Sibylla's death was announced a few days later.
Because her recent actions had been so destructive, the powers of the Holy Kingdom were, deep down, pleased with the situation.
They expected that a new king would put the Holy Kingdom back on its proper track.
But before that, there was inevitably a period of chaos they had to go through.
Who would become the new king?
Members of the royal family, who had kept their heads down until now, quietly began to raise them. Even the nobles who had been protecting them started to gauge the situation.
A shadowy, bloody struggle for the new king's seat was about to erupt.
***
"Bring something proper."
Yuri, who was sitting at the tea table in the garden, basking in the sunlight, spoke.
He was currently staying at Francesco's residence.
"Just someone with common sense, and the courage to fight the Empire, and let's make him king."
Across from Yuri sat Francesco, Fenek, and Umstein.
Francesco shrugged.
"Yuri, do you know? People with common sense are rarer than you think."
"Well, true, there aren't many even at this table."
"What about me?"
"There aren't many at this table."
"What about me…."
"And, we'll withdraw from Alras."
Yuri shrugged. Francesco rested his chin on his hand, sinking into thought.
"Will Bursen agree?"
"I'll speak to him. As long as the condition is that we won't touch Alras in the future, he'll do it."
"You're acquainted with Bursen?"
"I was a big shot in the Allied Army."
"Alras was originally the Holy Kingdom's territory though…."
"Better than losing it all to the Empire. You saw Sibylla. The Empire goes around doing absurd things. They're plotting something insane. This isn't the time to fight over some place like Alras."
"Hmm…."
Francesco let out a low sound. Having witnessed the reality of black magic through Sibylla, he couldn't deny Yuri's words.
They had turned a king — not just anyone, but a sovereign of a nation — into a monster.
It was, quite literally, an incident that could throw the entire continent into chaos.
"Still, a king isn't someone you can just put on the throne because you want to…."
"If the Holy Knight Order supports him, it can be done."
Yuri looked straight at Francesco.
"If you step forward, you can establish a new king. You're practically a symbol of the Holy Kingdom."
"I told you, I can't fight like I used to anymore."
"That doesn't matter. Your name alone carries influence. At least try."
"I'm a has-been. No one will acknowledge me, and politics is bothersome."
"Hah…."
Yuri let out a hollow laugh. Then, alternating his gaze between Francesco and Fenek, his eyes sharpened.
An oppressive aura flowed from his body.
"Sir Francesco, and Fenek."
Yuri placed his fingertips on the table.
"When Sibylla was cornered, you just sat and watched, and when she couldn't hold on any longer, you tried to kill her. Even then, I was the one who dealt with it in the end. And now that she's dead, you say it's none of your business again? If another idiot becomes king, will you only then decide to kill him?"
Francesco scratched his head, making excuses.
"No, I regret that. But we didn't know Sibylla would end up like that…"
"What do you mean, didn't know? You saw Larsson trying to sell her off to that damned dwarf. You turned a blind eye because as long as Sibylla endured, everything would stay smooth, hoping she alone would sacrifice herself. Honestly, weren't you expecting that the Holy Kingdom would receive orichalcum in return for selling her off? Am I wrong?"
"What nonsense! That's not true. We never…"
"Then step forward now."
Yuri looked at Francesco with icy eyes.
"From my perspective, this so-called secret society is a joke. When Sibylla needed help, you stayed still, but when your own toes caught fire, you jumped up to kill one girl. Blaming Sibylla is also ridiculous. If it were me, I'd do the same — I'd join hands with a devil just to overturn a bunch of bastards like you."
The room fell silent.
Behind Yuri, Jared, Simon, and Guinness stood with grim expressions, adding weight to his words.
Umstein, who had been quietly listening from the side, broke the silence.
"This guy's right. Didn't I tell you? We couldn't just leave my brother, Glutenshtein, alone. Back then you ignored me, and later you scrambled in a panic to clean it up — it was pretty funny. If it were me, I'd rather take the hand of a black magic geezer than be sold off to some totally unknown race."
"Phew…."
Francesco sighed, then nodded.
"Alright, you're right. We can't say we were blameless. I'm no exception."
"I'm not here to dwell on past wrongs, so let's do our best from now on. All of us must."
"Phew, fine. They'll laugh at a has-been stepping forward, but I'll have to endure it."
"If that laughter is all it takes to solve the problem, endure as much as you like. And…"
Yuri rose from his seat.
"If you've become a has-been, then you just have to return to being active."
"What?"
"You said you can't handle mana anymore."
"Yeah, I…"
"I can make you handle it again."
"What?"
Yuri's eyes deepened.
"I can see it."
When Francesco had said he could no longer handle mana, Yuri had felt a strange hunch and examined his body within the realm of the heart-soul.
A black energy was blocking his core.
"Black magic's energy is blocking your core, Sir Francesco."
"What are you talking about? I lost my mana a long time ago."
"That means black magic had already reached in ahead of time. They've been preparing for a long time."
From all the information gathered so far, Cedric had learned black magic through the Devil's Grimoire hidden by Erich Briol.
Though it wasn't clear exactly when it started, Yuri wouldn't be surprised if it had begun a very long time ago.
Cedric had been exceptionally bright since childhood.
