Just as Emilia was finishing her explanation, a sudden, localized burst of spatial distortion signaled the arrival of the new Dungeon Climber party.
Yuffie Kisaragi, Kitty Pryde, Kurt Wagner, and the newly registered mutants (who had wisely decided to stick close to the chaotic ninja) materialized in the plaza.
Yuffie instantly spotted Arthur, waving wildly.
"Arthur! We're here!"
She darted over, immediately stopping short as she took in the crowd: Arthur, the beautiful silver-haired Half-Elf, the maid with eyes of a demon, and the new faces of Sona, Kuroka, and Asia.
"Woah, you've been busy, haven't you?"
Yuffie muttered, then nudged Kitty forward.
Kitty Pryde, still reeling from the sudden translation to a fantasy city, managed a polite curtsy to Emilia. Kurt bowed with a flourish.
Arthur quickly introduced the groups, explaining that Emilia was the next Queen candidate and the current First Floor Administrator.
Arthur pulled Yuffie aside, his expression serious.
"I have a mission for you, Yuffie, but it's not for the Dungeon. I need you to help Emilia deal with the greed from our world."
He rapidly explained the situation: the massive, hostile corporate interference in the Royal Selection by guilds like the Iron Syndicate and the Mithril Legion.
"JARVIS has cut their funding, but the local operations are still intact. Emilia has a plan, but she needs a tactical, untraceable operative,"
Arthur stated.
"Your mission is to use your stealth, your Materia, and your ninja skills to help Emilia dismantle the physical infrastructure of these corrupt operations. Steal their corrupted ledgers, disable their communication hubs, and sow chaos among their local agents. Cut the head off the snake they've already built."
Yuffie's eyes gleamed with delight.
"Corporate espionage? Chaos? Sabotaging greedy old men? That is way more fun than grinding for loot! Count me in, Arthur!"
Arthur nodded, then looked at Kitty and Kurt.
"You two are with her. This will be your real first test outside of the mansion. Listen to Yuffie, and do not get caught."
With the sabotage team assembled, Arthur turned to Emilia.
"Yuffie and the others will handle the covert cleanup,"
Arthur confirmed.
"But the political risk is still too high. If the other candidates feel they can't win, they might resort to outright violence or an impossible diplomatic blockade that will cripple this world."
He looked at the distant capital, his gaze piercing the political fog.
"I will go and talk with the other candidates myself. I will lay out the new reality: their Earth-based funding is gone, and they are now back to competing on local merit. I will offer them a fair chance and guarantee Emilia will not seek punitive measures against them if they cooperate."
Arthur knew he needed to negotiate from a position of overwhelming power.
"I will negotiate with them,"
He concluded, his voice dropping to a serious tone that brokered no argument.
"And if it fails—if they refuse to acknowledge Emilia's legitimacy and the necessity of a stable government—then I don't have a choice."
He looked at Emilia, his eyes carrying the cosmic weight of the True Dragon.
His final option was simple: to use his Reality Blending and his overwhelming authority to simply force the Royal Selection to conclude in Emilia's favor, bypassing all political obstruction.
He would install her as Queen and then spend a month stabilizing the government under his protection.
It was a tyrannical act, but an act of protection for the woman he loved and the stability of the entire First Floor.
…
Arthur made swift preparations. He entrusted Emilia, Rem, Sona, and Asia to the protection of Kuroka and the sabotage team (Yuffie, Kitty, and Kurt), then used his superior control over space to teleport directly into the Royal Palace of Lugnica.
He materialized in the highest room of the Royal Palace, a move that bypassed all guards and immediately announced his unparalleled authority.
The main meeting room was sparsely populated by candidates and their key aides, who were still reeling from the sudden, inexplicable financial implosion of their Earth-based sponsors.
Crusch Karsten, the most formidable noble, stood resolute but tense.
Anastasia Hoshin, the shrewd merchant, was furiously attempting to reach her now silent Earth contacts.
Felt, the thief-turned-candidate, looked bewildered, while the final candidate, Priscilla Barielle, sat with an air of utterly disinterested arrogance, though even she sensed the new gravity in the room.
Arthur stood at the head of the table, his presence filling the room with the quiet, oppressive weight of his True Dragonic Aura.
He didn't shout or threaten; he simply presented the new reality.
"Your external funding is gone,"
Arthur stated, his voice carrying an implicit, devastating finality.
"The Earth corporations that were buying your loyalty have been permanently decommissioned. You are back to competing on local merit, as the people of this world deserve."
He then looked at each candidate, his gaze demanding their full attention.
"Here are my terms, and they are non-negotiable. Emilia will win the Royal Selection. Her victory ensures the stability of this nation, the continued prosperity of this world, and a future free from colonial exploitation by my own dimension."
Crusch Karsten, showing her expected backbone, spoke up first, her hand instinctively moving toward her sword.
"You propose tyranny, dragon? You impose your will on the laws of this kingdom?"
"I impose stability,"
Arthur corrected, a slight, chilling smirk touching his lips.
"But I am not unreasonable. I can give each of you what you truly desire, ensuring your continued influence without the instability of war or continued political squabbling."
Arthur leaned forward, using his True Authority of Greed to subtly connect with the deepest ambitions of each noble.
To Crusch Karsten (The Strategist):
"You desire the absolute security and honor of this Kingdom. If you pledge to support Queen Emilia, I will use my technological and magical resources to permanently eradicate the White Whale and ensure your family retains primary command over all military defense and security measures, backed by unparalleled resources."
To Anastasia Hoshin (The Merchant):
"You desire absolute wealth and control over trade. Cooperate, and I will personally ensure your company, the Hoshin Trading Company, receives exclusive, perpetual trade rights with the most profitable regions of the Second and Third Floors—a financial opportunity that will eclipse your wildest current dreams."
To Felt (The Idealist):
"You desire protection for the common people and the end of the noble system's corruption. Support Emilia, and I will use my authority as Dragon God to guarantee a total overhaul of the law code, enforcing equality and justice that even your noble blood cannot touch."
The candidates were stunned. Arthur wasn't offering scraps; he was offering to fulfill the entire purpose of their campaigns with a single, untouchable declaration, secured by the power of a cosmic being.
They couldn't refuse what he wanted because he offered to deliver what they needed—and more.
"You have twenty seconds to agree,"
Arthur concluded, his voice dropping to the level of a cosmic countdown.
"If you refuse, I will conclude the Royal Selection in an hour, and none of your deepest desires will be realized. You will be removed from power entirely."
He gave them a final, cold reminder of the power he possessed:
"You have seen what I did to your Earth sponsors. I assure you, my power over local politics is far more complete."
The choice was clear: cooperate and gain everything, or resist and lose their entire purpose.
....ADVANCED CHAPTERS...
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