Volume 2 Chapter 11 The King Cannot Receive Food from the Villagers
The story takes us back to a time before Zeke's journey to the land of the Oni.
It was a tale of events within the kingdom.
The king, having lost everything, wandered aimlessly through the ruins of his fallen kingdom.
"It's not my fault... I'm not to blame..."
Mumbling to himself, the king arrived at a small village.
This village managed to sustain itself even after the kingdom's collapse, raising livestock and farming to survive.
"Oho! People, behold! The King has come to you!"
Upon entering the village, the king shouted.
The villagers nearby gave him suspicious glances.
"What are you doing, you scoundrels! The King has come all this way! Show some respect!"
...He couldn't accept the fact that he was to blame for the kingdom's downfall.
And so, he shifted the blame onto Zeke, convincing himself that he was the victim.
...This was how he maintained his self-esteem and pride.
But sadly, the king's current state of ruin was well-known...
"Feed me, or I'll sentence you to death! Feed me, or I'll execute you!"
"You're joking!"
The young villagers approached, their eyes burning with anger.
"We barely have enough food for ourselves!"
"It's because of you that we lost our livestock and can barely work!"
For ordinary people without magic or skills, livestock was essential.
Animals provided transportation, carried farming tools, and most importantly, food.
Without these animals, the villagers were doomed to poverty.
"Hmph! You're just a bunch of incompetent fools! You're inferior, without magic or skills!"
"How dare you!"
Smack!
The king was struck by a villager.
"Hey, what are you doing to the king?"
"What makes you a king? You're responsible for this miserable situation!"
Surrounded by the angry young villagers, the king backed away.
"Y-you! Don't think you'll lift your hand to the king and do it for free! It's the ultimate punishment!"
But the villagers sighed in exasperation.
"There's no country left. Who are you gonna catch and take away, and what will you do to us?"
There were no knights left to arrest anyone, and the very concept of a nation with its laws had vanished.
"Yeah, it's all because of that useless king. He's nothing but trouble."
"Useless king... You say I'm... useless...?"
The villagers scoffed as if mocking him.
"That's right. That's what everyone calls you. A useless, good-for-nothing, who brought about the kingdom's downfall."
"N-No... No, that's not true! It wasn't me who destroyed the kingdom! I'm not to blame, I'm not!"
"Shut up!"
The villagers seemed to be venting their frustrations as they beat the king mercilessly.
"W-Wait! I'm the king!"
"There is no king!" "Don't expect us to share our food with you! You fool!" "What hospitality? Don't joke around!"
The king had completely lost the trust of his own people, the villagers.
In fact, they seemed to view him as the main culprit responsible for this dire situation.
The king, now looking like a ragged piece of cloth, was thrown out by the villagers.
"Don't ever come back to our village."
"W-Wait... Please, some food... I'm starving... I'm going to die..."
The fallen king reached out to the villagers, but no one took his hand.
"Maybe for someone else, but there's no one left in this country who would give food to a war criminal like you."
"B-But..."
"Goodbye. Go die somewhere else."
The villagers left, leaving the king alone.
He shed miserable tears.
"Damn it... Damn it... Why... Why is this happening to me... Damn, damn, damn..."
The king, both physically and mentally broken, curled up and wept.
"Don't you want to get revenge for this?"
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