novel-bin Page 280
Page 280
Ota slapped himself hard.
“Eh~~~——！！！！”
This action once again frightened Tuss and Estriel in the garden.
"Your Highness, what's wrong?" Tus hurriedly stepped forward with concern: "Are you feeling unwell? Should I have a priest examine you? Perhaps there's a way to cure it."
"No, we don't need that!" Upon hearing about eradication, Ota immediately objected without thinking.
He forced himself to look at the two men as if nothing had happened: "Tuss, Astrid, I need to... apologize to you."
“My stubbornness in the recent selection of the queen has caused you a lot of trouble. You are clearly the most loyal to the kingdom and my confidants, yet I treated you so rudely. I need to reflect on this.”
"You flatter me, Your Highness!" Tus quickly said.
"Instead, it's our fault for not being able to help you when you needed me, and for causing you to be corrupted by some unknown force. You don't need to be so formal."
Ota raised his hand:
"No matter what, I have remembered your performance. Now that things have been set right, I should give you a fair reward. This is the way of a king."
"Your Highness Ota..."
A surge of emotion welled up in Tus's eyes, as if he saw that glorious and great king return!
"Tus, your performance is worthy of your loyalty. I will write the highest evaluation on your ministerial assessment form this year."
"Yes, thank you for your recognition, Your Highness!" Tuss said with his chest out and head held high, his tone grateful.
Otto nodded, then looked at Astrid behind the pillar:
"And you, Astrid scholar."
"You are like Tus. That unwavering belief in daring to speak out even unto death represents loyalty, and I will bestow upon you ownership of the entire kingdom's library;
That act of knowing one's own weakness yet still being willing to stand up represents courage. I will put the most valuable hunting ground in the eastern suburbs of the capital under your name, and you can control the profits yourself.
That camouflage that penetrated layers of defense and infiltrated the ambush represented wisdom. I will make all the scholars in the kingdom follow you and grasp the future of the kingdom's research and development..."
Tuss and Astrid's expressions froze instantly.
Ota rattled off a string of rewards that sounded ridiculously extravagant. Although he was repeating actions similar to those of Tus, in Ota's mouth, they sounded like the divine strike of the Calamity Warrior that repelled the demon, carrying a world-saving echo.
Is this the fair reward His Highness was talking about?
Looking down at his empty hands, Tus suddenly felt the bones in his fists harden.
"Um, that..." At this moment, Astrid weakly raised her hand:
“I don’t need that much. How about this—let me go back, Prince Ota?”
Her pleading eyes tilted slightly upwards, and her pitiful demeanor instantly came to life from the page, causing Ota to catch his breath once again.
He was almost ready to agree to Astrid's request without reservation.
However, he suppressed his desire, cleared his throat, and quickly came up with an idea.
“In that case, I have another proposal. Astrid, you come here… a little closer.”
Seeing Prince Ota, who seemed to have returned to normal, waving continuously, Astrid hesitated for a moment before finally moving slowly and standing in front of Ota.
pat!
"Huh?!"
Astrid regretted her judgment the next moment.
Because Ota gripped her hands tightly again, his bright, frightening eyes staring straight at her, and he said in an incredibly sincere tone:
"Scholar Astrid, would you be willing to become the kingdom's princess?"
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty and Your Highness?!?"
Astrid's voice rose several decibels again, startling her so much that she jumped back a few steps, her face turning deathly pale with fear.
"No, it's not the princess! You've misunderstood."
"Otta quickly opened his arms, his expression revealing nothing unusual, and reiterated, "It's the Kingdom's 'Royal Gate,' the great scholar Astrid, you should know that, right?"
Astrid's trembling mind raced through her knowledge base to find the true meaning of the word, trying to calm the deep-seated fear that was about to erupt within her.
Wang Fei means the gate of the king.
It is a system established by the Kingdom of Kur and countless ancient kingdoms, and it is a position that is almost equal to that of the king.
For a king to gain entry into the inner sanctum, he must push open the door in order to seize power over the kingdom.
However, in order to prevent the king from becoming incompetent and decadent, the position of the royal gate is particularly important. That position has no real power. Its only function is to shut the king out of the gate and strip him of his power when he issues an order that is not recognized by the people!
In fact, no king likes to be restrained.
Not many people possess the character and prestige to stand in a position more illustrious than noble ministers and as revered as a king, commanding the sincere respect of all the people.
Mino, the former hero of light, may be considered a suitable candidate in the last thousand years.
And now, another one has emerged.
Chapter 403 Cuiyin is dead, a new princess should be established!
"Wang...Wang...Wang Fei?!"
In the garden, upon understanding Otta's words, Astrid's eyes widened and her voice rose eight octaves.
Her emerald green hair trembled with fear and anxiety. Instead of calming down, her face grew even paler: this was even more terrifying than her previous misunderstanding!
