The entire Hall turned silent at the King's declaration, from the officials to the guards and even the curious attendants who were eavesdropping on the meeting.

One of the officials stammered, "W-What are you speaking of, your Highness? We knew you were a commoner but accepted you as our King because Lord Henry told us you were a distant relative of the previous King who was only forced to become a commoner due to some unforeseen circumstances.

However, being a bastard of the previous King is...simply unthinkable. The previous King had a lecherous reputation for sure, but it is an unspoken rule in Miran that children born outside the Royal family are ruled out of contention for the throne.

If your Highness is claiming the right to the throne by the Royal blood that flows through your veins, how many other countless sons fathered by the previous King would come forward and do the same?? Our country would then be plunged into anarchy over such succession disputes! What was King Alan Stormfury thinking?"

Lord Henry interjected, "First and foremost, I must apologise to everyone present for hiding the truth. However, I must stand firm behind my support for King Sylvester, for I believe that out of all the remaining relatives of the previous King, which are few by the way, only King Sylvester possesses the requisite mental fortitude and vision to lead our country back to glory.

After all, despite the circumstances surrounding his birth, before becoming King, King Sylvester was actually the adviser to the Count of Calderon on top of being a respectable Professor who taught history and political science outside the Capital. He was also an avid volunteer, often coming to the aid of the needy which the past administration often overlooked in its zeal to dominate the Central Continent.

My fellow Miranians, it's high time we abolish longstanding but redundant traditions, for the courage to accept necessary change is what's required to steer our country back onto the right path. The King is the person who would be at the forefront of this era of great change, and I vouch for no one other than King Sylvester."

The entire hall remained speechless before King Sylvester broke the silence, "Thank you for your kind words, Lord Henry. I understand that this is a rude shock to everyone present, and I don't intend to force anyone to accept my right to rule Miran.

Instead, I'll share with you all a story, a story about my birth and my life experiences which influenced my decision to accept the offer of my benefactor, Lord Henry, to ascend to the throne. I beseech that everyone listen carefully to what I've to say, before we have a vote of confidence to determine whether or not I stay as your King. This story begins about 33 years ago..."

"Thank you, Sister Sylvia, for your hard work. Must be tiring to lead the entire ceremony, right? I'm impressed you could manage in the absence of the Matron." It was Lord Henry, who was middle-aged at that point of time, his hair still golden-brown with a few streaks of white hair.

A young lady with auburn hair dressed in an attire of a nun bowed and replied courteously, "Your words are too kind, Lord Henry. I'm sure if the Matron was well, she could have done a much better job at leading the congregation than me. I'm just fortunate to be given this opportunity to participate in this annual tradition of blessing Miran and the Royal Family."

Lord Henry laughed, "You are too humble, Sister Sylvia. Even the Matron recognises you as her successor, having attended this annual ceremony for a decade since you were as young as 15. I look forward to our continued cooperation.

Take care and be careful on your way back, with your looks, I believe some men might give into the ravages of lust. Unfortunately I am merely a court adviser with no guards under my charge, otherwise I would have them escort you. Anyway, take care and I'll see you again next year."

Sylvia was embarrassed slightly at Lord Henry's compliment, but quickly bowed and replied, "Thank you, Lord Henry, for your hospitality. I'll make my move if there's nothing more." Sylvia then turned and walked away, before quickly disappearing out of Lord Henry's sight at the corner.

As Sylvia was about to reach the exit, she was intercepted by 2 burly guards. One of them barked gruffly, "The Crown Prince wishes to see you in his private chambers. Says he wants to...learn more about your faith."

Unsuspecting of foul play, Sylvia nodded as she followed the 2 guards unwittingly into the maw of the most dangerous person in the country, at least in the eyes of those cognisant of the state of affairs in the Royal Palace...

Lord Henry swiftly exited his carriage upon arriving at the dainty village located in Calderon, a county near the Western Ocean, far away from Myro. He instructed the driver stoically, "Remain here for about an hour, I got some personal matters to settle."

The driver nodded quietly as Lord Henry walked away quickly. When he was sure that he was out of his driver's sight, Lord Henry allowed his emotions to flow freely, as his face contorted with a mixture of rage and worry. After all, he felt immensely guilty that he allowed such a terrible fate to befall an innocent woman under his charge.

After they were separated, Sister Sylvia was raped and sullied by the Crown Prince, the lecherous Prince unable to keep his reputable lust in check. To make matters worse, the Crown Prince accused Sister Sylvia of seducing him, forcing the Matron to dismiss the wronged nun from the Convent of the Goddess in order to protect the interests of the Convent.

