Reinhard, having been called upon, stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and performed the most solemn knightly salute.
If he were to truthfully state that Felt had once stolen the insignia, the accusation of "theft" would immediately become her fatal flaw.
"Felt-sama was discovered and placed under my protection approximately one month ago, in the lower district of the Royal Capital, commonly known as the slums."
Despite the situation, Reinhard's voice remained exceptionally calm and clear. "At that time, due to certain specific circumstances, she came into contact with the Dragon Jewel, which revealed her qualification as a Dragon Priestess. After confirming this, I brought her back to my residence to care for her."
'This explanation... the loopholes are far too obvious. It just depends on whether these old fossils are sharp enough to catch them.' Tsukasa thought.
"An orphan... from the slums?!"
Rickert acted as if he had seized upon a massive piece of leverage, his voice rising in excitement.
"Knight Reinhard van Astrea! Are you serious? In such a sacred ceremony to select the king who will shoulder the future of Lugunica, you actually brought an orphan from the slums!? What do you take the sacred throne to be!?"
Tsukasa sighed helplessly to himself. 'I overestimated them. To them, lineage and status are likely more important than anything else.'
On the platform, Reinhard, still maintaining his kneeling posture, had a calm and placid expression, showing no signs of any negative emotion from being reprimanded.
Seeing him unmoved, Rickert immediately turned his spear toward the head of the Council of Wise Men.
"Miklotov-sama! As I thought, we really should reconsider! Merely because she was chosen by the Dragon Jewel, she gains the qualification to ascend the throne? The crown should be inherited by someone worthy of it! How can you be so reckless..."
"Rickert-sama."
Miklotov spoke slowly, his voice carrying a hint of clear displeasure, "Are you not perhaps a bit too agitated?"
Just as Rickert was about to use his silver tongue to persuade the Council of Wise Men to change their minds, that familiar voice with its comical tone splashed over like a bucket of cold water.
"Stolen?"
Roswaal deliberately repeated the word Felt had let slip earlier with a tone of confusion.
Rickert turned his head abruptly, casting a hostile glare at Roswaal. "What a joke, Roswaal-sama."
He said indignantly, "Your attitude is truly incomprehensible. It is not just me, most people in the palace feel the same way."
"Until now, because these are extraordinary times, everyone has turned a blind eye to you and to the one you support."
"But now, the situation is different. The Astrea family, who intends to promote an orphan, and you... your foolish act of supporting a half-demon as the monarch, also..."
"Rickert-sama."
A cold, calm voice, as clear as cracking ice, interrupted his impassioned accusation.
Rickert's face, flushed with excitement, instantly turned pale.
Roswaal remained standing there, his posture barely changed, but the aura emanating from his voice made the surrounding temperature seem to drop several degrees.
"Calling a half-elf a 'half-demon' is a bad habit that should have been discarded long ago. Furthermore, Emilia-sama is, at this moment, still one of the royal candidates."
He tilted his head slightly, his heterochromatic eyes gazing quietly at Rickert. "Which side is it that is unreasonable and spouting nonsense... do you understand?"
Unlike his usual playful and irreverent tone, at this moment, there was only a chilling calm in Roswaal's voice.
Overwhelmed by this invisible aura, Rickert subconsciously averted his gaze and shook his head vigorously, as if trying to hide the embarrassment of being refuted.
He could only turn back to the platform, expressing his opinion again with exaggerated gestures.
"E-even so!"
His voice wavered, but he persisted, "I still do not believe my argument is wrong. Possessing the qualifications of a Dragon Priestess and being someone truly suited to be a monarch can by no means be simply equated."
"Miklotov-sama, please, you must reconsider. If we just select a royal candidate haphazardly, the future of the kingdom may not necessarily lead to prosperity..."
"Knight Reinhard van Astrea." Miklotov did not pay any more attention to Rickert's pleas and instead called the red-haired knight's name once more.
Rickert turned his head abruptly, glaring fiercely at Roswaal with eyes full of hatred and hostility.
Watching Rickert making such an ugly display, Tsukasa's lips curled slightly, finding it somewhat amusing.
At the same time, his assumption that Roswaal would take the opportunity to kick someone while they were down dissipated—that cold and firm statement just now was undoubtedly a public defense of Emilia.
Just then, the conversation between Miklotov and Reinhard on the platform caused an even greater shock among all those in the hall who were "uninformed".
"Destiny."
Reinhard answered a question with that word.
Hearing this answer, Miklotov was deeply moved, even closing his eyes.
This interaction, which seemed meaningless to outsiders, appeared to be understood only by the two parties involved in the conversation.
Noting the confused gazes around him, Miklotov rested his hand on his forehead, sighed as if somewhat disappointed, and then slowly scanned the entire hall.
"Has no one noticed yet? Even after seeing Felt-sama, have you still not realized it?"
His voice carried a tone of scrutiny. "If you cannot even discover this much, then everyone... perhaps you should question your own loyalty to the kingdom."
These remarks, which sounded like a test, made everyone hold their breath. Countless gazes immediately focused on Felt.
Surrounded by these unceremonious gazes, Felt made no effort to hide her expression of disgust.
"It's something you'd know just by looking..."
Rickert was still trying to nitpick, "She is still too young. Compared to ascending the throne, there is too much she needs to learn... Uh!"
He was listing Felt's "shortcomings," but midway through, it was as if he were suddenly choked by something. His expression froze instantly, and his eyes widened in astonishment.
"G-golden hair... and red eyes!?"
This sentence was like a thunderclap, causing the other Civil Officials to shudder, their faces revealing looks of disbelief.
The shock spread rapidly like ripples among those in the know.
The only ones who felt nothing regarding this were Subaru, who lacked common knowledge of this world, and Tsukasa, who was equally clueless.
Tsukasa glanced to the side and noticed that Felix and Al both wore expressions of realization. Al still had that inscrutable look, but he did not seem particularly surprised.