OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Chapter 295: What Is A King?

Chapter 295: What Is A King?

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"PRINCIPAL AMON?!"

Ragnar's scream resounded in the tent as he clocked in on the black-haired man before them.

Tsk...

"Rag, calm before I crush your neck again."

Emir 'politely' asked his brother to lower his voice.

"O-Okay."

And he immediately complied...

'Now then... There's our surprise~.'

It certainly wasn't because he was afraid.

"Welcome, welcome; it's nice to see those similar to me in position interacting with our youths."

Emir tapped Ragnar's shoulders, then went ahead to greet the principal.

His right hand hovered over his second heart as he gave a short bow.

"Thank you for the warm welcome, Principal Amon."

Ragnar quickly copied Emir's actions while stumbling over his words:

"Thanks, warm welcome, Amon, Principal."

Amon chuckled and gestured for them to join him.

"Please, stand. There's no reason to be so stiff."

'No, there isn't, but we have to keep you on a pedestal, don't we?'

Emir nodded, his eyes emanating respect as if his thoughts weren't bashing the hypocrisy of the man before him.

"Thank you."

"Now..."

Amon's words took a momentary pause as he closed the distance between him and the duo. "What do you want from me?"

His blacks stared at Emir's inky marbles as if the shades he wore held no purpose.

"Right, I did want to ask something of you, so I'm pleasantly surprised that you're here, Principal."

"Of course you are; now what is it?"

Emir deflected Amon's accusation, and Amon allowed that deflection, only letting Emir know that he figured him out while not confirming anything.

"I need you to stand as my witness at today's welcome party."

It took a moment, but Amon eventually replied, his face unchanged, as if the smile he showed was fixed for all eternity:

"Sure, but I'll need you to join me first. Have you ever debated before?"

"Just as a reminder, principal, the lives of the students are at stake here."

As if Emir's warning was nothing but passing air, Amon continued:

"How does a debate about kingship sound? We both lead, so getting your perspective would be nice."

"The Elite will die."

Amon ignored him again and pointed towards the other podium.

"You can stand over there."

'This fucker...'

Emir wasn't mad.

He really wasn't.

He really, really didn't want to smash Amon's face in right now.

Sigh...

But like always, his control over his emotions was nigh perfect, so calm was but a step away.

And with said calm came an idea.

'How about I just throw Rag under the bus?'

Emir looked behind him.

Ragnar was gone.

Apparently, he ran out some time ago.

Escaped like the little rat bastard that he was.

Or so his thoughts went.

"...Sure."

Emir smiled at Amon and headed over to the other podium, scaring off the student who had previously stood there.

"Let's start."

They faced each other, eyes locked, smiles gone, replaced by subtle killing intent.

It was apparent that Amon didn't simply want a debate.

This was more...

A lot more than just that.

"D-Do you know the rules, Professor Emir?"

Their stare-off was interrupted by a stuttering student.

Emir nodded.

"If one were to talk about kingship, I see only three main variants."

"Which are?"

"Selfishness. Ambition. Duty... Do you agree, Amon?"

"I do."

"Now then, how are we to oppose or support this?"

Amon snapped his fingers, and a hologram materialized between them.

This hologram showed blue and red-colored gas that was cut in half by a word.

{Selfishness.}

"Do you oppose that?"

"I do."

He snapped his fingers again, and the word changed to {Ambition.}

"I support that and oppose duty... somewhat."

Emir didn't need any prompting and answered for both.

"Then let's begin with both, as I oppose ambition and support duty..."

Snap...

Blue air surrounded Emir, and red engulfed Amon, but that fake smoke disappeared once the

Principal spoke:

"Let's define kingship first, now shall we?"

Amon was trying to help out the students, and Emir didn't see a problem with that, so he

answered:

"Kingship... It's the pinnacle of leadership. And while I say kingship it includes any leader of any position. The leader of a hunter group, a company, a corporation, an Elite family, even a government body or the government itself. They all fall under that banner."

"So, in part, to be any of these things, you need to be the pinnacle of a human, to inspire and command loyalty, and sometimes that loyalty isn't just for a handful of people but an entire nation, an entire planet."

"Now any of the three can work, but to know which is best... time is needed. Only time can be the true judge of a king's worth. Whether it be to grow and prosper, to expand and conquer, or

to defend and preserve."

"In our case, our king, our leader, the one time would judge... doesn't exist. It's only a group of old greedy asses with clean shoes 'cause people lick the blood off them on the daily."

Gasps resounded as the students heard his last words.

They didn't care for those who led them; instead, they were scared of how Amon would react to such disrespect toward his superiors.

Yet the man they felt so afraid of appeared to be unbothered; in fact, he was enjoying himself, his head dancing to each word that left Emir's mouth, appreciating how unfiltered he was.

"I agree completely... But let's not stay here for too long; we don't want anyone to come knock on our doors, now do we?"

"Sure... I'll start by saying that ambition and duty are quite opposite do you agree?"

"How so?"

"Well, your ideals would demand altruism, and your enemy would be yourself your desires

that you get rid of. But me, my enemy is the world itself. My desires take precedence over all

that opposes me; whether it's kindness, hatred, or even obligation, I accept it and impose it alongside my will on that very opposition."

"But isn't that selfish? If we, the capable, don't help the weak, then who would? We can afford

loss, they can't."

Emir chuckled.

"Are you a saint principle? A king isn't merely a symbol of nobility and chivalry... leave that

for the Knights. The burden of ruling goes far beyond the glory often associated with those in our position. A true king must make ruthless decisions for the greater good, choose the lesser evil, even if it means sacrificing a few to save the many."

