The Wine Finally Sobering Me Up

"...Huh?"

Hearing Grey's words, Iver was stunned for a moment and slowly widened his eyes.

His mind was still enveloped in an intense, fluffy sensation—not the excitement and imbalance of drunkenness. It felt like crawling into a dry, warm bed on a cold winter's day. If he closed his eyes now, he would probably soon enter an infinite tranquility without thinking about anything at all.

That was precisely why Iver felt his mind turning more sluggishly than ever before.

Fortunately, his instincts were still functioning, and they keenly sensed something wrong in this unexpected situation. Although he couldn't immediately figure out why he felt that way, Iver instinctively wanted to raise his hand.

Whatever was about to happen, he couldn't handle it in his current state. He might as well refuse first and discuss it after he had sobered up.

That thought flashed through his mind.

—but immediately afterward, Iver realized that he couldn't raise his hand at all.

The hand he habitually used to comfort Grey had been firmly held down by her, leaving him unable to break free.

He froze for a moment and was just about to raise his left hand... when Grey spoke again. "Raise your hand if you agree."

The next moment, eleven Cardinals raised their hands. Iver hurriedly lowered his left hand, which he had just been about to raise.

Apart from Iver, there were nineteen Cardinal Bishops present.

Eleven votes in favor were undoubtedly more than half, enough to enter the discussion stage, but they had not reached two-thirds—the number of votes required for direct passage.

Therefore, according to the Theocracy's rules, the Saintess and those who had not yet voted could make one additional statement.

Grey held Iver's hand and said to the Cardinal Bishops, "There is no doubt that, in my