Re:START/If {Book 1.0}
Chapter 67 : Aswad 14 of 15 “Nobles, Liabilities, and Ambition” (Part 03)
Arteria flinched, looking panicked as she was suddenly spoken to. While looking away and trying not to look directly at the source of the aura of life like a giant, he also tried to avoid, “A-Arteria has explained it! Arteria told me you were Odo Luke ..”
“Terus?”
“Ha-Only that ...” The blue haired woman looked so sorry, started to lower her face and in a soft voice said, “They do not believe and instead quarrel …. Arteria didn't think it would be like this either. Sorry ...”
Odo's expression instantly turned flat hearing this. He immediately understood that it was impossible for the Goddess of the City, Asmali Oraces, to come out before the King and explain the misunderstanding in place of Princess Arteria who was still a child. Putting the palm onto the eel and sighing, the young man climbed onto the terrace with Mavis.
Mavis walked towards Fiola and her husband, while Odo headed for Princess Arteria to ask something again. However, the Prince immediately stood before blocking Odo.
The dark red-haired teenager activated her Magic Core, extended her right hand forward and cast a spell, “O fire! The fire in my soul! Gather on this site and be the spear that hits the chest of my enemy⸻!”
Before Mana was collected and the change in nature was complete, Odo held tightly onto Prince Ryan's wrist and deactivated the magic using Aitisal Almaelumat. The prince was surprised that Mana's circulation instantly stopped by itself, he tried to pull his hand from Odo's grasp but could not due to the difference in physical strength.
“Prince, calm down a little …. Not that I'm gonna hurt your sister or do anything bad to her. Look at your father, is he trying to attack me?” said Odo in a flat tone.
When his hand was released, Prince Ryan immediately stepped back and took Princess Arteria to stay away. A fleeting fearful look appeared in the Prince's eyes, making Odo sigh as the misunderstanding grew.
“Kakanda, don't pull Arteria …. Why is Kakanda shaking like? Mr. Odo won't do anything to Arteria.”
“Adinda ...” The look on Prince Ryan's face immediately seemed confused, looking at Arteria and in his mind wondering with his sister's attitude. With a trembling tone he asked, “You why, Adinda?!Are you not afraid of him? In-Dia ⸻”
King Gaiel placed his hand on his son's shoulder, and Prince Ryan immediately turned his head. Seeing his father shake his head, he momentarily took a breath and tried to endure the fear.
Odo immediately knelt respectfully before the King, bowed his head and began to flatter, “Good day, Your Majesty Gaiel Vi Felixia. Nice to meet you at Luke's residence.”
The young man's reaction felt so strange, either to the king or everyone around him. As Odo lifted his face and looked at King Gaiel, a glimpse of the young man's cornea turned green and without Speculation Perception was active before the important conversation began.
“Stand up and answer my question. Are you really Dart's son?”
Odo immediately woke up and lightly replied, “Of course! Your Majesty should have known that very well after seeing the reaction of my Mom and Dad, right?”
“Hmm, indeed ...”
At first glance the atmosphere became quiet. The conversation made some people look tense waiting for the King's decision regarding the condition of Princess Arteria's prospective fiance who has a demonic aura.
Thomas Rein, who had been silent before, ventured to get into the conversation, stepped up to the young man with black hair and asked, “Master Odo, may I know? Why do you know each other with Princess Arteria? When you were arrested, I never saw him meet you ...”
The question slightly disturbed the King, curiosity also re-emerged in the mind and wanted to know it. Looking at Princess Arteria to make sure, the King asked, “Arteria, have you ever met this young man before? Answer honestly, my daughter …. Father will not be angry.”
Thomas immediately looked towards Princess Arteria, then curiously asked again, “Is it true that you feel something of a destiny with her, Princess?!”
“Ta-Destiny?” Arteria looked a little afraid of the curious aura of life of Thomas Rein, she quickly hid behind her brother and replied, “A-Arteria does not feel such a thing ..”.
“Then why can you trust him directly?” ask Thomas to make sure.
