Chapter 391 – Triumph (5)
Eugene always relished attention and recognition, even from his previous life. Whether the praises were genuine or inflated, he accepted them as long as they weren't harmful.
But now, after twenty-one years of life as Eugene Lionheart, thirty-eight years as Hamel Dynas, and an uncertain period as Agaroth, he came to a stark realization: even he had limits.The source of this content can be connected to n0v3lb!n★
He was humiliated. This was horrible. The sheer embarrassment felt unbearable. He wished the ground would open and just swallow him up. He wanted to find a hole to hide in.
Had he ever faced such a mortifying moment since he was born, or rather, since the dawn of his memories? His grip tightened on the railing as his body shook uncontrollably.
'Sh-Should I... flee?' Eugene considered genuinely.
Up, down, right, left.... Everywhere he looked, praises filled the air. The sky was ablaze with fireworks, and citizens who came to watch the parade waved flowers and glow sticks while shouting out in joy.
"Sir Eugene!"bender
"Eugene Lionheart!"
"The Hero!"
Their voices drowned out even the booming of the fireworks. People not only lined the streets but also occupied every rooftop in sight. It wasn’t only rooftops either. Wherever there existed a space that could be occupied, people had flocked to it. Their figures stretched in an unbroken line all the way to the royal palace.
lightsnοvεl "I put in quite the effort," came a voice from above. Lifting his eyes, Eugene found Melkith El-Hayah. She was merged with her Signature, Infinity Force, in the form of a giant elemental being.
She chuckled while rubbing her nose, "That’s how it should be, right? The route for the march should be straight, don’t you agree? Turning here and there through the winding capital streets would have been tedious for everyone."
Eugene just decided to stay silent.
"So, the great Melkith El-Hayah, the White Tower Master, stepped in! Oh, I mean, the other wizards did their part. Look, the knights following from behind contributed too. But the one who exerted the most power was yours truly, Melkith El-Hayah,” she explained with a puffed chest.
It wasn’t hard to imagine. Melkith had contracts with three spirit kings: thunder, fire, and earth. Using the power of the Earth Spirit King, It would not have been hard for her to reshape the very ground and buildings to clear a path from the harbor to the palace.
"Why do you have such a long face? Stand tall, wear a bright smile, and wave to the crowds like this!" Melkith suggested before exaggeratedly lifting both her arms and waving energetically.
Fortunately, unlike her form in the primeval forest, this spirit giant wore clothing — a dress that seemed to embody both the passion of fire and the zing of thunder.
With a flourish, she gathered petals showered from the rooftops and concentrated them over the Platinum Lion.
Eugene was getting more embarrassed by the second.
He gritted his teeth. A deluge of countless petals poured from above... but he thought it was for the better. The rain of petals was obscuring the adoring faces around him. Somehow, that felt slightly comforting — the innumerable petals meant his twisted expression remained hidden from the crowds.
"Eugene, enjoy this," a voice called from his side.
Eugene wasn't the only one to have ascended that ostentatiously ornate Platinum Lion. Alongside him stood figures who might be considered the comrades of the Hero: the Saint and the Archwizard. Sienna flashed him a sly grin while flicking her hair back.
"You've earned these cheers and praises, my apprentice," she said with a teasing air.
"It seems you're accustomed to this, Lady Sienna?" Eugene responded after a slight pause.
"Hehe, of course, I’m used to it! Your beautiful mentor here has vanquished four Demon Kings up to this point. Such processions are familiar territory,” Sienna said with a laugh.
This parade evoked a spectrum of emotions in Sienna.
Some three hundred years ago, the parade she celebrated with Hamel had been modest in comparison, reflective of the somber times they lived in.
When she returned after sealing the pact with the Demon King of Incarceration, an even grander parade had welcomed them. Yet, none among the four heroes had truly enjoyed that festivity after returning. The weight of their responsibilities had not permitted them to.
"But now... we can truly enjoy it," she whispered. Her eyes were glistening with tears as she smiled.
Even without words, Eugene could sense the tumultuous emotions Sienna was experiencing. The same went for Kristina, for within her resided Anise, who was experiencing the same or even greater emotions.
Anise had spent her entire life revered as the Saint. As such, she was familiar with such adulation.
Yet, she had never truly reveled in such accolades by herself.
For her, the true celebrations weren’t ones she experienced as the Saint, but rather ones shared with her comrades.
Feeling these emotions from Anise, Kristina found courage and strength from deep within.
Kristina also had a desire for celebrations. She had celebrated the festival of Faithful Anise’s birth by watching the fireworks with Eugene. That had been a great festival, but it wasn’t anything as grand as the celebration of a Demon King’s subjugation.
What she was about to do wasn’t out of her selfish desires. She was acting for Anise and for Sienna.
She suddenly reached out to grasp Eugene's hand. With her other hand, she simultaneously guided Sienna's hand into his grasp.
"For victory!" she shouted while raising her hand high. Along with it, Eugene and Sienna's hands soared into the air after hers.
