The eminence of a true king

It was already nighttime, and as previously mentioned, Leon had made his way to the palace of Midgar.

Although the kingdom was as famous for its knighthood as Palettia was for its magic, the grandeur of Midgar tonight was silent.

However, due to the secret negotiations with Leon and the ongoing unrest in the royal capital, there were currently few guards stationed at the palace.

Upon entering the meeting hall, Leon found himself before a gathering of Midgar's most influential figures. The king, the queen, the commander of the knights, the minister of finance, and the prime minister were all present.

"Welcome, Your Highness Leon. As Iris said, you truly are a very talented individual. I must admit, I envy King Orphans for having a successor like you."

The man seated on the throne spoke.

The man on the throne, scepter in hand, crown upon his head, and a crimson cloak draped over his shoulders, exuded a regal presence—though his eyes were easily read by someone like Leon.

There was no doubt this man was the King of Midgar, father to both Alexia and Iris.

"Your Majesty, I thought this would be a private conversation. Frankly, the number of people here surprises me," Leon said without bowing.

"Haha! Don't worry. These are only people I trust completely."

"I see..."

Leon narrowed his eyes, smiling inwardly.

Classic. Gathering allies to try and pressure me with numbers. A cheap tactic, useless against him.

He remained unfazed. In fact, this made his plan even easier.

His eyes swept over everyone in the room: the king, the queen, the knight commander, the finance minister, and the prime minister.

It truly was a gathering of top officials.

He could take them all at once.

"Ahem! This incident was our kingdom's fault. Your Highness Leon was wrongfully attacked by our knights. I sincerely apologize. If you require compensation, just name it."

"Oh? Compensation?"

"As long as it's within my power. By the way, I heard you and Alexia have a good relationship. How about I offer her to you? No need to make her your first wife—grant her the status of concubine. But if you prefer Iris, please make her your primary wife."

Leon stifled a laugh. He's really willing to auction off his own daughters for influence?

"Your Majesty is generous," he said with veiled irony. "And if I wanted both princesses?"

"Depending on what you offer in return… perhaps," the king smiled. "For example, your wind dragon. Could we lease it for... 50 years?"

Leon was nearly amused by the bargain. The king cast a glance at the queen, as if she was already planning a new heir. In his eyes, his daughters were game pieces—disposable.

I suppose it's worth trading both my daughters for a dragon.

As for the heir... he and the queen would simply have to work hard to produce another son.

In any case, he preferred a boy to succeed him.

"Your Majesty… with all due respect," Leon said, eyes half-lidded, "perhaps you were born for commerce, not for the crown."

"Your Highness, I must remind you, although our side erred, you also killed members of our knights."

"Self-defense, of course. Nothing more than a few disposable lives, correct? Doesn't that match your benevolent attitude toward me?"

The king chuckled lightly. "Indeed, I wish my next son would be as audacious as Your Highness."

King Midgar looked at Leon with admiration.

But Leon wanted to flip him off.

The only reason he spoke with the king was to see how different a king could be from his own father, but now Leon had lost interest in continuing.

He was done with the theater.

He raised a hand to his face, fingers resting on his left eye.

"The game ends here. I came for one thing only."

"Oh? Then speak your desire. I'll do my best to grant it."

Leon smiled coldly.

"I want the Kingdom of Midgar itself. And in the name of Leon Fol Palettia… I order all of you to surrender to me!"

"Your Highness, what are you talking ab—yes."

The red Geass sigil shot from Leon's left eye, imprinting itself upon the eyes of the king, the queen, the prime minister, the knight commander, and the finance minister, instantly dominating their thoughts.

They froze, minds, wills, and souls seized by a single absolute command: Obey me.

These noble figures—who could order life or death with a mere gesture—rose and descended the steps toward Leon.

The knight commander knelt and offered his sword.

The finance minister brought forth contracts and coffers.

The king, hands trembling, removed his crown and extended his scepter.

The queen bowed to the floor in complete reverence.

"Yes, my Lord."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Yes... my master..."

And Leon grandly stepped past them, climbing toward the throne.

The moment he sat on the throne—

The moon had just risen into place, its light casting down upon his figure—elegant and sacred.

"It's not as beautiful as the throne Gama prepared for me. Never mind, I'll settle for it… for now. I hereby declare that, from this moment on, the Kingdom of Midgar belongs to me!"

Suddenly, dozens of women in black emerged from the shadows of the hall. They gathered before the throne and knelt toward the young man seated above.

The eight most stunning among them stood on the steps, side by side. Among them, Alpha and C.C. stood closest to Leon, flanking the throne.

All the others cried out in unison:

"Glory to Master Midnight!!"

"Glory to Master Midnight!!"

"Glory to Master Midnight!!"

"Glory to Master Midnight!!"

"Glory to Master Midnight!!"

The hall filled with their praise.

Fanatical applause followed, and they felt deeply honored to witness the scene.

Suddenly, a melody began to play.

The intoxicating tune performed by Epsilon floated through the air, as though blessing the moment—a triumphant symphony dedicated to the rise of their Lord. Every note resonated with reverence, adoration, and the absolute victory of a plan beyond human comprehension.

On the steps, Beta trembled—not with fear, but with awe. The tip of her pen scratched the paper with fury and fervor, as if her words could immortalize that legendary moment.

"Yes… this scene will be the prologue of a new world…!" she thought, eyes gleaming. Then, unable to contain herself, she too shouted with passion:

"Congratulations! We, the loyal servants of the supreme monarch, Lord Dark Night—unmatched in wisdom and invincible in might—have witnessed the conquest of the knight's kingdom! A new era begins today!"

The hall reverberated with her cry and the applause of the Shadow agents. The victory was complete.

Seated upon the throne, Leon rested with elegance—one leg crossed over the other, fingers calmly supporting his chin. He was the embodiment of a king: refined, absolute, and in control of all.

"Do not worry," he said, his voice calm but laden with authority. "I did not come as a bloodthirsty conqueror, nor as a tyrant. I came as the one who will free you from the chains of your own weakness."

He raised his gaze, the shadow of the scepter dancing beneath the moonlight.

"With me… this kingdom shall rise to heights it never dared to dream. Prosperity. Order. Stability. All of this shall be yours, under my command."

The former rulers, bound by Geass, replied in unison:

"We shall obey Your Highness's command!" ×4

Leon smiled as a certain silver-haired princess came to mind.

"Good. Thank your daughter later. If not for her, I wouldn't have been so generous. There were other paths… far less gentle."

The queen trembled. The king lowered his head even further.

---

(End of Chapter)

"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."