Noon was approaching and while people were moving and going on with their day, someone was flying at high speed toward the peak of the sky until he reached a certain altitude and simply started to float.
As he floated high in the sky, the ground below took on an entirely different dimension. Looking down upon the world from this elevated position, they feel an extraordinary sense of detachment, as if they have become a part of the heavens themselves.
The landscape stretched out like a magnificent tapestry, painted with rich hues and intricate details. It gave him a feeling of serenity and tranquility, as he observed the world from a position of solitude and quietude.
From this vantage point, the ground appeared like a vast mosaic, with patches of forests, fields, and cities forming distinct patterns. Rivers and streams flowed like sinuous veins, connecting different regions and breathing life into the terrain. The curvature of the earth becomes evident, reminding them of the planet's spherical nature and its floating presence above its surface.
He could trace the movements of animals and vehicles, appearing like tiny specks of life moving purposefully across the canvas of nature. People, reduced to mere dots, going about their daily lives, seemingly engrossed in their individual stories and pursuits.
Clouds, like fluffy islands, drift lazily beneath him, casting ever-shifting shadows on the ground. The interplay of light and shade creates an ever-changing scenery, making the landscape appear almost magical and otherworldly.
Feeling weightless and free, the person floating in the sky, Sol, couldn’t help but be captivated by the grandeur of the scene. It was a moment of introspection and connection with the world on a level they'd never experienced before.
“From up here, everyone looks like an ant.”
It was a rather domineering way of speaking but there was nothing much to say.
This was the simple truth.
When you were right in the midst of the situation, everything seemed incredibly large and challenging.
But from this position, Sol realized that everything that was happening, even the war that was about to happen, was in reality nothing particularly special.
Just one more war between many others.
He wouldn’t be first. Nor would he be the last.
Sol’s eyes glittered, his blue eyes shone with a calm blue light as if they were the sky itself and were containing the vast expanse.
He took a deep breath, his lungs were filled with pure air, and he used his core to absorb the mana within him, causing the very world to shake in his presence.
Huff~
Finally, after holding his breath for a few minutes, he released it all and with it he could feel the stress that had been building up, slowly leaving him.
His mind feels serene, rested.
Everyday, Sol had to show the face of an impassive ruler who knew exactly what he was doing.
This face of confidence was necessary for people to believe in him and follow him without the slightest hesitation.
He could not show weakness.
He could not show carelessness.
He was becoming a King. A king had to be strong. A king had the duty to show a perfect front even if he himself was imperfect.
A King had to be wise.
A king had to be strong.
“Haha. I would have never thought that I would feel such a sense of responsibility.”
It was heavy.
For all Sol saw himself as someone selfish. Now that all his actions could and would affect the livelihood of millions upon millions of people, he couldn’t help but sometimes wonder if what he was doing was right.
Was he going in the right direction?
Was he doing well enough?
Could he do better?
He bit his lips.
It was tiring.
But he couldn’t whine. After all, no one forced him to become a King. He was the one who decided this.
This was why he came here…
When the stress reached a level too high. When he started to feel overwhelmed, he would simply come into this place and breathe.
The perspective allowed him to reassess how meaninglessly small everything in the world was.
“I am doing great. I am doing well. I will become a great King and everything will be alright.”
Sometimes people seemed to forget.
He was just a 15-year-old kid.
His life as a human in the other world was getting so blurry in his mind that he sometimes forgot he was someone reincarnated.
Everything felt heavy; he sometimes wished he could just dump it all and go back to the day when his greatest problem was not getting beaten up by Setsuna during their training.
Laughing, Sol moved quietly in the air for a few more moments before breathing deeply once again.
The anxiety and hesitation he felt vanished from his face and a confident and somewhat cocky smile replaced them.
Once again, he showed the expression that absolutely everything was in his control and absolutely nothing could go wrong.
“So, what are you doing here?”
Turning around, Sol smiled at the black-haired woman who appeared in this place through teleportation.
“Hello, Ambrosia. I was just observing how vast my Kingdom is. Don’t you think it’s quite magnificent? Though I guess I got the witches to thank for that.”
Ambrosia chuckled at how brazen Sol was and did like him as she looked down on the world.
This was the place her daughters fought for one thousand years ago.
This was also the place that chased them away when they needed them no more.
“If you could have seen this kingdom one thousand years ago, you would be in even more awe.”
“Is that so?”
Sol chuckled as he opened his arms wide as if embracing the world itself.
“I guess, I have to surpass the scale of yesteryear and bring a new golden Era but this time, with all humans fighting together.”
Ambrosia closed her mouth as she observed Sol,
“My daughters have been betrayed once already.”
“I am not Jupiter.”
“I know and this is why I am willing to give it a try. Otherwise, no matter how enticing your gift was, I would not give a glance.”
Ambrosia was serious,
“I have not been the best mother for my children. Always taking a handoff approach and you are the one who allowed me to wake up from my own hubris.”
“I simply said I observed. You understood all this in your heart already. Simply needed a small push.”
“ —Sometimes that small push makes all the difference.”
“Heh…”
Silence fell again and Ambrosia was the one to break it.
“The council accepted to form a new alliance with Lustburg.”
Even though Sol knew that this would be the case, he couldn’t help but smile at this news.
“Now I feel like this is one of the best news I have had in days.”
“Your reaction is quite tame. I hope that you will be happier.”
He shrugged, his eyes, giving a deep look as he gazed back on the world,
“Dear mother-in-law. I think you are making a mistake or misunderstanding something.”
“Oh?”
“I might repeat myself. But — I do not need the witches.”
His voice was calm.
“I have the absolute and utmost confidence that I would be able to conquer the world with or without you.”
This was why,
“I am truly happy that witches and humans can walk once again together. Nothing more.”
The smile he gave was the most boyish one Ambrosia had ever seen.
Inwardly, she could only shake her head.
She could understand why her daughter fell one after another for this boy.
This was truly cheating in a way.
