"Who are you? Get out! This is a royal council meeting. What makes you think someone of unknown origin like you has the right to be here?"
Dean Andrew turned toward Hel in anger, his tone utterly unrestrained.
Although he did not recognize Hel, anyone who appeared here at such a critical moment clearly had not come just to observe.
So Andrew intended to rely on his power and authority to scare this variable away.
If intimidation failed, once her identity was exposed he could also use that as an excuse to pressure Elder Simona into having her expelled.
However, since Hel had dared to come here, she had naturally prepared long in advance.
She casually took a brooch out of her pocket and held it up.
Hel said calmly,
"Unfortunately for you, I am here as the newly appointed Marquis of the Principality of Frick, representing the will of the late Grand Duke Frick to attend this royal election council."
Then Hel turned toward the two stewards standing behind the Fourth Princess and spoke evenly,
"At the same time, I have received authorization from Duke Walsh to participate fully in this meeting on his behalf.
So thank you for your service, gentlemen. Here are the letters of authorization from both grand dukes, along with the messages they asked me to deliver to you."
"…This…"
The two stewards exchanged glances.
As representatives of the ruling duchies stationed in Savant, they were fairly familiar with one another.
Yet neither had ever heard that their respective dukes knew the young woman before them.
But once they examined the handwriting on the letters and the crest shimmering with magical energy, their doubts vanished.
Still, before leaving, the steward of the Frick family asked curiously:
"Lady Marquis Lyco, may I ask what method you used to persuade our young master?"
The Duke of Frick had committed suicide.
Naturally, his only son had inherited the title.
However, traveling from Savant City to the Frick domain took time, and since the duke had died only a few days earlier, the steward guessed that after receiving the news of his father's death, the young lord must have entrusted the matter of the royal election to the girl before him.
Hel did not hide anything.
She replied directly:
"Nothing special. Your duke simply owed me some money.
To repay the debt, the new duke transferred most of the land of Frick's domain to me as compensation.
And now the Frick territory answers to me.
So, Mr. Steward—do you still have any questions?"
Hel narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled.
Yet the sight made the gray-haired steward break out in cold sweat.
He looked at Hel with visible alarm, but ultimately said nothing.
After apologizing, he hurriedly left.
The steward from Duke Walsh's household glanced at Hel's smiling face and involuntarily shivered as well before quickly following the other man out.
Although Hel's words intimidated some of those present, more people felt displeased by her actions.
Among them, a noble standing behind the Fourth Princess—his long golden hair making him resemble a bard more than a nobleman—finally lost his patience and stepped forward.
"Marquis Lyco, as honest and honorable people of the Ymir Empire, do you really think using such underhanded methods to stain the sacred royal election of Savant is appropriate?
You should know that in the three thousand years of Savant's history, we have never seen conduct so absurd."
"This gentleman…"
Hel smiled at him.
She was not surprised that someone had stepped forward—if anything, she had expected resistance.
After all, during the past few days she had not merely traveled to Savant's frontier to obtain authorization from the two dukes.
She had made extensive preparations for this royal election.
Seeing that Hel remained polite, the golden-haired marquis lifted his chin proudly and introduced himself:
"I am the eldest son of Marquis Reynolds, here today to represent my father in the royal election."
"I see."
Hel nodded and gestured calmly for him to wait.
"Please hold on a moment. Next, when I call your names, the gentlemen concerned should step forward."
She then took a folded sheet of paper from her pocket.
Unfolding it, she began reading the names written on it.
"Representatives—or the marquises themselves—from the houses of Griffith, Lancaster, Maxwell, and Warfield, please step forward."
Upon hearing this, four people standing behind the Fourth Princess immediately showed puzzled expressions.
They had no idea what the girl was planning.
But as supporters of the Fourth Princess, they were hardly going to step out simply because Hel told them to.
However, Hel's next sentence left them deeply embarrassed.
"Unfortunately for you, your creditor has transferred your debts to me.
Now I would like you to step forward honestly.
Otherwise, I would not mind filing a lawsuit in the Supreme Court accusing you of refusing to repay your debts."
"…This…"
The marquises named by Hel suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable.
Originally, they had no interest in the gelatin market, since they did not possess much gold.
But a traveling merchant from another region had tried to curry favor with them by offering low-interest loans.
Normally, this was just one of the standard ways merchants bribed nobles.
Even if someone had genuinely lent them money hoping to collect interest, the marquises had no intention of repaying it.
With the influence of those small merchants in Savant, even if they went to court, the court would never rule in their favor.
On the contrary, the merchants might end up accused of illegal usury.
However, things had changed.
The person holding those debt notes had the power to force Duke Frick himself into a corner—so much so that he chose suicide rather than default.
And after Hel personally visited, the duke's son had handed over the family domain, which had been managed for thousands of years.
What kind of power could force a ducal family to submit like that?
The nobles present might indulge in every vice imaginable—drinking, gambling, and debauchery—but that did not mean they were as stupid as curly-haired baboons.
If they were truly that foolish, they would never have survived the brutal competition for noble titles.
So after hesitating for a moment, the four marquises one by one stepped out from behind the Fourth Princess.
However, they did not move to stand behind Hiness.
Instead, they silently stood to the side.
Clearly, withdrawing their support from the Fourth Princess was already their limit.
If Hel pushed them further, it might backfire.
So she turned her gaze toward the Dean of the Alchemy Academy, who was slumped beside Dean Andrew.
Smiling, she said:
"Dean Hoffman, I regret to inform you that, due to your collusion with outsiders in the attack on the academy's vice dean, the entire faculty has unanimously voted.
You have been expelled."