Chapter 29: A Peaceful Ending on the Eve of the Coronation (3,000 words added). ...

In the dead of night, as one enters through the city gate, the low houses resemble haunted dwellings, utterly silent and desolate. It was in this atmosphere that a troop of soldiers, around a hundred strong, arrived at the end of the street and occupied the entire street.

"Your Majesty, you've finally returned!" Before the players could even think about how to react, several slightly overweight men pounced on them.

"Oh, Your Majesty, praise be to your glory, you are the favorite of God."

"Your Majesty, we know that you are blessed by the heavens, and that glory and good fortune go hand in hand with you."

...

“Stop.” East pinched his brow bone. It was good that there was no fighting, very good, but everything that had happened tonight was too strange, as if an invisible hand was controlling the changes in the situation.

"Yes, Your Majesty, we obey your command," they replied in unison.

East didn't believe that a group of people who hadn't taken any action on the day the country fell would be so active today. There must be something fishy going on, unless he'd lost his mind.

"Go back and rest first. We can discuss it tomorrow." Easter was too lazy to chat with the old fox in the dead of night.

"Yes, Your Majesty, we obey your command." The response remained perfectly synchronized.

East would rather be facing a battle than this bizarre scene, which sends chills down his spine and makes him feel like a huge pit has been dug in front of him, waiting for him to jump in.

"Your Majesty, your summoned creatures are all as valiant as you..."

"Stop, stop, Mr. Wilson. It's only been a month, and you've changed so much that I can't help but wonder if some dark sorcerer has cast a soul-swapping spell on you," Easter said jokingly. Just walk properly and stop talking nonsense; it's making me feel rather disgusted.

“Your Majesty, such words cannot be spoken carelessly; the gods will hear them,” Edwin Wilson said solemnly.

Easter, that's it, that's it, that's more like it, that nauseatingly sticky friendliness, no one could stand it.

“Mr. Wilson, the gods are not so bored as to listen to such jokes,” Easter said. “Keep quiet and don’t disturb the rest of the people.”

Easter led the players along the main street, and the players followed obediently, knowing full well that they had to make their king proud.

At the end of the street stood the outer wall of the palace, a dark blue wall with tiny, hazy blue specks of light emanating from it, like starlight falling on the wall.

The players' eyes sparkled, but they remained silent. They wanted to marvel and observe closely, knowing there would be plenty of opportunities and time later; they couldn't afford to do anything embarrassing now.

The viewers in the live stream don't have as many concerns.

Wow~ This is so beautiful! It's on a completely different level from the city itself.

[This is the kind of palace my precious child should live in. If it were the same style as a city, I'd feel sorry for him.]

[Is this design a bad idea? It's too disjointed; we should avoid drawing criticism in these areas.]

Indeed, the city is dilapidated, while the palace looks too new, even just looking at the city walls. It's such a stark contrast!

I was thinking of getting into this, but looking at this design... it's indescribable. How could they make mistakes in these areas? It shouldn't be like this.

...

[What's the big deal? The royal palace represents the king's prestige. Don't forget how many emperors in our country's ancient times undertook massive construction projects to build palaces; isn't that perfectly normal?]

"Yes, yes, and this isn't even that extravagant. It's just slightly more luxurious compared to a city. It's not illogical, is it? I think it makes perfect sense; after all, it's the king's residence."

【Ugh, what's all this arguing about? I'm totally baffled. Is the king not handsome enough? Or is the melon not tasty anymore? Arguing about this is pointless.】

Quiet down, we're going inside.

...

"Let's stay here and discuss it tomorrow," East said. He didn't want to bring his group in and cause trouble. He was worried that if there was any danger or trouble later, these people would stab him in the back.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will obey your word." He was sensible enough not to press the matter further.

After the group of people left in a grand procession, Ister led the players into the palace. The guards at the gate opened the palace gates, holding spears, and stood quietly to one side.

The palace is simple and clean inside, without any ostentatious or extravagant areas. The lawns and flowers are natural and harmonious. The overall area is not very large, and it took less than an hour to walk around it. The most exquisite part is probably the castle where the king resides. It is light and elegant with a white base and gold trim.

"Little King, can we go inside for a visit?" Yunmu was referring to the castle. They had seen all the other places, and this was the only one they were missing. It would be such a pity if they didn't go.

“This style is like Lolock’s; it suits the king very well,” said the painter.

"Can't we visit during the day? It's too much of a hassle at night. The King has already taken us on a huge tour and hasn't rested yet," said the expert, not the shrimp.

