Lu Mingfei, become the King of Elden!

Chapter 211, Page 209: What is a King?
Lu Mingfei stepped onto the stairs in the main hall of the Round Table Hall and returned to this quiet church.

It's less of a church and more of a prayer room dedicated to a strange belief.

The door slowly closed behind him, completely blocking out the outside world and preventing unqualified people from having an audience.

A scent filled the air, a mixture of dust and candle wax.

The flickering candlelight on the wall made the huge "two fingers" in the center appear even more solemn.

"Unraveling the Finger" Granny Enya remained curled up in her old spot, her posture unchanged. Her small body was almost completely swallowed by the wide robe, blending into the shadows, and she still held the staff that was taller than a person in her hand.

Lu Mingfei approached and stood silently.

With a slight shift in his mind, he guided the two vast powers within his body to slowly manifest.

The large rune phantoms belonging to "Limb Reattachment" Grik and "Star Shatterer" Rataen, like two miniature sun wheels, emerged in front of him and slowly rotated.

Although Rataen's Great Rune had not yet been activated, the immense energy fluctuations originating from the demigod instantly filled the small space, causing the candlelight to flicker violently.

Grandma Enya turned her empty eyes toward Lu Mingfei, her withered face showing undisguised amazement.

"...Oh, that's really impressive..."

Her voice was low and slow, filled with heartfelt emotion:
"This is only the second time I've seen two large runes at the same time, from the past to the present."

She turned her head slightly, slowly raising her deeply lined face, and gazed reverently at the enormous two fingers in the darkness.

At this moment, her fingers were moving and trembling in a strange rhythm, and Enya's expression was focused and absorbed, as if she were listening to a silent oracle.

"Look, even Master Finger is very excited:"
'Well done, you faded ones. The Supreme Will will surely rejoice.'

'This proves that you possess the qualifications to become the King of Elden.'

'Faded Ones, proceed toward the Golden Tree and pay homage to Queen Marika.'

"Become the King of Elden and restore the Golden Law."

After recounting the story, Grandma Enya managed a kind smile on her wrinkled face. She looked at Lu Mingfei and said:

"...Master Finger is looking forward to your performance. Hmm, probably on par with little Gideon."

Is he on par with that brat Gideon?

Lu Mingfei was slightly taken aback.

Could it be that the Hundred-Eared Man, Sir Gideon, is also a powerful figure who wields two Great Runes?
It wasn't entirely unexpected, after all, Gideon was the de facto manager of the Round Table Hall and had many capable people under his command.

Judging from his extensive knowledge, this guy is not unintelligent, and his strength should not be underestimated.

However, a somewhat strange expression still appeared on Lu Mingfei's face.

He had little good impression of the man named Gideon Ophniel, and could even be described as wary of him.

Every time he met him, even through the helmet, the other man's eyes seemed to penetrate his disguise and look straight into his soul, giving him an uncomfortable feeling that he had nowhere to hide and that his flesh and blood and his thoughts had been seen through. That feeling was really unsettling.

Mr. Finger, why don't you... take another look? Can my little Lu Zi really be considered the same kind of person as Gideon, that unfathomable fellow?
Lu Mingfei stood in the shadow of the two fingers, lost in thought, when Grandma Enya tremblingly reached out and handed him a gift.

"Please accept it. This is a little gift from the old woman."

Lu Mingfei paused slightly, instinctively taking it, then his pupils suddenly contracted. The unique, rough yet slightly resilient texture… the brownish-yellow color… and the distinct branching patterns, symbolizing a golden tree, engraved on it using ancient techniques…

Isn't this a protective amulet pouch?

As if in response to his shock, a very familiar explanatory text automatically surfaced in his mind:
A shrunken, handmade leather pouch. This is interpreted as a gift from an old woman to a king, or a person aspiring to become king.

"Will it be given to the king, or to someone who aspires to become king?"

Lu Mingfei repeated the sentence in a low voice, a voice only he could hear.

Does this mean that Grandma Enya approves of him and believes he is destined to become a king?

What exactly is a king?

A look of confusion flashed in Lu Mingfei's eyes.

To this day, Lu Mingfei still doesn't understand what kind of path "becoming a king" is, or what its significance is.

O'Neill once said something like, "I hope Lu Mingfei will become the King of Elden." Of course, the old man didn't force him to agree; he just silently followed him.

To be honest, he had no concept of what a "king" was.

Before he transmigrated here, although he had already entered the world of mixed-race people, he was essentially still an ordinary "loser" who had lived a normal human life for eighteen years, with mediocre grades, little presence, and nothing special.

Fate cast him into this land, and he struggled to survive, encountering all sorts of people along the way.

Reliable companions, formidable adversaries, tragic heroes, cunning merchants... He experienced betrayal and loyalty, witnessed sacrifice and perseverance, felt despair and ignited hope.

It was in this constant cycle of loss and gain that his state of mind had quietly undergone a tremendous transformation.

Unbeknownst to him, his former inferiority and timidity had been worn away, and arrogance had quietly taken root.

The ambition to no longer be content to drift with the tide, to take control of one's own destiny, and even to change something has begun to quietly take root and sprout.

He developed arrogance and ambition.

He became curious.

“Mother-in-law,” Lu Mingfei asked softly, “what exactly is a king? And what are the qualifications to become a king?”

"Unbound Finger" Enya, the "High Priestess" who can almost be regarded as the spokesperson for the Two Finger in the Round Table Hall, and the one with the highest status among all the unbound finger old women, slowly turned her body, her empty eye sockets facing Lu Mingfei, and a knowing yet gentle smile appeared on her face.

A "prospective king" who possesses the qualities of a king but is unaware of it and is still groping his way forward in the fog, finally begins to actively touch and explore the destiny that has long been entangled in him, and is about to truly embark on the path that belongs to him to become king.

What defines a king?

Enya's voice, aged yet soothing, drifted gently through the silent church.
"Neither a natural talent nor a destiny."

She didn't give a clear answer, but she seemed to be guiding Lu Mingfei forward, pointing him towards a broad path.

"Go, go find your own path..."

Her smile deepened slightly, carrying a hint of encouragement.

"I'm rooting for you, Mom."

(End of this chapter)