"Help meeeee! I don't want to die in a place like this! Felt! Quickly, help me! Tell him what to do, you ignorant bastards!"
The old man continued begging for his life, raising his voice, spitting, and shaking his shoulders.
The only sound echoing in the silent hall was the old man's pathetic scream, which rapidly lowered the atmosphere in the assembly hall into a heavy, gloomy one.
Many of the knights and civil servants looked at the old man with eyes full of indelible disgust, and many of the members of the Council of Sages, who were close in age to him, also felt that they had seen something unpleasant.
It had to be said that those who saw more meaning in the old man's cry and plea for his life were in the minority in this chamber.
"What's wrong? Who do you think has helped you survive this long? Or maybe you've forgotten all the things you've been grateful for after living a slightly more comfortable life? What do you think?"
The old man continued to press on, blatantly criticizing the baseness of humanity. While everyone else avoided commenting on his attitude, Reinhardt focused on the profile of the girl he considered his master.
To her, the old man's transformation was so drastic that it was no exaggeration to say that. Though they were too close to each other to understand his feelings, it was not difficult to imagine that he was feeling quite shaken.
Reinhardt, who had a vague hunch about the true meaning of the old man's words, decided that he had to make a move to break through the situation, and tried to take action.
"—Don't move, Reinhard. Stop doing strange things."
A girl's voice discouraged my enthusiasm, making me hesitate.
What a blunder, Reinhard thought, as he raised his head to see the girl who had spoken to the red-haired young man smiling with an air of arrogance and insolence.
Holding the fan she had pulled out from her chest to her mouth, Priscilla tilted her head lasciviously and lasciviously as she pierced Reinhard with her sadistic eyes.
"That's no good, Reinhard. A knight like you is shaking his head. With that attitude, it looks like you're trying to do something before that old man says anything inconvenient."
When Priscilla shrugged and said, "It's scary, it's scary," Reinhard thought to himself, "I've been fooled," and bit his lip in regret at his own failure.
It was unclear what effect the words and actions of the old man who called himself Cromwell would have on Felt. However, just as he was trying to take the initiative in defusing a situation that was difficult to interpret in a positive light, he had been put in his place by another preemptive move.
One word from Priscilla had already changed the way the old man's words were perceived and interpreted by everyone in the hall. And even if Reinhard tried to deny what he had said, there was no way he would judge it without the preconceived notion that he was trying to cover up an inconvenient truth.
With just one word, Priscilla completely transformed the situation on stage to her advantage.
Even though he wasn't familiar with the backgrounds of the people he was facing, he was able to see through the relationships and guide them to the situation based on just the smallest of interactions.
Reinhard was careless and unable to move. Seeing him like that, Priscilla nodded in satisfaction, closed the fan with a clang, and pointed the tip back at the old man.
"Now, continue begging for your life. Dance humiliatingly, miserably, comically, until you reach your climax, and entertain me. I permit it, and I will not stop you. Go ahead and do it to your heart's content, you old nuisance. Depending on how hard you try, I will decide whether or not to grant your unbearable pleas."
"What an unpleasant little girl, talking like she's all high and mighty… You're different, aren't you, Felt? You're right, you've always been a kind child. You wouldn't abandon me like that, would you? We've always gotten along well."
Spitting at Priscilla's haughty words, the old man continued to smile fawningly and clung to the mercy of the young girl, his old acquaintance.
Those around him were horrified at the old man's recklessness, not understanding the meaning of upsetting Priscilla, but Priscilla, who had been the recipient of such rude treatment, merely smiled in amusement and watched as the old man continued to plead for his life, which they called shameful.
Having witnessed the outcome of that exchange, the surrounding people seemed to have regained their senses, and they whispered to one another their current feelings――that is, their thoughts on the old man's pitiful plea for his life.
"Did you see that ugly scene?"
"What's more, his face is more obsequious. I no longer feel any sympathy for him. This is the definition of audacious thief."
"Even if Lady Felt was protected, acquitting her would be out of the question."
The knights had committed a crime, and yet they all criticized the despicable attitude of the old man who had begged for his release.
"The slums are filled with people like that… Did you grow up there, Felt-sama?"
"Even if the story about him being the only surviving bloodline was true, how could someone who had spent his time in such a place fulfill the responsibilities of a king..."
"Maybe we should reconsider this after all. Or perhaps we should follow the Dragon History Stone and treat him as a nominal candidate, merely to fill out the numbers."
