That protagonist is trash; I could do better!

"Was that too much of a stretch? I shouldn't have blocked it." Roswaal gritted his teeth, his face, covered in white powder, was ripped apart by the turbulent magic. He stretched out his hands to block in front of him, pouring out all the magic he had stored up for hundreds of years into the elemental barrier, but it was still easily swept away by the light of destruction.

Even with the help of the elves and with a vast amount of magic stored within them, they still couldn't withstand this destructive magic that had risen to the level of authority.

At the critical moment, Roswaal heard a girl's sweet shout: "Puck! Protect him!"

Lady Emilia has finally arrived!

Roswaal felt a surge of emotion, realizing that Emilia had not been informed beforehand of his plan to showcase his faction's strength before the Sages and all the kingdom's nobles and knights.

On the contrary, Emilia is also part of the plan. Whether it's Shinji Matou or Roswaal, they at least show the potential to pose a life-threatening threat to the other party, so Emilia can't just leave them alone.

Puck, the great spirit who made a pact with Emilia, is actually the leader of the six elemental spirits and is known by humans as the Beast of the End of the Permafrost.

Parker can bring this drama to a close once he reveals his true power.

Then, if Parker uses his true power, his true identity will inevitably be exposed.

This was a farce that Roswaal and Shinji Matou conspired to stage together.

The gray and white cat obeyed the girl's command, leaped in front of Roswaal, stretched out its claws, and used magic to construct a barrier of absolute zero.

Puck is the highest-ranking Pokémon that controls the fire element. Its essence is to manipulate temperature changes, so it can release flames and freeze frost.

Absolute zero can only be achieved by Puck, who symbolizes the elements themselves and controls the primordial power of the elements.

Stripping away the heat from everything and stopping the flow of energy in everything is essentially the same as freezing time.

Even if the torrent of light reached the realm of power, it still could not contend with the supreme spirit that symbolizes the primordial power of this world.

However, this does not mean that the torrent of light is necessarily unable to break through the barrier that freezes time. Puck is a top-tier spirit and can almost endlessly manipulate the power of the elements.

Shinji Matou, who unleashed the torrent of light, was merely a mage. To break through Puck's barrier of time, he had to unleash a burst of magic power that could overwhelm even the highest-ranking spirits in an extremely short time.

Unfortunately, unless Shinji Matou fights to the death, sacrificing himself to squeeze out all the life force contained in the Gate of Life (Magic Circuit), it is impossible to do so.

After the magic spear was thrown, Shinji Matou was basically left to watch Roswaal and Puck's performance.

With his magic power completely depleted, he would have to consume his life force to continue using magic, and the price of throwing the magic spear would be sacrificing Shinji Matou's right hand and some of his blood.

As Shinji Matou analyzed Puck's power with his Mystic Eyes, he thought to himself, "So far, Puck is just as Roswaal said. In the Type-Moon world, this kind of existence is equivalent to Gaia's tentacles, a true god."

Click~ Click~

The torrent of light crashed against the wall of time, and the overflowing magic froze the entire hall into ice. Even when the torrent of magic disappeared, it failed to break through the wall of time.

"Have you both had enough of this, granting your daughter's request and displaying the power of the Great Elf?"

A deep, neutral voice emanated from Parker, whose appearance underwent a dramatic change. Gone was its former fluffy and adorable image; a terrifying magical power froze around it, emanating waves of cold air, and its completely black eyes showed no trace of human emotion.

This is what the elf Puck truly looks like.

"The Beast of the End of the Permafrost!" The bearded elder of the Sages' Guild, who had originally intended to watch the show, suddenly stood up and exclaimed Parker's name in astonishment.

These words moved the elders of the Sages' Guild. Although they loathed Emilia's identity, they had some knowledge after living for so long.

The Royal Selection arc is almost over. The protagonist isn't as weak as Subaru, and the plot feels less impactful than in the original work.

I only realized halfway through that I was writing this purely as a light and enjoyable story, and importantly, I wasn't even writing about any girls.

Even I can't stand it anymore.

Let's just end this world already.

The next world is tentatively named FA.

Actually, I only caught up to episode 21 yesterday, but the main reason is that after the show gave Sieg the heart, the reviews collapsed, and I wasn't in the mood to continue watching.

After finishing it, I was surprised to find it was pretty good.

EMMMMM

If we could remove the storylines involving Sieg and Joan of Arc, it would be barely acceptable.

Also, the storyline involving Jack and Taman felt slightly out of place.

The plot lacks excitement; it doesn't have the clash of beliefs found in Fate/Zero, nor the powerful expressiveness of Fate/stay night. Only the fight scenes are watchable.

