"You... what did you say?!"
Bordeaux's wrinkled old face instantly flushed crimson, his loose skin trembling with anger.
As a veteran member of the Sage Council, he couldn't recall how many years it had been since someone dared to contradict him so openly to his face.
"I said—" Natsuki Subaru took a step forward, his voice clear, powerful, and full of provocation, "Are you worthy?"
The entire hall fell deathly silent in an instant.
The nobles held their breath, and even the other Royal Candidates showed expressions of surprise.
No one had expected a little-known knight to dare openly challenge the authority of the Sage Council on such a solemn occasion.
"Insolence!" Bordeaux's withered, skinny fingers trembled violently as he pointed at Natsuki Subaru, his wrinkled old face contorted with rage. "A mere knight dares to be so disrespectful to a member of the Sage Council?!"
"I am merely stating facts." A derisive sneer played on Natsuki Subaru's lips as he scanned the crowd, his voice echoing clearly in every corner. "The Sage Council is supposed to be a governing body that serves the country and its people. But what are you doing now? Viciously attacking a young girl who is kinder and braver than any of you. Is this what the Sage Council is supposed to be? Your very existence is an insult to the name 'Sage Council'!"
In Natsuki Subaru's eyes, these nobles, full of righteous pronouncements yet brimming with prejudice, deserved not an ounce of respect.
After hearing Natsuki Subaru's speech, the entire council hall erupted in an uproar.
Several elderly members of the Sage Council had ashen faces, while some younger nobles looked at each other, clearly shocked by this bold statement.
It had to be known that the Sage Council was the highest authority during the Royal Selection, its members all being the most respected noble scholars in the kingdom.
Even when the royal family was in power, the actual operation of the country relied on their decisions.
And now, this obscure knight dared to openly challenge their authority.
"As a member of the Sage Council, you have already committed an unforgivable capital crime," Natsuki Subaru said, looking at Bordeaux.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Bordeaux retorted emotionally.
Natsuki Subaru didn't give Bordeaux a chance to continue his rebuttal.
He took another step forward, held up one finger, and began, "First sin: by questioning Emilia's qualifications, you are questioning the Divine Dragon's choice! The Dragon Insignia is bestowed by the Divine Dragon personally, symbolizing the legitimacy of a Royal Candidate. Your questioning not only denies Emilia but is also blasphemy against the Divine Dragon!"
As someone familiar with the history of the Kingdom of Lugnica, Natsuki Subaru knew the weight of this accusation.
The Kingdom of Lugnica had been known as the Dragon Kingdom since ancient times.
The covenant made with the Divine Dragon four hundred years ago not only established the Divine Dragon as the kingdom's guardian but also cemented its core authority within the political system.
"Why is the Kingdom of Lugnica called the Dragon Kingdom? I presume no one is ignorant of this. Four hundred years ago, the Divine Dragon made a covenant with the former king, protecting this land with eternal power! Without the Divine Dragon, there would be no kingdom today! And you—" Here, Natsuki Subaru's finger jabbed sharply towards Bordeaux, "Dare to scorn this sacred covenant? This is disrespect to the former king and the Divine Dragon!"
"I... I absolutely did not mean that! I hold the utmost respect for the former king and the great Divine Dragon..." Bordeaux's face changed slightly, a hint of panic appearing on his wrinkled old features.
In the Kingdom of Lugnica, disrespecting the Divine Dragon was tantamount to betraying the kingdom; even a noble would lose everything for it.
Natsuki Subaru sneered, ignoring Bordeaux's excuses, and continued to press forward: "Your quibbles are meaningless because your crimes extend far beyond this!"
"What?" Bordeaux was slightly taken aback.
"Second sin." Natsuki Subaru pressed his advantage, his sharp gaze fixed on Bordeaux, continuing, "By openly discriminating against a half-elf, you are discriminating against the entire demi-human population of the kingdom!"
Then, Natsuki Subaru's gaze swept across everyone in the hall. "Do you intend to reignite the Demi-Human War? Were the lessons from that tragedy forty years ago not profound enough?"
It was worth noting that the Kingdom of Lugnica was vast, with a population of nearly 50 million, diverse climates within its territory, and many demi-humans and other races.
Although most regions of the present-day Kingdom of Lugnica were gradually recovering economically and were in a state of relative peace and stability, it was actually suffering from internal and external troubles.
