“Hhm… No, there isn’t.”

The nobles suddenly became quiet as if they had made an unspoken agreement.

It was because no one wanted to confront Duke Lucas directly. Moreover, the arrival of a neighboring prince had nothing to do with their own interests, so the nobles had no need to take unnecessary risks.

When the nobles quieted down, Carinne nodded lightly towards Duke Lucas as a gesture of gratitude. It was at that moment that the King, who had been silent until then, showed interest in her.

“Continue with what you were saying earlier.”

It seemed more like the King was interested in her as a person rather than the content of what she was saying, but anyway…

Carinne brought a portable panel to a visible location for everyone and uncovered the cloth covering it.

The panel depicted a giant world map.

“First, let me explain the international situation. I’m sure you all know that the Saraha Empire and the Radian Empire have been at odds with each other.”

The Saraha Empire in the west and the Radian Empire in the east were two powerful nations with contrasting strengths in the world. If one of them were to collapse, the other would gain control over the continent, so they were both eagerly seeking opportunities to swallow each other.

“Look at this strait that lies between the two empires. This strait is a crucial maritime transportation route for almost all of Radian’s imports and exports.”

Carinne pointed to the narrow, elongated blue sea that was nestled between the islands.

“If a war were to break out between Saraha and Radian, and Saraha was to seize control of this strait, it would cause significant disruptions in Radian’s material transportation. Naturally, the war would favor Saraha, and so on.”

Carinne felt quite proud of herself as she spoke, sounding like an expert. It’s not a war novel but a romance novel.

So, how did she know this information?

It was because the author had tediously explained the boring international situation in the final chapter. It was tiresome, yet she endured it out of loyalty, and now it was paying off.

The King, looking intrigued, stared at the map and then looked at Carinne.

“So, what are you trying to say?”

“It’s Irita that possesses this strait. That’s why Saraha tried to turn Irita into a colony, and they actually succeeded in making it a semi-colony.”

“That’s absurd!”

“I visited Irita recently. The idea that Irita has become Saraha’s colony is unheard of.”

The nobles immediately voiced their objections.

She expected this.

At that moment, Carinne took a thick file and shook it.

“There is information that substantial amounts of goods are being transported from Irita to Saraha every month. The administrators in Irita have also turned pro-Saraha, and the administrative system has been reorganized according to Saraha’s tastes. This is reliable information gathered through an advanced information network. You can trust it.”

Seeing the thickness of the file, the nobles glanced at each other and closed their mouths.

“If anyone wants to see the data, let me know later.”

She spoke, placing the file back on the table. She had only held it for a moment, but her arm was tired.

“In this situation, accepting the Prince of Irita, regardless of the intention, wouldn’t be beneficial for Esmeril, right?”

“That’s an absurd statement. Even if we assume Irita becomes a colony of Sahara and sends one person to Esmeril, what difference would it make?”

“That’s correct. It’s not like he would fight against everyone in Esmeril alone…”

“I’ve been saying this all along, but it’s nonsense. It’s not worth considering.”

Carinne ignored the noble’s incessant chatter and asked as if something had crossed her mind.

“Irita is the only country on the continent that allows research on black magic, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Duke Lucas replied as if he had been waiting for the question.

“A skilled black mage can single-handedly face a hundred soldiers. With the status of a noble, they can freely move around the palace, making it easier to gather information and use black magic.”

It was possible to completely undermine the idea that the Prince of Irita was a spy from Sahara. However, there were too many connections to make it a coincidence, and there was also a risk of attack.

Hence, Carinne decided to simply hint that the Prince of Irita might be a black mage.

“Are you suggesting that the Prince of Irita is a spy from Sahara?”

The King asked in a slow tone.

Indeed, he was a king. He was good at grasping the main points.

“Yes.”

“Nonsense!”

“Wait, let’s calm down.”

When the King gave an expression of impatience, the parrots finally closed their beak.

The King had a pensive look. There were restless nobles beside him, but they were outside of Carinne’s concern.

The important thing was whether she had convinced the King.

Although the current King of Esmeril was indecisive and weak, at the time of his ascension, he was a passionate person who suppressed all corrupt nobles and led reforms. The nobles were well aware of this, so they couldn’t dare to oppose the King if he had a purpose.

They shouldn’t touch a sleeping lion’s whiskers for no reason.

“Did you come to this meeting that you usually don’t attend to talk about this?”

“Yes. I thought it was necessary to let others know about this fact, especially Your Majesty.”

Carinne recited the prepared response.

She felt a little sorry for Duke Lucas. The duke probably thought she had become interested in him and attended the meeting for that reason.

“I see.”

The King slowly stroked his beard.

“I heard an interesting speculation. It’s an absurd story, like everyone said, but it was quite entertaining.”

Ah, he called it an absurd story. Why are there no good things happening these days?

Without realizing it, Carinne slumped her shoulders. However, one must listen to the end of what people say.

“You said there’s turmoil in the northern region, right?”

The King turned to the nobles and brought up an unrelated topic.

“Esmeril doesn’t have the luxury to pay attention to other things because we’re focusing on dealing with the turmoil. Therefore, the entry of the Third Prince is refused. That’s Esmeril’s right.”

Huh? Then…

‘…Did I succeed?’

Just in case, she borrowed all the books related to ancient ruins from the library. She guessed she could return them now.

Yes!

Carinne clenched her fist in excitement, but when she saw everyone looking at her with strange expressions, she quickly lowered her fist.

“Your Majesty…!”

“If the Princess’ words are true, are you willing to take responsibility?”

As the King asked firmly, the noble who had opened his mouth turned pale and stepped back as he continued.

“Even if it’s an absurd story, it’s not completely impossible. And through my long experience, I’ve learned that even the smallest possibility should never be ignored. So don’t argue with me anymore.”

Some of the nobles didn’t seem pleased with his words, but they didn’t dare to step forward.

“Then let’s move on to the next agenda.”

After finishing his statement, the King’s charisma was gone, as if it had always been that way. The rest of the meeting proceeded smoothly. Carinne sat there, biting her nails, waiting for the time to pass.

When the meeting ended, she quickly left the conference room before anyone could ask.

‘Let’s take a look at that file.’

—