Stefan said, “Wasn't what I meant clear from the very beginning? I do not agree!”
But in the next second, the former King said, “Step down! This is no place for you to speak!”
At the same time, a massive amount of Coercion was intentionally released, bearing down entirely on Stefan alone. His expression froze, and his once-upright body instantly sank to one knee. Even so, Stefan still gritted his teeth and forced himself to try and stand. He said, “W-Why, Father... I... I don't understand...”
However, even though Stefan exerted every ounce of his strength, his body still did not budge in the slightest. If a person's maximum strength limit was one hundred, they might be able to briefly lift something weighing one hundred and twenty through sheer willpower, but they could never lift something weighing two hundred, or even three hundred.
Listening to Stefan's words, the former King merely sighed helplessly. “My child, you have indeed worked very hard, but effort does not mean you are the most suitable candidate.”
Even without this coup d'état, after learning of Law Freya's talent, the former King would still have felt that Law Freya was the more suitable successor. The reason was simple: in the extraordinary world, talent simply trumped hard work.
And this point did not seem to apply only to the extraordinary world; it was the same in the ordinary world. There were always some people who could easily learn knowledge and skills that others could never grasp, no matter how hard they tried.
Actually, this could also be seen from the fact that Trig had not chosen Stefan. Trig had prepared for so long before taking action, so of course he had thoroughly investigated the two princes and the princess. If Stefan were truly suited to be King, Trig would not have staged a coup d'état; instead, he would have supported Stefan to take the throne.
As it turned out, Stefan was indeed very hardworking, but if he were allowed to inherit the throne, the current state of the Kingdom of Tarapaca would not change. The reason was simple: he was not firm enough, and deep down, he was the exact same kind of person as his father, the former King—viewing the nation as his family's private property.
Stefan was still speaking. He looked at Law Freya on the throne. “Then what about her? Just where is she more outstanding than me?”
Seeing the topic finally return to her, Law Freya thought about it and said calmly, “Seventeen years old, but only one advancement ritual away from Rank Six. How about that?”
“Ah?” As soon as these words were spoken, not only Stefan, but almost all the nobles present froze. The reason it was “almost” was that Duke Ashworth had known about this for a long time. Looking at the dazed expressions of the other nobles around him, the corners of his mouth could not help but curl up slightly.
It had to be said that after being shocked by something, watching others show shocked expressions over the same thing while knowing it beforehand—and displaying a contrasting “I knew it all along” look—was actually quite satisfying.
Duke Ashworth: I just want to see that look on your faces.jpg
The royalist nobles who had previously thought Law Freya was a puppet king now changed their minds as well. Nearly Rank Six meant she was on the same level as Trig, so she could absolutely not be Trig's hand-controlled puppet.
After a brief daze, Stefan's lips trembled slightly as he said, “R-Rank Six? The same rank as Father?”
One had to know that Stefan was only Rank Three right now, just one final step away from Rank Four. This level of strength might be considered decent compared to other peers, but compared to Law Freya, it was like the difference between heaven and earth.
Stefan instantly lost his spirit. He lowered his head, a dejected expression appearing on his face, and spoke no more.
He now clearly knew that he could absolutely not compare to this “big sister” whom he was meeting for the first time. However, after working hard for so long, only to end up with nothing in the end, it was bound to be extremely painful.
Seeing this, Law Freya thought about it and said, “If you truly want to do something for this country, why don't you stay by my side and help me?”
Hearing this, Stefan snapped his head up. “Really?”
When a successor successfully inherited a nation, the safest course of action was usually to dismiss all their siblings, sending them to various places and stripping them of their power, allowing them to enjoy wealth and honor to prevent them from seizing the power in one's hands.
As for the more ruthless ones, it was not impossible to directly slaughter all of one's siblings. Yet Law Freya's words right now were quite outrageous—she actually wanted to keep another legitimate successor by her side, sharing her power?
Law Freya nodded. “Of course it's true.”
After all, she was different from normal monarchs. Other monarchs viewed power as more important than their own lives, but Law Freya did not care about this bit of power at all. She actually wished more people would come to share her burden so she could slack off.
And Stefan was undoubtedly an excellent candidate. This prince had been studying how to govern the country all along, so having him assist her now—wasn't that just a pure, free laborer?
At this moment, a noble spoke up, “This... Your Highness, isn't this a bit inappropriate? Isn't His Highness the Prince a bit too young? Letting him interfere in state affairs so early, what if he messes things up?”
Law Freya silently glanced at this noble. “Young? I don't think so. Isn't he just one year younger than me?”
“Err...” This noble was left speechless, completely at a loss for how to counter. On the other hand, Stefan's face was practically overflowing with gratitude. He suddenly felt that letting his big sister be King seemed like a pretty good thing after all?
Instead of exiling him, she was actually willing to share power with him, which gave all the knowledge Stefan had previously studied a place to be utilized! It ensured that his past efforts were not in vain and had meaning!
Moreover, if not for Law Freya, Stefan might have had to wait another twenty or thirty years to interfere in the important affairs of the country. In other words, he would have had to spend another twenty or thirty years studying as if he were ‘serving prison time,’ but this timeline had been brought forward to the present. He could immediately show off his skills, which was honestly just too amazing.
Stefan was now truly convinced as he knelt, bowing his head to Law Freya. “Thank you so, so much...”
Law Freya replied, “No need to be so formal. You can just... call me big sister.”
Afterward, Trig glanced around at all the nobles present and said, “If everyone has no objections, the coronation ceremony is tentatively scheduled for seven days from now.”
Since things had reached this point, these nobles naturally did not dare to have any objections. They spoke up one after another:
“No objections, none at all.”
“Her Majesty Kelydla is already Rank Six at such a young age. Her future is truly limitless!”
“Under Your Majesty's leadership, our nation will surely grow stronger and more prosperous!”
“It has to be said, Her Majesty Kelydla is actually quite beautiful...”
...
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