched faintly beneath his bowed head.
Yet his posture remained unchanged.
"I am grateful for Your Majesty's mercy."
Still using that stiff, unfamiliar tone, the Sword Duke rose to his feet.
Watching him, Logan finally voiced the doubts that had been weighing on his heart.
"Did you know? Until you arrived, I was still hesitating."
"Yes. I suspected as much."
"...You did?"
"That is why I came before Your Majesty—to dispel that hesitation."
"Ah..."
Logan's gaze lingered on his master's face, still glistening with cold sweat.
Beneath that stern expression, his complexion was uncharacteristically pale for an aura user.
'Master...'
Once, Logan had followed him without question.
Once, they had stood opposed.
Yet even at the height of their conflict, his master had still been thinking of him.
The sudden surrender of the Esperanza forces, the events in the grand hall—
Though they had crossed blades to uphold their convictions, his master had already planned for what would come after defeat.
'What would he have done if I had lost?'
Then, the final moments of their duel flashed through Logan's mind.
The abrupt weakening of his master's sword, that final strike—
Had it been an attempt to capture him alive?
While Logan had swung his blade without regard for his master's life.
'Truly...'
Once that thought took hold, an unfounded certainty followed.
'No matter how little room I had for hesitation back then...'
Shame washed over him.
Without thinking, Logan spoke.
"Master, back then, did you—"
"Let us not dwell on the past. Now is the time to prepare for what lies ahead."
But the Sword Duke cut him off before he could finish.
"...Do you not regret it?"
"What could I possibly regret at this point? I have already made peace with my decision. More importantly, there is something I wish to confirm with Your Majesty."
"Yes?"
"The imperial invasion you spoke of before—how certain are you of it?"
His piercing blue eyes, now heavy with gravity, returned to the topic they had once discussed.
But the circumstances were undeniably different now.
Back then, the Sword Duke had doubted the likelihood and demanded concrete evidence, dismissing it as Logan's excuse for rebellion.
Yet—
"One hundred percent. The Empire will invade. I stake my life on it."
There was no reason for excuses now.
And still, Logan's voice held not a trace of hesitation.
'No... He was just as certain before. I was the one too blinded by my own stubbornness to see it.'
Hearing the answer he had once sought, the Sword Duke finally acknowledged his own obstinacy and exhaled deeply.
"Then I swear again. I, Felix Esperanza, will dedicate my life to repelling the Empire's invasion and protecting this kingdom."
Thud.
As his master knelt once more, Logan could only grimace in discomfort.
"Our Grand Prince has become king!!"
"Really?!"
"What does that mean for us?"
"What do you mean? Life's about to get better!"
"Uh... is it?"
"I... I don't know either! But isn't it something to celebrate?"
"Right!"
—Long live Logan MacLaine!
Cheers praising the new king resounded throughout MacLaine Town and the entire MacLaine territory.
But while the people of MacLaine celebrated Logan's achievements and awaited the birth of their new nation, the reactions from other territories ranged from indifference to outright skepticism.
"A new kingdom?"
"So Grandia won't be Grandia anymore?"
"They say it'll be MacLaine now."
"What's that? Sounds weird..."
The streets buzzed with murmurs far from enthusiastic.
Though a new dynasty had been proclaimed, the people's immediate concerns were more practical than political.
For them, putting food on the table mattered more than the kingdom's name.
Yet for the leaders of this new kingdom, the symbolism of its inception was paramount.
Thus, the grand hall meeting to prepare for the coronation was more heated than ever.
"The order of events should be..."
"The procession will start at the grand hall, pass through the palace gates, then circle the capital..."
"Isn't a procession excessive? Wouldn't it be better to—"
The ministers' fervent debates filled the chamber, while nobles from across the territories, invited to witness the coronation preparations, observed in silence.
In principle, this new dynasty had been established with the unanimous consent of the kingdom's nobility.
To mark its beginning, every influential noble had gathered.
