Chapter 177: The Great Emperor of Death Makes His Entrance

As soon as they entered the room that led to the balcony, Mark saw that the druid and the elven archer were already waiting for them.

The druid held in his hand a transparent crystal that emitted a faint glow, while the archer remained by the balcony door, with her arms crossed.

However, what first caught Mark’s attention was neither of them, but the sound coming from outside.

In the previous room, the voices from outside had barely managed to filter through. Here, on the other hand, the murmur of the crowd filled every corner. Thousands of people spoke at the same time, forming a constant and heavy buzzing that made the atmosphere even more tense.

Emilia also seemed to notice it as her body tensed instantly and her hands clenched tightly at the sides of her dress.

"Your Majesty!" said the druid as he approached them. "I’ll come out first to announce your arrival to prepare the public."

She simply nodded slightly as color drained from her face.

"...Are you alright?" asked the druid with concern.

"Y-yes," responded Emilia with notable nervousness. "I-I’m fine."

The druid looked at her unconvinced, and then headed toward the balcony door.

Mark approached Emilia and placed a hand on her shoulder, making her startle a little at the contact.

"Breathe deeply," he said in a calm tone. "Inhale, hold it for three seconds, and release slowly."

The queen looked at him for a moment and, although she still seemed unsure, she ended up listening to him. She inhaled deeply, held the air for a few seconds, and then released it slowly.

"Again," said Mark.

She repeated the exercise, breathing more calmly this time.

"Once more."

Emilia inhaled again, held it for a moment, and slowly released the air, feeling the tension in her body begin to decrease. The rigidity in her shoulders dropped a bit, her fists loosened, and color gradually returned to her face.

"Thank you..." said Emilia, looking at him with a soft smile. "Thank you for accompanying me and being by my side."

She raised her hand to place it over Mark’s on her shoulder, then slowly lowered it and slid her fingers between his until they were intertwined.

"No problem," responded Mark, somewhat surprised by the gesture. "If it’s to give you confidence, I’m not going to refuse."

She squeezed his hand gently.

Meanwhile, the archer elf who remained standing by the balcony door was the only one who noticed the queen’s gesture. Her gaze dropped for an instant toward their intertwined hands, but she remained silent and, as if she hadn’t seen anything, looked back toward the balcony.

The armored elf, for his part, noticed absolutely nothing, as he was as tense as Emilia, or even more so.

Then the druid’s voice resonated from the balcony, amplified by the crystal he held in his hand.

"I ask for your attention!" exclaimed the druid, causing the crowd to turn toward him. "Today is a historic day for our kingdom!"

Little by little, silence fell over the square until only the druid’s voice could be heard.

"After years of uncertainty and a government that did not represent the true interests of our people!" continued the druid enthusiastically, "our beloved queen has decided to take a step forward to take back the reins of her kingdom!"

The murmur returned briefly, this time with a tone of surprise.

"With you, Your Majesty, Queen Emilia!"

The queen, upon hearing her name, squeezed Mark’s hand with more force and began to walk toward where the druid was.

But just at the edge of the balcony, where the light from outside entered directly and where the crowd could start to see her, Mark released her hand. And his fingers separated from Emilia’s with a smooth motion.

"Good luck," said Mark.

Emilia quickly turned her head toward him and, although her gaze only lasted an instant, he was able to see it clearly.

There was sadness in her eyes.

And barely half a second later, Emilia composed her expression and looked forward again, just as the druid extended the amplifying crystal toward her.

Emilia took it with a hand that no longer trembled and stepped out onto the balcony.

Leaving Mark inside the room, leaning against the door frame, watching as she walked to the edge and looked toward the square.

The square was full.

From where Mark stood, he could see the heads of thousands of elves that filled every corner of the space in front of the palace. There were people in the adjacent streets, on the roofs of nearby houses, in the windows of buildings that faced the square.

All looking toward the balcony where their queen had just appeared.

She raised the crystal to her mouth and began to speak. Her voice extended throughout the square with a clarity that even surprised Mark.

She spoke just as Rose had instructed her, explaining what had happened with the council, the conspiracy they had prepared, and the plan for a war of extermination against the other races.

She also told how she and her most loyal subordinates had discovered everything in time and acted to stop it.

Each point was perfectly calculated and designed to provoke the correct reaction from the audience. Indignation against the council, relief that it had been stopped, and confidence that the queen now had command of the kingdom.

’She’s doing well...’ Mark thought, listening attentively to Emilia. ’Much better than I expected.’

Then the armored elf approached Mark and stood at his side, looking toward the balcony where Emilia continued speaking.

"I know it might be a bit late to say it," said the elf, his voice tense with nervousness. "but I can’t thank you and the others enough for everything you’ve done for us."

Mark looked at him out of the corner of his eye.

"I’m not good with words," continued the elf. "But what you did today... what you did for our queen... we won’t forget that."

"You don’t need to thank me," responded Mark, trying to downplay it. "After seeing the situation you were in, I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing."

"Still, I wanted you to know..."

Mark didn’t respond and the two remained silent listening to the speech.

"...And for those reasons," Emilia’s voice resonated through the square, "the high elven council has been immediately and permanently dissolved."

A murmur swept through the crowd. Some voices of approval, others of surprise, and still others of uncertainty.

"Get ready," Mark warned the elf at his side. "You’re about to enter the scene."

The elf quickly adjusted his armor and squared his shoulders.

"From today on," continued Emilia from the balcony, "power returns to the crown, and I promise you that I will govern this kingdom with the same dedication and love that my father gave it when he founded it."

Mark saw how the elf at his side took a step toward the balcony, ready to go out when Emilia would present him.

"But none of this would have been possible without the help of someone very special to me," she said as a wide smile drew itself on her face. "Someone who very soon will also be special to all of you."

’I don’t remember that part being in the speech...’ Mark thought, frowning slightly.

Emilia turned around from the balcony and walked directly toward them.

The elf took half a step forward, thinking she was going to get him, but the queen passed right by without even looking at him and stopped in front of Mark.

’Huh?’

Before he could protest, she grabbed his hand firmly and pulled him toward the balcony, making Mark step out into the external light.

Thousands of eyes fixed on Mark instantly, and from below, the elves observed him with obvious confusion upon seeing him standing on the royal balcony next to their queen.

Emilia, without releasing his hand, raised the amplifying crystal with the other and began to speak.

"I present to you my husband and also your new ruler," she said, her voice not wavering for even an instant. "The Great Emperor of Death."

The entire square fell into absolute silence, without murmurs or whispers, just thousands of elves looking upward with their eyes wide open and mouths slightly agape.

Then, a collective scream erupted throughout the elven capital, although the loudest voices did not come from the square, but from within the palace itself.

"!!!WHAT!!!???"