Chapter 51: Damn
SvgIEEGrand Council.2LZ
QLvxmVThe representatives of the intelligent races of the entire continent of Serdes had gathered there.Ni4j
hyMJe0DAlthough the place was spacious and there were many people, there were no assigned seats in the Grand Council.ijc
iJbLYSlEven so, each one sat next to their faction or close allies, showing off the size of their power.mtFsbEQ
6RZd‘In this era, the balance was truly tense.’gyO4
EFBTo Perda’s eyes, it looked as if he were seeing a map of forces.qnnmL
p4EThe largest country on the continent was the Arken Empire.VKV
d0QYsTo counter it, the kingdoms organized themselves into alliances to match its scale.qG06b
IVON4rThat meant the balance of the continent was still being maintained.NhX
dBzWtoAs a member of the Arken Empire, Perda took a seat with his faction.yzx
XQAThe council chamber did not have the ostentation of the banquet hall.NBv3B9K
MMomqIts design was sober, to avoid distractions, similar to other council chambers.LerTYs
OV1m2The seats, arranged in a semicircle, directed attention toward the center.nVbh
OjowY0And in that center was the owner of that place.q29ssm
q53xvy‘The White Dragon, Blancaros.’KNtzLsq
At1Completely white hair, white eyes, and a youthful face that showed no passage of time.AsiS8uj
plD78His whiteness was so unreal that it seemed to emit light on its own.syMt
qV0That was the immortal beauty of dragons.wAmzFvv
au1hVm‘He is definitely a dragon.’oKThz
Z8GrEyWhile Perda observed him, Blancaros’s eyes moved.QZo8UJ
NDVAt first he thought it was an illusion, but it was not.Ue5
kaPr74Blancaros was looking directly at him.QJ8k
fF9BaSZHis white eyes were cold and pure.jGtrqEK
RN7QOwAt the moment that gaze reached him, Perda felt his mana circles stir.bx1
Zhy5It was an instinctive warning before an absolutely superior being.cXHQd
y9Kt54Curiously, there was no discomfort in it.semz6
1iR16fJust as when he had entered his domain.ZigVQt
TWbdfpBehind Blancaros stood three men and women with white hair.RJzcut2
PbuaOgmThey were his three spawn created through the ascension ritual—the Tongue, the Scale, and the Hand.ePO3qo
uPZRRrVBlancaros moved his hand.PLR
AmKUAs he did so, a woman who stood upright cleared her throat and spoke.YtfWCU
eS4She was the Tongue of Blancaros.6Pq6gar
a4RThe representative of the White Dragon, in charge of directing the proceedings.CnUt
LdpOHer voice echoed throughout the hall.DBO5kU
qGn“We offer our most sincere welcome to those who have come for the peace of the continent.”BYMhX2
bMoYiShe read the document she held.GmHu4ga
mELNeAfter some formalities, she began to list the topics of the council.XOtF
dBVytyn“The mediation of the conflict between King Hudret and Duke Yurei will begin.”uePL
ihNJThe first matter was a simple conflict.4iYHkhy
WDPq7Although calling it a conflict was misleading—in reality, it was a war.DvPXkEB
oKhA man stood up, frowning.VUJM
BgNzBvR“I sincerely thank the representatives of the great lord of order for granting us this space. Before proceeding, I request a correction—this war was caused by King Hudret’s invasion.”MlH
70F4hsThen another man stood up.dQG15
mFoq5It was King Hudret himself.QXQ6
L4iJ“The first to die were my subjects. How was I supposed to stop the people who rose up for revenge?”NKz7U
iUHO“It was you who mobilized the army!”phA
65Qv1ur“Silence. This is a place of mediation. The final compensation will be determined based on the evidence presented.”KZ5
hUuThe Tongue of Blancaros interrupted the discussion, preventing it from dragging on.fnJw1lO
azgAEJ“Each side, present your evidence.”ckTIoaC
BmqKPUBoth sides submitted documents with their evidence.jIq4