Yet some among them were not focused on the heated discussions—their attention lay elsewhere.
The elevated seat of the grand hall.
Beside Logan MacLaine, now seated on the throne, stood an elderly knight.
The Sword Duke, Felix Esperanza.
Having coordinated their stance before arriving in the capital, these nobles found the current situation deeply unsettling.
—If the MacLaine dynasty begins like this, the king will hold absolute power.
—Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Our unity is ultimately for the kingdom's sake.
—As nobles, we must safeguard our minimal rights.
—We must pledge loyalty to the new king while banding together to secure our voice.
For these nobles, who had secretly agreed on this course, the Sword Duke—no, the Grand Duchy of Esperanza—was their best hope.
The last house to oppose MacLaine before falling.
Yet even in defeat, they had been allowed to retain their standing under Logan's mercy.
They had believed such a house could become the core of their new "noble faction."
But now, the very head of that house—the Sword Duke, who had been thought defeated—stood firmly beside the new king.
And worse—
"Given the kingdom's instability, we should minimize the coronation's expenses—"
"That will not do, Your Majesty. The dawn of a millennium-spanning dynasty cannot begin in austerity. If funds are lacking, the Esperanza treasury will cover the cost. Please, focus only on elevating the kingdom's prestige."
He spoke with utmost deference—to his former student, no less.
'We're finished.'
For the nobles who had dreamed of forming a new faction, their plans were effectively crushed in that moment.
"You haven't fully recovered yet. There was no need to push yourself like this."
"It is necessary. My presence here will deter those who might harbor dissent from the very start."
From a distance, it wasn't obvious—but up close, the cold sweat on the Sword Duke's forehead was visible. Despite his poor condition, his resolve remained unshaken.
Though he had lived politically neutral for decades, that very experience meant he understood the nobles' machinations all too well.
Thus, he was determined to lay the foundation for this new dynasty—firmly.
His mere presence was enough.
And so, as the birth of a new noble faction was quietly stifled—
"Then the coronation proceedings shall be decided as such."
The grand hall meeting came to a close.
The day the MacLaine dynasty would officially begin was now set.
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
"Maintain formation!"
"Adjust your spacing!"
"You there! A little to the right!"
From the western gate of the capital's inner city to the palace entrance—
The sprawling avenue was packed with crowds, shuffling left and right under the soldiers' directions.
"But why start outside the palace...?"
"I heard His Majesty wanted to commemorate the path he first took when entering the palace."
"What does that even mean?"
"No idea."
"Well, all we need to do is see the new king's face, right? They say it brings good fortune."
"Exactly!"
"Quiet down!"
The knights barely managed to hush the murmuring crowd as the avenue's formation was finally settled by noon.
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
As the drums resumed, a thunderous voice echoed across the entire avenue.
"All hail His Majesty Logan MacLaine, founder of the MacLaine Kingdom!"
With that, the western gate of the inner city swung open, and a procession slowly began its march inward.
A man in resplendent armor, mounted atop a massive steed with a fiery red mane.
His own crimson hair, matching the horse's, stood out vividly as he advanced into the inner city, flanked and followed by his retinue.
But these were no mere attendants—they were knights.
Clad in ornate armor and wearing solemn expressions, they began their march alongside the king.
"Wooooooah!"
A deafening roar shook the capital, heralding the birth of a new kingdom.
"Long live the king!"
"Long live the MacLaine Kingdom!"
"Long live His Majesty Logan MacLaine!"
Endless cheers of "Long live the king!" erupted from all directions.
The Rubens-bred steed, painstakingly acquired by his master, froze in terror at the overwhelming noise—forcing Logan to soothe it with aura before proceeding step by step.
As he moved forward, flower petals rained down along his path.
From rooftops lining the avenue, an endless shower of petals swirled through the air, weaving a dreamlike atmosphere.
The spectacle was so dazzlingly extravagant that the knights escorting him were barely noticeable.
Amid this surreal scene, Logan surveyed his surroundings as he guided his horse forward.