As soon as he entered, Julius spoke coldly to Mia.
"What are you still doing here? The Grand Vizier told you to leave."
"Ah, yes. Then I'll be going now."
Mia pulled on Leca's arm and left the chamber.
She had been curious to hear what would be said now that Julius had arrived, but his words had been so firm it was as if he had read her mind.
Julius had been watching Mia pull on Leca's arm.
That kind of physical contact was displeasing.
No matter how loyal a bodyguard he was, was there really a need to be that close to her?
He wanted to replace the guard soon. But if he did, Mia wouldn't just let it go… Damn it.
"What brings you here, Your Grace?"
At the Grand Vizier's question, Julius gave a smile that was almost a sneer.
"It seemed like you were harassing my future wife. Would it be strange to say I came to save her?"
Jakiel narrowed his eyes at those words.
"She has yet to be confirmed as queen, has she not?"
"Oh? Are you truly planning to send that girl to the demon god, Grand Vizier? Are you being serious right now?"
Pain and fear flickered in Julius's beautiful eyes. Jakiel, watching, smiled inwardly with satisfaction.
"As Your Grace has seen, the girl appears to have remarkable talent. She can easily fulfill the role of two or three warriors on her own."
"Well, I don't see it. To me, she's still just a young girl."
"A young girl? She's over twenty years old! At that age, she'd already be old enough to have borne one or two children!"
Another minister interjected. Julius waved his hand dismissively, looking annoyed.
"In any case, if you're really going to send her, then I'll go with her."
At that, Jakiel shot him a furious glare.
"For a king on the verge of coronation to accompany a queen candidate on her rite of passage—such a thing is unheard of! Please uphold the dignity of your station, Your Grace!"
The atmosphere grew tense.
As Jakiel and Julius glared at one another in silence, the Minister of Foreign Affairs cleared his throat.
"By the way, were you inspecting Nakil? They said they saw you there…"
Julius nodded.
"I went to check on the progress of the land reclamation project."
"Was there anything suspicious about them?"
Julius felt a surge of confidence in his plan. The ministers were beginning to view Mia with suspicion.
He was, however, surprised by how potent the drug's effect had been.
He had expected no more than a bit of soil degradation—maybe some ruined farmland.
But because Mia and Leca just happened to be passing through, an unexpected variable had been added.
They weren't just being regarded with unease anymore—They were being framed as the culprits.
This meant that he could finally sever Mia's right hand legally. The one person she clung to with all her heart: Leca Parvati.
At last, the time had come to cut off her wings.
Julius was elated inside. He had never imagined the plan would succeed this well. Outwardly, though, he spoke calmly.
"Well… other than Leca being badly injured, nothing of note. I was only with them briefly—so I wouldn't know what they did in my absence."
The ministers whispered among themselves, exchanging glances. Julius let them talk as they pleased.
Everything was unfolding exactly as he had hoped.
"In fact, with His Majesty absent, this is as good a time as any to bring it up—Your Grace. And you, members of the bloodline."
Jakiel spoke slowly.
"Hm?"
"I've long held a fundamental question."
"What question is that?"
The Grand Vizier glanced briefly at Julius before continuing.
"It is this: Why did Leca Parvati—former High Commander and current bodyguard to the queen candidate—bring this young lady instead of Mithys?"
"…!"
A stir spread through the chamber. Julius furrowed his brow. But rather than stopping him, he signaled Jakiel to continue.
"Well, he said so himself. He received a direct order to retrieve the queen candidate, and since defying the command of a spirit would mean death—"
At that, Jakiel stroked his white beard and tilted his head.
"That is the fundamental question. His Majesty's order was to 'bring Mithys, the queen candidate.' It was not to 'bring someone who could become the queen candidate by any means necessary,' was it?"
"Orders are open to interpretation, aren't they? Maybe he feared death so much, he felt he had to bring someone—anyone."
Jakiel shook his head.
"But is it true that he would die if he disobeyed the order?"
"Isn't it common knowledge that spirits die when they defy orders, Grand Vizier?"
Julius asked.
"Your Grace has spent much time with him. Have you never once found it strange? He bears no spirit mark on his forehead."
"…That's… because he's a mutation…"
Even as Julius said the words, he felt his head spin. He had once asked Shamanaz about that very point.
