"If I'm expected to carry such heavy expectations like the previous two, the burden would be too much, and I'd be quite troubled."
Anastasia, standing on the stage, revealed a gentle smile. Her tone and posture quietly eased the atmosphere that had been tense due to the previous two candidates.
'Should I say, as expected of a merchant?'
Tsukasa's heart stirred slightly. He felt a bit of admiration for her ability to control the room and continued to observe.
"Well then, I, Anastasia Hoshin, will say a few words. If it's not to everyone's liking, please bear with me, okay?" She said respectfully, bowing slightly.
The purple-haired knight beside her, Julius, stepped forward at the right moment. "I am the first knight serving Anastasia-sama, Julius Juukulius. If I have caused any offense, please forgive me."
He lightly brushed the bangs on his forehead. His movements were smooth and his posture refined, showcasing his presence.
"That was a short self-introduction."
At this moment, Tsukasa murmured softly. However, what he and Subaru were equally concerned about was Anastasia's incredibly natural and unique accent.
Listening to that tone, a flash of inspiration hit Tsukasa—this accent was very similar to the Osaka accent.
What exactly is going on here?
Before he could think further, the conversation on the stage continued.
"Hearing your unique accent, are you from Kararagi?" Miklotov asked.
"Exactly."
Anastasia nodded. "I was born in the lowest level of the Kararagi Free Trade City-States."
"The lowest level?"
Miklotov's eyes narrowed slightly. "Then, how did you come to have an intersection with Lugunica?"
If the meaning of this word was similar to Lugunica's, then Anastasia's background was that of a commoner, perhaps even lower.
Anastasia replied, "Although I was born in the lowest level, I now have property in the capital and shops in several cities. I originally came to Lugunica for business."
"Anastasia-sama is the head of a major power in Kararagi—the Hoshin Trading Company."
Julius added, his voice steady, "The Lyushika Merchants' Association, which originally had a stable position in their country, was acquired and renamed by Anastasia-sama using her own commercial talent, resulting in the current Hoshin Trading Company."
These words made Anastasia's eyebrows drop in a bit of distress. If what was said was true, her previous modesty was far too low-key.
"As the scale in Kararagi expanded, the opportunity to extend business to Lugunica naturally arose. My acquaintance with Anastasia-sama also began with this as the catalyst."
"Hmm... a young merchant born in the lower classes who built everything from scratch with commercial talent."
Miklotov showed a slight smile. "It sounds quite like the legendary tale of the founding hero of Kararagi, 'Hoshin of the Wilderness'."
"Yes, that's it."
Anastasia clapped her hands, her eyes lighting up. "I really admire that 'Hoshin of the Wilderness'. When I became a merchant and needed a surname, I took the surname Hoshin to share in his glory."
"Taking the surname of a person regarded as a great figure across the entire continent without hesitation..."
Miklotov nodded. "Very bold."
'Hoshin of the Wilderness...'
Tsukasa remembered that name. It was one of the heroes of this world that Rem had told him about on the dragon carriage.
"Giving a young girl like me the chance to rise up is one of Kararagi's merits. Interestingly, I seem to be born with a particularly sensitive nose for the scent of money."
From her speech just now, Tsukasa could sense the attitudes of those around her gradually changing.
She easily crossed the invisible barrier between commoners and nobles, her business mind was clearly recognized.
Although it was unclear when she awakened this talent, judging by her appearance, Anastasia was even younger than Subaru. Combining her age and the reactions of those around her, it wasn't hard to see that in the field of economics, she was an absolute monster.
"Anastasia-sama's commercial talent can be called extraordinary,"
Julius said in flowery language, "It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she stands shoulder to shoulder with Alec Hoshin himself. I, who am talentless and incompetent, can only look on in envy."
Miklotov nodded. "I understand that the relationship between master and servant is harmonious. Then, Anastasia-sama, as someone from Kararagi, for what purpose do you wish to become the monarch of Lugunica?"
"As expected, you're concerned about my background." Anastasia said understandingly.
The boundaries of nations and ethnicities were equally clear in this world. Even in an emergency, the throne would not usually be easily given to a foreigner.
Everyone in the hall held their breath.
Anastasia, surrounded by tension, only gave a shallow smile. "Being expected of so much makes me so nervous. Unfortunately, I don't have such grand ambitions like Crusch-san, nor do I have the bold confidence of Priscilla-san that 'the throne naturally belongs to me'."
"Surely you aren't going to say... you just went with the flow and came here because the Dragon Jewel reacted?"
"Ahaha, if that were the case, I wouldn't have come to a place like this."
Anastasia stuck out her tongue, her tone light. "Of course, I have my own purpose. Actually, my desire might be a 'little bit' more than others."
This statement, so far removed from everyone's expectations and the atmosphere of the scene, made most of the attendees wonder if they had misheard.
"This is a problem I've had since I was a child. When I was little, my materialistic desires were incredibly strong. The reason I chose the path of a merchant, besides my nose for money, was probably because my obsession with money is stronger than most people's."
"Obsession?"
"At first, I was just a helper in a small trading company. Occasionally, I'd offer some small advice on how the shop was run, and it ended up being a huge help. After a few times, I gradually started to have a say in large-scale transactions, and life began to get easy enough that I could forget the days in the lowest level."
She counted the steps she had taken on her fingers, then shook her head. "But even though life became easier, it didn't become more free, it became even less free."
"Why is that?"
"That's the terrifying thing about desire."
Anastasia smiled. "Mainly because the things my eyes can see and my hands can touch have increased, so the things I want to grasp have also increased. I want this, and I want that too. No matter how much I have, it's never enough. Then before I knew it, I ended up here."
She smiled and pointed to the spot beneath her feet with her finger. The place where she stood was precisely the Royal Castle Hall.
"I'm very greedy, I want everything. But I've never been satisfied, never experienced a true sense of fulfillment. So..."
She raised her head, her gaze clear and frank, and stated her ultimate goal, "I want a kingdom of my own."