Chapter 49: The Sinner King’s Legacy

Daisy could not comprehend Gapp’s reply. “What do you mean?!”

Gapp sighed. “Your father is a good man, one who inherently seeks peace and tranquility, wishing happiness for all. His love extended beyond Danga, hoping all surrounding nations could live in harmony and friendship.”

Daisy frowned, pondering Gapp’s words. “What’s wrong with that?” she inquired. “Doesn’t that precisely prove Father is a wise and benevolent king?”

“No, those very virtues made him an utterly incompetent monarch for Danga.”

Gapp’s insult to her father ignited a fierce indignation in Daisy. Her voice rising slightly, she demanded, “What did you say?!”

Gapp’s voice deepened. “A sage’s love may know no borders, but a monarch’s love must be bounded by them. The nation’s interests must be paramount! Yet, what did your father do? Do you remember the quarrel I had with him just before your adventure? Do you know what he did to uphold his own morals?”

Daisy felt a pang of confusion, her mind drifting back to that day.

She had been preparing to pack her bags and embark on a journey with Larry. As she passed her father’s chambers, however, she overheard Gapp and her father arguing, their voices so loud it had unnerved her.

“What did you argue about?”

“Whether or not to provide aid, specifically grain, to Jipp.”

Gapp laughed, a wild, almost deranged sound, as if recalling a truly hilarious joke.

“Because Jipp was suffering from a drought, your father wanted to send them grain. To send grain to a Jipp that was preparing to invade Danga! How utterly amusing. And yet, this Jipp was only weakened by a minor natural disaster because they had been waging war for years. Hahaha. He claimed the affected civilians were innocent, hoping to resolve the conflict between Jipp and Danga through this aid? Hahaha, conflict?! I can barely believe those words came from a king.”

At that moment, both Daisy and Meixia felt that Gapp had lost his mind.

Yet, Daisy found herself strangely understanding Gapp’s current emotional state. She couldn’t help but ask, “So, what happened next?”

“What happened next was that, driven by his own goodness, he chose to trust traitors sent by Jipp rather than his own younger brother and the loyal ministers who served him. He allowed Danga’s stored grain resources to be used, giving Jipp the energy to recover from the disaster, enabling them to once again organize an invasion against Danga!”

Perhaps due to the long-suppressed emotions, Gapp began to unleash his feelings upon Daisy with fervent intensity.

“Daisy, I’ve had enough. Your father has had enough, my foolish older brother. He was once the person I revered most. I knew he possessed a touch of naivety, but even so, I once believed that if he ascended the throne, he would become an excellent king, shouldering his responsibilities. That’s why I diligently assisted him for so many years. It wasn’t until the day before I decided to rebel against him that I finally understood how wrong I had been all along. I should never have trusted him from the start; I should never have let him ascend the throne! That way, he could have continued to act as a saint without restraint, and I could have led Danga to prosperity. Well, not necessarily prosperity, but at least we could have preserved our territory against Jipp’s invasion.”

Feeling as though her world had been turned upside down, Daisy asked, “Are you telling the truth?”

“These matters, like providing grain to Jipp, you can ask your confidants. Ask the citizens residing in Danga. Ask them if it’s true.”

Daisy was momentarily speechless. Finally, she slowly inquired, “So, this is why you manipulated me into harming my parents?”

“Precisely. After learning you failed to bring back that S-rank adventurer as your consort, I decided to activate this plan. A plan that would perfectly guarantee my ascension. I absolutely refuse to allow Danga to be ruined by your father’s hand!”

“Even at the cost of collaborating with those demon spirits, who are listed as forbidden?”

“Yes!”

“But they are considered taboo by the Adventurer’s Guild!”

“Remember! In the face of national interest, there are no taboos! Those are inconsequential.”

Gapp took a deep breath. “The nation’s interests supersede everything else. Those so-called taboos were established by the Adventurer’s Guild to protect the interests of the majority. If Danga is not included in that majority, then there is no need to abide by them.”

“But the Adventurer’s Guild…”

“Enough about the Adventurer’s Guild. You are no longer an adventurer, but soon to be the queen of a nation.” Gapp waved his hand dismissively. “How could such matters be made public? Do you think I loudly proclaimed to the Adventurer’s Guild that I intended to cooperate with demon spirits and that they shouldn’t interfere? As long as it remains undiscovered, the Adventurer’s Guild won’t do anything.”