CFRPnThe objective of the mediation was to determine compensation for the damages of the war.J2BJAM
Ax5EJRThe documents floated one by one and unfolded before Blancaros.KKP
8wYeWhat the attendants had taken two months to draft, he read in barely a minute.2N0Bn
VRT5KzfThen, Blancaros made a gesture toward a young man.UpMpKN
b4auThe boy held a scale.6b0cxTe
n23ZlHe was the Scale of Blancaros.TzH
nm96The scale tilted to one side.KEbDFm
xCJRUpon seeing it, Blancaros began to write, and the Tongue announced the verdict.ro8GwH
Lj8OWOO“Judgment! Duke Yurei must pay 60,000 gold to King Hudret.”PL9P7
CuOv7Emotions split at that moment.os4H
lyvDuke Yurei, defeated, burst out in anger.46w
Ol6“This makes no sense! They were the invaders! Why do I have to pay?”UcxQwg
BglyVwe“It has been determined that you violated the laws of war by not taking prisoners and by preventing priests from attending to the wounded. After considering all factors, it is concluded that your responsibility is greater.”TX3xq
dBxeYurei retorted.qvlNgzu
NFg8r“Other countries do the same! King Hudret’s knights did it too! Why can’t we—?”V2lA
clr3“As stated, it is enough to present evidence.”VUf
w6OrThe Tongue replied coldly.HGdWGK9
52w3o“This is a territory of absolute neutrality, governed by law and order. If you request mediation here, the laws of Serdes apply. Evidence takes precedence over customs.”Y0m35P
aQiThat is to say, even if the other had started it, without proof, only Yurei would be guilty.mPN
AjeU4Evidence completely determined who was the aggressor or the victim.aOP
76ta5UYurei’s face was twisted with rage.ZfB1B2r
fX5EThe Tongue pointed to the document before him.GvE9Mh8
rRE5xj“Duke Yurei, the mediation has concluded. Proceed to sign.”fGRz
fXgYurei looked at the document, consumed by indignation.WPEO
ZuMDDHe knew what it meant.j6y0
84yJThe moment he signed, he would cross a point of no return.ZPC
qRMTKWhether he liked it or not, he would be the one at fault.76K7
b6l‘The effect is absolute.’jKEkS
BQcBQIOnce decided, there is no turning back.8LonrO
1lkwqK‘And he cannot refuse either.’Wb0K
vdX3KEveryone present were witnesses, judges, and potential plunderers.rzg1
npfn4Rejecting the verdict meant becoming their prey.2LUf
6qwszdxIn that place, yesterday’s enemy remained an enemy, but yesterday’s ally could become today’s enemy.yAE8
6iu“…I accept the verdict.”onAH
7Tth8Yurei finally gave in.vxE1j
6UHHis signature trembled as if there were an earthquake.2hXG9bY
JdOAe‘Did they just reverse victim and aggressor?’cj6ktKI
GnTkWithout knowing all the details, that was all Perda could assume.P8MiBV
cErDtu“If it was so unfair, you should have resolved it yourself to the end.”beDIA
rPUmDUlSomeone murmured quietly.fzPf4s4
TWC4VPerda silently agreed.WaTFhb
yPSad5BIf they wanted guaranteed compensation, they should not have resorted to mediation, but taken it to a war of annihilation where one side was destroyed.n43i
0fScK1If it was left halfway, it was only natural for it to return as revenge.i7or
wnsdThe Tongue of Blancaros moved on to the next matter.RoK
gJCThere were several more conflicts, but they were trivial.lwL
I2ODisputes between dwarves and elves.A2Aw
NJWnkLInternal conflicts among dwarves over lineages and dynasties.7PkTQ2H
iiRPNIHProblems that would never be resolved, nor did they intend to resolve them.bzD7k
SQwaOwHThey merely postponed endless discussions.BPwU
xwRdAfter two hours, those endless disputes finally concluded.MXyef
S7L“As there are no more cases of mediation, we will move on to today’s topics. The next was proposed by the rector of Escolea…”GxcPA
RHpGXAThe Tongue paused briefly before continuing.a7QP
qDWCmev“The topic is the increase of magical beasts and the possible reappearance of demons.”mcD
