Chapter 56. Rallying for a Change (3/3). 

 

A soft gentle scent of mint; the erratic sound of water and the graceful jingles of the birds. A myriad of sound whispered itself onto my ears as the sight of a wooden roof graciously introduced itself before me. An unfamiliar room that felt strangely calming. 

 

“Mama…” The familiar voice of Ayaka echoed gently. 

 

I turned towards the right as Ayaka along with her adorable little twin sisters could be seen, hugging one another as if to combat the coldness of nature that surrounded us. The sight of the three of them warming each other was a pleasant greeting to the morning. 

 

As if noticing me, both Ruby and Aquamarine opened their eyes as the two looked at me with surprise before realizing that Ayaka was asleep as they held their shout to themselves. I almost giggled from their action but also held myself back as the two of them pointed towards the door. 

 

“Auntie Felice and Iona are waiting downstairs, Mommy…” Ruby spoke to which Aquamarine nodded as the pair looked at each other before asking, “Do you want Ruby to call them?” 
 

There were a few things that I wanted to know first, and I know for certain that the two wouldn’t know how to answer. I especially want to know why my wrist is covered with a thick cloth and why it felt so numb that it felt like my hand wasn’t there. 

 

“Mhm, please call them…” I spoke before Ruby nodded as she held her hand together in a prayer position before a little bird of fire appeared, flying out from the window as it vanished from plain sight. 

 

This place definitely doesn’t feel like the town hall especially since there was little noise outside when usually, at these times, children would be out playing around and screaming from my time here in the town. 

 

After a little short of a few minutes, the door opened to Felice, Iona and the three architects I hired from another town. Their faces were filled with hope as they looked at me with a wonderful smile on their face with Aitsuki and Mitsuki tearing up. 

 

“My lady… You are finally awak—!” Iona was about to scream but was stopped by Felice who pointed at Ayaka before Iona quickly realized and shut her mouth close which made me laugh. 

 

“How long was I asleep?” I asked before the five of them looked at each other and nodded. 

 

“You were asleep for nearly two months, my lady. How much do you remember?” Felice questioned before I tried to remember what had happened to me, but it felt like my head goes blank whenever I tried to which made me frown. 

 

“I can’t remember anything… all I remember was I went venturing with someone… huh?” I looked confused before looking out at the window as my eyes widened, “Huh…? What did she look like… I can’t remember…?!” 

 

My eyes looked towards them as a question escaped from my mouth, “Hey… do you perhaps know of someone that I was always close with, to the extent that I ventured around a little part of the continent with?” 

 

“Hmm?” All of them looked confused, “There was no one of such, my lady. You went venturing alone and came back with Ruby and Aquamarine before going into a coma after suffering a little injury from battling against a horde of monsters, causing you to fall into a coma.” 

 

My head pained from trying to remember… I can faintly sense that I was really with someone during that entire time, flying in the skies and doing low passes near a lake but… I can’t remember who she was… was it all a dream? 

 

“Ruby, Aquamarine… Do you two perhaps know of someone?” I asked before the two shook their heads. 

 

“Is Mommy perhaps confused from falling asleep too long, Ruby?” Aquamarine looked at Ruby with a sad look on her face. 

 

My mind was in utter chaos. It felt like there was something amiss in this world, but I can’t point my finger out as to where I felt was amiss. I didn’t want to let go of those memories… I could clearly remember staying in a single room with someone, even teasing that person a bit but I can’t remember who she was. 

 

“Do you want us to prepare a meal, my lady?” Aitsuki inquired. 

 

“Please do… what happened to the town while I was unconscious, can someone fill me in with everything that had happened within the past two months?” I asked before Iona looked at Felice who quickly nodded. 

 

“After you went unconscious, the palace stated that you rebelled against the orders of the King and wanted to take your unconscious body back to the palace to be trialed, but the town rebelled along with six other towns which involved my parents’ and Iona’s who all decided to go against the King.” 

 

“The town became the center point of the heat as we gathered all resources to split our territories from the kingdom, allying ourselves with the neighboring Demon Kingdom while forming our own independent kingdom with the help of the other six towns who had been against the King from the start,” Felice explained. 

 

I was speechless from what I was hearing… that wasn’t something that should take two months to happen but rather something that would happen within a year, but it was going too fast, and this town is no longer a town but the capital of a kingdom?! 

 

“After the alliance with the demon kingdom, the former kingdom we were part of had taken a step back and stopped their attempts which led to our current state right now where we are standing between two kingdoms and also being one that has little military presence and financial.” 

 

The explanation brought quite a headache to me. I never knew that within the short span of time, the entire political structure of this continent would shift like some kind of tectonic plate, and to make it worse, it was during my sleep. 

 

My mind felt like it had traveled through an entire parallel world within one sleep. If I was told this was all a dream then I would definitely believe it right now since I don’t see how it is possible for a kingdom to be born that easily. 

