"Four hundred years ago, the Kingdom of Lugunica and the supreme Divine Dragon Volcanica forged a sacred covenant, a covenant that allows us to…"
Commander Marcos was solemnly recounting the Kingdom's history when he was suddenly interrupted by an extremely arrogant voice.
"Enough. You may stop."
All eyes turned toward the source of the voice. Priscilla Barielle stood there in a luxurious red gown. She idly toyed with the gilded folding fan in her hand, her scarlet eyes filled with impatience and disdain.
"Such a long and tedious speech is simply wasting this one's precious time. This so called Royal Selection was meaningless from the very beginning." She slowly stepped forward, her skirt spreading like fresh blood across the marble floor. "Because the ultimate victor has already been decided. Besides this one, could there possibly be anyone else?"
The folding fan snapped open, covering half of her exquisite face.
"Everything in this world revolves around this one. This is an unchangeable destiny. You so called competitors…" Her gaze swept across the other Royal Selection candidates. "…are merely clowns adding a bit of amusement to this one's coronation ceremony. No matter how hard you perform, in the end you can only kneel beneath this one's throne."
Subaru's eyes widened in shock at this opening declaration that mercilessly offended everyone present. Emilia timidly raised her hand.
"Um… I think we should still listen to Commander Marcos's explanation…"
"How unfortunate." Priscilla did not even spare her a glance. "This one is not interested in your opinion."
At that moment, Anastasia chuckled softly and spoke.
"Oh my. While I understand the necessity of such formalities, for a merchant, time is money. Everyone knows this. So why do we not get straight to the point?"
Crusch crossed her arms.
"Indeed. Since everyone is already present, confirming each other's identities and qualifications should be the top priority." Her gaze swept meaningfully over Felt before finally settling on Priscilla. "As for who will ultimately win… that cannot be decided through mere self proclamation."
Marcos cast an inquiring glance toward the elders of the Council of Sages. The old men exchanged looks among themselves, and the eldest slowly shook his head. The gesture clearly rejected the three Royal Selection candidates' proposals.
"Please allow me to continue." Marcos bowed slightly.
Priscilla gave a soft huff, her gilded folding fan spinning gracefully between her fingertips. Even though her suggestion had been rejected, her arrogant composure remained completely unshaken.
As Marcos continued meticulously recounting the Kingdom's history and the Dragon's prophecy, the atmosphere in the hall gradually grew solemn.
"Finally," Marcos's voice echoed through the hall like a great bell, "the historical wheel of this great Kingdom is about to begin a new turn."
"And so…"
"From the Royal Guard, Reinhard van Astrea. And Carlisle Eltheran."
"Step forward."
"Yes."
Carlisle and Reinhard responded in perfect synchronization as they stepped forward.
"Knight Carlisle Eltheran, as the discoverer of the fifth Dragon Priestess, please explain to the esteemed members of the Council of Sages and all nobles present the full circumstances surrounding Lady Felt's discovery."
Carlisle nodded slightly and began recounting how he had discovered Felt in the slums, naturally omitting the details regarding her theft.
"Please allow me to interrupt."
A middle aged man with a handlebar mustache, dressed in a civil official's uniform, suddenly stepped forward.
"Esteemed 'Perfect Knight'," his tone was respectful but carried clear suspicion, "are you saying that our noble fifth Dragon Priestess was discovered in the filthy alleys of the slums? This… this is truly difficult to believe. Are you absolutely certain there has been no mistake?"
"My lord, everyone present has already witnessed the reaction of the Dragon's Emblem. This is the choice of the Divine Dragon Volcanica. Do you believe that even the supreme Divine Dragon could make a mistake?"
The civil official wiped the sweat from his forehead but continued speaking.
"But this concerns the Royal Selection and the thousand year foundation of the Kingdom. If we follow this reasoning, does that mean anyone, regardless of their origin, could… as long as they possess the emblem…"
Carlisle suddenly raised his voice.
"It seems, sir, that you have completely overlooked the most crucial characteristic. If you cannot even recognize such an obvious royal symbol, then I must question whether you truly maintain the loyalty expected toward the Kingdom of Lugunica."
These powerful words immediately caused a stir throughout the hall. Nobles began whispering among themselves as murmurs spread across the room. All eyes gradually turned toward Felt.
Moments later, a surprised voice rang out.
"Golden hair and red eyes?"
Carlisle nodded solemnly.