All of this was part of the Crown Prince's ploy, as he sought to force Sister Sylvia to become his concubine. However, Lord Henry knew from his past interactions with Sister Sylvia that she was a proud woman who stuck closely to her principles and faith. As expected, the disgraced nun refused the Crown Prince's courtship and quickly fled from Myro, never to be seen again.

Even though Lord Henry was merely a court adviser, he still held considerable political clout, not to mention that he held a strong domestic intelligence network that rivalled that of Myro's. This network was kept a secret from Myro, or rather, it was unthinkable by the nobles in Myro that Lord Henry would have eyes and ears among the common populace in almost every town.

Nonetheless, it was thanks to this network that Lord Henry was able to discover Sister Sylvia's location before the cronies of the Crown Prince could get to her. Resolving to right this wrong, Lord Henry decided to pay a visit to the former nun and extend all the possible assistance he could to her.

When he had finally arrived at the denoted address by his allies, Lord Henry drew in a deep breath before knocking on the door of the dainty little house. The door quickly became unlocked as a middle-aged woman appeared, her face partially concealed by the door that was opened slightly ajar.

Lord Henry swiftly got to business as he asked politely, "Is there a Ms Sylvia in this house? If so, could you let her know that Henry's here to visit?" The woman replied gruffly, "Are you one of those Royal lapdogs who got nothing better to do? I know no Sylvia so be lost, you've got no business here!"

Understanding the situation immediately, Lord Henry raised his voice, "Sylvia! It's Lord Henry, so if you're there, I only wish to speak to you, nothing more! I've come here on my own personal capacity, not on anyone's instructions, much less the Crown Prince! Please, I only wish to apologise for my blunder so will you give me a chance to see you??"

A younger voice rang from within the house, "Mdm Courtney, please let him in. He's someone I trust, so don't worry about me." The older woman sighed as she relented, opening the door to allow Lord Henry entry. When Lord Henry first laid his eyes upon the former nun, he was horrified to discover that the worst case scenario he had envisioned was realised.

Sylvia was sitting on an armchair, her arms resting on an enlarged womb of a woman heavy with child. Lord Henry stammered, "T-This unborn child...It's the flesh and blood of the Crown Prince, right? Why did you keep it when you had no obligation to?"

Sylvia replied gently, "My faith forbids me from aborting this innocent child, for all life is sacred and precious in the eyes of the Goddess of Creation, Amaterasu. Furthermore, I believe that there's a higher reason as to why the Goddess had chosen such a fate for me, and I intend to see it through to the end."

Recognising that what's done cannot be undone, Lord Henry sighed as he remarked, "Still, you don't have to shoulder this burden all on your own. I have close ties to the Count of this county, he should be able to keep you safe from the cronies of Myro, especially since the furor over your escape had largely died down in Myro already.

Don't worry about any expenses, even the rent for this place, put it all on my tab. Since you've selfishly decided to keep your child, I hereby selfishly intend to give your child the very best. It's the least I can do to help an innocent woman wronged by those who abuse their power.

Please don't reject my offer of assistance. As my movements are still heavily watched by Myro, I wouldn't be able to visit you that frequently. However, I would remain in close contact with you through Count Vichear of Calderon whom I am close friends with or my own personal spies.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Enough about all this dreary stuff, how about you tell me what you've been up to all these couple of months? I'm rather curious as to how you've survived so long on your own while eluding capture, especially in your condition."

he pair chatted for quite a while, as Mdm Courtney smiled gently before leaving them be, happy that Sylvia could finally enjoy some respite and company in her long lasting ordeal. It would appear that the Heavens had eyes after all, extending its hand of assistance when the unfortunate woman needed it most.

However, the road ahead for Sylvia and her child was still long but Mdm Courtney swore in her heart that she would do her best to take care of them both, just as she had promised when she agreed to take Sylvia in as her tenant after learning of her tale...

"Come on Sylvester, you can run faster than that! If you can't, there's no way you can become a soldier of our County, not to mention a Knight!" a boy with blazing red hair encouraged. His intended target, a small and frail-looking 10 year old boy with curly auburn hair who was lagging far behind the group of boys, panted, "I c-can't go any faster...not like I want to be a Knight in the first place..."

The boy with red hair who was leading the pack initially, slowed down and ran in the reverse direction to where the boy named Sylvester was. He encouraged, "Come on, it's only a short distance to go. The end is in sight, so at least finish the course! It doesn't matter how long it takes for you to reach the end, but people who give up would never get any better in anything they do, so persevere!"

