I love time travel the most!

The authoritative voice filled the palace hall with tension once more. The candidates straightened their postures, and the relaxed expressions of the spectators witnessing this moment vanished.

"Then let's move on to the discussion. The topic is how to become king."

The question is, what method was chosen?

The Dragon Stone has a method for gathering candidates, but it does not specify a method for selecting them. Therefore, in order to decide this matter, each candidate must first demonstrate their level of self-awareness.

That is, the reasons and determination to become king.

To put it more bluntly, it's about campaigning for votes.

Upon hearing this request, the old men on the stage nodded repeatedly, and after confirming that there were no objections, they gave the Knight Commander a look.

After receiving the instructions, he moved forward again.

"Although this has been presumptuous, I hope you will allow me to take the lead once again. All the candidates should have their own opinions and stances, and please let everyone in the palace hall know them."

There should be private exchanges of benefits, and there should also be lofty ideals on the surface.

Now we come to this step.

If you perform well and leave a good impression on the knights and nobles, you will receive more support and assistance in the future.

"Then first, please, Lady Culci, and her knight Felix Argyle!"

"Ah."

"coming!"

Upon hearing the Knight Commander's voice, Kurshu nodded leisurely, while Phyllis lightly raised her hand and trotted to her master's side.

"But guild leader, please call me Phyllis-nyan—"

Even though he acted incredibly cute, the crowd, knowing he was a cat-eared man, remained unmoved. However, the older folks on stage had a strong prejudice against Phyllis's attire.

Kurshu explained, "Phyllis looks much better in her current attire than in knight's armor. Me too, I prefer my current outfit to formal wear."

The beautiful woman in military uniform puffed out her chest as if showing off.

Faced with her confident and assertive remarks, those who wanted to object fell silent, while the cat-eared man stared at her with starry eyes and a look of utter submission.

"As expected of Lord Kurshu."

"He was the first among the candidates to demonstrate his conviction and was the most promising candidate."

"How should I put it? Unlike others, I have a sense of security."

A slight commotion spread.

The people sitting around them once again confirmed the advantages of the woman in military uniform.

Kurshu is the head of the Karlsten family. With the entire royal family wiped out, he hopes that the next king will be the closest to the royal family, which is also what everyone hopes for.

After all, in terms of the order of succession, the Duke should be the first candidate, and it would not be a problem to regard her as the chosen one.

but--

"It seems there are quite a few people who misunderstand."

Kurshu calmed the noisy hall and nodded calmly, saying, "As I understand it, you all think that the Karlsten family is an authoritative representative related to the royal family, and if they can inherit the throne, the government affairs and the operation of the kingdom will surely be inherited smoothly."

This is her advantage.

Both his status and the strength of the Karlsten family are suitable, and his succession will minimize the impact on the kingdom's turmoil.

"However, I apologize to the nobles who have expectations; that is impossible!"

The beautiful woman chose to refuse.

The palace hall fell silent for a moment, then erupted into riots a few seconds later.

Amid the noise, Kurshu crossed his arms and said in a clear voice, "Don't you feel ashamed?"

Ok?

What do you mean?

Amidst the crowd's confusion, she continued, "This nation prospered through a pact with the dragon, and the dragon's name has never disappeared throughout its long history. But whether it be famine, plague, war, or illness, all suffering is bestowed by the noble dragon, and glory is preordained. Tell me, don't you feel ashamed?!"

Kurtsch was furious.

Protected by the covenant, dependent on it, they fall into depravity, seeking alternatives when faced with a crisis of survival, and then indulging in it.

She couldn't stand this disgraceful state!

"If a kingdom is destined to perish without the dragon's protection, then let it perish. Too much favor breeds stagnation, stagnation leads to corruption, and corruption brings destruction. So we must banish this mentality! The kingdom does not belong to the dragon, but to us!"

Such disparaging remarks about dragons would not be surprising if they were punished with execution for disrespect.

However, it has an undeniable weight.

Those around seemed to feel the same way; dissenting voices could no longer be heard.

That spirit of declaring war on the dragon head-on, reclaiming dominance, and correcting the pathological way of life is undoubtedly the quality of a king.

There was a bright future ahead if only a little more tact was used, but it was wasted so easily. Anyone would call it foolish.

But Kobayashi admires her.

After a brief silence, the Knight Commander on the stage resumed his duties.

"Then, please continue. Let's start the order next to Lord Culci."

