When Faust heard his father say this, he immediately understood and nodded.
"Just like you."
When the Kingdom of Aurum won its independence, did it rely on some brilliant, complex scheme?
Not at all.
It was just a group of Aurum's fighters who banded together, seized their chance during the Empire's civil war to rebel, and carved out their freedom one blade at a time.
Pure violence. Raw martial strength.
Might makes right.
Reminded of those glory days, a bit of color crept back into the old king's pale face as he smiled.
"I don't mean to brag, but I'd say I qualify as a Hero King of the lowest tier.
Still, freeing the people of Aurum and establishing independence as a small kingdom was enough. That's about as far as my abilities go."
Alright, you can stop grinning now. We get it, old man, but you don't need to bring it up every single time.
The reason the old king was so indifferent to actually running the country probably came from his genuine belief that it was all pointless.
Nothing but cheap tricks, inferior to the heroic path!
Really, nothing was more fitting for a king than having overwhelming power in your own hands.
Faust understood this principle all too well.
No need to rack his brain over how to balance competing subordinates, no need to carefully navigate conflicts trying to smooth them over, no need to play political games with hostile forces, smiling to their faces while plotting behind their backs.
Serve me or suffer! Let everything be decided by an unstoppable blade.
This world truly did have powerhouses capable of standing against entire nations by themselves, leaving their mark in legend and epic.
Faust had once craved that kind of freedom, but his talent for the mystic arts was, frankly... lacking.
In Eleanor's blunt assessment:
"Apart from being ridiculously handsome, you've got nothing special going for you."
In mysticism, good looks were actually part of your aptitude, but aside from that, Faust had been completely written off by his sister, a high-ranking mage.
Precisely because he understood this, Faust worked twice as hard in other areas.
The [Sovereign Ruler] path didn't depend on natural talent.
As long as you became a qualified and competent monarch and racked up enough achievements, advancement would follow naturally.
Forget about being a legendary powerhouse, but if he worked hard enough, making it into the first-rate tier was still within reach.
Besides, this fairy tale world still operated under the age of chivalry.
Despite the various kingdoms beating each other bloody in their wars, in certain ways, they strictly followed the rules.
Recognized mystical nobles didn't have to worry about being assassinated or killed by powerful individuals.
Currently, the Kingdom of Aurum had only two families that truly qualified as "mystical nobility": the royal family and House Roselyn.
Rules certified by the Fae were ones almost no one dared to break.
"Become... a Hero King?"
The prince's eyes lit up. A path he'd thought was closed had suddenly opened wide.
Truth be told, Faust wasn't that into playing strategy games.
Sure, he was a Paradox player, but reality offered no bird's-eye view. When he actually got his hands dirty with governance, he found problems at every turn.
The entire Kingdom of Aurum was no bigger than a single border province of the former Empire, yet it already had him stretched thin.
Hard to imagine how much effort future expansion would take.
If he could take the "Hero King" route, he wouldn't need to worry about losing control.
Faust just wanted to be on top. He didn't care which path got him there!
"The Fae chose to contract with you, probably intending to raise a Hero King. To mortals they favor, the Fae always try to provide trials."
The old king had basically given his blessing. He picked up a quill and signed a royal decree, handing it to his adopted son.
"Whenever you want to go out and train, go ahead. The position of regent will always be waiting for you.
The future of Aurum is in your hands now. However, you'll need to convince Eleanor yourself."
Mentioning his daughter, the old king grumbled, "That girl stopped listening to me ages ago.
Her sense of loyalty to Aurum is... Ah, ever since I brought you home, she's been thrilled, only caring about spoiling her little brother."
Spoiling? Father, what are you talking about? I don't see it.
Faust nearly laughed out loud. With the perpetually annoyed expression Eleanor wore around him, even if she valued and paid attention to him, it was mostly to criticize.
Man, Father really has lost it. If Eleanor had any interest in power, he probably wouldn't even notice a succession struggle happening right under his nose.
Shaking his head, the prince accepted his father's decree and saw it was an appointment transferring complete royal authority to the regent.
Even the diplomatic rights he was supposed to receive only after the coronation ceremony had been granted to him.
"The kingdom is yours now. From now on, I won't interfere with anything you do. Cough cough... I've done everything I was supposed to do.
From here on out, under the Fae's protection and guidance, whatever happens to the Kingdom of Aurum will be fate."
The aged warrior king looked like he'd just set down a massive weight. He let out a long breath, then waved his hand and adjusted his position to lie down on the couch.
Seeing his father settle in to rest, Faust bowed and quietly left the bedchamber.
For some reason, why did everyone seem so uninterested in the throne? They acted like they were passing off a burden nobody wanted.
This feeling of being the only one who cared... could there really be some curse where "heavy is the head that wears the crown"?
[Isn't it possible they all care more about the kingdom's future, and you're just the only one driven by ambition?]
Fair point.
[But if not for that, you wouldn't be bold enough to defy fate. I love how humans stay true to their desires, chasing them relentlessly. And you're one of the best examples, Faust.]
"Never mind all that. What about the [Hero King] path Father mentioned? Is there actually a way to do it?"
Faust had grown somewhat used to Mephisto's conversational style. The entity was nothing like some lofty Fae. Whether cracking jokes or delivering cutting remarks, everything came naturally. Where was even a hint of the sacred image of the legendary Fae?
What little respect he'd had was now almost completely gone.
[Interested? Makes sense. Humans are far too fragile. Without real power in hand, you can't accomplish anything. My plan to help you become the "Hegemon" was to take this route anyway.]
Faust took a deep breath. "So when do I take the trials?"
The path of the [Hero] couldn't be walked behind closed doors. You had to follow the proper process, experiencing adventure and hardship across the land.
Royal bloodlines from various duchies and kingdoms mostly went out to travel and face trials. Princes were a dime a dozen on the road.
Never thought I'd become one of those wandering princes. Whatever, this is a standard part of any fairy tale story.
[No need for that, at least not now. If you need a blessing, I can give you the chance to grow stronger right this moment.]