Simultaneous Travel: Becoming a Legend in the Heavens.

Chapter 511 Good children shouldn't listen to these things
The Royal Palace of Lugnica, the Kingdom of the Dragon.

Inside the highest decision-making meeting room, a group of elderly people, all over fifty years old and dressed in solemn white attire, sat in their respective seats. They were a council of wise men who handled various political affairs during the period when the royal family had been lost.

At this moment, the group of elders who had temporarily assumed the King's authority, essentially the Lugnica Council of Elders, were whispering and discussing among themselves. Finally, they selected an elder to ask a question to the person standing in the center of the meeting room.

"So, the new chosen one can make the touchstone on the emblem shine extremely brightly, even more brightly than the deceased royals or even the emperor, is that right, Sword Saint Reinhard?"

"Yes."

At the center of the vortex, Reinhard, with his fiery red hair, resolute eyes, and upright posture, nodded solemnly, his voice clear and resonant:
"Judging from my eyesight, it wouldn't be an exaggeration for Prince Luke to say that the dragon Polkenica has been transformed into a human and is walking in the world."

A cacophony of voices arose, a mixture of confusion, doubt, probing, and relief. Though noisy, it was also well-paced; though contradictory, they moved in unison.

For the Dragon Kingdom, those who are favored by the dragon are naturally the most qualified to become kings. Even if the previous royal family had not been wiped out, some of them might have chosen to rebel, let alone now.

"Then, the new chosen one, His Highness Luke, is male, and not a young child or a frail old man, but a young man. He is mentally mature, in his prime, and his physical and mental strength are at their peak?"

"Yes."

Reinhard reiterated his affirmation, "Not only that, His Highness Luke is exceptionally handsome and physically imposing, far surpassing ordinary people, and may even possess strength comparable to mine."

"Strength no less than yours... Are you sure?"

"The Dragon Sword Red can be drawn when facing him; this is information I received from the 'Blessing of the Sword Saint'."

The commotion resumed, more intense and prolonged than before.

"Then what shortcomings do you think His Highness Luke has?"

Reinhard frowned, deep in thought, before slowly speaking:
"The contact time was too short for me to make a judgment... But if I had to say, Princess Priscilla's attendant Al asked me for help, claiming that his princess had provoked a powerful figure, namely Prince Luke, and was kidnapped on the spot."

"When I arrived at the scene that evening, Princess Priscilla and Prince Luke were already in a rather intimate relationship, and the Sun Princess was clearly the weaker party."

The elder of the Sages' Guild nodded: "I see... So what is the shortcoming you mentioned?"

Reinhard, who thought he had explained things very clearly, frowned in confusion.

"It's obvious that kidnapping a woman simply because she was provoked is not gentlemanly, and establishing an intimate relationship with a woman in just one day is emotionally frivolous..."

"..."

The elder of the Sages' Council twitched almost imperceptibly at the corner of his mouth, wanting to grab the red-haired swordsman by the neck and tell him that they were choosing a king to rule Lugnica, not an upright and honest knight.

It would be more accurate to say that "charm" or "fertility" should have been included in the selection criteria for the king long ago. If the male members of the royal family had been "frivolous" enough before, they wouldn't have all died out at once, leaving them to choose a king from four "Dragon Witches".

However, the Sword Saint was incredibly powerful and enjoyed considerable prestige among the people, so the elder could only offer a lukewarm reply:

"This is no big deal for those in positions of power."

Reinhard was silent for a few seconds, then smiled helplessly.

"So, what is the opinion of the Sages' Council? In my opinion, although Prince Luke has some minor flaws, he is still the best choice for the throne, and his priority is even higher than the four 'Dragon Witches'."

This statement translates to an attempt to overturn the previously proposed royal selection plan, which involved having the four "Dragon Witches" develop their own power, achieve merits to gain support, and ultimately decide the winner. Instead, the plan was to directly appoint Luke as the King of Lugnica.

Having discovered a new chosen one, Reinhard, who had sworn allegiance, now had an allegiance. Even if he couldn't easily offer political assistance to Luke due to his special status and position, he should still do his best for his king.

All his statements were based on solid evidence and contained no lies.

The room was filled with the sounds of bustling conversation and heated debates. Amidst the discussions of contradictions and disagreements, the elder, acting as the representative, spoke in a deep voice.

"Without a doubt, His Highness Luke is the most suitable candidate to become king..."

Reinhard was secretly pleased and a faint smile appeared on his face, but it froze the next second.

