The Queen's End

Only after the people from both countries had completely left the palace did Benjamin slowly emerge from the back door of the hall.

"Do you think they'll accept?" The Chairman turned around and asked Benjamin.

"They will." Benjamin shrugged. "If one side refuses, we'll hand everything over to the other. In this situation, they have no choice but to accept."

For them to put forward such a plan, they had long since calculated every move. They still held Ikor's governing authority in their hands, and thus had the power to make others accept their proposal without condition.

And this plan seemed to be the only solution to the current deadlock.

The key to gaining more power and benefits from Ikor's transfer of the throne lay in balance. Their current position placed them between Frieden and Caritas, so the more evenly matched the two sides were, the more important they became.

That was why Benjamin had put forward this plan.

On the surface, they were handing Ikor's governing authority over to others. But in truth, the mages had gained a legitimate opportunity to take charge of Ikor. The situation between Frieden and Caritas was balanced, so the Judgment Council would become the most valued institution in the country.

—When the two sides held an equal number of votes, the vote in their hands would become crucial.

"Taking turns governing, with mages overseeing things... I really don't know how you came up with such a method." The Chairman suddenly sighed. "Under normal circumstances, even country farmers would think it a fantasy beyond the sky. But now... they long for the empire's restoration, and you used that longing to give this system a foundation of public support."

Benjamin smiled at that but said nothing.

He had merely borrowed a little from modern ideas