The civil servants began to comment on Felt's qualifications, as he seemed to have had a close relationship with the old man.
The whispers gradually grew louder, and a murmur spread throughout the hall.
Seeing the reactions of those around him, Reinhard bit his lip as his deepest fears became a reality. He had expected this to happen.
On top of that, he had completely ignored the old man's screams and fallen victim to Priscilla's warnings. As a result, he was unable to stop them and was taken advantage of by both parties with a common interest.
Cursing his own worthlessness, Reinhardt gazed at the silent Felt.
What is the girl thinking as she continues to look down and remain silent?
"----!"
"----!!"
"--!"
While the parties involved remain silent, the voices of those on the sidelines continue to grow unchecked.
Unable to bear the childish deterioration of the situation, Marcos took a deep breath and decided that he should say something. And then,
"---Every single one of them is so noisy!!"
This was not a Marcos stern shout, famous for sending shivers down the spine of his subordinates.
It was a high-pitched, foul-mouthed shout from a young girl that was unbearable to hear.
A sudden silence took over the room, and then silence fell on the entire room.
Receiving this, the girl stepped forward to the center, breathing heavily, and while looking around at everyone's faces,
"When people are quiet, they just chirp "peep-peep-peep". A bunch of grown men get together and act all sissy, you ballsy idiots."
"Felt-sama, that statement is too much…"
「Shut up, you little knight. Even though you were outwitted by that naive woman, don't talk to me like you're superior. And even if that wasn't the case, don't talk to me, I hate you.」
Reinhardt tried to scold Felt for this unladylike remark, but her response was merciless and not at all refined.
However, orders are orders, Reinhardt said, bowing deeply and stepping down. Seeing this, Felt shook the hem of her yellow dress and cracked her neck wildly.
"It's those big-headed bastards who are whispering about how they don't like that about you. You paid money to study, paid money to buy yourself a position, and then you're standing here, right? If that's the case, then act like it. You're acting like you haven't even had a proper meal."
Looking around at the faces of the civil servants, Felt bluntly assessed them like that. Then she turned her head in the opposite direction, causing the royal guard knights to panic as they stared at her.
"So why are all those well-dressed guys scared of a little girl like me? I won't listen to your excuses that you were just on guard, unlike when you were scared. Don't you think that kind of attitude is pathetic?"
Snorting and laughing at the guards, Felt walked and arrived at her destination. It was right in front of the old man who had caused her so many horrible, ugly scenes up until now, and with the old man on his knees, the height difference between the large man and her petite self was finally about average.
The girl put her hands on her hips and looked again at the people she had just mocked,
"But look at this horrible old man's face. He's been punched and his nose is bleeding, and there are piles of marks from failed shaving attempts. Mirrors are valuable items, and there aren't many decent blades that are sharp either. And yet he's laughing so servilely, to put it simply, it's disgusting."
"That's an exaggeration..."
The old man's tone dropped in response to the poor evaluation, and he muttered something like a dejected old man. However, he quickly regained his composure, shook his head, and continued working with a flattering smile plastered on his face.
Witnessing this, Felt raised her head and sighed deeply,
"And then you begged for your life just now. Honestly, listening to that just took my breath away. It's so pitiful and servile I can't bear to watch it... Right, Grandpa Rom?"
The old man looked up when he heard the girl's voice. Her red eyes were filled with sadness.
"People like us who live in the slums are really miserable. If you're looked down upon by those above you, it's only natural that you live a lowly life, and the people there, including me, are all rotten to the core. It really is a horrible place."
After giving a terrible evaluation from everyone, including himself, Felt took a breath and said, "But,"
"It's true that it was a dumping ground for hopeless people at rock bottom. But you know, you tried to hold on to your pride as a human being. No matter how low you were looked down upon, you never actually slammed your head on the ground."
"felt..."
「If there was a mirror, I'd like to see the face of old man Rom right now. Subservient and pathetic, trying to survive by sucking up and wagging your tail, that's not what I'd call being alive.」
The old man called the girl's name with a sigh, and the girl shook her head in response.
Crusch, who had been quietly waiting in the line of candidates, nodded gravely in response to that answer. The philosophy she spoke of was consistent with what Felt had just said.
"If you're begging me for your life, then you're doing it wrong. I won't help you if it means giving up the right to leave a place you don't want to be."
