Chapter 623: Divine Right of Kings

Sitting on the viewing platform of the Assassin Alliance, Broly looked somewhat dazed.

"What's wrong, Broly-san?"

Nahashu saw his expression was off and couldn't help but ask.

"No one told me I still have to give a speech for this Martial Arts Tournament," Broly answered truthfully.

"Uh..."

Nahashu looked toward Esdeath, who now had the appearance of a mature woman.

"That was my intention."

Esdeath did not shirk responsibility, directly admitting it.

"The Great Western Nation has been established for some time now; it's about time the citizens know who the master ruling this land is."

"Uh, what's the point of that? I'm not even in this world very often."

Broly looked at Esdeath somewhat confusedly.

"Recently, quite a few people have wanted to support me as the female emperor of the Great Western Nation."

Esdeath did not hide it either.

She liked war, often leading troops to fight everywhere; in the eyes of outsiders, she was undoubtedly a cruel person, but within the Great Western Nation, she was the leader who stabilized the nation and secured the state, the kind who could stand on the front lines shouting to charge with me.

This gave Esdeath extremely high prestige in the Great Western Nation, and with high prestige came many blind followers; those people sincerely hoped this Ice Queen could open a new history, just like the First Emperor of the empire from a thousand years ago in the distant past.

"As they are followers, I'm not too comfortable directly dealing with them; coincidentally, you came over here, and the Western Martial Arts Tournament, such a popular grand event, is also being held."

"So I prepared this, to let you show your face, to let everyone in the Great Western Nation know of your existence, and that you are my master!"

Esdeath said, handing Broly a chain, the other end of which was a collar now worn around the other's snow-white neck.

Broly had previously thought Esdeath just liked this kind of peculiar collar decoration, but unexpectedly it was actually to lead him around.

"The Ice Queen, capable in war and battle, being led like a dog before the masses, Broly, are you moved? If that's not enough, I can wear a collar too."

Merad leaned in, seemingly also wanting to play the role of a female slave beside the boy.

"You are both big shots of this country now; won't doing this affect your prestige?"

"It will have some effect, but not a big one; after all, our strength is right here."

"There will be an effect, so let's forget it; I don't need to lead you around to establish prestige before others."

"Is there a possibility that we just want to experience the feeling of being led like a dog by you before the masses, subjected to others' strange gazes?"

"Is there a possibility that we just want to experience the feeling produced by being led around like a dog by you in public, receiving others' strange gazes?"

Almost forgot, Esdeath and Merad both had the M Attribute similar to Darkness.

"Alright, you two stop messing around; don't you see Broly is troubled?"

Main pushed away the two who wanted to show off their XP in public, then gestured for the boy to just go on stage and say some perfunctory words.

"It's just showing your face; as long as the outside world knows the Assassin Alliance still has a true leader, there's no problem."

"Just showing my face is enough; as long as the Outside World knows the Assassin Alliance still has a true Leader, that's fine."

At the Martial Arts Tournament venue, after the host finished the introduction, the field fell into silence, everyone's gaze almost all turning toward the Assassin Alliance's viewing platform, but after a minute passed with no one coming out to speak, people began whispering.

The discussion voices were small, but there were many people discussing in the venue; the country boy standing on the ring could hear the buzzing, whisper-like discussion.

He was somewhat nervous and leaned toward the bearded burly man who stayed at the same inn as them and had some prior interaction, asking softly: "Digimon Adult, do you know what's going on?"

"The Assassin Alliance's business? How could I, a half-savage who just came out of the Gifnora Sea Tree Forest and recently re-entered Western Society, possibly know?"

Such a blunt truth, Samba-san definitely couldn't say; seeing him ponder for a moment, he said: "Maybe, as the runner-up, the other party is too embarrassed to see me, the champion!"

Tatsumi glanced sideways at Samba-san, but suddenly recalled the other's resume, as well as the host's earlier introduction of the true leader of the Assassin Alliance—the runner-up of the Martial Arts Tournament eight years ago.

"Ah, Digimon Adult, you actually once defeated the leader of the Assassin Alliance, such a super big shot?"

"Of course, who do you think I am!"

The boy's starry eyes made Samba-san very pleased.

"Then can you tell me, what exactly does such a big shot look like?"

Tatsumi was somewhat curious.

"Uh, he's a very formidable guy; to defeat him, I also paid an extremely painful price."

