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But the Minister of Camelot also professed his loyalty to Queen Sofia, positioned as her absolute confidant—precisely for this reason, Queen Sofia had entrusted him with the role of Minister of the Privy Council. The Camelot family could be considered a collateral line of the Du Lac family, their ancestors likewise descendants of Lancelot I; there was kinship between them.

Five years ago, Queen Sofia had even secretly instructed him... should the Du Lac Family be wiped out due to the curse or become extinct, the Camelot family could then adopt one of their offspring into the Du Lac family and install a new monarch.

However, from the moment Queen Sofia passed away last night, and the Hall of Silver and Tin did not summon him urgently... the Minister of Camelot had already sensed foreboding.

It wasn't until he saw the newspaper this morning that he completely lost heart.

Without a doubt, he was not regarded by Isabel as one of the reliable and trustworthy individuals.

This actually made sense.

After all, objectively speaking, the bloodline of the Camelot family posed a threat to Isabel, who did not possess the aptitude for the Path of Authority. Moreover, even if old Camelot was loyal to Queen Isabel, his descendants might not necessarily maintain that same loyalty inherited from their clan.

...But that being said, old Camelot had watched Isabel grow up, and he felt somewhat saddened by her wariness towards him.

What surprised the Minister of Camelot, however, was that the young minister who enjoyed Queen Isabel's trust did not enter the Round Table Hall first.

Even as the Knights had nearly all entered, there was still no sign of Minister Moriarty.

—Could it be that he was late?

That was what the Knights initially thought.

But after all the Knights had arrived, that seat at the Round Table remained empty.

The first Round Table meeting after the accession of the new monarch only had one unexplained absence.

The Knights murmured amongst themselves at this unusual scenario—some felt relief, others reveled in schadenfreude, while some felt unease at this departure from norm.

In the orderly Avalon, "irregularities" were the most unsettling anomalies.

Finally, amidst the increasingly noisy discussion, Queen Isabel rang the bell beside her. The Knights rose in disarray, their armor rubbing together creating a cacophony of sound. Those conversing did not completely quiet down, and the babble within the Round Table Hall merely lessened somewhat but still persisted, becoming even more jarring.

It wasn't until the Grand Guardian gently coughed, and the power of Authority radiated throughout the room, that the Round Table Hall finally fell silent.

"Now, the meeting shall commence."

Following Aiwass's instruction, Isabel, with a stern face and icy declaration, said, "Lords, take your places as designated."

As Isabel's words ended, the two ushers stationed at the entrance of the Round Table Hall struck the now-closed great doors with the Dragon Head Scepter in succession.

"Praise the Silver-Crowned Dragon!"

"Praise Queen Isabel!"

They sang out in turn.

At the first knock, a silver "X" emerged on the heavy, silver and black door, which then began to glow, sealing the door completely. The second knock struck right in the center of the "X," invoking an even larger cross, like a shield, layered over the "X."

A silver barrier instantly expanded, covering the entire Round Table Hall. It dispelled all powers within the Round Table Hall, aside from Authority, purified everyone present of their spirits and minds, eradicated any potential spells that could cause Charm, suggestion or similar effects, and completely shielded against transportation, eavesdropping, and spying—also fending off external attacks.

Thereupon, all Knights in attendance proclaimed in unison, "Praise the Silver-Crowned Dragon! Praise Queen Isabel!"

Afterwards, all the Knights sat down together. The heavy armor settled neatly, emitting a crisp sound like an army halting in unison.

Isabel subconsciously pursed her lips at the magnificent scene before her, filled with nervousness.

But she still remembered the advice from Aiwass.

She even saw it as a test—

Even though she had Aiwass to rely on, and elders like Ligeia to support her, she was ultimately Avalon's queen and almost the sole heir to the Du Lac Family.

Aside from her two-year-old brother John and her biological father, Prince Albert, who had fled the royal family and the curse long ago, Isabel had no other relatives left.

She had to become strong.

Perhaps Aiwass could help her, but he couldn't help her forever—Aiwass did not possess the traits of the Path of Authority, meaning rule and power were of no use to him. Aiwass was destined for higher realms, and when that time came, Avalon would only be a hindrance to him.

—Even if she couldn't be of help, she would not become a burden.

This was Isabel's steadfast principle from the beginning.

It was with this principle that she faced the sinister Curse, and with it, she repeatedly sought her own end in nightmares.
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"Your Majesty."

The Minister of Camelot was the first to rise, respectfully saying, "Everyone is present, please review."

Subsequently, he respectfully handed over the packet containing the documents to the Grand Justice. The Grand Justice opened and inspected them, and after verifying they were in order, proceeded to hand them to Isabel.

These were the policy agendas for the current and following year, drafted by the Minister of the Privy Council.

They had been completed while Queen Sofia was still lucid, checked and signed by her. Since the new monarch had virtually no knowledge of state affairs upon accession, acting on a whim based on one's intuition or the counsel of ministers could result in errors that might be irreparable for years, or even decades, to come.