"Honorable council, I am Emilia. I have no family name."
Unlike the other candidates, she had no knights by her side—only Rozval, dressed somewhat inappropriately.
"The person beside you is not a knight, but the kingdom's chief mage."
"Yes~," Rozval said. "I, Rozval L. Mezas, am Lady Emilia's sponsor."
The council knew little of him. Though his attire was questionable, as chief mage and border count, he commanded respect.
"Rozval, please introduce Lady Emilia to us."
"My honor~." Rozval smiled at Emilia: "From her silver hair, fair skin, dazzling violet-blue eyes, and bell-like voice, you can see her elven heritage."
No explanation was needed; the council already knew. One elder muttered through gritted teeth: "A half-demon!"
"Calling a half-elf a half-demon is old prejudice."
"Am I the only one who remembers the Jealous Witch, who once devoured half the world, bringing despair to all? If she ascends the throne, all of Lugnica will believe we have lost our minds!"
The council's words were harsh. Lillian could see Emilia's side profile—her lips tight, expression cold—but she remained firm.
"I wish to create a kingdom where all people are treated equally. Nothing more."
"How would you accomplish that?"
A clear voice suddenly rang out, drawing everyone's attention. All eyes turned in surprise toward the one who had spoken—Lillian. No one understood why he had chosen to speak at such a moment. Even Emilia herself was startled to see that it was Lillian; her initial surprise quickly shifted into guarded hostility.
*He probably thinks I'm deliberately making things difficult for him… Well, in a sense, I suppose I am.*
Lillian stepped forward and asked,
"May I ask whether Lady Emilia has any concrete plans to support her ideals? Or are they merely ideals—only a worldview, without any practical method of implementation?"
"Hey… Lillian?" Subaru, standing behind him, looked confused. He had assumed Lillian would be on his side—so why was he challenging Emilia?
The abrupt question surprised Emilia, yet she did not feel anger. Unlike the others, Lillian had not attacked her based on her appearance. Instead, he had raised a grounded and practical question.
"How unexpected—to find someone so incapable of reading the situation," Roswaal said coldly, a chill flashing in his eyes as he stood beside Emilia. "This is not the time for the likes of you to speak. Apologize and withdraw."
Lillian's question was indeed inappropriate for the occasion. He was neither a knight nor an official; his presence in the hall was due solely to Priscilla. Strictly speaking, he had no right to speak at all.
"This is my question to Lady Emilia as a member of the populace," Lillian replied, meeting Roswaal's gaze, determined not to let events unfold as he wished. "In the future, Lady Emilia will surely face countless such questions. Must she respond each time with the rebukes of a border count or with silence of her own?"
"—Do you have no regard for your life?" The air around Roswaal twisted as vast amounts of mana surged. "Defeating a few magical beasts does not give you the right to behave so arrogantly here."
Snap!
A folding fan closed with a sharp sound. Priscilla stepped forward, arms crossed, her gaze icy.
"What do you think you're doing to someone I brought here, you mere clown?"
"Hey, Princess… this isn't really your place to intervene…" Al muttered awkwardly, scratching his helmet.
"Stop, Roswaal," Emilia said at once, coming to her senses and halting him. Then she turned to Lillian.
"I can answer your question. I know that compared to the other candidates, I have many shortcomings and am still immature. But I do have some fundamental ideas regarding the ideals I wish to uphold."
She had clearly thought about this carefully, for her explanation flowed without hesitation.
"To achieve equality, we must first eliminate discrimination among our citizens. Children of demi-humans and humans should receive equal education together, rejecting racial segregation. Appropriate laws must be enacted to punish those who discriminate against others. Workplace discrimination should also be reduced, and representatives of other races should be included in governance. Furthermore—"
She continued at length, listing numerous policies. It was obvious she had prepared in advance. Though those present had initially resented Lillian's impudence, they soon forgot their annoyance as they listened to Emilia's detailed explanation. Only after she paused briefly five minutes later did one of the sages interrupt.
"That is enough, Lady Emilia. This is not your lecture hall."
"My apologies."
Emilia stopped speaking. Her ideals had already been conveyed in full, and the tension that had filled the hall earlier had completely dissipated. Further hostility became difficult to justify.
From her speech, it was clear she was taking the matter seriously—indeed, more so than most candidates. At the very least, her sense of purpose surpassed that of Priscilla and Felt. However, her vision was even harder to accept than Crusch's.
After all, everyone present was human; not a single member of another race stood among them. Emilia's vision of racial equality effectively required all those with vested interests to relinquish part of their advantages.
Emilia… this is not your home ground.
"Then… are you satisfied with my answer?"
Emilia asked Lillian with a resolute expression, as though responding to a teacher's question.
"…Yes. Very good," Lillian said, glancing at Subaru. He looked delighted, clearly pleased with Emilia's performance. This was her moment to shine—any chance for an emotional outburst had already passed.
"Return to your place," Priscilla said with a slight frown, clearly dissatisfied. Lillian's actions, in her eyes, had reflected poorly on her. If he had managed to corner Emilia, that would have been one thing—but Emilia had answered flawlessly.
Lillian smiled at her, grateful that she had stepped forward to defend him earlier, and quietly returned to his position.
He could feel Roswaal's hostility, but that was unavoidable. If neither Priscilla nor Emilia had intervened, Lillian was certain Reinhard would never have allowed Roswaal to attack him. With that assurance, he had dared to step forward.
By doing so, Emilia had demonstrated her diligence. Even if she still failed to gain support, at the very least she would no longer be openly attacked. The reason was simple—Lillian's challenge had elevated the level of discourse. To descend again to petty insults would only degrade the accuser.
It was like questioning a scientist with professional inquiries: once he had provided a solid answer, no reasonable person would revert to mocking his appearance or reputation. Such behavior would only make them seem ridiculous. The members of the Council were distinguished figures; they would not persist in such disgraceful conduct. Thus, after Lillian's disruption, they could only endure in silence.
The only one who had suffered embarrassment and gained hostility was Lillian himself. Many thought his actions baffling, even believing he harbored the greatest hostility toward Emilia—attempting to defeat her on ideological grounds rather than through superficial attacks. Yet Emilia had been prepared, and the one left looking foolish appeared to be the questioner.
Lillian did not care. He neither needed their goodwill nor their opinions—only sufficient strength. After all, when a man grows up, his closest companions are often nothing more than his blade and his sword.
Still… Emilia's speech had its shortcomings. Though it contained many concrete measures, it lacked stirring slogans. Even in slums or among other races, such reasoning alone would struggle to inspire passion. Logic persuades individuals; emotion moves crowds.
Lillian reflected silently. Emilia's vision was admirable, yet extremely difficult to implement. But if one refuses to act simply because something is difficult, failure is the only possible outcome.
Perhaps someday I should adapt Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech for her, Lillian mused. He had memorized it in full during high school English class and still remembered it well.
He suddenly let out a quiet laugh, unsure why he was even considering helping Emilia.
At that moment, Emilia tilted her head slightly and noticed Lillian smiling thoughtfully. Strangely, though she had just been challenged by him, the hostility she felt toward Lillian had lessened.
---
"All five candidates are present. The royal selection may officially begin."
"I agree."
"Approved."
The meeting reached its conclusion, and the various disturbances came to an end.
"The process shall last three years… I hereby declare the Royal Selection officially commenced!"