"However... the selection ceremony must still continue!"

"We will bring forward the royal selection ceremony, change the conditions for ascending the throne, and allow the five candidates for the throne to compete quickly. We sincerely hope that His Highness Luke will win."

The elder said calmly, "If what you say is true, then that person will surely be the final victor."

Reinhardt pursed his lips, showing displeasure: "If this is the result of the Sages' Council's discussion, I have no objection, but I need an explanation."

"Male, young and strong, with a good appearance, and according to you, he has the same sacred bloodline as the divine dragon Polkenica. His strength is so great that even the Sword Saint and the Dragon Sword acknowledge it. He made the proud Sun Princess submit to him in a short time. From any angle, he is a perfect candidate for the throne."

The elder listed Lu Ke's conditions one by one, then changed the subject, his voice becoming exceptionally serious.

"It's precisely because he's too perfect, too much in line with expectations, that he seems 'abnormal.' It's impossible for someone like him to be unknown before you discovered him, right? Yet he suddenly appeared at the start of the royal selection. No matter how you look at it, it's suspicious..."

Even as one of the four great powers, Lugnica is beset by internal and external troubles: the five chosen ones and their supporting forces, the threat from the other three great powers, and the witch cultists and archbishops of sin who are constantly wreaking havoc around the world... Even the Sages' Council has its share of people who worry that an overly powerful emperor will become uncontrollable.

"That's why we need to test whether it's a great king who can lead Lugnica to glory, or a meteor with favorable conditions but an unclear true nature that will disappear in an instant. Let the facts speak for themselves."

Reinhardt's brows slowly relaxed, and he nodded, probably acknowledging the statement.

"Understood. I believe His Highness Luke will be the final victor."

He stood up decisively, revealing a refreshing smile that eased the serious atmosphere.

"Then I'll take my leave now. Today was actually my shift, but I took the opportunity to slack off a little while reporting on my work. But it's time to get back to my post."

Just before the Sword Saint was about to leave the room, the elder behind him called out to him.

"Reinhard, could you tell us why you chose that prince?"

As Lugnica's strongest fighter, and arguably the strongest fighter in the world, Reinhard was specially established from a young age as the "Reinhard Law," restricting his movement and access. Reinhard's existence is a crucial cornerstone for Lugnica.

"Ha~ This is a really hard question to answer."

Reinhard stopped and pondered seriously, resting his chin on his hand: "If it were a weak girl, I would probably bow down to her out of pity and responsibility, but Prince Luke is an amazing strongman in every way. What do you think my purpose was in choosing him?"

"Reinhard, stop being so mysterious and just be clear."

Reinhard sighed and, with a hint of embarrassment, smoothed the red hair on his forehead.

"There are things a knight cannot do. Drawing his sword against royalty is very wrong, but it should be fine as a reward for helping someone ascend to the throne."

The elder stared in astonishment at Reinhard, who had always appeared indifferent to desires. His dignified face changed, as if a crack appeared, revealing a vivid and lively expression.

"It has been a long time since I have encountered a worthy opponent. The Four Elves, the Three Great Beasts, the Nine Divine Generals, the Praisers, and even the Archbishops of Sin who wreak havoc on all sides... It is a pity that I cannot fight against them, but someone more worthy of anticipation has appeared."

"I long for a thrilling battle, one that I might lose," the Sword Saint said, expressing his desire.

…………

Roswaal's mansion on the border of the kingdom.

After teasing Roswaal and the two oni maids, Luke, under the suspicious gaze of the mansion's owner, grabbed Sato Kazuma, who was wolfing down his food, said he was going to take his henchman to learn magic, and then waved and slipped away.

Priscilla sized up the two demon girls for a moment, gave a disdainful snort, and strode away haughtily. The others finished their meal in an unusual atmosphere and returned to their rooms.

"What a pity, I thought Lu Ke would make a move against you..."

Parker leaned on Emilia's shoulder, who was studying politics, and said listlessly.

"What do you mean by 'getting something'? Mr. Luke wouldn't do anything bad to me, Parker." Emilia, not understanding what was going on, tossed her long, silver hair and gave a pure smile.

"Although he made an unreasonable request at first, it was clearly just a joke. Mr. Luke is a very gentle person."

Parker felt a sense of helplessness at being defeated by his daughter's innocence, and he affectionately stroked Emilia's cheek:
"Does Lia like Luke?"

"Of course, I am very grateful for Mr. Luke and Priscilla's help. Ah... Kazuma-san too. As for Subaru Natsuki, calling me the Witch of Envy before was probably just a misunderstanding."

