Supreme Spouse System.

Chapter 726: The Walk to the Throne

The Walk to the Throne

Commander Black stood in guard position.

Back straight.

Sword at his side.

The moment the shimmering barrier dissolved into the cool morning air, he felt it—a presence he knew too well. Not through sight first, but through instinct. The kind forged from years on battlefields and countless hours standing watch over a king.

His head snapped toward the source.

His eyes found Leon.

Without the slightest hesitation, Commander Black dropped to one knee. The movement was sharp and disciplined, armor shifting with a muted clink as he bowed his head.

"Greeting your Majesty," he said in a deep, unwavering tone that carried both respect and absolute loyalty.

Leon regarded him calmly.

"Rise, Commander Black."

The command was simple, but it carried quiet authority.

Black stood immediately. Still, his gaze remained respectfully lowered, the posture of a soldier who knew precisely where he stood in the order of things. Discipline ran through every line of his body—shoulders squared, hands steady, every breath controlled.

Leon studied him for a brief moment.

"Everything peaceful in the palace?" Leon asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Black replied without hesitation. "The night passed without incident. The guards remained on full watch."

A faint nod from Leon acknowledged the report.

Behind him, the women stepped forward.

Their footsteps were soft against the stone path, yet there was something unmistakable in the way they carried themselves today.

They were not merely wives walking behind their husband.

There was a new gravity in their movements... a quiet strength.

Soon, each of them would hold authority that could shape the kingdom itself.

One of them glanced around the palace courtyard with thoughtful eyes. Another straightened her posture as if already preparing for the responsibilities ahead. There was curiosity, anticipation—perhaps even a little excitement beneath the surface.

Commander Black noticed it too.

For a moment, his gaze flickered toward them. Respect remained in his expression, but there was also the awareness of a man realizing the court he served was about to change.

Leon glanced at Black again before speaking, his tone steady.

"Commander... lead the way to the throne room."

Black stiffened slightly.

For a heartbeat.

The throne room.

Not the council chamber. Not a private hall.

The throne room meant something official.

His head bowed once more.

"Yes, my king."

Off he moved, pivoting without pause, striding forward now. His heavy boots hit the stones one after another, beat by beat. The sound traveled low across the empty space between walls.

Stillness held Leon for a short stretch of time. Light from the yard lamps danced soft on smooth rock, swaying with the air’s slow breath. A faint tightening came into his amber gaze - considering, not merely tracking steps but something beneath them.

After that, his attention shifted to the woman standing at his back.

His lips curled just a little at the edge.

"Well," he began, eyes moving between faces he knew so well, "how about we head out now?"

Out came Rias’s folded arms, a smirk tucked into the angle of her posture. Over one shoulder slipped a wave of red hair when she tipped her chin toward him, light dancing in her stare like sparks on water.

"You’re the one who summoned a court meeting," she said. "Don’t keep your ministers waiting."

Leon raised a brow. "So strict already? I thought you’d at least pretend to be supportive."

Rias smirked. "I am supportive. I’m supporting the ministers who are probably standing there wondering if their king forgot the meeting he called."

A soft laugh came out before she could stop it. With a slow hand, the tall figure tucked a lock of violet hair - deep as royalty - behind one ear. Her eyes stayed on Leon, sharp, like she already knew his next move.

"You look far too relaxed for someone about to change the entire structure of a kingdom," she said.

Fingers easing apart, Leon let the gesture speak - like anyone could miss it.

"Confidence."

A sharp little snort escaped Syra at the edge, her green strands shifting like reeds when she tipped her head sideways.

"Arrogance."

His eyes met hers. Ouch, that stings.

"Do I?" Syra shot back with a grin. "Because from where I’m standing, you look like a man who already decided how the meeting ends before it even starts."

Floating near their edge, Nova broke the silence with words soft but sure.

"Both."

A slight turn of Leon’s head brought his gaze to rest on her.

A tiny spasm tugged at the edge of his lips, as if restraint were a thread about to snap. Humor, thin and quiet, passed through his gold-flecked gaze.

A soft chuckle slipped out when their steps started moving together.

Footfalls firm, Commander Black walked before the others, guiding the way on a narrow stone trail winding through the palace’s inner gardens. The path curled between hedges heavy with bloom, silent except for distant birdsong. Each guard they passed pulled shoulders back without thinking when he drew near. Years had shaped his presence - no shout needed, just motion.

The palace grounds were vast.

Sunlight slipped over the garden, touching neat hedges and lines of trees dressed in bloom. Tiny drops of dew held on, flashing like scattered bits of glass. Cool air moved quietly, laced with rose scent, while jasmine curled through it, slow and sweet.

A ribbon of glass ran the length of the garden, still and quiet under open air. Above it, a soft sky held its breath, caught perfectly on the water’s face. Down below, fish moved without hurry - golden shapes tracing loops where light broke into sparks across their skin.

Over the pond, stone bridges arched softly, their pale curves mirrored without a ripple beneath. Each curve held its twin in the calm like a secret whispered twice.

Not far ahead, she let her pace drop just a bit - morning sun pulling red strands into something bright and moving. The air held still as if watching.

This spot, she whispered, her tone quieter than normal.