The moment I climbed onto Noctis’s back, I could tell at once that, though I did not usually care for riding, this was unquestionably a fine steed.
As I circled the area atop Noctis, I laughed brightly, delighted by his astonishing speed and a level of comfort so great it scarcely felt like I was riding a horse at all.
“You two are already getting along well. Then... it’s about time to depart.”
“Yes.”
“Then... heave-ho!”
Watching us, Hecate spoke, telling me to set out. At her words, I prepared to depart while still mounted on Noctis’s back.
But just before we could break into a run, Hecate climbed onto my back and spoke to me.
“Now. Don’t mind me and go on ahead.”
Hearing that, I wanted to argue that there was no way I could possibly ignore her presence, but...
...Right. Hecate is far stronger than I am now. How could I possibly defy someone like her? I may be fine, but... the kingdom and its people... would not be.
Fearing I might incur divine punishment for offending a goddess, I forced the thought aside and gave Noctis his orders, racing forward at full speed.
By the time I reached the city gate, the soldiers who had seen me coming from afar opened the way, clearing the path so I could reach my father.
Thanks to their haste, I was able to reunite with my father, who lay upon his sickbed, as quickly as possible.
“Father, I have brought it. The light that will end your suffering.”
Without delay, I fed my father the blue jewel I had obtained from the heart of the black serpent, just as Hecate had instructed.
Immediately, the jewel released a clear essence of water, washing away the black veins that had been devouring my father’s body.
“Ghk... A-Astellon...?”
My father’s complexion, which had been as blackened as a corpse, began to regain its vitality. As the poison that had been crushing his lungs seeped away, he drew a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes.
My mother, who had watched over him, shed tears of relief and embraced my father as he slowly rose.
“The poison is gone, but he has not fully recovered. He must devote himself to recuperation for a while.”
“...After so long away, I have burdened you with such a heavy task the moment you returned...”
“Not at all. Compared to what I received in my childhood, this is far from enough. So... you must remain until I have fully repaid that kindness.”
“...I see. You have worked hard, Astellon.”
“....Yes.”
Afterward, I informed the retainers and the people of my father’s recovery. As for the disloyal factions that had sought to seize power during the king’s illness...
“I have returned after a long absence, and I wish to hear what has transpired while I was away, so I have summoned you all here.”
“It is an honor, Prince.”
“You studied under Chiron, did you not? With a man of such caliber leading us, the future of this nation shines bright.”
“...Very well. First, let us all have a drink. To the prosperity of this kingdom!!”
At the banquet I hosted, I treated them to rare delicacies. They all followed my lead, drinking deeply from the cups set before them.
“Kgh...!”
“Wh-what is this...!!”
“P-Prince...!”
By drinking the wine, they also consumed the poison I had secretly prepared. One by one, they collapsed, vomiting blood.
“...With this, the worms that were devouring the nation are gone.”
“Yes. Only now does the true beginning start.”
Seated at the center, I looked upon the scene with a cold expression, while behind me, Hecate watched over me.
“...My father said he would pass the throne to me.”
“So you are to become king officially now?”
“Yes. He said that at the coronation he would grant me the sacred sword passed down through our line... and that not long after, he would step down of his own accord.”
“Once you become king, won’t you have less time to learn from me?”
Hecate spoke with a hint of mischief in her voice, and I answered her without hesitation.
“If it is your instruction, then I will create time where none exists.”
At my reply, Hecate seemed pleased. She slowly stepped out of the shadows and placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Fufu, you’ve quite the kingly look about you now. That poison from earlier... you mixed it a little more lethally than the formula I taught you, didn’t you? For a gesture of respect toward your retainers, that was rather impudent.”
“I have no time to show mercy to worms. Eirene must be purified from this point onward.”
As she listened, Hecate idly played with my silver hair and whispered, “Good. From the moment you sit upon the throne, you will be the king of this land. But when night falls, you will be my disciple. That ‘sacred sword’ you are to receive... I wonder whether it can truly endure the whims of the gods.”
“You may look forward to it. I will forge a kingdom strong both within and without.”
Several days later, countless citizens gathered in Eirene’s central plaza.
My father, having risen from his sickbed, still wore a pale complexion, but the look he gave me, the people, and this country was firmer than ever before.
“Astellon. This sword is the blessing of the goddess who has protected our royal house since the days of the founding king.”
The sword my father handed me was not adorned with gaudy jewels, but was instead a weighty blade of elegant silver luster, engraved with ancient patterns.
It was the legendary weapon said to be impossible to lift unless one was of royal blood.
As I grasped the hilt, the bustling plaza fell silent as though cold water had been poured over the crowd.
Shing—
When the sword was drawn from its sheath, a radiance brighter than the noon sun flooded the plaza.
Though I had already mastered every manner of weapon by the time I was eight, the weight I felt from this sword was on an entirely different level. It was not merely the weight of iron; it was the weight of a nation’s fate and the hopes of its people, made vividly manifest in my hands.
Then, I raised my voice and shouted to the retainers and citizens gathered before me.
“I, Astellon, hereby inherit the throne of Eirene from this day forth!”
As my proclamation fell, the cheers of the people shook heaven and earth.
Thus did I become the new king of Eirene.
An au of Greek myths huh