Arfrotian wasn’t the type to let Zenian off so easily. It wasn’t because Zenian had questioned his kingship—no, that didn’t bother him at all. The real reason was much deeper, much more significant.

  It was Eterna.

  She was the divine consciousness of the Icy Omniverse, the spirit of the Eternal Frostheart, and the one who had chosen him. She had accepted him as the rightful ruler. To question his crown was to question Eterna’s decision itself, and that was something Arfrotian could never let slide.

  He stepped forward, the Eternal Frostheart glistening in his grasp, its icy aura pulsating with power. His deep blue eyes locked onto Zenian’s, cold and unwavering.

  "Huh? You say I don’t deserve to be King, right, LAB RAT?"

  Zenian’s breath hitched. He tried to maintain his composure, but there was nothing he could say. His mind was blank—he couldn’t think of a single retort.

  How could he?

  First, Arfrotian had toyed with him like an experiment subject, manipulating his every move without him even realizing it. Then, Arfrotian shattered his delusions of control and stripped him of everything he had ever desired. Now, he stood before him, wielding the very power Zenian had coveted for eons, staring him down like an executioner about to deliver judgment.

  And Arfrotian wasn’t done. Not even close.

  "What? You don’t have anything to say?" Arfrotian taunted, tilting his head slightly, his tone mocking yet casual. "Means, how could you even?"

  Zenian clenched his fists. His shame was unbearable.

  "So, you think you deserve this crown more than me?" Arfrotian smirked, his voice dripping with amusement. "I do wonder… If you were so easily played by me, had you been King, I wonder what would’ve happened to this Omniverse itself. Not that it matters to me, right, LAB RAT?"

  Zenian’s head hung low. He had no response. He had nothing. No excuse. No defense.

  But Arfrotian was far from over.

  "I should actually applaud you, you know?" Arfrotian continued, clapping slowly. The mockery in his voice was undeniable. "For both your bravery and your foolishness."

  Zenian’s hands trembled.

  "You wanted the crown and the Eternal Frostheart for one reason—just for the Ice Phoenix. Now, my Glacialix, right?"

  At the mention of Glacialix, a chill surged through Zenian’s spine.

  "You betrayed her eons ago, tried to wield this spear, and caused devastation to the entire Omniverse. You traumatized the Ice Phoenix herself! And now, you come back, attempting to wield the Eternal Frostheart again, causing the same apocalypse."

  Arfrotian’s voice grew sharper, colder.

  "Had I not been here… what would you have done? Stayed half-frozen while watching the entire Omniverse turn into a barren wasteland of ice again?"

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  Zenian remained silent.

  There was no answer to that.

  He had accused Arfrotian of being unworthy of the crown, yet Arfrotian had saved everything from the very doom Zenian had nearly caused—twice.

  Zenian had nothing left to say.

  And yet, Arfrotian wasn’t done.

  He stared Zenian down with an intensity that sent waves of unease through the air.

  "What do you think?" Arfrotian suddenly asked, tilting his head. "THIS CROWN… you think it’s a privilege?"

  Zenian’s eyes widened.

  "No."

  Arfrotian’s voice was deep, calm—deadly.

  "This isn’t a privilege. It’s a burden."

  Zenian stiffened.

  "A burden to protect those within your domain. A burden to maintain righteousness and justice. Which, to be honest, I don’t even like doing."

  Arfrotian sighed, almost lazily.

  "I didn’t want this crown. I don’t like being tied down by responsibilities. But you know what?"

  Zenian held his breath.

  Arfrotian smiled.

  "This burden is nothing—because those who trust me with this crown make it worth carrying."

  For the first time, Zenian felt it.

  The sheer weight behind those words.

  Unlike him, Arfrotian hadn’t taken the crown for lust, power, or personal ambition.

  He had taken it for those who mattered.

  Zenian suddenly felt small.

  Everything he had ever planned for, every scheme, every effort—meaningless.

  But Arfrotian wasn’t done. His voice shifted, now laced with amusement.

  "But…" He chuckled softly, making Zenian even more uneasy. "It would be unfair to say I wasn’t excited about this crown."

  Zenian blinked in confusion.

  "At the least," Arfrotian grinned, spinning the Eternal Frostheart in his hand, "I’m now a Player, as well as the King of my game, right?"

  "Game? King? Player?" Zenian couldn’t comprehend what Arfrotian meant, to think, Arfrotian this man, was just being sentimental a few moments ago, now changed his expression to amusement, was unsettling in the first place as Arfrotian continued,

  "See, you LAB RAT, becoming the King isn't even the solution to everything afterall, even the King fails to understand that there's a bigger game outside their board which might be brewing somewhere, and this is the true cause of their downfall, like really how NAIVE....."

  Zenian was not believing what he was hearing, even Glacialix too behind Arfrotian who had been listening from the start just couldn't believe how dramatic the change had occurred in her Master,

  She murmured, "Master… are you alright?"

  Arfrotian turned to her and gave a warm smile. It was a look warm enough to melt even Glacialix’s heart, she just knew her master was there for her, so she didn’t bother asking him further.

  Then, he turned back to Zenian, his smile darkening.

  "A King… should he be merciful? Just? Arrogant? A tyrant? Or the people's protector?"

  Zenian was stunned.

  "No."

  Arfrotian’s voice hardened.

  "A King, what? be merciful, fight on justice, be fair to all, or be arrogant, unfair to all, be the nemesis of its own subjects? NO!

  It’s not playing either, but knowing when to change to BOTH,

  You see, only doing everything for your people is being too fair with the, always letting them do what they want, the moment they find you are in fault they backstab you, now you become arrogant, rule them within an iron clad fist, and torture the, not even listen to them, then they revolt and it leads to downfall."

  Arfrotian mused as he said these next,

  “The only way to rule is being both, knowing, the conditions, knowing when to be fair and unfair; this is what a KING should be…”

  Zenian was speechless.

  Even Glacialix, who had always admired Arfrotian, was left in awe.

  Arfrotian took a step closer.

  "Na?ve kings fall. Arrogant kings fall."

  He leaned in.

  "But the ones who understand when to change… they reign."

  Zenian’s breath hitched.

  Arfrotian grinned.

  "But, even after all that, it’s true to say, arrogance is a sin, yes…"

  Zenian felt a chill creep up his spine.

  Then, Arfrotian’s smile widened.

  "But naivety? That’s an even greater sin than murder."