Giving Gifts

"Mom! Look, it's the king!" The young boy from before shouted in amazement, though his mom didn't seem to hear him.

Instead she just looked ahead with a gaping mouth, absolutely stunned by his sudden appearance.

While most people knew little of this new king, his first speech and recent moves had made him a massive fanbase, mostly made up of those poor and disenfranchised.

And she was among those fans, in fact she was among the most devoted, so now that she was seeing her idol up front, her mind fell into chaos.

"Mom?" The young boy asked, tugging on her sleeve and finally waking her up.

"I see him…" She muttered.

Meanwhile, Minos stepped down from the carriage with a big smile on his face, waving to the crowd as they all cheered for him.

"You're Majesty, I love you!"

"You're Majesty, may you live eternally!"

"The heavens will bless you for your magnanimity, your Majesty!"

"Thank you for the kind words, but can I please have a moment of silence? I'd like to say a few things." Minos said gently, though his words carried a power that was impossible to resist.

Despite the crowd's fervor, they immediately went silent at his command, showing the respect they had for him.

"Much better. Then let me start by welcoming everyone. Today is the start of something new, more importantly, it's the first step towards a brighter future."

"How many scholars of our kingdom have been buried simply due to their poverty, forced to slave away in an endless toil, no redemption in sight?"

"How many warriors have destroyed their bodies in backbreaking labor, when they should have been on the battlefield, protecting our vast kingdom?"

"How many artists have been locked away in gloomy mines, picking away in the darkness, when they should have been beacons of light?"

"Quite frankly, even if the answer was one, it would be far too many for me, because even one person can lift a kingdom up!"

"And I don't believe it's just one, not even hundreds, in fact I believe every person here is hiding brilliance within them, brilliance that I refuse to extinguish."

"Others may be satisfied with this system, especially those at the top who benefit from it, but I for one, despise it."

"The moment I became king, I made a lot of promises, and I'm sure most of you understandably didn't believe me."

"After all, as far as you're concerned, the king is high and far away, not bothered with the problems of the average person."

"But I am not the average king, and you are not average people, you've just been told that lie so that you would be satisfied with mediocrity."

"They tell you that you're destined for nothing, whereas they are destined for greatness."

"They tell you that this is just the way of the world, some are born at the top, and others are born at the bottom."

"They tell you that even if you did have the opportunity, you'd fail, because you just aren't meant for better things, that isn't your destiny."

"But what is a king but a rewriter of destiny? They say you are destined for nothing, but I say they are wrong, and I'll prove it to them."

"Welcome everyone to the first of many academy's, and welcome to your new destinies."

With that said, Minos personally opened the large gates by hand, the action like a spark in a vat of oil, immediately igniting the crowd into explosive cheers.

The cheers were so loud that people miles away could hear them, curious as to what was going on to create so much noise.

But it didn't take much time for someone to record Minos's words and begin distributing them, once again throwing the kingdom into another fervor.

Though that was for another time, for now Minos was busy personally welcoming every family into the academy, even going so far as to shake each and every hand, which would normally be seen as below a king.

Some people were so flattered they nearly fainted, but fortunately Minos caught them in time and woke them up with his powers.

Eventually however, it was the turn of the boy's family, his eyes shining as he quickly ran up towards Minos and jumped towards him.

"Are you crazy, stop!" His mother quickly shouted, knowing this was far too much.

Seeing the boy's movements, the guard was about to block his way, but Minos stopped him, instead catching the boy midjump.

"Hahaha, you've got a good son, brave! And big too, he nearly made me fall over." Minos laughed as he set the boy back down.

"Y-your Majesty, please forgive us, he normally doesn't act like this!" The boy's mother begged, her eyes tearful and filled with worry.

Reaching out, Minos swept the tears from under her eyes, causing her to look up at him with shock.

"Why are you crying? Each and every child of the kingdom is like my own, so what's wrong with a hug?" He said with a smile, his gentle aura like a summer's breeze washing over her

"Y-your Majesty…" She said, her eyes filled with even more devotion than before.

"As for you, little one, what's that you're carrying with you?" Minos asked, bending down so as to be at eye-level with him.

"This? This is my toy sword! I use it to play with my friends." The boy bragged.

"I told you to leave that at home!" His mother couldn't help but scold even at this moment.

"Sword, huh? I take it you want to be a swordsman then?" Minos asked.

"That's right! The greatest swordsman to ever live to be more precise!"

"Good ambition! But you should know a great swordsman needs a great sword."

"A true swordsman can use anything as a sword!" The boy said, even surprising Minos.

"Hahaha, it seems you really are destined to be a swordsman! But you should know that level isn't easy to reach, so how about you use this sword to train for the time being." Minos said, tapping his spatial ring and pulling out a sword.

While the sword was just a random one he had on hand, at his current level, everything he carried was incredibly valuable, including this sword.

"A-amazing!" The boy said with shining eyes, his hands slightly shaky as he took the sword.

"Make sure to take good care of it." Minos smiled.

"You're Majesty, you can't! This sword is far too valuable, not to mention dangerous!" The boy's mother said.

"No worries, I've applied a little enchantment to it. Until he learns to wield it properly, the blade will be dull."

"Still…"

"Don't say anything more. What I give as a gift can never be returned. Besides, this is just a little investment in the future greatest swordsman, isn't it, boy?"

"That's right!" He said confidently, swinging the sword around a few times with fascination.

"Of course, this sword shouldn't distract you from your studies, so make sure you work hard and get good grades."

"And mom, if he ever does lose focus, make sure to give me a call so I can take back this sword. Only a great student can become a great swordsman."

"Don't worry, I promise I'll study extra extra hard!" The boy swore before his mother could even get a word in.

"Good, then go on in, your teacher must be waiting for you." Minos smiled, sending the boy off.

"Thank you you're Majesty, you are truly a kind man!" The mother said as her boy ran off.

"Hahaha, don't flatter me, it'll get to my head." Minos joked, causing her to let out a giggle.

"Then excuse me your Majesty, I've also got to get to work."

"Wait, how could I give a gift to the son without giving one to the mother?" Minos smiled, sliding a Nux Card into her hand.

"Y-your Majesty, I can't!" She said with shock, realizing just how much money this was.

"You can, and besides this money is also an investment. You must have heard about the new training centers. With this money you shouldn't have to work anymore, meaning you can dedicate yourself to your studies, just like your son."

"Bu-"

"No buts, just live in peace and happiness, and create a better future for you and your son. This is all I ask for, and all I wish for."

"Y-y-y." She tried to talk, but the tears of happiness and gratitude kept her choked up.

Once again wiping the tears, Minos gave her a moment to collect herself before saying goodbye and sending her off.

And it wasn't just their family he helped, in fact whenever he came across a family that was struggling extra hard, he made sure to give them a little present to make things easier.