Beyond the Throne: The Monarch's Return

"Thank you, sir!"

"Enjoy your meal!"

Ian headed to the center of the town. 

And the main gate was the spot where Ian's gaze landed.

'Is this what it feels like?'

Ian's emotions as he gazed at the main gate were beyond words.

A whopping 10 years.

He had lived in this duke's castle for 10 years.

But he had never felt this way before.

'It's magnificent. And it feels reassuring.'

It was different for his past self.

He remembered when he was insulted by other nobles because he came in through the back gate.

For some reason, the sight of the Duke frowning at him.

It greatly changed his impression on the main gate.

'I was scared. I didn't even want to see it anymore.'

But now the beginning had changed.

'The gatekeeper and the castle gate look great.'

Like that, Ian smiled proudly and headed toward the drawbridge. 

It was a central fortress wall heading to the town center. 

It was crowded with countless people. It would probably take quite a while to pass through.

'People don't know my face yet.'

It was then. 

"Get out of the way! Make way for the noble!"

"!"

The gatekeeper who saw Ian immediately raised his voice.

People stepped aside at the gatekeeper's words.

It was a natural attitude as if it should have been so. At last, people bowed their heads to him.

Ian wondered what happened, but soon he could see the reason. 

"It's a knight, knight!"

'Ah. You've recognized Galon and Nathan.'

However, the gatekeeper's gaze was directed at Ian.

"You have two knights."

"!" 

"I do not know which family you are from, but we welcome your visit. Come, this way, please."

Even he welcomed Ian with a polite attitude. Perhaps Ian looked unusual.

And when Ian passed by, people bowed their heads.

But it was then.

'!'

Feeling Galon's strange gaze, Ian tilted his head.

"Galon? What's wrong?"

"… Prince, are you okay?"

"What?"

"When other people bow their heads to the prince. Umm… Don't you feel uncomfortable?"

"!"

The commoner Galon knew what it was like.

He used to be unable to endure the sudden respect and courtesy of others. There was no need for them to go that far.

That's what had happened ever since he was appointed as a knight.

'I was often ignored because I was just a humble man. That didn't change even after I became a knight.'

But the prince was different.

Even in this situation, he had a calm, or rather, a composed appearance as if it was the most natural thing to do.

It was by no means an expression that a former serf would make.

'If it was acting, it would've already been obvious.'

Instead, Ian smiled in confidence.

"All of them are my people. I'm not particularly uncomfortable."

After all, they were the people of his own kingdom.

Ian had already fully grasped his role as a member of the royal family.

'Is this the one who carries royal blood?'

At that moment, he remembered the princes and princesses in the royal palace and the highest-ranking dukes in the hierarchy. 

Ian was still young, but he exuded a completely different aura from them. 

It's like saying if there's a true king, he would be like that.

Ian just passed Galon, who still had a strange look on his face. Somehow Ian felt like he knew what he was thinking.

But it didn't matter.

'Galon is the most faithful servant of the Duke. It takes more effort to make him my person.'

Efforts to make Galon his knight would continue.

Showing dignity as a royal family was also part of his efforts.

He had to work harder so that Galon could accept him as his liege.

'I don't know how to make you my person yet.'

Ian reached out his hand without much thought nevertheless. 

That wasn't important to him now.

"How much is this?"

"Oh… It's just one copper."

T/N : For the currency, we'll use coin. The raw is 1동만 and this part is a bit unclear. Any suggestion is welcome. 

"Can you give me as many as the people I have here?"

"Of course. I'll give it to you right away."

It was the first time in his life.

Buying and eating something on the street like ordinary people.

And Galon was watching Ian with a tinge of excitement.

It was then.

"Sir, take a look at this too!"

"!"

At the call from the side, Ian opened his eyes wide. 

It was a street stall selling small daggers.

The furry-looking old man burst into laughter.

"These are the weapons I made. They are all works created with my family's secret technique, so please have a look at it."

"Ah. I still need a weapon."

When Ian picked up a dagger, Nathan quickly whispered to Ian.

