Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: Queen's Coronation (1)
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- Plan revision. Tell Death Knight King to show off his maximum power and play dead. With this plan, we'll make Princess Irena the queen and saintess.
Celia's command was straightforward.
Necros handed the Death Knight King the paper with the orders written on it.
The Death Knight King checked the command and slowly stepped forward.
It was time to unleash the power he had been forced to hide.
At that moment, the atmosphere around them shifted.
"......"
Crimson clouds formed in the sky.
Lightning flashed between the red clouds, accompanied by thunderous roars.
Soon, black lightning struck the ground.
The black lightning hit the Death Knight King directly.
At the same time, an immense aura of darkness enveloped his jet-black armor. A helmet with sharp, horn-like protrusions appeared, and beneath it, black eyes glowing with red light became visible.
But the darkness didn't stop there.
Soon, energy gathered behind his back, unfurling into massive wings.
If a demon had just stepped out of hell, wouldn't it look like this?
Those who beheld the Death Knight King in this form began to tremble from head to toe.
"This... this can't be real......"
Vice Captain Liana could only stick out her tongue in disbelief at the scene unfolding before her.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Her heart pounded as if it might burst.
Even the Holy Knights who had survived the monster's earlier strike were paralyzed by fear, barely able to stand.
They leaned on each other, clutching their swords with trembling hands—that was all they could manage.
There was nothing they could do here.
The knights led by Princess Irena were in the same boat.
With terrified faces, they exchanged glances and backed away. Someone's sword and shield clattered to the ground, but no one had the courage to pick them up.
The Holy Knights of the Church, slayers of evil, were gripped by fear—and the regular knights were no different.
The terror of death crushed their bodies.
But among the humans, Princess Irena was the exception.
Princess Irena glanced back briefly.
She could see the civilians who had followed her knights.
But right now, they were all fixated on that monstrous figure. In the face of overwhelming terror, they couldn't even think to flee.
In contrast, Princess Irena's face remained serene.
She had received an explanation about the current situation.
A shadow had just approached her moments ago. With everyone distracted by the monster, no one paid any attention to the princess or the shadow.
The shadow secretly delivered a note to her.
It undoubtedly contained Celia's words.
The princess quickly read the note, and her eyes widened.
'To think she truly summoned a 7-star being......'
The note stated that the entity before them was 7-star rank, named the Death Knight King.
Princess Irena was genuinely impressed.
She especially paid her respects to the great being Celia always spoke of.
'Such tremendous power......'
This was something no nation could achieve—no, no one in the demon realm could even come close to such overwhelming might.
Irena craved power.
That's why she had made a contract with Celia now.
'Just how powerful is that existence?'
Even she couldn't gauge the full extent of their strength.
It was truly infinite power.
Princess Irena felt an intense thrill at the fact that such a being was aiding her.
It was back when she was still a child, before entering the royal family.
The ordinary girl Irena had once watched a street play.
It told the love story of a prince and princess, and her heart had raced so fiercely.
Like a girl watching that play's romance unfold, Irena gazed at the Death Knight King.
The play's love story had been fiction, but the scene before her now was all too real.
'To think they'd help me to this extent.'
Princess Irena had already built her reputation through the Arch Lich and Dullahan.
Whenever monsters approached her, her knights and Maru dispatched them.
It was all a scripted play, ensuring victory always belonged to her.
The civilians who witnessed her triumphs cheered her name in ecstasy.
She had received more than enough support up to now.
With this level of recognition, she could inch closer to the throne by any means.
But apparently, others didn't see it that way.
'You want something more decisive, don't you, Lady Celia.'
That's why they pulled out the 7-star card.
This was the privilege of the powerful.
The privilege to shape the situation as desired.
Princess Irena spurred her horse forward, taking the lead ahead of her knights.
"Princess, no! It's far too dangerous!"
Lennon, true to his role as her guard knight, tried to hold Irena back, but her resolve couldn't be shaken.
"It's fine, Sir Lennon."
Princess Irena reassured him.
"We can do this."
And she spoke of hope.
Princess Irena advanced in her silver armor, leading her white steed.
At the same time, Maru closely followed behind her, the sight imprinting itself in Lennon's eyes.
'Why are you so certain......'
Lennon couldn't understand.
That being was a monster they could never hope to face.
Even if every nation on the continent united to form an expedition, could they defeat it?
Facing it with their current forces would just be a meaningless death.
They would surely die.
Yet Lennon wavered.
'Am I... really that kind of person?'
Lennon watched Princess Irena stride forward confidently.
He saw the princess advancing without hesitation and Sir Maru faithfully following her.
'Sir Maru is here simply to aid the princess.'
Even if he had once been a Holy Knight, Sir Maru stepped forward boldly.
It was a stark contrast to the terrified Holy Knights beside him.
'Is that courage?'
No, it wasn't mere courage.
It was the duty and salvation that came only from those who sought to save humanity.
Lennon clenched his fist tightly.
