Miklotov's most solemn announcement brought tension to the chamber
again. Spontaneously, even the candidates stood a little straighter; the faces of
the spectators no longer looked relaxed.
Miklotov scanned the expressions of the other members of the Council of
Elders, seeking confirmation with his announcement of the formal start of the
meeting. In answer, the old men dipped their heads in assent one by one.
"I thank you for your approval. Let us begin the debate. Though the subject
under discussion is who shall be king…the issue is the method of selection. We
have assembled candidates via the Dragon Jewels, but the method of selection
is not set in stone. To determine this, I thought it best to first ask how far the
candidates are willing to go."
The members of the Council of Elders nodded alongside Miklotov's words.
Seeing that there were no objections, Miklotov looked toward Marcus, standing
at the ready on a corner of the dais. The knight stepped forward once more,
bowing deeply as a proxy for everyone in the hall.
"Then, if I may be so bold, I shall continue. I believe each candidate present
has a case to make. I would have all in the chamber hear these arguments. First,
let us please begin with Lady Crusch.—Sir Felix Argyle!"
Crusch calmly nodded at Marcus's words.
"Mm."
Ferris casually raised a hand.
"Yes, sir!"
As Ferris jogged ahead to join Crusch's side, she looked up at Marcus along
the way, pushing up her cheeks with her index fingers.
"Captain, Ferri keeps telling mew, it's Ferris, not Felix. It hurts Ferri's
feewings."
Marcus's chin shot up immediately.
"I have no intention of granting special treatment to any subordinates,
including you. Present yourself."
Ferris stuck her tongue out in dissatisfaction as she stood by her master's—
Crusch's—side.
"Crusch Karsten, royal candidate and head of the House of Karsten."
"Ferris of the House of Karsten, Lady Crusch's knight."
Crusch announced herself without the slightest display of timidity, and Ferris
remained as casual as ever. Marcus amended her self-introduction.
"Sir Felix Argyle."
The scowl on Ferris's face was quite blatant.
Subaru remarked, "Huh, so her real name is Felix? That's a very guy-ish name
there."
In Japan, the eldest children of old samurai families were known to inherit a
certain name regardless of gender. There was also a well-established fad where
dating games would gender-swap generals out of the history books and turn
them into very pretty girls.
"Subaru, haven't you heard?" Reinhard replied.
"Heard what?"
"Ferris doesn't just have a man's name. He is very much a male."
"—"
Reinhard's statement brought Subaru's thoughts to a halt. He folded his arms,
inclined his head, closed his eyes, and earnestly mulled over the meaning of
those words.
"What…did you say…just now?"
"Ferris doesn't just have a man's name. He is very much a male."
Word for word, syllable for syllable, Reinhard repeated the very important
statement.
The instant his mind processed the information, Subaru's yell echoed
throughout the hall.
"Whaaaaaaaa—?!"
"That's a guy?! Or is the knight among knights just really bad at jokes? This
isn't funny!"
He wailed as he looked Ferris over from top to bottom.
Certainly, Ferris was tall for a girl. But those facial features and body contours
struck him as completely feminine. Some parts were understated for a woman's
body, but there were plenty of women in the world with flat chests, even as
adults. That wasn't proof of anything.
However, Crusch, having maintained her silence on the matter until then,
affirmed that the cause of his shock was the truth.
"Ah, it is your first time seeing him? I can firmly declare that my knight, Ferris,
is a man."
"A-anyone can say anything… I need proof. Yeah, I won't believe without
proof!"
"When I was young, Ferris and I bathed together, and he certainly had a male
organ between his…"
"I'm very sorry!! I don't want to make a pretty girl speak of male organs! My
mistake!!"
And thus, Subaru surrendered in spectacular fashion. He glared at Ferris, now
standing at Crusch's side.
"This is your fault, too, damn it! You led me on! A guy under those cat ears,
ugh! Just remembering that nibble is making me shudder!"
Illustration 7
"Hey meow, you got it wrong all on your own, Subawu. Ferri never said one
word about being a girl."
"Don't mess with me, you bitch—correction, you bastard!"
Ferris giggled, sticking his tongue out with a wink. Crusch seemed satisfied as
she commented, "Everyone makes that face when they find meowt. It's so
amusing and never gets old.—Not many have such a big reaction, though."
This brought an uncharacteristic scowl to Miklotov's face.
"Mmmm. It is in poor taste to continue this, knowing what shall result, Lady
Crusch."
For her part, Crusch's face firmed up again slightly as she shook her head.
"It seems that you misunderstood, Lord Miklotov. I do not instruct Ferris to
dress like this. All of it is of his free will."
Rickert lodged an objection to Crusch's words.
"Though I believe it is a master's duty to see that a vassal is appropriately
dressed…"
Crusch's eyes narrowed in response.
"It is a master's duty to see that a vassal is appropriately dressed, you say? In
that case, I indeed desire that Ferris be dressed as he is now. Do you
understand why?"
