Without missing a beat, Trau's three siblings broke their silence to berate him. He flinched at the sudden shower of abuse but managed to come up with yet another tone-deaf rebuttal.
"Th-the way you speak and look at people is very intense, Zandra. Perhaps that is why you've never found any suitors for marriage?"
"One more word, and I'm going to grind you up and feed you to the livestock."
That got another squeal of alarm out of Trau.
It amazed me to no end how both of them were able to fling such nasty insults right in front of our father.
By that point, the tension in the room had pretty much evaporated. Finne cleared her throat and brought everyone's attention back to herself.
"May I speak?"
"Go on."
"Thank you. I am the one who asked Prince Traugott to accept this duty. Sending the military into the southern region will bring no benefit to the empire."
"Oh? The military, you say?"
"I realize I am not well-versed in such matters, but please consider what I have to say. If the empire sends out naval ships in the name of aid to the southern region, it will be several days before they arrive. If the sea dragon is defeated before then, the effort will have been for nothing. And even if they do reach the region in time, they will still be fighting against a sea dragon; there is every chance they will be defeated. The military has never participated in the slaying of a sea dragon before, and that is because when it comes to slaying dragons, quality is more important than quantity. Therefore, I believe sending Prince Traugott as Your Majesty's proxy and giving permission to Lady Elna to use the holy sword will be the most advantageous course of action for the empire."
Finne explained herself with eloquence and confidence, but of course, the words weren't actually hers. More precisely, she had very similar ideas, but she wasn't the type to come up with such detailed and rational logic.
Before our visit to the throne room, we had come to the decision that Finne would be the one to explain our plan to the emperor. Lynphia had then come up with an explanation and told Finne what to say.
"Hmmm, very interesting. You have a point. But why must it be Trau who goes as my proxy?"
"The other three potential candidates are too high in status. In this instance, your proxy will be merely acting as a conveyance for the holy sword. Giving such a lowly role to one of the others could hurt their reputations. Forgive me for saying so, but there is no such risk to Prince Traugott.
"Your words sting, Lady Finne... But I shall forgive you since you are so beautiful. Beauty conquers all, you know."
"Trau, please shut up for a minute."
Father was painfully clutching his head as he delivered another warning to my brother. Dealing with Trau would give anyone a headache. I felt one coming on myself.
At that point, Gordon spoke up.
"Your Majesty. I have a question for Blau Mowe."
"Granted."
"Blau Mowe. By your logic, wouldn't it work just as well if I commanded the military and acted as the emperor's proxy? Why are you so insistent on not sending out any troops? Are you suggesting that the wielder of the holy sword and the imperial army working together could face defeat?"
"Not at all, Prince Gordon. In that case, victory would be certain. However, it would also take time. Fortunately, we have Master Silver here with us. He can use his transfer magic to instantly transport himself, a proxy, and a small escort of bodyguards to the southern region. Right now, speed is more important than numbers. Additionally, there is no need for the military if we have the empire's greatest adventurer and the indomitable wielder of the holy sword working together. And of course, word of Adrasia's accomplishment will spread all across the continent, with no harm to the empire as well."
Finne's response was perfect. Gordon appeared to be racking his brain to come up with an opposing argument, but under the circumstances, neither he nor the other two had any chance of winning against our team. There simply was no better answer in terms of what was most beneficial to the empire.
It would be a win for the empire's reputation with no downsides. Plus, like Finne said, the proxy would only be a conveyance for the holy sword. If any of our three other siblings accepted such an accessory role it would only hurt their reputation and their pride.
"That's poor logic. The empire saving the South all on our own will bring the greatest acclaim of all. I have no interest in cooperating with the Adventurers' Guild. They can do everything themselves if they're so concerned about what the empire does."
"Hmmm. Erik. What do you think?"
"I agree with Finne. This will bring the greatest benefit to the empire. Zandra's idea will only invite discord between the empire and the Adventurers' Guild, and lead to rumors that the empire, and even yourself, Your Majesty, are uncooperative."
Nice work, Erik. Grasping the situation, he quickly jumped onto the winning team and remembered to throw in a jab at Zandra while he was at it. Zandra glared at him, but he paid her no mind.
Meanwhile, Gordon turned his attention toward our father.
"Your Majesty. I ask that you put me in charge. Let's use this opportunity to take control of the southern region."
Gordon didn't mince words. He had just announced that he would use aiding the southern region as a cover, creating an opportunity for us to invade.
Father responded with a wry smile. "I appreciate your candor, Gordon, but I have no need to control the southern region. If you want it, you can take it when you're emperor. This discussion is over. We are going with Finne's idea. I see no allure in taking over the southern region, and there is no benefit to dispatching the military to conquer the sea dragon."
"But Father!"
"'Your Majesty,' Zandra."
"Argh! Your Majesty! You don't have to give in to whatever the Adventurers' Guild wants!"
"We ended up in deep trouble as a result of ignoring the Guild last time there was an incident. This time, we will defer to Silver and work with them instead. After all, he came all the way here to ask for our help. It will be easier with Elna's assistance, yes?"
"Yes. Slaying the dragon on my own would be quite a backbreaking feat."
"Then it's decided. Trau, come forward."