"As this person has just stated, Lady Felt possesses the distinctive traits of golden hair and red eyes, characteristics that perfectly match those of the Lugunica Royal Family." He slowly looked around the hall to ensure everyone clearly heard his words. "Fourteen years ago, the daughter of the late king's brother was mysteriously abducted from the Royal Palace by thieves while she was still an infant. And Lady Felt is precisely fourteen years old this year."
"When I discovered these unmistakable royal traits within the slums, I immediately realized the extraordinary nature of the situation. At that moment, I used Lady Emilia's Dragon Emblem to verify the truth. The result ultimately confirmed her noble identity as the fifth Dragon Priestess."
Carlisle silently pondered this matter in his heart. Although Felt insisted that she was fifteen years old, the dual evidence of royal features and the recognition of the Divine Dragon could not be denied. Had she been mistaken? Or did this child, raised on the streets, simply never know the exact date of her birth?
The civil official still refused to give up. His voice began trembling, yet he stubbornly continued pressing the matter.
"This series of coincidences is far too unbelievable. The missing royal child just happened to end up in the slums. And she just happened to be discovered by you, the 'Perfect Knight'. And she just happened to be the fifth Dragon Priestess?"
He suddenly raised his voice, clearly implying something.
"I also recall that Sir Carlisle was granted the title of 'Black', symbolizing the pinnacle of mastery over Yin magic. As a powerful magic user, did you perhaps… use special magic to alter her hair and eye color?"
"Stop your wild speculation."
Reinhard's voice exploded like thunder throughout the hall.
"Sir, are you openly questioning the honor of a Royal Knight? Are you suggesting that Knight Carlisle Eltheran has deceived the entire Kingdom?"
The civil official staggered backward in shock at the sudden roar but still stubbornly attempted to defend himself.
"I… I am merely raising reasonable suspicions… for the future of the Kingdom…"
Reinhard took a decisive step forward, her fiery red hair blazing like real flames.
"Then if I swear upon the four hundred years of glory of the Astrea family, and upon the title of the Sword Saint, to guarantee the truth of this matter, will you still continue these absurd accusations? Or do you also doubt the integrity of me, Reinhard van Astrea?"
The moment her words fell, the entire hall plunged into deathly silence.
The civil official's face turned pale, and large beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks. At that moment, he deeply regretted raising such doubts.
He should have realized long ago that even without the intervention of Reinhard, the Sword Saint, his accusations would inevitably fail based solely on Carlisle Eltheran's reputation within the Knights Order.
This young knight had not only been granted the title of "Black" by the Kingdom, but his noble character had also been recognized through the prestigious honor of the "Perfect Knight". This fact was clearly reflected in the cold gazes of the surrounding Royal Guard knights.
The oppressive silence inside the hall was suddenly broken by hurried footsteps.
To everyone's astonishment, Felt suddenly rushed forward.
"Wait."
She grabbed Carlisle's cape, her red eyes burning with both anger and confusion.
"What did you just say? I'm… the lost princess of this country?"
Her voice trembled with agitation.
"To drag me into this cursed Royal Selection, you would even fabricate such ridiculous lies?"
Carlisle immediately knelt down on one knee so that his gaze met Felt's directly.
"Did Reinhard not explain everything to you?"
He lowered his voice, speaking more gently than ever before.
"Felt, please calm down for now. We can discuss everything later."
Felt bit her lower lip hard, her slender fingers turning pale. The drastic change in identity, from a nameless orphan of the slums to a princess of the Kingdom, left her mind in complete turmoil.
Finally, she stumbled backward a few steps and returned to the lineup.
Carlisle watched the girl's trembling back, a sharp pain piercing his chest.
At that moment, a warm hand rested upon his shoulder.
Reinhard's azure eyes carried complex emotions. Her gaze silently offered comfort, but more importantly it conveyed a quiet promise.
"I will protect her."
That silent exchange allowed Carlisle's tense shoulders to relax slightly. He nodded gently before straightening his posture once again.
Marcos stepped forward at the perfect moment, his calm voice breaking the awkward silence filling the hall.
"It appears there is no longer any disagreement regarding Lady Felt's identity." He slowly looked around the room. "Now the Royal Selection conference will proceed to its second stage. All candidates must demonstrate to the Council of Sages…"
"What is the Way of the King."
"First, I invite Duchess Crusch Karsten and her knight, Felix Argyle, to step forward."
...
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