Chapter 129: Public Enemy
Chapter 129: Public Enemy
The day had finally arrived. Nero was stationed several meters below the stage of which the prince was about to deliver his speech.
The beginning of the ceremony was quick. He took the oath, was blessed by the priests, had his father, the king officially recognized him as the official crown prince, and it was about time for Mordros to make his speech.
There was a break after the first few parts of the ceremony. The only thing left was for Mordros to make his speech. It wasn't the last part of the ceremony, but it was going to be the last moment for him.
Mordros took a deep breath as he turned his head towards the middle of the stage where there was a faint outline of a trapdoor.
"It's time, Mordros."
Mordros turned and besides him was his sister, Anastasia. She had an Altima sword which was in the form of a rapier, strapped to her waist.
Mordros looked back at the stage and at Anastasia. He rubbed the side of his head before standing up.
"Yeah, it's time."
Mordros turned and walked out from the side of the stage. The moment he entered the stage, the crowd started to clap for him.
His father, Authorian Paragon, the king, was seated on a balcony where he could watch the ceremony without distractions. Sitting beside him were his two younger sisters and standing next to him was a man wearing a mask with the number 11 on the side of his head.
Mordros faked a smile and waved to the crowd, but under that smile, he was disappointed in his father.
'So he is working with the Enigmas. That's the 11th. To think it was a soldier working for my father.'
Mordros did not have much information on the Enigmas himself, but he knew that the Enigmas were composed of strong and powerful members. However, the aura that man wearing the number marked mask was very weak compared to the aura he sensed from his sister who was said to be the same rank as that same man.
Eventually, the clapping settled down and Mordros started his speech.
"I would like to thank all of you for coming to my coronation ceremony today. If it wasn't for my father and my mother, I or any of my siblings, would not be here breathing right now."
From the corner of his eye, he could see his father smiling.
'Just you wait, father. You won't be smiling so soon after this.'
After the crowd stopped clapping, he continued.
"You see, this kingdom was built on the many lives of the warriors that sacrificed themselves for the better. If it also wasn't for them, this kingdom would not exist. It wasn't just the efforts of those warriors, but my ancestors as well. Without them, this kingdom would not prosper."
The crowd clapped once again and Mordros shifted himself so he was standing right above the trapdoor.
"Now, that may be the case, but it is more than that. In fact, all I just said was entirely false."
Suddenly an abrupt silence took over the crowd.
"You see, during the age of the first heroes, this country was ruled by a tyrant who threw away lives like garbage and obtained riches through evil deeds. You may remember him as Jukol Paragon, one of my ancestors. Jukol was a mad man who only had his own ego in his mind. He obtained power through a certain diety. This power granted him immortality which makes him undying and strength that was near that of a god. It is called the power of kings."
The crowd started to talk with one another. Mordros lifted his head to see his father in a shocked state.
He turned his head and met with his sister's eyes. She stared at him emotionlessly but she turned away at his gaze.
"But, even though that man was imperishable, his immortality lacked a certain factor. When he obtained the power of kings, not only did he obtain it, but his son as well. When Jukol had obtained the power of kings, he ignored the most important factor. Those who have access to the power of kings can be killed by only those with the power of kings themselves. Jukol had never let his guard down except by his son who assassinated him in a planned assassination. That was when his son took over and became the new king of Paragon."
An appeased expression crossed the crowd's face but Mordros continued as he was not done.
"His son, known as Levi Paragon, was a great king, unlike his father. He was the exact opposite of his father, possessing the traits of a true king. When he killed Jukol, he had awakened the power of kings inside him. This power can only be activated when they are king. He had become immortal until a certain incident happened. His own son killed him in cold blood, becoming the next king. But unlike his father, he was just like his grandfather, Jukol. Evil, cold, and brutal. History would then begin to repeat itself. Tyrants give birth to great kings and those kings give birth to dictators. Why is that? Why does such a thing happen? Well, I will tell you that this is a curse placed upon the Paragon bloodline."
He shifted his eyes from the crowd, to his father, and then to Anastasia.
"The power of kings can only be given to the eldest child when born. My sister was born first, however, she did not receive the power of kings and I, the second child, did. Why did she not receive it? I have always wondered why until my father told me while he rested on his death bed. That is because this can only be given to the male heir. My father was a great ruler, a truly great man to the very end, but then he was murdered by my father who usurped the throne for his own greed and selfishness."
He raised his hand, pointing his finger at his father.
"My father may act scared and afraid, but behind that act, he is a cold-hearted emperor who doesn't care to send anyone to their death for his own goal. That even includes his eldest daughter, my older sister, Anastasia who was raised as a warrior unable to express her feelings. Even though I was royalty, I did not have the privilege to have fun and play with my little sisters. Instead, my mind was forged into that of an adult at the age of 7. I do not know the meaning of fun nor do I care, all I care about now is the future of this country. However, it will not happen with the prosperity of my bloodline. My father will doom this country if I do not act. Unlike my kin, I was born without strength, something that was given to my elder sister instead. However, I do have another plan. I will not be the one to usurp the throne from my father, but someone else will! What has my father achieved for us after he seized the throne? Nothing. Twenty years on the throne for nothing!"
That was the first time Mordros has felt hatred. He knew his life was about to end so to end it the way he desired, he wanted to show his true feelings for once. The feelings he had suppressed for many years up until now.
"This kingdom will fall by my father's hand until a savior arrives!! I am sad to say this but I am not that savior. Instead, that savior will be the man you all see as a public enemy!! He is Naoko!! The Inept Hero!! The one you tossed aside and attempted to feed to the wolves!! He will be the one to save this kingdom!! And at the cost of that, I will gladly sacrifice my life to fulfill that condition!!"
Mordros stopped shouting as blood spat out from his throat. He smiled at the horrified and wrathful look on his father's face before the floor below him shattered and bulged. The next second, he saw nothing as his life had been ended.
***
CRASH!!
Debris flew everywhere, killing several people from the crowd. Those that remained alive were horrified at the sight in front of them.
Replacing the stage, with the prince's blood-stained across its teeth, was an immense dragon who bore no tranquility. Everyone besides 11 and Authorian, knew who this dragon was.
The dragon turned and pointed towards the king. It then opened its mouth and began to speak.
"Your son paid the price. Now, I will deliver the final judgment that awaits you."
The dragon's back glowed and fired an innumerable amount of violet rays which struck the ground. Luckily, no casualties or injuries were caused, it was just a smoke screen for him to fly away.
The king watched as the dragon which consumed his son flee. 11 smiled under his mask and stepped forward.
"Let me take him, sir. I'll surely bring his head back." He said, before jumping off the balcony, his body covered in bright light.
Seconds later, there was now another dragon. It was the same size as the first dragon but instead of having black scales and purple cracks, it had snow white scales and blue light emitting from the under scales. It then flew into the air and chased after the first dragon.
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