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The minister's face was beet red, and he finally managed to stammer out, "Your Majesty, as the King of a nation, how can you commit such an unjust act! Wouldn't this bring ridicule upon you from all nations?"
He then descended into various nonsensical pleas about integrity and loyalty. The atmosphere in the hall was filled with awkward silence.
Auguro glanced dismissively at the group.
Loyalty or not?
Ultimately, they were worried about their own power diminishing. With a child on the throne, they could do as they pleased. But if they accepted Auguro's rule, whether they could even keep their current positions was questionable. It just went to show that, no matter the world, these officials were often self-serving.
"Don't worry! I'm not going to steal your country," Auguro said contemptuously, looking at them.
At this, the eyes of the dissenting ministers immediately lit up. The ministers who had sided with Kalifa, however, looked utterly crestfallen. They felt they had been abandoned!
However, Auguro's next words made everyone's hearts sink.
"Still, your suggestion to let the children inherit the throne is definitely inappropriate! After all, they don't even bear the Furant surname!"
The crowd exchanged glances, then cautiously asked, "Then what is Your Majesty's intention?"
Auguro waved his hand.
"By custom, when a Kingdom loses its Royal Family, the successor is chosen from among the other noble families."
"I see that the Furant Kingdom has quite a few adult high-ranking nobles! What's so difficult about choosing a suitable King!"
Hearing this, many faces in the room showed a mixture of emotions. They were nobles, which meant they had a right to contend for the throne! If they could make their family the new Royal Family, wouldn't that be far better than being a mere minister?
At this point, Auguro looked toward Kalifa.
"Kalifa, which nobles in the Furant Kingdom would be suitable candidates for the throne?"
Kalifa adjusted her glasses and stepped forward respectfully.
"Reporting to the Lord Soul King, the most reputable candidate, to my knowledge, is Count Roland Osman! Furthermore, the common people under his rule live in peace and prosperity!"
"What? I object!"
Several ministers jumped up as if bitten by a snake upon hearing the name.
Auguro raised an eyebrow.
"Why? Is there something wrong with this person?"
"Well..."
Under Auguro's oppressive gaze, the men didn't dare speak nonsense and could only stammer, "He's not suitable!"
"Heh!" Auguro sneered.
"Whether he's suitable or not is not up to you to decide!"
"I only have one question for you: Does Count Osman have the legal right to inherit the Kingdom according to your laws?"
The ministers who had sided with Kalifa were quick to respond, immediately saying, "Of course! The Roland Family is one of the oldest noble families in the Furant Kingdom!"
Auguro smiled and clapped his hands.
"That's good then! I think this Count Osman would make an excellent King! Who is in favor? Who opposes?"
Only then did the crowd fully understand. Auguro's true motive!
He wasn't stealing the sovereignty of the Furant Kingdom, but installing a puppet King! With this puppet in place, did it matter whether the Furant Kingdom was officially annexed by the Holy Spirit Empire?
"Lord Soul King!" one minister couldn't help but say, "This is an internal affair of the Furant Kingdom! Please do not interfere!"
Auguro rolled his eyes.
"When did I interfere? I'm simply following your laws and customs to help you find a successor! Are you suggesting that you intend to elect a King without following the law?"
That single sentence left the ministers utterly speechless!
Disregard the law? They wanted to! But could they actually say that out loud?
"Kalifa!" Auguro ignored the ministers' expressions and turned directly to Kalifa.
"Go contact Count Osman! The Furant Kingdom is currently facing a life-or-death crisis."
"A man like him should step forward to lead everyone out of the shadows! I believe many people will be willing to support him!"
Many people's faces turned pale as death upon hearing this. Although Auguro didn't say it explicitly, his words clearly meant: Go ahead and contend for the throne; I am supporting you from behind!
What's the point of fighting anymore?
Of everyone present, who could even stand up to the Holy Spirit Empire? They wouldn't even know how they died!
As for protesting? Heh!
What evidence did they have that Auguro was interfering in the Furant Kingdom's internal politics?
He had merely spoken a fair word! The Furant Kingdom couldn't forbid people from speaking their minds, could it?
Before long, Count Osman was escorted by Kalifa's agents. He was a very young man, only in his early twenties. Looking at the crowd, Osman unconsciously showed a hint of timidity.
Although the Roland Family held the hereditary title of Count, they had actually been marginalized from the core circle of power in the capital for decades, becoming relatively minor figures.
It wasn't until recently that a group of people approached him, expressing great admiration for the Roland Family's governance policies. They stayed to help him govern his domain and even offered many valuable suggestions for improvement. This gave him the feeling of having found kindred spirits.
He never expected that today, this same group would ask him to ascend to the throne! This stroke of unbelievable luck completely bewildered him. He felt like he was dreaming right up until he entered the Royal Palace.
"Osman, are you willing to inherit the throne and become the new King of the Furant Kingdom?" Auguro asked with a smile.
"Well..." Osman was still confused and didn't know how to answer immediately.
The dissenting ministers saw this and instantly regained confidence, speaking up immediately.
"Count Osman is too young! He cannot bear such a heavy burden! I propose that Duke Bellica should inherit the throne!"
Duke Bellica was the representative of the powerful landlord class. He believed that commoners were the property of the nobles, and all the wealth produced by commoners should belong to the nobles! Simply put, he was a man who viewed commoners as slaves.
The minister's suggestion immediately garnered the support of many others. Which of these powerful figures didn't want more wealth and power? For someone like Osman to divide land among his subjects and only collect meager taxes and rent was considered utterly idiotic!
Watching the eager crowd, Auguro looked regretfully at Osman.
"That's a pity! I originally thought that once you inherited the throne, you could bring a much wealthier life to all the citizens of the Furant Kingdom! Now, it seems someone else will have to be responsible!"
At this, Osman's passion was instantly ignited. If Duke Bellica took the throne, what future would the people of the Kingdom have?