"Whew—"
Shaking the thought of Mephisto's "A fallen dragonll" out of his head, Faust decided not to ask for the time being. He reached out and pushed open the doors to the bedchamber.
It was the same warm, dim study, but the smell of medicine had grown thicker, so pungent that Faust couldn't help but cough twice.
"Good day, Father."
The Prince of Qingxi walked forward a few steps, greeting the old man lying on the daybed.
The old King, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them and glanced at the Prince.
"Faust... child, is something the matter?"
The King slowly sat upright and spoke:
"I heard you spent a long time at Viviana's recently—lingering there for months. I thought you didn't like that girl? You even broke off the engagement for that reason, making things awkward for me and my old comrade."
"Dislike her? I like her very much!"
Faust denied it immediately. Regardless of the past, if anyone dared to suggest he had no feelings for Viviana now, the Prince of Qingxi would take it personally!
"It was precisely because these feelings were so important that I couldn't accept a engagement so haphazardly. I couldn't comfortably inherit the friendship of the older generation; I had to spend time with her personally to clarify my own heart."
"I see. It seems you have thought it through."
Faust's excuse was so polished that the old King accepted the explanation, clapping his hands together.
"Good. Viviana is a fine child. The throne of Qingxi essentially belongs to the Roselin family as much as us. Alas, if the others were still alive, we shouldn't have been the ones to shoulder the name of Qingxi alone."
Seeing his "precious foster father" about to start reminiscing again about the glorious days of struggle in the past, Faust knew that if he let him continue, they wouldn't finish for hours.
In the past, to gain his father's favor, the Prince would have listened intently. But now he had more important things to do, so Faust interrupted:
"By the way, regarding the throne... Father, there is something I wish to discuss with you."
"What is it?"
"I... cannot become the King of Qingxi."
CRACK—
Upon hearing this, the old King slammed his palm onto the desk, causing the expensive marble to shatter instantly.
Faust's eyelid jumped. As expected of a legendary warrior—even if he was aged and frail to this degree, his casual explosive power was not to be underestimated.
The King braced himself against the armrest and stood up, his crimson eyes, sharp like an aged hawk's, staring directly at Faust.
"Child... what did you say?"
"I do not intend to ascend the throne."
Under his father's displeased gaze, Faust thickened his skin and explained:
"But this does not mean I am abandoning the leadership of the Kingdom of Qingxi. It is just that... for a certain reason, it is better if I do not actually become King, but instead continue to serve as the Regent Prince."
Wasn't this just an unnecessary extra step? Faust's current power was equivalent to the King's; what difference did it make without the crown?
But the difference was massive. Aside from his "loved by a Witch" constitution designated by Mephisto, the identity of [Prince] was Faust's most valuable asset.
The King of Qingxi didn't know this, but he furrowed his brow as a thought occurred to him:
"Is this... His Excellency's intention?"
"You could say that."
Faust grandly waved Mephisto's banner. To the traditional King of Qingxi, a Fairy was no different from a god; a Fairy's endorsement was a divine oracle.
A Fairy Contract is just too useful, you know?
Sure enough, as soon as he heard "a Revelation from the Fairy," the King's expression softened instantly. He sat back down, returning to his posture of a relaxed old man.
Faust continued: "Also... there is a possibility I will be out of the country for long periods. Therefore, I intend to share my authority with Royal Sister. During the months I was away, it was she who helped handle the administration. I have reviewed it all; Royal Sister is perfectly capable of the job."
This was an unexpected pleasant surprise the Prince had discovered recently. He had assumed Yu Xuemu, who always seemed disinterested in state affairs, would be unskilled, but she had been remarkably adept.
Not only that, but the silver-haired princess had even left suggestions on the projects Faust cared about.
How should he put it? It was as if he had written them himself; the train of thought was identical. Such a result was impossible without long-term observation and reflection.
Regarding the bold reforms the Prince had undertaken, Yu Xuemu had never given positive feedback. More accurately, she had met almost all of Faust's actions with cold sarcasm.
Criticisms like "so profit-driven and short-sighted, utterly ugly," "you are drowning in power, sinking too deep," or "shameless and lewd scoundrel, is your brain full of nothing but monkey-like desires?" were almost personal attacks.
He hadn't expected her private research to be so deep. He wasn't sure why.
The old King stroked his white beard and chuckled knowingly:
"I see. The path His Excellency points you toward is the Path of the Heroic King."
Heroic King?
Faust hadn't thought that far ahead. His proposal to leave the country was mostly to leave himself a backdoor. Logically, if he stayed in Qingxi forever, he would essentially remain within the framework of the [Cinderella] script.
To add variables to a script, the best way was to do things the "original self" never would have done.
The King said sagely: "Child, what do you think is required to lead a kingdom to rise?"
Faust thought for a moment and replied:
"Training the army, encouraging production, reforming the system, expanding trade routes, and maintaining diplomatic balance?"
These were all the things Faust had worked hard to do. Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish; although Qingxi wasn't huge, managing it was not easy. The Prince had poured his heart and soul into it for ten years, worrying day and night, just to make this small nation—independent for only a few decades—prosperous.
"Those are indeed a way. But if that were all, Qingxi would never have become independent. Child, do you truly believe I am a sage skilled in governing a state?"
Certainly not. Quite the opposite; as a warrior-turned-king, even though Faust's "precious foster father" had tried desperately to learn, his governance over the decades was... hard to evaluate.
High emotional intelligence: "Rule by non-interference, letting things take their course!"
Low emotional intelligence: He accomplished nothing; he was busy, but no one knew what he was busy with.
The old King spoke calmly: "There is another path—to ascend to the peak of the [Heroic] Path. To achieve great deeds through charisma that unites hearts, invincible courage, and luck bestowed by destiny."
"To refine their Mystery, some heirs to the throne leave their kingdoms to explore demon realms, engage in risky battles, punish evil, and even achieve a legend under the guidance of a Fairy to be praised by the world."
"This is the Heroic King of Divine Right, who leads the kingdom through his own absolute strength and charisma."
In a word: Great power belongs to the self.