Shunaizel was a man of considerable caution. Despite the vast difference in rank and standing between himself and Rulu, he showed no contempt. He kept his smile in place and said to Euphemia, "This attendant of yours looks quite distinguished, Euphemia — and what he says is rather amusing."
Euphemia laughed awkwardly and said, "His personality is a bit peculiar, but he means well. I hope you won't hold it against him, brother."
Shunaizel nodded and said, "Not at all. By the way, there is something I should tell you, Euphemia — His Majesty the Emperor has already been informed of what happened here recently. My coming here was at his behest."
Euphemia said with a touch of anxiety, "Does that mean His Majesty is angry about this and wishes to strip me of my position as lord?"
Shunaizel said, "It hasn't come to that. His Majesty sent me here to listen in and learn the full details of this incident. Though I am attending the meeting, I will not participate in its discussions or intervene in its proceedings in any way. However, should any conflicts or disputes arise during the meeting, I will act as mediator and witness, handling such matters fairly and properly."
"I see — then I'll have to trouble you, brother Shunaizel."
Shunaizel nodded and said, "Very well. Let's not keep everyone waiting any longer. We shall begin."
Shunaizel then took a seat near the middle of the conference room. Euphemia sat down at the head of the table, Lady Jessica took the seat to her left, while Rulu and the Suzaku Guard Captain stood behind her.
"Everyone, my imperial brothers and sisters…" Euphemia swept her gaze around the room and spoke in a voice that was slightly unpolished but clear and bright: "First of all, I want to thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend this meeting. I feel genuinely sorry for having taken up your time over my affairs."
Those gathered in the room remained quiet, each regarding Euphemia with their own particular expression.
Euphemia continued: "I believe many of you already know that some time ago, within the territory under my administration, a massive serpentine creature appeared — one with nine heads. The beast was ferocious by nature and attacked the people of my domain the moment it arrived. It later assaulted Yufei City itself, causing considerable damage. This incident has had a very negative impact on myself and on the Sanctuary as a whole. I have gathered you here today to discuss this matter. I would now like to hear what each of you thinks about what I have just described."
The conference room fell silent for about ten seconds. Then a slightly heavyset middle-aged man spoke up: "I find what happened to you most regrettable, Euphemia. Personally, I think you handled the situation rather well. I heard that you and your subordinates fought that creature bravely and ultimately drove it away, preserving the stability of the domain — that is worthy of praise."
The moment he finished, a lean man on the other side of the room immediately added: "However, I have also heard that in the incident, the creature killed a considerable number of people. Yufei City came perilously close to being destroyed, and you yourself, Euphemia, nearly lost your life. Out of concern for your personal safety, perhaps Euphemia is not suited to continue serving as lord."
A middle-aged woman with narrow, slanted eyes chimed in: "Indeed. Euphemia is still very young, after all, and her Psionic power level is not particularly high — only a two-tier Magic Psionic power user. Her subordinates lack outstanding talent as well. It would be very difficult to maintain the stability of the domain. Perhaps having someone else take over her duties would be the wiser choice."
Someone else said: "In the Sanctuary, lordship has always gone to whoever is most capable. Changes in leadership are entirely normal. This is not a matter of deliberately targeting her — it is simply the standard rotation of personnel within our Sanctuary."
One by one, those present voiced their opinions. Though they all appeared warm and seemingly concerned for Euphemia's wellbeing, their conclusions were remarkably uniform: Euphemia should be relieved of her position as lord, and someone else should take over. Only a small handful remained neutral or openly supported her continued tenure.
Though Euphemia had anticipated this response, she still felt a deep pang of hurt. She steeled herself and said, "Everyone, I acknowledge that I did not handle the incident as well as I could have, and I accept your criticism. But I did ultimately save Yufei City and drive the creature away — can you not give me another chance?"
Lady Jessica said, "A creature as powerful as the Hydra is extraordinarily rare within the Sanctuary. We were caught off guard by a sudden attack with no prior preparation, and our weapons depot caught fire at the worst possible moment, leaving us without sufficient strength to counter the beast. That we were still able to drive it away under those conditions speaks to Lord Euphemia's exceptional ability. I believe she is more than capable of continuing to govern her domain effectively."
A gaunt, wiry man in the room let out a cold laugh and said, "But it remains an undeniable fact that Yufei City suffered severe damage. Rules are rules — a mistake must be answered for. This is not something that can be handled with personal sentiment."
Another person added: "What's more, His Majesty the Emperor has already been made aware of this matter and dispatched His Highness Prince Shunaizel to come here and ascertain the truth. This affair must be handled with fairness and rigor. Otherwise His Majesty might suspect us of favoritism — and the consequences of angering His Majesty would be most severe."
Yet another person said: "There are still many princes and princesses within the Sanctuary who have no domain of their own. Their abilities are no less than Euphemia's, and they command far more talented subordinates. If Euphemia is allowed to continue as lord, that would be deeply unfair to all of them."
The room continued to buzz with opinions, converging almost unanimously on the conclusion that Euphemia should relinquish her position and that someone else should take over her domain. Though Euphemia fought back as best she could, she was hopelessly outnumbered and found herself losing ground in the debate.
Lady Jessica, seeing how dire Euphemia's situation had become, raised her voice and said: "Everyone, please quiet down for a moment and hear me out. There is more to this matter than meets the eye. According to our investigation, the Hydra creature was very likely deliberately lured into Lord Euphemia's territory. Lord Euphemia may well have been framed."
A brief silence fell over the room, before someone called out loudly: "Is that really true, Lady Jessica? Who would have the power to control a creature that formidable?"
Lady Jessica said, "We are still investigating the matter. I believe we will have answers before long."
"Perhaps there is no such person at all," someone said with a sly, mocking tone. "You're just trying to shirk responsibility, aren't you?"
"Lady Jessica, do you have any evidence? If you don't, you had better not make such claims. His Highness Prince Shunaizel is here on behalf of His Majesty as an observer. If you lie in his presence, you are deceiving the Emperor himself — and that carries severe punishment."
Lady Jessica's face flushed with embarrassment. She genuinely had no hard evidence to substantiate her words, leaving her unable to counter the room's objections. The assembled members grew louder and more animated in their debate, their views converging ever more firmly on a single conclusion: Lord Euphemia should be stripped of her position and replaced by someone else. Watching the scene unfold, Shunaizel — attending as an observer — quietly concluded that the outcome of this meeting was already decided. Euphemia would not be able to continue as lord.