 

But looking outside, you can definitely see that it isn’t the same world as well. The walls on the former town were larger and taller, the place was more spacious and the room I stayed in was more luxurious, to say the least. 

 

“How are we financially, are we able to sustain ourselves properly as a kingdom?” I asked before all of them nodded. 

 

“We received an initial A-seed funding from the Demon Kingdom of over 5,000 platinum coins and a stable investment of 50 platinum coins per month for a year under the clause that we become peacemakers of the area we are currently on which had been a contested border area in the past.” 

 

“In addition, to increase our military power, they lent us a few extremely loyal captains who helped train the military of the kingdom before leaving. My lady, we have an important discussion with the town leaders soon which will decide the future of this kingdom, will you join us?” Felice asked. 

 

I looked at Ayaka and my cute little twins before turning towards the window as the name of the neighboring kingdom to us resounded inside my head. I could faintly remember visiting that kingdom but even so… I can’t remember that person. 

 

“Am I still considered as your leader?” I looked at them which surprised Aitsuki, Mitsuki, and Kyle who were listening at the corner, “This kingdom seemed to be doing well without my intervention, does it really need me as their leader?” 

 

“Wha-what do you mea—?!” Aitsuki tried to reply but was stopped by Kyle and Felice who both looked at me with serious gazes. 

 

Kyle took a step forward before bowing down as he spoke, “Indeed, this kingdom can sustain itself without your intervention, Your Majesty but the reasoning behind this kingdom and the moral support that caused it to stand firm will break apart without you.” 

 

“The six towns that formed together to break free from the kingdom’s reigns all had one goal in mind and that was to sustain themselves until you woke up and lead everyone. You are our ruler, the ruler who we entrusted our lives on. I hope you don’t give up, Your Majesty…” 

 

I looked at his firm eyes that showed not a single bit of reluctance from his words, not a single inch of lie, or a fluctuation of emotions. He showed firm honesty that no one could most likely replicate. All the others also seemed to agree with his statement. 

 

“Hahaha… what made you happy with my leadership which had been non-existent in the first place?” My gaze landed on everyone in the room, “I wasn’t knowledgeable enough to be called a leader nor was powerful enough to protect everyone. How can you be sure that my leadership won’t lead to this kingdom’s demise?” 

 

Responding to my question, Aitsuki and Mitsuki both took a step forward as Aitsuki spoke, “The two of us are sure that your leadership won’t lead to demise because of one thing, you are someone who listens to the voice of the citizens, my lady.” 

 

“During the time that this town was its lowest, you took up the challenge and reformed it into what it is now. You listened to the tears of the people and the growling stomachs of everyone; fed them, and gave them homes,” Mitsuki followed. 

 

“You do not have to be powerful to become a great leader, my lady.” 

 

“You also do not have to be extremely knowledgeable.” 

 

“You just have to be you, the honest and listening you and the people will fill in the roles for you. The burden of a kingdom should not be given to one person alone but shared among everyone,” the two of them both answered. 

 

I felt my eyes become a bit watery as a faint memory came up to my head. It was a faint memory of being inside a room and talking with the same, blurry figure who seemed to have a nostalgic smile on her face as the memory showed me asking. 

 

“Don’t you think it is hard managing a kingdom of this magnitude?” (a reference to Chapter 39) 

 

The memory showed the lady smile as she answered, “You are right, sometimes managing this place is quite a pain but there isn’t anything I could do about it as it is my responsibility to take care of this land. They trust me as their Queen, in return, I give them peace and comfort.” 

 

Her eyes showed a strange kind of emotion as she looked up and reached her hand towards the ceiling, “It’s not that I hate this responsibility as well because it allows me to shield the people I care about, after all.” 

 

As if showing important fragments, the memory shifted as the scene changed to me asking, “Don’t you ever think about giving up?” 
 

The lady bitterly laughed a bit before looking at me in the eye as her lips formed a beautiful smile, “A lot of times actually. There have been many times where I thought to myself about how living was too exhausting, how time simply feels too slow. There have even been times where I thought about twisting the planet’s time itself, but I understood it was impossible.” 

 

“For someone who lives a long time like me, everything simply becomes a boring pastime.” 

 

My eyes teared up as my mouth opened unconsciously as if wanting to reply to her, “You truly are a strong person… I admire people like that.” 

 

As if snapping me back to reality, Ayaka suddenly moved her hand as she looked at me with teary eyes. The memory made me realize once more… it is not about bearing the burden to have luxury and comfort, but it is about bearing the burden to give the people the peace and comfort they want and to protect the people you love. 

 

“Hahaha… all of you really. If all of you will still want to accept me as your ruler, then I will happily accept it but don’t regret your decisions later,” I wiped the tears on my eyes as all of them smiled before the five of them kneeled down. 

 

—And that was how a new golden era started, one ruled by the greatest Empress in the entire history.