Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

"The young heroes of Edinburgh…"

Garos' clear voice was calm yet domineering as he spoke. "Their friends and close ones, as well as those watching this celebration from afar– I welcome you all."

Garos smiled at this point. His voice softened as he spoke.

"My name is Garos Renar. Or you can call me by the position I hold currently - King's Hand. Today is special for me. In fact, it is special for our entire kingdom.

That's because we are here to celebrate Edinburgh's young generation's achievements. And we have invited a special guest to grace us with their presence - just to tell you how important you all are in our eyes.

Dear mortals and brave rankers, I present to you the Defender of Peace and Freedom, His Majesty Emil Edinburgh von Renar the 8th."

A spatial distortion appeared right beside Garos Renar and a Grandmaster-ranked man emerged from the distortion. He looked to be in his early 30s and was still in his prime.

Emil the 8th was tall and muscular. He was surrounded by the halo of royalty as well as his high-ranking powers. Even though he was the only Grandmaster among a bunch of Sages, his presence couldn't be overshadowed by them in any way.

The current Edinburgh king entered the Grandmaster rank 10 years ago. His ranking status had not changed much since then, which was natural for any Grandmaster ranker.

However, those who knew Emil the 8th back then knew he had made tremendous progress in his Way of the Elements and weapon comprehension. His presence was like a blade that could unleash havoc if unsheathed.

Emil the 8th had well-maintained stubble that gave him a rugged masculine vibe. He wore royal armor and royal clothes. But they were worn as if Emil had donned them in a hurry. His deliberately unkempt appearance made him stand apart from royal stereotypes.

Garos greeted his nephew with a nod before stepping back. The king also nodded at his uncle before stepping forward. Emil looked at the crowd below him with an eagle's gaze before speaking seriously.

"My beloved subjects, it is very rare for me to make a public appearance because of the responsibilities you have given me. So I cherish every moment I get whenever I open a dialogue with you.

It was a pleasure to see you all today. Thank you for your time."

Emil the 8th bowed a bit in front of his audience and spoke humbly. His presence was comforting and it didn't feel like he was faking it.

More flies are caught with honey than with vinegar.

One would have to say that Edinburgh's current king was a master of public appearances. That's because most of the rankers and mortals in the audience treated his bow as one of the greatest achievements in their lives.

"Long live the king…"

"For King and Kingdom..."

"We will die for Edinburgh, my king…"

"Layos will pay for…"

Emil's audience cheered for him. The mortals and rankers in the audience screamed with passion after seeing their king bow in front of them. They praised Emil, his policies, and Edinburgh.

Some of them cursed Layos and its forces for fighting Edinburgh. It was unclear whether those who screamed pro-Emil slogans were paid actors or not.

Emil smiled as he stood straight and looked at the large crowd in front of him. He let the screams and slogans reach a peak before raising his right hand.

Emil twisted his raised hand and clenched it into a fist, releasing a burst of wind that washed over the entire crowd. This wind gust spread in every direction. The wind element mana integrated into this wind gust was potent but didn't harm anybody. Even mortals were not injured after contact.

However, this display of power calmed the crowd. Emil's audience was subtly forced to become quiet, allowing people to listen to their own heartbeats.

Emil let the silence drag on before speaking up grimly.

"First of all, my condolences to those who have lost someone in their lives because of Layos' heinous actions in any way. In due time, we will let our vengeance speak for itself. But first, let's observe a minute of silence for these fallen heroes."

Emil decided to first pay homage to the dead before starting the commencement ceremony and everybody obliged. After a minute of silence, the king addressed his subjects eloquently. He glorified the dead and condemned the enemy kingdom's despicable actions.

Emil also summoned Arthur Renar on stage and allowed him to speak about Jason, his lost son. Arthur wasn't as articulate as Emil and blamed his son's death on various factors and circumstances. In the end, he invited the audience to Jason's public funeral which was about to happen tomorrow.

Emil also allowed the Sages on stage to speak a few words on various topics related to Edinburgh's past history with Layos, current challenges, ongoing projects, and ambitions for the future. Emil then praised the Houses that were with him and criticized the Houses that were against his policies.

The participants realized too late that their commencement ceremony had become a political event. They realized that no matter how humble and polite the king appeared to be, at the end of the day, he was a king. And his actions always had multifaceted reasons. And these reasons had multifaceted impacts on Emil's subjects, including them.

The hours passed like a flowing river as Emil and his allies took the stage and made their speeches. Participants had impatience building in their guts. But they didn't let that show on their faces.

Eren, on the other hand, didn't look impatient. He remained steadfast in his place, unmoving and unresponsive to things happening around him.

He knew the king's predicament better than anybody. After all, Eren had also exploited an event to further his own agenda back in the city of White Raven. There were a few things that had to be done by people who held positions of power. There was simply no way around them.

Hijacking events and making them about oneself could be considered an art form. And from one artist to another, the butcher had no complaints for Edinburgh's current ruler.