Chapter 170
Chapter 170
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: My King Game Begins
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I sat in a fine room that carried a faint, pleasant fragrance. But it wasn't my body—it was that of a young boy.
And standing before me was a man wearing glasses.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, are you listening?"
I stared at him blankly in response. King? No, Crown Prince? So it starts from here?
"This is an important time to review the kingdom's history. Studying the events that occurred during the reigns of our nine preceding kings and their deeds is of utmost importance."
The situation was starting to make sense bit by bit. I wasn't beginning as the king right away. Through this method, I would first learn how those nine who ascended the throne before me had ruled the country and what impacts their reigns had.
If I had to put a name to it, "tutorial" would fit perfectly.
"My apologies. I was lost in thought for a moment. What were you saying?"
The bespectacled man cleared his throat once and opened his mouth.
"I was speaking of the proud founder of Seonheon, the Valiant King Jang Tae-seok."
Valiant King Jang Tae-seok, huh. I nearly let out a wry smile without thinking. For one thing, thanks to this, I now knew the name of the kingdom: Seonheon.
"As you know, about 900 years ago, Seonheon was merely a small city-state. But Valiant King Jang Tae-seok conquered the surrounding twelve city-states with his formidable military prowess and charisma."
He unified that territory into one and proclaimed the founding of the kingdom, ascending as its first king. I spoke in a gentle tone.
"What was Seonheon like back then?"
The teacher replied to my question.
"King Jang Tae-seok revered strength and martial prowess. His bold personality and unyielding spirit were more than enough to make the people follow him."
A warrior tradition naturally took root in Seonheon. It wasn't unexpected.
After all, people become kings, so the direction of rule inevitably follows the temperament of the one who claims the throne.
Considering Jang Tae-seok's personality, it was almost impossible for a nation emphasizing arts, commerce, or scholarship to have been established.
'Not a bad setup.'
I stroked my chin, lost in thought. Our goal in ruling was singular: to defend against the onslaught from Gonsalok, the Erosion Core that would invade Seonheon immediately after my reign ended.
Wouldn't this be far better than prioritizing arts, culture, or scholarship?
"The people spent their leisure swinging swords and shooting arrows, and the main events at village festivals were always contests of strength among the physically trained men."
They were so obsessed with fighting that if you weren't proficient with sword and bow by age five, you weren't treated like a person.
"However, Seonheon's fierce and lofty spirit at the time was still unrefined. This led to various problems."
This was the key. After Jang Tae-seok's ten-year reign ended, what happened over the following ninety years?
"I see."
As I listened to the history teacher's explanation, my expression grew complicated. During Jang Tae-seok's rule, Seonheon had developed a warrior-nation ethos, and in the ninety years that followed, they lived like madmen.
Should I call it a plunder economy? They spent those ninety years constantly raiding neighboring countries, stripping them of everything they had.
They demanded tribute and slaves from other nations, and if refused, they invaded, beat them down, and took what they wanted.
They did this for ninety years straight. Naturally, relations with their neighbors plummeted after Jang Tae-seok's ascension. Was this a kingdom? More like bandits.
"To put it nicely, it's a plunder economy. Honestly, it's just a swarm of locusts."
"Your Highness, you must mind your words."
I nodded vaguely at the teacher's rebuke and apologized.
"Sorry. Please continue."
"Ahem. During Valiant King Jang Tae-seok's reign, Seonheon's people were like high-quality iron, raw and untrained."
Full of potential to become a fine sword, but still in its unpolished state.
"The one who succeeded him is someone even Your Highness knows well: Knight King Seong Si-hoon."
Seong Si-hoon as the Knight King. Good lord. Should I laugh or cry?
"When honoring Knight King Seong Si-hoon's achievements, one thing always mentioned is the introduction of the early class system and the establishment of chivalry."
Relations with foreign nations were in tatters, but rather than patching them up through immediate diplomacy, Seong Si-hoon seemed to have planned far ahead.
"Protection of the weak, no retreat in battle, upholding justice... These are the common-sense principles that Seonheon's people follow as naturally as breathing even today, and they were codified back then."
Seong Si-hoon implemented a class system. Not a complex one, but a simple division between warriors and non-warriors.
Anything more intricate would have been hard for Seonheon's people to accept at the time anyway.
"At the same time as introducing the class system, King Seong Si-hoon imposed duties on the privileged warrior class."
"Chivalry."
The teacher nodded at my words.
For barbarians who had lived by raw power and destruction, rules they had to follow were finally established.
Thanks to Seong Si-hoon's efforts, the notion that plundering the weak was shameful took hold, and Seonheon's warriors finally stopped raiding foreign lands like bandits.
Of course, they still maintained a high-handed attitude toward other countries... but at least they stopped the rapes, plundering, and massacres.
