Journey to Become the Zenith-Chapter 126: The Weight of a Crown’s Trust

The Weight of a Crown’s Trust

Her gaze steady.

"...I didn’t want to use this."

A quiet admission.

"...But if they push too far..."

Her voice lowered, calm but carrying a sharp edge beneath it.

"...Then I won’t hold back either."

Her fingers tightened slightly around the ring, the faint glint of royal engraving catching the dim light of the room.

"...Because the Queen gave me this to handle situations like this. That’s why she gave it to me."

The words settled into the room like a final verdict.

Not pride.

Not arrogance.

Just certainty.

For a moment—

No one spoke.

Then—

Niva, Dira, and Kira’s expressions broke all at once.

"...Wait—what?"

"...The Queen?"

"...You’re serious?"

Their eyes widened, almost comically, disbelief written all over their faces.

It wasn’t just surprise.

It was shock.

The kind that made your mind go blank for a second.

Because the weight behind those words—

Was too heavy to process immediately.

When they heard Videl say that the person who gave the ring was the Queen herself, the three of them had their eyes bulging out.

If they had known this earlier—

If they had known she carried something like that—

They wouldn’t have been as tense.

As worried.

As desperate to find an escape.

Because now—

The situation looked completely different.

The air itself seemed to shift.

What had felt like a corner—tight, suffocating, closing in—suddenly opened. Not safe, not yet... but no longer hopeless either.

Even the faint sounds outside—the distant clatter of armor, the low murmurs of soldiers moving through the camp—felt different now. Less threatening. More... manageable.

But that only led to another question.

A bigger one.

Dira stepped forward first, her brows furrowed, disbelief still lingering in her voice.

"...Okay, but tell us—how did you even get that?"

She wasn’t just asking out of curiosity.

There was tension in her shoulders. Calculation behind her eyes.

Because favors from the Queen weren’t handed out.

Not casually.

Not without a reason.

Niva followed immediately, her curiosity sharper now.

"...Yeah. Why would the Queen give you something like that?"

Her tone carried something else beneath it—

A hint of unease.

Because if the Queen had personally acknowledged Videl...

Then Videl wasn’t just someone they knew anymore.

She was someone... connected to power.

Kira didn’t interrupt.

But her eyes—

Locked onto Videl.

Watching.

Waiting.

Reading every breath. Every flicker of movement.

Trying to decide if the girl in front of her was still the same person she thought she knew.

Videl exhaled slowly.

The kind of breath that carried memory with it.

Her gaze dropped to the ring in her hand for a brief moment.

And for the first time—

There was something softer in her expression.

Not doubt.

Not fear.

But something quieter.

Something older.

Then— 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

She spoke.

Calm.

Unrushed.

"...The Queen asked me to take three hits from her sword."

The room went silent again.

Not the earlier silence filled with confusion—

This one was heavier.

Colder.

Because everyone in that room understood exactly what that meant.

The Queen didn’t "test" people.

She didn’t "spar."

If she swung her sword—

It was to cut.

To end.

"...If I could take all three hits while standing..."

A faint pause.

Not for effect.

But because even remembering it—

Demanded a moment.

"...She said she would reward me."

Her fingers closed around the ring slightly.

And for a split second—

Her knuckles turned pale.

"...And as you can see..."

She lifted it just enough for the light to catch again.

A faint glimmer.

Cold.

Unforgiving.

"...This was the reward."

No one spoke.

Not immediately.

Because the meaning behind that—

Took a second to sink in.

Three hits.

From her.

Not a demonstration.

Not restraint.

Real strikes.

The kind that split armor.

The kind that crushed bone.

The kind that decided whether you lived or died.

Then—

Dira’s lips parted slightly.

"...You’re telling me..."

Her voice came out slower now.

Measured.

Like she was trying to make sense of something that refused to fit inside logic.

"...You took three hits..."

Niva finished the sentence in a whisper—

"...From the Queen?"

The air grew heavier.

Not tense—

But filled with something else.

Respect.

Realization.

The Warrior Queen Amara of Skyfall Kingdom.

A name that carried weight across the entire land.

A ruler.

A warrior.

A monster in battle.

Someone even high-ranking knights hesitated to challenge.

Her strength—

Was not a rumor.

It was fact.

Unquestionable.

And Videl—

A master-level swordswoman—

Had taken three hits from her blade...

And lived.

Kira’s gaze changed.

Subtly.

But unmistakably.

"...That’s insane."

Dira let out a slow breath, shaking her head slightly.

"...No... that’s not insane..."

She looked at Videl again.

"...That’s terrifying."

The room fell quiet again.

But this time—

It wasn’t doubt.

It was acknowledgment.

Then suddenly—

Dira’s eyes lit up, curiosity sparking again.

"...Wait."

She leaned forward slightly.

"...Did she use the Ruby Blade?"

Videl blinked.

"...Ruby Blade?"

"What?" Videl tilted her head slightly. "...What’s that?"

Niva immediately jumped in, her voice carrying a hint of excitement.

"...It’s the weapon the Queen of Skyfall uses."

"...A legendary sword."

"...Only she and her bloodline can wield it."

There was a faint pride in her tone—

Like she was talking about something sacred.

Videl paused for a second, thinking back.

The memory flickered in her mind.

Heavy footsteps.

A suffocating presence.

A blade—

But not something extraordinary.

"...I think I saw that sword..."

She murmured.

Then shook her head.

"...No."

Her voice steadied.

"...She didn’t use it."

A brief pause.

"...We both used normal heavy swords."

Dira’s shoulders dropped slightly.

"...Ah..."

A small sigh escaped her.

"...That’s kind of disappointing."

Kira glanced at her sideways.

"...Disappointing?"

"...What? It would’ve been cooler," Dira muttered, though her tone had already softened.

Then—

Kira straightened slightly.

Her voice turned serious again.

"...No. That’s not what matters."

Her gaze locked onto Videl.

Sharp.

Clear.

"...What matters is that you have that ring."

The atmosphere shifted once more.

Back to reality.

"...As long as you have it..."

She continued slowly.

"...Not even a Duke can touch you."

A pause.

Then—

Her voice lowered just slightly.

"...So no matter what happens..."

Her eyes narrowed.

"...You cannot lose that ring."

Silence followed.

Heavy.

Meaningful.

Because they all understood.

That ring—

Was not just protection.

It was responsibility.

A line drawn in the sand.

Videl looked down at it again.

The weight felt... different now.

Heavier.

Warmer.

Dangerous.

"...Yeah."

A quiet answer.

Almost to herself.

Just like the Queen had said—

She really did need it.

And yet—

For some reason—

A faint unease settled in her chest.

Not loud.

Not overwhelming.

But there.

Persistent.

Like a whisper she couldn’t quite hear.

Her fingers tightened slightly around the ring.

"...Something’s off..."

A thought she didn’t voice.

A feeling she couldn’t explain.

Because deep down—

She couldn’t shake it.

That something bad—

Was about to happen.