The king's lips trembled.
"Higashino Higashino--"
You might be a good person.
Higashino Makoto interrupted him.
Kindness, compassion, and concern for the people—but a good person is not necessarily a good king.
"Mr. Higashino!"
Gazef's voice was low and angry.
"Please watch your words! His Majesty is—"
What is it?
Higashino Makoto turned his head and looked at him.
"He was a mediocre king. A kind, cowardly, and incompetent mediocre king."
Gazef's face turned bright red.
His hand slid off the hilt of the sword, and then he drew it.
The blue blade gleamed with a cold light in the candlelight.
Gazef's body shot towards Higashino Makoto like an arrow released from a bow.
The sword tip was aimed directly at Higashino Makoto's ribs.
It's not a lethal move, but it's enough to render any ordinary person incapable of resistance.
Higashino Makoto did not move.
He just kept watching the sword, watching it get closer and closer.
Then, extend your hand.
Two fingers.
It caught the tip of the sword.
Gazef stopped moving.
His eyes widened, his brown pupils reflecting Higashino Makoto's calm face.
He tried to draw his sword, but the Unassailable. He tried to slice horizontally, but the Unassailable.
He tried to loosen his grip on the sword hilt and back away, but his hand seemed to be nailed to the ground and he couldn't let go.
"Not bad swordsmanship, among humans."
Higashino Makoto loosened his grip and took a step back.
But that's not enough.
Gazef stood there, gripping his sword, his breathing rapid and heavy.
His hands were trembling, not from humiliation, but from fear.
It wasn't that he was afraid of dying, but that he was afraid of not being able to protect the king who had been so kind to him.
No, it's not just fear.
There was still resentment. There was still a trace of humiliation.
It took him thirty years to climb from a commoner to the position of Warrior Captain.
He paid a heavy price, shed countless tears and sweat, and teetered on the brink of life and death countless times, before he gained the strength he has today.
But in front of this person, his power was nothing.
"Gazef."
Higashino Makoto's voice was calm.
"You don't need to attack me. I'm not your enemy."
"Then what are you?"
Gazef's voice was hoarse.
Higashino Makoto was silent for a moment.
"A passerby. A gardener who couldn't stand seeing this fertile land turn into a weed-infested desert."
He paused.
"Furthermore, Ainz Ooal Gown mentioned you."
Gazef's pupils contracted slightly.
Lord Ainz?
"Yes, Ainz."
Higashino Makoto nodded.
He said, "You are a respectable soldier. Loyal, brave, and upright. You are willing to give everything to protect this country."
He paused.
"I don't know if he's entirely right, but I won't kill you."
Gazef's lips were trembling.
"You... you know Lord Ainz?"
"We know each other, we're friends."
Higashino Makoto's tone was flat.
"Therefore, for Ainz's sake, I will give the Re-Estize Kingdom a chance."
He turned around and looked at the king.
"One month, I'll give you one month."
The king raised his head, his cloudy eyes looking at him.
"What... what do you mean?"
"I need to see changes in the Re-Estize Kingdom within a month."
Higashino Makoto held up one finger.
"First, the 'Eight Fingers' must be completely eradicated. Not just scattered, not just driven away, but uprooted. I will handle this personally, but the royal family needs to cooperate. Provide intelligence, authorization, and cleanup."
He held up his second finger.
"Secondly, the nobility must be reformed. Those who collude with the 'Eight Fingers,' those who exploit the people, those who only know how to fight for power and profit—those who should be arrested should be arrested, those who should be killed should be killed, and those whose property should be confiscated should have their property confiscated. The royal family needs to show determination."
He held up his third finger.
"Third, the throne needs to be passed on. You are too old and too weak. Stop clinging to the throne and pass it on to a more capable king."
The king's body was trembling.
You mean--
"Pass the throne to the second prince, Zanac, or the third princess, Renner."
Higashino Makoto's voice was calm.
The second prince is an excellent king, while the Renner is a monster with Wisdom surpassing that of humans.
Both of them are more suited to be king than you.
The palace fell silent.
Lakyus stood to one side, his emerald green eyes swirling with complex emotions.
Gazef stood there, sword in hand, breathing heavily.
The king lowered his head, looking at his withered, wooden hands, and remained silent for a long time.
"Higashino. Higashino."
The king's voice was very soft.
"You're right... I am indeed not a good king."
"Oh, you're quite self-aware. Then why didn't you hand over your power sooner?"
"Because I fear their succession will lead to chaos in the Re-Estize Kingdom."
His voice was trembling.
"I am not a good king. I know that. But I don't know how to be a good king. I can only do my best to keep the Re-Estize Kingdom stable."
"But for this broken country, seeking stability is useless. It will only make it sink deeper and deeper into quicksand."
Higashino Makoto looked at him, a complex light flashing in his dark eyes.
"That's why I said, pass the throne to the more suitable person."
"Zanac... Renner..."
The king whispered the two names.
"They... may be very capable. But there can only be one throne, and they are all my children. Moreover, I worry that if someone succeeds to the throne, they will..."
"That's boring. What I want to hear isn't you talking about how hard things are for you, or how conflicted you are."
Higashino Makoto interrupted him directly.
"Making the country better is a responsibility. So-called royalty, from the day they are born, bear the fate of this country on their shoulders. Unless you possess absolute power, rights and obligations are equal. You cannot let them shirk their responsibilities because of 'worry'."
The king remained silent.
"One month."
Higashino Makoto said.
"After dealing with the Eight Fingers, I will travel to the Baharuth Empire for a month, after which I will return. I hope to see a change in the Re-Estize Kingdom Baharuth Empire then. If it has, everything will be fine. If not—"
He paused.
I will change it myself.
He turned and walked out of the palace. Illya lifted her skirt and followed him. After a few steps, he stopped without looking back.
"Oh, right. I was the one who handled the Orc army incident outside the Dragon Kingdom."
The king's eyes widened. Gazef gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. Lakyus's lips parted slightly.
"Tens of thousands of Orc, all killed by me, with just one spell."
Higashino Makoto's tone was flat.
"If you think I'm joking, you can try it."
He stepped out of the palace. His footsteps echoed in the empty corridor, gradually fading into the distance.
Illya followed behind him, her long, silvery-white hair gleaming golden in the sunlight.
She turned around and glanced at the three people in the palace: an old man in his twilight years, a silent warrior, and a shocked young girl.
Then she turned around and chased after him.
"Big brother, wait for me!"
The two figures disappeared at the end of the corridor.