Before the bulky man responded to the commander, a commotion was heard from further inside the palace.
The palace was built in such a way that there was a large lawn between the main doors of the palace and the gates. Right now, a group of people were making their way over.
The guard"s eyes lit up as he saw that among these people was the man who had appeared across the Kingdom and been proclaimed as King.
Without thinking, the guard screamed out again.
"My King! Please save this subject of yours from this injustice! I was merely doing my duty!"
Startled, the rest of the guards including the commander turned around to see that the King had indeed just exited the palace followed by a few guards and the new Grand Court Mage.
As per the custom, they all kneeled on one foot, lowering their heads. Only, the guard who had just beseeched the King to save him had a wide smile on his face, looking forward to gloating at the ones around him when the King punished them.
Yet, when he stood up after a second, his jaw dropped to the ground seeing the image in front of him.
The man whom the commander had addressed as "Master" had bowed on seeing the King approaching him, but he had been caught by his shoulders and raised up by the figure who the guard thought would be his savior.
"What?! This man was called master by the Commander, and now even the K-King seems close to him? Could-could it be that he is the King"s master too?"
As the thought of the punishment that would come from insulting the King"s own master went through the guard"s mind, he almost wet his pants from the terror that a.s.saulted his whole body.
Meanwhile, Daneel had a wide smile on his face, raising his former master up and almost hugging him, before controlling himself realizing that he was in the public.
As the King, he had to retain a modic.u.m of authority by not showing displays of affection where everyone could see. Thus, he removed his hands from his master"s powerful shoulders and said, "Master Felix. It"s about time. I was going to invite you to the palace anyway."
Indeed, this was the same man who had taken him in to the Fists of Justice Training Hall way back when he was still a no body on the streets of Lanthanor.
As a friend of his father"s, this man had often graced their home. Although he had never personally trained him, Daneel still thought of him as the first master he had accepted in his life.
The main reason was his character. From all the stories Daneel had heard about Felix from both his father and Elanev, he knew that this was a man who resonated with his own principles.
In fact, Daneel had considered asking for his help in case he didn"t come up with the indirect plan to take control of the throne. Yet, because there hadn"t been a need, Daneel had simply proceeded while taking care not to leak anything even to his parents.
Indeed, the events had been just as shocking for Felix as much as they had been for Robert and Maria.
One second, he had been on high alert near the palace gates, ready to attack and protect the people in case something went awry. Next, he saw the brat he had accepted into the hall all those years ago appear on the panels and suddenly become King.
In fact, he had been disbelieving of it all until he saw Daneel personally appear on the dragon claw to negotiate with the other three forces. Being a high-level fighter, his improved eyesight had allowed him to clearly see that this was indeed the scrawny kid from all those years ago who had won the Trainee Compet.i.tion, beating someone who had a higher potential than him.
Now, seeing the man that the kid had grown into, he felt a pride similar to that of a father seeing his son become someone successful.
"Your Ma-"
Daneel raised his hand, cutting off the words Felix had been about to say.
"Follow me."
After smiling at Viuda and Mother Frieda who were also in the crowd, Daneel led them into the palace.
As for the guard who was almost wetting his pants, Daneel only glanced at Aran and shook his head, signaling to let him go. The man had indeed been doing his duty, and even Daneel had become shocked after seeing how much influence his heavily built master had.
The Palace of Lanthanor had 8 large meeting rooms with each big enough to accommodate 50 people inside easily. With luxurious chairs meant to seat guests while they waited for an audience with the King, the rooms were also stocked with expensive wine and food.
Although Daneel didn"t know many of the people in this group because of spending very little time in the training hall, he had still seen them many times during the h.e.l.l training.
"Your Ma-"
Daneel cut him off again, making Felix get an awkward expression on his face.
"Make yourselves at home. I need to have a chat with the master, but we will soon be back."
With puzzled expressions, the others looked at Felix, as if in their eyes, he had even more authority than the King himself.
He simply nodded at the group, making them relax and either sit down or reach for the wine and food on the bar counter in the corner of the room.
Daneel chuckled seeing this sight. From all the nights Felix and Robert had pa.s.sed out on the sofa from getting too drunk, he knew of their love for good wine. It seemed that the members of the training hall also shared this interest.
Walking out and closing the door behind him, Daneel started striding towards a different, smaller meeting room meant for fewer people.
This one could only fit 10 people inside although it looked similar to the other, with golden upholstery, multiple plush sofas and the same bar counter at the end.
Closing the door behind him, Daneel was finally able to speak with no one else around. Kellor had insisted that the King should always be accompanied by a team of elite guards especially when he went outside. Thus, he had obliged, resulting in the 25 guard retinue that followed him when he moved.
"Master, your position is akin to my father"s in my heart. For that reason, I ask you to not call me by any honorifics. In personal settings, you can even call me "brat" like you always used to back home."
During the time when his parents had had to s.h.i.+ft to the countryside for safety, Felix had been one of the only people who still visited them with the help of a s.p.a.ce mage of the training hall. Daneel had of course not hidden the information of his parent"s whereabouts from his father"s closest friend. And just like his father, Felix had only trusted Daneel and not asked his reasons for relocating the family.
He was not one to put on airs. Thus, he had explicitly told his parents and closest friends to not change the way they called him. The same applied to his Master too.
Seeing the firmness in his former student"s eyes, Felix knew that it was a lost cause. He was not someone to dither and dally even after Daneel had specifically stated the status he had in his heart.
This warmed his heart, making him smile and chuckle before saying, "Haha, all right Daneel. Even I can"t bring myself to call the brat who set his hair on fire while practicing magic "Your Majesty"! I"ll get straight to the point. You know that the training hall exists to stand on the side of the people and do whatever we can to help those who can"t help themselves. Now, with you on the throne, we have a long list of crimes which we had no option but to bury in our minds when the previous King ruled Lanthanor. Also, many of the instructors want to join the military now, seeing that the King is now someone they can agree with. They are all quite talented, and the only reason they chose to not join the military before was that they thought they could better serve the people by pledging themselves to the training hall."
Felix puffed up his chest while speaking about the instructors, which was indicative of the pride he had in being their Master. Seeing this, a glint pa.s.sed in Daneel"s eyes.
"So, we came here today to give you that list and also pledge our formal allegiance to the throne."
Seeing that glint, Felix stopped what he was saying, remembering that he had seen this same expression before when he had asked what Daneel was planning when his parents had had to relocate.
True enough, what Daneel said next made Felix freeze his expression into one of disbelief and shock.
"What would you say if I told you I can increase both the body potential of your Fighters and the comprehension of your mages?"