abcnovels
Chapter 228:
Chapter 228:
Chapter 228:
Kalmar and his subjects stared at the approaching Black Fleet, confused as to whether they were dreaming or in reality.
This confusion was understandable, as despite the great flood, this was still the capital of the Cherokee Kingdom, a landlocked kingdom.
The appearance of a fleet in such a place meant…
“He… knew.”
Kalmar, looking at the fluttering flag of the Lota Kingdom, realized that they had known in advance about the great flood.
Indeed, it was said that since the end of the last war, instead of preparing for another war, the Lota Kingdom had been building levees and making lifeboats.
This was clear evidence that the Lota Kingdom had predicted the great flood with 100 percent certainty and had been preparing for it.
‘No way?'
Kalmar thought that perhaps this great flood might have been caused by the Lota Kingdom.
‘It can't be.'But upon further reflection, he realized that it was practically impossible.
No magic could possibly cause such a massive flood.
Such a massive natural disaster couldn't be artificially created by humans.
If anyone had such abilities, they would have certainly conquered the world long ago.
“Phew.”
The anger that had flared up due to the misunderstanding dissipated.
Kalmar realized that the Lota Kingdom had merely foreseen the great flood and prepared for it.
As he thought about it, it made sense.
The Lota Kingdom's preparations for the great flood had begun long before Sullivan came to see Kalmar.
‘No. It's all pointless actions.'
Kalmar gave up trying to think about it.
In this situation, what good would thinking about it do?
Even so, there was nothing that could be changed, and it only made his head spin.
At that moment.
“……!”
Kalmar was stunned when he saw the movements of the Lota Kingdom's fleet.
The Fleet of the Lota Kingdom was… rescuing people.
They were pulling people out of the water.
They were taking people off the rooftops and putting them on the ships.
What Kalmar, the King of the Cherokee Kingdom, could not do, the Lota Kingdom's forces were accomplishing.
The reversal of roles was so flawless¹ that it was hard to tell who was King of the Cherokee Kingdom.
From this perspective, it wouldn't be strange at all if the king of the Cherokee Kingdom were Otto rather than Kalmar.
Kalmar, the King, stood idly by from high above his Royal Palace, while Otto, the King of an enemy Kingdom, extended his hand of salvation to the Cherokee people…..
“Ah.”
Kalmar finally realized.
"I… am not worthy."
Kalmar muttered those words and removed the crown from his head.
“Y… Your Majesty!”
“Your Majesty! How can you remove your crown?”
The officials were greatly astonished as they watched Kalmar take off his crown.
They knew very well what it meant for a King to remove the crown on his own.
"I am sorry."
Kalmar said to his subjects.
Kalmar's voice was quiet and composed.
It also meant that Kalmar had already made up his mind.
"I am an inadequate person. I am not worthy of being the King of the Cherokee. Though I tried to rise to the throne and fulfill my intentions, I have no choice but to step down."
His subjects burst into tears.
“Your Majesty, please give us counsel!"²
"Your Majesty! How can you say such things?"
"Take courage! Your Majesty! Save your jade body first! Plan for the future!"³
Though they spoke those words, there was undoubtedly no way for Kalmar or the nobles of the Cherokee Kingdom to escape.
How could they escape without even a single ship?
All Kalmar and his subjects could do now was to wait idly for Lota's army to arrive, or drown in the water.
But Kalmar did not throw himself in.
He simply laid down his crown and waited quietly for the Lota kingdom and Otto to arrive.
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Otto was in no hurry.
They advanced steadily, rescuing everyone they could along the way.
He couldn't ignore those in need of help just to capture Kalmar.
And then.
“Kaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
“Kyaaaaaaaaak!”
Dozens of wyverns appeared in the sky, diving sharply toward the water.
“M-Monsters!"
"It's a wyvern attack!"
The troops of the Kingdom of Lota scramble to draw their ranged weapons and prepare for battle as the wyverns suddenly attack.
“S-Save me!"
“Aaaaah!”
The Cherokees waiting for rescue were thrown into panic by the wyvern attack.
Just as they thought they might be saved from drowning thanks to the Lota Kingdom's forces, now they were at risk of being eaten by wyverns.
But the wyverns were not enemies.
“Kyaak!”
“Kaaaaah!”
Surprisingly, the wyverns engaged in rescue operations, pulling people from the water and offering their backs to those on rooftops.
They had come not to eat the people, but to help them.
And the one leading those wyverns was none other than… Khamak.
“Your Majesty, I'm here to help!”
“Gwik! Ggwiik!"
Kasim and Peng, riding on Khamak, shouted towards Otto.
"……"
"……"
Otto and Camille were momentarily at a loss for words, stunned by the situation.
Who would have guessed that sending Khamak to find a mate during his rutting season would result in him bringing a horde of wyverns?
“…What kind of druid are you?”
Otto was genuinely astonished by Kasim's outrageous ability and was left speechless.
At this point, it was impossible to even guess what Qasim might bring next.
“Is this what you get for being the Chief of Staff of the Air Force?'
Perhaps it was possible to create a proper air force using these wyverns.
If they could tame and deploy the fifty or so wyverns in combat, securing air superiority would be almost guaranteed.
Even if the wyverns only dropped bombs from the sky, they could inflict tremendous damage on the enemy.
In a world where the concept of air superiority is scarce, simply having an air force would already demonstrate an impressive military power.
‘That’s a problem for later. For now, this is great. It means we can save even one more person.'
Otto was very pleased with Qasim bringing the wyvern horde.
The wyverns could fly through the sky and carry out rescue operations, making it possible to reach and save people in difficult-to-access locations.
