Roswaal had expected everything to proceed according to the Book of Wisdom's guidance. After all, he had followed its requirements perfectly.
The result should have matched his predictions!
But Adam's sudden interjection left him stunned, as the situation spiraled beyond his control.
"I'm sorry, Adam." Emilia said when she saw him, "I must have caused you trouble. I'm truly sorry."
She was always — refusing to trouble others, avoiding causing problems, believing all faults lay with herself.
This self-imposed distance was its own form of kindness, though not everyone appreciated it.
Adam was one such person.
He asked, "Emilia, what's your motivation for entering the Royal Selection?"
"Eh?" She was taken aback.
"Don't understand? Then let me rephrase it." He continued, "Emilia, why do you want to become a Royal Candidate? What drives you — ambition, personal desire, righteousness, or something else?"
Emilia thought for a moment before answering seriously, "I want everyone to live together peacefully without prejudice. I want to create a nation where all people are treated fairly!"
Her expression was utterly determined, her voice rang with conviction, her resolve unwavering.
Adam couldn't help but applaud.
"What a distant and noble aspiration."
"So, Emilia, what will you do to achieve this distant and noble aspiration?" Faced with her confusion, he pressed on, "Living together peacefully without prejudice is perhaps one of the most difficult goals in this world. What plans do you have to implement this?"
"Well, first become king, and then..."
"Heh, first become king, is it?" Adam's dry laugh turned cold, "How naive!"
"Eh?" She was stunned, clearly not expecting his response.
"After becoming king, do you plan to make everyone in the kingdom follow your laws with just a royal decree? Don't you think that's absurdly naive?"
"…" Emilia pressed her lips together in silence.
"Besides, your entire plan hinges on becoming king. Why assume you'll definitely succeed? What if you lose?" Adam crossed his arms, watching her panicked, helpless eyes dart around, "If you can't become king, does that mean you'll do nothing? Or will you choose inaction? Emilia, are your lofty ambitions merely empty words?"
His words cut sharp and deep, nearly invalidating all of Emilia's efforts until now.
"…" She remained silent.
It seemed she still didn't understand.
"Nothing to say?" Adam shook his head disappointedly, "I'm sorry, Emilia, I can't become your knight."
In the end, the matter of him becoming Emilia's knight came to nothing. He thought the topic would end there.
Yet within moments, everyone in the earl's mansion had learned about it.
Roswaal must have deliberately spread the news!
That eccentric clown!
After creating panic in Emilia's camp, Roswaal mobilized everyone in the earl's mansion to persuade Adam to change his mind.
Ram and Rem had visited, though they only mentioned it briefly — merely completing their master's assigned task.
But Natsuki proved to be truly exhausting.
"Hey, Carter! Why won't you choose to become Emilia-tan's knight?!"
His expression brimming with envy, he exclaimed, "It's so amazing! I also want to become Emilia-tan's knight!"
"But Ram said only knights appointed by the kingdom can become Emilia-tan's knights."
"That's a position many people can't even dream of getting!"
"Why would you give up such a great opportunity, Carter?!"
Natsuki's endless chatter was giving Adam a headache.
He'd forgotten how this young boy, still untouched by hardship, acted and spoke without thinking — making him even more hopeless than the naive Emilia.
"Subaru-kun!" Adam forcefully interrupted his stream of words, "Do you think Emilia can become king?"
Natsuki grinned confidently, "Of course! I believe in her!"
His faith in Emilia was absolute.
"Is that so? Then tell me, how can she become king?" Without waiting for an answer, Adam continued, "In the Royal Selection, no one will Read the latest chapters on NovelHub - completely free! She has no public backing, no achievements. Moreover, no one wants a silver-haired half-elf as king."
Even Natsuki knew these obvious truths — he'd simply refused to face them.
An election requires three things: public Read the latest chapters on NovelHub - completely free! None can be missing. Yet Emilia had none of them.
Public Read the latest chapters on NovelHub - completely free!" Adam shook his head firmly.
If he refused to become a knight over such matters, how would he be any different from the kingdom's other knights? Besides, these weren't his concerns at all.
Then, he explained his true reason.
"Subaru-kun, Emilia's desire for everyone to live together peacefully without prejudice is a noble aspiration. But what angers me is that she only speaks of lofty ideals while taking no action. Look — there's a village nearby, yet she rarely visits. She talks about ending prejudice, but even the villagers in her own territory harbor strong biases against her."
"In my homeland, there's a saying: 'How can one rule the world if they can't manage their own household?' If you can't even manage one home well, how could you possibly govern a nation? Do you think someone can truly become king?"
Natsuki finally understood that Adam's refusal wasn't born from the common prejudice against Emilia, but from genuine concerns.
After careful consideration, he asked, "If — if Emilia gains the village's acceptance, would you agree to become her knight?"
"Oh? You want to help Emilia?" Adam's gaze sharpened.
Natsuki responded with conviction, "Yes, I want to help Emilia!"
"Hehehe, that's fine."
"I said, that's fine." Seeing Natsuki's mouth hanging open in disbelief, Adam repeated himself, "Gaining the village's acceptance means gaining public Read the latest chapters on NovelHub - completely free! This test isn't just for Emilia — it's also a test for you, Subaru-kun. If Emilia can win the village's acceptance, if the villagers truly Read the latest chapters on NovelHub - completely free! So, show me what you can do, Subaru-kun!"
"Oh!" Natsuki accepted the challenge with a big smile.
T/N: If you want more chapters , check out my Read the latest chapters on NovelHub - completely free!Read the latest chapters on NovelHub - completely free!com/mrblackwing