Chapter: 235
Naturally, it was I who bestowed the title and name of the “King of Knights” upon the boy king Lucius.
In a world devoid of the concept of knights, I was the only one capable of granting such a title.
Through the title “King of Knights,” the concept of knighthood began to spread. Little by little, ever so gradually, the notion of honor began to take root.
I aimed to propagate the concept of knighthood through the most powerful boy king and utilize those who admired him to disseminate this idea widely. That was why the title “King of Knights” was conferred upon boy king Lucius.
People naturally long to emulate those they admire. The propagation of this concept was merely a clever utilization of that trait.
Much to my surprise, this approach proved more effective than anticipated, and the previously non-existent concept of knighthood swiftly reached the ears of the powerful.
A knight loyal to his lord and a protector of the weak.
A knight who values honor and respects others.
Beings fundamentally different from the existing soldiers, warriors, and hunters.
Knights bearing noble missions have always strived to do what is right.
The sight of such individuals was a refreshing shock to many, so it was only natural that the number of those who admired these knights began to rise.
Of course, there were some who scoffed at the idea of such knights as meaningless, but those were shallow individuals lacking an understanding of honor, and they found themselves on the receiving end of disdain. Before long, they had no choice but to bury such attitudes deep down.
And so, the concept of knighthood gradually spread.
Just as I had planned.
Phew. Seriously, how violent can humans become when there are no guidelines in place?
A piece of land. A crowd of people. A handful of food. Just over such trivial things, people who would willingly wound each other were hardly manageable.
Especially those self-proclaimed kings. Those who possess much, yet desire even more, inciting wars to satisfy their greed.
Such characters were endlessly unsatisfied and continued to stir up trouble.
Honestly, with the level of development we’ve achieved, I thought we might soon see the emergence of an early form of civilization, but the savagery nestled deep within humans simply won’t dissipate.
Despite the teachings of the Church of Life and the strict laws of Shamash clearly distinguishing what is unacceptable from what is permissible, this is the result… Hmm.
If Shamash and I hadn’t tightened the reins to the bare minimum… what a mess that would have turned into! Perhaps we’d have seen dreadful events like massacres in wars and the horrifying act of consuming one’s own kind as food?
Thank the stars that didn’t happen. Sigh.
Anyway, the concept of a knight, as exemplified by the King of Knights, demonstrated to many the demeanor of a responsible being.
Beings who enjoy much yet also bear significant responsibilities.
Those who earn the people’s support, nurture and protect them, while collecting the taxes offered by the populace.
Those who shoulder their responsibilities and fulfill their duties.
In the past, they were merely scoundrels who wielded power to oppress the weak for personal gain… The concept of knighthood gifted them honor and dignity, transforming them into nobles.
Sure, the term “noble” existed prior, but back then, it simply referred to the rich and powerful.
Now, it’s bound to change.
Through the concept of knighthood, they’ve discovered the essence of nobility.
Of course, I never believed everyone would conform to this. That would be preposterous. Absolutely preposterous.
This world is teeming with countless people and an infinite variety of thoughts.
Some may refuse to accept such concepts, and others might merely mimic them to reap benefits.
Yet, compared to the times when such ideas didn’t even exist, we’re talking about a vast difference.
0 and 1 are wholly different entities.
Hmm. I’ve strayed a bit in my thoughts. Ahem.
Regardless, the King of Knights has showcased an impressive performance, just as I envisioned.
Armed with an undefeated army and noble honor, he subjugated other nations, further expanding his realm.
This knight king had twelve capable vassals who surpassed racial boundaries… Hmm. Not that it’s worth delving into further.
By the way, there was no round table. Just so you know.
Clears throat. In any case, the Knight King, showcasing dazzling exploits time and again, only halted his advance after conquering a territory twice the size of Arcadia, then began to shift focus to internal affairs.
Though territory expanded through repeated conquests, the lands were barely in better shape than wastelands, ravaged by unorganized efforts.
The Knight King had to allocate more time to internal governance than to conquest.
Naturally, ruling over all those territories was beyond the capability of the King of Knights with his current knowledge… so he sought to gather as much knowledge as possible through his vassals.