The main problem is that the 7v7 scale is too large, which makes the plot loose. Sieg, the nominal protagonist, doesn't have much screen time, except for when he suddenly appears later and falls in love with Joan of Arc.

Chapter 134 The Frozen Witch

In the frozen hall, Shinji Matou feigned surprise as he looked at the spirit Puck, who was completely different from his usual self. His voice was solemn: "I didn't expect you to be hiding such power. In that case, you should have stood up when Emilia was being insulted by so many people here."

Parker calmly replied, "Young man, I appreciate your actions in defending Emilia and I understand your feelings. If it weren't for my daughter's request, everyone in this room would be frozen solid. But because it was my daughter's request, I respect her choice. In any case, you've gone too far."

Emilia hurriedly stepped forward to explain: "I'm sorry, Mr. Shinji, Roswaal has always been the one who supported me in becoming a candidate for king, and what he said is true. I came to participate in the royal selection as a half-elf, with an appearance that is the same as the taboo in the legend."

Shinji Matou stared at Puck, then glanced at Roswaal, and shook his head, saying, "I guess I'm not going to be involved anymore."

"Oh, Emilia-sama, thank you so much for your help. Otherwise, I would have been killed by Shinji just now. I was too harsh earlier, and I apologize to you, Shinji as well," Roswaal said with a light laugh.

Puck flew onto Emilia's shoulder. She looked up and stared directly at the elders of the Sages' Council, her clear voice unwavering as she declared, "Then, I solemnly declare once again, my name is Emilia. I have lived for a long time in the permafrost of the Elior Great Forest. I formed a contract with Puck, the great elf who governs the element of fire and is also from the permafrost. I am a silver-haired half-elf, and my appearance is identical to that of the legendary forbidden witch who devoured half the world. Those who know me have called me the 'Frozen Witch'!"

The girl's resounding silver bell echoed throughout the hall. This time, all the gazes directed at Emilia changed; contempt turned to fear, pity to bewilderment, and gloating to solemnity.

She acknowledges her identity as a witch and reveals her immense power.

People might look at a half-elf with a face similar to a witch with disgust, but they can never maintain the same attitude towards a witch who truly possesses power.

After a moment of silence, the bearded elder of the Sages chuckled: "This is truly interesting. The border guard Roswaal who suppresses the kingdom's borders, a mage with power comparable to Roswaal, and then the Beast of the End of the Permafrost—such powerful forces are gathered around you. So, what is it that you seek, the Frozen Witch, that reveals a strength comparable to that of a nation?"

"I have a dream."

"dream···"

“Yes, a silver-haired half-elf. Just because of this identity, I have suffered countless unfair treatments. I am treated differently simply because of the same appearance. I think this is wrong. What I pursue is a world where everyone can be treated fairly regardless of race or background.”

Another elder of the Sages' Guild, who had been scorning Emilia's half-elf status from beginning to end, rebuked her: "How ridiculous, witch! Shouldn't it be that you are able to understand people's pain more deeply because you have been treated unfairly?"

Emilia shook her head: "Fellow members of the Sages' Council, I am a witch, not a saint. I also have selfish desires, no, everyone does. But in any case, this world itself, fate itself is fair. The witch destroyed half the world, people cursed her existence, and then they also transferred this feeling to me who has the same appearance, and even to many more demi-humans. The civil war in Lugnica fifty years ago broke out precisely because of the unfair treatment the demi-humans received."

"Justice is not about taking, but about balance and equality, from individuals to nations. I believe that only justice can bring stability, prosperity, and a new lease on life to a country."

“I dream that one day Lugnica will stand up and proclaim the truth: ‘We hold that truth is self-evident and that all men are created equal.’”

"I dream that one day, from the capital to the border, demi-humans can cooperate with humans and share friendship."

“I dream that one day, the Kingdom of Lugnica will judge us not by race or birth, but by the quality of our character.”

"I don't know if I'm qualified to sit on the throne, but my thoughts and the beliefs I hold will never waver."

The entire hall fell silent as the girl spoke with unwavering resolve.

The bearded elder said slowly, “Frozen Witch, no matter what your thoughts are, no matter how powerful you are, the opinion of the Sages will not change. Your identity and appearance determine your position, and it is impossible for you to become the King of Lugnica.”

"but!"

“We fully understand your thoughts. You possess such powerful support, yet you have not abused it despite the unfair treatment you have received. Compared to your actions, the opinions of the Sages' Council seem narrow-minded and despicable. Please allow me to apologize to you on behalf of the Sages' Council, Lady Emilia.”

The elder of the Sages' Guild stepped forward, placed his right hand on his chest, and knelt on one knee to perform the highest form of respect. The elder who had always looked down on Emilia's status as a member of the Forest Clan turned his gaze away with a livid face.

