Chapter 535 Coronation (4)
It was Pandemonium as Rudra arrived at the location , with him being personally escorted by Patricia arm in arm , the Won Knight family radiated incredible pressure on the red carpet.
" THE KING IS HEREEE ".
" IT'S OUR RULER".
" IT'S OUR SAVIOUR".
The commoners of Purplehaze shouted at the top of their lungs , as they scrambled to get a glimpse of Shakuni before he entered the Church , however it was difficult to sneak a glance with the tight security.
Rudra was a little nervous , however a regal smile was plastered on his face as he waved at the loving crowd with a kind face.
Rudra looked absolutely fantastic , with his hair all set and his face clean shaved. Although he looked nothing close to the ferocious warrior that he once looked , his new appearance made him have a more noble aura.
As he entered the Church , the first thing he did was touch the hidden pocket of his coat , as he felt the small box being present within .
That box was extremely important for Rudra , as once he was coronated ,there would not be a moment more to miss!
As he entered the Church , the first people to greet him were the guild members , who all had smiling expressions with a hint of pride hidden within , as they cheered him on towards the stage.
As Rudra climbed the stairs of the Church , he could be seen by the masses who had gathered outside , as on the second last step , Rudra stopped and turned as he waved the thousands that had gathered outside to get a glimpse of him today.
It was unprecedented overwhelming support for him by the commoners , as even catching a glimpse of him sent them in a uproar , as cheers and good wishes rained down on Rudra!
As he walked into the church , at the very last were the guild leaders of various first rate guilds followed by the super guild guildleaders that he had been invited .
Everyone looked at the man of the hour with smile on the surface , however jealousy , deception and greed could be easily made out from their faces .
Rudra chuckled internally as he spoke in his mind ' That's right , look where i was , and look where i have reached. Pretty neat eh? The power of a second chance.... ".
As he walked forward he started to see the foreign dignitaries of various countries , and the upper echleons of power inside the nothern continent.
However his eyes were only hungry for one person and that one person met his fiery gaze without backing down!
The moment his eyes landed on Ruby , nothing else mattered to him aside from her , as he found himself lost in her loving eyes that were a bit teary as if asking him ' Where were you all this time ? '.
Rudra felt his heart ache as he saw the slight tear in Ruby's eye however there was also a bright smile that could make the sun look pale in comparison plastered on her face , making her expression a display of contrasting emotions.
Ruby was incredibly proud of Rudra to achieve so much so fast , and incredibly happy for him today too , hence the smile. However looking at him , for a moment she could not control the emotions she had suppressed over the past year as there was a lot of trouble for her in his absence.
However she quickly wiped the tear off as only joy remained on her face , as she cheered Rudra onwards.
Although the exchange was brief , lasting 30 seconds at the maximum , it did not go unnoticed by the various powers and Ruby's father who all noticed the chemistry between the duo .
Walking onwards Rudra finally saw Emperor Cervantez and the lizardmen king at the first row , as the two of them looked at Rudra with calm calculating gaze.
The gaze was a bit colder from the lizardmen king , while Cervantez's contained a bit more warmth and a hint of joy.
However still , both their gazes made Rudra feel pressured , soaking his back in sweat , thankfully the coat was made with a material that did not let the outside of the coat appear wet , as Rudra would be humiliated should such a scenario occur.
In this regard the women of the elite guild were all masterminds , the level of which Rudra could never understand , as their forethought and planning in the field of fashion was spot on.
However after the seated kings , there were the OG guild elders , standing near the walls as tears streamed down their eyes as extreme happiness was visible on their faces.
Neatwit and Fatty were weeping , while Yume and Jhonny had wrapped an arm around each other's shoulder as they cheered Rudra on , Medivh was also teary eyed while SMG smiled with warmth.
Every Elite had the same thought at this moment , which was ' You deserve this guild leader '.
As for the elites , the success of one Elite was a success for all elites , just as their slogan always said , ' One for all and all for one '.
Rudra flashed a menacing smile at his OG gang , as he walked towards the Goddess's statue , as watching the boys all emotional , he too felt indescribable emotions stuck in his throat.
Finally , when he reached the altar , the Pope was looking kindly at Rudra as divine light radiated from his body , as he waited to coronate Rudra.
As he reached before the pope , Rudra bowed in respect as the pope blessed him with 'long life' , as he started the ceremony.
The pope said " Today , we have gathered here to coronate Shakuni Of The Elites , as the one true ruler of the 'True Elite' kingdom.
It is the Goddess's will , that the Honorary arch-bishop of the Church , continue his service to mankind on a grander stage , as she wills for him to lead this country to a blessed age.
Looting , Rape , Pillaging, and devil's worship was rampant in these lands , as the previous king did an abhorrent job under his rule.
Today , since soo many distinguished gentlemen who all serve the light have gathered here , many of whom are kings in their own right , i would like to take this chance to present my own understanding of what a king should be.
The goddess's doctrine asks a king to be benevolent , kind , just and merciful. However while this is the perfect roadmap on how to be a good ruler , there are other aspects that need to be paid attention to.
Civillian welfare , civillian healthcare and civillian modesty! There are the three pillars of any legislation and i hope that in the pursuit of power and military issues , I hope the kings amongst us donot forget to pay special attention to these three departments.
I have known Shakuni since he was but a boy , as Cardinal Lee mentioned him to me as an exceptionally talented beleiver. However at the time I did not have the fortune of meeting him personally.
However , in just a few short years that boy has created countless legends in this continent and is a staunch supporter of the Church .
Today , i can say with a open heart. His achievements are well deserved!!!
Excellent temperament , Unquestionable devotion and Humbleness. Shakuni of the elites , it is my honor to coronate you before our goddess ".
Rudra coughed a little internally at the Pope's speach , it was completely unnecessary and over the top , however it was a subtle play by him to remind all kings present here that although they were the supreme rulers of their own region , in the end they were just servants of the god's.
The pope said " With the Goddess as the witness , Shakuni Won Knight , Do you swear to solemnly take care of your country as if it was an extension of your own body and it's people as if they were your children? ".
Rudra replied " I do ".
The pope continued " Do you swear to rule with a just and merciful mindset and uphold the integrity of law ? ".
" I do ".
" Do you swear to never collude with foreign powers or devil worshippers to invite chaos , lawlessness and unsocial elements into your country? ".
" I do ".
" THEN I SAINT MAXIMUS , THE 107TH POPE OF THE CHURCH OF THE GODDESS OF LIGHT , ON THIS DAY OF THE SUN , CORONATE YOU SHAKUNI WON KNIGHT , AS THE ONE AND ONLY KING OF THE ' True Elite ' KINGDOM !
ALL HAIL THE KING ".
At this moment Karna brought Rudra's crown to the pope , as he looked at the guildleader with complex emotions , tears blurring his eyes.
Today was one of the proudest moments of his life , as he celebrated Rudra's success with all his heart.
As the crown was taken by the pope in his hands everyone held their breaths for the big moment , as the moment it was placed on Rudra's head , every single Elite and the thousands outside shouted at the top of their voices , in a roar that would live on for eternity.
The shout of " LONG LIVE THE KING! ".