Arteria was fully hiding behind her brother, with a slightly trembling voice she replied, “Arteria once spoke to Mr. Odo during a rest troupe in the forest last night .
It sounded so unnatural to trust a person who had only been spoken to once. King Gaiel looked back at Odo, giving a look of flat eyes. Arteria was not a child who easily believed in others, King Gaiel as a father knew that very clearly. But from the way his daughter spoke and behaved, Arteria seemed to have fully believed in Odo Luke.
“What ... have you done to my daughter? Are you bouncing Arteria?” asked the King with suspicion.
Hearing such a thing, Odo Luke immediately turned his eyes away and looked lazy to explain everything. Ringing his tongue and looking dejectedly, without showing courtesy he firmly said, “You are just like my father yes, King Gaiel …. Trouble, is it hard to believe your own daughter's words? I'm mentally tired and haven't had a break since yesterday …. Don't prolong this problem!”
The impolite words left everyone on the terrace shocked, as did the King. Trying not to provoke the provocation, the King said, “It is important to determine whether you deserve or not to be my daughter's partner, of course I want to clarify it.”
“For what?” Odo stared flatly and made the King completely dumbfounded. Stepping closer and adding a sharp gaze, once again Odo asked, “For what is it?”
King Gaiel until stepping back got the gaze, look Odo's eyes as if looking into him to the bottom of the heart. As cold sweat began to flow from the cheeks, the old man replied, “You will be my daughter's fiancee. Become a King and explore the future of this country. As a reigning King, I have an obligation to make sure you deserve it or not.”
“Wahai King …. Are you sure you say that? Does it come from inside your mind and not hypocrisy?” Odo took one step back and put on a faint smile. Raising his hand and pointing straight at the King, the young man asked again, “Not to immediately release the throne you are holding now? Having lost her reason for power after Queen Dahlia's death, the desire to occupy your power is instantly gone and emptiness envelops.
Both King Gaiel's eyes opened wide, the calm expression he had always displayed instantly collapsed. His teeth were bluffing, his eyes turned sharp and completely devoured by emotion as his privacy zone was piqued by the question.
Everyone who heard that was surprised, it was the first time the King who usually looked calm was consumed by emotions. Guests who had just watched from afar began to return to the park, they looked curious and astonished to hear the loud voice of the King.
Some were astonished by the presence of the young man with black hair, and some were staring curiously. Some analyze and some give a dislike look. Among all of them, the ones who dared to step closest were only the Royal Elders of the Religious Party and representatives from the vital regions of the Kingdom of Felixia.
Aware that as a King should not lose his calm mind before the important people of his country, King Gaiel took a deep breath and glimpsed at the nobles and gathered guests. Not saying anything to all of them, he looked back at Odo with displeasure in mind.
“You ... are you really a child? How to talk and highlight your eyes it ..”
Odo lowered his hands, put on a light smile and replied, “Being a King is troublesome, isn't it? Didn't your wife warn you about that, Raja?”
“My wife? Warned?”
“You know, King Gaiel ...” Odo put his index finger in front of his mouth, put a wide grin and revealed, “To ascend to the throne and become a King is not difficult. Not everyone can afford it, but many can achieve it. Many wise people deserve to be a great leader, it is evidenced in the past where many Kingdoms stood. Then ..., what do you think makes people in this time not many who try to achieve it?”
“Of course because they have no ambition. A ruler must have a clear vision and mission! For the sake of being able to unite his followers!”
“That's also true, but that's not what I mean.” Odo lowered his forefinger from the front of his mouth, stared flatly and said, “A person who has ascended to the throne is not allowed to descend. As he came down, it was the end for him …. Wise people who study history must understand this.”
“And? You mean dead?”
“Hmm, that's right. Death ...” Odo grinned darkly, looking at his hands behind his waist and while slightly bowing he was bound, “King Gaiel, do you think how many people have sacrificed for you in order to ascend to your throne now? How many hundred? How many thousand?”