At this moment, there was no longer any dispute among those present regarding Emilia's status as a candidate for king. It was just unclear whether they were moved by Emilia's speech or "persuaded" by the power displayed by Shinji Matou, Roswaal, and the Great Spirit Puck.

"Thank you for your understanding. I am Emilia, the candidate for king. I have no family name and this is all I have to say."

In the frozen hall, Emilia stepped back and rejoined the queue of king candidates.

Shinji Matou bowed to the elders of the Sages' Guild and returned to the ranks of the knights. The surrounding knights of the kingdom cast faint glances at Shinji Matou, filled with fear.

"Shinji, that was a beautiful performance. Is your hand alright?" Reinhard smiled with concern, having already noticed the unusual nature of the performance.

If there was anything that made him feel something was off, Reinhard fully understood Shinji Matou's true nature from the moment he destroyed the Bowel Hunter. At that time, Shinji Matou was frighteningly calm, controlling every detail of the battle.

At this moment, Shinji Kiri's impulsive behavior was so abnormal that Reinhard could only draw this conclusion.

"A performance!?" Felix, who had just returned to the team, seemed to have overheard a huge secret, and his cat ears jumped in surprise.

Shinji Matou shook his right hand: "Does it look like you're alright? Your muscles, blood vessels, and bones have been completely destroyed by magic. It seems you're useless now."

Felix asked with concern, "It looks like it's in a lot of pain, meow~ Do you want me to treat you?"

"You can use magic too?" Shinji Matou glanced at him in surprise.

Felix proudly puffed out his chest: "Hmph~ I'm a top-notch water mage, quite skilled at healing."

"I also suggest that Phyllis be treated; there is no better water mage than him in the kingdom," Reinhardt advised with concern.

"Too much trouble, forget it. I'll make another arm when I get back." Shinji Matou flicked his left hand, severing the necrotic right arm. He pressed his palm against the wound, the intense heat scalding the flesh and temporarily stopping the bleeding.

The aroma of roasted meat filled the air, and the knights around swallowed hard. But when they saw Shinji Matou's necrotic right hand on the ground, they felt nauseous and started gagging.

"Wow~ It looks like it hurts a lot." Felix covered his face, unable to bear watching the scene through his fingers.

"Don't worry about it, I'm used to it." Shinji Matou replied casually. This was the fighting style that the immortal alchemist Shul was best at. As long as there were materials, he could recover even if his body was shredded by a meat grinder.

However, Body Transmutation is not a panacea. Shinji Matou once opened a door, sacrificing a part of his body in exchange for the truth. The soul of that part of his body was directly cut off, and even after being restored by Body Transmutation, it had no effect. It felt even worse than the coordination of a mechanical prosthetic.

Emilia was the first candidate to articulate her ideas for kingship. The remaining four then each held different beliefs, and Crusch's desire for the Kingdom of Lugnica to break free from its dependence on the dragon was even more unacceptable.

No king candidate has ever delivered a speech as impactful as Emilia's when articulating his ideas.

After all, Emilia's speech was based on the power demonstrated by Shinji Matou, Roswaal Frontier, and Puck the Great Spirit.

Emilia's faction is only matched by Reinhard in terms of combat power. However, Felt, whom Reinhard supports, is even more unacceptable than Emilia. She is just a mischievous little girl.

Chapter 135 The Witch Cult Attacks

The selection process began peacefully and concluded three years after its announcement. During this time, the Council of Wise Men would continue to examine the reputation, achievements, and abilities of the five candidates for kingship, and select the king with the best qualifications.

Emilia secured fair treatment for herself; nominally, she and the other royal candidates were evaluated on the same criteria by the Council of Sages. The rest depended on whether Emilia could win the support of the people.

A few days later, in the study of the mansion in Berrozvall on the border.

With the lights on, Shinji Matou stood in front of his homemade blackboard and explained to Emilia: "Anastatia is a representative of the Chamber of Commerce, representing the wealthiest group in the kingdom. Her guiding principle is capitalism, and she controls the kingdom's economic lifeline. She can influence the kingdom without any achievements."

"Cursch is the representative of the Karsten family. She inherited the old name of the Lion King after the Kingdom of Lugnica made a pact with the dragon. Although her ideas are crazy, this also represents the class she belongs to. The old nobles probably stand behind her, and the military is her greatest support."

“Priscilla and Felt are also topics for tomorrow’s discussion. Emilia, you need to submit a report to me.”

"Today's main topic of discussion is yourself. Which category do you think your beliefs lean towards?"

Emilia sat at her desk, meticulously taking notes. She looked up and replied, "Yes, I believe that what I uphold is socialism."

"The pursuit of fairness certainly fits this concept. Have you finished reading the basic theories of the three major schools of socialism?"