"Princess! I'll go with you!"
And he charged forward.
He didn't know what outcome this choice would bring.
It might end in pointless death.
Still, he resolved himself.
Born a commoner and risen to knighthood, he had faced endless discrimination.
Even as the princess's guard knight, the prejudice lingered. But Princess Irena was different.
'I will repay the grace she bestowed upon me!'
He would protect the princess, even at the cost of his life.
That was Lennon's duty.
With Princess Irena at the forefront, Maru and Lennon advanced.
The knights, whose morale had hit rock bottom, began to lift their heads once more.
Everything had gone too smoothly up until now.
Having repeatedly faced 5-star foes like the Arch Lich, the knights had let their guard down momentarily.
But the appearance of this overwhelming being had them all bowing their heads.
It was terrifying.
Some even felt the temptation to flee.
But look at Princess Irena leading the charge.
If even the princess mustered the courage to advance, what were they, as knights, doing?
Royal knights, no less.
"Y-Yeah! We still have hope!"
One of the knights shouted.
'Hope.'
Yes, if they retreated here, the Sail Kingdom was doomed anyway.
Why had they become knights?
To protect the royals?
No.
To safeguard the royal family then?
No.
On a small scale, perhaps—but that wasn't the absolute goal or purpose of a knight.
To defend the kingdom.
The joyful memories with family.
The days forging bonds and friendships with comrades, sword in hand.
They had taken up the blade and sworn eternal loyalty to protect those memories and the daily lives ahead.
Hope wasn't absent.
Even a sliver of hope would make them move!
The knights picked up their fallen swords and shields.
This wasn't some faded ideal of knighthood from distant memory.
Their liege, the princess, was leading by example to protect the kingdom.
Now it was time to uphold their oath as knights.
The knights too thrust their swords skyward and advanced.
The mages began chanting their spells.
Even the dazed civilians grabbed whatever could serve as weapons and followed behind.
Princess Irena's fearless actions ignited hope in everyone.
Thud-
Thud-
Then the Death Knight King took a step forward. With each one, the earth trembled.
The surrounding buildings crumbled as if shaking in fear.
Dust from the collapsing structures partially obscured the Death Knight King's form.
"Crackling laughter! I am death. Despair. I, who shall bring death upon you all, am the King of Death!"
Everyone trembled at the monster's voice echoing at that moment.
Of course, it wasn't the real Death Knight King's voice.
Vetter, standing behind him, was providing it instead.
True to his mastery of transformation, his acting was top-tier.
The Death Knight King merely unleashed his power as ordered. From now on, Vetter would handle the lines.
"Heh heh heh... Pathetic humans, lesser than ants, struggling desperately to survive! Come forth! Princess Irena!"
Necros turned his head upon hearing Vetter's line.
Why did this newly appeared monster know Princess Irena's name?
But the words were already spoken. Necros simply jotted it down in his notebook.
But the people didn't care.
They only watched Princess Irena bravely confronting the Death Knight King.
"Princess Irena......"
One person had more interest in Princess Irena than anyone else.
It was Vice Captain Liana.
Not only the Holy Knights, but even she herself had trembled in fear.
Yet the princess's actions were unflinching.
Her bold demeanor created a butterfly effect, inspiring hope in the people.
'How shameful.'
For the first time in her life, Vice Captain Liana felt ashamed of herself.
She had always lived with pride in belonging to the Holy Knights.
The Holy Knights were her, and she was the Holy Knights.
To Liana, they were a source of immense pride.
But now, they weren't.
They were shameful.
If even an ordinary princess acted that way, what was she doing?
Even now, Princess Irena confidently approached the monster.
'He called himself the King of Death.'
She would report everything that happened here to the Church.
And she would have to report on Princess Irena as well.
"I don't know if we'll survive, but......"
Vice Captain Liana picked up her dropped sword.
It was no ordinary blade, but one from the Church.
Issued to Holy Knights, it was their standard-issue holy sword.
If she gave up here, she wouldn't deserve to wield it.
Vice Captain Liana rose to her feet.
And she shouted.
"Believe in the Goddess's light!"
Vice Captain Liana's voice rang out.
At her words, the Holy Knights began to snap out of it one by one.
Though they had lost comrades to the so-called King of Death, they couldn't just sit idle.
Doing nothing here would dishonor those who had fallen first.
Vice Captain Liana clasped her hands.
"O Goddess of Light, bestow your merciful radiance upon this land stained by sin." "Banish evil and illuminate the darkness with truth. Grant us hope. Guide us!"
⟨ Area Buff ⟩
Vice Captain Liana's power: a wide-area buff.
As the prayer ended, blinding light poured from the heavens. It pierced through the crimson clouds, as if the sky itself had parted.
Amid the cascading light from above, one figure stood out in Liana's eyes.
It was Princess Irena.
The princess pressed forward with resolute will amid the despair.
'Perhaps true hope lies there.'
Such a thought briefly crossed Liana's mind.