"I truly do not understand why the late King entrusted His Majesty's upbringing to a man like Ector instead of me. Look at what His Majesty has become because of it."
"Though he possesses more than enough valor, he is utterly lacking in strategy and is far too obstinate for his own good."
"If he is allowed to rule Camelot, I fear the very foundation that we and the late King fought so hard to build will crumble by his hand before long."
As he finished speaking, tears began to stream down Oscar's aged face.
The nobles seated in the middle rows quickly voiced their agreement and offered words of comfort, but those in the front rows remained cold and unmoved.
Finally, a middle-aged noble couldn't help but sneer. "Enough. we respect you as the tutor of the late King, but there is no need to treat us like fools. If you have something to say, speak plainly. There is no need for such theatrics."
The lively banquet hall suddenly fell silent. Every eye was fixed on Oscar.
Oscar wiped away his tears and let out a long sigh. No longer hiding his intent, he said, "The reason His Majesty acts as he does is entirely due to the influence of villains like Lucan, Ector, and Mery. Therefore, I intend to purge the court of these sycophants!"
A wave of hushed clamor swept through the room.
It took a long while for silence to return. The middle-aged noble sneered again. "That is easier said than done. Putting aside the elusive and mysterious National Advisor whose depths we have yet to gauge, what of His Majesty's own strength? How do you plan to bypass the King to 'cleanse' these so-called villains?"
"Since I have brought it up, I naturally have a way."
Oscar was not provoked by the man's words. Instead, he clapped his hands.
Immediately, a middle-aged man stepped out from the shadows. He was dressed in opulent noble attire, with a sinister face, black hair, and black eyes—he looked every bit the part of a high-born Roman.
"Allow me to introduce everyone. This is a magus from Rome, Mr. Levi."
The guests watched as Oscar invited the man to sit in the seat of honor next to him—the very seat that had been left conspicuously empty since the start.
"And? What of it?"
"I wonder if any of you have heard the news of the increasingly frequent magical beast activity lately?" Oscar asked.
"Of course we have."
The fact that beasts were appearing every few days to injure people, trample crops, and damage the city was common knowledge in Camelot. However, for many in the room, this was actually seen as good news.
After all, a magical beast was far more valuable than a common wild animal.
Whether it was the delicious and nourishing meat, the hides and bones used for top-tier armor and weapons, or the blood and organs that magi purchased at high prices—hunting a few magical beasts was worth far more than the lives of several hundred commoners.
"All of that is the handiwork of this gentleman," Oscar said, smiling as he gestured toward Levi.
"What?!"
"Not only that," Oscar continued, "but ten days from now, we have arranged for the magical beasts in the forest to riot and lay siege to the city. At that time, an exceptionally powerful Beast King will lead them."
"Then what are we to do?" one noble asked nervously.
"You may rest easy on that front."
Oscar looked toward Levi with a smile, and the magus pulled a small vial from his robes.
At the entrance of the banquet hall, four fully armed knights appeared, dragging a lion-like magical beast into view.
A maid took the vial from Levi and walked to the entrance. She sprinkled a fine powder on three sides of the beast. The knights, wielding greatswords, moved to the fourth side and unchained the creature.
"What are you doing?!"
The nobles in the room were startled. Those sitting near the door even screamed in terror. Although the beast was clearly weakened, it was still a magical beast!
Then, a miraculous scene unfolded.
The lion-like beast didn't charge into the room to begin a slaughter. Instead, it looked at the three sides where the powder had been sprinkled, its face contorting with a very human-like expression of fear. Without hesitation, it lunged toward the only opening—directly at the fully armed knights.
As the knights engaged the beast, neither side gaining the upper hand, the magus named Levi let out a cold snort. He raised his hand, and a dark claw condensed from magical energy lunged toward the creature. The moment it struck, the beast—which had been growing more ferocious despite the knights' sword wounds—suddenly stiffened. It collapsed to the ground with a thunderous thud, showing no further signs of life.
"This is the Beast-Repelling Powder developed by Mr. Levi. When the beast tide besieges the city, you need only sprinkle this powder around your estates. You will have no need to worry about the beasts harming your families or your property."
Instantly, the expressions of every noble in the room became incredibly subtle. Even the middle-aged noble who had challenged Oscar several times fell silent. They finally understood why Oscar dared to speak so openly about rebellion.
They had no choice.
Putting aside whether they disliked the new King, they needed that powder simply to survive the coming tide.
"And how much will this substance cost us?"
"It costs nothing," Oscar replied.
"Then what do you require of us?"
"Once the beast tide ends, Lord Helmut will personally lead his troops to Camelot. I only ask that before then, you join me in maintaining order in the city while we await his arrival."
"Furthermore, as you all know, Lord Helmut's only child was killed by Arthur. Therefore, should Arthur unfortunately perish during the beast tide, the future King of Camelot will be chosen from among you."
Oscar paused, adding with a smile, "This is a promise Lord Helmut made to me personally in a letter. If you do not believe me, you may see for yourselves."
He produced a letter bearing the seal of the House of Helmut, written in Helmut's own hand. A maid carefully took the letter and passed it around for the nobles to read.
The content was simple.
Helmut stated that he had already consulted with several other high-ranking nobles. Once the plan succeeded, he would become the Prince Regent of Camelot. The other high nobles had no designs on the throne; they only required that their territories remain untouched, that they be granted greater autonomy, and that their titles be elevated from Duke to Grand Duke.
Oscar would become the Chief Advisor, and Levi would be the National Advisor.
Since Helmut no longer had a son, the new King would be chosen from the nobles participating in this operation. That lucky individual would then marry Helmut's granddaughter and ascend the throne!
As the letter finished its rounds, the breathing of everyone in the room grew noticeably heavy. Even the nobles in the front rows had a fervent gleam in their eyes.
In this world, as long as there was an opportunity, who wouldn't want to climb higher?
"Anyone who does not wish to participate may leave now," Oscar said, taking the letter back from the maid and placing it carefully on the table. He smiled warmly. "I promise I will not stop you."
No one stood to leave. Everyone simply stared at Oscar in silence.
Seeing this, the smile on Oscar's face became even more radiant. He signaled the maids to pour the wine, then raised his cup to the room.
"In that case, let us toast to the success of our plan. This cup... to Helmut!"
"To Helmut!"
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