The question instantly made King Gaiel remember his youth on the battlefield. Piles of corpses, cries and moans, the sagging of the families of the soldiers who died on the battlefield, grudges and hatred, all of them ringed inside his head and made him tremble.
“Ayahanda ...” Princess Arteria slowly pulled on King Gaiel's robe as she saw the aura of her life radiating such a strong sense of guilt.
Slightly flinched and staring at his daughter, King Gaiel shook and tried to forget his dark past.
Seeing the reaction, Odo stopped looking back at his hands and stood up straight. While smiling lightly he again said, “A King will not easily die, although captured by other kingdoms he will not be killed immediately. Do you know the reason? Of course you understand, don't you? As a King ...”
King Gaiel looked back at Odo. Taking a deep breath, the old man asked, “You're demanding accountability? Do you have the rights ⸻?”
“They! Of course have!” Odo immediately cut his words firmly. While putting up a look of annoyance he said, “You have been using both my parents like a lackey!”
Odo stepped forward and pulled the collar of King Gaiel's clothes, looking near the eyes of the old man whose hair had grayed. In Odo's wrath loudly snapped, “You think you can get off the throne easily, King Felixia!”
“It's enough, Odo ⸻!”
Dart wants to stop his son, but his hand is grabbed by Mavis and stops. Looking up at his wife, the blonde woman shook her head and asked Dart to let her son express his opinion even in the wrong way.
King Gaiel was silent, staring back and was astonished that the son of his old friend was not afraid to be branded as a traitor or thrown into prison because of his attitude. Even to the child of a Marquess, such a thing could be done easily by a King.
Seeing the King being treated like that, several Elite Soldiers rushed over and were about to catch the young man with black hair. But the King raised his right hand towards them, asking the soldiers to stop before going up to the terrace.
“Do you have the power to stop my will? Do you have the authority to stop myself from giving up the dream of the Kingdom of Felixia to the next generation?” ask the King and look back at Odo.
“So, yes ...” Odo took off the King's collar. Stepping back and putting a palm to the front of the chest, the young man loudly said, “If you insist on staying down from the throne, I am here vowing to destroy Felixia! Although you did not designate myself as Princess Arteria's fiancee and chose someone else, I swear I will destroy this country when you hand over your obligations to others‼ With this soul and body, I will make sure you get the worst end as a King, Gaiel Garados!”
Together with the oath that was spoken, a different aura than before emanated strongly from Odo. A type of God ⸻ Eve an entity from a high-level dimension emanated very strongly pushing aside the demonic aura and the dragon that had previously enveloped the young man.
A Halo appeared above Odo's head, but the shape was different from what the angels had because there was a kind of horn curved on both sides of the halo. At the same time, the cornea of the young man's eyes turned golden and his magic essence completely changed.
“Know this! O King of Men! There were two things that made a King descend from his peak! One way is the way of death! That is the most peaceful way you can achieve! The last path is war and conflict!”
The voice was double-echoing, sounding like a divine warning from the heavens and actually making King Gaiel sculpt. Cold sweat poured out, his face paled and could not make a sound. Everyone who felt the aura also trembled and became silent, their souls bowing before the aura of a high-level being emanated from Odo Luke.
Among all the nobles and guests, a grandfather wearing a Blue Casula-coated Vestimentum stepped forward with a look of disbelief. He was very different from the other Elders of the Felixia Royal Religion Party, the gold thread embroidery and the pattern on the grandfather's clothes symbolized his status in his golong hierarchy.
He was the Archbishop, the chief envoy of the Royal Capital of Felixia, Wolnir Yhoan. The almost 70-year-old grandfather's skin looks very wrinkled, his eyes go inside and look so fragile. But thanks to one of the blessings he got from the Goddess who worshiped the people of Felixia, he can still walk fast in his old age and look so healthy.
With a hopeful expression, the Archbishop reached out his hands towards Odo and asked, “Aura that high-level dimensional being …. O young man born of the Witch of Light and the Swordsman, are you an incarnation of God? Please answer this old grandpa question ..”