Internally, relations between demi-humans and humans were tense, the lower classes faced hardship, and the entire royal family had died from illness, forcing the immediate start of the Royal Selection.
Currently, the transitional government, the Sage Council, was proving to be an ineffective leader.
Externally, the non-aggression pact with the Vollachian Empire could be torn up at any moment due to Vincent's usurpation, and religious extremist organizations and the Witch Cult had begun to launch frequent attacks across the kingdom.
Therefore, to refute an opponent, Natsuki Subaru knew he had to elevate individual actions to a group level.
One person's prejudice might be insignificant, but when it threatened the interests of an entire ethnic group, its nature changed entirely.
Indeed, when Natsuki Subaru threw out the term "Demi-Human War," the nobles present instantly held their breath.
The shadow of the Demi-Human War from forty years ago still loomed over the kingdom.
Its cause was precisely the discrimination and oppression of demi-humans by humans.
That internal conflict had severely weakened the Kingdom of Lugnica, and even the Divine Dragon had refused to intervene, as it was, after all, a civil war.
In a corner of the hall, several elderly nobles who had experienced the war unconsciously lowered their heads; some even began to tremble slightly.
For them, the wounds left by that war had yet to heal.
"N-Nonsense! I have no such intention!" Bordeaux frantically waved his withered arms, his face turning extremely unsightly.
"Third great sin—" Natsuki Subaru's voice suddenly rose, his sharp gaze piercing Bordeaux. "As an elder of the Sage Council, your act today of openly insulting a Royal Candidate has thoroughly exposed your bias and injustice! Pray tell, a person who cannot even achieve basic fairness, what right do you have to sit in the Sage Council and judge the future ruler of the kingdom?!"
This was a fact witnessed by all.
Previously, Bordeaux had used derogatory terms like "half-devil" and "defiling" to humiliate Emilia, even comparing her to the Witch.
"..."
Bordeaux's Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty, his wrinkled old face flushed crimson.
As a senior member of the Sage Council, he had never imagined that one day he would be publicly questioned to the point of speechlessness by an obscure knight.
"It's like this every time... Whenever I'm in trouble, Subaru is always the first to stand up..." Emilia gazed at the black-haired young man in the center of the hall, arguing forcefully on her behalf.
Complex ripples spread through her amethyst-like eyes, and her slender fingers unconsciously touched her chest, where she could clearly feel her heart beating at an unusual rate.
Our first meeting in that alley in the Royal Capital, his anxious figure rushing around when her insignia was lost, his resolute stance, unhesitatingly shielding her from the Bowel Hunter.
And every time she suffered discrimination because of her silver hair and half-elf status, that unwavering figure who was always the first to stand up and protect her.
"Clearly, I'm just a being despised by the world. Why can you be so unreservedly... Is someone like me really worth such devotion from you...?"
A warm pang shot through her chest.
Emilia suddenly realized that, at some unknown point, this reckless yet sincere young man had quietly come to occupy such an important place in her heart.
His clumsy yet sincere encouragement, his reckless yet fervent protection, and those black eyes that always seemed to gaze only at her.
"Subaru..." Emilia whispered the name softly, her silver hair sliding over her shoulder as she slightly bowed her head, hiding her faintly blushing cheeks.
But when she looked up again and saw the figure standing tall in the center of the hall, confronting the entire Sage Council for her sake, an unprecedented emotion surged within her chest.
It was a complex feeling that made her feel sweet yet sour, warm yet pained.
This feeling is so incredible.
"If... if it's with you, I would be truly happy." Emilia gently pressed her hand to her chest, feeling the palpitations there, her amethyst-like eyes reflecting the heroic figure of the black-haired young man before her.
In the Royal Candidates' line.
"Well said, little bro! That's how it should be!" Felt clapped her hands excitedly, a rebellious light shining in her red eyes.
This girl, raised in the slums, most despised these sanctimonious noble lords.
"Hehe..." Priscilla elegantly waved her jewel-encrusted fan, a meaningful smile playing on her red lips. "This boring meeting has finally become a little interesting. I, for one, am curious to see how this play will end."
"It's rare to come to the Royal Castle; I love watching this kind of excitement the most~" Anastasia narrowed her purple eyes, her furry scarf swaying gently.
"The courage to face power directly is praiseworthy." Crusch stood with her arms crossed, her smart military uniform accentuating her valiant and heroic demeanor.
