Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
In the royal palace of the Kingdom of Engido, there were crowds of royals and nobles. Outside, the cheers of the people could be heard.
All around the palace, murals detailed the achievements and battles of the founders of the Engido Kingdom. Within the huge palace, past the gates and numerous structures, stood swarms of flag raising northern knights, waiting to crown their master as king.
Within the crowd, other than nobility from various nations, there were also clergy from the Faith of the Sun, including Bishop Cory, although he had already been promoted to Archbishop status. Verthandi was a devoted believer of the Sun Faith, so they were likewise invited.
They all were gathered here to attend the coronation of April and Verthandi. Since April was the Queen, Verthandi also shared her glory and the crown.
All of the lavishly dressed nobles watched her, dressed in her skirted armor and purple cloak, as she approached the top of the platform. Over the last couple of years, Verthandi had matured.
She wore her golden hair tied behind her head, and her gaze was much stronger and sharper than before. As she made her way to the top of the platform, all of the audience lowered their heads in deference.
April, who was the queen now, was waiting at the summit, a crown on her head. The queen crowned Verthandi, announcing, “I, April Narando, appoint my husband, Will Eranbell, as king and the successor of the Kingdom of Engido!”
“May God bless him!” shouted the onlookers.
Verthandi kneeled to receive the crown, then sat on the throne. The young king then glanced at the crowd.
Archbishop Cory erupted into a cheer. “Long life King Will!”
Instantly, the palace resounded with cheers, like a tsunami. “Long live King Will!”
Outside, the entire army knelt down at once. They knew that a new king had descended, one who would bring them into a new era.
“Long live the King!”
The cheer echoed throughout Primonius. Verthandi sat on the throne, holding the Sword of the King and looking far away into the horizon. Her eyes grew even more distant, as if she was seeing a scene from many years ago, back when her father had first brought her to this city. Verthandi reminisced for a while longer, before standing up to complete the last step of her coronation as the King of Engido, which was the knighting of her most accomplished and loyal warriors.
Six warriors stepped up to the front. Not only were they from different races, but there was even a human among them. These were the comrades that had accompanied Verthandi through all her battles to unite the Northern lands. Among them were Ibu, Tiridan, and Allen, who had known her and followed her from the very start.
At last, Verthandi unsheathed the Sword of the King before the masses. As a symbol of the divine right to rule, the sword let out a dazzling light that lit up the entire palace.
All of the people their were awestruck by the scene. As for the bishops from the Faith of the Sun, they were completed dumbfounded by the glowing holy light of the longsword. Archbishop Cory was the first to recognize it.
“It’s the Sword of the King, the lost sword! It is a true divine artifact that Human King Ahenaten had gotten from God!” Archbishop Cory was trembling with overwhelming emotion.
For the Faith of the Sun, compared to the Church of the Light, they had no way to prove their ties to God. They did not have the same deep roots as the Church. Hence, they thirsted more for recognition from God. Thus, any object that could be related at all to God was enough to be considered as a sacred object.
This Sword of the King was what they had sought for a long time. Indeed, it was considered to be the divine artifact that was beyond their reach.
Now that it was before them, they were all beside themselves with overwhelming emotion. Many of the clergy from the Faith of the Sun were even prostrating themselves on the ground, bestowing endless kissed upon the stone floor. Under the rays of the holy light, they felt as if they were in the sacred embrace of God.
After Archbishop Cory’s words, the entire audience stared up at the King of Engido. Many of the believers of the Faith of the Sun knelt to the ground.
“A true king, chosen by God! A king chosen by a higher power!”
“A proxy chosen by God! There’s no doubt, this king is God’s messenger on earth!”
“No one has been able to awaken the Sword of the King! Only those with the blood of God and His approval are able to use it!”
All of them looked at Verthandi, holding the utmost belief that she was the legendary king, destined to bring the orcs to an era of glory, and the true king that would unite the land.
“Kneel!”
The six warriors knelt on one knee before their master and king. Verthandi put the sword on Ibu’s shoulder. Immediately, the holy ray of the sword enveloped Ibu’s body. From the skies, a shroud of light descended upon Ibu.
“Humility, honesty, empathy, courage, fairness, sacrifice, glory, soul!”
“Be fearless before the strong, resolute and faithful before the divine. Be loyal and upstanding, and go to death before yielding. Protect the weak and follow the laws of heaven!”
“Ibu, can you pledge thus?”
Ibu’s breathing hasten with emotion. “I promise thus, unto eternity!”
“By the name of God, I grant you the position of Holy Knight, to protect the glory of God!”
As soon as the sentence was finished, a huge amount of power surged into Ibu’s body. This was identical to the power that was granted through the Saint Baptism ritual of the Church of Light. Immediately, Ibu appeared much younger, as the white streaks in his golden hair instantly receded.
All of the clergy of the Faith, including Archbishop Cory and all of the nobles there, had craved this scene for ages. This was the most coveted holy ritual that belonged to the Church of Light.
“Allen…by the name of God, I grant you…”
“Tiridan…”
This was year 38 of the San Calendar, when Lion King Will proved his divine authority to rule. The Faith of the Sun also began moving towards the Kingdom of Engido, acting as its center. Within Primonius, the Holy Temple of the Sun was built, as Lion King Will was recognized as a messenger of God.
From then on, Verthandi became the icon of royal and divine authority. Within all the orc nations, a storm began brewing.
Everyone believed that Verthandi would be the first king to unite all of the orc races together, ending over a thousand years of rife. She would then become the beacon of hope that would bring peace to the orcs, who could no longer bear their disastrous fortunes.