Five elderly men dressed in wizard brocade robes stood below, their faces filled with anger.
At the front stood Salo, followed by Asi, Torons, Gerone, and Fash, who had only recently advanced into the wizard realm. These five represented the pinnacle of the five major branches of magic in the Barut Kingdom, each serving as the president of one of the five great mage guilds.
Magic Scholar, Mage, and Wizard, these three clearly defined tiers were how the Barut Kingdom classified magical strength. Generally speaking, upon reaching the Wizard Realm, one possessed combat power comparable to an Admiral, capable of wielding immensely destructive forbidden spells. Mages ranked around Rear Admiral to peak Vice Admiral level, while Magic Scholars were the weakest, merely beginners in magic.
When Rojen decided to leave the Barut Kingdom, these five elders firmly refused.
"I was originally a pirate. What's wrong with me going out and continuing as one now?"
"When the Barut Kingdom was founded and began contacting the outside world, didn't you all see my bounty?"
Rojen gave a bitter smile.
"No, Your Majesty! You are the king of the Barut Kingdom. That is an unchangeable fact. We old men absolutely will not agree to you becoming a pirate!"
Asi shouted loudly.
"What kind of joke is this? A king of a kingdom becoming a pirate, wouldn't that make us a laughingstock?"
"Is the identity of the King of Barut not better than that of a pirate?"
Torons said solemnly.
"As for the World Government and the Marines, we will negotiate with them. With us around, they wouldn't dare act recklessly!"
Gerone added.
Four of the five had clearly stated their stance, refusing to let Rojen leave the country.
"Fash, what's your opinion?"
Rojen, feeling helpless, cast a slightly threatening glance toward Fash.
The fifth wizard was an expert in training black magic. As a newer figure, he was much younger than the other four. He had also been personally promoted by Rojen and was one of his trusted subordinates.
"If His Majesty wants to be a pirate, there's actually no real problem with that."
Fash gritted his teeth as he said this.
"Hahaha! Exactly, there's no problem at all!"
Rojen burst out laughing.
"Fash, do you want to die?!"
"I warn you, don't spout nonsense. If something happens to His Majesty, you won't be able to bear the responsibility!"
"This concerns the fate of the kingdom! You youngster, are you trying to anger us to death?!"
The four flew into a rage, berating Fash one after another.
Fash's eyelids twitched. Facing the pressure of these four powerhouses, he still felt somewhat uneasy.
"Um… please, teachers, let me finish."
"His Majesty is a pirate, and also the king of the Barut Kingdom. That's true, but doesn't that actually cause no real conflict?"
"You've all seen it. Since His Majesty ascended the throne, the nation has prospered under his grand vision. By now, everything is well-ordered, and no major problems will arise. As long as the five of us oversee the overall situation, it's no big deal for him to go out and have some fun."
"Besides, if you're worried, we can send people to protect him."
As he continued speaking, the expressions of the other four grew darker and darker. By the end, killing intent was practically emanating from them.
"Right, there's no impact at all! Fash, you're absolutely right. Let's do it this way!"
Rojen laughed loudly. At last, the matter was settled.
Among the five, as long as one person supported his decision, the outcome was essentially decided.
Naturally, Salo and the others continued arguing for a while. In the end, however, they could not outmatch Rojen, the king. Rojen also took a step back, agreeing to have guards accompany and protect him.
But the issue of protection ended up being debated for quite a while. After all, with Rojen's strength, he basically didn't need any guards.
"Alright, enough arguing about this."
Rojen, irritated by the noise, waved his hand. In an instant, the figures of the Six Paths appeared before him.
"Which of you wants to test the power of these six clones?"
After some time, he had already fully refined all six of the Six Paths clones.
The five finally fell silent. Just two clones were already powerful enough, six, needless to say, were even more terrifying.
"Then let Nalene go. She is my most outstanding disciple in potion-making, and also a doctor. Your Majesty will surely have use for her."
In the end, Torons made the decision.
"A doctor? That works."
Rojen nodded.
Before long, once all his companions were gathered and they set sail, the only role still missing would indeed be a doctor.
Moreover, he had met Nalene before. She was beautiful, with a graceful figure, very pleasing to the eye. Her temperament was neither cold nor warm, and she treated him just like an ordinary person, a woman with a strong personality.
Once everything had been settled, Rojen stretched lazily and let out a long breath.
"As for the World Council, Salo, you'll attend it. Remember to select some elite disciples. This meeting is mainly to showcase the strength of our Barut Kingdom."
"In terms of power and利益, we can choose to keep or give up some, but we must let the world see our strength!"
Rojen gave Salo his final instructions.
"I understand. Please keep a Den Den Mushi with you at all times. If anything major happens, we will report to you."
Salo replied.
Rojen nodded. After thinking for a moment and confirming there was nothing else to handle, he stood up and left the palace.
His heart was somewhat excited. He had stayed here for quite some time and had almost completely grown used to this kind of life. But in the end, he still belonged to the sea.
Returning to his residence, Rojen called for Lordling and Robin.
"Finished discussing everything, Your Majesty?"
Lordling joked with a grin, while Robin laughed beside him.
Rojen gave a bitter smile and waved his hand. "Stop joking around. Hurry up and get ready, we're setting off!"
When the three of them rode griffons and, under Salo and the others' escort, arrived at the harbor, The Logan had already been brought out by the soldiers of the Barut Kingdom and was waiting there. The supplies on board had long been fully prepared.
To Lordling and Robin's surprise, there was already a young woman in a mage robe standing on The Logan, carrying a bundle.
"Well, well, a beautiful bodyguard, Your Majesty."
Lordling teased with a grin, and Robin burst out laughing.
Rojen shook his head helplessly and leapt down, landing directly on The Logan.
Soon, under the control of the Deva Path, the ship quickly started moving. Lordling and Robin also boarded.
"Hey, Nalene, you're early."
Rojen waved toward Nalene, who stood there with a calm expression.
"You're the ones who are late."
Nalene replied flatly.
"Heh… fair enough."
Rojen felt a bit awkward.
"Your Majesty, please take good care of yourself!"
At the harbor, up in the sky, Salo and the others shouted loudly, their faces filled with reluctance.
"You must always remember, you carry an entire nation on your shoulders!"
"No matter what happens, we, the Barut Kingdom, will always be your strongest backing!"
"If the World Government or the Marines dare to capture you, don't be afraid, we will never let them off!"
Voices rose one after another from all directions.
Looking at the densely packed crowd of Barut citizens surrounding the area, Rojen felt deeply moved.
These lovely people… they were all his subjects.
(End Of This Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 15 chapters on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395
I am translating some new fanfiction (Haikyuu- Starting From Volleyball). Read it and support me.