A thousand thoughts raced through Wisteria's mind. Just a couple of weeks ago, she couldn't have imagined becoming the winner of the royal competition. Faced with the looming threat of death, she had yearned to spend her remaining time indulging in anime. Before one of her siblings' hired assassins succeeded in their mission to kill her.
But the rapid turn of events left her unsure of how to react. She hadn't bothered to study the intricacies of running a country or basic economics, cursing her past self for dismissing it as a waste of her precious time.
Finding herself in the capital city of the Sun Country, Wisteria sought solace by stepping out onto the balcony. Yet even there, she was not alone; Yara stood by her side. As the next leader of the country, she still faced the threat of assassination. The balcony represented the easiest point of entry for an assassin, despite its elevated position on the eleventh floor.
Gazing at the vibrant city below, Wisteria took a deep breath. Memories of a massacre that occurred just over a year ago came flooding back. This was a time when the Expert Exorcist Exam had nearly been canceled. Even she, who had previously shown no interest in external affairs, was consumed by worry. The incident created a power vacuum within the lower ranks, which still lingered in the collective consciousness.
Conversations about the incident and enemy forces' attempts to undermine the Sun Kingdom continued to circulate. Wisteria recognized the responsibility before her—to lead a populace that harbored no particular fondness for their ruler. Turning to Yara, she asked, "Any news?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary," Yara responded, without further explanation.
Recently, Wisteria's father passed away. He had been bedridden and sick for a long time, but his timely demise, paving the way for her ascension to the throne, led many to question the circumstances surrounding his death, even if they dared not voice their suspicions to her face. After all, his time of death was a bit too convenient for her.
Now on the fast track to becoming queen, Wisteria couldn't escape the whispers trailing behind her—rumors that accused her of eliminating her siblings and father for the sake of power.
Yara sensed Wisteria's unease and reassured her, seemingly perceiving her thoughts solely through her facial expressions. "Don't worry about what others think."
The door swung open, without anyone knocking, and Yara was immediately ready to fight as no one would dare enter the queen’s chambers so nonchalantly. She instinctively reached for her dagger, but her tension quickly dissipated when she saw who it was. She sighed and holstered her weapon.
"Kon, can you please knock next time? That way, I won't mistake you for an assailant," Yara said, her voice laced with annoyance. "And I won't hesitate to throw a dagger at your eyes. What if we were changing? Do you want to be remembered as the Perverted Exorcist? Perhaps that's why you entered without knocking. If you find the princess cute, I-"
"Yeah, yeah, you're both very cute," Kon interrupted, casually waving off her words. "I'm just so damn happy that the chunni weeb prin-... Oops, I almost forgot, you're a queen now. So you've evolved into a chunni weeb queen."
Yara's frown deepened. "Don't you dare! She is now the queen and technically outranks you a dozen times, at least. Don't call her silly names!"
Despite Yara's harsh words, Kon remained unfazed, flashing a wide grin as he dismissed her concerns. He seemed even happier than Wisteria herself at the thought of her ascension to the throne.
...
After a whirlwind of activity that Wisteria could barely recall, she donned a crimson red dress. Her red hair was meticulously styled into an elaborate updo that looked impressive but felt like it tore at her scalp. The ceremony had yet to begin, but exhaustion had already taken its toll on her.
Feeling a mix of anticipation and anxiety, Wisteria peeked outside her window. She saw a colossal crowd of over a hundred thousand people congregating in front of the castle, situated in the capital city. Her heart raced, and anxiety threatened to consume her, but she swallowed it down.
To be honest, Wisteria never aspired to become a queen. She assumed this role solely because of Kon, the man who saved her life and risked everything for her. Besides, she didn't really have much of a choice. Either win the royal competition and become queen, or end up six feet under. It wasn’t like any of her siblings were going to take the chances and let her live.
Stolen story; please report.
A man dressed in priest's robes stood on the balcony, where the coronation would soon take place. He fastened a talisman around his throat and delivered his words in a commanding voice that drowned out all other sounds, and raised his voice.
After a brief speech extolling the greatness of the royal family, the priest called out, "Sun Country is pleased to welcome its 28th ruler, Queen Wisteria!"
Her attention was abruptly pulled back to reality, and a torrent of thoughts flooded her mind. Nevertheless, her body moved autonomously as she stepped onto the balcony, the uproarious cheers of the crowd causing her heart to tremble. With practiced precision, Wisteria donned her mask, wearing the fake smile she had rehearsed her entire life. She waved graciously at the masses.
