Subaru Natsuki, who returned from the new Three Kingdoms

Subaru Natsuki's eyes lit up.

As expected, it's the will of Heaven; it's hard for you not to win!

Natsuki Subaru immediately spoke without any politeness:

"As the saying goes, things shouldn't happen more than three times. If you want me to stop taking action, then of course I need to do three things!"

Subaru Natsuki raised three fingers, lowering one with each sentence he spoke.

"First, Crusch's control of the palace must stop here, otherwise it will force us to fight for the throne by force!"

"Secondly, Emilia is still the rightful candidate, and no one is allowed to hold her accountable for what happened today."

"Third, our brothers have all been cleared of wrongdoing and become heroic units. They are all top-notch heroes, and we will not allow anyone to target them openly or secretly anymore!"

He lowered his finger, and the sword was pointed at Russell again.

"As for this Li Ru, he attempted to bypass the imperial selection process and support Kurshu to ascend the throne, and he also spoke disrespectfully to our lord. He must be dealt with!"

Russell's face turned pale and then red.

He could not accept almost any of these three conditions!

It's really going to be implemented.

Crusch's hard-earned advantages will be halved in one fell swoop.

Kurshu is not a king, and his duties are insignificant.

But without Crusch, who now wields such power, there will never be another wise king who can immediately unify the Kingdom of Lugnica and resolve its internal and external troubles!

For someone who loved his country more than his own life, this was worse than being killed!

"We cannot agree to this!"

Russell quickly walked to McCrotoff's side.

"Your Excellency, you have witnessed his ambition firsthand. If he acknowledges these people's identities today, they will dare to seize the throne for Emilia tomorrow. How is it any different for someone whose past cannot be traced to wield such immense power than someone who controls the direction of the election?"

Mycroft's eyes darkened, and he did not answer immediately.

He glanced at Emilia, then looked at Aiko behind Subaru Natsuki.

"The kingdom can agree to the first and second requests."

Russell's expression changed abruptly.

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister!"

"The kingdom will not forget Crusch and Six Tongues' achievements in quelling the unrest in the capital and investigating the royal palace."

McCrotoff turned around to face Russell.

"But these merits cannot allow anyone to bypass the prophecy of the Dragonstone, nor can they become a stepping stone to the throne. From now on, Crusch and you, Russell, will no longer have the power to take over the palace during this special period."

Russell opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but the old man had already looked back at Subaru Natsuki.

"The third thing requires additional conditions."

"These people you brought can stay in Lugnica. The kingdom will no longer pursue them collectively, as long as they abide by the kingdom's laws from now on and do not harm the innocent. Past crimes that have not yet been investigated can be temporarily suspended."

"But you must restrain them. Whoever commits a crime again in the future will bear the consequences, and you will also be responsible for the orders you give."

Clarissa slowly lowered her bitten, bleeding finger. Her sons behind her exchanged bewildered glances.

Only then did they realize what had happened.

It seems that Dad is trying to secure an identity for them that allows them to live openly and honestly in the sunlight?

A sense of guilt filled the hearts of every loving son.

It was wrong of them to say that Subaru Natsuki was crazier than Capela!

Dad... is a million times gentler than Mom...

McCrotoff continued:

"As for Lord Subaru himself, the Kingdom Council will publicly acknowledge your merit in exposing the Bishop of Lust and assisting in eliminating internal threats to the Kingdom. Today's attack on the Royal Palace will no longer be pursued."

"From now on, you will remain in the kingdom as the hero who saved Lugnica."

A collective gasp immediately filled the hall.

Russell's face completely lost its color.

"Your Excellency, this..."

“Russell, I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

McCrotoff's tone finally turned cold.

Did Russell think he didn't know what he was doing?

The key point is that the things he just gave Subaru were things Subaru could have easily obtained through force.

McCrotoff knew Reinhard's power, but he also knew Reinhard's limitations.

They insisted that Subaru Natsuki lead Aiko to organize a raid, decimate the kingdom, and then admit defeat.

It would have been better to have sacrificed his own flesh to feed the eagle from the beginning, in order to seek peace...

As for whether Subaru Natsuki will become a major threat to the kingdom in the future...

Then we'll have to see what the next king is capable of...

"You and Crusch will also be investigated after you determine whether your actions in the capital, under the pretext of eliminating members of the organization, were actually a purge or the elimination of dissidents."

"From this day forward, you shall no longer use your six tongues to command any official of the kingdom."

Russell stared intently at Subaru Natsuki, his fingers clenched so tightly in his sleeves that they turned white.

