"Quiet! Have you forgotten who the king is here!?"
"This is my order. There is no room for argument!"
While holding back my excitement, I stared sharply at the old advisers who were still rambling.
"...."
At that very moment, the room suddenly became silent. The old advisers were stunned, unable to believe that the usually quiet king would shout like that.
After getting the silence he wanted, Vali felt satisfied and then shifted his gaze toward the knights.
"The evacuation is canceled. I want you to lead the soldiers in calming everyone down."
Vali gave them new instructions. Although he was not certain yet, Vali felt that the presidential simulation game that had just activated could solve the goblin problem.
"Tell them..."
"No, just gather them in front of the palace. I will speak directly later."
I wanted to leave them with a few messages, but I decided not to. It seemed everything would be easier if I spoke directly later.
For now, let's clear the room first so I can study the simulation game that just activated.
"Okay, do it now!"
I looked at Drud, the knight captain, and urged him.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Drud answered firmly, slightly bowed his body, then turned toward the exit.
The other knights did not fall behind. They turned around and walked away, except for one: Anna.
"Your Majesty..."
"Come on, Anna!"
Seeing Anna standing still, Drud knew what the girl was thinking. Drud sighed, but Vali's decision was already firm, and he could only obey it.
A few moments later, the last person left the Great Hall. The room became quiet, leaving Vali sitting alone on his throne.
"Now it's quiet."
Feeling the silence around me, I sighed and then shifted my gaze toward the screen and the mini girl in front of me.
I called her a mini girl, of course, because her size was not large, perhaps only 40 or 50 centimeters.
She had very striking dark green hair, perhaps because she was created as an AI assistant. Her clothes were also quite formal, consisting of a plain white shirt and an unbuttoned black blazer.
However, she also had a unique attribute: two wing-shaped rockets that gave her a futuristic and magical impression at the same time.
With a feeling of doubt and hope, I extended my hand and poked the mini girl's cheek.
"Soft and warm. This thing is really real!"
When my finger felt the texture of such smooth skin, my heartbeat immediately increased sharply because that meant everything I was seeing now was real!
The presidential simulation game had really activated in this world!
[Sir, even though I am your personal AI, touching me without permission is considered a violation of the labor protection law.]
While I was happily playing with Lara's cheek, the girl suddenly pursed her lips and said annoyedly.
"Haha, sorry, sorry. I was too excited."
I laughed awkwardly and then released Lara's cheek, which had already begun to turn red. What else could I do? Lara's cheek was very soft, softer than any doll in this world.
"Lara, is this screen really the Game System [Presidential Simulation] that I know?"
Even though I was already certain, I still asked seriously, not wanting to be disappointed by my own guess.
[I don't know what you mean by "Presidential Simulation Game," but I was indeed created to help you become a quality president.]
Lara tilted her head, looking a little confused, but she still explained it as it was.
"You don't know?"
Hearing her words, I raised my eyebrows in confusion, even doubting whether my guess was wrong.
[As for this screen, this is the access panel for Super Construction technology.]
"Now I'm sure. I really did activate a cheat!"
"Hehe, now everything has become easier."
Hearing the name of the technology that came out of Lara's mouth, the anxiety in my heart finally disappeared. I laughed freely, finally able to free myself from worrying about the new world.
Super Construction, just as its name suggests, is the main feature in the "Presidential Simulation" game that I played. Simply put, this feature allows players to build any building instantly as long as the resources are available.
And what's extraordinary is that because Presidential Simulator is a sci-fi game, many of the buildings in it have buffs and superpowers.
Like the Data Center, which has the ability to store data on all the villagers and gives the president the ability to know everything about the villagers in the form of data.
Similar to the Appraisal ability that many fantasy anime protagonists possess.
"To test it, let's try the Super Construction feature."
"Lara, use the available resources and repair the president's office."
[Command received. Super Construction technology activated.]
After Lara spoke, blue light slowly appeared from the center of the room and then slowly spread in every direction.
The light looked very strange. I extended my hand and felt its touch. Clearly, this light was not merely photons but a collection of advanced matter that I did not know.
Then, under my observation, everything inside this room began to change.
The throne that had previously looked hard and worn became new again, like a luxurious chair that had just been taken out of a factory.
The marble floor was renewed, with no feeling of being worn or damaged. The cracked walls also disappeared, changing into clean white walls without a single stain.
There were several new ornaments such as flags, photographs, and chandeliers. Exactly like a reception room in a modern state palace.
...
While Vali was experimenting with his cheat, the knights and soldiers began gathering the residents in front of the castle.
On top of the castle's defensive wall, Anna looked at the crowd below with a complicated expression and then muttered.
"Even at a time like this, he's still so stubborn."
"He's not changed. He still cares about ordinary people."
"I don't understand. Why is he so different from other nobles?"
Although Anna did not hate and even admired Vali's personality, as a guardian knight who had been with Vali since childhood, she did not want her lord to die, even as a hero protecting the people.
"He's different, but that's what makes me determined to serve him for the rest of my life."
Beside Anna, Drud responded to the girl's words with a voice full of admiration.
Drud was different from the other knights. He did not come from a noble family, but instead came from the common people and began his career as an ordinary soldier.
