0% Ifrit was dead.
And as a result, the Fire Mages lost an arm. They didn’t lose both arms like the Golden-Eyed, but it would happen eventually at this rate.
“...To be honest, I think they deserve it.”
A montary break.
Leninya, who had been baking sothing like mud cookies in the kitchen, brought up the topic.
“Why do you think that?”
“Because the elves called us disabled, just because we can’t use magic.”
For a mont, I was struck speechless.
It would be a lie to say that the Golden-Eyed didn’t have grievances.
But Leninya had been the one who had put up with all that, as well as the one who insisted on helping the elves.
So of course I could only be taken aback that soone like that had thrown away her innocence like shedding skin.
Leninya let out everything she had kept bottled up like she was talking in passing.
“Is it such a despicable thing to not be able to use magic? We’ve been condemned this whole ti, and now look at them begging because they’re in danger, too. I believed that we should help them up until a few days ago, but now I think I’m going to change my mind..”
This red-haired pupil now ca to realize that people could change their attitude anyti depending on the situation.
I was also disgusted by that aspect, and Leninya was going through that sa experience.
If she chose the wrong path here, she would beco Corrupt. Just like I did.
I couldn’t let that happen, so I spoke up.
“Yeah, there are people like that.”
“Did you know from the start?”
“As if. You find out after you’ve been through it.”
Even after the Demon King was defeated, the Golden-Eyed wouldn’t have a bright future.
Once the Demon King died? Their next target was definitely going to be . The elves were going to hate for having Dark Day in my deck.
They were probably going to instigate the people based on the fact that I was Golden-Eyed. By making the statent ‘All Golden-Eyeds are part of the Demon Army’ true.
And because Leninya wasn’t stupid, she was worried about this.
“I’ll teach you how to deal with people like that.”
“How?”
“Take a good look at what I’m going to do.”
“Alright.”
Leninya and I served so refreshnts and a few glasses of ade to the governnt officials.
Because a fair number of them were High Elves, they had a hard ti maintaining composure at seeing the homade mud cookies by Golden-Eyeds.
After a ti of refreshnts, we resud negotiations.
“There’s nothing false about the statistics you saw earlier. The people respect you, Miss Aether.”
“The people might, but I’d also like to hear from the legislature.”
“Th-the legislature?”
“Yes, the legislature.”
Legislature, so the Parliant.
“In a representative democracy, the Parliant mbers are the representatives of the people. Wouldn’t I be able to know what the people really think about if I hear what the mbers have to say?”
Because if the Parliant mbers didn’t get their votes, they lost their seats.
There was no one else in the world more aware of the public opinion.
“Th-that’s right....”
As if I touched a nerve, the ministers all stumbled on their words.
It was obvious.
Right now, the administration and the legislature weren’t on the sa page.
Without delay, I continued.
“I was told it was 100 upper house mbers, and 500 lower house mbers. Am I right?”
“That’s exactly right. How do you know so much about democracy...?”
“Well.”
I smirked and waved my hand, aning that this wasn’t the point of the conversation right now.
“Anyways, I kindly ask for their generous understanding.”
“aning......?”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs raised a brow and questioned.
Actually, any diplomat would know what I ant.
But to help Leninya understand, I decided to be a little more bold with my words.
“I’d like a guarantee that whatever magic I research, however many of those bombs the Demon Army drops, it isn’t all my fault. I’d also prefer this agreent to take place in front of all the people of Kaurelia and the Empire. I don’t think I’ll be reassured if it doesn’t.”
The faces of the President and the different ministers turned dumbfounded.
Of course they would.
There were still over 60% of people who thought of as a Beast.
Not that they were wrong exactly, but what I just said was asking to sell so of the rights and interests of the country to a Beast.
aning, sell the country. But would the people really allow that?
“I’d like to talk more in detail after getting permission from the mbers. Is that alright?”
“Of course.”
“I look forward to a eting with you within a week at the latest.”
So in summary:
The administration and the legislature should submit to .
While discussions about the developnt of Dark Day could take place afterwards, it should be done through the eting along with discussions about the post-war process.
And lastly, include the Imperial panel in the next eting.
“Understood.... We’ll tell them exactly what you said.”
“Thank you.”
The administration figures who ca in like a tide went out like an ebb.
Then a lot happened in the two days after that.
- Miss!
Miss Aether, please help us!
The Demon Army is almost here!
Around 500 Parliant mbers ca to Leninya’s house. Governnt and opposition parties alike bowed their heads and cried for help.
So mbers didn’t co, either having resigned or lost their seat for one reason or another.
And this whole process was covered live by the press.
Now there were no more ignorant fools who threw rocks at the Golden-Eyeds’ residential area.
