While Shane and the others were engaged in a fierce battle, Olicia was fighting her own battle as well.
In fact, hers might have been even more chaotic.
“Does it make any sense that you colluded with black mages?!”
“Nonsense! Collusion? What kind of nonsense is that! Are you saying the citizens of the Empire should just die at the hands of terrorists?!”
“Even so, the fact remains that you joined hands with those filthy individuals!”
“Say that in front of the victims! How can someone like you call themselves a noble and spout such nonsense?!”
“What?! How dare you a mere viscount…!”
“You filthy wretch! Don’t you dare insult Her Highness with that vile mouth of yours!”
“It wasn’t an insult! I merely stated the truth as it is!”
Shouting erupted from all sides, and whenever a topic unfavorable to either party arose, the argument devolved into a contest of who could shout the loudest.
Six hours had passed since the hearing began, and still, it was in this miserable state.
The host then declared a break for the fourth time with a tired expression on his face.
Nearly half of the gathered nobles stood up and gathered on one side, while about a quarter of them approached Olicia.
“Haah, things have become quite heated. I don’t even know what to say, Your Highness.”
The viscount, whose voice was hoarse from arguing with the opposing nobles, spoke with a tired expression but Olicia shook her head.
“No, Sir Oliver, you’ve been doing your best.”
“…It would have been nice if Sir Osten were here at a time like this.”
“There’s nothing we can do. He’s fighting his own battle right now.”
Osten had left only a minimal force behind, sending the majority of his troops to the abandoned mine where Shane had gone.
Because of that, they were now dealing with the ongoing terrorist attacks with the few soldiers they had left.
In the six hours that had passed, there had been a total of seven attacks.
They were able to completely prevent two of them, but for the others, there was neither enough time nor enough troops, so it was only normal for deaths to happen.
The media was already buzzing with the situation, and nobles allied with the Crown Prince were using it as an opportunity to attack Olicia.
They accused her of tarnishing the Empire’s dignity by hiring a black mage, yet failing to achieve any significant results.
“Damn bastards. Even though they just sit back and do nothing themselves…!”
Sir Oliver cursed under his breath and glared at the Crown Prince’s nobles, who were watching them like hawks, waiting for a chance to strike.
The expressions of the nobles who sided with Olicia were no better.
Not long ago, there had been many more nobles supporting Olicia, but as soon as the news spread that she had joined hands with a black mage to resolve the terrorist crisis, a significant number of them turned their backs on her.
Before even entering the hearing, they made excuses like feeling unwell or attending someone’s funeral and slipped away.
They’re like snakes.
Then, if there were no issues in the hearing, they’d return as if nothing had happened.
Most of the nobles who stayed were from the younger generation.
These young nobles, unlike the old and cunning ones, had come with the purpose of upholding noblesse oblige.
They couldn’t stand by and watch the citizens of the Empire lose their lives to terror attacks, so they participated actively.
Indeed, at this rate, things are looking unfavorable.
However, many of the young nobles, unlike their older counterparts, were often driven by passion alone and were easily shaken or provoked when rival nobles rudely interrupted them.
A few had already been expelled from the hearing after heated shouting matches that were even more intense than earlier.
At least Viscount Oliver who came from a well-known political family wasn’t swayed so easily, but…
We’re severely lacking in people.
On the other side, during every break, they brought in outside information and discussed how best to attack or counter Olicia, while on this side, that wasn’t happening so easily.
Due to their lack of experience, they couldn’t predict how the opposition would launch their attacks.
Indeed, Osten’s absence is painfully obvious.
Osten was younger than Viscount Oliver, but he had always shown overwhelming talent in this area.
Even the proud young nobles acknowledged Osten’s political skills.
Oliver who stood in front of her was also someone influenced by Osten, and he wanted to seize this opportunity to help in any way he could, but the reality was much harsher than his intentions.
“Still, all hope is not lost. Your Highness, we will buy you time. Please, do not give up.”
“Of course.”
The main goal of the Crown Prince’s nobles was to diminish Olicia’s influence.
Their objective was to prevent her from turning the situation around.
If they succeeded, they could sway the old, cunning nobles who hadn’t responded to Olicia’s call, as well as the neutral nobles, to their side.
If their plan worked, Olicia’s position within the imperial family would weaken once again, and her actions would be severely hindered.
“Have they responded yet?”
Of course, Olicia didn’t remain idle.
Through Oliver, she had rushed the plans she had already prepared, and now they were merely buying time for that.
For this one reason, they endured the hearing for a grueling six hours.
“Not yet…”
[Attention, all attendees, please return to your seats.]
At that moment, the voice of the host echoed once again.
The short ten-minute break had come to an end.
When Olicia and the nobles under her command stood with renewed determination, someone urgently burst through the doors of the hearing room.
“They’ve arrived!”
The one smiling brightly at this was none other than Oliver.
The person they had previously sent had finally arrived.