Felt declared bluntly, placing her hands on her hips.
It means abandoning someone you know, and if what the old man said is true, it means cutting off someone you've known since childhood.
"...Felt-sama."
It meant declining to participate in the royal selection in front of the red-haired young man, the knight among knights.
Reinhard couldn't help the bitterness that rose inside him at her assertion.
She had expected this to happen. She had seen the old man's behavior and had predicted how the proud girl would react.
Priscilla and the old man - no, the old man alone - took advantage of that fact.
The old man, now abandoned, had his shoulders slumped and was looking down in a weak manner.
However, Reinhardt did not miss the fact that the corners of the old man's mouth had relaxed slightly. It was not the kind of weakness that comes from regret or despair, but the kind that comes from the sense of accomplishment of having completed a deed.
The old man risked his life and took on a challenge. He succeeded brilliantly and achieved his goal. It was a commendable act.
It was necessary to expose the old man's plot even now and make Felt correct her actions. However, Reinhard was not capable of doing that.
--It was what made him who he was, his very nature, that constrained his actions.
Seeing the old man's slumped figure and Felt's standing posture, Marcos must have realized the end of the story. He pulled the old man's handcuffs, making the chains clang as he bowed to the hall.
"I apologize for causing such a commotion. I need to get this out of my system right now..."
"I was just waiting for someone to jump to conclusions."
Marcos was about to apologize and leave the room when he was suddenly interrupted by Felt's words.
Marcos looked unusually displeased and kept his mouth shut. Felt glanced sideways at the change in Iwao's expression with a smile of amusement, then turned her small body around in the stunned room,
"So, Commander, let go of those hands. The shackles don't fit Old Man Rom's fat arms well, it's painful to watch."
"As I have said many times before, I refuse. The reason why I follow your orders is..."
"You're saying that I have no intention of participating in this royal selection thing, right? Then it's simple."
Felt interrupted Marcos, who was about to refuse the order, by tapping his chest. Then, he twisted the corners of his lips into a carnivorous smile, revealing his sharp teeth.
"I'll do it, the royal selection. I'll aim to become king, right?"
"----!!"
That statement, spoken with a smile, sent shockwaves throughout the entire hall.
It was a bombshell statement that initially shocked those who heard it, but after the shock had worn off, what remained in each person's mind varied.
Some accepted it solemnly, some smiled lewdly, some touched their foreheads as if they were enduring a headache, and some tensed their cheeks in an attempt to keep their expressions from changing.
And in the hearts of many, resentment was swirling towards the girl who was casually talking about such an important decision - or perhaps anger at the way something as major as the kingdom was being treated so lightly.
Leaving all those various reactions aside, the one who showed the biggest reaction was, of course, the old man who was hit head on by her declaration.
"Wh, what are you saying, Felt? I, I agree. What you said earlier was correct. You can't live if you lose your pride. My behavior earlier was the epitome of the worst kind of behavior. It was inevitable that you would abandon me…"
"You're a good old fool, aren't you? You've lived that long, and yet you don't even know that you have no talent for acting. Give up on changing jobs and just be a good little villain."
"What a stupid thing to do! Besides, you're the type of person who doesn't like doing things that you don't like. It's only natural that you would abandon me after making such a disgrace of myself. Even if you have to endure the unpleasant feelings..."
"That's right, you know me well, don't you, Grandpa Rom? That's right, I have a policy of not doing things that I don't like. And, actually, I understand you too."
In stark contrast to the old man's earlier plea for help, the man was now desperately trying to push back in the opposite direction. Felt pointed at him, then pointed her finger at her own face,
"We've known each other for many years, so I know this… Grandpa Rom, when you try to lie, the veins on the tip of your nose pop out."
"Wh, what are you saying? That's a lie!"
The old man was shocked by Felt's remark, and in a panic he raised his hand, still in the shackles, and rubbed his nose. Felt watched him, snorting, and said,
"Oh, I'm kidding. So now we've found the idiot, what are we going to do?"
"--a"
Grandpa Rom was stunned, having been fooled by the leading question.
It is unclear what she thought of the old man who had fallen for such a low-level trick, but Felt shrugged her shoulders and shook her head as if to say, "Oh dear."
"That's why I want you to remove the shackles from Grandpa Rom. Everything that happened up until now was just the delusions of an old man who had lost his senses."
"I can't justify such an excuse..."
"--That old man is my family. So let him go right now."
