Chapter 30 The Coronation Ceremony He was the King.
The next seven days were as peaceful and tranquil as this one. When the comfortable Easter was dragged out of bed early in the morning and carefully dressed, he rarely showed a smile on his face.
East pinched his brow bone, stopping the maid from helping him change. Looking at the row of clothes and accessories, he wondered if he could really wear all of them.
The first item was a bright gold shirt, so shiny that East's eyebrows twitched. Well, he was just being emotional. Objectively speaking, it should be considered good-looking, like the warm sunshine of the ocean, soft and comforting.
Easter dutifully put on the prepared clothes, but when it came to hanging various chains and accessories, she was completely baffled and helplessly called the maid outside the door for help.
After the jewelry was put on, there was also an incredibly luxurious cloak, white with gold threads and dazzling gemstones, heavily intricately crafted, much like the silk ribbon.
East felt like he was carrying a mountain in this outfit, making it hard to walk steadily. Luckily, he was given a cane. He inexplicably wanted to laugh. Well, today was his coronation ceremony, after all. What was the point of keeping a long face?
The door opened, and an uncontrollable gasp of surprise rang out.
Such an important occasion naturally calls for a live broadcast.
Players in front of Ist had to keep a low profile and not show too much of their true feelings, but the viewers in the live stream had no such inhibitions and could speak their minds completely.
Wow! So beautiful! You only realize how little you know when you need it most; all I can say is, it's fucking beautiful.
[Hissing sound~ Where did this beautiful lady come from? Oh, she's from my house.]
[Let me in quickly so I can get close to this beautiful woman, don't force me to kneel down and beg you (kneeling.jpg).]
[Her looks aren't exceptionally outstanding or the kind that immediately wows you, but the more you look at her, the more captivating she becomes. Especially with her elaborate outfit today, I'm instantly hooked.]
[Refined and elegant, refined and gentle, he is a gentleman who only exists in works of art and literature.]
[I am guilty. I actually had the urge to strip the king of his clothes. Dressed so tightly, isn't that just inviting attention?]
I thought the king's temperament and appearance were only suited to simple and elegant clothing, but I was wrong. Simple and elegant clothing has its own charm, and luxurious and precious clothing also has its merits. I really want to make clothes for the king; they're so versatile.
How did the king manage to be both sacred and unapproachable, yet so approachable? Like the warm sunshine that falls equally on everyone, yet a ray of it remains something unattainable.
...
Easter's eyes were filled with laughter. "It's my pleasure."
"King, you're breaking the rules! Do you know you're breaking the rules?" the croaking voice cried mournfully.
"I've come up with a very inappropriate term, 'heartbreaker'," Matsushita Yuki said, nodding to herself in agreement.
She spoke lightly, but the sudden silence that followed showed the impact she had.
"What's wrong? Is there something wrong with what I said?" Matsukami Yuki was completely confused.
"Cough, that's really not like something you'd say," said Roasted Sweet Potato.
"Mmm-hmm." They all nodded in agreement.
“You guys…” Matsugami Yuki was speechless.
"Alright, let's hurry up and not be late." Meimei steered the conversation back on track, which had drifted off into a completely different topic.
"My little king, actually, with our strange shapes, it might be better if we don't go." Yunmu was too nervous; otherwise, how could the usually confident Yunmu say something like that?
A faint smile appeared on Esther's face. "My glory is partly yours. Without you, how could I be who I am today?"
"When the time comes, don't be coy," said Guagua.
On the day of a king's coronation, it is customary to have a procession, an indispensable part of the entire coronation ceremony. Usually, the procession is accompanied by officers, soldiers, and a formal honor guard. However, today was different for East. His honor guard was replaced by players. All 110 players who were online refused the invitation, resulting in a unique procession. The most eye-catching and attention-grabbing figures were no longer His Majesty the King sitting in the carriage, but the various little fire figures following him.