But Shamanaz had simply said, "They say he's a mutation."
Although none of the other spirits Julius had seen lacked the mark, he had brushed it off—he hadn't wanted to pay Leca any attention.
"What I know is—pardon me for speaking so freely…"
Everyone held their breath.
"If a spirit is born of mixed blood with another race, the mark does not appear on their forehead. That mark signifies absolute subservience to their master.
A hybrid spirit without it is not bound by the same fate of death upon disobedience."
"…!"
Julius, along with the ministers of the twelve bloodlines, were stunned.
Roland quietly added,
"It is true. The ancient texts say the same."
"Then why are you only telling us this now, Grand Vizier?"
Someone asked. Jakiel darkened.
"I only learned of this spirit mark matter recently."
Julius was genuinely taken aback by this unexpected revelation.
There had been a perfectly legitimate way to bring Leca down, and he had left that thorn in his side untouched all this time!
Jakiel, for his part, had a scheme of his own.
He was certain: no matter how much power Mia had gained from entering the water where a fairy underwent molting, she wouldn't be running wild like this unless she had something—or someone—backing her.
That someone was none other than the former High Commander and current bodyguard, Leca.
Leca, too, showed a degree of arrogance unbefitting a mere spirit, and the reason was clear: the king's favor.
In other words, by securing Leca, Mia had gained not only political backing from the king himself, but also an enhancement of her magical abilities.
Her sudden growth in power, her easy success in the Trial of the Unicorn, her utter lack of fear toward anything… all of it was undoubtedly linked to Leca.
Leca must have either taught her some exceptional technique or gifted her with a powerful magical artifact.
As a Grand Mage, Jakiel had sensed an enormous surge of mana emanating from Mia's body starting at a certain point.
It was possible that this came from her being a unique human who had entered the water where a fairy underwent molting.
But the power had grown too suddenly.
And what's more—it felt strikingly similar to the presence one exudes when wearing an invisible magical artifact.
Jakiel ground his teeth.
'Insolent wretches… To think they would dare to mock me—Sibareth's Grand Vizier and Grand Mage!'
If you wish to kill the queen bee, you must first eliminate the worker bee beside her.
Having made up his mind, Jakiel continued.
"And so, my lords, a thought occurred to me. What if Leca had already shared an intimate relationship with her back in her original world?"
"Oh… Isn't that going too far?"
Despite someone's attempt to stop him, Jakiel pressed on without a hint of hesitation.
"Leca has already committed multiple crimes and escaped punishment by riding on His Majesty's favor. Then what reason do we have to believe he isn't manipulating this new queen candidate to wield control over the kingdom?"
A heavy silence followed.
Of course, Julius knew why Jakiel was pushing this far.
Now that sending Mia to the demon god was no longer a guaranteed way to eliminate her, he intended to cut off her limbs instead.
Ah, of course it's you.
You're still the same man who slaughtered the maidens of our bloodline.
I despise your serpentine ways—but for now, we're on the same boat. So I'll sit back and enjoy the show, Grand Vizier…
Julius thought this as he lounged in his chair, relaxed. But the other ministers looked shocked.
"That… might be true, but there's no way to prove it, is there?"
At those words, Jakiel looked around the room with a disappointed expression.
"Then do you mean to say, you'll only consider hunting the fox after it's clawed your face?"
The Minister of Finance, Jurgen, wore a doubtful expression.
"There is some logic to the Grand Vizier's words. But having watched Leca since he was young… he never struck me as the type to plot treason."
What nonsense is that fool spouting now? Jakiel's expression twisted with fury.
"I've known him since childhood as well. But this isn't a matter of sentiment—it's one of logic! Whatever his character may be, he must clearly explain these two things: why he bears no spirit mark, and why he brought that particular young lady as the queen candidate."
Julius raised his hand to settle the room.
"Leca claimed he brought her because he was compelled to follow the command.
But if it is proven that he is not a pure-blooded spirit, then his statement is false.
So the first step is to determine whether or not he is a pure-blooded spirit."
"But how does that relate to the substance spread in Nakil?"
Someone asked. Jakiel smiled again.
"Why wouldn't it be related? If one were attempting to sow unrest and orchestrate rebellion, beginning with the destruction of the land would be an effective strategy…"