Chapter 100 - Chapter 16 (Interlude: In the Royal Castle's Conference Room)
"...The soldiers were annihilated, you say? What on earth does that mean?"
"That is... it seems that enemies were lurking among the masses... suddenly, a tremendous fire and wind blew, and the soldiers who were surrounding the Saint candidate waiting room suffered catastrophic damage..."
Upon receiving the report, the King turned pale.
When he received the report that 'Violia Nico Fortesia had appeared as a Saint candidate,' he was flustered, wondering what had happened, but he reconsidered that this was a good opportunity.
As long as she was in the Saint candidate waiting room, they couldn't stop Violia Nico Fortesia no matter what she did. But, conversely, she had no choice but to stay in the Saint candidate waiting room until the end of the voting time.
The ultimate safe zone is also the ultimate cage. The King had even felt relieved that he could finally capture that arch-criminal.
The Saint election itself could not be canceled due to the balance with the Cathedral and other cities. However, it was thought that it would be sufficiently possible to capture Violia Nico Fortesia the moment the voting time ended.
...But.
Despite having strictly surrounded the Saint candidate waiting room with a number of soldiers that was too many to capture a single person and having established a state of high alert.
If the soldiers there were all blown away and the arch-criminal was allowed to escape right before their eyes... that is nothing but a blunder.
"...The culprits who caused the fire and wind. Surely, you captured them."
"No... since everything was blown away along with the culprits..."
At the Minister's report, the King tasted despair.
That despair was not because he couldn't obtain information about Violia Nico Fortesia from the culprits.
'There are multiple people who would even throw away their own lives to save Violia Nico Fortesia.' That was what made the King despair.
There are fanatics who throw away their lives to save Violia Nico Fortesia... in other words, does it not suggest that there is a 'huge organization' behind Violia Nico Fortesia?
Most likely, there are already dozens, hundreds, or if things are bad, thousands of subordinates behind Violia Nico Fortesia. Otherwise, it would be impossible to prepare multiple fanatics who would throw away their own lives.
The possibility that she was forcing slaves to listen to her orders is close to zero. Because the scene was the polling station. The entry of slaves was prohibited by the soldiers at the entrance. Therefore, the people who died involving the soldiers this time threw away their lives completely of their own will.
...A large organization is being born behind the hateful arch-criminal. The King was terribly frightened by that.
In the King's hand is a record of the words Violia Nico Fortesia was uttering in the Saint candidate waiting room. Of course, it is limited to the content that could be heard outside the waiting room... but the words Violia Nico Fortesia uttered toward the masses outside the waiting room were all recorded without exception.
Yes.
The words uttered by Violia Nico Fortesia and the large organization behind her. Those things show only one thing to the King.
Revolution.
The arch-criminal is trying to become a revolutionary. Uniting a large, invisible organization behind her.
...At that fact, the King can only tremble.
"...Is there nothing that was captured?"
"Yes. Violia Nico Fortesia escaped, the culprits who annihilated the soldiers are all dead... only Amavire Rent is currently in custody."
At the name that was mentioned, the King let out another deep sigh.
Besides Violia Nico Fortesia, there is something else that troubles the King.
That was the existence of Amavire Rent.
...She appeared as a collaborator and information provider for the capture of Violia Nico Fortesia, and she is a person who was kept in the Royal Castle under the pretext of representing the masses and incorporating a commoner's perspective into the Royal Castle.
In short, he had intended to use her as bait to fish for the masses. Thinking, 'Those who bring information about Violia Nico Fortesia will be promoted like this and can live a good life.' Amavire Rent's great leap forward became widely known, especially in the Royal Capital, and became an object of envy and jealousy. At the same time, the masses became very cooperative, trying to submit even a fragment of information about Violia Nico Fortesia to the Royal Castle. Although, no decent information came out.
...By promoting a commoner to the Royal Castle, hope was born among the commoners. The existence of Amavire Rent widely publicized that even commoners have a chance to rise in the world.