Samba-san recalled the scene of the boy falling before him back then, and a pained expression inevitably appeared on his face.

Eight million, that was eight million, if not for the one million six hundred thousand prize money from winning the championship back then slightly recovering some losses, I probably would have lost everything!

"Shh, don't talk, the big shot is coming out."

Just as Tatsumi wanted to inquire for more information, a participant also selected for the top thirty-two beside him reminded him.

The boy quickly looked up, and with his excellent vision, he soon saw a boy in splendid robes walking to the front of the viewing platform.

"How come the one who came out is a child?"

He said subconsciously.

"Not a child; that is Broly, the true leader of the Assassin Alliance; back then, the opponent who made me pay a painful price and barely win."

Samba-san looked at the boy on the viewing platform, his eyes full of complex colors; who would have thought the boy who threw the match to let the champion go to him back then would now be the true leader behind the Assassin Alliance, the true Uncrowned King of the Great Western Nation.

Samba-san looked at the boy on the viewing platform, his eyes full of complex colors; who would dare think that the boy who once threw a match to give him the championship would now be the true Leader behind the Assassin Alliance, the Great Western Nation's true Uncrowned King.

Najenda narrowed her eyes; in the Assassin Alliance of the Great Western Nation, there were indeed some rumors, such as the true leader not being Esdeath and Merad, but someone else, and that person had seized most of the Empire's Teigu years ago and was strong enough that even the Empire back then dared not take substantive retaliatory action.

I thought this was just a rumor, but unexpectedly there really is such a person; Najenda did not doubt the identity of the boy above, only because before coming here, she had passed through the lands of Borsil City and Kaxisi Oasis, and the boy's appearance was seven or eight parts similar to the statues erected in those places.

"I am Broly; since you asked me to give a speech, I'll say a few words; the Martial Arts Tournament is a place to test martial arts, and extreme battles can make people feel happy; I hereby wish the players advancing to the top thirty-two tournament prosperous martial fortune, enjoy the process of fighting to test martial arts with other masters, and thereby further improve their own martial arts."

Broly's words were a bit dry; after thinking, he added another sentence: "I hereby promise that no matter what cruel injuries you suffer during the match on the ring, after the competition ends, you will all receive proper treatment to recover as before."

"And, to let everyone enjoy every battle to the fullest, I will be responsible for replenishing the Qi consumed by each of you in every battle, so that you can display your martial arts without reservation and with all your might."

And so that everyone may enjoy every battle to the fullest, I will be responsible for replenishing the Qi consumed in each of your battles, so that you may fight without reservation and give your all to demonstrate your martial arts.

After speaking, Broly raised his hand and condensed a mass of life energy, combining his understanding of healing magic and water magic to give every participant and audience member in the venue a free vitality restoration and injury treatment.

This magic fell upon everyone like fine rain; though not as good as his own Aqua Master's great healing spell, it was still a miracle in this world.

"Under the Saiyan God Religion, our god truly exists!"

Some audience members from the Kathisi Region had already knelt on the ground, spreading their arms to bathe in this divine grace bestowed by the Saiyan on the viewing platform, each face showing fanaticism.

Those who had originally thought the one who came out was just a little boy and had muttered in their hearts whether the Assassin Alliance or the Martial Arts Tournament had made a mistake were now stunned by this scene.

【Showing my face like this should be about enough!】

Broly thought so, then looked at the prompt message popping up from the Crystal Palace.

【New capture target discovered: Chelsea, current Happiness Value 2, continuing to rise】

【New capture target discovered: Najenda, current Happiness Value 1, continuing to rise】

When he came before the viewing platform and overlooked the entire venue, these two prompt messages suddenly popped up.

He tried to find the people these two messages referred to, but there were simply too many people here at the Martial Arts Tournament venue, and he could not yet distinguish who was the capture target recognized by the Crystal Palace.

Broly went back; he had no intention of pausing the Martial Arts Tournament. Since new capture targets had already appeared, matters like finding people could be searched for and distinguished in private—there was no need to ruin everyone's anticipation for the Martial Arts Tournament right now.

After Broly returned, the host immediately continued with the next procedures of the Martial Arts Tournament, having the participants who advanced to the top thirty-two draw lots and introduce their basic information publicly, arranging their matchups, focusing on fairness and justice.