At some point, the fleet that was conducting rescue operations with the wyvern horde could no longer advance.
They had arrived in front of the Royal Palace before they knew it.
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"Disembark quickly!"
"From now on, we are taking over the royal palace!"
The Lota Kingdom’s forces that disembarked from the fleet took control of the royal palace in the blink of an eye.
No battle was fought.
The people in the royal palace were not enemies.
There was no distinction between knights, soldiers, nobles, maids, attendants, and so on.
They were all people in need of rescue, and the Lota army would not hesitate to lend a helping hand, as long as they didn't attack first.
Otto headed towards the highest spire as the Lota Kingdom's forces took control of the Royal Palace.
There, Calmar was waiting with the nobles of the Cherokee Kingdom for Otto.
“You must be Otto de Scuderia.”
Kalmar spoke to Otto as if he had been waiting for him.
“You are as handsome as I have heard.”
"Thank you for the compliment," Otto replied in a calm tone.
“I've wanted to see you at least once, but I didn't expect to meet you in such circumstances.”
"….."
"I won't say much. Take this."
As soon as Kalmar said those words, a minister brought the crown and presented it to Otto.
"I am not worthy of being a king. Therefore, from now on, you are the King of this Kingdom."
A clear sign of surrender.
*Nod*
Otto nodded silently.
*Snatch*
Camille accepted the crown from Kalmar on behalf of Otto.
"Then, please take good care of the people of this Kingdom."
Kalmar said this and then slowly backed away towards the railing at the edge of the spire.
“Y-Your Majesty!”
“Your Highneeesssss!”
The ministers hurriedly tried to stop Kalmar, but it was in vain.
Having already made up his mind, Calmar threw himself over the railing without a moment's hesitation and plummeted to his death.
*Splash!* *Whirrl!* *Splash!*
The swirling waters greedily swallowed him up, and soon he was no longer visible.
Otto made no effort to save Kalmar and simply left him alone.
‘He will lead a hellish life, living out his days in regret and guilt.'
Otto understood Kalmar's choice.
A person who, upon ascending the throne, ruined the Kingdom would surely find life unbearable.
"As of this moment."
Otto declared.
"I hereby assume the rule of the Cherokee Kingdom."
At that moment.
*PITTER-PATTER!* *pitter-patter* *pi…*
The torrential rain, which had been pouring relentlessly, suddenly ceased.
But that wasn't all.
*Swoosh!*
As the dark clouds that had covered the sky were swept away like a tide, a beam of light shone down on the spire.
"Hear me, ye nobles.”
Otto, with his back to the sunlight, gave orders to the nobles of the Cherokee Kingdom.
"From this moment on, put your utmost effort into the restoration work. There are no exceptions. Regardless of rank or status, everyone must work hard and sweat for the restoration. Do you understand?"
Otto warned them in a strict, solemn, serious, and icy tone.
*Shudder*
The nobles of the Cherokee Kingdom shuddered and feared Otto’s command.
Not only was his aura terrifying, but the fact that the rain stopped and the sun began to shine as soon as Otto ascended to the throne was utterly mind-blowing.
In the eyes of the Cherokee nobles, Otto seemed like he was sent from the heavens.
The person who appeared to save the Cherokee Kingdom from the great flood.
"Did everyone understand?"
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
In response to Otto's question, all the high and low officials of the Cherokee Kingdom nodded collectively.
‘Of course they should.'
Otto's gaze as he looked at them was colder than ever.
‘The common people drowned, while you survived just because you're nobles. At the very least, work hard on the restoration. Only then will you be spared.'
With this thought in mind, Otto decided to watch over the nobles of the Cherokee Kingdom.
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After Otto ascended to the throne, the flooding in the Cherokee Kingdom disappeared as if by magic.
The rain stopped.
The sun shone.
Even the vast amounts of water that had turned the country into a sea disappeared without a trace, as if drained right through the sewers.
As soon as Otto took control of the Cherokee Kingdom, the Varuna's Water Pillar exerted its power, completely erasing the Great Flood.
That was the power of the Holy Relic.
Holy Relics are the most powerful items in this world, and the abilities contained within them are truly immense.
Depending on their rank, Holy Relics could achieve feats even more astounding than the [Varuna's Water Pillar].
Most Lords are unaware of what their Holy Relics are or how to use them.
Without a doubt, the person who knows the most about Holy Relics in this world is Otto.
Having quelled the Great Flood with the Varuna's Water Pillar, Otto immediately set to work on the restoration.
The Cherokee Kingdom, with over 80% of its territory swallowed up by water, was utterly devastated.
Beyond the property damage, the sheer number of people who had died represented an immense loss.
The sight of bloated corpses scattered throughout the entire Kingdom, having drowned, was horrifyingly gruesome.
** ** **
TL/N:
1. A situation where roles are unexpectedly reversed.
This expression refers to a situation where the expected roles or priorities are reversed. It’s like saying “the tail wagging the dog.” For example, when someone who should be receiving comfort ends up comforting others instead.
2. The full sentence conveys a respectful request or instruction, often used in historical nobility to refuse to follow orders from the monarch or want them to reconsider their plans/decisions.
3. King/Emperor tend to hyper fixate themselves as having a "jade" flawless body. (Summary)
Long Explanation:
-In historical contexts, “??” symbolized the king’s physical and spiritual qualities. It conveyed the idea that the king possessed a body as precious and flawless as jade.
-Kings were often depicted as having an idealized, unblemished appearance, akin to the beauty of jade.
-Jade has deep cultural significance in East Asia, representing longevity, virtue, and nobility.