The Seventeenth Holy Emperor ascended the throne alone.
It happened while Leandro, occupied with his own affairs, paid absolutely no attention to what was happening in the Imperial Capital.
“This is truly absurd. No matter how important exterminating demons may be, how can the captain of an Order of Holy Knights remain ignorant of an affair this momentous?”
Archbishop Capran reproached Leandro, who had attended the Assembly for the first time in quite a while.
Amid the chaos gripping the Imperial Capital, he had been the foremost contributor in soothing the High Clergy and ensuring that the Seventeenth Holy Emperor ascended the throne without any significant opposition.
Of course, persuading people had not actually been all that difficult.
At the time, the circumstances of the Holy Emperor’s family had been nothing short of disastrous.
First Prince Cameron had no particular flaws, but neither was he especially outstanding. Even with the power of his wealthy princess consort behind him, he had failed to distinguish himself in the struggle for the throne.
Then, when word came that Demon Species had infiltrated the Imperial Palace, rather than thinking of defending the Imperial Capital, he had attempted to secretly flee with his own faction.
He had not even managed to accomplish that properly and had ultimately lost his life.
The situation with First Princess Alexandra was not much different.
She had withdrawn from the succession struggle long ago, gone into exile in Brittany, and then disappeared from public view.
As for Second Prince Brayden, there was no need even to mention him.
Had he not been the very person who succumbed to the demons’ temptation and summoned Demon Species into the thousand-year Holy…