**
While the Kaurelian Parliant mbers were pleading to Aether one after another–
The Demon Army who had been continuously advancing took over 40% of the land of Kaurelia.
They made the elves lose their will to fight by dropping bombs along the way, and Gilach’s troops also moved north from the southern coast and opened a front.
Within the imnse political unrest of Kaurelia, Leninya watched and listened closely to what Aether was doing.
Why won’t she go out?
At first, everything had been puzzling.
Why her teacher wasn’t helping the elves. Why she wouldn’t ever open the door even when such high-ranking officials ca to visit.
And.
Why she was lying and calling it an act even though she actually felt guilty about how the bomb she created was killing the elves.
─ I know there are those who are close to you, Miss. Why aren’t you telling them anything?
She once asked. And it was only then that Aether brought up the classmate ‘Lotte Saliere’.
─ Lotte, who’s also your classmate, is a friend who I can trust and confide in. But you know, she’s much too innocent. She’s too nice. If she knew about my dark intentions, she’d scold imdiately.
Then she put people into two different categories.
Those she could trust, and those she couldn’t.
The forr she wanted to protect even if she had to lie to them. She didn’t want to disappoint them until the very end–was how she justified herself.
That was when a thought ca to Leninya’s mind.
Then am I... not a trustworthy person to Miss Aether?
It was a sharp observation even when she thought about it in retrospect. Miss Aether’s pupils trembled for a mont, then she imdiately gave an excuse.
─ You’re also trustworthy. But at the sa ti, I’m telling you separately because you’re a Golden-Eyed.
─ What do you an?
─ You’ll know when the ti cos.
Miss Aether’s face as she said that had been filled with lancholy. As if she was going to disappear from this world when the war was over.
For example, she acted like soone who had been told they didn’t have long to live.
And it was the sa now.
“I’ll be resigning from my position as professor of Iliad Academy when this war is over, as I’m not planning to stay in Kaurelia any longer.”
The secret eting of high-ranking governnt officials.
Here, Miss Aether kept repeating the sa thing over and over to reassure them.
“Are you really going to leave?”
“Yes, there’s a paper I’ve given to President Renay. I’d like you to open it.”
“This is.... A resignation letter!”
Professorship at Iliad Magic Academy.
It was in no way an easy position. A position that brought much money and fa just by having it.
But to think she’d throw that away.
“Where are you going and what are you going to do when the war’s over?”
“I’m going to leave, to a place far, far away from here.”
Miss Aether said quietly as she looked into empty space.
Behavior as if she was cleaning up her relationships.
Sothing was off.
“Anyway.... I’m overwhelmingly touched that the legislature and administration would accept a monster like .”
Miss Aether had secured the budget at the last eting. Much of Kaurelia’s finances were in her hands.
The administration figures bit down on their lips, all looking like they had no choice.
“Let go over my demands once more. After the war, punish the prisoners according to international laws, do not hold accountable so of the Golden-Eyeds I na, keep the center of the continent completely vacated for the Imperials to restore their holand, and stop the discrimination against beastkin and Golden-Eyeds.”
And lastly, give her as much support as she wanted in terms of research budget and manpower.
“If you uphold this, I guarantee the defeat of the Demon Army.”
Miss Aether rubbed at her tired eyes and reconfird her requirents.
This was when Leninya realized.
How big of a picture her teacher was looking at.
She can’t trust the elves, so she’s trying to have the Imperials and the remaining Golden-Eyeds live together.......
Then if they won the war as is, who would benefit?
Miss Aether didn’t want the elves to expand to the center of the continent. If that happened, then it was obvious that the Golden-Eyed would receive the sa treatnt as they had a thousand years ago.
On the other hand, it wasn’t the humans or beastkin.
The beastkin had always been weak, and the humans were in the sa predicant as the Golden-Eyed with the Empire having fallen.
What’s more, the humans who wielded Fire had their magic abilities weakened due to Ifrit’s death.
It’s a rger!
The weaker ones would gather together to form a united front against the strong elves.
This was how the Golden-Eyed would survive after the Demon King.
Uncle was right after all, we need to establish a federation.
With that thought, Leninya envisioned creating a federal state for the Golden-Eyed.
There would be a lot to do even after the Demon King was defeated.
“Then please sign and seal here.”
anwhile, the elves had no choice.
Each minister stamped their seals with trembling hands. The Imperials including Renawill Hasfeldt also prepared the national seal that they put together hastily.
Countless stamps decorated a total of 16 pages of docunts. Before long, the official docunts beca flashy things like they had gotten a full-body tattoo.
In front of everyone including Leninya, Aether signed the papers last.
“Well then, I’ll be off to do so research.”
The plan nad after a Kaurelian island–
It was the beginning of ‘Project Ivy’.
Reviews
All reviews (0)