Book 4: Chapter 82 (1/2)
Louis II clutched his head with both his hands. His long, orange hair was tangled and frayed. Sitting across a table from him, there was his advisor. “Am I still the king of Hungary or not!?” the young king asked, practically shouting. “Tell me!”
“I’m not quite sure, Your Majesty,” the advisor said and stroked his chin. His eyes shifted up towards the ceiling, and he frowned. “When you surrendered to the devil and promised to join her empire, you lost your identity as a king. However, it seems like as long as you accomplish the tasks that the devil assigned you, you’ll still maintain your power. You’re not a king, but your status hasn’t changed. It’s like you’ve become a vassal responsible for governing all of Hungary.”
“Then I’m still king?” Louis asked, fires burning in his eyes.
“No, but, effectively, yes.”
“Why do you always use such an annoying manner of speech?” Louis asked and grabbed a mug that was on the table. He drank what was inside before throwing it at his advisor. “More importantly, if I remain in this position, am I going to hell when I die? That was a devil; she had horns! If I help her, surely I’ll be going against”—he gestured towards the ceiling—“his will.”
The advisor frowned. “This may be a test of your faith, Your Majesty, like how Eve was tempted by the snake. I’m afraid I wasn’t trained to advise people on such topics. You’ll have to make your own decision regarding this.”
Louis II licked his lips and relaxed, lowering his arms to his sides. “I understand,” he said and narrowed his eyes. He stood up and swept his right hand from the left side of his body to his right, flapping his sleeve. “Gather all the knights. Tell them to be fully prepared for battle.” He pointed at a maid standing in a corner of the room. “Gather a pot full of water and weeds. Tell someone to help you bring it to the fields along with some firewood.”
“What are you planning to do, Your Majesty?” the advisor asked.
“I’m the king!” Louis II shouted. He jabbed his finger towards the advisor. “You told me you couldn’t advise me on this issue, so just do as you’re told, understand? Don’t question me!”
***
Mary let out a sigh filled with contentment. All her pent-up frustrations were finally gone. However, the men below her couldn’t say the same. They were covered in bruises, and it was impossible to find a patch of undamaged skin on their bodies. The welts seemed to suggest they were smacked by something long and solid, like the flat part of a magical sword capable of translating words. Even the servants who drove the carriage and cooked the food hadn’t been spared. Of the traveling party, only the horses remained untouched; however, their ears were twitching, and they were leaning as far away from Mary as possible without actually lifting their hooves. Mary glanced down, staring at the groaning men with a blank expression. “Well, does anyone have anything to say?”
“We were wrong! Spare us, please!”
“We made a grave mistake, and our punishment was well-deserved.”
“I…, I can see a light. Is that heaven? Am I dying?”