Royal Castle, Royal Selection Hall.
After witnessing Shendu unleash her overwhelming might—killing that elder of the Council of Wise Men without the slightest hesitation—Priscilla's eyes shone with admiration. Holding her folding fan, she stepped forward.
"Hey, you old man over there. That other old man deserved to die anyway."
"Miss Shendu did nothing wrong. You'd better watch your words. Otherwise, I won't spare you either."
Priscilla glanced at Al beside her. Receiving her signal, he placed one hand on the hilt of his greatsword, looking ready to strike at any moment.
"I obey Princess-sama in all things!"
Al appeared like a simple-minded fool, utterly unafraid of anyone present.
To begin with, Al was not from this kingdom. The reason he had become Priscilla's knight was because she had recruited him—and he believed this woman was worthy of his loyalty.
Though Priscilla's personality was somewhat arrogant and conceited, her ability to govern her territory was undeniably formidable, far surpassing most other candidates.
"Lady Priscilla, why are you stepping forward to say such things?"
Kraken pointed at Priscilla in exasperation, convinced she was stirring up trouble for no reason. Was the situation not chaotic enough already?
"Very simple. Miss Shendu is my best friend. No one is allowed to criticize her. If you have objections, swallow them."
"Besides, if I'm not mistaken, Councilor Kraken, you're merely a peripheral figure in the Council of Wise Men—much like Sir Rickert. Are you stepping out just to seek attention?"
Priscilla spoke bluntly. After giving the old man a single glance, she lost interest entirely.
Her contemptuous words caused Kraken's face to flush crimson. He pointed at her for a long time, unable to utter a single rebuttal. When it came to infuriating others, Priscilla was truly unparalleled.
Every sentence she spoke seemed reasonable on the surface, yet each carried blatant arrogance. Kraken was furious—but no one stepped forward to assist him.
At present, Kraken was merely arguing for the sake of face, hoping to obtain some explanation on behalf of his fallen colleague.
Sensing that the situation had grown increasingly intriguing, Miklotov, the chief elder, decided it was time to bring matters to a swift conclusion.
"Lady Akane, you have observed long enough. Please share your thoughts. We will carefully consider your proposal."
The moment the spokesperson of the Council of Wise Men uttered these words, all eyes turned toward the mature woman clad in red, her crimson hair flowing over her shoulders.
To everyone's surprise, Miklotov even used an honorific—clearly indicating the high regard he held for her.
Under the collective gaze, Akane remained calm and indifferent. She paid no mind to the attention. After casting a brief glance at Shendu and organizing her thoughts, she began to speak.
"What method should be used? Everything follows the guidance of the Gospel."
Roswaal stood below the platform, silent as ever. His mismatched eyes gleamed more brightly as he watched the unfolding scene.
"Hmph. What a show-off of a woman. I'd really like to beat her senseless."
As a merchant, Anastasia naturally could not tolerate the rise of another powerful merchant guild. She had employed numerous tactics against them, yet the Divine Dragon Merchant Guild remained completely unaffected—while her own side steadily lost ground.
"Please calm yourself, Lady Anastasia. That woman is very strong. Even I cannot defeat her."
Upon seeing Akane appear, Julius could only offer a bitter smile. The current situation was beyond his ability to handle, and helplessness flickered in his eyes.
"Useless. As my knight, you can't even beat her."
Anastasia sighed in resignation. There was nothing to be done.
Previously, following Anastasia's instructions, Julius had personally sought out Akane to probe her background. In the end, he was defeated within a few exchanges and unceremoniously thrown out.
At present, the Divine Dragon Merchant Guild held a position of tremendous influence throughout the kingdom. They had drawn numerous nobles and civil and military officials to their side—even infiltrating the Council of Wise Men.
"First of all, the one at fault was that councilor named Rickert. He disobeyed the Divine Dragon's decree and privately discriminated against another candidate. Therefore, he deserved to die."
Akane's voice was icy as she cast a glance toward Kraken, causing the councilor to feel a chill creep up his spine.
"Outrageous! The Council of Wise Men represents the kingdom's dignity! Shouldn't that woman give me an explanation?"
Kraken was furious—but the person most infuriated was Shendu, the silver-haired woman.
She had been the one to strike first, yet it felt as though everyone present stood against him. Nothing could be more aggravating.
"No explanation is necessary. The Divine Dragon Merchant Guild is willing to offer one million gold coins in compensation for today's losses suffered by the Council of Wise Men. I ask everyone to grant me this favor and let the matter end here."
