Who Needs Magic in a Fantasy World Anyway?

Chapter 14: The King

Sweating slightly from nervousness, Koko gulped silently as she stood behind her father and mother as the two faced the king directly with everyone in the room bowing to the man. The throne room that they had entered was enormous, as one would expect from a giant castle. The sides were completely covered in stained glass windows like a chapel would be, though the glass was set in a way so that it depicted differently important looking figures, who Koko assumed were the previous kings of the kingdom. However, even if the room was grand, she felt completely intimidated now while keeping her gaze down from the floor. And not just from the king that was currently looking them over, but the several powerful feeling people behind the man whom she didn't know.

"Father, I have returned from Wence." James announced, though he to was bowing just like everyone else.

"So I see." King Xavier said in an even tone. "And greetings to you as well, Lord Cryner. It's been a long time."

"Your majesty is to kind." Benson replied.

"And now that the greetings are finished with, let's get this unpleasant business out of the way." Xavier sighed. "Judging from Lord Blackman's explanation, Wence is unable to repay Herkfield for the property stolen by it's citizens and has invoked the right 'Conquest', an ancient tradition that involves absorbing Wence into Herkfield's territory. And I have accepted it, due to the large amounts of the kingdom's funding that was stolen and the evidence that was provided by Lord Blackman's investigation."

"And I also realize that you, Lord Cryner, have invoked the right to a 'Trial by Combat' in which we let the gods and two warriors decide the fate of the matter." King Xavier sighed slightly as he finished his sentence. "Yet another ancient right, though one we must uphold just the same... Also, I understand that you have chosen Herkfield's heir as the combatant?"

"Y-yes, your majesty." Benson replied, though Koko found it shocking that the man had stumbled over his words. Though, given that his daughter was about to fight an opponent which none of them thought that she had a chance against, she thought that it was entirely understandable.

"And you, Lord Blackman?" King Xavier asked.

"We have, your majesty." Koko looked to the other side of the room to see Ernie kneeling with his father, who was a tall man with long black hair which hung just below his shoulders. However, even if he was handsome like Ernie, his red eyes and smirk immediately betrayed that he was the bad guy in this particular story.

"Then I'll ask the combatants to walk forward and swear by the rules of the trial." The king ordered, and Koko took a deep breath before standing and walking past her family, who all still had their heads down. Though, the reaction in the room wasn't one that Koko had been expecting as several of the lords gathered at the sides of the throne as well as the powerful feeling people all looked at her with complete shock.

"What is the meaning of this?" King Xavier asked, making Koko want to shrink down as he almost glared at her. "Why is this child standing?"

"Your majesty, Lord Cryner personally selected my son as the combatant, and my son has selected one in turn." Lord Blackman suddenly started explaining. "Rather than Cryner's heir, who would have a major advantage over him due to the level difference, my son has selected the next best possible candidate seeing as Lady Teya does not have a class fit for battle."

"So instead he chooses a child whom he has five times the level advantage over?! Is your son a coward?!" One of the important people, a man dressed in silver plate mail yelled out of turn, though he was quieted by the king's raised hand.

"Your majesty, while my son regrets that there are no better opponents in the Cryner family, he still has to consider his own safety in this matter." Lord Blackman sounded regretful, but there was no one in the room who believed his tone for a second. "Regardless of the rules of the Trial, I am willing to allow different opponents to be selected at the combatants. However, seeing as I am the only other person in the Blackman family, I will have to be selected in my son's stead."

"I'll fight!" Koko suddenly announced, making everyone's gazes turn towards her suddenly outburst.

"Koko! Don't say anything!" Benson whispered loudly, though he couldn't move to stop her.

"I'll fight!" Koko repeated, causing King Xavier to lean back in his throne and give her an inquisitive look.

"Lord Cryner, have you explained to your daughter what a different in levels means?" King Xavier asked.

"I have, your majesty." Benson replied with a tense tone.

"Then do you not understand that he is five times your level... Koko?" King Xavier had to take a second to remember Koko's name.

"I understand, your majesty." Koko looked up at the king with a determined gaze. "But from what I learned at my mansion, I also understand that there's no one in my family that can defeat Lord Blackman, who will be selected if I back down here!"

"Whether it be you, or a family member, the trial is absolute." The king kept his steady gaze on her. "When you lose, your family will have your territory stripped from you and you will lose your status as nobility. Are you fine with putting your family's live at jeopardy like that?"

"If we fight Lord Blackman, then we're going to lose anyway." Koko replied in the same determined tone that she'd been using before. "And not only that, it's going to be really embarrassing when Ernie loses to a little girl that's only level six!"

Creating a shocked silence throughout the room, Koko turned her head and stuck her tongue out at Ernie, who had an expression of fury on his face as he glared at her. Though, while everyone in the room seemed to be speechless, on person burst out with laughter. And of course, that person just had to be James.

"James, be silent." King Xavier looked at his son disapprovingly.

"I'm sorry father, but I would like to intrude upon this, if I may." James, rather than being silent, became even more involved. "I, for one, would like to support the trial's participant being Ernie Blackman and Koko Cryner."

"And your reason for supporting it?" Xavier looked at his son curiously.

"Lady Koko is-" James seemed to have trouble finding the right words before he continued. "-a very interesting individual."

"Interesting, you say..." King Xavier looked lost in thought as he sat on his throne, and the following silence filled the room with tension so think that Koko thought that she was going to suffocate before the king finally seemed to make a decision.

"Then so be it. Do to Lady Koko's determination and my son's endorsement, I will allow the trial to commence as planned between the two original combatants." The king gave his decision.

"Please, your majesty! Even against Lord Blackman, please select me-"

"Enough! I have made my decision!" King Xavier stopped Benson's sudden desperate outburst by hitting his fist against his throne. "The combatants will now be led to the arena where we will decide this matter once and for all."

Breathing deeply while wondering if she'd just made the right decision or not, Koko turned around to see Benson, who surprisingly had tears in his eyes as he stood where he had been kneeling. His fists were clenched due to his powerlessness to help the situation, and Koko couldn't blame him as she would feel the same way if she had been the one to suggest the Trial by Combat and had one of her family members fight it for her.

"Whatever happens, please remember that I did this because I want to, not because I was forced." Koko said to her father, causing him to look at her with an expression filled with despair before a few of the guards that had been standing at the side of the room came to lead her towards the arena.