As Marcos continued to refuse, Felt spoke with no emotion in her voice.
Hearing those words, Marcos frowned for just a moment, but the signs of agitation quickly disappeared from his expression,
"Your will"
He bowed to the man of higher rank and released Old Man Rom's handcuffs. He then turned around and asked the knight waiting near the entrance for the key to the handcuffs.
However, Felt raised her hand to stop him.
"I can't wait any longer. --Reinhard!"
"Here"
Responding immediately to the sharp girl's voice, Reinhard's tall figure stepped onto the stage.
She didn't even look at the red-haired young man standing next to her, just folded her arms and clenched her chin.
"Do it."
He simply ordered.
"Yes, my lord--"
And the knight responded to this world's shortest command with deep emotion.
The arm raised in front of the Lord made a sword stroke in the sky, which split the air and was swung down.
Slicing apart――The metal shackles binding the old man's hands were easily sliced apart by Reinhard's sword, like pieces of paper.
The shackles fell to the floor as if melting, and a high-pitched sound echoed throughout the hall.
With that sound in the background, the girl looked up at the tall man with a look of disgust in her eyes,
"So this is all just as you planned."
"Not at all. More than that, it is the guidance of fate."
Reinhardt put his hand on his chest in response to Felt's unamused words. The girl let out a sigh of "Ha!" as she spat it out,
"Fate again? Are you a slave to fate?"
"No. I am a servant of righteousness."
The young man responded seriously and squarely to sarcastic comments. Felt closed one eye and quirked up the corner of her mouth,
"But that job is going to close now. From now on, you're my servant."
"Yes. At my lord's will."
"Now, prepare yourself to be made to work hard."
"Yes. Everything is as my lord wishes."
"What a boring guy..."
Felt said this in a fed up manner, as if everything was being affirmed.
As the two of them were having this exchange, Grandpa Rom was still unable to hide his astonishment. He shook his freed arm, his bloodied cheeks twisting in pain.
"Why not, Felt? … I, I love you."
"I kind of understand what Old Man Rom was thinking, and what his purpose was when he kept saying those pathetic things. --He must have seen how much he hated the idea of me standing in this place. I think he was trying to give me a push."
As the old man looked down helplessly, Felt raised her hand and apologized, saying, "Sorry." Old Man Rom looked up at her, his lips trembling,
"If you know that much, then why..."
"I told you myself. I'm the type of person who doesn't like to do things I don't like."
At the old man who had a questioning look on his face, Felt smiled shyly,
"You want me to abandon my family and go back to the downtown area? There's no way I could do something worse than that."
"――――"
Hearing this, Grandpa Rom's expression changed from one of sorrow to something completely different.
He turned his back on the girl and hid his face with his arm.
"The reason for my defeat is..."
"That's all too clear, old man."
Perhaps sensing the wavering of emotions, the old man looked up at the ceiling as Reinhard called out to him, and in a husky voice he spoke of regret, but was unable to hide the trembling of emotion.
"I raised him to be too good!"
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
As the cries rang out, it was unclear whether they were in despair or joy at their own training policy. The representative of the Council of Sages on the stage - Mycroft - narrowed his eyes while combing his beard,
"I assume this situation is as you expected, Commander of the Knights?"
"I won't go overboard like that. I am a knight after all. I protect the road, not create it."
After nodding at Marcos, who humbly responded to his question, Mycroft turned towards the three people standing in the center――no, the two master and servants who were one step forward,
"Then Lady Felt and Knight Reinhard. Am I correct in assuming that you two also wish to participate in the Royal Selection?"
"Yeah, that's great."
"Yes. At my lord's will."
Felt continued to maintain her arrogant attitude, and Reinhard followed suit. The generous wise elder didn't comment on their inconsistencies, instead quietly nodded and said, "I understand."
"Well then, although there was a bit of a fuss, it seems we can consider that everyone is now present. Is there anything else, Lady Felt, that you would like to say?"
It seems likely that Felt will be given an opportunity to speak, just like the other candidates.
Felt frowned thoughtfully at Mycroft's suggestion, but then she held up a finger and said, "Just one then," and stepped forward, standing in the line of sight of everyone. Then,
"--I hate nobles."
He said this with a refreshing smile and with his hands spread out as if to show the Council of Sages.
"--I hate knights."
Still smiling, he pointed with his other hand at the Royal Guard Knights.
"--I hate the kingdom."
