Chapter 119: The Crown of Light

The Queen’s intention in inviting them was to revive the memories of the members of parliament who were forgetting that day.

To grant suffrage and eligibility for election to Betas, she couldn’t let the members forget that day conveniently.

The mercenaries looked quite excited. They were wearing the same camouflage uniforms as that day.

Although they couldn’t enter inside the temple, the fact that they were witnessing the King’s coronation directly as Betas for the first time made them smile widely on their fierce faces.

“It’s starting now.”

Right after Philius’s voice was heard, the bell rang. Jay turned his gaze, which had been directed outside the window, to the front.

Music began to play. Along with classical and majestic music, the Queen started her march. A pure white cloak trailed behind her back as she stepped on the red carpet laid on the floor.

Duchess Mare, who would now be called Queen Florence, walked the long path decorated with blooming flowers on both sides like her name and ascended to the platform.

Although she had a petite frame, her appearance when she ascended to the highest place in the temple never looked small.

The light pouring from the skylight made her look almost divine.

She took the light itself as her crown. Replacing the key that had now disappeared.

Jay pressed his lips tight trying to curb a smile.

To create the effect as if the god of light had descended, diamond powder was sprinkled on her hair, and pearl powder was applied to her face. The person who supplied those was Jay himself.

Actually, Queen Florence wanted to commission an accessory to replace the crown from Jay.

But demanding crafting from him, who was no longer a Beta, was unprecedented.

To Queen Florence, who sent a letter saying she was worried because there was no crown to use for the coronation instead of daring to commission directly, Jay sent diamond powder and pearl powder as an answer.

Along with a letter saying she herself would shine like a diamond.

“If the current appearance is published in the newspaper, the Queen will be very satisfied.”

As Philius whispered softly in his ear, Jay had to put more strength into his lips.

The moment she stood on the platform, the music reaching its climax covered the irreverent words directed at the seemingly divine Queen.

The High Priest handed her the scepter from one step below. The Queen held the received scepter upright.

The huge diamond at the end converted the sunlight shining from the skylight into richer light, making her shine.

Waaaaah!

When Betas watching this scene through the window from outside the building shouted cheers, some nobles, thinking they were doing such frivolous acts because they lacked dignity, tried to frown.

However, they soon saw. The Queen smiling benevolently towards them.

And they realized. That they also had to shout cheers like that.

Those who twitched their eyebrows were the first to let out cheers. Soon, the inside of the temple was also filled with enthusiastic cheers like the outside.

“Finally, our turn has come.”

At the moment everyone cheered for the Queen, whether sincerely or flatteringly, Philius whispered in Jay’s ear again.

At the expectation heavily imbued in his low voice, Jay had to put strength into his lips once again.

If asked to pick the person who looked forward to the Queen’s coronation most in all of Henia, Philius might be picked first.

Although what he looked forward to was the end of the coronation, not the coronation itself.

Florence Mare has now become a complete Queen.

And the promise she made was still held under Philius’s mana.

****

As soon as the coronation ended, the Duke of Westell’s mansion became even noisier.

With so many people and goods coming and going, the fact that the Duke of Westell was preparing for a wedding was news known to anyone living in Noberten.

Even mercenaries who had been drowning in beer barrels for three days and nights at back-alley pubs.

No, they were rather more well-informed about the Duke of Westell’s wedding news than anyone else. They were the ones chattering most excitedly.

“But is it really okay for us to go there?”

On the night before the wedding, one of those who started with a toast to the Commander-in-Chief and got quite drunk suddenly muttered.

It was a word that instantly silenced the boisterous pub. The sound of a tactless clerk clearing empty glasses and placing new ones on the table resonated loudest.

“Ay, spoiling the taste of the drink.”

Hairy Michael, who had the highest alcohol tolerance among those gathered at Billy’s pub, grumbled shaking beer off his beard.

“He told us to come, so not going would rather be disrespectful, you fools!”

“That is true, but…”

They were just excited and cheered at the invitation to the Queen’s coronation, but at the invitation to the wedding of the Duke of Westell, the Commander-in-Chief of the expeditionary force, they felt unnecessary worry.