Sitting in the carriage, East's eyes swept over the crowds lining the street. He let out a soft sigh, closed his eyes, and realized he should have known this sooner or later, based on his memories of the original owner and common sense. He should have known this sooner or later: in a class-divided society, the lower classes only have two options: unsatisfactory or extremely unsatisfactory.
The people who could reach the sides of the street were all relatively respectable, but only a limited number of them were respectable. The crowd that could be barely seen were the walking corpses hidden in the street, many of them, like long-dead bodies, exuding a decaying death aura.
The noisy live stream room quieted down, and the few comments left were quite noticeable.
[What a stark contrast! On one side, there's opulence; on the other, utter ruin. Yet, it all feels so natural—that's the reality.]
The line "Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste, while on the road, frozen corpses lie"① is both inappropriate and perfectly fitting.
[It shouldn't be like this, yet it truly should be this way. What a maddening world. Suddenly, I don't yearn for it as much anymore.]
[Perhaps the early developments were too smooth and gentle, showing only beauty and not a trace of filth, making me forget that this era is shrouded in shadows.]
I want to change the world, but I know it's beyond human capability.
...
Is it beyond human capability? Easter's thoughts were slow and deliberate as he said hesitantly, "How will you know if you don't try?" But the rebuttal came quickly and urgently: "How dare you! You can't even take care of yourself, yet you want to change the world? Can't you have some self-awareness?"
Easter nodded, "It's good for a person to know their own limitations."
We arrived. Starting from the palace, we walked through the city streets and through the crowds, until we reached the church of the sky god.
Even in a world where no real gods exist, there has been a long period of history where the right of kings was divinely ordained. How could one possibly escape this in a world where gods do exist?
With the help of a servant, East stepped down from the carriage, looked up at the church, which was far more magnificent than the palace, and sighed, "This king has truly failed."
Entering through the main entrance of the church, one finds it filled with people, all dressed impeccably, some even exuding an air of wealth and luxury. East suddenly recalled two poems.
One is the poem "The Bee" by Luo Yin, a Tang Dynasty poet who wrote the line, "Drink today, for tomorrow we may die."
"Whether on flat land or mountain peak, all the beautiful scenery has been occupied."
After gathering nectar from a hundred flowers to make honey, for whom is the toil, for whom the sweetness? ③
The second poem is "The Potter" by Mei Yaochen, a poet from the Song Dynasty.
"The clay in front of the door is all used up, and there is not a single tile left on the roof."
"Never having their fingers touch the mud, yet living in a grand mansion." (④)
If one really thought about it carefully, could Easter come up with countless poems that would fit this scene? But none of that mattered. How much better was he compared to these nobles? They were all birds of a feather. A cold, sharp look appeared on his face, but it vanished in an instant. He walked on the carpet to the statue and sat on the throne. This coronation ceremony had many procedures omitted. After all, there had been one just a month ago, when only the last step was missing. This time, naturally, only that last step was needed: the bishop of the church placed the crown on the king's head.
The crown, displayed on a red tray, appeared even more luxurious and dazzling, yet it seemed overly delicate and unique compared to other crowns. It was flanked by two phoenixes made of red diamonds, with several golden wheat ears in the center, the wheat stalks adorned with tiny diamonds, and a blue gemstone at the top. Overall, it resembled a lady's crown rather than a gentleman's.
Everyone eagerly awaited the coronation, but at that moment, East abruptly rose from his throne. Just before taking any action, he glanced at the little fire people who were only two meters away from him, and then deftly picked up the crown from the tray and put it on his head. The whole movement was smooth and natural, and there was no indication that he had done something so treasonous.
Before he could utter a sound of surprise, doubt, or reprimand, the earth began to shake violently. In East's ears, he heard a faint yet incredibly distinct cracking sound, the sound of something cracking that was indescribable, or perhaps the sound of anything cracking.
The tremors came and went quickly. In that short time, Ist was surrounded by little fire figures, each holding a different weapon—clearly recently upgraded. These weapons, provided by the incompetent king Ist, weren't particularly good; they were all quite ordinary. After all, given Ist's status, how many high-quality weapons could he possibly provide to the players? But for the players, what more could they ask for than free weapons? They were already quite content with just having them.
