Chapter 173 - Slave Liberation 6 (1/2)
“...!”
Woohyuk heard short gasps next to him.
On his left and right, Cynthia and Catsy stared at the Slave King in astonishment.
They had not expected Arminius to firmly oppose their master.
Woohyuk also stared at Arminius with a small frown.
“For what reason?”
“Although I am called the Slave King, I have no intention of reigning over them. Because we are all common human beings.”
“Then, do you plan to abolish the status system and the monarchy of this country? What are your specific thoughts?”
“The monarch must exist if we do not want external problems to come find us. But the reigning monarch does not need to rule. No matter how good I am, it is impossible for me to make decisions while thinking of the well-being of the kingdom’s citizens.”
The ideal political system Arminius was referring to was a constitutional monarchy.
A structure in which the king existed in name only and most of the state affairs were undertaken by the People's Assembly, a group of representatives of the kingdom’s citizens.
However, it was too radical of a system to be realized now, and it didn't fit well with these chaotic times.
Woohyuk sighed on the inside and asked Arminius.
“The upper-rank demons can brainwash the citizens. If a demon king tries to take over the kingdom with a representative like Ivanov, would your system have a good alternative as a defense?”
“We have you, Hero King. I've heard rumors that you have the legendary magic book Lemegeton with you. If that's true...”
“I cannot stay for long in the Talis Kingdom. I have to fight against all the evils in this world. So you need to think this through. With a single wrong decision, all the people of the kingdom, including the slaves, could be slaughtered.”
A heavy silence dominated the air for a while.
Arminius thought of something with a dark expression, and then quickly bowed his head.
“… In truth, I have far too many burdens to carry. Everyone is looking at me with eyes of hope and salvation, but I have no skills and abilities other than fighting.”
“So, did you raise your own ideals like you would a flag?”
“This kingdom must change, one way or another. Nobody denies that fact, except for the royalty and nobility. I firmly believe that we must move forward even if there will be some sacrifices.”
Arminius stared into Woohyuk's eyes with a grim look.
Tension ruled over the conference hall.
“… If so, prove it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Show me that your convictions will not shake. Not even by a millimeter.”
Woohyuk got up from his seat and pulled out a normal C-grade longsword from his belt.
The slaves who were positioned around the conference room raised their weapons all at once in fear.
He was a being that they could never overcome.
“… Is this the only way?”
“Aiming for your ideals without having a realistic alternative isn’t going to get you anywhere. Anyone can come up with a utopian world in their mind and escape reality through it. You need power as well as wisdom to change the world, Arminius.”
The leadership that Woohyuk pursued did not force others to sacrifice themselves. But he would not be crucified as a martyr to atone for everyone’s sins.
He was not a priest, but a monarch.
The monarch ought to be able to protect those living in his land from internal and external enemies.
What he needed was strong power and wisdom to use it skillfully.
It was his belief, and it would not be shaken by any other ideals.
So Woohyuk was asking Arminius.
'Do you really deserve to lead them?'
“… Everyone, back down.”
“Arminius!”
“If you interfere with the duel, I will not forgive you even if you are my sworn brother.”
Arminius wanted to be acknowledged by Woohyuk. He wanted to prove that his convictions were right.
He believed that Woohyuk, the Hero King, was different from the other nobles who were only interested in lands and wealth.
Eventually, a temporary arena was created, and Arminius began his assault on Woohyuk.
“Haah!”
Three years spent fighting for his life in the gladiator arena.
Whether his opponent was the Hero King or not, he was confident that he would not be pushed back.
Their weapons didn’t seem to have a large gap in power either.
Clang!
The two longswords clashed, creating a sharp metallic sound.
Arminius' expression strangely distorted.
'… He’s strong.'
Arminius didn’t mean pure physical strength.
He was talking about the spirit behind Woohyuk’s longsword.
He was completely overwhelmed by Woohyuk, who had challenged the limits of human beings for decades.
'Just what... what has he gone through to become this powerful?’
After having lived a life of conflict and battles, Arminius had reached the point where he could grasp his opponent's habits and abilities to some extent just from a few sword exchanges.
However, currently he could not judge Woohyuk's ability at all.
Woohyuk's status was so high that he could not see its limits.
Clang!
Clang!
Arminius was gradually pushed back.
The slaves who were watching the two duel from farther away looked nervous.
The confrontation between the Slave King and the Hero King.
On the surface, the battle was still ongoing and the two were on equal footing, but behind the scenes, the victor of the duel had already been decided.
It was because Woohyuk deliberately didn’t give the final blow.
Eventually Arminius knelt on his own with a wretched look.
“… I lost.”
“Why are you giving up? The results have not been decided yet.”
“I know that you’re not killing me on purpose.”
If Woohyuk wanted to, he could stab Arminius’ vital spots whenever he wanted.
He could have cut his neck or slashed his waist to separate Arminius’ upper and lower bodies.
But he hadn’t.
Arminius realized that the reason behind Woohyuk’s mercy was the slaves he led.
Woohyuk sincerely wanted to make this kingdom rich and peaceful.
As his sincerity was clearly communicated, Arminius's anger faded away like dust in the wind.