"Why, I wonder?"
"It is very simple.—One should be attired in the manner that makes one's soul
shine the brightest. Ferris's current attire suits him far better than knightly
armor, just as I wear my own outfit because it suits me better than any dress."
Crusch pushed out her chest in a display of personal pride as she spoke. As
Ferris stood beside her, she—or rather, he—smiled at the sight of his gallant
master.
The sight of Crusch so poised made Rickert lose all stomach for an argument.
As he kept his silence, Subaru too could not help but feel his chest stir in the
face of Crusch's composure.
Reinhard remarked, in a voice that seemed rather loud considering the
circumstances, "That is Lady Crusch for you… Among the candidates, she is the
first to voice her opinion but also the one with the strongest support. Whatever
she says, she speaks with a different sense of confidence than the others."
"What do you mean?" Subaru asked Reinhard from the side.
"The House of Karsten that Lady Crusch heads is a family of dukes and
duchesses that have supported the Kingdom of Lugunica since early in its
history. The house has proven its loyalty to the nation through many deeds. And
the wisdom with which Lady Crusch herself leads as such a young duchess
makes her the favorite of the royal selection."
"So she's… I see, the favorite based on early scoring."
Even Subaru, lacking detailed knowledge of ranks and titles, knew that she
was only a few steps removed from the top of the pyramid. With the royal
family wiped out, public opinion probably favored someone close to the late
king.
The faint murmur spread through the hall as people all around nodded to
each other about Crusch's superiority. Apparently, her being the favorite in the
royal selection was something to accept as fact.
However, it was Crusch herself who interrupted the murmurs.
"It would seem many here harbor a minor misconception."
As calm returned to the hall, she nodded with a composed look.
"I strive to be fully aware of what everyone expects by having me take the
throne. The House of Karsten is a house that has carried great authority and
political influence for many years. Should I succeed as monarch, politics and
national policy are guaranteed to continue without so much as a ripple…
Correct?"
Several people in the chamber nodded as they listened to Crusch's eloquent
speech.
"I regret to dash your expectations, but I can guarantee no such thing."
At Crusch's statement, the throne room briefly fell silent, only to erupt in an
earthquake several seconds later.
"What's the meaning of this?!" several of those assembled exclaimed as
Crusch looked up at the dais, her expression unchanged. She shook her deep
green hair as her gallant gaze looked past them to a mural etched on the wall
behind the royal throne.
"The Dragonfriend Kingdom of Lugunica… This nation has remained
prosperous by honoring the Covenant made with the Dragon long ago. Thanks
to the Dragon, various crises have been averted, from war, to plague, to famine.
The word Dragon has never vanished from the kingdom at any point through its
long history."
All of this was according to Marcus's tale of "The Covenant with the Dragon"
at the start of the meeting.
Upholding the Covenant between the Kingdom of Lugunica and the Dragon
had brought fame and prosperity throughout history. As everyone mulled over
the meaning of her words, Crusch folded her arms and scanned the gathering.
"For the most part, prosperity brought by reaching the Covenant with the
Dragon has been a good thing. If war arises, the Dragon breathes and burns our
enemies away. If there is plague, it employs its mana to heal people. If there is
famine, soaking the soil with Dragon's Blood grants the blessing of bounty. And
so, the guidance of the Dragon has saved us from hardship and guaranteed our
glory—" In spite of the glowing details on Crusch's lips, her face did not
brighten. Under the silent attention of the entire assembly, she remarked, "Let
me ask you.—Do you not think it is shameful?"
The chamber returned to silence with an even greater sense of tension than
before. But if one were to compare the emotions of its occupants, the most
heated, raw anger was without doubt coming from Crusch, standing before the
throne.
"The Covenant guarantees we will be protected from any crisis and any
hardship so long as we uphold it. And so, we have descended into softness and
depravity, relying now upon a change of leadership for its continuation. To think
that you take this for granted."
Crusch's stern lecture spurred one among the Council of Elders to rise, his
voice shaking with anger.
"—You go too far, Lady Crusch! I cannot permit anyone to make light of the
Covenant! Do you have any conception of the sacrifices the kingdom has been
spared since the Covenant with the Dragon long ago…? Are you denying the
weight of history itself?!"
"I have already stated that this past prosperity is mostly a good thing. No
words have passed my lips claiming that I myself have not been a beneficiary of
its blessing. The House of Karsten was born with the kingdom and has shared in
its glory. Had a crisis destroyed the kingdom, my house would have shared its
fate. Whenever the Dragon has saved the nation, it has saved my house as
well." Crusch paused briefly. "However, the future is a different matter. Do you
think nothing of the pathetic sight you make at this moment? Have you not
ceased to use your minds because you cling to the Dragon and the Covenant?
When war, plague, and famine assail the kingdom anew, is there nothing we
can do but sing the Dragon's praises?"
