Despite having survived a a difficult upbringing, as well as a number of calamities that has happened under the rule of the blond king, nothing could have prepared Cessia for the bombshell that Astor dropped in front of the entire nation. The girl could not comprehend what she had heard. The king was resigning? What kind of king would relinquish their rule? She thought to herself. A million neurons were firing within Cessia’s mind as she struggled to process all of it at once. When Astor opened door into the dimly-lit office, Cessia jerked up from the arm of the chair she had been sitting on.
Your majesty… there may have been many bumps on the road, but we have been doing so well. The nation is stabilizing, the people are happy under your rule.
Although the bespectacled girl started out calmly, her voice turned shaky as she was completely overwhelmed by her rampant emotions.
So why…? W-why?
You have made terrible deals with other nations to keep us fed. You built a roof for us to shelter from the cold. You took in the distressed and gave them a home when no other nation accepted them. You allied with the Falderen devil to save us from entering another war, only to be betrayed and back-stabbed. You bridged nations together in hope of a peaceful world for our sake.
Why do you always do the things that hurt you? Why do you keep such high walls around your heart and turn away our help?
When she reached Astor with her unsteady steps, she gripped onto his shirt and pressed her face against the thick fabric that soaked up most of her tears.
Please explain it to your most loyal subject, your majesty... I cannot understand any of this.
She could hear Astor breathing deeply as he put a hand on her slender back.
Don’t cry for me, Cessia. In the world I came from, I have witnessed many a terrible things. I have seen injustices that I was incapable of stopping. When I came here and was given kingship by those who fought in the war against Falderen, I swore to do everything in my power to give the people of this nation a better life, one free from the injustices that plague my world. All adventurers, including myself, do not realize the power they have over the people who simply seeks to live a long and prosperous life.
We, the players, must inhabit this world responsibly. What use is escapism when we bring the terrible thing we are trying to escape from to the place we can only dream about? I know you may not understand a word I am saying right now, but it is far too easy for my kind to fall to the corruption that comes with great power.
It is for that reason why I must insulate myself. It is the only way for me to stay true to my own sense of justice and never give in to the nobles’ demands made to benefit themselves.
You know, after my most recent death, I had come to realize my mortality. If anything were to happen to me in the future, I cannot guarantee the safety of the people had sworn to protect.
What happens if my successor do not share my sense of justice? What if they misuse their power, who can stop them?
Since I started living here, I began to realize that we can live comfortably because of the people of the land. We eat the food they make, sleep in the house they built, earn the coins they have earned. There can be no nation without these people.
As such, I believe this nation must rid itself of those who trample on the people, Cessia. The people of Astorea must learn to be independent so they can protect themselves against tyranny. They must learn to participate in an open government that seeks to serve them, not one that oppresses them. The government must have checks and balances so it is resilient to corruption.
That, is why I had chosen to abdicate my throne at the end of my term once the new government is instated, and abolish nobility altogether, nothing good can come from those who endorses nepotism over meritocracy.
Cessia's face contorted as she listened to the hapless king, a king who was far too foolish and naïve for his position, an unbelievably idealistic king.
You may not think of yourself as a good king, but many people, our people, are indebted to you and everything have done, and are still doing for us.
But, the nobles will rebel. They seek to turn the country upside down to kill you and spit on your corpse. They will try to shatter the united foundation of this country to retain their lordship and land.
You have stirred a nest of hornets, only pain and calamity can result from this. Surely you must know… If that is truly the case, why put yourself in danger, your majesty? Why now?
Because it’s the right thing to do, Cessia.
Many lives had been claimed by Titanius, it was a tragedy, but a necessary sacrifice. This is the prime time for corruption to fester, when many people of the land have died, the nobles will rise in power.
What-more, I am on borrowed time, I cannot escape from this world, don't know how long I can remain alive to protect this nation. It is because of that, that I must cut off the head of the snake at once without giving it time to bite back. I must fulfill my duty before I perish alone in my apartment.
Cessia pried her flustered face off of the king’s chest and pulled her glasses up before rubbing the tears from her eyes. Afterward, she steeled her posture and knelt onto the floor.
Your majesty, King Astor Balthas. I thank thee for giving someone as lowly as me a chance to make Astorea a better place for all. I hereby eternally swear my loyalty to thee even if thee never again rule Astorea.
Should anything happen to you, my compatriots and I will do everything in our power to protect your legacy and preserve your vision for the country from now until my last breath, not in the light, but in the shadow.
We will never allow your successors to fall prey to the corruption that lurks in the darkness of humanity.
She had never heard of a fantasy concept such as democracy before, but in a world where the strong trample the weak, the rich terrorize the poor, the influential exploit the forgotten, it filled her with hope for a better future where everyone can live equally regardless of their station, a place where the people of the land are just as important as adventurers.
Cessia lifted her chin. She will never let the nobles take the people's liberty. It was no longer the noble's land, but the land of the people.
After giving Astor her last gesture of acknowledgement, she turned and left the chamber with a fire burning in her eyes, her resolve resolute.