“If you’re tired and want to log off, just say so. No one will look down on you,” Yunmu said.

"Who said I'm tired?" It's like a stubborn mule saying something like "I'm a hero, not a shrew." I think, "They were fine before, and I respected them a lot. But once we got to know each other, tsk... I don't want to say more."

"After looking around, there shouldn't be any problems. Just leave a few people to accompany the king. Those who want to log off can do so," said Matsushita Yuki.

Everyone generally agreed with Song Shangxue's assessment: there was no road to be seen at night, and nothing interesting to see or do, so it was better to log off and rest, waiting for tomorrow.

"Everyone, go and rest. Thank you all for your hard work. Those who want to visit can do so tomorrow." East didn't mind. It was just a residence; if someone wanted to visit, they could. It wasn't even part of his private property yet, so it didn't matter.

Ten little firemen were left behind, just in case, and they all entered the castle together, where maids and servants came to greet them.

East carefully examined the past, comparing it with his memories. He was slightly surprised. Had war really happened? Had the war forced him, the king, into exile? Why were the people in the castle exactly the same?

"Good night, Your Majesty." He curtsied.

"Amina, please prepare some tea and snacks." East said.

"Yes, I'll prepare it for you right away." One of the maids responded, and judging from her attire compared to the others, it was clear that she was of a high status.

East, "Prepare more for the recreation room on the second floor."

“Yes,” Amina replied again.

“Everyone else, go down. I’ll call if I need anything,” East said. He was too lazy to ask, so he just left it at that for now. However, he had a suspicion in his mind that this war might only be about him and had nothing to do with anyone else. If the most noble and important person was someone else, he wouldn’t have made this guess, but if that person was Randall Green, he felt that his guess was very likely to be correct.

After ascending the spiral escalator to the second floor, Easter led the players directly into the entertainment room. The room was comfortably furnished, and the entertainment options were roughly divided into three categories: chessboards, various musical instruments, and a variety of materials for crafting.

"Everyone can do as they please," Easter said. Actually, there wasn't much interesting or fun to be had. Compared to entertainment activities from the Eastern cultural background, Western entertainment was nothing, there was no comparison.

Players sat down in twos and threes on the fluffy carpet, some even lying down lazily. "So comfortable~" one player sighed.

Easter smiled, thinking that the players and the playroom's style matched well. How could toys and a playroom not go well together? The more she thought about it, the more obvious her smile became.

"Your Majesty, aren't you tired? Come and sit down." The man, a chivalrous but not shrimp-like figure, spoke with the air of a true host.

East walked around the players lying on the ground and sat down on the sofa. It was soft and comfortable, making one want to relax and curl up in it.

"Your Majesty, now that you have returned, when will the coronation ceremony be held?" Matsushita Yuki asked.

This question drew pairs of beady eyes to Easter, filled with curiosity and excitement. They hadn't forgotten what happened to King Easter on his coronation day. If something like that happened again... No, no, with them around, how could they possibly let that happen again?

East rested his chin on his hand, his leg involuntarily raised, a posture that helped him relax. "We'll have to discuss this with the court officials tomorrow, and then the diviner will divine the time to find out when the coronation will take place."

"Shouldn't it be better to do it as soon as possible?" Ruo Kao Digua asked with a hint of doubt.

East nodded, "No more than ten days." Everyone was anxious, everyone was worried about another change. A king without real power was like a mascot. He was unimportant, but he was also extremely important. A king was indispensable.

Tea and snacks were served, and Easter raised his hand to invite the players to taste them. The warm and lazy atmosphere made Easter forget how he felt when he first tasted the food of this world, so much so that he was completely bewildered when he saw the little firemen with wrinkled faces.

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey, this tastes awful, what is this?" Yun Mu couldn't hold it in any longer. The fishy smell was so strong, it was like spoiled cheese. After vomiting, she couldn't help but dry heave.

The other players all pretended to endure it, and after swallowing their food with difficulty, they looked at Ister with pity. The king was really pitiful, eating this kind of food that even dogs wouldn't eat every day for twenty years.

East awkwardly touched his nose, he really hadn't remembered. "If it doesn't taste good, don't eat it. Let's see if there's anything we want to do, let's go have some fun."

"Your Majesty, aren't you going to rest?" someone asked with concern, like a roasted sweet potato.