With his arms outstretched, he spoke with a smile that was full of venom.
"--I hate everyone in this room, the scaffolding we're standing on, and everything else. That's why I want to destroy it all."
"How is it?" Felt tilted her head and laughed happily.
That attitude instantly caused the emotions of those who had completely forgotten about their thoughts to explode.
"Wh, what are you talking about--!?"
"You mean, destroying a country at the very election to decide a king?!"
"What have we been spending so far?!"
"So you can't even talk without using the term 'we'? All this talk about pride and history is just nonsense."
In front of the excited and roaring crowd, Felt cut them off in one fell swoop. Then she picked up the hem of her yellow dress,
"They're all dressed in such frilly outfits, expensive looking clothes and dangling expensive looking jewels, and their eyes are clouded with thoughts of blood and history. That's why none of them can see how rotten and dilapidated the ground is beneath their feet."
"So," she breathed, then looked up at Mycroft on the podium.
"When I become king, I'll destroy everything. I can't see the foundations of the country crumbling at any moment, so I'll knock down all the knotty people and make things a little more open."
As she spoke with a bright smile on her face, the entire audience could only look pale in shock.
Despite this unprecedented outrage, Mycroft nodded calmly without changing his expression, then turned his anger towards the knight standing next to her.
"Your master is a harsh person. What do you think after hearing what he has just said?"
"--That's right. Unfortunately, what Felt-sama said is still just a dream for now."
Reinhardt shook the very foundations of the words of the girl he regarded as his master. Felt gave him a suspicious look at his words, but Reinhardt simply brushed them off with a cool face,
"However, eventually Felt-sama's words will reach everyone. ーーI see it as my duty to support her in all things so that this happens."
"However, it seems that you yourself are included among the things Felt-sama has declared she will destroy."
"I'm sure he will be there to help rebuild the building after it has been destroyed. I'd be extremely grateful if he were by my side at that time."
Bowing deeply, Reinhardt spoke unwaveringly in front of Mycrotov. Glancing sideways at the knight's behavior, Felt roughly stroked her blonde hair,
"In the end, are you my ally or my enemy?"
"I'm your ally. --Yours only."
"...Well, then. I'll make you work hard."
And so, the final master and servant of the royal candidates was born.
and--,
"Well then, we have finally heard from all the candidates. Now, let's ask our comrades from the Council of Sages once again."
Mycroft spoke solemnly in a low voice.
Naturally, a tense and silent atmosphere fell on the room. Everyone waited with bated breath for the next words. Mycroft's narrow eyes widened slightly.
"The current royal selection process has begun, with the five people selected so far as candidates. I ask for the support of my comrades."
"---As the Council of Sages, I agree."
"Same here."
"Same, I agree."
The members of the Council of Sages nodded in response to Mycrotoff's proposal, and after watching this, Mycrotoff stood up from his seat.
And he stepped forward and stood beside the empty throne,
"---Now then, I will propose the conditions for the royal selection!"
Crusch Karsten, head of the Duke of Karsten family.
Crusch's number one knight, Felix Argyle from "Blue".
"The candidates are Crusch Karsten, Priscilla Barielle, Anastasia Hoshin, Emilia, and Felt. All of them are qualified to be Dragon Priestesses!"
"The Bloodstained Bride" Priscilla Buriel.
Al, a one-armed mercenary from another world.
"The deadline is three years from now, today, one month before the ceremony to confirm the pact with the dragon - the Divine Dragon Ceremony!"
Anastasia Houshin, a young merchant from a foreign country.
Anastasia's number one knight, the "best knight," Julius Euclius.
"The selection will be decided by the brilliance of the Dragon's power, before Divine Dragon Volcanica!"
Felt, a descendant of the lost king (?).
Felt's number one knight, the "Sword Saint" Reinhard van Astrea.
"As each of you works to maintain the kingdom, you must make your own royal ways known to the people and your subjects!"
Emilia, a silver-haired half-elf.
And absent from the scene was the self-proclaimed knight, Natsuki Subaru.
"With the above as the bare minimum agreement, I hereby declare the start of the royal selection process!"
Mycroft shouted at the top of his lungs, and the hall was filled with an immense heat.
There is no voice, but everyone is unable to contain the screams in their hearts.
Feeling the aftereffects of that heat on his back, Mycroft stretched his bent back and opened his mouth wide,
"Now, the royal selection will begin!!"