Because of that experience, Drud greatly valued ordinary people even though his status was no longer what it used to be. So, when he saw Vali placing such great importance on the safety of ordinary people, he was deeply moved and proud because his principles aligned with the king's.
...
Meanwhile, in front of the castle gate, people were crowded together with desperate expressions on their faces.
"What does the king actually want?"
"Why did he gather us here?"
"Is he going to order us to buy time by holding back the goblins?"
"It's over. I was just about to leave. Now the soldiers and mages are surrounding us. I can't save myself anymore."
"I survived last year. Am I going to die this time?"
Many uneasy voices could be heard among those desperate faces. Many of them had grown up with the mindset that "common people can be thrown away at any time." They had also heard many stories of situations where a territory suffered a disaster and its people were simply abandoned.
With such a worldview, it was natural for fear and doubt toward the government to become ingrained within them.
"Why are you talking like that? His Majesty isn't that kind of person!"
"Yes, His Majesty is very kind and handsome. He won't abandon us!"
However, in the midst of those negative voices, several loud and clear voices suddenly rang out.
Although they were only a minority, those small voices managed to attract attention.
Everyone turned around. It turned out that the voices came from several children between the ages of 10 and 13.
All the children looked at the adults with disapproving gazes, their cheeks puffed up as if they could not accept their idol being slandered without evidence.
"Yesterday, I fell down. His Majesty helped me stand up and even took me home."
A girl spoke, defending Vali while showing the small scar on her knee.
Hearing the children's words, the adults frowned and wanted to respond.
However, not a single word came out. After all, their pessimism did not come from hatred, but from accumulated fear and disappointment.
"You..."
"His Majesty has arrived!"
Just as someone was about to say something, their voice was interrupted by the shouts of several soldiers.
Hearing that voice, the previously noisy crowd suddenly became completely silent.
After all, even though they doubted and feared their ruler, they did not dare to say it directly.
...
"So many people."
From the castle balcony, I lowered my head and looked at the crowd below.
My heart felt complicated, still not used to this sudden change in identity.
Yesterday, I was just an ordinary young man who could sleep and play games comfortably. But now, I was a leader carrying the fate of more than 10,000 people.
No, those 10,000 people were only the population of this city, while the kingdom I ruled had three cities and more than 50 villages, with a total population of more than 200,000 people.
Forget it. Don't think about that for now. I returned my focus to the city residents who continued to arrive.
At this moment, a mage wearing an oversized robe came over to me and then chanted a spell.
As if responding to the mage's call, the air began to fluctuate and a gust of wind was created.
Within moments, a vortex of wind appeared and then changed into a vortex shaped like a horn speaker.
[Wind Element: Sound Amplifier]
A name crossed my mind. It was the name of the magic activated by the mage.
This magic utilized the characteristic of air as a conductor of vibrations. The vortex of wind detected the vibrations of sound and then massively increased the amplitude, causing the transmitted sound to become 10 times louder than normal.
"Good afternoon, esteemed people of Aldora."
After sorting through my words, I finally greeted the residents with a little nervousness.
"Esteemed..."
"His Majesty, he... Did he just say we are esteemed?"
For Vali, the sentence he had just said was merely a standard opening for a speech. However, for the people of Aldora, that one simple word was extremely shocking, like a bolt of lightning in a clear sky.
It was not only the residents. Even the knights and palace officials widened their eyes.
"The leaves have fallen, signaling that winter will arrive soon. However, as we know, winter is not as beautiful as the white snow that will fall."
"The goblin horde will surely migrate to the North, passing through our precious little city."
"And according to the expedition team, the number of goblins this year is 10 times greater than before."
The residents, guardian knights, and soldiers looked at Vali, listening carefully to every word of their king.
Every word Vali spoke made their hearts tremble. Almost half of Aldora's residents were long-time residents who had experienced several goblin invasions.
Many people had lost friends, lovers, and family during those invasions. For the people of Aldora, the terror of goblins was even more frightening than the arrival of a Dragon.
However, many people felt that Vali was not trying to frighten them, especially when they heard so much praise for Aldora.
Then, they saw Vali sigh before continuing with a somewhat gloomy expression.
"I know you feel anxious, afraid, and helpless upon hearing this news. After all, they outnumber us."
"And... I also know all of your experiences."
"What happened last year. About how you fought on your own, losing friends, lovers, and even your beloved family."
"I know what you are worried about."
Every sentence Vali spoke was like a sharp knife opening the old wounds of every resident of Aldora. Men, women, and children bowed their heads with clenched fists.
Then, just as everyone became emotional, Vali's voice echoed once again.
"But there is one thing you need to know."
"I WILL NOT RUN AWAY ALONE!"
Vali raised the volume of his voice, almost as if shouting. His loud voice successfully made everyone raise their heads.
"You have not been abandoned. You are not alone. Every soul standing on this land is a part of Aldora. You are my beloved brothers and sisters!"
"Aldora still needs you. I need you!"
"My soldiers and I will protect Aldora."
"I, Vali Alvector, swear that I will not let even a single drop of blood fall from the bodies of the people of Aldora!"
"Cast away your fear. There is no need to worry. Your fate is not the same as before, because... NOW I AM THE KING!!"
To be continued...
[A/N: I use two POVs alternately in this novel. Is it comfortable to read? Please answer so I can adjust it later.]