"In any case, there is a way. Not right now though. I'll help you."
"Really?"
"Why would I lie?"
Yuri looked at Francesco.
"I told you, we all have to do our best. That includes me. You regaining your strength will make my work easier. That's how bad the situation is."
Fenek brightened at those words.
"If that's true, it would be a great help. If Sir Francesco regains his strength. Can it be done right away?"
"Not now. I know a mage, but he left to research black magic. When he returns, it should be possible. We'll meet soon."
Yuri could destroy black magic's energy, but he couldn't remove it from a human body.
However, Ernando, who had been researching black magic and parchment, could likely draw out the black energy in Francesco's body for a while. Since it hadn't completely fused with Francesco's body like with Sibylla, it was entirely possible.
"Then, is there someone suitable to recommend for the throne?"
"Hmm…"
Francesco and Fenek looked at each other. Soon, even Umstein exchanged subtle glances with them.
Yuri tilted his head.
"What is it?"
"There is, but I don't know if he'll want to. If it's him, he'll do well."
"Who?"
"Luther."
Yuri, not knowing who that was, thought for a moment — then his eyes widened.
"The youngest?"
The youngest of the three brothers who had picked a fight with Yuri at the tavern had been named Luther.
His carefree face, the one that claimed he lived without worries or troubles, came to mind.
"That guy's royalty?"
"Royalty, and also a candidate for pope."
"A candidate for pope?"
Yuri kept being surprised.
"Yeah, remember how he joked at first that he was the pope…?"
"He's not the pope, but he was one of the saints considered a candidate for the next pope."
Saint was the term for a papal candidate chosen by the temple. One needed deep faith, upright character, and outstanding talent in holy magic to qualify.
"He joined the temple, but his bloodline isn't bad."
"His abilities are good too."
"But I'm worried about whether he'll want to…"
Then Yuri said,
"I'll make him do it."
"You will?"
"Yes. Where is Luther right now?"
Yuri rose from his seat.
"People's minds aren't complicated. Put a sword to their neck and ask, 'Will you be king and live, or not and die?' Who wouldn't choose to be king?"
Umstein, listening from the side, burst into laughter.
"You sure have a funny way of speaking. Is that a Briol thing?"
***
"Either die, or be king."
Contrary to Umstein's assumption, Yuri actually pressed a sword to Luther's neck and threatened him.
"Uh, uh…"
Luther rolled his eyes in confusion.
"Your Highness?"
"I heard you're of royal blood."
"Th-that's true, but…"
"Look into my eyes."
Luther looked into Yuri's eyes.
"Do I look like a sane man?"
"No."
Yuri pressed the sword closer.
"Ah, ah! Why?!"
"I don't like that answer."
"But, you asked, so I answered…"
"Anyway, you're going to be king."
"I've devoted myself to the temple. I'm even a saint."
"You think I don't know that when I'm holding a sword to your neck telling you to be king?"
"O-of course not…"
Luther swallowed hard.
He had been quietly reading at home when a shadow loomed behind him and a sack was thrown over his head in an instant.
When he regained consciousness, he found himself tied to a chair, and Yuri Briol, the imperial prince of Briol, was threatening him with a sword to become king.
From what he could see, Yuri Briol's eyes were just a little unhinged.
It didn't seem like he had been normal from the start.
"I'm not even sure the temple would allow it…"
"I'll get their permission."
"How…?"
"Just press a sword to the neck of anyone who says no and threaten them."
"Like this?"
"Exactly."
Yuri said,
"I know this goes against the natural order, but right now there's no choice. Otherwise, we can't stop that Empire and those damned black mages."
He was certainly handling things roughly. But if he didn't, nothing would move forward.
If they had clung to principle, they never would have stopped Sibylla in the first place, nor could they have installed a king willing to fight the Empire.
Only an unpredictable force overturning the Holy Kingdom could stand against Cedric.
Yuri had decided that he himself would become that unpredictable force.
"I don't have time. If you refuse, I have to find someone else, so let's finish this quickly."
"What?"
"Say you'll be king. I'll count to three. One. Two…"
He was counting fast.
Luther realized that this Yuri Briol was truly half out of his mind. There was no hesitation in his actions.
The sword was already pressing harder before the count even reached three.
He answered immediately.
"I will! I'll do it!"
"Good, that's right."
"You damned…"
"That's the world for you."
"Bastard…"
"You can curse all you want."
Yuri grinned and patted Luther's shoulder.
"Hey. You who lived without worries or troubles. From now on, you'll have quite the headache of a life."
"No, well, that's fine for me, but what about the temple…"
"There's a way."
With the Holy Knight Order as the symbol, plus pressure on the temple through Vlad and Fenek, who had ties with him, he intended to force their hand.
"If someone close to the temple like you becomes king, it's a welcome thing for them."
"For a saint to quit midway and return to the secular world is unprecedented."
"Truly unprecedented?"
"Yes. Only in cases where they committed a wrong and were excommunicated…"
The moment he said that, Luther realized he had made a mistake.
This man was someone who really did press swords to people's necks. Ruining someone's life meant nothing to him.
"Murder, arson, theft, blasphemy. Which will it be?"
"You lunatic…"