That is precisely why... this 'incident' is dealing a major blow to the Royal Family.
The rumor that Amavire Rent was apparently joined in hands with the arch-criminal Violia Nico Fortesia behind the scenes.
Furthermore, the rumor that Amavire Rent had betrayed the Royal Family as well and was siding with some noble.
...Those rumors are flowing plausibly and have spread so much that it is no longer possible to stop them.
Furthermore, a decisive material that makes it impossible to say those rumors are lies has also been born.
Amavire Rent apparently obtained a large amount of illegal drugs of all things... and she scattered those gruesome drugs inside the Saint candidate waiting room.
As a result, Amavire Rent herself performed a disgraceful behavior that one would even hesitate to mention, and damage also occurred to the other Saint candidates.
Although the other Saint candidates were saved immediately and avoided continuing to perform disgraceful behavior indefinitely, the backlash from the various nobles whose daughters were harmed and the voices questioning the lax management of the Royal Family are loud.
To make matters even worse, the ones who saved the Saint candidates were the Saint candidate Carol, who was a sister... and none other than Violia Nico Fortesia.
While the act of the Saint candidate Carol, who endured by casting a barrier to ward off evil, is good, the act of Violia Nico Fortesia, who endured the poison while being wounded and went around knocking out and saving the Saint candidates, is too inconvenient for the Royal Family.
Following 'the commoner the Royal Family was keeping betrayed the Royal Family,' if 'the commoner the Royal Family was keeping harmed the Saint candidates' and 'the arch-criminal Violia Nico Fortesia saved the Saint candidates' are also added, eventually, it ends up looking as if the arch-criminal did a better deed than the Royal Family.
This fact cannot be overturned. Not only has distrust toward the Royal Family increased... but it has been manipulated so that the masses lean toward Violia Nico Fortesia.
...The series of incidents seems too well-made.
But the details of those and what was happening behind the scenes should be heard from the captured Amavire Rent. Even if she is someone who betrayed the Royal Family, if it is true that she also betrayed Violia Nico Fortesia at the same time, there is a way to join hands. It would be a good plan to offer a reduction in sentence and make her talk. Or, he could pile up money. Since he can no longer afford to care about appearances.
"The only good thing is that the masses are in a good mood. Since a town was built near Elsemarin and was gathering the poor as settlers, dissatisfaction from the poor at least has decreased significantly. Also, the commoners seem to be somewhat festive due to the commotion of the Saint election this time."
Fortunately or unfortunately, the Saint election itself seems to have become a good entertainment for the masses. The Royal Capital is more lively than before and is trying to forget the tragedy of the Kingdom Festival.
...Yes. The masses' mood is not bad. It's just that distrust toward the Royal Family is increasing, and he hears that public order is not so bad recently.
As usual, the distribution of illegal drugs and narcotics is in a state where it cannot be stopped, but if the local nobles have become useless, he can just confiscate the territory to the Royal Family. In order to concentrate the power of the Royal Family, it is not such a bad thing. Since the masses do not care even if narcotics are spreading among the nobles, he can just leave that alone now.
It cannot be helped that the masses' hostility is directed toward the Royal Family. But, if he endures now, there is a chance of victory.
Now, while trying not to damage the position of the Royal Family, he has no choice but to join hands with various places and strengthen the pressure so that Violia Nico Fortesia does not cause a revolution.
In other words... the Royal Family's wish remains only one.
He wants to make the Cathedral his own.
"Does it look like the Cathedral can be taken?"
"...The ballot counting work is not yet finished, but the election of the girls we recommended is hopeless. At best, the girl named Carol will be elected..."
Hearing the report, the King thinks that must be so and lets out a sigh.