"Let's stay here, it's quite comfortable." East was too lazy to move around, lying on the soft sofa was much better than sleeping on the hard ground outdoors.

"Yes, that's good too. If anything unexpected happens, we can help out," said Matsushita Yuki.

East lay down on the sofa, took out a small blanket to cover himself, closed his eyes, and prepared to fall asleep.

"Quiet down, little king is sleeping," Yunmu said softly.

Actually, without Yunmu reminding them, the players naturally softened their movements. Later, the little fireman snuggled up next to the other little fireman and fell asleep on the sofa.

[So peaceful, it warms my heart. Is this what a two-way interaction between players and NPCs looks like?]

I'm sleepy too, goodnight everyone!

Goodnight, Your Majesty. Goodnight, everyone.

Sweet dreams, little one; sweet dreams, everyone.

...

...

"Ugh~" East felt his arm was numb and tingling. He tried to turn over, but the feeling of weightlessness brought him back to his senses.

"it hurts!"

"What's wrong? What's wrong? Has someone broken in?"

What's pressing down on me?

...

A new day dawned amidst this chaotic and disorderly scene.

Ester was embarrassed and at a loss for what to do. He had accidentally fallen on the players while sleeping. Who could accept that calmly?!

"It's okay, it's okay." She was clearly trying hard to suppress a smile.

East left the recreation room dejectedly. The moment he closed the door, he heard a burst of laughter. It turned out that what could truly dispel his depression and low spirits was embarrassment.

East stood outside the door for a moment, and just as he took a step, the door behind him opened. "Ahem, I forgot this isn't a completely safe place, little king, I'm here with you." Yun Mu leaned out halfway.

East felt a warm glow in his heart, it was so comforting. Let him laugh, being happy is always better than being sad.

More little firemen popped up. "I discovered that sleeping in the game is actually quite a good sleep," said the hero, covering his mouth as he yawned.

“I didn’t even realize it until you said it. Unlike sleeping in other games, this game is definitely more comfortable,” Yunmu replied.

East received several thoughtful glances, and his heart skipped a beat. Players who could log in for extended periods without many restrictions were using game pods. Sleeping in a game was equivalent to resting one's consciousness, but generally, it wasn't recommended for players to sleep in games because it could damage their nerves. However, the nature of a normal game was different from theirs, which was merely a game on a different surface. Don't forget, the real connection was the system, not the game pod. So, when players slept in this world, it was a true rest for their consciousness, almost indistinguishable from deep sleep, and generally without any major problems, perhaps even slightly better than real sleep. However, players had time limits for logging in; they couldn't be online for more than twelve hours a day (according to Earth's time). They were too busy playing games to sleep! Last night was the first time, and even then, the difference was noticed. Should he praise the players for their high level of awareness?

"After I've washed up, shall we go to the council hall together?" East rubbed the back of his neck, tilting his head to look at the young man walking beside him, pretending not to hear what the players were talking about. Indeed, as an NPC, isn't it normal for him to mute some topics?

"Is it okay?" Matsukami Yuki asked.

“Of course, no problem,” Easter replied with a smile.

“The king’s son is the king, how could he not even have this much power?” Yunmu said.

"Then have you forgotten..." The unfinished words of the great hero, not the shrimp, refer to the matter of East being stranded abroad.

Yun Mu glared at "He's a Hero, Not a Shrimp," and said, "Now that the King has us, of course he can do whatever he wants!"

"Putting everything else aside, even if we had many times the strength, we still couldn't beat that guy from last night. Let's not be too optimistic or confident." We should be more realistic and talk about roasting sweet potatoes.

“We will become stronger,” Yunmu said firmly.

Easter had a smile on his face the whole time; it's great to have energy.

After washing up and eating the rations offered by the players, East walked towards the council hall. To be honest, the elaborate cooking here was nowhere near as good as what the players offered. Perhaps it was because he wasn't of high enough status and hadn't encountered a good cook.

The little firemen who followed Ister have been replaced; some have gone offline, while others have wandered around the palace.

Meimei Bumei, Guaguagua, Erha, Panda Cat, and Mingzhu, five little fire people, followed closely behind Ister. A country had not fallen, but the king was forced into exile. It seemed strange, and they could not help but be wary.

There were quite a few guards and servants, but East just led his little players forward on his own. Whether it was winning people's hearts or cleaning up the mess, he would wait until he had the energy to do so.

The council chamber is not far from the castle. Walking up the corridor, there is a small garden on one side, with lush greenery and bright flowers in full bloom. According to the seasons, it is now late summer and early autumn, the last vestiges of summer before decay and decay.

