What the hell?
I stared down at the three powerful beings kneeling before me, and honestly? I was a bit shocked.
I mean, I figured I'd probably do some crazy shit. Maybe accidentally change history, or end up in some weird situations. But becoming some kind of ruler? That wasn't exactly on my bucket list.
I wanted to travel, explore new worlds, see what's out there. Not sit on a throne and rule over people.
The silence stretched between us, heavy and loaded with implications I wasn't sure I wanted to understand. Irene looked just as stunned as I felt, her grip on my hand tightening slightly.
"Uh..." I started, then stopped. "What?"
Jue lifted his head, his transformed human features serious but respectful. "You are the rightful ruler of this continent, my lord. The trials were never about settlement rights—they were confirmation of your identity."
Andrius continued still kneeling. "We have waited centuries for your return."
I opened my mouth to ask what the hell they meant by "return," but something stopped me. A nagging feeling in the back of my mind that maybe I didn't want to know the answer.
Part of me was curious—really curious. The questions were practically burning on my tongue. With my power, I could force the answers out of them easily. I could use any number of truth-compelling artifacts, or just flex my overwhelming strength until they spilled everything.
But another part of me was telling me to leave it alone.
I mean where is the fun in that?
I looked at the three sentinels, still kneeling, still waiting for me to say something.
But looking at them now...
My gaze softened as I really took them in.
All these centuries. Waiting.
Damn.
There was only one thing I could say to that.
"You waited so long," I said quietly, my voice gentler than usual.
The three of them looked up at me, and I could see something shift in their expressions. Relief, maybe? Or just... peace. Like they'd been holding their breath for centuries and could finally exhale.
Jue was the first to speak, his voice thick with emotion. "My lord, we—"
"Just Aiden," I interrupted, though not harshly. "Whatever you think I am, whatever I was supposed to be... right now, I'm just Aiden."
But Andrius shook his head, his expression firm despite the respect in his voice. "We cannot, my lord. You are our sovereign, our ruler. It would be... improper."
"Seriously?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm telling you to drop the formalities."
"With all due respect," Jue interjected, "that is precisely why we cannot. You are our lord, whether you claim the title or not. Our loyalty is absolute."
"Fine," I said, throwing up my hands in defeat. "Whatever makes you guys happy."
The three of them looked visibly relieved at my acceptance, even if it was grudging.
"So," I continued, "what's next?"
Jue stepped forward, his expression becoming more formal. "There will need to be a ceremony, my lord. A coronation to officially recognize your return as ruler of this continent. As king."
King. The word hit me like a brick wall.
"Is that really necessary?" I asked, and I couldn't keep the reluctance out of my voice. "To be honest, I don't want to be king. I don't want any responsibilities."
The three sentinels exchanged glances, and I could see understanding pass between them. Andrius was the one who spoke up.
"My lord," he said gently, "you don't need to actually... do anything. This is largely formality."
Leviathan nodded in agreement. "We know your personality. We know you prefer freedom over obligation."
Jue smiled slightly. "You have always been one to forge your own path, my lord. We would not dare to cage you with tedious administrative duties."
"The continent will continue to function as it has," Andrius explained. "We three will handle the day-to-day governance. The ceremony is simply... recognition. Acknowledgment of what already is."
I felt some of the tension leave my shoulders. So basically, I get a fancy title and they do all the actual work? That doesn't sound too bad.
"Think of it as a symbolic gesture," Leviathan added, reading my expression. "You remain free to do as you wish - travel, explore, live your life. The crown is merely... there, should you ever choose to claim its full authority."
They really do know me.
"And if I never choose to?" I asked, curious about their response.
"Then that is your choice to make," Jue said simply. "We serve you regardless of whether you actively rule or simply exist. Your presence alone is enough."
Well, when they put it like that...
I glanced at Irene, who gave me an encouraging nod. She understood what this meant.
"Alright," I said, nodding slowly. "I can live with that arrangement."
A ceremonial crown, no actual work, and I still get to do whatever I want? Yeah, that's not terrible.
"Excellent," Jue said, and the relief in his voice was obvious. "We shall begin preparations immediately. The ceremony will take place in one week's time."
A week? That's... actually reasonable.
"This is a momentous occasion," Leviathan added with genuine excitement. "The return of our ruler after centuries. The people will want to celebrate properly - a festival to mark your homecoming."
Great. A festival. Because apparently I can't do anything quietly anymore.
"We'll leave you both to rest and prepare," Andrius added, bowing slightly. "The accommodations have been arranged."
As the three sentinels filed out of the chamber, I felt the weight of everything that had just happened settling on me. Irene squeezed my hand, bringing me back to the present.
"Well," she said softly, "that was unexpected."
That's one way to put it.
"Me being a king for real..," I said, testing how it sounded. "Weird."
Irene smiled. "It suits you, actually. Even if you don't want it."
We made our way to the prepared chambers, and as we settled in, Jue appeared one last time with additional information.
"My lord, there is one more thing you should know," he said. "The northern territories have been prepared and allocated for the Ishgar Empire."
Of course he did. Future me apparently thinks of everything.
"However," Jue's expression grew more serious, "there is a complication…"
What kind of complication?"
"A creature arrived a few hundred years ago and claimed the northern territories as its domain," Jue continued. "It is... stronger than all three of us combined."
Irene and I exchanged glances. Stronger than three sentinels?
Interesting.
"What kind of creature?" Irene asked.
"A dragon," Jue continued. "It is Bahamut - the Storm Dragon King. Like us, he fled to this continent to escape Acnologia's rampage. Unfortunately, he shows no signs of leaving, and we have been unable to remove him from the territories your future self designated."
Dragons seem to be more common than I thought. First the sentinels, now this Bahamut guy. I'm starting to realize there are actually quite a few dragons that managed to survive.
"You know," I said, looking at Jue thoughtfully, "I'm starting to notice there are more dragons around than I expected. I thought most of them were wiped out during Acnologia's hunt."
"Indeed," Jue nodded solemnly. "Many of our brethren fell to his madness. We three were among the fortunate few who managed to survive by hiding in the deepest parts of this continent."
That explains a lot.
"Actually," Jue continued, his voice carrying a note of deep respect, "that is one of the primary reasons for our absolute loyalty to you, my lord."
I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"You saved us. It was you who stood between the Dragon King and our deaths. You drove him away and ensured our survival."
Future me fought Acnologia? Well, that's... not surprising, actually.
As we settled into our chambers for the night, my mind kept churning over everything I'd learned. The coronation, the dragon problem, the whole "destined ruler" thing - it was a lot to process.
But one question kept nagging at me as I lay there staring at the ceiling.
Does knowing all this mean I'm going to change the past to create this future?
The thought was unsettling. If future me had already done all these things - saved the dragons, prepared the territories, established this whole setup - then was I locked into following that path? Or was knowing about it going to somehow change everything?
Time travel is such a pain in the ass.
I turned to look at Irene, who was lying beside me, probably dealing with her own thoughts about today's revelations.
"Hey," I said quietly. "You ever wonder if knowing what your future self did means you're destined to do it? Or if knowing about it changes everything?"
She was quiet for a moment, then sighed. "With you? I've learned to expect the impossible. You'll probably find a way to both follow the path and completely change it at the same time."
Yeah, that sounds about right for me.
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