When Brutus appeared at the Council of Elders wearing an ornate noble robe, Count Clayton and the surrounding nobles were all quite surprised.
Meanwhile, the elders of the Council of Elders underwent a dramatic change in expression, unable to hide the terror in their eyes.
Among the Grand Dukes competing to become Elector, the Rodriguez Grand Duke Family had been the biggest loser. This meant they were destined to receive little in the subsequent division of benefits.
Clearly, His Majesty Emperor Columbus IV would not favor the Rodriguez Family either.
For that reason, Brutus, the Grand Duke's heir, rarely appeared at formal noble gatherings in the Imperial Capital. Of course, when Grand Duke Rodriguez himself appeared, neither the Emperor nor the nobles would treat him differently because of the struggle for Elector.
However, Rodriguez had recently been a supporter of Prince Freud. They had not abandoned Freud.
The reason the Council of Elders had regained some of its voice this year was largely because it had Prince Freud, who was backed by Grand Duke Rodriguez, behind it.
But Brutus's appearance at the Council of Elders made the signal clearer than ever. They no longer supported Freud and had accepted the Empire's new Emperor.
Yes, the Grand Duke had accepted the Emperor's existence.
In that instant, the power held by the elders of the Council of Elders suddenly became weightless, and even the noise in the hall weakened considerably.
Brutus ignored the gazes of the nobles and elders. He calmly walked to the Rodriguez Grand Duke Family's seat—the heir's seat—and sat down. Without speaking or meeting anyone's eyes, he read the Light Trade in his hand.
As the Empire's Church of Light gradually grew stronger, everything became more detailed. Naturally, the books of doctrine grew thicker as well.
The Council of