The World Is Mine For The Taking-Chapter 1308 - 198 - The Fall Of Milham Kingdom - Part 4 (8)
Raymond’s POV
With everything going on lately, it really felt like the academy was slowly collapsing right in front of us, piece by piece, like something you thought was solid but turned out to be held together by nothing but thin threads.
The rumors didn’t help.
If anything, they made everything worse.
Word had been spreading that people like us, those born without noble blood, were going to be kicked out of the academy. It didn’t matter if it was true or not. Once something like that starts circulating, it digs into people’s heads and refuses to leave. You could see it in the way everyone was acting.
Uneasy.
Distracted.
Some weren’t even trying to hide it anymore.
A few people nearby were already crying, trying to keep it quiet but failing anyway. The sound of it carried, soft at first, then spreading like it always does when one person breaks and the rest start following.
And of course, it made sense.
Even if the first years weren’t completely breaking down yet, those who were in the higher years looked like they were about to lose everything they had built. Years of effort, of training, of pushing themselves past their limits just to stay here... all of that suddenly felt like it was hanging by a thread.
If we got kicked out now, then what was the point of any of it?
All those years would mean nothing.
That thought alone was enough to make anyone feel sick.
I clenched my jaw slightly, trying not to let it get to me too much. Still, the frustration was there. Sitting in my chest. It was very heavy and incredibly annoying.
I just wished the Princess would say something. Or anything. A proper explanation would’ve been enough to calm people down, even a little.
Instead, everyone was left guessing.
Grabbing onto rumors.
Hoping one of them turned out to be true in a way that didn’t screw us over.
"Good afternoon to all of you, Cadets of the Milham Academy of Magic Knights. This is your Council President, and also the Princess of Milham, Myrcella Odette Milham."
The voice came out of nowhere, echoing through the entire area.
It was clear.
It was the kind of clearness that made it impossible to ignore.
I froze for a second, my attention immediately snapping toward the source, even though there wasn’t really anything to look at. The voice was coming from the announcer system installed across the academy grounds.
Duncan, standing right next to me, blinked a couple of times before speaking.
"That’s the Princess, isn’t it?"
I glanced at him.
Seriously?
She literally just introduced herself, and he still needed confirmation. Sometimes I wondered how this guy survived daily life. There had to be a hidden talent somewhere, because it definitely wasn’t in observation.
Still... something about the way she introduced herself stuck with me.
She didn’t just say she was the Council President.
She made sure to say she was the Princess too.
That wasn’t her usual style.
She was doing it on purpose.
She was probably trying to grab everyone’s attention and make sure nobody tuned out halfway through.
"I know all of you have a lot of questions right now, and that’s completely reasonable. I’ve caused unnecessary worry because of my actions."
Her voice carried smoothly through the system, filling the space around us.
That announcer really was something.
If I remembered correctly, it was made by Leon’s company. Which was still ridiculous to think about. The guy was rich enough to not care about anything, and yet he still showed up to classes like the rest of us. Either he liked suffering, or he just had too much free time.
Probably both.
Either way, it wasn’t important right now.
Everyone’s focus was on her.
"However, there is no need to worry. None of the rumors currently spreading are true. While it is true that the academy’s operations are not functioning properly at the moment, that is due to staff being unable to work. The families of the former administration have blocked financial resources, preventing us from paying the professors."
Murmurs started rising around me.
Low voices, confused whispers, and bits and pieces of conversations overlapping each other.
"So that’s why classes have been weird lately..."
"They’re blocking the money?"
"That’s messed up..."
It made sense, in a frustrating kind of way.
Politics, money, power. Same old story.
"Even so," she continued, her tone steady, "we are doing everything we can to resolve the situation. A new group of administrators will take over, and within a few days, things will begin returning to normal. For now, I ask that all of you trust me."
Trust.
That word hit differently now.
It used to feel simple.
Now it felt heavy.
Because trusting someone wasn’t easy when things kept going wrong.
People around me weren’t convinced. You could tell just by looking at their faces. Some looked doubtful. Others looked straight-up annoyed. A few just looked tired, like they didn’t even have the energy to care anymore.
At this point, it felt like whatever trust people had in her was slowly running dry.
"I understand that trusting me right now is difficult," she said, as if she could hear what everyone was thinking. "But I ask for your patience. At this very moment, I am fighting for the throne."
That got a reaction.
A louder one.
People started talking over each other, trying to make sense of what she just said.
Fighting for the throne?
That wasn’t exactly small news.
"That may not be something all of you are aware of," she continued. "The conflict has not escalated into open battle yet, but tensions are rising. We have been doing everything we can to prevent it from turning violent. Some of you may have heard about the suicide bombers near the castle."
That part wasn’t exactly hidden.
"But I assure you, the conflict will remain within the capital. You are not in danger. What I ask from you right now... is your support."
Support.
That was what she wanted.
From people who were already unsure about everything.
It was a bold thing to ask.
"Right now, I am in need of your help," she said. "If you are willing to trust me, then please... trust me. And if you cannot, that is also understandable. I believe I have given you reason to doubt me."
The crowd quieted a little after that.
It wasn’t silence, but it was close.
Then there was a pause.
Through the speaker, I could hear her breathing. A slow inhale, like she was steadying herself before saying something important.
"But even so... I hope that I can still be accepted."
Another pause.
This one felt longer.
"That is because... I will become the sovereign of this kingdom."
Everything around me seemed to freeze for a second.
My eyes widened before I even realized it.
The Princess... was going to become the ruler?
Not just temporarily, not just as a figurehead.
The sovereign.
I didn’t even know how to process that.
Part of me wanted to think it was a good thing. That maybe someone like her could actually change things.
Another part of me hesitated.
Because trusting rulers wasn’t exactly something that came naturally.
For years, people like us had been overlooked and completely ignored unless we were useful. It was always the same pattern. Promises made from above, then forgotten just as quickly.
That kind of thing sticks with you.
It makes it hard to believe.
It was hard to accept that someone in power could actually be both capable and decent at the same time.
Still...
Maybe that was just me being biased.
Maybe things didn’t have to stay the same.
Maybe... just maybe...
If it was her, things could turn out differently.
