blogombal Page 257
Page 257
Ota clenched his fists, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.
However, in this matter, this matter that only concerned himself, he still retained a slight obsession beyond that of a monarch.
The image of that figure that had captivated him three years ago surfaced in his mind, and Ota's expression became somewhat pained, hesitant, and struggling. But what ultimately awakened him was... the gaze of a subject and the responsibility of being a king.
"Alas, Tus, you have won."
Sitting in his seat, Ota sighed deeply, suddenly appearing somewhat lost and dejected.
"Your Highness?!" Tus was startled, and stood up abruptly, trembling. He was somewhat surprised and delighted. "You...you mean...?"
With a hint of struggle still lingering on his face, Ota spoke weakly, each word seeming to represent a difficult decision:
"Regarding the Princess... you should go and make the preparations first, I will... cooperate."
Prince Ota closed his eyes heavily.
"Okay! I will do my best to find the most suitable candidate for you!"
Overwhelmed by intense joy, Tus did not notice his prince's emotions. He bowed and took his leave, preparing to personally handle the most important matter in the kingdom in the past six months!
The sound of Tuss faded away in the study, leaving only solitude and silence.
Ota slowly stood up, and after a long while, he suddenly shook his head with a self-deprecating smile:
Does it suit my taste...?
The kingdom's queen doesn't need to conform to his wishes, but rather to conform to politics, marriage alliances, interests, and public sentiment... Apart from that, his wishes are the least important factor.
As the successor to the kingdom, all he could do was choose the most suitable candidate from among those who did not resonate with him.
"but."
Ota clenched his fists, the image of that figure appearing in his mind, a rare gentleness appearing in his eyes:
"I haven't been able to see her in person yet."
Looking out the window into the distant horizon, alone in his study, Otta murmured the name hidden deep in his heart:
"—The heavenly music of the border, the virtual songstress."
"Emerald Sound, Love..."
Chapter 371 The Prince's White Moonlight, Royal Capital Tour!
Otta returned to his desk.
He took out the latest Frontier Weekly from the drawer.
Since the continuous transmission of high-quality works from the Borderlands Library within the country, and the recent establishment of that dimensional city in the borderlands, the kingdom has gradually relaxed its vigilance against cultural products produced by the demon race, and the audience is increasing at a rapid pace.
The frontier weekly is one such example, recording the hottest "dimensional" intelligence from the front lines.
As he turned the pages, Ota's fingers paused slightly.
The art style is somewhere between virtual and reality, as if it stepped out of an oil painting. Ota's eyes were quickly drawn to the cute and dynamic girl in the picture with her bright green twin ponytails and exquisite dress.
Ota gently stroked the pages with his fingers, murmuring the name of the striking girl in the picture.
"The virtual idol of the border, Cuiyin."
"Since three years ago, this songstress has been active on the border, dedicating herself to offering selfless and loving performances to border residents suffering from the shadows of war and their hearts. She has healed and warmed countless wounded souls, winning the love and respect of countless border soldiers and citizens..."
"Although it is merely an image created by the magic of light and shadow, it is more vibrant and radiant than any other girl in the world—"
Staring intently at the virtual idol on the screen, a hint of longing appeared in Ota's eyes:
"Could such a perfect and pure existence really be born in such a world?"
As a child, Crown Prince Otta clearly understood this point.
Everyone who gets close to you is simply pursuing a goal, big or small.
He saw clearly their attitudes, words, actions, and the desires and ambitions hidden within them, which made him increasingly disappointed.
These people do not respect, gaze upon, or dedicate their loyalty to him, Ota Kur.
He was simply the successor to the kingdom, King Kur II, nothing more.
Therefore, in his youthful arrogance, he also had rebellious thoughts, hiding his identity and spending some time in the hero training camp with the commoners who had entered the palace and had never seen his face.
It was around that time that he met his best friend, his only true friend: Mino Lake.
His pure and noble character made him feel ashamed for the first time. Even as a member of the royal family, he was far inferior to Mino in character. Just the fact that he was willing to help an old lady cross the street was enough to leave this king far behind!
More importantly, after gradually getting closer and becoming friends, even after his royal identity was revealed, his best friend only showed a little more respect in his words, but still treated him as purely and selflessly as before.
This brought Ota comfort for the first time.
but.
The perfection and brilliance that Mino displayed did correct Ota's opinion slightly, but that was all.
As a king, Ota cannot fall in love with anyone.
