Cesar seemed to be ruminating on the advice he’d received from the international representatives. Eventually, he appeared to make up his mind and stood up.
"I understand. To think you would say so much to someone as untalented as me... I will hesitate no longer. I shall give it my all."
"Your Highness, that is the spirit of the next king!"
Balfaza Walker looked visibly delighted.
"Now, let us go. All the cabinet ministers should be gathered by now."
"Would it be possible for us to observe as well?" Reinhard asked.
Balfaza nodded in affirmation. "I can grant permission on my own authority."
The group, now including the Crown Prince, ascended the stairs and headed toward the conference room at the far end of the second floor.
The soldiers guarding the entrance raised objections here as well, but the group pushed past them without giving them a choice. The doors to the conference room swung open.
The room featured chairs arranged in a sweeping arc, reminiscent of a theater. The area corresponding to the stage was a raised podium.
Standing upon that podium was a man of substantial girth.
His hair was thinning considerably, but it was the same gold as Richard’s and Cesar’s, and his eyes were a similar shade of blue. However, the resemblance ended there. He stood barely 170 centimeters tall and weighed nearly 100 kilograms—a truly obese physique.
This man was the king’s younger brother, Alain Desmon de Grimaldi.
The cabinet ministers gathered in the room buzzed with excitement at Crown Prince Cesar’s entrance.
"...Prince Cesar..."
The minority who supported Cesar looked relieved, while those of the Alan faction scowled.
Jin and the others took their places in the rear seats as observers. Meanwhile, the Crown Prince walked toward the podium alone.
"Well, well, if it isn't the talentless deposed crown prince, come crawling back. And I suppose those tagging along with you are your pack of sycophants?"
Alain Desmon spoke first, his tone dripping with mockery. His voice was a gravelly, grating croak.
"What have you even been doing until now? Arriving late—do you have any sense of duty at all?"
"Uncle, I am late because I was being held under house arrest by 'someone.' Furthermore, these people are not sycophants. They are the benefactors who rescued me from my confinement."
The mention of house arrest sent a ripple of murmurs through the gathered ministers. Seizing the moment, the Crown Prince pressed on.
"I am the Crown Prince. You, who seek to take the throne with nothing but the Key-Seal, are the true criminal—one plotting a usurpation."
There was no hesitation in Cesar’s voice. His will to confront Alain Desmon head-on was undeniable.
"Usurpation? How dare you insult me!"
"Then how exactly did you obtain that Key-Seal? I know my father, the King, kept it under the strictest guard. Why is it in my uncle's hands?"
"As I told everyone earlier, my brother intended for me to succeed him because you are unreliable."
"If that were the case, there is no way I would not have heard of it. No, not just me. There is no way any of the cabinet ministers would have been left in the dark."
"That is..."
Just as it seemed Alain would be unable to provide an immediate counter-argument, a voice cut through the air.
"...Actually, I heard it myself."
"You... Skeve!?"
It was Skeve Sotherby, the Crown Prince’s guard, who had been missing until now.
"Skeve! What are you saying?! There is no way you could have heard such a thing!"
There was no way his own guard could know something that Crown Prince Cesar did not.
"Your Highness, what are you saying? His Majesty clearly told us the other day..."
"Skeve!"
Watching the scene unfold, Jin and the others felt that something was fundamentally wrong. One of them had to be lying, but given the circumstances, it was obvious that Skeve was the one being dishonest. While there was a theoretical possibility that Cesar was lying, his behavior up to this point made that unthinkable.
The cabinet ministers watched the argument in silence. Then, another figure appeared to shift the momentum.
"Your Highness, I believe it would be best for you to give up."
Another man ascended the podium.
"Duke Orange!"
It was the representative of the Kingdom of Franz.
"I, too, happened to be present at that moment. I was receiving words of praise from His Majesty Richard, you see."
"..."
Cesar felt a surge of bitter frustration. He knew they were lying, yet he had no way to prove it.
"...Are both of them part of the king's younger brother faction?" Reinhard stared at Duke Orange on the stage with surprise. "Or perhaps they were bought off. Either way, this is bad for the Crown Prince."
Jin and the others in the observer seats wanted to support Cesar, but their hands were tied. It wasn't just a matter of avoiding interference in domestic affairs; they simply lacked physical evidence.
"They likely had this planned out..." Prince Arthur said through gritted teeth. "They might not have known the King would collapse at the ceremony, but they were prepared for whenever this day came."
"...Duke Alain Desmon rules the southern region... the Corin region... the wine..."
The pieces were starting to fit together. Jin began to suspect that recommending the wine to the King—and the subsequent poisoning—had all been part of the plan. He racked his brain for a way to break the deadlock.
But a perfect solution eluded him, and on the podium, Alain Desmon continued to corner Cesar.
"Cesar, abandon your ambitions. If you give up your claim and apologize now, I might be inclined to grant you a single province."
The King's brother grew bolder by the second.
"An apology? There is no need for one. I have done nothing wrong!"
"Words alone won't save you..."
Murmurs began to spread among the ministers watching the confrontation.
"...As I thought, Lord Alain is the stronger choice..."
"Prince Cesar is just too unreliable..."
"The kingdom is too corrupt right now. Only someone strong can fix it..."
Reiko picked up every whisper that Jin couldn't hear.
"Father, the ministers' opinions are leaning toward Alain."
It seemed the faction supporting Cesar was losing heart. Most of the cabinet appeared to be fence-sitters, waiting to see who would come out on top.
When Jin relayed Reiko’s findings to the group, Prince Arthur spat out his words in disgust.
"Hmph. I suppose they think it doesn't matter who wears the crown. Idiots. What do they plan to do if the nation itself collapses?"
Jin stood by, feeling helpless. Sensing his master's frustration, Reiko made a radical suggestion.
"...Father, shall I just tear this place apart instead?"
Jin patted Reiko’s head with a wry smile. "That won't solve anything....Though it would be satisfying, don't do it."
Reinhard shared the sentiment. Breaking things by force might feel good in the moment, but it would solve nothing and likely trigger an international incident.
"But really, what can we do...?"
On the podium, Alain was moving in for the kill.
"Cesar, give it up. Anyone can see you're the one lying. The next king is me."
"..."
Cesar had no words left.
Just as Jin began to think all was lost, a faltering voice rang out.
"...N-no... the... one... l-lying... is... y-you...!"
Cesar and Alain spun around, their eyes wide with shock.
"Father..."
"Brother..."
Standing at the entrance of the conference room was King Richard, supported by Elsa and Edgar.