gonyyiNEscolea, being a city of scholars, had a rector as its leader instead of a mayor.9eaJ
natNThe bald rector stepped onto the platform.sfm
HnJ4WhDHis hair had disappeared, consumed by years of study.GT42rei
seX12GG“It has been 138 years since the death of Godwin, lord of darkness who plunged the continent into chaos. However, if you observe this graph…”mXE8dl
izRPjUsing magic, he projected an image into the air.rzeN
i1KTIUSHe pointed to the graph.T2NPzmA
RPuH“Unlike his death, magical beasts have been increasing.”0Zh4sdU
tcNL5wZAn upward graph.ruaMZaW
Is50nAlthough the increase was not large.w9IQ
bBhUpon seeing it, comments began.oD0i9f
rxzH29i“It doesn’t seem to be rising that much.”f1x66b
dX5bK6b“The problem is not how much it rises, but that it rises.”dwLnp
u0QO“They are only estimates. It could even go down. It seems exaggerated to me.”kxnS
I6pkOpinions were divided.dElYg
PVvnTVcSome said it was exaggerated.Hc7
IqgOthers said it was a serious matter.5E2Ev
zUjqBut, in reality, it was not for the well-being of the continent.8KZ
gZgL‘A pretext to arm themselves.’qGkt
ROVThose who spoke of danger wanted to justify armament.mcT
cVdThose who minimized it wanted to avoid unnecessary expenses.vgwcY
zKB4gNThe fate of the continent did not matter to them.bNYxUF
BI1tOnly their own interests.Co1Ixx
285evAIt was then.zwGIgB1
grnQD“Measure your words!”CePbgVU
hUp4pESomeone slammed the table with overwhelming force and stood up.xjcI
6NxXK3gBut the voice was young.7uQfmk
dSatIt was Erdes Roton.Z8jX2
M2m6n“The great Valdrova’s fiancé is here! Do you think you can speak like that and get away with it?”R69NP
rv3Everyone looked for Perda.dovWMB
BtyUWhen they found him, they fixed their gaze on him.OK0k7m
j1KeTaPerda cursed inwardly.Bc2Rdp
bxV0iThat bitch.QrF
lJhD“The representative of Valdrova?”n2nniT
eGaX4“That evil dragon brought a representative?”kdnPm
RnPtvEMurmurs began.0cSL
9SUklThe rector, already uncomfortable, now seemed even more troubled.6UII
NlkPerda looked at Erdes.0aJW
b1LkSuShe was smiling, like someone enjoying the chaos from afar.W9lVd
IaZSHRrShe had come to intervene at the right moment, but she still wanted to observe.fW9
at5Since all eyes were on him, he decided to speak.cFbZJI
zDYSXX“It is true that in the Far East, magical beasts continue to increase. However, I believe it is not exactly the same case as the one being discussed here, so I will not intervene further.”mmN
DPqADUZ“I thank you, regent. What we are discussing now concerns the rest of the continent, excluding the Far East.”bHzIY
4I8The rector seemed to have been saved.2dxC
85EqDIt was clear that his authority was weak.wrJy54
knym“For that reason, we assume that someone is deliberately summoning or creating these creatures. In other words, demonic followers may be increasing.”f2lvykD
mvkrm“Demonic followers…”s9x
TV5xn“Aren’t they worse than demon followers?”rfvV
bf0sTBoth were despised, but different.34GGneV
8eODemons wanted to dominate the world.re88dU
BedDark demons wanted to destroy it.HigEPcn
QqUf5oDemonic followers gained nothing.0NOgdIz
XvmAGThey were pure evil.81KOUL
UTkeR“And what would they gain?”sfdUro
uJy8“Could it be that they seek the reappearance of the Black Dragon Godwin?”WZjKCqA
FjFThe reappearance of Godwin!fFEB
VueZtkThat was something completely different.F3k
2wMOSCIEven those who considered it an exaggeration fell silent.1iN6Vx
XGcJwdAll eyes turned to the Dragon Spawn.3TGM
FFOBdbu“Reappearance…?”ohCHj0
jzNgDZ1Blancaros spoke for the first time.RaXS
zSmvRAt that instant, the atmosphere fell under his control.7Lt5t
29lpMQ“What do you think?”Bmi
5Zd21He asked the Dragon Spawn.TMh1o
