Chapter 48: Let's Found a Nation
"Mr. Rhodes, did I mishear you just now?"
Norne didn't understand how the conversation had leaped to this point. He had just expressed a simple desire, one that he shared with Rhodes, to teach magic to more humans. Why had that suddenly turned into founding a human nation? How had things escalated to this?
"You heard me right," Rhodes said, his voice firm.
He didn't know how the first human kingdom had been formed in the world of Frieren, but that wouldn't stop him from making it happen. To found a kingdom for humanity. It would be the first human kingdom on this continent. The ideal nation.
"Are you insane?"
Serie could no longer restrain herself and stepped out from behind a nearby tree.
"What? Done eavesdropping?"
Rhodes had already spotted a lock of her golden hair. Now that she had revealed herself, he couldn't resist a bit of teasing. It was fine for her to hear this; he had been planning to ask for her help anyway.
"Ahem, I was just passing by," Serie said, refusing to admit that her curiosity had gotten the better of her. "But are you serious, Rhodes?"
"Of course I am. And we'll make Norne the king, and the two of us can be the Great Sages."
The title of 'First Human King' was certainly tempting, but Rhodes didn't have the courage to take on that responsibility. To found a nation, to become its king... it meant being responsible for every human on the continent. Rhodes was no saint.
"You..." Serie narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing him. "What are you really planning?"
She didn't see him as a saintly figure. He was a good person, yes, and he had been willing to teach his magic to his own kind without any conditions. But he was far from a saint. And what he was proposing now was nothing short of a saint's work.
Rhodes held up his hands, an innocent look on his face. "I just think that since Norne wants to teach magic to more humans, we might as well found a human nation. That way, we can systematically pass down the knowledge, and humanity can have a sanctuary of its own."
The shock finally wore off, and Norne was able to speak. "Mr. Rhodes, this is all so sudden."
He had never dared to dream of such a thing. Of all the races on this continent, there were only five major nations, and one of them, the Dwarven Kingdom, had already fallen once before. It was clear how difficult it was to found a nation. Territory, people, an army... the logistics were daunting. Just thinking about it made it seem impossible.
"Leaving aside what it takes to found a nation for a moment," Serie said, "how will you get the other races to recognize you?" To found a nation, you needed, at the very least, the recognition of the other races. Otherwise, conflict would be inevitable.
"Have you ever heard the saying, 'when you are strong enough, whatever you do, people will find it reasonable'?"
"But you are not strong enough right now," Serie said, dousing him with a bucket of cold water.
"It's fine. I can wait. I can afford to wait twenty, even thirty years. Besides, in my world, sometimes a single city can be called a nation."
"A single city is hardly a nation."
Serie couldn't imagine such a thing. A nation with only one city... if that city were to fall, the entire nation would be finished. The Dwarven Kingdom had fallen because their capital had been conquered and the entire royal line had been wiped out, leaving the other clans leaderless. A city-state was not the same thing.
"All we need is a name, a banner to rally under. A 'Kingdom of Humanity' that will unconditionally accept all humans and offer them sanctuary. In time, the people and the army will follow."
Norne now understood Rhodes's meaning. Humans were scattered across the continent in small, isolated settlements. By raising the banner of a human kingdom, they could attract them all to one place. And over time, that one city would become a true nation.
"But isn't the world too dangerous for humans right now? I'm worried that..."
He was worried that even if word of their new nation reached other human settlements, people would be too afraid to make the journey. The world was a dangerous place. An ordinary person stood no chance against a magical beast. How could they cross the vast, dangerous lands to reach them? If fear kept them from coming, then all their efforts would be for nothing.
"That's why we have to teach them magic, isn't it?" Rhodes said, clapping him on the shoulder.
And so, destiny had come full circle.
"I understand!" Norne said, looking at him with admiration. To think that this man had already thought so far ahead... he felt a little ashamed of his own shortsightedness. "But... making me a king..." Norne said with a wry smile. He wasn't sure he could handle such a responsibility.
"It's alright. Believe in yourself. You're the most suitable person among us!"
"But..." Norne was still hesitant.
"If you really don't want to do it, then we'll make Serie the queen. An elf as the king of a human nation... does that sound right to you?"
Serie was confused. How had the conversation suddenly turned to her? Before she could speak, Rhodes continued. "Or I could do it. I'll just be a figurehead and delegate everything to you. How does that sound?"
"What's the difference between that and me being the king?" Norne muttered.
Serie just gave Rhodes a look that said, you're such a selfish man.
Rhodes just shook his head, pretending he hadn't heard her. The elven miss really needed to work on her insults. They were completely ineffective against him. If she had wrinkled her nose in disgust and called him a scoundrel or something, he might have even been a little pleased. Not because he had such a fetish, but simply because it would have been an amusing expression to see on her face.
"So you see," he continued, "in the end, you're the one who has to be the king. Don't worry, Serie and I will support you."
"No. I haven't agreed to that yet."
Serie was getting a little flustered. Why should she help someone else become a king? There was no point in that.
"You will," Rhodes said, leaning close to her ear. The proximity made her skin tingle.
Norne didn't know what he had said, but he saw the expression on Serie's face change from reluctance to contemplation. Her pupils constricted slightly, and her hands began to unconsciously fiddle with the hem of her clothes.
~~~
Get early access to 20+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
~~~
Every 150 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter