SHK CH 575 (Patreon)

Hearing Sol’s project, Athena decided to express her apprehension,

“Your majesty. While I understand and admire your wish to right the wrongs the witches suffered from, I believe you are giving them a little too much power too soon.”

Athena had learned about the truth of the Tower creation and she also learned about everything Jupiter did and how the witches were nothing but innocent victims in this matter.

As a woman and even as a decent human being, what Jupiter did was both disgusting and atrocious. He had essentially used and abused someone who cared deeply for him before literally imprisoning them for years.

Furthermore, because of those actions, the last millennia have been fraught with deceit and hatred between witches and humans.

Humanities owed so much to the witches that they might never be able to repay their debts even generations after her.

But…

While she could understand and feel sad for them as a human and a woman, As a noble and a soldier, she could not let herself be blinded by their plight. Giving power to people who were oppressed for years generally did not end well for the previous oppressor.

“The witches now might be happy with the power they have but what about in 20 years? Hundred years or even a thousand years? What if the witches try to control the nobles or the royal court or if they get greedy and simply abuse their power?”

“Then…I guess it will be for the people of that time to deal with it?”

Sol shrugged. He could analyze outcomes and indeed, the chance of the witches one day trying to seize power from his descendant was possible. But…”Such is life.”

Sol did not know how long he could live. His lifespan was essentially in the tens of thousands and once he became a Demigod, it would be near infinite. He might care about the first few generations of his children but as the number rises, his feelings would change.

He couldn't babysit the royal family for millennia. More than anything else…Sol stopped himself from thinking further and smiled at Athena, “Let the future generation deal with the headache.”

“This is a very irresponsible thing to say.”

Athena gave a bitter smile. As a noble, worrying about the future was the norm as each decision they made was done with the feeling of duty that was taught to them since their birth.

“The power you have now is the result of the hard work of your ancestors. Do not disappoint them and do not disappoint your descendants. Only by doing so can our line prosper.”

Athena muttered, “This is what my father used to tell me when I was young before his death. This is also what my Grandfather continuously taught me. As nobles, we must never forget that our current situation was the result of generations of hard work. Our first ancestor may have been a farmer or a soldier but the one after him climbed higher and so did the one after him and it is our duty to make sure the one after us will not suffer. Noblesse oblige is not just a concept that shapes the way we deal with commoners. It also shows the way we must act as nobles.”

Athena cringed inwardly even as she spoke. She may have gone too far in trying to explain her vision to the prince and she had a feeling it came out as a little too preachy. She had seen firsthand that Sol did not take well to being looked down upon, even if it wasn’t her intention.

Sol, seeing her reaction gave a bitter smile and he turned to Setsuna and Lilith to ask, “Am I that scary?”

He knew he had done a few slightly extreme things when it comes to people who showed no respect to him but Sol was not so far down in hubris that he would refuse well-intentioned advice from someone who truly cared. Even more so when said advice was worthy of respect and learning.

Sol had been trained all his life as a noble but the emphasis had been very different. Be it because of his previous life or how neither Lilith nor Camelia taught him to have pride in his title as a King, he saw himself more as the big guy with powerful sticks rather than a true ruler.

This impression and this way of thinking colored his perception of the world and his interactions with people. This was also one of the reasons he had never liked Mars. Everything he heard about Mars painted him as a rightful individual and he sacrificed himself for the world and his kingdom. But perhaps…Also to insure a better future for Sol.

“Noblesse Oblige, huh.”

Mars may have failed his family but as a King, his actions and decisions were perfect for he had given as much as he had received from the Kingdom.

What about him? Was he a good king?

Sol smiled. A few months ago, he would have been able to answer and say No without a shadow of doubt. He had always put his own desire and the well-being of his family and those he loved above that of the need of this kingdom.

Thinking about it. He had always been very selfish,

“Thank you.”

Athena was bewildered at the unexpected show of gratitude but Sol simply continued to walk ahead, a brighter smile tugging at his lips. He had once again learned something more about himself.

He may not be fit to be a ruler but he loved ruling above people. He had no desire for conquest but he longed for the safety that controlling the world would bring him. The place he was now, the power he wielded, and the people he loved. All of this would have never been possible if some people did not fight for their lands, willingly giving their lives for what they believed in.

He would most likely never sacrifice himself for his kingdom but…He would make sure the sacrifice of those who were willing to die for their country would never go to waste.

Sol was not a good king.

But he would become the best king he could.

“I will slightly amend my decision. Once we go back to Lustburg. I will arrange a meeting for you with Clara so that you can prepare reasonable limitations to the power and responsibilities the witches will be bestowed.”

“Your Majesty…” Sol raised his hand and stopped her, “You can call me Sol. You have more than earned that right. You taught me a valuable lesson and gave me a great opportunity and realization.”

He gazed at Athena, his gaze solemn, “Athena Highland. Kneel.”

Athena, feeling the seriousness of the situation, took a knee immediately with her head lowered.

A ceremonial sword came out of Sol’s dimension and landed in his hand, “Athena Highland. Proud Heiress of the Ducal House. I hereby swear in my name. As long as your house will be loyal to the royal family, and as long as I am alive, the Highland House will never lose its title.”

Athena’s eyes opened wide when she felt the heavy weight of the sword on her shoulder, “Do you swear your allegiance to the royal family?”

“I swear!”

Even amidst her bewilderment, there was no hesitation in her words. This was without a doubt the achievement of a lifetime. As long as nothing wrong happened, Sol was destined to live generations even after her death.

“Very well. You can now rise. This ceremony is not an official one. I will reward you openly and properly once the war ends.”

Athena rose again, her face flushed with excitement and barely hidden giddiness. She couldn’t believe that her brash advice would bring forth such results.

Only in moments like this was one able to see that for all her bluster and confidence, deep down, she was still a young woman.

“Congratulations.”

Both Setsuna and Lilin clapped quietly, they were both very happy to see this.

“I will also appoint you as one of my personal advisors alongside Clara. This was something I should have done long ago but we did not have much time.”

All the nobles had been clamoring non-stop about how having a Beast woman and an elf as his closest advisor was unbecoming. He of course understood that this was just them wishing to add one of their chest pieces or some honey trap for him.

At least with Athena, all of them could only shut up. Athena had proven that she was not just a Yes woman. While Clara and Milia would also question his decision at times they were too enamored with him and might hesitate in fear of making him angry.

Furthermore, both of them always took his well-being first in the equation above that of the Kingdom. If he truly wished to become a better king, impartial people such as Athena who cared greatly for the Kingdom were essential.

“Now then. We have wasted enough time I believe. It’s time to go.”

He had taken one more step and understood a little more what it meant to be a ruler. This was a very good harvest. This episode also served as a small reminder.

He was not perfect.

He was not a god.

At the very least…Not yet.