｢ Crowned ｣

5

Arguments flew back and forth here and there, its been 30 minutes since the start of the selection and things already got heated.
Clopeh's eyes glimmered under the sun's rays as he silently walked towards the middle of the opposite sides.

'Cale-nim ordered me to eliminate such pest, now is the time!' With his twisted yet clear understanding he presented his argument before the Former Emperor and the people. Rosalyn, Choi Han and Alberu could only gulp at his movement for they didn't know what he was going to do unsupervised.

"Queen Jopis might be a monarch but she can't just leave her throne on the Eastern continent. To simply put you are asking her to leave the Kingdom unattended, and she have also expressed her withdrawal from the selection." Giving no people time to talk back Clopeh grinned and held up a recording device, it showed Queen Jopis and her majestic smile.

"While I do express my admiration of being a candidate I have to withdraw for the sake of my people and my Kingdom." Simple and direct refusal, no one can argue with that specially, when she mentioned 'For the people' if they fought back to this statement then they are disregarding the people and it would make both Kingdom's relationship sour.

Clopeh placed the recording back to his pocket and bowed towards his highness. Alberu's smile twitched he never knew the extent of how useful that thing could be.

"Cale-nim ordered an investigation for the final selection." Choi Han leaned in and whispered making Alberu's smile look a little bit genuine.

'At lease he took some measures but why Clopeh?' Alberu stopped thinking of why and just focused at the argument before him as things with Clopeh turn strange.

The chancellor spoke in a stern voice "Does everyone agree to remove her highness Jopis from the list?" Hands immediately shot up the silent hall could only mean a full agreement despite of being forced so. The chancellor looked at the former Emperor for confirmation and when a nod was given he continued to speak.

"Then next on the list is..." The chancellor held back a choke as he opened the parchment. "The tower's master Rosalyn-"

Before the chancellor could even finish, the people from Breck Kingdom shouted and murmured angrily then raised their hands and firmly stated "I refuse! You don't deserve my sis-"

Before one could finish a gust of wind whacked his head, the sound echoed throughout the hall and all eyes turned to the mage with red hair and angry eyes. Her hair fluttered behind her and the mana she emitted was no joke.

"I humbly apologize for my brother's brazen attitude as he only cares for me." Rosalyn bowed towards Alberu in respect.

"Please raise your head." Alberu played along and acted like an indifferent person.

"In regards to the selection, I sincerely thank you with all my being for being a final candidate for the throne but I refuse." Rosalyn didn't bow down anymore, she held her head high and she emitted a strong aura making everyone remember her as a warrior and protector of the Kingdom. Murmurs started to arise but the glare from the Breck Kingdom's people and prince held them back from opposing. Alberu who noticed the discontentment of the noble's asked Rosalyn.

"Fear not I am not offended by such but may I ask your reason of refusal?" Voice laced with fake wonder, Alberu tilted his head to the side to strengthen the act. Choi Han's lips were quivering from holding back his laughter, he remembered how Rosalyn burned the paper in a flash when she saw her name.

"I would want to focus on research, I would want to help the Kingdom in a way that I know I can do. I can't fulfill the seat of the Empress as that would make me do things half heartedly and I don't want that for the Kingdom. I am unable to support you in that way." The nobles gulped and the Breck Kingdom smiled. She basically said that she would rather stay holed up in the tower than seat on the throne.

"Are you rejecting his highness?!!" A shout from a Duke emerged from the crowd and soon after displease were expressed. Rosalyn turned to look at the nobles making them stop on their useless bickers but before she could spat out venomous words Clopeh interfered and stood beside her.

"As you know miss Rosalyn is the only one capable mage of inheriting the Tower, her future research would become a wonderful defense and offense of the Kingdom..." Clopeh stared at some people when he said the word offense and defense as if to warn them. "It would be more beneficial for the Kingdom and the people if she focused and remained as the tower's master." Clopeh walked towards the Duke who shouted insolence and wrapped an arm around his neck, from afar and out of context it would seem to be a young man being friendly with an adult but it was a warning. The Duke held his breath as Clopeh leaned to stare at the man's face from the side.

"And in the little chance of invasion or attack in the future would you possibly do your part of protecting the Kingdom?" Clopeh spoke aloud in glee he basically told the people here that they were useless in times of need though they really were.

It was infuriating for the nobles specially when the one who spoke was the intruder who attacked the Henituse territory but fist were clenched and no word can come out of their mouth. The only one's who can oppose to this are the ones who held military power. They turned their heads towards Duke Deruth eye's pleading to argue but Duke Deruth only sipped his wine stared back at them not budging an inch.

"Chancellor." Clopeh motioned for the chancellor to start the vote and as proceeded Rosalyn was eliminated from the list. Rosalyn looked towards Clopeh questionably, he was someone who doesn't care about such but why is he so active at the moment? And she could have rejected the seat with or without his intervention. Clopeh noticed the stare and whispered secretly as they were walking towards the side of the hall from the middle.

"Cale-nim ordered me to eliminate the candidates." Eyes shinning with delight Clopeh happily hummed, Rosalyn stopped in her tracks in surprised automatically her head turned towards Choi Han and Alberu who stared back at her, Choi Han could only 'err' in reply as he doesn't know how to explain.

"Next on the list is... Queen Litana...?" The chancellor once again held back a cough as another unexpected candidate showed up.

Then it clicked Rosalyn, Choi Han, Queen Litana, Clopeh, Duke Deruth and some other nobles who knew the mind of their Emperor turned their heads towards Alberu in astonishment, Alberu who noticed smiled back elegantly and shamelessly.

He was the one who manipulated the final selection list through his aid. Rosalyn held back a smile as she let this pass for now. Queen Litana smirked in joy she knew what she had to do and went to the center as to present her decision.