Be crowned king

Chapter 0002: The Last Birthday

The barren land remained unchanged. Keita experienced the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter, but not a single w**d grew on this cursed land.

Boy, you've done a great job. You look like I did when I was young.

Keita held the knight's sword, performed a beautiful flourish, sheathed the sword and gave the standard knight's salute to the 18-year-old boy on the other side. His face was flushed from the fight, and the age spots on his face were more pronounced. He gasped for breath and ran a hand through his somewhat dishevelled golden hair.

Downing skilfully performed a flourish, returned the sword to its sheath and gave a noble knight's salute, a sign of respect.

Uncle Keta, your swordsmanship is as old as your face, no longer as awe-inspiring as it once was, but your spirit commands respect.

Keta silently stroked the medals on his chest. They were the honours he had won in battle, engraved with the years and battle songs of the past. Even if they were rusty, they still looked brilliant and shiny to him.

This had become a regular routine for Uncle Keta after every battle. At first, Downing would ask for stories about the medals, but later he could recite them fluently because he had told them so many times.

At this point, the door to the gladiatorial arena was pushed open. The interior of the Keta was large enough to hold 99 people and still have room to move. A gladiatorial arena was nothing.

Aiglos entered, glanced around the Keta, and finally his gaze fell on Downing, who had grown into a young man. Downing, there is an important meeting in the Keta today, and you must attend.

Downing placed his sword on the weapons rack beside him, ran a hand through the hair that was sticking to his forehead, revealing his handsome face, and snapped his fingers. Eighteen years old, Uncle Egros, this time I won't greet all 99 uncles, otherwise I'll have to eat late again and my stomach won't stand it.

Every year, the 99 people of Kayserta hold a big birthday banquet for Downing. The banquet is held in Kayserta's banquet hall. A long table can seat not only 99, but 990 people. The banquet hall's long table is really long.

The old chandeliers in the banquet hall were lit with candles, and the long table was illuminated. The long table was covered on both sides with silver cutlery. The silver had turned slightly black from oxidation, but this did not detract from the luxuriousness of the banquet.

The dishes on the table were conjured up by the magicians, wizards and alchemists in the Emperor's Tower using supernatural powers. When Downie was three, he found it both novel and frightening, but now he felt no sense of novelty at all.

The etiquette of the banquet was presided over by Anubarak, and Downing, dressed in a luxurious silk gown, entered the banquet hall and bowed respectfully to the ninety-nine uncles.

Dear ninety-nine uncles, I am honoured that you could all attend my eighteenth birthday. As this is my birthday banquet, I have the right to preside,' Downing bowed respectfully to Anubarak, who was also presiding. Uncle Anubarak, please return to your seat.

Anubarak did not refuse, but returned to his seat with a look of appreciation in his eyes and a napkin wrapped around his chest.

Downing walked to his seat and lifted the bright red wine that looked like blood. Dear uncles, now that I have taken over the party etiquette, you can raise your glasses and drink at any time, you don't have to toast everyone, you can make as much noise as you like when you eat, you don't have to pretend to be refined... In short, you can have a good time, but please don't fart'.

The banquet hall erupted in laughter. Everyone agreed without objection, and they all picked up the silverware and ate the sumptuous food on the table. They all knew in their hearts that the food would probably revert to its original form and become sewer rats or cockroaches in the room, but they didn't care.

There was no sacred life in this cursed land, only ugliness and darkness. Rats and cockroaches were already the most delicious food. With witchcraft or spells to change their appearance, they were no different to a delicious steak when eaten.

The sumptuous dinner was over, and no one left, everyone sat in their seats, picking their teeth, burping... and looking at Downing.

Dear uncles, dinner is over. Now you can go back to your rooms and get a good night's sleep. I don't think there's anything better than that. Downing stood up, put his right arm across his chest and bowed respectfully in a gentlemanly manner.

There was silence in the banqueting hall. Egros, the Keeper of Casterly Rock, who sat in the place of the most distinguished guest, stood up, his expression solemn as a sculpture of a knight before a church.

'Downing Stewart...'

Downing was flattered that one of his ninety-nine uncles had called him by his full name, a serious address that had never been given to him before. He looked around the banqueting hall. Not a single person had risen from their seats. This must be something important, his intuition told him.

Respectfully, Downing put his arm across his chest and bowed. Downing Stewart is honoured to listen to your teachings. Please speak.'

'Leave here...'

The voice came from Egros' trembling lips. At that moment, his body radiated light that dwarfed the countless candles in the ballroom.

Leave the Casting Tower, leave this cursed land, leave this land of deathly silence. It is time for you to fulfil your destiny. The words were solemn, like the prayers in the scriptures of the Church.

The remaining ninety-eight uncles rose to their feet. Light radiated from their bodies as well. The ballroom had become heaven, albeit the heaven of the wicked.

Downing's body stiffened as he looked at the ninety-nine uncles. 'I don't understand...'

Aiglos' sonorous voice interrupted Downing. 'You are the King of Judgement, the pinnacle of our ninety-nine, the representative of Darkness. The darkness has hidden long enough, too long will cause mould, so you must leave, that is your mission, and I think now is the perfect time.

Downing nodded. He was the king of judgement and the representative of darkness. As the Lolima rose, he fell heavily to his knees and spread his arms wide as if to embrace the sky, but he embraced darkness.

The ballroom trembled as if with the threat of disaster. Aegros' lips trembled even more, and her bony hands on the table shook with them.

Downing, you must go out into the world and use the darkness to judge the darkness, so that the true light may shine once more. Reveal the masks of the false gods so that their true ugliness, even greater than that of the darkness, may be shown to the world. Let the world see their true faces.

Downing had heard countless stories of darkness, all from the 99 uncles. He knew that the main characters persecuted by the so-called 'light' were all uncles here, so they hated the true darkness. They looked forward to exposing the true faces of these hypocrites and seeking justice for their suffering under the torment of darkness in the cursed place of the Thrower's Tower.

The masked greats of these stories were as familiar to him as if he had experienced them himself. Downing knelt on one knee, his face reverent.

I will judge darkness with darkness and restore true light to the world. The King of Judgment swears by the name of darkness, and the false god will find it hard to hide in darkness.

The ceremony was over. Downing took the most precious gift from his 99 uncles, the Code of Judgment, and walked out of the Emperor's Tower. Eighteen years ago, the gates of the Imperial Tower opened during the rainy season, and eighteen years later, the gates opened again during the same rainy season. The gorges on the 33 steps became deeper.

Dark clouds covered the sky, darkness descended upon the land, and the cursed land was a place where even a ray of light was a luxury.

Ninety-nine natives of the Emperor's Tower stood on the thirty-three steps and watched the young man's back as it gradually disappeared into the endless darkness.

Aigros, there are too many temptations in the outside world, women as delicious as food that will blind his heart and prevent him from seeing the viper's face hidden beneath that beautiful skin,' Ketar was a little worried.

And there are gold coins, as dazzling as the stars in the sky, which will blind his eyes and prevent him from seeing the dirty truth behind the dazzling light. Anubarak squeezed the gold coin in his hand even tighter.

When the ninety-eight wicked men had expressed their concerns, Aigros let out a ghostly laugh. If the darkness in him is not enough to fight the true darkness, then let him fall and become one of the darkness hidden in the light, waiting for the next King of Judgement to execute him. We have waited many years anyway.