He has heard that in the midst of the tragedy in the Saint candidate waiting room, the girl named Carol was the only one, excluding Violia Nico Fortesia, who endured the poison and reached out a helping hand to the other Saint candidates. Her attitude of resolutely standing up to Violia Nico Fortesia, her mental strength to endure the aphrodisiac poison, and her high level of ability to cast a barrier... she is beyond reproach as a Saint.
It is something that cannot be helped. It is already unavoidable that the Saint election, which was messed up by Violia Nico Fortesia and Amavire Rent, will not go as the Royal Family wishes.
Therefore, as the King, the task from now on will be how to win over 'Saint' Carol, but...
"Um, Your Majesty... I said, 'At best,' the girl named Carol will be elected."
When the Minister made that offer, the King thought of the worst possibility and shuddered.
"...No way."
"Yes. Among the voting slips, there seem to be a certain number with 'Violia Nico Fortesia' written on them..."
What a thing.
With this, does it not mean that the evil roots of revolution have already taken hold among the masses before the Royal Family could take any action?
At the fact that there are many people who write the name of the arch-criminal on the voting slips as someone suited to be a Saint, the King can only despair.
...Finally, the Royal Family is the villain.
The public will has already turned its back on the Royal Family.
"...Shall we purge them?"
The moment the King muttered that, tension ran through the conference room.
There were many who even briefly thought that it might be better to do so, but that is a path from which there is no turning back.
"Father, you must not. That would be exactly what the Revolutionary Army intends."
"...I know."
In the end, the words the King spoke were restrained by the Seventh Prince, Dactor. As the King, he does not seriously intend to burn the people. Although he did think it would be truly easy if he could do so.
...Burning the masses is a bad move, just as Dactor says.
No matter how much the masses direct their hostility toward the Royal Family, the Royal Family must not direct its hostility toward the masses. The moment they do such a thing, this country will finally be overturned.
They must not give a justification to those who aim for revolution. Justice must always be held by this side.
"Now is simply the time to endure. And, we have no choice but to wait for an opportunity for an explanation. The public will will surely follow later. Now is the time to think about how to approach the one who will become the Saint..."
"That is true. We must not sever the connection with the Cathedral. It might even be better to show an attitude of showing understanding toward the Cathedral and try to win the favor of the masses. Just in time, the Saint will also be new. This will be a good opportunity."
Since the Saint has become new, the Royal Family's way of interacting can also become new.
The reason for changing their previous attitude abruptly would be sufficient with that. Or, he might invite the sister named Carol to the Royal Castle and set up a meeting. Carol apparently has thick trust from the masses as well. If he uses Carol well, he might be able to improve the impression of the Royal Castle.
Fortunately, it's not like there are no materials to trade with Carol.
Starting from the settlement, the town located north of Elsemarin that became the form of a town in less than two months. If he uses that town, which Sister Carol seems to be invested in, as a material for trade, he should be able to successfully obtain her cooperation.
Sister Carol, who advocates a position close to the masses and proposes a form of a Saint different from before, is novel for both the Royal Family and the masses... and for the masses, she is hope itself.
He must incorporate her well. More than the Cathedral itself, now, the new Saint herself might be the one who generates great value.
"Very well. As soon as the Saint is decided, set up a meeting. It is fine to act somewhat humble. Make sure to sufficiently make it known that it is not for the purpose of applying pressure."
"Yes. I understand."
Seeing the Minister immediately start moving, the King lets out a sigh.
"...Furthermore, make sure to pull information out of Amavire Rent, who is currently in custody."
If Amavire Rent had continued to betray the Royal Family, naturally, it is not something that can be forgiven. But, even if he sets aside whether to forgive her or not, the information she likely possesses is something the King wants so much that his hands are reaching out for it.
If he does it well, he might even be able to outwit Violia Nico Fortesia.
In that sense, she is a woman with value equal to, or if things are bad, more than Sister Carol. She must be treated 'courteously.'
Thus, the meeting ended after solidifying the policy, for now.
While being grateful that he could still move forward, the King set about preparing for the meeting with Saint Carol.