This is the tragedy of royalty, and also the reality that royalty must face. After understanding this, Ota never chose to rebel again, but devoted himself to the affairs of state, becoming the purest form of monarch.
But undeniably, Ota still harbored some lingering affection.
It was around that time that he gradually became obsessed with magical dolls and serene paper dolls.
Even though they are soulless beings, they are also beings that are truly immune to being tainted by those "dirty" things.
And among them, the most unique, like an obsession deeply rooted in Ota's heart, is what is right before his eyes:
Three years ago, after the rebellion of her half-brother, Prince Hearst... as if specifically to soothe her wounded soul, she gradually made a name for herself on the border, spreading the most selfless and pure songs—the virtual singer, Cuiyin.
Her presence inexplicably calmed Ota's heart.
Step by step, he became familiar with the affairs of the kingdom and, with Mino's help, propelled the kingdom to its highest peak in a thousand years!
On his solitary throne, he discovered someone who shared the same pure ideals and fought alongside him... This feeling was like a long-awaited blessing for Ota.
"It's been three years, no, it's almost been four years now..."
Ota's tone carried a hint of regret: "It's a pity, it's a pity that I haven't been able to meet you yet."
As a king, it would be almost impossible for him to risk his life and go to the border where the demons were active.
On some level, his identity as a king is far more important than that of Mino's hero and Lak's chief of the round tower... If something were to happen to the king of the kingdom, it would be a more earth-shattering event than the fall of the hero or the betrayal of the holy archmage, enough to cause the entire kingdom to fall apart.
Therefore, even though Otta had tried, he was still sternly stopped by the Holy Knights and his trusted ministers.
"Is this the only way to move on to the next stage of life, with this regret in mind?"
Ota sighed softly.
Even knowing it was just a virtual image, he still desperately longed to see the virtual songstress in person.
In this way, perhaps he can truly find answers to some of the questions in his heart.
After a long while, Ota gave a self-deprecating laugh.
“Ota, Ota, have you forgotten Mino’s philosophy? Life is full of disappointments—you already stand above millions of people, bearing the responsibility and power of the entire kingdom. Do you still crave more now? Think of Mino.”
"At the moment when his wings were at their most glorious, he fell into the hell of the Demon King's castle. Compared to him, what is there for you to feel sorry for yourself?"
Ota put down the border weekly in his hand, seemingly having completely let go of a past obsession.
"So be it."
When Ota opened his eyes again, all hesitation had vanished, and his tone was deep and resolute:
"I will become a heartless king, and with all my life, I will wipe out every last demon from the continent for my dearest friend who is suffering terribly!"
"Women will not affect my speed in handling state affairs, not even the princess!"
Ota slowly turned around, letting the surging air rush into the room, causing the pages of the weekly magazine in front of him to flutter wildly. His eyes were filled with unwavering faith as Ota firmly declared:
“This is King Kur II, this is me, Ota Kur…”
The weekly magazine was blown to the last page by the wind, and a familiar figure and words came into view. Ota's words suddenly disappeared in the wind.
"This...this is—?"
In an instant, the image of my dearest friend vanished from my mind.
Ota strode forward and looked at the latest news from the border in the weekly magazine.
[The border songstress, Princess Cuiyin, will be holding a concert to celebrate her fourth anniversary since her debut. The tour is tentatively scheduled for—]
[The heart of the kingdom, the capital of Kur!]
Chapter 372 The Plan to Permanently Eliminate the Tower Concubine
"The capital city, a tour?!"
Ota's voice suddenly became distorted.
He scanned the text on the last page repeatedly, because this was the latest edition of the Royal Capital Weekly, and even he hadn't seen the last page yet.
But who would have thought... that such a bombshell was hidden in this inconspicuous place on the last page!
He pressed the pages of the book tightly to his chest, his eyes still reeling from the intense emotions, and murmured:
"Cuiyin is coming to the capital for a tour... Coming to the capital is the right choice... This is simply a miracle of the goddess!"
His eyes gradually brightened, Ota clenched his fists, and an unprecedented flush rose to his face.
Finally, a sound of pure, unadulterated elation, unique to the single-pusher, echoed from the study:
"Wuhu—!!!!"
……
……
……
Border, dimensional city.
"There's no mistake, Prince Ota is about to begin the selection of his queen..."
Inside the tent painted with emerald hues, the Black Knight, Sir, looked at the newly received news and gazed with some worry at his prince lying atop the pile of papers: