Bannou “Murazukuri” Cheat de Otegaru Slow Life ~Mura desu ga Nani ka?~

“As such, we have a proposal…”

At that moment, the chancellor’s line of sight shifted toward the young girl by King Darios III’s side.

This girl—who had received a rite of blessing just a few years ago—was the kingdom’s first princess.
Even within the magnificent royal palace, her beauty still shone radiantly.
So much so that there was endless number of marriage proposals that she receives from both within and outside the kingdom.

For that and many other reasons, she was King Darios III’s beloved daughter.

Upon guessing what the chancellor was about to say, her body immediately but subtly stiffened.

“Our proposal is to have Princess Darinea succeed the throne and have her welcome Lord Albert as her prince consort.
That way, not only do we comply with Lord Albert’s demands, we also ensure that your royal bloodline continues to the next generation.”

“What should I do…?”

After hearing his supposed vassals, King Darios III retreated to a private chamber and wracked his brain.

“My girl, she’s still so young.
If that Marquis Albert becomes her prince consort, he’ll essentially take control of the palace and the country.
And then, given how much of a warmonger he is, he’ll surely set his eyes on another country.
Blood will flow more than they ever had if we allow him.
but…what can I do about it? Nothing, absolutely nothing…”

He was a king only in name.

All manner of governance has been taken over by the court nobles, and he was not allowed to intervene in any way.

The exchange earlier where the court nobles asked the king for his final judgment on the matter was nothing more than an act.
Even if he rejected the proposal, the nobles would not back down.

After all, these nobles had the power not only to dethrone the king but also to appoint a new one.

As for how a king could have so little power, it was the fault of the previous kings themselves.
More specifically, it was the fault of foolish and abusive kings who sat on the throne for years while their kingdom suffered.
After seeing such a thing repeat over and over again, the court nobles amended the laws and gave themselves the power to change the ruler.

However, that increase to the court nobles’ power eventually gave birth to the current corruption plaguing their kingdom.
Moreover, even if a capable leader like King Darios III appears, the current system made it hard for such people to properly govern the country.

“Your majesty, a report.”

While wracking his head like that, a certain report was brought to the king.

“It’s from an agent of ours who succeeded in infiltrating the Albert territory.”

Upon hearing that, hope suddenly returned to the king.