This is the second time in my life after reincarnating in this world that I've felt this intense murderous intent mixed with hatred. The first was from that dragon in the dungeon, and the second is today. Murderous intent filled the whole room, and the temperature dropped.

Eli drew her sword and charged towards Ezu with lightning speed. I stood up quickly and cast [Quick Step], grabbing her sword with one hand near his neck. Iris and the elders were still in a daze; even Ezu himself stopped talking after I caught the blade. What a powerful force—she was aiming to decapitate him, huh? Iris and the elders snapped out of it.

"Your Highness, please show mercy. He’s just a child. The death of his mother and sister hit him hard," the elder from the Elzaran family began to beg while kneeling and hitting her head against the floor.

"Are you telling me what to do?" Leona replied, her smile scarily cold.

She looked at Iris. "As the head of the Vermillion family, you must take responsibility."

"Yes, Your Highness. As soon as we arrive at the estate, he shall be put to death for insulting the king," Iris responded.

Whoa, whoa, whoa—that’s a bit much. The elder is still hitting her head against the ground. This one might end up dying.

"Wait, wait, I think that’s a bit much," I interjected.

"Honey, I am being merciful. Normally, not only he should die, but even his family," Leona protested.

I walked towards my wife and hugged her from behind as she was now standing. "It’s okay. You don’t have to be angry for my sake. Let me handle this matter."

"If you say so," Leona replied, puffing her cheeks and turning red.

I turned towards Iris while still holding my wife. "He shall be expelled from the Vermillion family and stripped of his noble status."

"Thank His Majesty for his kindness. What are you waiting for?" commanded the Elzaran elder, turning towards Ezu.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you, thank you, thank you," replied the elder, who was banging her head on the ground.

"Iris Vermillion will execute your orders."

"Thank His Majesty for his kindness," said the elder to Ezu.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness," Ezu bowed, visibly scared.

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As they left the room, the elder kept on thanking me.

"Your Majesty, you are way too kind," Eli broke the silence in the room.

"Kind? Maybe. However, I don’t think it was wise for us to kill him while they are still uniting other factions," I said, letting go of my wife as she sat on my lap. "We don’t know his influence and what killing him might cause. We don’t want already conquered factions to rebel."

After that incident, rumors spread like wildfire. The rumor was that the king is kind and merciful even to those who deserve death. Other rumors were ridiculous, saying the king is the illegitimate child of Queen Elizabeth. The capital was bustling with energy as the wind of change blew. I had to finalize my plan and the laws before meeting with the elders. Before I knew it, it was already time to meet the council of elders.

The elders' headquarters was a magnificent structure, nestled beside the towering Yggdrasil. This grand building was a testament to the nation’s rich culture and history. Ornate carvings adorned the exterior, depicting legendary heroes and ancient battles. The entrance was flanked by statues of past rulers, their eyes seemingly watching over all who entered.

I entered the building with Leona, Anna, and Eli. A beautiful blonde lady greeted us at the door, her demeanor both welcoming and authoritative. As she guided us through the many corridors, each turn revealed new wonders—mosaics illustrating pivotal moments in our history, tapestries woven with scenes of our greatest victories, and walls lined with artifacts that told the tale of our people's journey through the ages. It reminded me of the first time I entered the Whiteheart estate, but even more awe-inspiring.

We reached a large, intricately carved door. The guide knocked lightly, and a soft voice replied, "Come in."

We entered and knelt down. "Leona Aceso greets the elders."

Only the queen can address the elders, so the three of us remained quiet.

"You don’t have to be formal with us. Please rise and take a seat," the Supreme Elder responded.

We all sat down. I started looking at them. Only five, including Elmacia, had kind faces; the rest were filled with disgust. I guess they don’t want to breathe the same air as a dark elf. The meeting began.

"As the Queen of Elzaran, I have already discussed with the major noble families, and we have decided to make changes to the laws of the country and reduce the strength of each noble family for the sake of the country," Leona was saying when one of the elders interrupted her.

"Denied. You cannot change the laws of the country by only consulting with major families. Besides, I don’t see anything wrong with the laws to be changed."

"So my husband will be the one to explain the plan we came up with together with all major families," Leona continued, ignoring the elder.

"How dare this little girl ignore me?" the elder protested.

"Supreme Elder, I request permission for my husband to discuss our plan in detail with the council," Leona said, looking at the Supreme Elder.

"How dare you expect us to listen to that disgusting thing?" another elder shouted.

Immediately after shouting, other elders started voicing their complaints. Man, I was insulted and called names I didn’t know existed. I started looking at their statuses and realized the highest was Elmacia, with level 1300, followed by 1000, and the lowest was level 950.

"Quiet!" Elmacia shouted. The room fell silent. She continued, "Permission granted."

The council is divided. Seven are against us, five are neutral, and one is not even interested—she's just staring at the wall. You can tell she was forced to come here. I am panicking, super nervous. Some are looking at me as if I'm their prey. It looks like this meeting will not be peaceful. I stood up and walked in front of them. I felt like a teacher about to begin his lesson. Shall I start teaching these old hags some respect?