"Let's just go. At best, it's only the work of a third-class blacksmith. After we reach the castle, I'll take you to a great place."

As if hearing the whisper, the stall owner got angry.

"Are you done talking now? No matter how much you carelessly use the items that contain the heartfelt technique of our family…"

Instead of answering, Nathan waved Ian's chosen weapon.

"Look. The center of gravity is a mess and the blade isn't even properly sharpened. Are you asking me to pay for this kind of weapon?"

"…"

"In the first place, you couldn't even pay taxes, so you don't even have your own shop. In this kingdom, it is the norm to buy weapons at weapon stores. If it is indeed a useful item, it must have been sold in a proper store or not sold on the street."

Ian didn't like the way Nathan acted.

At that glance, Nathan immediately changed his words.

"How much is this great dagger chosen by the prince?"

"25 silver—"

"What? Do you think it makes sense to pay that much for this crap?"

"If you don't want to buy it, give it back to me."

Twenty-five silver was the cost of living for an average family for several years. It's not a burden for a knight, but it's not worth the money to buy such a dagger like this.

It was natural for Nathan to be fuming in anger.

But that wasn't the case with Ian.

'This is without a doubt a weapon that won't function in this kingdom.'

Ian did not recognize the blacksmith in front of him. 

But he knew what kind of work this was. A strangely misaligned center of gravity, a dull blade. Because that was the trademark of a certain weapon.

'This is a [Magic Sword] for sure.'

Ian's eyes changed.

Certainly, in the eyes of the knights, the sword was a defective product without any function no matter how much they rubbed their eyes.

However.

'It's a weapon that the wizards from the other kingdom will be amazed by.'

It wasn't called [Magic Sword] for nothing.

A sword that was not only able to easily hold magic but was also optimized for casting magic as well.

But he hadn't heard of this blacksmith who made this weapon from inherited techniques of his ancestors until now.

Then it was clear what Ian should do.

"Sir Nathan. I like this sword."

"Excuse me? That shit… You're going to buy this weapon?!"

In the end, he rejected his order, and as Nathan hurriedly tried to make Ian change his mind. 

"Sir Nathan! Sir Galon!"

The two knights flinched at the familiar voice.

When they turned their heads, a neatly dressed middle-aged man was approaching them in a hurry.

Ian recognized him immediately.

'Isn't that the second master's butler?'

Ian found this interesting. 

Normally, that butler was supposed to be waiting in the Duke's castle. 

Ian couldn't believe he came out to the square on his own two feet.

'Why did he come here?'

The future was changing ever since his decision to go through the main gate.

It was then. 

"You have quite a good-looking face."

"!"

A soft mumbling. 

It was the butler.

He stared at Ian with ridiculing eyes as if looking at a lowly serf who was fortunate enough to dress in fancy clothes.

It wasn't a very good feeling.

'But it's the kind of gaze I've received often in the past.'

The butler soon turned to Nathan.

He didn't even greet Ian. 

"The second young master ordered me to bring the prince as soon as possible. He is furious because it is already too late."

Galon and Nathan frowned in displeasure at his words, and Ian only smirked.

Even though he was the son of a duke, he dared give orders to officially appointed knights.

Moreover, knights only followed their master who appointed them.

Now, the second son's behavior was a blatant act of overstepping his authority.

Just by looking at Nathan's face stiffening, Ian could tell what he was thinking.

'Nathan is definitely the second son of a marquis.'

Both were the second sons of a noble family, yet the other lacked dignity. The knights Galon and Nathan were not aristocrats without titles.

However, the two knights looked unpleasant for different reasons.

"Bring the prince? That's right, you tell the prince to go, so we should follow, right?"

"!"

The butler turned to look at Galon as if displeased with Nathan's cold words.

"Galon!"

"I'm also in charge of escorting. Unless the prince allows it, I can't move first."

"What? So you're against the will of the second young master."

It was just that moment.

Shiiiiing!

A sword was pulled out of Nathan's waist. The place where his sword was pointed was right in front of the butler's neck.