“But the demon spirits are rampant…”

Gapp replied coldly, “It’s fine. Your two S-rank friends have already arrived there. They will thoroughly clear out all those demon spirits. Even if they spread, they won’t remain in Danga. The more miserable our neighboring countries become, the smoother Danga’s development will be.”

Daisy felt her worldview, shaped by her parents throughout her life, waver. Yet, the questions still needed answers.

“You knew Ellis and Larry were here?!”

“Of course, I knew, Daisy. Who else in Danga could successfully infiltrate our royal palace, defeat every guard they encountered, be deemed a ‘difficult opponent’ by the demon spirit chieftain upon meeting him, and still be helping you, other than those two S-rank adventurers?”

Gapp instructed, “As a monarch, you must use limited information to gain more.”

“Aren’t the demon spirits your allies?”

“They are my allies when their utility to Danga outweighs their negative impact. Now, they are causing a major disturbance, and continuing to associate with them would mean opposing the Adventurer’s Guild. Therefore, they are now my enemies. There are no eternal friends, no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. While this sentiment might seem selfish on an individual level, it is perfectly suited for a nation.”

“What can the demon spirits do to help you?”

“You will understand once your two friends have cleared them out.”

“Why are you so confident in them? You’ve never even met them.”

“Knowing their rank is enough, Daisy. Those titles from the Adventurer’s Guild are given to the ‘monsters’ of the Mazesli Continent; they are a symbol of invincibility on this land. Even an empire would not risk offending an S-rank adventurer.”

Hearing Gapp refer to her companions in such a way, Daisy’s tone grew heavy. “Ellis and Larry are not monsters!”

“No, they are monsters. Monsters of individual achievement. But they are also the pioneers of the continent. It is precisely because of their existence that the Mazesli Continent continues to expand. To us, the vastness of Mazesli is everything. To them, it is merely a resting place. Those ‘taboos’ are regulations for the races residing within the comfortable zone of the Mazesli Continent, not for S-rank adventurers like them.”

Gapp looked at Daisy, speaking earnestly, “You will naturally understand these things once you assume the throne. Oh, and even if external threats are not immediately concerning, do not become complacent. Develop your military strength well, and protect Danga…”

Daisy watched Gapp, feeling as though he were delivering his last will. As if to confirm her intuition, a stream of black blood trickled from Gapp’s lips.

“Gapp, you—!”

Gapp wiped the fluid from his mouth, remaining remarkably calm at the sight of the dark blood.

“It seems my time is almost up. There’s no need for such a shocked expression. For a sinner like me, one who has disgraced his nation, this is the best possible end.”

“You took poison!”

“Although that territory has been ceded to Jipp, the crime of collaborating with demon spirits must never be laid upon Danga. Let me, this sinner, take it with me to the grave.”

No matter how much he wiped, blood continued to flow from the corner of his mouth. Gapp eventually gave up, choosing to dedicate his remaining time to more meaningful matters.

He began to earnestly instruct Daisy on how Danga should develop, and how to maintain good relations with neighboring countries.

Gapp weakly asked Daisy, “Have you remembered everything clearly?”

Daisy, her voice thick with emotion, nodded solemnly in response. “I’ve remembered everything clearly.”

“That’s good. That’s very good.”

Gapp struggled even with the simple act of standing. His body began to sway, and he finally collapsed to the ground. Using every ounce of his strength, he looked up at Daisy and said, “I’m sorry, Daisy. Your uncle didn’t want to do these things, but your uncle absolutely, unequivocally had to protect this country. He had to protect it with everything he had. You don’t have to forgive me, but you must protect this country, and protect our people.”

By now, Daisy could no longer harbor any anger towards Gapp. For this man who had sacrificed everything for his nation, she set aside personal feelings and regarded him with profound respect. She nodded earnestly, promising, “I will.”

“Excellent.”

Gapp turned his head, looking towards Edward and the others rushing towards him. He declared, “Thank you all for accompanying me this far, for always believing in me. Allow me, as your sovereign, to issue my final command: swear your allegiance to Danga’s new queen, Daisy!”

Edward and the others involuntarily burst into tears, kneeling on the ground and pledging their loyalty to Gapp.

With a satisfied smile, Gapp, the ‘sinner king’ of Danga, departed from the world forever.