Lowering her intertwined hand, Kristina shouted again, "For victory!" Caught off guard, Sienna hastily mimicked her.
"For victory!"
Caught between the two, Eugene quickly joined in their triumphant chant, even if a little awkwardly.
With a mix of pride and humility, Eugene chuckled.
"With such endorsements...." Rolling up his sleeves and stretching out his muscular arm, he declared, "I would like to boldly lay claim to my due."
Letters began to form in thin air before him.
"I want to say this in advance, but I won't negotiate with you all. I’m simply making a demand... and I believe I've earned the right to do so," Eugene began.
Shimuin will dispatch the Hammer Island Dwarves to the Lionheart estate. All costs related to their work will be covered by Shimuin, and Eugene Lionheart will directly negotiate with the dwarves in regard to which master craftsmen will be dispatched.
"You're free to decline... but I would appreciate it if you didn't. For the sake of our continuing good relationship," he added.
Shimuin will erect statues of the Hero in the central parts of its two largest islands, Shedor and Larupa. These monuments will not be commercialized for tourism. Similarly, a commemorative gate celebrating the victory over the Demon King will be built. Likewise, it will not be commercialized for tourism. After the statues' construction, the royal family will hold a thanksgiving ceremony in front of them once a month.
"What?!" Oseris exclaimed, his mouth agape. The royal family paying tribute to a statue!? Moreover, in Shimuin, which wasn't even a theocratic state?
‘Deifying the hero...’
The pope was taken aback. He snuck a discreet glance at Kristina, who was sitting nearby. Noticing his gaze, she gave a subtle nod as a signal for him to remain silent.
"If you do not like it, you don't have to comply," Eugene continued nonchalantly.
"No... it's not about liking it... but...," Oseris began.
He recalled their earlier conversation. If he wanted, Eugene Lionheart could mobilize the armies of multiple nations. But even without the military might of the nations, Eugene alone could have brought Shimuin to its knees.
"This.... This... isn't a request but... a threat, isn't it?" Oseris ventured cautiously.
"I didn't intend it that way... but if you perceive it as such, there's little I can do," Eugene's eyebrows quirked slightly. "Really now, the word 'threat' sounds so distasteful. Do you genuinely believe that's what I'm doing?"
"Well, no, but—" King Oseris was interrupted.
"Am I really threatening Your Majesty? Did I not clear out pirates on your coastlines on your behalf? Did I not defeat a Demon King? And yet, you accuse me of such? This is truly, truly disheartening," Eugene said. "Did I ask for the throne? No. I simply asked for two statues for my efforts and for someone from the royal family to occasionally give thanks. Is that too much to ask?"
"No.... Well, no... but—"
"Then why are you raising your voice at me?" Eugene interrupted once more.
Beads of sweat began to form on Oseris’ forehead. He was cornered. Before he could muster a response, Princess Scalia, who had been sitting beside him, stood up abruptly.
"I will do it!" she declared.
"S...Scalia?" Oseris gasped.
"I will do it! On behalf of our kingdom, representing our royal family, I will offer tributes to the Hero’s statue!" she shouted eagerly.
Her eyes were burning with determination. The raging fire in her gaze was undeniable. Both Oseris and Jafar were stunned into silence with their mouths agape. They could do nothing but stare at the fervent Scalia.
"Very well," Eugene responded. He was not the least surprised by Scalia's intervention; he'd expected as much. He began to list his subsequent demands without waiting for Oseris's reply. "Regarding the spoils we've collected this time....”
He wasn’t greedy for them in the least. His only demand was that they were to be divided fairly and transparently according to people’s contributions.
"I ask to borrow two of Shimuin's national treasures: the Exids,” he demanded.
"What...? Excuse me?" Oseris sputtered.
"You already possess three of them, do you not? Sir Ortus uses one, and, to be frank, there's no real user for the remaining two. It’s not like Your Majesty is going to don them for battle, either, right? Well, if you decide otherwise, I will promptly return them. I can promise,” continued Eugene.
Oseris’ face reddened to the point of near combustion, his breaths short and ragged.
The Exids?
The treasures crafted from the heart of dragons, symbols of Shimuin's royal lineage?
And Eugene wanted to borrow two?
"Why not simply lend them?" The Emperor of Kiehl remarked with a sly grin. "As Mister Eugene stated, Oseris, you won't be wearing an Exid onto the battlefield."
To speak so lightly of another nation's treasures! Oseris shot a glare at the emperor.
"The Light would surely delight in the offering," the pope commented with a benevolent smile. That word — "offering" — made Oseris’ heart flip. Offering? Whose permission gave it that status!?
"Fine.... I'll.... I'll lend them," Oseris conceded. He was overwhelmed and outnumbered. He sank back into his chair while replying in a feeble tone.
These were things Eugene believed he rightfully deserved.
"And lastly," Eugene began, knowing this was pushing his luck, "Didn't you all say earlier? If I had asked for help with the Demon King's subjugation, you would have supported me without hesitation?"
With a confident smile, he continued, "Doesn't that mean, in essence, you would uphold my requests using royal decrees?"
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