"If anyone has an idea, speak now."

Everyone fell silent; no one dared to raise their hand.

This was a very difficult and serious matter. If they gave advice, and that advice was accepted but failed to be executed, then they would be considered the greatest sinners in the kingdom.

Realizing the silence, Crystal sighed softly and continued, "Just say it. I won't blame you. After all, suggestions are just suggestions, not decisions. The decision is mine, and you won't be blamed if your suggestions fail to be implemented."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. With her assurance, they no longer needed to be afraid to express their opinions.

One of the ministers—the minister of economy—raised his hand and remarked, "Your Majesty, how about we ask for help from the Kingdom of Zoldara? Aren't our diplomatic relations with them quite good? If I'm not mistaken, they have a very powerful general. They will definitely be able to help us."

However, before he could finish speaking, another minister immediately objected, "No, that's a bad suggestion. The Kingdom of Zoldara may appear to have good relations with us, but that is only on the surface. Since the era of the previous king, we have actually been enemies."

"If we ask for their help, I'm sure they will impose unreasonable conditions. Furthermore, there is no guarantee they will help us, considering that our opponent is the Kingdom of Aldoria."

Although still relatively new, the Kingdom of Aldoria was developing very rapidly.

All of this was thanks to its first king, Arthur Solayne, who defeated the Golden Dragon Spirit—the ruler of the central, eastern, and northern regions.

He even made a contract with the dragon, and the nobles of their kingdom also made contracts with spirits.

As a result, their military power skyrocketed, and they began to expand and conquer other kingdoms, including theirs.

"Then, do you have any other suggestions?" The Minister of Economy frowned. "If you do, say it immediately. Don't just deny it."

A heated discussion immediately broke out among the ministers in the throne room.

Crystal did not intervene. In some situations, such debates were necessary to bring out the best suggestions.

Suddenly, Merlin, who was sitting near the two princes, raised his hand.

"Excuse me, everyone, but I also have a suggestion. May I share it?"

Luna, who was sitting next to him, was surprised. She looked at Merlin with curiosity but didn't try to stop him.

If Merlin had an opinion, she was sure it would be useful.

The ministers' argument immediately stopped. They turned to Merlin, who remained calm and indifferent, as if he didn't care about their stares.

Crystal was stunned but quickly regained her composure and smiled slightly.

"Of course, my nephew. Please go ahead; don't worry," she said.

With her permission, Merlin stood up and looked at them one by one indifferently, then said, "The defeat of the Avernian army was actually inevitable. To be honest, I'm not surprised at all."

His words shocked everyone, especially because they sounded so cutting.

Anger flared within them, and some even thought Merlin was just trying to stir things up.

"Your Majesty," the Minister of Economy said politely, clasping his hands toward Crystal. "What your nephew, Merlin Clay, said is very inappropriate. Many of our soldiers sacrificed themselves, yet he dares to insult them openly. I hope Your Majesty can take decisive action!"

The other ministers said nothing, but the agreement in their eyes was clear.

"Brother," Dariel whispered softly. "Merlin is crazier than I thought. How dare he say something like that in front of everyone? Isn't he afraid Mother will punish him?"

Altarus remained calm, but a slight smile appeared on his face.

"It's okay. Mother isn't angry at his words," he replied. "In fact, what he said is true. Our kingdom was destined to lose from the start."

He was not a stubborn person who refused to accept reality. In fact, he was open-minded.

Over the past ten days, he had realized that the war against the Kingdom of Aldoria was futile.

However, since mentioning it in front of everyone could destroy their morale, he chose to keep it to himself.

Unexpectedly, Merlin voiced the same concern, and that made him feel a little relieved.

At least his anxiety was expressed by someone else.

He glanced at his mother, who remained calm and relaxed, as if she wasn't offended by Merlin's words.

"All right, don't make such a fuss. Merlin hasn't even finished speaking, yet you've already interrupted him. Aren't you ashamed?" Crystal defended Merlin while glancing indifferently at the Minister of Economy.

"Ugh..." The man gritted his teeth in anger but restrained himself and chose to sit down, hiding his embarrassment.

"Continue, Merlin," Crystal ordered.

Merlin glanced at the Minister of Economy with a cold stare but quickly hid it.

He remembered that the Kingdom of Avernia fell not just because of Aldoria's attacks, but also because of traitors working in the shadows.

They were spies planted by other kingdoms, including the Kingdom of Zoldara.

It was very likely that the Minister of Economy was one of them, but Merlin had no proof.

He would have to discuss this matter with the queen later tonight.

Merlin took a small breath and continued indifferently, "Even so, we still have one chance, which is to activate the Seven Celestial Generals in the treasure room."

As soon as Merlin mentioned the Seven Celestial Generals, their expressions changed to surprise.

The Seven Celestial Generals were seven powerful puppets equivalent to Second Spirit Cores.

So one could imagine how powerful they would be if released together.

However, that did not mean they had no weaknesses. To activate them, the essence of the Tharot family's blood was required.

And usually, there were other unknown risks. There could be hidden dangers behind it.

In an instant, the throne room fell silent. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, occasionally glancing at Crystal on the throne.

It wasn't that they had never suggested it to Crystal before, but the queen herself had never wanted to use the treasure.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have fallen into this predicament.

Crystal looked deeply at Merlin and asked, "Why did you make such a suggestion?"

Merlin smiled slightly and replied, "Isn't it obvious? The kingdom is on the verge of destruction. If Your Majesty still insists, then…"

He stopped speaking, but the meaning was clear—the kingdom would be destroyed and become nothing more than a historical footnote.

Everyone waited quietly, though their hearts were pounding.

Many hoped Crystal would agree. Yet some hoped she would not.

Those who didn't hope for it were the spies placed in the Kingdom of Avernia by their enemies.

Crystal was silent for a moment, took a deep breath, and gave a small nod.

"All right, I agree..."

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