In the New Continent, they saw with their own eyes and heard with their own ears. That the Commander-in-Chief was shunned by other generals.

Although he eventually obtained the rights he should have enjoyed from the beginning because he repeated victories with his clever strategies, there were no officers who sincerely served him as Commander-in-Chief from the beginning.

It was completely different from the mercenaries in the New Continent following him because it was thanks to the Commander-in-Chief that they could survive the influence of the tremendous typhoon while sailing to the New Continent and win the battle against the Petan navy.

Officers disapproved of him even more because mercenaries followed him.

Whether the same thing would happen here in Noberten was the worry of those gathered at Billy’s pub.

They saved nobles from the collapsing main palace, but it was hard to find nobles who were sincerely grateful for that fact.

Although some among young nobles were changing their perception of Betas, they also had no authority in noble society.

Their favorability toward Betas was a result of the rebellious spirit unique to young people against the vested interests sitting above them, already holding much authority, acting more strongly.

Those gathered here had been through too much to rely on unsubstantial, petty goodwill. Unless they became more serious.

On the other hand, those holding real power still looked down on Betas. Some acted even more arrogantly, feeling ashamed of the fact that their lives were saved by Betas. Those who frowned looking at them at the coronation were exactly such people.

They could endure being frowned upon, but they didn’t want the Commander-in-Chief to receive the same treatment.

“Since he invited us to come, we should go.”

Someone raised his voice cutting through the air that became gloomy unlike a pub that should be bustling.

If a fool had said it, shouts telling him to shut up immediately would have flown, but the person was John.

The one who stood at the forefront of Betas that day, and raised his voice to draw better conditions at the negotiation table to receive the mercenaries’ combat allowances.

Moreover, he had also worked as the captain of the guard at the Commander-in-Chief’s mansion.

“Did you ever see Your Excellency the Commander-in-Chief in person?”

Hairy Michael asked with full expectation.

“There were a few times he gave instructions directly.”

At John’s answer, Whoa! exclamations burst out. John didn’t hold back the laughter leaking out.

Although it is said many guys nowadays live diligently saving money without wasting it on nonsense, their basic nature wasn’t gentle.

Especially those gathering at this Billy’s pub.

These guys came hearing the rumor that the Commander-in-Chief’s fiancé once worked here.

They were guys with that much curiosity and peculiar adventurous spirit.

“Then have you seen the Commander-in-Chief’s fiancé too?”

The following question seemed to even wake them from intoxication. He twisted his lips toward the guys blinking their eyes unsuitably.

“There is only one thing I can say.”

Boo. As he avoided an immediate answer, jeers burst out at once.

An orphan boy saved by the Commander-in-Chief while working at a back-alley pub and became a servant. A Beta who became a jewelry shop owner after time passed.

The only jeweler who created gems that didn’t break even under the power of the key overused by the mad former King that day.

And a dominant Omega who is the Commander-in-Chief’s fiancé.

Things incompatible were mixed up to be one person’s history.

It was to the point where one couldn’t distinguish what was truth and what was lie.

Although it is rumored that this is the pub where he worked, the owner Billy didn’t utter a word about him. Therefore, those who visited here thought the rumor was just a rumor.

The reason for visiting here while thinking someone spread a useless rumor to disparage the Commander-in-Chief was clear.

The taste of food and beer was terrible like all back-alley pubs, but the price was 1 Penny cheaper.

They had no choice but to find this place after realizing painfully that the value of a single copper coin in hand is very precious.

Actually, to hear detailed stories about the Commander-in-Chief’s fiancé, going to the jewelry shop in Pistoga would be faster and clearer.

It was a place where his exact traces were revealed. Although clerks there were also tight-lipped and didn’t leak any words about the Commander-in-Chief’s fiancé.

And it wasn’t a place these people could go, for whom eating beer and fried fish costing 14 Pennies—which was a tremendous price increase compared to before the war, but still 1 Penny cheaper than other pubs—with money earned working all day at factories was the only luxury and joy.