“Yes.” Otta nodded gently.
"This incident has made me realize that I still have a long way to go before becoming king. Even the most shrewd and strategic king can be blinded and act recklessly. Therefore... there must be a great and wise person who is loyal enough to the kingdom, compassionate enough to humanity, and clear enough about the future to supervise the kingdom and keep it on the right track!"
"Most kings throughout history have deliberately avoided establishing a royal gate, believing that it would be tantamount to denying their own abilities. However, history has already provided the answer: the countries that have suitable candidates for the royal gate have also been the longest-lasting and most powerful in history."
“Scholar Astrid, your repeated contributions to the human kingdoms have already proven your loyalty, selflessness, wisdom, and courage… I am very fortunate that since the founding of the Kingdom of Kur, such a suitable candidate for the position of ‘Royal Gate’ has appeared before us.”
Looking up, Ota's eyes showed emotion:
"Looking back now, it was the Sacred Round Table that led you and me to meet by chance. Perhaps this is a gift from fate."
“Scholar Astrid, I extend an invitation to you on behalf of the kingdom.”
Holding Astrid's soft hands tightly, Otta stepped forward and said with utmost sincerity:
"Please, become the royal gatekeeper of the kingdom!"
"Eh—!!!!" Tuss, who was watching from the sidelines, exclaimed in shock.
Although Prince Ota's words made sense, and although the scholar Astrid did indeed possess the qualifications to become a royal advisor, was it really appropriate for His Highness Ota to utter such a serious matter, so significant that it might even affect the future of the kingdom, in such a casual setting as the back garden, in a tone that sounded like a marriage proposal?!
Is His Highness sober or confused right now?
The shout brought Astrid, who was standing in front of Ota, back to her senses. She hurriedly broke free from Ota's grasp.
"No, no, no, no! I'm just an unknown scholar, how could I be worthy of such a prestigious title? No, absolutely no one will agree!!!"
"You don't need to worry about that."
Otta waved his hand and said, "I have decided to announce to the entire kingdom the great contributions you, Scholar Astrid, have made to the kingdom!"
After you become a king, the Holy Round Table will protect you, and the kingdom will do everything in its power to ensure your safety. Even the greatest demons... will not be able to harm a single hair on your head!
"Congratulations, Scholar Astrid, you no longer need to endure humiliation."
Otta's face beamed with pride: "Your greatness and benevolence will spread to every inch of the kingdom!!!"
"You might as well kill me!" Astrid stared wide-eyed.
"No, no." She waved her hands frantically again.
"Wang Fei's responsibilities are too heavy; my little shoulders can't bear them!"
“I have faith in your wisdom, Scholar Astrid,” Otto said.
"In the end, the existence of the Royal Gate is only to supervise and restrain the king. It does not have the right to directly interfere with the kingdom and government affairs. If we have to say, it is a function that only takes effect when the king loses the support of the people, without interfering with the normal operation of the kingdom."
"It's like a sharp blade hanging over the king's head; you only need to sit in that position to eliminate any thoughts that could harm the kingdom!"
"No, no, that won't do either!" Astrid shook her head vigorously.
Although she had experienced this familiar situation twice before, this time it was far more important than any scholar's medal or the Key to the Kingdom's Night!
As a scholar with the most extensive knowledge of humankind, and a demon spy deeply infiltrated into the human system, Astrid understood the profound significance behind the title "Royal Gate," and added with an expression that said, "Don't try to fool me."
"That's not just a layer of insurance; the Royal Gate is a comprehensive surveillance and assessment of the ruler. Although it cannot directly interfere in state affairs, it possesses the ability to oversee the ruler in all aspects."
They can interfere with the king's words, appearance, daily routine, hobbies, and even more so, they have the right to disapprove of the king's queen...
Astrid's voice gradually faded.
She raised her head and suddenly realized something.
If I were to assume the position of the Royal Gate, wouldn't I be able to protect... her flawless fanfiction worldview!
Her eyes gradually brightened, and at that moment, Astrid threw all her miscellaneous thoughts to the back of her mind: as long as she became the King's Gate, she could make Prince Ota a fanfiction template for life!
And, without paying any price!
pat!
Astrid suddenly gripped Otto's hand tightly:
"I do!"
"Eh—!!!!" Tus exclaimed in shock once again.
Although I don't know what Prince Ota is thinking, judging from the infatuated smile that gradually appeared on the face of the scholar Astrid, he clearly had some very bad thoughts. Your Highness Ota, are you really at ease?!
"Good, good, good!"
Otta's face flushed instantly: "I knew you, Scholar Astrid, had my heart... uh, no, your kingdom!!!"
After a few light coughs, Otta's eyes shone brightly as he patted Astrid on the shoulder and said:
"Kur's future is in your hands!"
"Hmm." Astrid's eyes were equally bright, and she clenched her fists.
"Kur's future is in my hands!!!"