Dumbfounded, he doesn't know what to say and even felt frozen for a bit. With all honesty, he was prepared to crackle some Fireballs! He didn't nearly expect this.
Feeling comfortable enough around Commander Alia to ask questions is a fact, but apart from her, there is a crowd in front of him as well.
He had strong hesitation to ask, but his curiosity is even stronger. "I'm the most honoured to stand in front of all of you as the new King. But what are my responsibilities as one?"
"Ask questions later my King, now we need to crown you. Please follow me." With a lot of enthusiasm, she grabbed his arm and started dragging him through the crowd.
They all cleared the way and stood aside, bending the knee regardless of their status as a way of saluting the strong powerful Golden Blood.
After the two passed by, the men and women who bent the knee, stood up, lined up and followed. Rather well disciplined for people who can barely read.
Passing the farm and the mine, they spiraled down a bit deeper to find what they formerly call. "The King's Hallway."
The Hallway doesn't include much. Several Ignite Gems are giving a faint purple view of the 20 meters long and 10 meters wide Hallway.
But it's plain to see that a throne made out of stone is standing at the other edge of the cave and a crown on the top right edge of the throne's back support.
Stopping Eric on the spot, the crowd following them too, she dragged him closer to the doorway and had the responsibility to explain some crucial points. "My King. Only you can enter this room, either of us can't do so. Only when a new King claims the throne, shall we enter this Hallway again."
Although a bit scary to think that such a responsibility is based on him, this has to be gotten over with. "So what am I supposed to do after getting in?"
Starting it off with a smile, she proceeded to explain the key points. "Do you see that throne over there? Approach it, grab the crown on it and put it on your head. If it deems you worthy, it won't explode."
Afterwards she yelled a Command, telling all the men and women to either get to their caves or dash out of town. That's by choice, it was something that could define the trust they have on this little Golden Blooded boy.
But since the Grand Masters stood in solitude with Eric, everyone else found their choices worth following. No one walked out, not even a single person. Even Blackwind is standing behind the gang in solitude.
After Commander Alia pointed out that the whole town stands in solitude with him towards this task, his self esteem had a considerably strong shift.
Although strongly believing in his son, Woldemir didn't find enough reasons to trust a crown that can explode. "Is it a good idea to send him there? What if the crown explodes? I was sworn to protect that boy!"
"I have good faith that he will claim the crown, you should have too. He is your son." Replied Commander Alia with a comforting tone, but she also didn't appreciate his attitude in some aspects.
"It's not that I don't trust him, I don't trust the..." He tried to express his concern, but his sentence became force cut short by Mogranius and Stefan who decided to yell out their support.
"You got this Eric."
"Go claim what's yours kid."
Finally feeling ready to go in, he put his fear of failure behind and took a step forward.
Successfully managing to walk in, assuring his own safety he touched his arms and legs to see if any of them are missing already.
Fortunately they aren't! As he walked closer and closer to the throne, he can see it getting bigger by the step. Perhaps from a distance, it's size was underestimated?
The Last King who sat on this throne clearly was over thirteen feet tall, as Eric had to fly for a short time just to walk on the sitting area of the throne.
That area is a bit more than four feet above the ground and the spine support area is another six feet tall, a big throne indeed.
But the throne is off less importance, the crown is what Eric is more concerned about. He reached this far already.
He is about to claim the throne untouched for thousands of years, that could cause an explosion vicious enough to kill half of a 700 people civilization.
So the fear of possibly killing so many innocent people, increased hesitation in Eric's little head, his self trust becoming weaker.
He saw what One Guard did to Three illustratios just because one friend of his was killed. If an explosion erupts, the survivors would tear the gang apart and Alia wouldn't be able to stop them, they don't like their kind hurt.
Due to this hesitation in Eric's heart, an earthquake broke out the moment he was just half a foot away from grabbing the crown.
The closer Eric reached out, the stronger the earthquake became!
Hearing a few possibly hundred Kilogram boulders falling behind him from the Throne Room's Ceiling, he finally backed up before the earthquake hurts anyone.
Flying away from the crown, he felt the earthquake calming down to the point where the cave isn't shaking anymore.
He dropped to the ground and hit the dirt with his fist and decided to yell out what he has piled up these past few days. "I can't do this."
This whole day has been killing him mentally and physically too. He feels tired, damaged, weak.
But the fact that the past Electus died for such a selfish effort coming from an enemy, hurt the most.
He thinks that someone who tried to do good throughout her entire life didn't deserve that. He even fears that he might share a similar fate.
Raising his head up, he witnessed an old woman. She seems to be in her nineties and is a clear Ignite.
But her identity became transparent when he saw the black veins covering all of her arm instead of just one portion like Eric.
It was clear that this Woman is an Electus.
But which one?
And how can she be standing in the same room as Eric.