EfgwNaThe first to respond was one of Silverwind.uI7APlF
2oRyWith silver hair and scars all over his body.Zl2jJ7e
j0kY1zThey were marks of honor from defending the north.oYHB
BlZkO4p“Even if the beasts increase, we continue eliminating remnants constantly. I swear, no one hates Godwin more than we do.”nP723Am
0q0v1J“I have always valued your loyalty. And Iorga?”IUb
r4v3fN1Iorga’s representative spoke.SiGgSS
BiOA young woman, elegant and dignified.OaS2z09
Nrb9oo“In Serdes, we have not detected anomalies in mana. We also constantly monitor hidden areas with adventurers. If something that large existed, we would have noticed it first.”ESUjg
CUIZThen a priest of Odograsado spoke.eTp02
OLZ4“Our Order of the Golden Scales also watches over demons, and we see nothing concerning.”fC3QVlC
QSw4hThe three dragon representatives present at the Grand Council agreed that there was no need to consider it a problem for now.97Rk
b3AU5All of them were emissaries of the guardian dragons, who prioritize the safety of the continent above all else.tnsMSMz
U7CiILBThey were far removed from human politics, and the weight of their words was entirely different.ZyysXp7
Ri0dFpAfter hearing them, Blancaros fell silent again.XJMIAQM
zXdswThen, his Tongue spoke in his place.Bu494jM
26Ki“The conclusion of this matter is that, although it does not require immediate attention, it will be necessary to maintain surveillance due to the upward trend. Do you have any objection, rector of Escolea?”Gsi
qAkG6OJ“I have none.”Km28La
qFyNfThe rector, sweating profusely, shook his head and stepped down from the platform.lppxlmn
g2hctlfIt was not an issue that could be resolved with a simple “exaggeration,” so it was enough that he had presented it.ykSrT
sIvq“The next proposer is Perda Valdrova…”dN5
xxUpQnjThe Tongue of Blancaros stopped.uWEY
icjlaTDIt was not like the previous pause when reading the rector’s proposal.Yv8
qMTQ3This time, she hesitated over whether she should announce it.uGI
hv93PbThat hesitation made her direct her gaze toward Blancaros.5TpV
FFb0Blancaros noticed the look and responded with a slight movement of his eyes.v6x
d3tThe Tongue received the signal.YUxcA6
Og5v“The topic is to recognize the position of the red dragon Valdrova as a guardian dragon.”Q03Ks
mAWv48The Grand Council hall fell into complete silence.0mWEeh
82oNzGmEveryone present were figures at the level of dukes, rulers of territories equivalent to nations, possessors of military power.o78UQ
HGlOUfxEven they held their breath.eqtWfAJ
3mb28SQIt was an extremely delicate matter.xaHDWQ
vNGoGyMNo one needed to look around.uarbGG
rCRAny ordinary person would not even dare to propose something like this.kin5Eb0
YPFwIt was practically suicide.YugN5
YLu3But Perda, who had presented the proposal, stood up completely naturally.NokEv7
ltKQThe way he walked was like watching someone on a tightrope.2GDJxo0
ig7To the others, it was chilling, but to him, it meant nothing.853t
E3tHe climbed onto the platform and looked at the attendees.0hu
IxJWhat he was about to do was obvious.pEmsW
OpnYhtX“I am Perda Valdrova, regent. Although this is my first time at the Grand Council, I have taken the liberty of presenting this proposal.”sYKMh
d2jRfFHHe swept his gaze over them before continuing.S5Mky
s1My“As you can see, I have come prepared to make someone here my enemy.”S0p
LRHAnd having presented his proposal, the only thing left for him was to defend his conviction.oYiLa
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Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationNow Mc will show us the Real show.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationShe is really a bitch 😒