But that's what was said; actually, for the sake of the show's effect, the staff of the Martial Arts Tournament would, before this, intentionally give participants who performed excellently in the Sea Selection different number plates, avoiding them meeting too early before the semifinals.

Otherwise, without the preliminary rounds, the semifinals and finals wouldn't be exciting, and that would be a joke.

"Group A Number 2, Matou..."

"Group B Number 13, Najenda..."

Broly sat back in his seat, searching for capture targets within the main venue, when he suddenly heard the name of one of the capture targets.

He hurriedly looked toward Najenda, who had received number 13 below, and then heard Esdeath exclaim beside him: "She actually came too?"

"Do you know that participant?"

"We fought once half a year ago; she's a person with great potential. Her ideal is to save more people, and I think she will pursue greater power for this ideal, so I gave her your Qi Refining Fist."

"Hey, Esdeath, you guy, how can you just give Broly's Qi Refining Fist to other people so casually?"

Hearing this, Main immediately accused him; the reason the Assassin Alliance's power was stable was because every member of their Wife Group was very strong.

Part of this strength came from Teigu, and part came from the Qi Refining Fist taught by Broly.

Broly's Qi Refining Fist in this world was a divine art and secret manual that could effectively increase strength, and it was also the kind with a low entry threshold.

"What does it matter? I'm not just giving it to anyone I meet. Najenda counts as a good person; making her stronger will only make the outside world better, right? And I can also get a powerful opponent out of it."

Esdeath didn't care; nowadays she had no interest in the internal strife of the Wife Group. The fighting styles of Akame and the others were too familiar to her, unable to give her enough freshness.

Instead, during the days Broly stayed here, Esdeath pestered the boy to fight every day, and even when sleeping together at night, she would discuss the use of jujutsu, finger-pointing fist, and qi-cutting fist with the boy.

"Of course, perhaps it's because of the grace I bestowed on her before; now she's preparing to pledge allegiance to us."

Esdeath could guess Najenda's thoughts: a person who wanted to save the world but found their own strength insufficient, upon seeing an organization with world-saving power, would naturally know what action to take without words.

"General Najenda? We have intelligence on her; she's an idealistic person. Her appearance at the Martial Arts Tournament is probably to make a name for herself, then join us, thereby influencing us."

"And based on our grasp of her intelligence on our side, this person will most likely choose to unite with the Upper House formed by city lords of the city-states and the Lower House formed by local civilian representatives, to confront us Assassin Alliance, the martial power arbiters of the Great Western Nation, thereby influencing the Great Western Nation's current neutral profit-making strategy in this chaotic world."

"Hah, this idea is good, but actually, no matter whether it's the Upper House or the Lower House, those people's thoughts cannot influence us who make the decisions..."

The Great Western Nation indeed had no emperor, but it did have the Wife Group; this group's faction was the power core of the entire Great Western Nation.

The Assassin Alliance would listen to the opinions proposed by these people—the Upper House formed by city lords of various city-states and the Lower House formed by representatives elected from various regions—but if it concerned the core policy of cherishing current peace that the Assassin Alliance intended to maintain and affect the entire Great Western Nation, the Wife Group could completely act unilaterally.

"Don't say that; I actually appreciate this person. If she can give me a surprise later, I'll grant her wish—lending her the power to pacify the chaotic world outside, what do you say?"

Esdeath looked forward to this very much, looking forward to seeing Najenda strive to increase her strength to pacify the chaotic world and give her a surprise.

"Uh, as long as Esdeath you're willing..."

Although there were many in the Wife Group, the one who actually made the Great Western Nation establish the neutral profit-making national policy was actually Esdeath, as previously said; she preferred a chaotic world full of war.

The other wives didn't oppose her idea, and after a slight supplement, it became the current foreign neutral policy situation of the Great Western Nation.

Want to change it? That's also very simple; as long as Esdeath changes her mind. As for others, they probably wouldn't oppose either.

"Can I say something?"

Broly spoke at this time.

"Broly-san, do you have any opinion on the Great Western Nation's national policy?"

Everyone curiously looked at him.

"I don't have any opinion on this; I just want to say, she is also a capture target recognized by the Crystal Palace."

Broly pointed to Najenda below and said this to the wives beside him.

Wife Group: "......"

"I suddenly have a new understanding of the phrase 'divine right of kings'."

Nahashu said, and Akame and others nodded.