What he wanted was to be publicly convicted and executed immediately, but what he got in the end was that the other party escaped unscathed with hundreds of his sons who had been exonerated, and also took away the power he had accumulated over the past few days.

Subaru Natsuki did not speak immediately.

This is already a pretty good result for him.

The hero's identity, the fate of eight hundred brothers, and Emilia's continued participation in the election.

The notorious thief Kurshu, who had taken over the palace, will be investigated, and even the most troublesome Li Ru has been temporarily stripped of his power.

But the only problem is...

He still failed to abduct McCrotov, and failed to offer Emilia the grand gift of joining his side.

Natsuki Subaru said somewhat unwillingly:

"Lord McCrotov, are you really not planning to move the capital to the border? The capital is dark, Chang'an is bright; moving the capital to the border would be abandoning darkness for light!"

Mycroft couldn't help but cough, and to avoid others seeing his lacerations, he quickly turned away, waving his hands forcefully to show his disapproval.

Natsuki Subaru could only sigh.

Still not working?

It seems we must prepare some other grand gift to suppress Grand Commander Roswaal.

"Fine."

Natsuki Subaru sheathed the Sanctuary Sword that Clarissa had retrieved.

He barely managed to maintain the composure expected of a victorious general.

"Since the Prime Minister is so understanding and righteous, we must not be ungrateful."

"Brothers."

All the children straightened their bodies at the same time.

"Pass on my order! Open the prison gates wide and let Crusch, Felix, and Marcus escape!"

"As ordered!"

Listen to your father!

The children rushed to the prison cell.

Before long, heavy footsteps came from the other end of the corridor.

Crusch walked at the very front.

Her clothes were covered in dust, she hadn't rested for days, and her face, which had just been through a lot, was noticeably pale, but her back was still ramrod straight.

Felix stayed close to her, and as soon as they stepped into the hall, he warily blocked half of her body.

Marcus, whose armor had been hacked to pieces by Subaru Natsuki, walked at the back, his gaze sweeping over Aiko and Rokumata in turn, until he saw Mecotov standing in the center, at which point he slightly loosened his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Your Excellency, Prime Minister."

Crusch stopped in front of Mycroft and bowed.

Before Crusch could ask any questions, McCrotoff briefly explained the situation: the royal election was reinstated, the powers granted during the emergency were terminated, and the kingdom temporarily suspended its pursuit of Subaru Natsuki and Aiko's organization's responsibility.

As he finished speaking, Russell Filo's jaw tightened even more.

For this purge, he and Liu Meitong worked tirelessly for days and nights, personally interrogating officials and screening lists, finally managing to grasp the situation in the capital.

But now...

It's over...

It's all over...

With this action taken, Crusch, who lacks power, will inevitably lose her leading position in the election immediately, and the reputational damage she suffered in the streets and alleys will immediately backfire.

The five candidates are back on equal footing.

No one can be immediately promoted to stabilize the Divine Dragon Contract and the internal affairs of the kingdom.

Furthermore, Lord McCrotoff's erratic behavior, sometimes mad and sometimes lucid, prevented him from consistently handling state affairs.

During that period, who had the final say in the country?

Russell glanced at Subaru Natsuki, who had rightfully taken control of the Aiko organization.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that almost half the country has fallen into this guy's hands!

If the Bishop of Gluttony hadn't defected, he would risk everything to make the Bishop of Gluttony devour Subaru Natsuki here.

Otherwise, the entire Kingdom of Lugnica would be in grave danger!

But now, he has no choice but to lie low...

Russell slowly clenched his fists.

On the surface, one must obey the prime minister's orders;

As for those things that can't be discussed openly...

Russell's gaze, which had been stealing glances at Subaru Natsuki, gradually moved downwards, finally settling on his waist, which was concealed by the cloak...

Would that Lustful Bishop Capella really be willing to let the organization he built up over decades become someone else's property?

Would you really be willing to become someone else's personal accessory?

Perhaps, she could become my ally in the fight against Subaru Natsuki!

Russell closed his eyes, temporarily suppressing the idea in his mind.

Crusch remained silent for a moment upon hearing the verdict.

Instead of showing any resentment, her shoulders, which had been tense for many days, relaxed very slightly when she heard Wang Xuan continue.

Her personality is inherently upright and honest; her guiding principle is to directly defeat others in the selection process.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have refused when Russell advised her to ascend the throne directly.

This result is good too.

Mycroft's clarity of mind brought an end to this turmoil for her.

It was certainly a pity to lose the power she had now, but Crusch could finally return to the path she believed in and compete fairly with the other four candidates!

She closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, her gaze was already fixed on Subaru Natsuki.

"Lord Subaru."

Natsuki Subaru turned his head to the side.