East stepped into the council chamber, where all twelve chairs were occupied. As he entered, everyone stood up and said, "Your Majesty, good morning, praise be to your glory."

East walked to the main seat and sat down. "Good morning, please sit down." Sitting here were the twelve most important court officials, none missing, none injured or disabled. He clicked his tongue inwardly. From his memory, it didn't seem like much, but now that he was back, the intentions against him were all too obvious.

East turned to the servants standing quietly to the side and instructed, "Arrange five more chairs," before turning to the twelve court officials, "Please excuse me."

“That’s natural,” said the man in the first chair on the left, Edwin Wilson from last night.

After the players, including Easter, were all seated, he gestured for them to say whatever they wanted. The meeting had been rather dull; whatever they wanted to do or argue about, it didn't matter whether he was there or not.

The five little firemen were dozing off behind Ister. Having exhausted all other options, they started chatting in the team chat.

Quack quack: [How boring! What's the point of arguing about all that trivial stuff?]

Husky: [Who knows? I thought this meeting would be about the procedures for our king's coronation ceremony?]

Panda Cat: [It seems our king doesn't have real power!?]

Husky: [Isn't it obvious? What powerful king would so easily go into exile?]

Mingzhu: [But it's strange! If the king isn't important, why is a king even needed?]

Mingzhu's words are a bit convoluted, but that doesn't prevent players from understanding them.

Meimei is not unlucky: [The symbolic meaning outweighs the practical meaning; it's mainly for balance. Unless any family can consistently surpass the others, the king has a reason for existing.]

Husky: [Saying too much is pointless. I just want to know how much longer this meeting will last? We should be grateful that the King thought of us and arranged chairs for us, otherwise this time would be even more unbearable.]

Panda Cat: [Let's stop talking now, it seems we need to discuss the coronation.]

...

East finished pausing, "Whatever, you can arrange it."

Anyway, the meeting lasted all morning, and all East remembered was the time of the coronation ceremony, which took place seven days later, as expected.

Stepping out of the council chamber, "Whew!"

East initially thought it was his own uncontrollable noise, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was the five little firemen beside him.

"King, this is so boring!" quack quack complained.

East casually plucked a handful of the quacking little chicks. "Boring, I won't come again next time."

The little quack hid to the side and glanced at East with its little eyes, "King, don't touch me like that."

Easter couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright, go ahead and play if you want."

“No, we need to protect you,” the husky said.

"Shall we take a walk together?" Easter asked.

“Sure, sure, you, as the owner, definitely know this place better than we do,” the husky readily agreed.

The scenery is different during the day and at night; both the architectural style and the planted flowers, trees and shrubs are clearly visible.

"The decor is quite fresh and elegant," Guagua said, but the way he said it didn't sound like a compliment.

Besides East and the five little firemen, there are many more little firemen here, because the scenery here is the most exquisite and beautiful compared to other places.

Behind the castle, a greenhouse was built, with clusters of various unnamed flowers in full bloom. Chairs, sofas, and tables were placed inside, all in natural wood tones, without looking out of place at all.

The greenhouse extends to a terrace surrounded by white stone railings, complete with tables and chairs, and decorated with several potted plants. In the distance, there is a large, emerald-green lake surrounded by soft grass.

It is no exaggeration to say that this is the most exquisite part of the entire palace.

East sat down in one of the chairs, ignoring the group of little firemen leaning against the railing watching the lake. He poured himself a glass of water, looked at it, and saw that it was just plain water. He took a sip, and it was indeed plain water.

“Little King.” A little fire-man sat down next to East, a sparkly figure that hadn’t been seen in a long time.

East tilted his head. "What's wrong?"

"Young King, would you like me to design your attire for your coronation?"

“We only have seven days left, I’m afraid it’s too late, let’s postpone it,” Easter said.

“That’s true. From drawing to cutting, it really takes at least ten days to half a month to get it done.” Liang Jingjing didn’t insist on it. Just as the little king said, there’s still plenty of time. There’s no need to rush.

Easter wore a peaceful and serene smile, relaxed and at ease.

The sun shines brightly, a gentle breeze blows, rippling the water and carrying a fresh scent – ​​it's a time of leisurely beauty.

-----------------------

Author's note: I originally wanted to write this as the next chapter, but I found the transition was not natural, so I had to put it back in this chapter [laughing and crying][laughing and crying].