"That is—"
"This nation has relied upon the writings of the Dragon Tablet for too long,
becoming so soft and weak that it cannot stand on its own power. The nation
takes for granted that the Dragon and prophecy will aid it whenever it is
shaken. But can you argue that we have strived to avoid such matters from
occurring to begin with? A number of calamities in recent years, including the
failure of the Great Subjugation fourteen years ago, are things we courted
through that weakness."
Everyone held their breath in shock, eyes wide at Crusch's declaration.
Bathed in gazes of shock and anger, she raised a fist and nobly declared, "If
the kingdom is to crumble without the Dragon's protection, then crumble it
should. A nation too blessed stagnates, that stagnation courts corruption, and
corruption brings about its demise. That is what I think."
"Are you… Are you saying you will destroy the nation?!"
"No. If the nation is to crumble without the Dragon, we should become the
Dragon ourselves. Everything that the kingdom has relied upon the Dragon for
until now should be borne by king, minister, and people. Furthermore…"
Crusch took a deep breath.
"When I become king, I will make us forget about the Covenant with the
Dragon until now, come what may. The Dragonfriend Kingdom of Lugunica
belongs not to the Dragon, but to us."
"—"
"Hard times await us. Perhaps they will be disasters we averted in the past
due to the Dragon's power, or perhaps even greater calamities. But I do not
wish to live in a manner that shames my very soul."
Crusch's voice dropped. She shook her head and lowered her gaze.
"I have long harbored doubts about the state of the kingdom. I believe that
this course of events is a Heavensent opportunity to set it right."
In terms of loyalty to the late king, or lack thereof, it was a blasphemous
statement for which one could be cut down on the spot.
Subaru took in all of Crusch's words.
"The nobles are right in theory, but…"
A lot of what she said is hard to deny, he thought to himself. Looking around,
he saw he wasn't the only one; no one was willing to raise a voice against the
girl's boldly voiced argument. Here was a girl willing to smash the history of the
kingdom—the very essence of what it took to be a monarch.
Miklotov, having listened to Crusch's claims to the very end, passed matters
along to Ferris, standing beside her.
"Mmmm. We understand Lady Crusch's point of view. Now then, Sir Felix
Argyle, is there anything you wish to add?"
Apparently, it was the place of the vassal to advocate for the master.
"Thank you for asking, but I have nothing further to add. Lady Crusch's
thoughts are exactly as she says. And history will prove that Lady Crusch's
actions are correct.—I have no doubt whatsoever that it is my master who shall
become king."
Ferris solemnly bowed at his slender hips as he expressed his immense trust.
Then his face returned to its usual fawning expression as he smiled at Crusch.
"Lady Crusch, you're just as incredible as ever. Ferri's swooning—"
"From time to time, I fail to understand what you are saying, Ferris.—But I
forgive you. You would never do anything that costs me."
The warm regard for Ferris in Crusch's eyes made the strength of their
relationship plain.
With the conclusion of that expression of trust in Crusch, Miklotov briefly set
things in order.
"Mmmm, we have finally heard from one person… Mmm, though it seems her
opinions have created quite a stir."
To the Council of Elders and the civil officials, the plans of the candidate with
the strongest backing were a thunderbolt out of the blue. It was evident the
entire exchange had alienated many would-be supporters. But anyone hearing
that speech would harbor no doubt that those who supported her held the
highest trust in her possible.
Subaru remarked to himself, "I still don't know how they're actually gonna
pick someone, though…"
The whole point of this display was to determine how they would go about it.
The lack of hard-and-fast rules meant that all he could do was keep watching
the debate, mixed feelings notwithstanding.
Marcus, having apparently regained his composure, proceeded.
"Then, let us continue, following with the next in line beside Lady Crusch."
The orange-haired girl stepped forward with an arrogant look on her face.
"Hmph, finally. It's Hyper Priscilla Time, then."
Subaru was in complete shock at the strange combination of words.
"Just now, did she say, Hyper Priscilla Time…?"
Al walked over and stood at Priscilla's side, giving her a thumbs-up like he was
taking credit.
"It would seem that the riffraff's eyes are all upon my gorgeous self."
"You used that pretty nicely, Princess. Totally nailed 'em with a big uppercut."
Ignoring the fact that the looks regarded her less as "amazing" than "bizarre,"
Priscilla thrust her shoulders back in pride at Al's off-the-mark flattery.
"Very well, Lady Priscilla Bariel, if you please…"
"Though it pains me, I shall humor you. I need only demonstrate my majesty
to the old fossils and establish that they should simply choose to obey me, yes?
A simple matter."
As she spoke, she pulled a fan out of the yawning gap of her cleavage, loudly
snapping it open and using it to conceal her mouth as she giggled. Her adorable
looks clashed with her evil, sadistic laugh.
"—The Bloody Bride. What gall."
Such words of deep, seething resentment ran across the entire chamber.
Thanks to Crusch's explosive declaration, the atmosphere in the hall was far
from warm. The murmurs chilled the air frostier still.
And the prologue of the royal selection had barely begun.