Not only the kings who had governed before, but also the temple priests, the wizards of Procyon, and even elves, dwarves, and beastfolk.
To acquire the knowledge necessary for effective rule, the Knight King and his vassals scoured the lands in search of that knowledge.
What reached the ears of the king was the rumor of a wise sage.
A sage from the deep forest, who it was said lent wisdom to the hero Rychlen. Despite the passage of time when a human might typically perish, the tale claimed this sage still remained alive.
There were even whispers that the sage was not human but belonged to a long-lived race, akin to elves.
After hearing this rumor, the Knight King sought the depths of the forest where the sage supposedly resided.
Surely, if Rychlen received help from the sage in his journey beyond this life, he too would be capable of imparting valuable knowledge.
And so, the Knight King ventured forth to seek the sage.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
“Why does Your Majesty strive to resolve everything by yourself?”
At the sage’s opening words, the King of Knights found his tongue momentarily tied.
“By myself…?”
“You are not an omnipotent being, Your Majesty. You merely stand above many and bear responsibility for them.”
The King of Knights listened silently to the sage’s counsel.
“You are not an almighty deity. What you can manage are numerous subordinates and subjects. Therefore, should you not govern this land through them?”
“Govern through my subjects and people…?”
“It’s feasible for one person to govern a single city. Even if the city grows larger, it remains achievable. But how can one person control twenty or thirty cities along with the countless villages that encompass them?”
The sage’s words were undeniably accurate. Numerous affairs concerning cities and towns awaited attention. The mountain-high backlog of documents meant it was impossible for the king to read and verify each one.
“Don’t attempt to shoulder all burdens alone. Utilize your subordinates. If the load is too great for one, share it with others.”
“But how can I share? This territory belongs to me.”
“All authority ultimately lies with the king; lending governance over the land to your subjects is simply a part of that.”
“Lending…?”
The sage articulated calmly.
“The king delegates the right to manage lands and settlements to his subjects, and in return, they share a portion of the yield or resources garnered from this management with the king. That way, the subjects act as the king’s representatives.”
“Representatives…?”
“Of course, you aren’t completely handing over control of the land and villages, just the right to manage them. Therefore, the land remains the king’s. Your vassal governs it and offers a share of the yield to you, keeping the remainder for themselves.”
The king nodded slowly. It was a reasonable proposition. Yet, being an unfamiliar notion, uneasiness lingered.
“I’m still anxious about matters I don’t directly govern…”
“Anxiety… Does Your Majesty not trust his vassals?”
“No, it’s not that. I have faith in my vassals. But what about my offspring? My descendants? Will those who inherit this crown manage to win the hearts of all subjects? Might a talented descendant of a vassal not rise and seek to usurp the throne?”
The king gazed into the future. While he may have no issues during his lifetime, the scenario could differ for his heirs.
Thus, the worry persisted.
“Then how about this approach?”
The sage spoke as if to alleviate such concern.
“It’s about erecting barriers between the vassals to maintain checks on one another.”
“Barriers?”
“Oh, I don’t mean physical walls. It’s merely a metaphor. Doesn’t it follow that not all vassals will be equal?”
The king nodded at the sage’s reasoning.
While all vassals could be termed loyal, they clearly didn’t possess equal abilities.
Some would accomplish great feats, others minor ones, and a few might even stumble but manage to escape with their lives.
Not all vassals were created equal.
“It’s about partitioning the vassals like a wall amongst them. According to their efforts and capabilities, let one capable of governing one city handle one, while those able to manage three cities oversee three. It hinges on the merits they’ve earned.”
“Based on contributions… dividing…”
“If the merits among all vassals aren’t equal, then equal rewards for all would be problematic. Great deeds deserve great rewards, and small deeds deserve small rewards. Thus, a wall is established among them.”
“Establish barriers…”
The king found himself in deep contemplation. To him, all vassals were merely companions aiming toward the same objectives. He’d never discriminated among them.
Yet the sage had a compelling argument. If someone who had achieved significant accomplishments were to receive the same reward as someone with far lesser merits, discontent would naturally arise.
That would indeed be fair.
At the sight of the king, the sage smiled.
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