Abdication and Coronation

The atmosphere... was very strange.

The meeting should have begun, yet no one spoke for a long time.

Duke Fernandes and King Bruno stared at each other in silence.

Those who could be here all had at least some political experience.

They could all sense that a tremendous upheaval might be imminent.

Yet most of them could not imagine just how great that upheaval would be.

Most of them thought this was merely an internal struggle within the New Holy Cross Kingdom.

Whether it was abdication or an armed coup, many felt it had nothing to do with them.

Besides, replacing the King might not be a bad thing.

Perhaps the current situation required the New Holy Cross Kingdom to have a stronger King, one capable of reversing its decline and gaining the upper hand in the war against the Great Xia Empire.

Thus, amid the unexpected silence, no one stepped forward to break the awkward atmosphere.

It was then that King Bruno realized his abdication was inevitable.

The outcome had been decided from the day he gave himself over to despair.

He even had to thank Fernandez. If not for his younger brother holding things together, he might have died long ago.

Now, the knights who had once sworn fealty to him lowered their heads, perhaps repenting for their betrayal.

His once-fervent allies remained silent, seemingly more eager for him to step down.

So he truly was a failure.

King Bruno laughed at himself, then removed his own crown, doing his best to appear unburdened.

But his body, hollowed out by drink and women, made him look exceptionally haggard, utterly devoid of a King's bearing.

"Fernandez, my brother," King Bruno called. Before everyone present, he said, "My body is failing, but the threat of the Great Xia Empire is