Thera looked at Ragon, noticing his now bright silver hair, which was no longer covered in mud as it had been before. She felt a bit shy that someone like him was talking to her.
It wasn't that Thera was any less pretty than Ragon; if they were to be rated, she would score a perfect ten, while Ragon might receive a nine. However, the beauty of a woman can't truly be compared to that of a man.
Ragon was like a dazzling light that could never be hidden.
"Hey! Hey!" Ragon waved at her, surprised to see her frozen in place without offering a word.
Finally, she snapped back to reality and shook her head as if to dispel the seductive charm emanating from Ragon. It felt as though he were the God of a Harem.
"I'm sorry... What were you saying before?" she asked, unable to recall his previous statement.
"What were you thinking? I just wanted to thank you for the other day," he repeated.
"Oh! There's no need to thank me; it's my duty," Thera blushed as she spoke.
While Ragon was chatting with Thera, two men approached him from behind.
"Your Majesty... We have been looking for you everywhere. Finally, thank the gods we found you. Please forgive the interruption, but the court members are waiting for you. Hearing that you have fully recovered is a great joy," one man said, bowing politely to Ragon, despite the age difference that was evident.
"I'm sorry; I think I'll talk to you some other time. You have other things to attend to," Thera smiled at him, waving as she turned away.
"Wait! No! Wait!" Ragon was not ready for any meeting. After all, he was still young, having governed back in Olympia with his father, and he knew how tedious those meetings could be. He didn't want the same fate to befall him here. Yet, he was kind of the hope of their village, so stepping down would feel like dashing their hopes. That was why he wanted to take things gradually.
He turned to face the two men, trying to act cool.
"Okay, lead the way," he finally managed to say.
They began to head toward the council chamber. As they walked through the castle, Ragon was surprised by how well-planned it was. The fact that they hadn't had such a castle nineteen years ago was astonishing. Although, compared to the one in Olympia, this was merely a drop in the ocean of houses. The brutish orcs, known for their lack of intelligence, probably could not have created something like this. It was definitely the work of dwarves.
After a long walk, they reached the courtroom. The enormous twenty-foot doors swung open as Ragon entered.
Immediately, all eyes turned toward him at the entrance. The noisy room fell silent upon his arrival. Ragon noticed a diverse group of people, ranging from young to old, arranged in rows facing him. He felt a bit reluctant to step forward, but he had no other choice. As he moved through the crowd, they all bowed, and the two men behind him guided him toward the throne in the center.
He never expected to become a king in the mortal world so soon. It was a bit of stress he had hoped to avoid, but he had no choice but to accept his fate.
He climbed the stairs leading to the throne and took a seat, facing the audience before him.
Crossing his legs, he casually stared at the gathered crowd.
Suddenly, someone rushed in through the door, sprinting toward Ragon. As the young man attempted to approach, the guards at Ragon's side prevented him from getting too close.
"Hmmm..." Ragon murmured under his breath, stroking his chin.
He raised his arm, gesturing for them to release the young man.
"Your... Majesty... there is bad news..." the young man gasped, struggling to catch his breath.
"And what might that be?" Ragon raised an eyebrow, curious to hear the news.
"Your Majesty, it's the orcs!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Huh!" A collective gasp could be heard in the room; just hearing that name sent chills down their spines.
They began whispering among themselves, shocked that after all Ragon had done, they would still need to call for backup.
Ragon could see the fear in their eyes; they were worried they might end up in captivity after finally gaining their freedom following nineteen years of hard labor.
Ragon raised his hand, barking an order, "Silence!" Instantly, the noisy room fell quiet.
Ragon was no stranger to commanding authority; after all, he had been a half-god in Olympia, and giving orders was something he was accustomed to.
"Fear will only make you weak. You must embrace that fear and transform it into a fight for your rights," Ragon advised, hoping to dispel the dark thoughts lingering in their minds.
"Where are they?" he asked the young man, maintaining a sense of calm. Despite knowing he might not have the power to confront them directly, he was never one to give up easily.
"Your Majesty, while I was tending to my sheep, I saw them at the bridge leading from the sea to our village," the young man explained.
Ragon smiled, recalling the actions he had taken earlier that day to destroy the one-hundred-foot bridge leading to the village. He had anticipated something like this. This would buy them some time.
"It will take them about a week to rebuild that bridge, so you all have nothing to fear. Seven days is more than enough time to deal with this problem," Ragon reassured his subjects, a smile gracing his face.
"All hail the King!" they shouted in reverence, grateful for their king's calmness in the face of danger.
-!