Chapter 52
“Anyway…! Do you think this situation even makes sense?”
“I have a question about that as well, Count Keyas.”
“Marquis Lucas.”
The man who had been silently observing the situation finally spoke.
He was the only marquis among those gathered and had played the most significant role in imprisoning the king.
“It is undeniable that your recognition from His Majesty the Emperor was an achievement.
However, as Count Minar pointed out, we require clarification regarding your imperial title and claim to the throne.”
Marquis Lucas pointed this out with logic rather than emotion, and Count Keyas responded calmly.
“I swear to Kiria, it was never my intention. When I first arrived in the Empire, the one who greeted me was not His Majesty the Emperor… but Duke Triell.”
“Duke Triell?”
“Yes. Not the cunning old viper—his daughter.”
“Ah, you mean Duke Roze Triell?”
“That’s right. Anyway, she approached me and asked a number of questions. But rather than genuine curiosity, it felt more like she was confirming what she already knew.”
“If even half of the rumors about the Empire’s intelligence agency are true, they must have known quite a lot about us.”
“Exactly. So I wasn’t particularly surprised. At some point, after verifying everything, she asked me why I had come. I told her that I sought recognition of the Chamber’s authority and affirmation of our rule. Naturally, I also stated that we would provide suitable compensation in return.”
“And then?”
“I requested an audience with His Majesty the Emperor, but she told me to wait. That was when I realized I was already surrounded by the Imperial Knights of the Radiant Sun.”
Despite knowing that the knights were positioned right behind him even now, Count Keyas spoke with remarkable composure.
“Did you not bring escort knights with you?”
“I did, but they were not allowed to enter the imperial palace with me.”
“The imperial palace? Are you saying that Duke Triell met you inside the palace?”
“Yes.”
“So… the one who killed the Triell Viper… No matter. I had assumed relations would be hostile.”
“The Imperial Knights of the Radiant Sun seemed to be aligned with her, so that was not the case.”
The truth was that the death of Derman Triell had been orchestrated jointly by the Emperor and Roze Triell. However, very few knew this fact.
Most assumed that the Emperor had personally executed him, which naturally led to the belief that relations between the Triell family and House Arhan were strained.
In reality, the Triell family had lost significant power.
But that, too, had been an agreed-upon outcome.
Rather than remaining the noble daughter of a faction-leading house, Roze Triell had chosen to become the head of a family that conveyed the Emperor’s will to the aristocracy.
If the viper had flaunted its fangs, the rose had simply concealed its thorns.
“This changes the calculations yet again. So, when did you finally meet His Majesty the Emperor?”
“While I was waiting, surrounded by the Imperial Knights, I was suddenly summoned by His Majesty. When I arrived, the Imperial Council was already in session.”
“Ah, yes. The Imperial Council. The timing must have overlapped.”
“It did. The moment I stepped into the council chamber, I saw all the gathered nobles staring at me. Of course, His Majesty the Emperor was also present. What happened next… you already know. He suddenly commended me, granted me an imperial title, and declared me the King of the Chamber .”
“You did not go there to claim the throne! You should have refused!”
Count Minar interjected sharply.
The other nobles seemed to silently agree.
They were Keyas’s allies, not his subordinates.
“I intended to. I truly did…”
Sensing their discontent, Count Keyas spoke with bitter frustration.
“But when His Majesty declared that he would grant me the throne, I… I couldn’t say anything.
Damn it, I don’t even know how to explain it. At that moment, I was completely speechless.”
The expressions of the other nobles turned grave.
They knew Keyas.
They knew why he had been chosen to represent them in the Empire.
If nothing else, they had believed that he would never surrender the Chamber to the Empire for personal gain. They had trusted that he would speak his mind, even before the Emperor.
That was why Count Minar trembled with betrayal.
And if even Count Keyas was saying this, then the possibility that it was true was high.
“Could it be… magic?”
Naturally, suspicion turned to other means.
Had the Emperor used some method to manipulate Count Keyas?
It was an astute hypothesis—one that was dangerously close to the truth.
No one present doubted Keyas’s integrity, which spoke volumes about his character.
“Tell me, does magic exist that can manipulate a person’s psyche so swiftly and selectively?”
Marquis Lucas turned to the only mage in the room.
Among the five nobles who had overthrown the king, the only mage among them was Viscount Iona.
“No. Psychological magic typically falls under the category of mind control, and such spells are exceedingly complex. They either completely turn a person into a puppet or fail entirely. The only way to manipulate someone selectively is through prolonged suggestion, which requires sustained exposure—it cannot be done in a short time.”
The power of Words, akin to divine authority, was beyond their comprehension.
The nobles in the chamber erupted into debate over what method could have been used.
Most speculated about some kind of dark sorcery, though they had to be careful with their words—since the Imperial Knights of the Radiant Sun were keeping a close watch on them.
At that moment, Viscount Iona discreetly sent a message to Marquis Lucas.
Marquis, if you wish, I can summon our forces immediately. No matter how strong those two knights are, they cannot handle all of our men.
A clear suggestion: Kill those knights here and now.
But to Marquis Lucas, this was an utterly foolish notion.
Yes, there were only two knights visible in the room. But who knew how many more were lurking within the Chamber?
And what if those two were the only ones?
Even if they managed to kill them, the Empire would immediately send reinforcements.
No—there wouldn’t even be a need for an army.
The commander of the Imperial Knights of the Radiant Sun could simply bring a handful of subordinates and wipe them out.
“Enough!”
Rather than answering Iona’s suggestion, Marquis Lucas slammed the table, drawing everyone’s attention.
“What is the point of debating this now? His Majesty has already granted Count Keyas a title and declared him king. We must follow that decree.”
“But…!”
“If you have another solution, speak now.”
No one did.
There was no alternative.
At that moment, Count Keyas finally voiced a thought he had held since his appointment as king.
“If this is how things are… then I shall become king. However, as I lack experience and ability—”
He had intended to propose the formation of a council, composed of the remaining four nobles, to advise him.
But before he could finish, one of the Imperial Knights interrupted.
“Your Majesty, your resolve is truly commendable. His Majesty the Emperor, aware of your concerns about experience and ability, has already prepared a solution for you.”
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