Sylvester nodded as he grimaced, raising his speed slightly as his companion ran alongside him. Since young, Sylvester's body had been frail and weak, thus, he always lagged behind in every game he played with his friends, since they all involved physical activity.

This time round, they were having a race to test their endurance, and Sylvester hated running most of all. Despite detesting running, Sylvester still agreed to participate on the bequest of his best friend, the boy with red hair who was running alongside him now.

Sylvester's best friend was Verrick Vichear, the son of the Count of Calderon. Despite his noble status, Verrick was encouraged by his father to hang around with the commoners of the county, especially with Sylvester for reasons unknown to him.

It puzzled Sylvester at times how a lowly commoner like him could have such a good friend in a noble like Verrick, who was clearly meant for greater things. Perhaps it was a stroke of luck that his mother, a single mother with no outstanding attributes other than her kindness and dedication to both her son and faith, was more than just an acquaintance to the Count of Calderon, since he often visited their humble home in his personal capacity.

It was not just the Count who often visited. Despite his mother's tendency to keep a low profile in the village, she was often visited by several different people, most notably a middle-aged gentleman named Henry who was from the Capital. Sylvester particularly enjoyed Henry's visits, since he always brought new books only available in the Capital.

Sylvester had enjoyed reading since a young age, starting with his mother's religious scriptures before venturing out into other genres. Eventually, Sylvester discovered that his key interests lay in history and governance as he accidentally stumbled onto some historical records that Henry had brought for his own perusal when he visited.

Learning about how civilisation developed over time as well as the various policies and strategies implemented to bring order within and outside the country had fascinated Sylvester despite his tender age, much to the surprise of Henry.

Since then, Henry brought Sylvester new books on history which dated as far back as the Ancient Human Kingdom as well as political science which shared various political systems and beliefs practised across the various counties and even outside Miran, most notably Nirvania.

Even though Sylvester was captivated by what he had read, the more he learnt about the workings of the world and governance, the more he felt disenchanted with his current life. Sylvester realised that things were not looking as optimistic as they were back in the times of the Ancient Human Kingdom, where a golden era flourished.

Back then, people led simpler yet happier lives, and rulers prioritised the welfare of the people under them. However, in his short lifespan, Sylvester had witnessed firsthand poverty and famine, as Calderon, a major agricultural region, was forced to turn over a huge amount of its produce to the Capital at a low price, all for the sake of supporting the Army and its "deterrence" efforts against Nirvania.

In Sylvester's eyes, this merely glorified the Army and nothing more, especially when it was clear even to a child like him that war with Nirvania was not going to occur any time soon. On one hand, Nirvania had been peace-loving since its formation, as there were never news of Nirvanians invading Miran territory. On the other hand, the Miran Army did not have a considerable upper hand against the Nirvanian Army, implying that war with Nirvania would only cost more than it benefits.

Sadly, the propaganda spread by the Capital on top of the immense benefits of joining the Army only served to promote the cause of the monarchy, as many young boys dreamt of becoming soldiers and Knights of the proud Miran Army, even in the outskirts of a far flung village like Karthik Village.

Sylvester was brought back to reality by a loud voice, "Get down! Remain on your knees with head touching the floor and never look up if you want to live!" Before Sylvester could comprehend what was going on, he was forced down onto the ground by Verrick, who followed suit as they grovelled on the ground together.

The sound of hooves and footsteps became increasingly audible as Sylvester immediately realised the situation he was in. It was most likely the Royal entourage on their occasional, obligatory visits to the counties, with the frequency of visits decreasing with distance from the Capital.

It wasn't long before the entourage drew up close to the boys, as Sylvester held his breath nervously, wishing for the entourage to pass them quickly with no hassle. Unfortunately, it became silent just as the entourage stopped right in front of them. A condescending voice rang, "You, the boy with the red hair, you're the son of Count Vichear, are you not? Look up at me, your King, for it's your right as a noble of this country."

Sylvester peeked at Verrick's face to see an expression of rebelliousness, before it disappeared as quickly as it surfaced as Verrick looked up towards the King of Miran, smiling politely, "Thank you for your kind words, your Highness. Your wish is my command."

The King smirked, "You've pretty good manners, despite associating with these boorish commoners. I can never understand why Vichear is so friendly with the masses, the only thing they are good for are as sources of menial labour or foot soldiers of my Army. There's no need to show kindness to such weak and lowly beings who can't fend for themselves without the strength and wisdom of Myro."

Sylvester gritted his teeth in anger. How could a King demean his own subjects, the very people who form the foundation of his power and authority? Without the support of the masses, a King is nothing more than an ordinary man. The relationship between a ruler and his people has always been reciprocal since time immemorial, with the ruler guiding his people to safety and riches with the power vested in him by the very same people.