Nathan growled like a beast.

"Are you my master?"

"!"

"Get lost. Knights don't listen to anyone's orders."

A long time ago, the oath of the knights was directed to their masters. However, in the present day, the oath of the knights was directed to themselves. 

The tip of the blade touched the butler's skin.

The butler's face turned pale.

But it was then.

"Hey."

"Pardon, yes? Me?"

The butler was surprised to hear Ian's voice calling him out. He didn't even realize he had spoken respectfully to Ian, whom he had just looked down on.

Ian also didn't care.

"Can you buy me this? I don't have money."

"Pardon? What?"

Ian held out the sword and looked at the stall owner.

"How much did you say this was?"

"25 silver."

"Is that so?"

The butler was flustered.

"Oh no, why do I…"

It's frightening enough that a sword appeared before his neck out of the blue, but now he was suddenly asked to pay as much as 25 silver! 

But he couldn't help it.

"If you give me this, I'll ask Sir Nathan to put down the sword."

"!!"

The butler swallowed his saliva. 

It was all the more so since this frivolous man would kill him if he didn't pay for it right now.

However, Ian smiled subtly.

'He's the second son's guy. Come to think of it, it's been a while since we saw each other.'

They were the ones the Duke attached as his aides, and also one of the people who must have sent him the damn clothes. 

'Should I teach him a lesson this time?'

At the end, the butler, who paid the money, bowed his head and shot Ian a glare.

Perhaps because of Ian's eye-catching appearance, the butler was hurried as the townspeople started to flock, watching the commotion.

"Then… Now that you're done with your business, let's go to the castle."

Ian replied calmly to his words.

"Why? There's still a lot to see."

The butler swallowed back his curse. 

***

After shopping for a while.

"Do you know what time it is now?!"

The Duke's second son, whom Ian met in the audience room of the castle after a long time, was furious.

He even forgot that Ian was a prince and got angry.

"Is it you? Do you dare make the one who has been favored by His Excellency the Duke waiting?"

"Hold on! Young Master, please mind your words. You are talking to…"

"Does not matter. He hasn't been officially certified yet, right? Anyway, you—"

However, Ian ignored his opponent and calmly asked.

"Who is this?"

Galon answered the question. 

"This is Heinley Berestroin, the second son of the Duke."

"His surname isn't Garcia?"

"Only the eldest son of Duke Garcia inherits the surname. He will inherit the name of another count."

The guy called Heinley was an arrogant man. 

He treated Ian as if he was a freeloader and dared not to apologize to Ian.

But that impression was only temporary.

"Then he is nothing."

"What?"

"Right? I'm a prince, but isn't he an ordinary person who's only going to be a count?"

"Of-of course that's true, but…"

Hearing that, Heinley could not stand it anymore.

No matter how much Ian called himself a prince, he would not be recognized as a prince unless he was acknowledged by the king.

Unless there's an unshakeable proof for that!

As expected, Heinley stomped toward Ian with a haughty demeanor.

"You're just a kid that hasn't been acknowledged yet!"

Just at that moment.

Ian snorted and pulled out something.

"!"

Heinley, Galon, and Nathan were astonished by the object.

They had no choice but to do so.

'That's…'

What Ian took out was none other than a necklace, a relic of his mother.

He lost it in the past, but this time, he was holding it for sure.

Ian showed the crest inside the necklace to everyone.

"This is a crest and a sacred treasure given only to the Kaistein royal family. Will you doubt my existence even in front of this!"

Galon, Nathan, and even the attendants were stunned at the sight.

Without delay, they immediately fell to their knees.

It was the absolute symbol of the royal family and could not be replaced by any proof.

And in front of the crest, all the people of this Kaistein Kingdom must bow down in reverence.

However, Heinley, who was embarrassed, instead approached Ian fearlessly. 

"You damn serf! Give it to me! Where did you forge the crest—"

But right at that moment. 

"The Duke is entering!"

"!"

He had arrived at the audience room.