The Empror's Trap

Facing Kenji's sudden compromise, everyone was at a loss for words. For him to genuinely choose to transfer control to the Emperor—it was like the sun rising from the west. In their view, even if Kenji wasn't seeking to expand his own power, he certainly wouldn't easily relinquish what he already held.

"Grand Marshal, are you... serious?" someone asked incredulously.

"Yes, I will completely transfer power to Her Majesty, but the prerequisite is that this force must be mature. Otherwise, a unit that doesn't show loyalty to the Emperor wouldn't be a stabilizing factor," Kenji said.

Of course, what he actually thought was different. Transfer control to Pluvia? It was a good idea in theory, especially since originally this was a force Pluvia had asked him to create that would be loyal only to her. Logically, he should hand the troops over to her.

But in Kenji's view, the current forces... seemed more appealing under his own control. He wasn't power-hungry, but as he spent more time in the Camelot government, Kenji gradually realized something: Pluvia had ability, but she might not be completely trustworthy. Or at least for now, Pluvia hadn't reached the point where he could fully entrust his confidence to her.

Perhaps she was still secretly plotting his downfall. He served Pluvia diligently and tried his best to assist her, that was true, but it didn't mean he would put his safety and ideals completely in Pluvia's hands to decide.

"However, I still maintain my previous opinion. I recommend Lina to be the commander, because she truly has that capability. I can fully transfer control of the troops to the Emperor, and I can also put Lina under the Emperor's command. In any case, just dealing with internal and external affairs is keeping me busy enough, and I don't want to be overwhelmed," Kenji said.

After saying this, Kenji looked at the official: "With this compromise, do you gentlemen agree?"

If they still disagreed, Kenji would have something to say. He had already conceded so much—if they still refused, how could negotiations continue?

In fact, most of these ministers wouldn't reject such a proposal. Lina was a remnant of the Demonic Cult. In their eyes, Lina's loyalty wasn't entirely solid. With Kenji handing Lina directly to Pluvia and transferring command of the troops to Pluvia, Lina was essentially being placed in an independent position.

In such circumstances, faced with the temptation of power and benefits, most people would gradually choose to "go solo," and some might even forget past allegiances.

But Kenji trusted Lina's loyalty and believed in her abilities. Moreover, he only said he was transferring control and command authority to Pluvia, but he couldn't guarantee whether his subordinate soldiers would truly be loyal to Pluvia.

It was a force trained and cultivated by him and Lina, with many individuals selected from the elite troops Kenji had trained in the military years ago. Whether they would ultimately follow Pluvia or Kenji remained uncertain.

The ministers fell into hesitation.

"The Grand Marshal is noble! We deeply admire him!" Several young military officers among the group shouted loudly.

Amid the military officers' cheering, some civilian officials also cast inquiring glances at Kenji.

Kenji just looked at them thoughtfully, then smiled.

These officials immediately understood: "The Grand Marshal disregards personal interests and returns power to her majesty—such noble conduct shows his loyalty!"

With both civilian and military officials speaking up, the other officials could hardly maintain their composure. Given Lina's background, many officials carefully considered and thought they might even be able to bribe Duke Anos's guard in the future. It seemed like a worthwhile deal, so they echoed the others' opinions.

However, there were still troublemakers.

"The Grand Marshal is truly noble—placing a remnant of the Demonic Cult into the Camelot central government is certainly beneficial to the country and its people!" came a sarcastic voice.

This discordant voice immediately caught Kenji's attention. Following the source, he looked to the distance, where an official stood behind the civilian ministers.

Judging by his official robes, his position wasn't too low, though his face was somewhat unfamiliar.

Adhering to the principle of courtesy before force, Kenji didn't immediately confront the person, but first observed him. The man was fair-skinned, beardless, with somewhat shadowy eyes, standing out among the ministers.

"Who might you be?" Kenji asked.

"I am the newly appointed Minister, Guillaume Guerin. I was promoted by the late Emperor and now serve in the court," Guillaume said.

Kenji looked at him.

Though they were vastly different in status, they were similar in age. Kenji had actually met this Minister once before. During the late Emperor's time, he had seen this young man summoned by the Emperor shortly before his death.

At that time, young people summoned by the late Emperor were not ordinary individuals. However, after that, Guillaume seemed to have disappeared from the political scene, not appearing in people's view—or at least not in Kenji's view—for a long time.

Thinking carefully, Guillaume had actually always been at court, visible at every court session, but his presence was so low-key—or perhaps he was so unsociable—that Kenji had never really noticed him.

Logically, reaching the position of Minister, while not a major role in the court, still carried some influence. Yet he had maintained such a low profile—it was truly remarkable.

"Ah, Minister Guillaume," Kenji smiled. "What insights might you have?"

"The late Emperor personally led troops to eliminate the Demonic Cult and subsequently purged its influence. Yet now, the Grand Marshal wants to bring someone from the Demonic Cult into the court. May I ask Grand Marshal, has the court really reached such a desperate state that it needs the Demonic Cult to fill its vacancies?" Guillaume looked coldly at him.

"Yes, indeed," Kenji directly admitted.

"???"

This response nearly choked Guillaume.

"If the court had more suitable candidates available, I would have used them. But currently, such candidates are truly rare in the court, so I might as well place my guard in this position—at least I know my guard's capabilities," Kenji said with a hint of a smile. "Any questions?"

"Even if others lack ability, at least their background..."

"I understand your concern, Minister. You worry that Lina will destabilize Camelot. That's normal thinking, but I have something to advise you," Kenji said as he walked toward Guillaume.

The two stood very close. Kenji placed his hand gently on Guillaume's shoulder, then suddenly gently pushed him outward.

Guillaume's body stumbled backward, nearly falling out of the hall's threshold!

"However many political views you may have, you should at least respect those present. I believe this is the most basic courtesy."