Easter slowly sat down on the throne. As the tremors subsided, everyone, remembering what had happened before the tremors, turned their gazes toward Easter.
East smiled politely, perhaps it was a sudden act of rebellion. He had indeed acted impulsively, how could he not know? It was his fault for not being able to control himself, but what was done was done, and there was no way to change anything, so why not just go all the way?
On Blue Star, many eager players lay down in the game pods. What a surprise! What a surprise! Players couldn't help but exclaim that the planners of "Rise of Kings" were too clever. They added closed beta slots without warning, and at such an urgent and crucial plot point.
[I'm so disappointed, I wasn't chosen from a thousand!]
[Who isn't? But the king's move just now was so cool, so unconventional, completely unrestrained by worldly conventions. I think I can guess how this game will end up—cliché, but logical.]
[Aaaaaah! When will the public beta finally be released?! I'm so impatient and itching to get started!]
[You guys still have the mind to chat? Is the plot not engaging enough?]
...
The bishop's face was beyond description; it was downright unbearable. To perform such a disrespectful act on his own turf, in front of his own revered deity, was no different from slapping someone in the face in public. It was even more humiliating than slapping someone in public.
The bishop had just opened his mouth when another unexpected event occurred.
A tremendous light shone, and just when everyone thought it was a miracle, a surging sea of color engulfed the entire church. It was made up of young men of different shapes and sizes, piled up into a colorful mountain.
The smile in Esther's eyes deepened. A game is more fun with more difficulty. In any case, he would be the first to die, and since he could bear the consequences, he might as well do it.
“King, your actions make us suspect that you planned this all along.” It was a little fireman standing next to Ister. Hearing this, more little firemen nodded in agreement.
Easter: "Just take it as me doing this on purpose. Doesn't this please you?"
This is perfect! Players, as always, love a good show and won't mind adding fuel to the fire.
"Isn't that settled then?" East said lightly. After finishing his conversation with the players, his gaze naturally shifted to the opposite side. The angle from which he looked up gave him a sense of being superior.
"King Felix, what is your purpose?" The bishop's face darkened; his once kind and gentle face was now as sinister as a demon.
"I'm sorry, perhaps it was divine guidance that made my body act out of control and do something rude just now." East tilted his head to cooperate, but stopped a moment before he remembered the crown he was wearing. Without the cooperation of the action, his innocent expression, which was ten times more innocent than he was, also lacked a bit of persuasiveness.
"King Felix, do you think you can just crush those little things with one hand?"
Ister adjusted her crown. "Instead of worrying about how I'll die, you should be more concerned about the outside world." Her smile never faded. "Besides, even the gods haven't punished me, have they?"
East stood up, dusted off the corner of his robe, gripped his cane, and strode forward. "Please make way. You may not care about the lives of the people, but I, the king who was just crowned a day ago, cannot turn a blind eye."
As soon as Easter moved, the players followed suit, and under everyone's watchful eyes, Easter led his mighty army of little firemen out of the church.
At this moment, Easter felt both at ease and burdened, but he couldn't show it.
…………
"It is said that a new mysterious creature has appeared in the East, a fire-humanoid creature with intelligence. It is rumored to be immortal and also seems to be a summoned creature of some human. If you have time, have someone take a closer look."
The presence of so many "uncertain" words aroused the curiosity of the man in the lower position. Suddenly, the image of a person appeared in his mind, and he had a sudden thought that perhaps fate would allow them to meet again—the lovely Mr. Rabbit.
-----------------------
The author's note: ① This is from Du Fu's "A Five-Hundred-Word Poem Written on the Way from the Capital to Fengxian County".
②③ are from Luo Yin's poem "The Bee".
④ Mei Yaochen, "The Potter"
In the next chapter, the main characters will meet. Who knows why I, who used to write about romance, suddenly feel that writing without a couple is pretty good too? [Newbie] Just kidding, I hope you guys didn't take it seriously.
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