The moment Akane finished speaking, an uproar erupted throughout the hall.
Aside from Priscilla, who knew of Akane's relationship with Shendu, everyone else was utterly bewildered.
Why would this newly risen force choose to support Shendu?
Strange. Everything about this was deeply strange.
"Very well! We shall proceed as Lady Akane suggests. The Royal Selection will continue!"
Without hesitation, Miklotov agreed to her proposal.
Money was only part of the matter. Being able to treat this incident as a mere interlude was sufficient.
Granting Shendu—president of the Divine Dragon Merchant Guild—a favor was, in Miklotov's view, a worthwhile investment. Who knew? In the future, he might continue living and even experience the pleasures of longevity.
Seeing the Royal Selection resume as normal, the middle-aged knight Marcos let out a breath of relief. In all his years handling affairs, nothing had felt as intense as today.
"Very well. The Royal Selection for the throne shall begin. Lady Emilia, please prepare your speech."
Just as Marcos finished speaking, Kraken could no longer endure it.
After all this commotion, was he the clown?
Were all his actions nothing but a joke?
"Wait, Lady Akane. May I ask why that woman deserves such importance from you? She is clearly insignificant."
Knowing the strength of the Divine Dragon Merchant Guild, Kraken spoke with restrained anger.
"Hmph. How noisy."
Akane regarded the old man as an irritating fly daring to slander her master—and she could no longer tolerate it.
A surge of magical force slammed him into the wall, carving a massive crater upon impact and knocking him unconscious.
"Hmph. Lady Shendu is my master—and the president of the Divine Dragon Merchant Guild."
"Since my master has chosen to support Emilia, then the Divine Dragon Merchant Guild will forever support Emilia. If anyone has objections, come speak to me directly."
Akane's temper flared hotly. Upon appearing, she had already sent a councilor flying—and now she declared words that shocked everyone present.
"What? That woman is actually the president of the Divine Dragon Merchant Guild?"
Anastasia was stunned, feeling as though her mind could barely keep up.
Had Shendu been pretending to be weak all along?
"Nya, who would've thought? Miss Shendu's identity is far more mysterious than expected. To be the president of that guild—this changes the entire situation."
"Lady Crusch, we must continue striving forward. Lady Emilia has become a formidable rival."
Felix smiled. It wasn't fear—just the thrill of a worthy challenge.
"Felix, this world has never lacked surprises. But this is fine. It makes the competition for the throne more challenging."
Crusch fixed her gaze on Shendu's figure, feeling that this woman's origins were shrouded in mystery—and that behind her stood an enormous merchant guild.
As Emilia's supporter, Shendu's faction was overwhelmingly powerful. Even if the strength of the three other candidates were combined, they might not necessarily be Shendu's match.
However, Crusch was born with admiration for the strong. As long as Emilia could prove she was qualified to stand as a royal candidate, Crusch would still obey the king's will.
"How is this possible? No wonder that woman Elsa was standing beside the acting president of the Divine Dragon Merchant Guild."
Reinhard was equally astonished. He had never expected that the force backing Shendu would be such a formidable merchant guild.
Even setting aside their financial power, their overall strength was absurdly terrifying.
It could be said that their combat capability was no weaker than the kingdom's. They possessed eighty thousand mages. If fully mobilized, that would undoubtedly constitute a dreadful force.
Now that Shendu had revealed her background, Reinhard could only smile bitterly. It seemed everything had been within that woman's calculations from the beginning—and he himself was merely a chess piece.
"Very well. Take him away and dispose of the body properly."
Miklotov glanced at Rickert's corpse, then at the unconscious Kraken, and issued orders to the guards at his side.
"Yes, sir!"
Upon receiving the chief elder's command, the surrounding soldiers swiftly obeyed, carrying the two councilors out.
Thus, the farce ended anticlimactically.
Yet the greatest beneficiary was undoubtedly Emilia's side.
Not only had the president of the Divine Dragon Merchant Guild become her knight, but the guild's immense power was now at her disposal.
Soon, silence settled over the Royal Selection hall as everyone slowly digested what had just transpired.
The silver-haired girl Shendu becoming Emilia's knight.
The Divine Dragon Merchant Guild openly supporting Emilia's candidacy.
The chief elder of the Council of Wise Men shielding the matter.
All of it pushed the situation into increasingly murky waters.
"Very well. The Royal Selection shall continue!"
Seeing that order had been restored, Miklotov cast a glance at the middle-aged knight and spoke softly.
The knight awkwardly surveyed the crowd and repeated his earlier announcement.