"But they didn't manage to improve those strained foreign relations."
The teacher nodded at my remark.
"Indeed. However, King Seong Si-hoon succeeded in preventing them from worsening further. This laid the groundwork for later kings to mend ties and foster exchanges with foreign nations."
He had succeeded in putting a collar of honor and duty around the necks of bloodthirsty maniacs. This had to be called an achievement.
Seong Si-hoon must have worked himself to the bone. No wonder he ended up leading a major hunter company like Taebaek.
"What's this?"
As I listened, I glanced around and commented on the carvings on the bed.
"Ancient Hangul, is it not? It's said that King Jang Tae-seok created it after receiving a divine oracle. The warriors of the time believed it held power to instill courage and bring victory in war."
I stared silently at the teacher after hearing his explanation. So Hangul played the role of Viking runes here?
"Nowadays, it has passed its role as script to modern Hangul and serves as a symbol of faith used in religious rituals. 'May Earth watch over us from above.'"
I... I was left speechless. Digging a bit deeper, I learned that the Upper Realm Faith was also Jang Tae-seok's doing.
Back then, it was primitive animism. Whether Jang Tae-seok lacked sense or was brilliant, he declared right away, "I descended from Earth to lead you!"
It wasn't wrong, but who blurts that out like a lunatic? Oh, right—he's here.
"After King Jang Tae-seok's ascension, as years passed, his deeds and words were passed down like folktales..."
It evolved into a primitive faith that there was a place called Earth high above where gods resided, watching over and protecting them.
"Through further development of doctrine, it became a proper religion."
I pondered briefly before responding.
"I can guarantee you King Jang Tae-seok never imagined his actions would turn into a religion."
"Who knows. History has no 'what ifs.' Whether the king truly descended from Earth for our sake, we can't say for sure. But looking at his achievements, it's hard to believe one man accomplished them all."
The teacher said this with a smile and continued the enjoyable history lesson.
"In fact, there's a theory that 'Jang Tae-seok' wasn't one person but several, and the name is a collective title for them."
Tell them to cut it out. It was one guy. Being 900 years ago, all sorts of nonsense theories have popped up.
The pleasant history study continued for a good while longer. Everyone gave their all.
They all did their best in their own way, and while time revealed some missteps, none of the hunters deliberately committed acts deserving the labels of tyrant or foolish king.
"That's all for today. Someday, when the time comes, Your Highness will inherit the will of these great preceding kings and become this nation's ruler. Please don't forget today's lesson, and may you become a sage king remembered throughout history."
And then my vision slowly blurred again. It seemed like the real start was now.
When I opened my eyes once more, I was kneeling beneath a red carpet adorned with gold leaf.
Hundreds of people stood on either side of the carpet where I knelt, heads bowed. Before me stood an elderly man in white robes, holding a crown and a sword.
I quickly grasped the situation. This looked like my coronation ceremony. It was incredibly elaborate. Would I really have to spend a full ten years here?
A thought flashed by: with an Erosion Core on the scale of Gonsalok, it was possible.
"King, huh."
I muttered to myself. Everyone dreams at least once of living like a king.
"Since Founder Jang Tae-seok raised his iron fist to proclaim the kingdom's founding, nine kings have ruled in succession."
Raised his fist to found the kingdom. That guy Jang Tae-seok. I smirked with my head bowed.
"And today, we gather in this sacred place to pledge our loyalty to a new king's reign. Under the blessings of the nine preceding kings and the wise leadership of the new sovereign, King Yoo Chan-seok, we shall walk the path of eternal prosperity without doubt."
Amid the solemnity, organ music played. Two young children standing behind the elder placed incense sticks into silver censers, filling the air with fragrant smoke.
"Glory to His Majesty the King. May the courage of the roaring lion and the purity of clear-running streams dwell within His Majesty. Henceforth, wield the sword to crush foreign foes without, and nurture the kingdom within like a parent's embrace."
The elder anointed my forehead with fresh oil that smelled like it had just been squeezed. Then he placed the crown upon my head.
"I solemnly declare the dawn of a new era."
The elder who had crowned me slowly stepped back.
"Let His Majesty's gracious edict establish the new reign for all subjects and officials."
The new reign—upon my ascension, declaring a new era name and setting today as Year One.
I rose slowly from my place, gazing at the multitudes lining the carpet on both sides, then spoke.
"As the dew that gathers thick on mountains and fields at dawn nourishes all vegetation, so too shall glory and prosperity flourish under my rule. Here and now, I proclaim the new era: Jamro."
Putting on kingly airs wasn't hard. I'd seen plenty of people playing the part of king, spouting grand words before crowds.
And so, from this day forward, the first year of the Jamro era began. Thus, my king game commenced.