The King of Miran continued, "To prove my point that commoners are lesser beings fully dependent on us for protection and guidance, I shall make an exception and allow that commoner next to you to raise his head in order to answer a question of mine, if he can even understand my question. You, what do you think will happen if Miran were to lose all its elite soldiers and nobles?"

Sylvester took a moment to calm himself down before raising his head slowly, looking at the King straight at the eye. He drew in a deep breath before answering lightly, "Thank you, Your Highness, for granting this lowly one an audience. Allow me to answer your question with a question of my own, of which I would naturally answer.

Your Highness, what do you think would happen if Miran were to lose all its farmers, its fishermen, traders…simply put, the lowly commoners you were speaking of? The answer is clear. This country would collapse, perhaps even faster than if we were to lose our troops and nobles. The masses drive our economy on top of feeding and dressing the very same soldiers and nobles who protect and lead them respectively.

Without the support of the masses, an Army would go weak and hungry, and the nobles would lose every shred of their perceived authority. This is the reason why Count Vichear treats his people kindly; he recognises the intimate relationship shared by the rulers and the ruled. Now, onto your question, it's definitely a bad thing if we were to lose our elite soldiers and nobles, but humans have and always been a strong race.

Leaders and soldiers alike come and go, and I believe that amidst the ashes, new leaders and protectors would rise to the occasion and guide our country onto a better path. I hope you find that a satisfactory answer, your Highness."

The King was stunned beyond words. Never did he expect a commoner to speak with such flair and eloquence, not to mention his age. The King gritted his teeth in annoyance. Even though he wanted the boy executed for his audacity, it would not look good on his image as King of Miran, especially since this was meant to be a friendly visit to the boons, not to mention that he was the one who allowed the boy to speak his mind in the first place.

If only his own children were as intelligent as the boy before him, then the King needn't had to worry about succession issues when he was gone. As the King stared into the eyes of the dauntless boy who stood before him, a new sensation dawned upon him, a sense of familiarity. Those green eyes, the auburn hair…it reminded him of the woman he wanted so badly in his entire life but couldn't obtain.

Suddenly, a realisation struck the King. Could this boy be… However, before he could delve into the matter any further, a solemn voice rang, "Your Highness, it's getting dark. We should be getting on our way now." Distracted by his thoughts, the King replied quickly, "Of course, let's go, Guard Captain." As the King and his Guard Captain rode away, it wasn't long before the Royal entourage left Karthik Village, allowing the 2 boys to heave a sigh of relief.

Verrick elbowed Sylvester and teased, "Man, you really stood up to the King! I thought he was going to execute you in a fit of anger, but it seems that your answer had him more confused than angry, hahaha! I could never be as brave as you when it comes to questioning authority!"

Sylvester replied gratefully, "Yeah, I thought I was a goner too, but I had to speak my mind, given this golden opportunity to vent my frustrations. I guess I'm pretty lucky that he decided to spare me because of my age and the impact on his image, since you were around too, Verrick."

Verrick replied solemnly, "Nah, it was all you. If the King realised who you really were, he would have regretted saying such nasty stuff…oh shit, what am I saying?" Sylvester caught onto Verrick's words as he asked swiftly, "What're you talking about, Verrick? I'm just an ordinary commoner born to a single mother, there's nothing great about my ancestry. Unless there's something you know that everyone's keeping from me."

Verrick sighed as he shook his head, "Well, I'm not surprised your mother didn't tell you the truth of your parentage. However, I think you're now mature enough to handle the truth. The truth is, the King is…your biological father.

My father was asked by Lord Henry, a court adviser in Myro, to look after your mother since she was wrongly raped by the current King. Thus, my father, who was sympathetic to your mother's plight, took extra care of her and wanted me to do the same for you. However, I want to assure you that we're not best friends just because you're the son of the King, but because of all the experiences we've been through together. Promise me that we'll still remain friends."

Sylvester was frozen with shock momentarily before he replied slowly, "You're saying…that jerk is my father? Unbelievable…I have to verify this from my mother's own mouth. Nonetheless, Verrick, even if this is true, I don't blame you for all that had happened so far.

In fact, thank you for being so candid with me, I think I would never have learnt of such a truth from my mother, Henry or Count Vichear. You're truly a good friend of mine. Come on, let's go, the rest are waiting for us!"

Verrick nodded as the 2 boys sprinted back towards the village, just as the sun was about to set below the horizon, marking the end of an extremely eventful day for the future king…