This time, bolstered by Shendu's support, Emilia gathered her courage. The fear and anxiety she had shown earlier vanished as she stepped forward.
A trace of determination shimmered in her purple eyes as she began her speech.
"My name is Emilia. I am a half-elf—perhaps resembling the Witch of Envy from legend."
"But I truly want to say that we are not the same person. I will not bring harm to the world. If I become queen, I want to create a world free from discrimination."
"I hope this world can be filled with love and hope."
Emilia's words were simple and unadorned, filled with idealism but lacking a sense of realism.
Crusch felt a faint disappointment. She had expected the silver-haired half-elf to deliver something striking—but the speech held little competitive edge.
"What a pity. With such powerful assistance at her side, if she were willing to ally with me, the entire kingdom could be transformed."
Crusch murmured softly, disappointed in Emilia's idealism. In this world of the strong preying upon the weak, a fragile white flower would not survive long without protection.
"Nya, it's the first time I've heard such a jealous tone from Lady Crusch."
Felix joked lightly, looking at her.
"It's nothing. Just a passing thought."
Crusch withdrew her gaze and fell silent.
Some things simply could not be obtained, and she understood that well enough not to dwell on it.
Clap clap clap!
After Emilia finished speaking, Shendu immediately applauded.
Her action prompted a number of civil and military officials to follow suit. These were individuals who had secretly joined the Divine Dragon Merchant Guild. Naturally, they would show Shendu proper respect.
Next came Priscilla's speech—filled with lofty declarations about herself standing above all others. Only a sparse few offered reluctant applause, merely to give her face.
"What is this? I am the future queen! How dare you look down on me? In the future, you will all be punished."
Priscilla huffed angrily, clearly displeased by the lukewarm response.
After all the candidates had spoken, Miklotov looked over the crowd and then at Shendu below the platform, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Lady Shendu, what is your opinion of these five candidates? Could you provide an objective evaluation to make this competition more fair?"
Miklotov sought Shendu's input with evident respect.
"Very well. I'll say a few words."
Clearing her throat, Shendu looked at the five candidates. Her gaze first settled on Priscilla.
"Priscilla is arrogant and conceited, yet kind at heart. If she were to become queen, she would likely serve competently as a ruler who preserves what already exists."
"As for Crusch, she would also make a capable monarch and could expand the kingdom's territory. However, she is too upright and may break too easily."
"Next is Anastasia. A quintessential merchant temperament—steady and pragmatic—but not suited to be queen. From a merchant's perspective, everything revolves around maximizing profit."
"In the end, wealth would inevitably flow into her own pockets, and the probability of unrest would be rather high."
Shendu glanced casually at the purple-haired girl, who was visibly irritated.
"As for Felt, she is not fit to be queen—but becoming a great noble would pose no issue."
"After all, she has the legendary strongest Sword Saint supporting her."
Finally, her gaze fell upon Emilia.
The silver-haired half-elf looked at Shendu with hopeful eyes, awaiting her judgment.
"Lastly, Emilia. As a silver-haired half-elf, she has endured discrimination from many. She is kind-hearted and adorable."
"Though she does not possess the bearing of a king, with my assistance, she will certainly become a wise ruler of Lugunica."
Shendu spoke earnestly—though her words clearly contained a touch of personal bias.
[Ding~ Mission completion rate +20. Current mission completion rate: 25. Reach 100 to leave this world!]
As soon as she finished her evaluation, the cold voice of the system echoed in her mind, prompting a faint smile to curve her lips.
It seems participating directly in the storyline increases the completion rate quite quickly. It actually rose four times more than before in a single go.
Good. Once the Witch Cult is dealt with, the mission should likely be complete.
Hearing her remarks, Miklotov stroked his beard and smiled.
"A truly fair assessment. Thank you, Lady Shendu."
"It's nothing. I will also make a guarantee in my capacity as president of the Divine Dragon Merchant Guild."
Shendu's expression grew solemn as she swept her gaze across the hall.
"From this day forward, the Divine Dragon Merchant Guild's goods will become even more affordable and of higher quality. We will help the kingdom prosper—until the Emilia I support ascends the throne!"
Upon hearing Shendu's pledge, Emilia's eyes filled with tears.
She was deeply moved by Shendu's unwavering support.
There was no doubt—Shendu's declaration was meant to show everyone present that she would never give up until Emilia achieved her dream.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Emilia felt she had no way to repay such devotion.
Perhaps only by offering myself to her could I ever repay this kindness...