Regen immediately knelt on one knee and paid Sasha a respectful greeting. When he lifted his head, light blue eyes filled with embarrassment from the unexpected situation came into view.
Regen spoke. “If I were to compare Your Highness to something with wings, it would be the silver hawk. Strong, noble, and beautiful.”
“…”
“If that insolent person were to meet Your Highness again, they would kneel just like I am now and apologize, claiming they were blinded back then.”
“…Stand up. If others see this, they’ll think I’m punishing you.”
As expected, murmurs spread through the crowd. They said Princess Silver Bird was so strict that she would scold her personal knight in public. But Regen didn’t care.
“Though it wasn’t my intention, I’ve displeased Your Highness and thus deserve punishment. Also…”
“…”
Regen took Sasha’s hand and kissed it. As he continued speaking, the motion of his lips and the vibration of his voice transmitted through the back of her hand. “Showing me so obedient will surely please him too.”
“Him?” Sasha, forgetting the tingling sensation on her hand, asked.
“Well done, Sasha.”
“…!”
From the central staircase at the far end of the banquet hall, a voice called out, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Glory to the reign of the Grand Emperor! Show your respects to His Majesty, the Great Emperor of the Magnarod Empire!”
The nobles all bowed deeply.
The mad emperor, appearing with several knights, including Dominic, like a folding screen, had likely been watching the banquet from the second-floor landing for quite some time. As Dominic glared at Regen as if he wanted to kill him, the voice of Emperor Axellion echoed with interest through the hall.
“Knights who were once prisoners of war tend to be stiff and reluctant to kneel. You’ve trained him well. Truly fitting of the most commanding princess among my daughters.”
“You flatter me, Your Majesty.”
“Oh? It seems it’s not just his appearances that have improved. Even his shattered core seems to have reformed and is now functioning. Sasha, was that your doing?”
“Though incomparable to Your Majesty’s power, I am doing my best with what little ability I have.”
Gasps spread through the banquet hall. It meant she had awakened her dominion powers up to level 5, equal to the mad emperor’s.
“I see.”
The mad emperor’s smile had a way of unsettling people. A few stepped forward hurriedly.
“Truly a power befitting the daughter of our great Emperor!
“Indeed! Princess Silver Bird’s excellence is a reflection of Your Majesty’s greatness!”
“Long live Your Majesty the Emperor!”
The nobles shifted their praises to the emperor. It wasn’t mere flattery—it was calculated to steer the atmosphere.
Regen assumed those who raised their voices were part of the noble faction supporting Sasha.
“Yes, as a father, I am deeply proud of my daughter’s growth.”
And with that half-hearted display of paternal affection, the atmosphere settled.
“As a reward, I bestow upon Princess Silver Bird a chest of gold coins.”
“I am deeply honored by your grace.”
“But you may claim it only if your knight leaves the banquet hall unharmed and on his own feet.”
The relaxed mood of the banquet instantly tightened again. It was effectively the beginning of the real competition.
Marquis Zaken Osbond, the man in charge of the emperor’s entertainment, stepped forward with a chilling glint in his glasses. “I shall now explain the rules of the first contest for succession to the throne.”
The nobles retreated to the edges of the hall like a receding tide, leaving only the eight princesses and their knights standing out in the center.
“All competitions will be conducted in the form of proxy battles by the personal knights for the safety of the princesses. Based on the results, the top three will be rewarded, and the bottom three will be punished.”
The word ‘punished’ was misleading. In truth, it was closer to execution.
“Since this is the first competition, we’ve prepared something light and enjoyable. The name of this competition is ‘Favor Vote.’ Everyone should have received coins upon entry. These are ‘Favor Coins,’ and their use is simple. Place the coins into the voting box of the personal knight you favor. You can give all five coins to one person or divide them as you wish.”
Servants brought out eight large boxes to the center of the hall. Each was marked with a crest symbolizing one of the princesses.
“The voting period is 30 minutes from now. Once cast, votes cannot be changed, so choose carefully.”
A small hourglass flipped in Marquis Osbond’s palm.
“Then let the contest begin. May today be remembered as the most splendid festival.”
✦
Thirty minutes wasn’t long, but there could be no movement without a plan—unless one wished to waste time and effort. Fortunately, Regen offered a good suggestion.
“For now, it’s best to observe the other princesses and their knights.”
“Good idea.”
The youngest, Shumel, clumsily introduced her knight and asked for votes. It seemed her strategy was to appeal to sympathy and secure even a single coin from each person.
Sister Lilliana took the standard approach. She introduced Yulis in the most impressive manner possible and offered personal incentives in exchange for votes. Since Yulis had already gained much favor through his performances, it was relatively easy.
Nanaen needed no concern. She had apparently told Killian to stand still, and she dragged him around while doing all the work herself. In truth, even if she just stood there, her followers would offer their coins.
The real problem started with my third sister, Gwendellin. She was timid and easily discouraged. Because the Favor Vote had set up a dynamic where the princesses had to please the nobles, one noble crossed the line.
“If Sir Heinz avoids punishment, what will Princess New Moon do for us?”
“D-Do for you?”
“Rather than just thanking us, how about making a pledge? Show goodwill to the nobles.”
“O-Of course. If my knight avoids punishment, I’ll hold a wonderful tea party…”
“That’s not enough. How about lending Sir Heinz to the ladies here for a night each?”
“W-What!”
“Haha, don’t be angry. After all, we’re not the ones who need a favor.”
The lascivious grin made it obvious they meant to harass Sister Gwendellin. Foolishly, Sister Gwendellin fell into the trap.
“I-I’ll think about it…”
She shouldn’t have said that. Displaying weakness in the face of such rudeness not only failed to earn sympathy votes—it forfeited her dignity.
Regen murmured with concern, “No one will vote for Princess New Moon.”
“Yes. Sister Gwendellin is highly likely to end up at the bottom.”
Then Regen stared at a certain spot in the hall and muttered, “Someone is using aggressive tactics.”
“What?”
The reason was soon made clear.
“Your Highness!”
“Kyah!”
A massive statue decorating one side of the banquet hall toppled over. Nearby was my eldest sister, Vivian. Her black-haired knight threw himself forward, rolled with her in his arms, and narrowly avoided the falling statue.
“Are you alright, Your Highness?”
“I-I’m fine. What about you, Sir Bellinger?”
“As long as Your Highness is unharmed, I am fine.” Bellinger, the very image of a loyal knight, offered his hand and helped Vivian up.
Applause erupted around them, celebrating the knight who protected his lord.
Meanwhile, shards scattered by the fall caused a few minor injuries. I would have been within range as well, but Regen shielded me with his half-cape, so I was unharmed.
Regen’s voice was cold as he evaluated the situation. “There were too many unnecessary movements. Though, it did make for a dramatic display.”
“Are you saying it was staged?”
“Yes.”
