First Arc (King of Euphorion) – 20. You Do Not Deserve to be Our King!

Duke Nicolin walked down the White Moon Castle's corridor to the main hall, along with Lady Belle and the troops who followed him from behind. As soon as he heard the explosion sound from the castle, he quickly gathered his personal guards and went to the castle to help his daughter. But strangely... he didn't find a single enemy and found Belle lying unconscious in the royal library. Besides that, Belle's condition was also strange. After she woke up, she kept asking where the hunter who had helped her was. And now she refused to return to Moonspark's Residence before she could find him. It made no sense! How could a hunter enter the castle freely?

Now, the situation was aggravated by the Magic Shield disappearance and King Xenos' death. Actually, Duke Nicolin was very grateful for it but according to eyewitnesses, King Xenos' killer was a dark magic user and now... That person had managed to defeat the four elemental spirits, which meant he would be the next King of Euphorion.
'King Xenos is already bad enough! Now we have to deal with this insane person. If he is allowed to rule over Euphorion then this kingdom will be destroyed in no time!' Yes, insane was a suitable word for this man, because he dared to attack and kill a king in his own castle. Moreover, the White Moon Castle's security was very tight.

Duke Nicolin opened the door to the main hall and found the other nobles along with other military leaders and their troops had also gathered there while the throne was still empty. He approached Chancellor Allan.
"How's the situation?" he asked straight to the point.

Chancellor Allan shook his head.
"I don't know either, according to eyewitnesses this person choked the king and threw him from the balcony. I also found some corpses in the dining hall and some human bones in the magic room."

"What about the other casualties?" asked Duke Nicolin again.

Chancellor Allan shook his head again.
"Other than that, nothing."

"Nothing?" said Duke Nicolin in disbelief.

"That's what makes me confused, besides the king, General Guillotine, some of the troops inside the dining hall and magic room there were no other casualties. I found some wounded troops outside the magic room but their injuries were not that severe," answered Chancellor Allan.

Duke Nicolin frowned in confusion since he thought there would be more casualties than this.

Shortly, the main hall's door opened, a dark blue-haired man wearing a black military uniform of Euphorion entered the room followed by the four elemental spirits. Unhappy, they blocked his way to the throne.
"You don't deserve the throne!" said Duke Nicolin.

The four elemental spirits took out their weapons, preparing to fight but he raised his hand and waved it down, ordering them to lower their weapons and they followed his orders.

"Sir Zel?!" Lady Belle shouted out of blue in shock.

He turned to Lady Belle.
"Lady Belle, we meet again," he said in a casual tone.

Duke Nicolin turned his gaze to Lady Belle.
"Do you know him?"

"He is the hunter who helped me yesterday, " answered Lady Belle.

Duke Nicolin turned his gaze back to Angel and observed him in detail.
'Hunter? Why does he look different from other hunters?'

"Can you give me away?" he said again, still in a casual tone.

"No! You don't deserve to be our king!" said Chancellor Allan angrily.

"Why?" he asked.

They went silent... They wanted to say 'because we know you will destroy Euphorion' or 'there is no king who has dark power like you' but the late King Eiron said that anyone who can defeat the four elemental spirits has the right to become king.
"Anyway you don't deserve to be our king," insisted Chancellor Allan

He sighed in annoyance.
"Move!" he ordered.

"We won't -" Before Duke Nicolin finished his sentence, suddenly Angel's eyes turned piercing cold. His dark aura spread from him and filled the room, the atmosphere around them turned frightening. Everyone in the room trembled in fear as if their instincts were saying there was danger before them.
"Move!" he ordered again in an intimidating voice.

Slowly, the people who blocked him stepped aside to give him a way and lowered their heads in fear, including Duke Nicolin.

He walked towards the throne followed by four elemental spirits, up to the throne stage's stair. Then he paused as his eyes stared at the king's crown crest of Euphorion behind the throne that reminded him of the lion's head crest of Asteria. Somehow even though he was a king now, he still felt nothing about it, not even a slight of happiness.
'It never occurred to me. I became king in another kingdom. A foreign kingdom that is not my homeland ... '

Duke Nicolin took a deep breath and gathered his courage to ask about the mysterious hunter who suddenly appeared and overthrew King Xenos before him. He walked towards him and stopped right under the throne stage.
"Sir Zel, may-"

"Angelus Raizel," he interrupted Duke Nicolin's words. He turned to face the centre of the main hall.
"Sir Zel is just my hunter name, Angelus Raizel is my real name."

Instantly, the entire room was filled with people's murmurs. Some of them stared at him with shocked expressions. Some shook their heads while whispering to others. Duke Nicolin fell silent when he heard that name. Who hadn't heard the news?
'Angelus Raizel? The second Prince of Asteria? Isn't he already dead?'
"Are you Angelus Raizel Reinheart? The second Prince of Asteria?" he asked.

He laughed sarcastically.
"Angelus Raizel Reinheart is dead. I'm Angelus Raizel Moonfall--- King of Euphorion." His family had thrown him away, he was no longer a Reinheart.

The whole room was filled with people's murmurs again.
"We haven't recognized you as our king yet!" one of them shouted, which was answered with a nod from the others.

Despite their rejection, he looked calm since he already knew it would be difficult for him to make them admit him as their king but he had promised Prince Lucian to protect Euphorion so he would fulfil it.

Angel gave them an evil smirk.
"It doesn't matter. I just need to make you acknowledge me," he said in a nonchalant tone as he sat on the throne.

A man's voice suddenly broke people's murmurs in that room.
"Looks like you kept your promise, Angelus Raizel."

They quickly turned their gaze toward the origin of the voice. Their eyes widened in surprise and went silent when they saw Prince Lucian was standing in their midst.

He glanced toward the back of the throne.
'It seems that the late King Eiron hid a magic formation behind this throne, just like Prince Lucian's statue outside the Pearl Gate City. King Eiron ... His abilities as a prophet are truly terrifying.' Then he turned his gaze back to Prince Lucian.
"I'm not a person who likes to break my promises," he replied.

Prince Lucian turned his gaze to Duke Nicolin.
"It's been ten years, how are you, Duke Nicolin?"  Then he shifted his gaze to Chancellor Allan.
"Chancellor Allan?"

"Y-Your H-Highness is that really you?" said Chancellor Allan in a stammering voice.

Prince Lucian smiled at Chancellor Allan.
"Of course it's me, but it's only a part of my spirit. I'm not in this world anymore." Then he turned his gaze to Angel.
"Therefore I entrust Euphorion to him..."