"That's not what I meant..."

Parker sighed softly. Rationally, he also hoped that Emilia would remain as pure, innocent, obedient, and adorable as she was now, but ever since she participated in the royal selection, she had been exposed to the enemy.

The silver-haired half-elf is the most distinctive feature of the "Envy Witch" Satella. Emilia also has the same appearance as Satella. Knowing this, the Witch Cult will definitely come looking for trouble.

It doesn't matter if it becomes a canary, or even if it's not the only mate of that powerful being. It only hopes that Emilia can have a means to protect herself and find shelter in places it can't take care of.

Puck flew to Emilia and earnestly instructed her, "Listen carefully, Emilia. Luke's words were just polite. After all, he owes us a huge favor, which Rem and Ram can't repay with just a smile. You still need to thank him properly, understand?"

"Okay, I'll try to talk to Mr. Lu Ke more."

"Yes, I believe that as long as Lia hangs around in front of Luke more often, she will definitely become his target."

The old father believed in his daughter's charm!

Emilia relaxed and lay on the table, poking Puck's belly with a slightly embarrassed look. Then she scratched her cheek, her soft voice tinged with anticipation.

"Actually, I really want to have a good chat with Mr. Luke. His background is a bit like mine, half-elf, an outcast or something, maybe he was ostracized by others in the past..."

"I feel like we'll have a lot in common, Parker."

Parker: "..."

This feeling of wanting my daughter to get married soon, yet also being reluctant to let her fall for a bad man, is truly contradictory.

…………

"Ugh, this kind of scene is really physically uncomfortable; it's practically hell for us academic underachievers."

Upon entering the large bookstore, Kazuma Sato shuddered at the sight of the bookshelves and the densely packed books.

"So where is the teacher who imparts skills? There's not a soul in sight here."

"Probably because they were afraid I would hide."

Luke took a few steps forward, looked around, and smiled. He then pulled Betty out from the gap between the bookshelves, where she had been silently hiding in the shadows, causing her to let out a startled cat-like cry.

"Betty, my friend wants to learn magic. Could you please guide him for a while?"

Luke ruffled Beatrice's hair and then casually fiddled with the elf's peculiar vertical scroll.

"Whew~ The magic to erase presence is useless!"

At this moment, Beatrice's crystallization had basically disappeared. It seemed that she had used a special magic storage method to hide the excess mana elsewhere. She was puffing out her cheeks in a huff, looking quite dissatisfied.

“‘Betty’ is a name only close friends and family members can use. You’re not allowed to call me that.”

Luke didn't seem to mind and smiled at Beatrice: "So you're going to refuse my request?"

"...Betty never said anything like that."

Beatrice pouted and glared fiercely at Luke. "If you don't agree, you'll get knocked out by Betty like before. Don't even think about having that chance!"

"Dizzy?"

Kazuma Sato glanced at Beatrice, who was short and slender and looked like a child, and then at Luke, who was much taller and more robust than him. With a complicated expression, he lowered his head and reached out to tug at Luke's sleeve.

"Lu Ke, although you're a cunning, ruthless, shameless person who likes to boss others around, and you're basically a complete scoundrel except for your strength and wealth, you actually have a pretty good impression on me. After all, I'm not exactly a decent person either..."

Luke: "What are you trying to say?"

Kazuma Sato gave him a "I misjudged you" look: "People still need to have a bottom line. It's so tasteless to go after a little girl like that. It's absolutely unacceptable..."

He covered the side of his face facing Beatrice with his hand and added quickly and discreetly in a low voice.

"At most in dreams..."

The main problem is the size difference; it feels like this tiny little girl doesn't even have thighs... cough cough, anyway, it's too sinful!

Lu Ke: "..."

You'd still be a decent person if you hadn't said that last sentence.

“I didn’t do anything bad to Betty, and she’s over four hundred years old. Even among elves, she’s one of the oldest. She’s no longer a little girl; she should be called a BBA.”

Kazuma Sato was shocked and gasped, "Hiss~ She's actually the third most popular legal loli in my personal favorites list?"

Lu Ke: "..."

Damn, he suddenly became curious about what the top two spots on the leaderboard were.

Beatrice, standing nearby, had a bulging forehead and was trembling with anger. Their conversation was filled with the term "loli," and although she didn't know what it meant, it was incredibly infuriating...

Sure enough, a jerk's friend is still a jerk!

(End of this chapter)