"But what did the poor few do to deserve such a fate? Aren't we failures as kings if we can't save them? And do you not realize the irony in your words? You sound like the very villains the

common man despises."

"Villains huh? Don't worry, you're not to blame, Principal. It's just that your perception of a

king's duty overlooks the realities of leadership; they're too idealistic. After all, sacrifice is

only inevitable in our pursuit of securing a future where the majority can prosper. Guilt shouldn't be..."

He paused for a second, remembering the names of those he allowed to be slaughtered.

'No regrets... None.'

"It shouldn't be in this equation of ours in the first place. You know this very well; you know how our choices are often grim... Choices that bear the weight of the lives we control."

Amon sighed, then wistfully said:

"But I am... we're all to blame. A leader doesn't just lead; they act as a beacon to his people. A

beacon of honor and selflessness. Our duty extends beyond governance; it encompasses protection, serving the people with loyalty, loyalty deserving of real respect." Emir tried to interject but Amon continued, pinning his point down onto the earth.

"I'll be borrowing this from you... A king, a true one, upholds the principles of a knight. Chivalry is natural, as they would strive to shield their subjects from suffering and injustice. The greater good? No, never. Sacrifice should never be a ruler's defining trait; rather, it's the willingness to stand by their people, putting their lives above their own!"

A shaking head was the first reply Emir gave Amon, and after a moment of thought, he stated:

"So our role is to safeguard everyone under our rule? Even at personal cost? Is it such an honor to die a martyr for pests that hold no more weight than a grain of sand? Upholding the virtues of fairness and righteousness for those that don't deserve it doesn't sound right to me." Amon's face showed subtle, extremely subtle signs of anger, ones that Emir didn't fail to pick

up on.

"But who are you to judge their worth? To you, they might hold a weight less than a grain of sand, but to others, they might weigh a mountain... But I do agree with you on one thing. A martyred king should be the last-case scenario, for when those unfortunate times eventually arrive, such a death would cement imminent demise for all."

Emir nodded a couple of times, beginning to enjoy their back and forth.

"True true... well, the last point at least. When I 'judge' the lives of those under me, it's a

solely logical decision based on factual and known information. If they were a mountain disguised as sand, then I could only blame my luck for being crap, and besides..."

He slowed down his words for a few, his eyes scanning the students that had crowded the

place after their debate presumably spread in the Empty Marble.

'This'll take long.'

"Those ideals of yours are too romanticized, ones that would come straight out of a kid's

comic; they cloud the practical reality of ruling. Our duty isn't to uphold those bullshit ideals

but to secure a future where the most can thrive... What I'm trying to say is that sacrifice isn't an arbitrary act; it's a calculated necessity, especially in a world like ours, a world plagued by harsh realities. This idealism blinds you to a life of grief while mine twists the mind, as I make decisions based on outcomes, not sentimentality." And to anchor his point down like Amon did, he added:

"I'll say this for the last time: sacrificing a few to save the many isn't an act of cruelty but an

undeniable truth, an inevitable one, for all leaders participate in the act, knowingly or not. To ignore its necessity is to fail in leadership, to become irresponsible."

Yet Amon wasn't perturbed by that anchor. Instead, he pulled it out of the ground and carried

it on his back, trudging forward with confident steps.

"My idealism, as you call it, doesn't hinder my ability to rule; rather, it sets the standard for

leadership that is both righteous and true. Sacrifice should never be a calculated trade-off; it's a last resort when all other options are exhausted, and are made sure to be."

With every step, the Anchor on his back continued to rust, to crack, but he didn't relent, his

words flowing continuously:

"A ruler's morality is the cornerstone of a just kingdom and so the true essence of kingship lies not in what you called to be practical decisions but in upholding principles, guiding the people as would a Knight their employer, filled with honor. Values sacrificed for the sake of

convenience will erode the trust of the employer, the very people you claim to control." Emir clicked his tongue.

"You are blind to a truth standing right before you're very eyes..."

He continued the debate, which mostly turned into a sparring match of words, of hidden

insults, but as hours passed and as students came and went...

"I give up, we're going nowhere."

Emir stepped off the podium, understanding that a conclusion wouldn't be reached.

As he previously said, they were literal opposites.

Amon was like a father to his children, unwilling to let any of them go while expecting to

follow in his ideals, expecting that they, like him, would battle their own desires or at least push them aside for the good of others.

They would bear the burden of self-sacrifice and the loss of those dear.

They would constantly make unwanted decisions, all for the dream of a peaceful world where injustice is banned.

Meanwhile, Emir would embrace his desires, no matter what.

He accepted himself and all his faults while still imposing his will on the world, acting no

different than a conqueror.

His people would grow inspired by his dreams and ambition.

They'd think of them as their own, deeming them something worth fighting, maybe even

dying for. But unlike Amon, he bore the risk of leaving his allies behind, as he compelled them not to set aside their goals for his, but to focus solely on his.

Amon's wasn't all good either, he, someone who chases an ideal, though admirable, was

more dangerous, more... unconquerable.

"You cling to impossible notions of honor; people like you will lead the world to ruin."

Amon did the same, stepping off his podium upon realizing that his new professor would be a

tough nut to crack.

"If Earth won't turn without the death of the unfortunate, then I'd welcome ruin..."

He then gestured for a handshake.

"In fact, I'd rather it stop entirely so we can return to the ages of ice."

Emir's hand clasped his. "You border on insanity."

A laugh was shared between them, an almost quiet one, so full of venom that students

couldn't bear staying in the tent any longer.

"You bathe in it."

"Can't deny that... Now shall we go to the welcome party?"