The group looked at the arrogant girl.

"Hmph, it's finally my turn to appear. I've been waiting so long I'm about to die of boredom."

Priscilla finally showed some interest.

As she spoke, she pulled a fan from the center of her chest, opened it with a rustling sound, and chuckled softly, covering her mouth. That bloodthirsty smile, so incongruous with her cuteness, sent a shiver down the spines of those watching her.

Subaru Natsuki is the most obvious among them.

Because he still remembers the pain caused to him by the opponent's powerful over-the-shoulder throw.

"If you ask me, there is absolutely no need for you to participate, because I am the most suitable person to become king... no, there is no one else but me. You just need to kneel on the ground and follow and obey."

With her orange hair flying high, the arrogant young woman declared fearlessly. Her defiant words left everyone in the hall speechless.

Then she returned to the ranks without looking back, completely disregarding how others perceived her. Even Knight Al could only awkwardly scratch his head and apologize for his princess's rudeness.

Just what kind of confidence does he have?

There was no hesitation or doubt whatsoever, only an inexplicable and frightening confidence. Though brief and lacking the lofty ideals of Courcieu, everyone inexplicably believed she could achieve it.

The tense atmosphere only eased when the arrogant girl returned to the line.

"Then next, Lady Anastasia, and Knight Julius Jucrius, please step forward!"

The next one to be called out was the purple-haired girl.

Amidst the noise and heat, Julius waved his hand, and the air, no matter what, was completely refreshed.

"Thank you."

The little purple-haired girl stepped forward.

Anastasia's gentle smile eased the tension in the hall.

Compared to the two more individualistic candidates for the throne, the soft and gentle girl seems more harmless and relaxing.

However, the girl's greed was only revealed at this moment.

"—Actually, their desires are a bit bigger than others. Because nothing has yet appeared that can satisfy them, they don't know what true fulfillment feels like, so they want their own country."

"Have you treated the country as a commodity for trade?"

The old folks on stage couldn't help but ask questions.

Is this a flaw in the nature of merchants? In their eyes, everything is a commodity that can be traded.

If that's the case, then we need to carefully consider whether the other party truly has the qualities to become a king.

The greedy girl said, "I have deep desires, so I play a role in satisfying even deeper desires. Everything I do is part of satisfying my passion, so there's no reason for me to give it up. You can rest assured about that. So, it's okay to become someone else's thing without worry."

The girl smiled gently and elegantly, just as she had when they first met. But hidden beneath that composed expression was an endless, almost frantic, desire.

Once you have it, you won't give it up.

The idea itself is very mundane, but her proposition is so simple that it seems there's no need to worry about it being traded as an object.

After a brief silence, the silver-haired half-elf girl, who had been remaining quiet all along, was called by name.

"The next candidate is Lady Emilia!"

"Yes!"

She was also the only one in the royal selection candidate line who did not have a knight with her.

Emilia, whose name was called, looked up. Her beautiful profile showed a complex mix of unease and strong determination.

"I have only one wish, which is fairness. I want to cut off all prejudiced gazes, remove all the seeds of evil, and create a country where everyone can be treated fairly."

The girl's ideals were simple and unpretentious.

Because I've been caught in the rain myself, I wanted to hold an umbrella for others.

Unfortunately, this simplistic idea was neither the best in terms of context nor opportunity. The scythe and the hammer need time to subtly influence each other, and Emilia alone could not achieve equality for everyone; her idea was undoubtedly a castle in the air.

Such a half-elf girl was naturally the target of ridicule and scorn. This included the old men on the stage, the noble officials, and even the candidates for the throne.

However, Subaru Natsuki made no move.

Even as his beloved Emilia endured the strange looks from others with a pained expression, he merely gritted his teeth with bloodshot eyes and secretly vowed to make them pay the price later.

Like Felt, the reckless boy also matured after being disciplined.

As for the little girl who appeared last, she also successfully chose to participate in the royal selection after Grandpa Rom's heartfelt performance.

And homeless children from the slums issue the most vicious declarations against the already solidified class system.

"I hate nobles, I hate kingdoms, I hate everyone in this room, the place we're standing in, and everything in it. So, I want to destroy it all at once! What do you say?"

Her statement, delivered with a bright expression, only elicited a murmur of surprise from the audience.

This is truly an unprecedented and outrageous statement.

Kobayashi held his forehead and sighed deeply.