After hearing the whispered news from his subordinate, Oliver patted the man on the shoulder in approval and then approached Olicia.
“How did it go?”
“Fortunately, the matter has been handled well. They’re bringing them here now.”
“Did they also bring the item?”
“Yes, they did.”
“Haah…”
At those words, Olicia let out a sigh of relief and nodded her head.
“Then it’s our turn to strike.”
The moment for their counterattack had come.
***
“Wh-What?!”
When the hearing resumed, Oliver quietly approached the host and whispered something to him. The host looked startled. He then gave Oliver a quick glance before turning his gaze to Olicia.
His expression clearly showed disbelief, as if he was saying, “Is this person crazy?”
After regaining his composure, he asked Oliver again.
“Are you really saying that ‘they’ are coming?”
“Yes. I’m calling them as a witness.”
“Hmm… Ah, I see. But we might need a bit of time. Can you wait for a moment?”
“Yes, of course.”
The host finished speaking and once again made an announcement to the entire hearing room.
[Attention. Princess Olicia’s side has requested a witness. We will now take a short break for deliberation on this matter, so please take this time to rest.]
At this, the nobles on Samuel’s side frowned.
They didn’t know what was happening, but the nobles on Olicia’s side also looked puzzled.
Only Olicia and Oliver’s faces showed any calmness, which caused a wave of unease to spread among Samuel’s nobles.
“Wait. I object. This hearing was called solely to address Princess Olicia’s alleged collusion with a black mage, so I find it questionable whether there’s even a need for a witness. Hasn’t the princess already admitted to her involvement with the black mage?”
“Oh, that fool is once again spouting nonsense about collusion!”
“F-Fool?!”
The noble who had raised the objection grimaced like a demon at Oliver’s harsh words, but before they could continue, the host’s voice intervened to stop their argument.
[Both of you are using inappropriate language. If this continues, you will be removed from the hearing. Furthermore, since the witness requested by the princess is deemed highly relevant to this case, the objection is overruled.]
“Ugh…!”
The noble who had raised the objection scowled but nodded his head in reluctant agreement, then turned to consult with the other nobles standing behind him.
“What kind of witness could they possibly bring?”
“Well, they’re clearly no ordinary person. Did you see the host’s face? It was filled with shock for a moment.”
“Does anyone have any ideas?”
As that question lingered in the air, a noble raised his hand and offered his opinion.
“Could it be that they intend to call His Majesty as a witness?”
“His Majesty?”
The other nobles stared at him as if to ask what on earth he was talking about.
He cleared his throat at the sudden attention and continued.
“Well, isn’t it possible? We’ve all heard the rumors that before the First Princess took action, she had an audience with His Majesty.”
“Hmm, that’s true.”
“Immediately after, the First Princess made her move. What does that mean? Couldn’t it be interpreted that she already received His Majesty’s approval?”
“…It’s hard to deny.”
It was well known that the Emperor’s health had been poor lately, so it wasn’t unreasonable for her to have visited him under the pretext of checking on him. But the timing seemed far too convenient for it to be a mere coincidence.
“What will you do if His Majesty really does come as a witness?”
“…….”
The nobles all fell silent.
Of course, they had considered a situation like this.
Just as the noble had said, they too knew that Olicia had met with the Emperor before making her move. But they had only assumed that she had sought his approval as a form of protection, to shield herself when they went on the offensive.
If it was only that, they were confident they could still strike back.
In any case, it had been quite some time since the Emperor had last appeared before the nobles, and with that, his power had diminished.
However, if the Emperor were to personally step in, the situation would change.
No matter how much his power had waned, the Emperor was still the Emperor.
There had been more than a few who met their political demise after daring to challenge him when he was in his prime.
Surely, that temperament hadn’t entirely disappeared with time.
Just then, a noble shook his head.
“No, that can’t be it. His Majesty is too weak to even move properly now. He can barely handle his duties, let alone attend this hearing.”
“Well, that’s true, but still…”
If not the Emperor, then who in the world could be coming as a witness?
As that question crossed their minds, the host entered once more and he was drenched in cold sweat.
[A-Ahem. Thank you all for your patience. The hearing will now resume. But before we continue, the witness requested by Princess Olicia is about to enter, so I ask that you all show proper respect.]
Who in the world could it be for the host to be so cautious?
“Could it really be His Majesty…?”
“No, wait…”
“Th-That person!!”
Afterward, the faces of those who saw the figure entering were filled with shock.
This was true for both Samuel’s faction and Olicia’s faction alike.
Because the person who had entered was none other than—
“Hoo, it’s been a while, but it still feels so familiar. This filthy air.”
One of the members of the underground Four families, and without a doubt, a man who carried the bloodline of the imperial family.
Goldmine Eldorath.
Zephyr D. Quiet Elain had stepped into the hearing hall alongside his subordinate Elliot.
It was a grand return after more than forty years.
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