Scanning the crowd, her eyes settled on Kon amidst the prominent guests gathered in the castle yard. He leaned in to whisper something to a mysterious woman beside him. The woman possessed a curvaceous figure, dressed in a vibrant green gown. What struck Wisteria as peculiar was the fact that she wore sunglasses at such a formal event.
Recognizing her instantly, Wisteria remembered all the Special Exorcists, despite her preference annonimity. This particular woman, Ellen Fork, had held the coveted title of The Lover Exorcist for over a decade.
Following this, the man dressed in priestly attire placed the crown upon Wisteria's head. He was the Hierophant Exorcist. According to tradition, it was the responsibility of the special exorcist who held this title to crown each new ruler of the country. This practice aimed to demonstrate to the common people that the royal family had received divine blessings for their rule.
As Wisteria scrutinized the man adorning her with the crown, she noticed his middle-aged appearance with a few strands of white hair peppered throughout. Yet, what truly caught her attention was his broad, seemingly friendly smile. However, upon closer inspection, one could discern that the smile didn't reach his eyes, lending it an unsettling quality. Wisely, Wisteria refrained from commenting on this observation.
This man held the title of the 5th strongest exorcist, the kind of individual even the royal family dared not offend. Moreover, he commanded a significant following of zealous devotees, making him an influential figure in religious circles.
The rest of the ceremony proceeded without a hitch, followed by another grand party after the coronation. It was during this gathering that all the nobles would pledge their loyalty. As she walked through the castle's corridors, the walls adorned with portraits of her ancestors caught her attention. Many depicted scenes of past wars, with her predecessors mounted on horses and engaged in battle. However, what quickened her pace was the uncanny feeling that the paintings were looking at her.
Along the hallway, she encountered white-haired youngsters wearing high school uniforms. The situation was somewhat eerie, but she remained relatively unperturbed, knowing that Carpy, a demon with omniscient-like sensory abilities, was concealed in the clouds.
'If I have a demon protecting me with such extraordinary senses, there's no need to worry too much,' she reassured herself. Deep down, however, nerves still prickled her. As someone without Ord, she understood all too well the perils lurking in the world. Yet, being powerless meant she had to rely on others for her safety.
Perhaps if she had access to Ord energy, the situation would be entirely different. Yet, that was an ability she simply couldn't acquire, even as a queen. The rules established for the royal family prohibited them from acquiring such power.
Contemplating these rules, her thoughts inevitably drifted to someone for whom rules never seemed to apply: Kon. He acted as he pleased, whenever he pleased. Wisteria couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy toward her friend.
If she had his power, no one would dare challenge her. After all, the Emperor Exorcist governed his own country without objections. No one even made a sound about that.
No matter the circumstances, the solution remained the same: more power.
Nevertheless, she pushed aside those despondent emotions and approached Kon. Although other Clan Heads, their heirs, and prominent nobles mingled at the party, Wisteria headed toward Kon, who was engrossed in conversation with The Lover Exorcist.
As she approached, amidst the boisterous party atmosphere, both exorcists turned their attention toward her simultaneously. It was always astonishing how much sharper an exorcist's senses were compared to the average human.
Pushing down her bitter feelings about her fate, Wisteria smiled at Kon, not wanting to dampen the mood. "Are you sure it's a good idea to have the very people who have attempted to assassinate me act as my bodyguards?"
"Nah, don't worry. They're not really here to protect you," Kon reassured, his voice tinged with pride for some reason. "They're all so consumed with end-of-semester exams that they're probably oblivious to their surroundings. Essentially, they're just here to make up the numbers."
Having known Kon for a while, Wisteria could understand the strange way he saw things. He found solace in the fact that these young individuals could live their normal lives without the burden of danger. While they could have been a valuable army for others, including the four great clans, but Kon still let them do normal things like going to school and there Kon had no plans to recruit them for a secret army or anything like that.
The power to do something like that, enact their will into the world... Wisteria yearned for it deeply.
Amidst her contemplation, she felt her heartbeat quicken and strange energy gather around her heart. An image flashed in her mind: a man adorned with a crown of thorns, drawing his bow and aiming an arrow at the sun. It felt like a forgotten memory, resurfacing in her dreamlike state.