As soon as they arrived close to the balcony, the loud sounds of cheers greeted them. Thousands of voices were mingled together, however, Arvad could easily single out the excitement and hope in them.
"Long live King Aeron!"
"Long live the Heir of House Aeron!"
Hearing them chanting his name, he felt emotional. No matter how many time he was exposed to such a situation, he never seemed to get used to it.
The royal blood within his body boiled with pride whenever he heard their cries. It seemed to resonate with the rise and fall of their voices.
Arvad looked at King Aeron, and found that he was much more composed. There was not a slightest change in his expression.
Arvad felt that he had worn the cold expression of a king. Each of his steps were firm and filled with strange power. He walked in his own rhythm unaware that the world followed behind him.
The knights stationed beside the wide entrance of the balcony saluted, and kept their heads bowed.
When they reached in front of the balcony, Arvad could finally look clearly, and he could not help but take a deep breath.
The entire mountain range was filled with people. As far as his eyes could follow, he could only see a dense crowd. It was as if the entire population of Aeron City had come out to greet him.
Their loud and sonorous voice even activated the mana shield around the castle. The sound waves were visible to the naked eyes, and he could see them strike the shield, as it wriggled in protest.
The four gigantic towers which were responsible for the shield around the Aeron Castle were lit up as if they experienced a huge enemy.
Arvad felt dread upon witnessing the sensitivity of this shield to perceive any abnormality. He had heard from his teachers that they consumed gigantic amounts of mana stones upon each activation.
Even dozens of imperial aircrafts would find it hard to break its defense.
Any other noble house would not be able to afford the amount. Not to mention the cost of maintenance each year which required assistance of countless experts.
It was also one of the things which differentiated the Great House from other weak noble houses. Their immeasurable accumulation throughout the centuries was not something that they could contend against.
King Aeron walked at the edge of the balcony, and everyone stopped a few steps behind him. He raised his hand in a slight gesture, and the loud commotion instantly came to a screeching halt.
On the mountain range which was occupied by thousands of people, a pin drop silence suffused. Even the birds and trees refrained from doing any unnecessary movements.
The defensive towers around the castle fell into their former dormancy.
Finally, King Aeron's deep voice which was amplified by mana, thundered across the entire mountain, loud and clear.
"Dear citizens of Aeron City, I am extremely honored and grateful by your presence. Today is a special day."
With a slight pause, he continued, "Since the Aeron House was established, it is the thirty-seventh coming of age ceremony. We have been standing for a dozen centuries."
"As a king, I am proud of the fact that my son has the greatest talent in sword art. As a father, I am also worried how my seven year old kid would survive in such a place, where bloodthirsty beasts run rampant."
"Father…" A low murmur left Arvad's mouth, and he felt his eyes wet with emotions.
"Then, I came to a harsh conclusion that this world does not accommodate the weak ones. The blood of Aeron can not be selfish, for it shoulders hundreds of thousands of lives. If we don't go harsh on ourselves, then we have no right to push others."
Arvad tightly clenched his fist when he heard this.
King Aeron's voice became stern as he said, "I might not be a good father, but I won't become a selfish king. Only the man who deserves shall sit on the throne of House Aeron. Only a strong king could command a strong country."
The silence prevailed for a long moment, before deafening cheers echoed once again.
"Long live King Aeron!"
"Long live King Aeron!"
Rivelia nudged Arvad who was dazed beside her, and whispered, "Isn't your father amazing?"
Arvad looked at the strong back of his father, and admiration was almost materializing in front of his eyes. He fervently nodded. "He is awesome. I hope I can be like him. Will I be able to shoulder such a big responsibility?"
Rivelia chuckled and ruffled his white hairs. "You will. Trust me."
Looking at King Aeron standing proudly before thousands of people, there was a complicated expression in her eyes.
Suddenly, a strong wind buffeted around the vicinity. Everyone turned silent, and turned to look above the castle.
The gigantic aircraft hovered above the castle, intimidating everyone. They gasped when they looked at such a gigantic machine.
King Aeron's dark red hair fluttered under the wind, and he turned towards Arvad. "Let's go."
As he said that, Arvad felt an almost invisible fluctuation below his feet. He felt his body turning lighter and lighter, until he found himself standing in the mid air.
He looked at his father in astonishment who had somehow magically appeared beside him.
King Aeron muttered, "Stay tight. Don't embarrass yourself."
Arvad felt the balcony below him turning smaller and smaller, and the people who were kneeling in blind respect as if they had seen a deity, getting far away from him.
Soon, they disappeared behind the dark silhouette that stood along the clouds.
Great Sage looked at their fleeting silhouettes, and muttered, "Good luck, my little king."
Noran seemed to be entranced by something else. "What a fine control of mana. King Aeron is already beyond our levels." He sighed ruefully.
Roland stood beside them without speaking a word, and quietly gazed at the airship.
'The peaceful times seem to be changing.'