On the other side.
Reinhard stood quietly at the very front of the knightly order, his clear blue eyes, like a sunny sky, fixed on Natsuki Subaru in the center of the hall.
He murmured to himself, "Such sincere devotion to Lady Emilia is truly moving."
"Meow-hoo~ Although Ferris has always supported Lady Crusch, I also think Subaru-kyun is super cool, meow~" Felix excitedly twitched his furry cat ears, his tail unconsciously perking up high.
This healer seemed to have completely forgotten the occasion, his eyes shining like a starstruck fangirl... erm, fanboy.
"Although his actions are overly impulsive, this resolve to go through fire and water for his liege is indeed moving." Julius's expression was exceptionally complex, a hint of admiration on his elegant face.
"Risking everything for someone important... that kind of hot-blooded idiot style, it's been a while." Al's rough fingers stroked his metal helmet, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards Priscilla before quickly retracting.
Roswaal stood in the deepest shadows at the edge of the hall, his mismatched eyes gleaming with an eerie light in the dimness.
His exaggerated clown makeup couldn't hide the meaningful smile at the corners of his lips. "Subaru-kun, what a delightful development this is~"
Meanwhile, Natsuki Subaru's voice resounded powerfully throughout the hall: "Emilia is kind, considerate, and as a Royal Candidate, she personally set up a barrier to block Mabeast invasions and helped lost children return home, yet she never puts on airs, always doing what good she can."
"A girl like this, who cares so much for her people, doesn't she deserve to be queen?"
As he spoke, Natsuki Subaru's gaze swept over the members of the Sage Council in front, finally settling on Bordeaux's old face, which was contorted with anger. "And you? You sit comfortably in your lavish palace all day, too lazy to even step out of the Royal Castle's gates. Instead of choosing Emilia as queen, are you going to choose a pampered parasite like yourself?!"
"Insolence! Arrogance!" Bordeaux slammed his hand on the table and shot up, his withered fingers trembling as he pointed at Natsuki Subaru.
His wrinkled old face was flushed crimson, looking like an enraged goat.
As a veteran of the Sage Council, in all his decades, when had anyone dared to humiliate him so publicly?
"Silence!" Miklotov struck his scepter heavily.
His deep gaze rested on Natsuki Subaru for a long moment, a complex expression on his aged face.
Then, he slowly began to speak, "Knight Natsuki Subaru, your loyalty to Lady Emilia is admirable, but please be mindful of your words and the occasion."
"I am speaking the truth!" Natsuki Subaru met Miklotov's gaze without flinching. "What fairness is there in such a biased Royal Selection?!"
Miklotov was silent for a moment.
In fact, from the moment Natsuki Subaru had laid out the three great sins against Bordeaux, all discerning individuals present knew.
Bordeaux's actions were indeed biased.
Even as a member of the Sage Council, he could not act so wantonly.
"Then," Miklotov finally spoke, "Knight Natsuki Subaru, what outcome do you desire?"
The entire hall was silent.
Everyone's gaze was focused on the black-haired young man standing ramrod straight.
"Very simple—" Natsuki Subaru turned, his sharp gaze, like a sword, piercing Bordeaux directly. "I want him to apologize to Emilia in front of everyone!"
Miklotov paused for a moment, his snow-white eyebrows drooping.
Then, his gaze shifted to Bordeaux, and he slowly said, "Bordeaux, as a member of the Sage Council, you should lead by example, upholding the fairness and dignity of the Royal Selection. But your actions today were truly beneath your station... Apologize to Lady Emilia. You indeed should not have insulted a Royal Candidate."
"Apologize? Why should I apologize?" Hearing this, Bordeaux, an elder of the Sage Council, shrieked hysterically, his wrinkled face contorted with rage. "A mere half-devil deserves to be..."
Before his words could finish—
Swish!
A black shadow flashed by like a phantom.
Before anyone could react, Natsuki Subaru had already shot towards the platform like an arrow loosed from a bow.
His movements were incredibly fast; everyone present only saw a blur, and the black-haired young man had already appeared in front of Bordeaux.
The Kasaka's Venom Fang dagger was pressed precisely against Bordeaux's chin.
Another inch forward, and it could easily pierce his throat.
"Either apologize—" Natsuki Subaru looked at Bordeaux with ice-cold eyes, enunciating each word, "Or die!"
___
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