The central building, once a symbol of absolute power for the families, now felt like a maze of uncomfortable mories and pending decisions.
Elio walked the corridors with Ember perched on his shoulder, Lucien at his side, his frog croaking softly from atop the Summoner's head.
"I can't believe we're considering this," Elio muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "Paying for Fathoran's harem future children... And relocating hundreds of pregnant girls seems insane. 10,000 mana points each..."
Lucien nodded, his frog croaking softly as if in agreent. "I know, but we can't leave them here or ignore the promises made, as distasteful as they might seem... Your image as the new leader and the city's stability might depend on how we handle this."
Elio frowned. "But Fathoran promised 10,000 mana points for each child… 10,000! Should we honor that promise?"
Before Lucien could respond, they reached the eting room doors. Elio hesitated, and Ember, sensing his unease, nuzzled against his cheek in a comforting gesture.
"Rember," Lucien said quietly, "Even if you're new to politics, we're the strongest ones here. Whatever happens, you're in control."
Elio nodded gratefully and pushed the doors open.
The eting room was dominated by a long, oval table. At one end sat Saren, an older man with graying hair and cunning eyes, surrounded by papers and ledgers. Beside him were Cassandra and Angela, their faces tense and watchful.
Saren, the forr mana administrator, was reviewing a stack of docunts. He managed the 3,000 people in charge of collecting excess mana from the turrets and the 2,000 responsible for distributing mana to families who had lost n at the wall.
Now, Ivan supervised and learned from him... They couldn't leave all mana matters to Saren, as Fathoran's forr ally, he wasn't trustworthy... Ivan was slowly learning the managent, but for now, Saren still held too much power in the distribution network, and they hadn't been able to take it all away from him.
Next to him, Cassandra, with her beauty as sharp as a knife, observed every movent with calculating eyes. And at the other end, Angela, her face a mask of barely contained pain, avoided looking directly at Elio.
"Ah, our young leader and his faithful advisor," Saren said, his voice dripping with false cordiality. "Just in ti to discuss the future of our... family investnts with my special guests."
Elio felt Ember tense on his shoulder, mirroring his own irritation at Saren's condescending tone. But he reminded himself that, despite their superior power, they needed Saren. For now...
"Saren," Elio greeted with a nod, taking a seat. "Cassandra, Angela. What's your reason for eting with us?"
Cassandra smiled, a gesture that didn't reach her eyes. "It's regarding the harem issue, Von Elio. After all, the welfare of these poor girls is a concern for all of us, isn't it?"
Lucien narrowed his eyes and sat beside Elio, his frog slightly inflating its throat in what seed to be a warning sign.
"Of course," he said, his tone carefully neutral. "That's why we're here. To ensure justice is achieved... for all citizens."
Angela, who had remained silent until now, looked up. Her eyes, red and swollen, fixed on Elio with an intensity that made him inwardly shudder.
"Justice, Lucien?" her voice was barely a whisper. "How can you speak of justice when my son is dead? Was that fair?"
Guilt was still fresh for Elio. Ember, sensing his distress, straightened up, its scales glowing more intensely.
"Angela," Lucien began, his voice soft, "Varick was a hero. His sacrifice..."
"Don't talk about his sacrifice!" Angela snapped, slamming her palm on the table. "You killed him! You, this usurper, and your stupid revolution!"
The room fell silent for a mont.
Lucien leaned forward, his hand near his book, ready to act if necessary.
Cassandra, seeing an opportunity, intervened in a honeyed voice. "My, my. It seems there are wounds that haven't healed yet. Perhaps we should postpone this eting until we're all more... composed."
Elio took a deep breath, controlling his emotions. He knew they were manipulating the situation, looking for any excuse to delay decisions. He couldn't allow it.
"No," he said firmly. "We're here to discuss the future, not relive the past. Angela, I understand your pain, and I'm deeply sorry. But we have to move forward."
Saren cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. "Well said, young leader. Now, on the matter at hand. Fathoran promised 10,000 mana points for each child born from the harem. We have 1,515 pregnant won. The numbers are...
substantial, so I can handle the distribution..."
Elio frowned. "Those promises were made under a corrupt regi. We don't have to honor them."
"Oh, but we do," Cassandra interjected, leaning forward. "Imagine the discontent if we deny these poor girls what they were promised. Their families, their friends... Do you really want to start your new regi by breaking promises?"
Elio felt Ember fidgeting uneasily on his shoulder. He knew the salamander was reflecting his own frustration. It was true that with his current power, he could easily impose his will. But that would make him the kind of leader he had fought against.
"Nobody's talking about denying anything," Elio said, keeping his voice calm. "But we have to consider what's best for the entire city. We can't start distributing decades worth of mana to solve every dispute. There are other things the city needs..."
Saren smiled, his eyes gleaming with cunning. "Ah, yes, the city. Always the city. But tell , Elio, have you thoroughly considered the implications of breaking Fathoran's promises?"
Angela, her eyes red from crying but burning with determination, spoke up. "These girls trusted Fathoran's promises. Their families made sacrifices based on those promises. You can't simply discard them. So miserly… Don't you have a conscience?"
"Nobody's talking about discarding anyone. But we must consider what's right for the city as a whole."
"And what is right, Elio?" Saren asked, his voice soft but challenging. "Denying these girls and their families what they were promised? Or honoring the agreents made, even if they were made by your predecessor?"
Lucien leaned forward. "We can't let the past dictate our future."
Angela slamd her palm on the table. "Corrupt or not, those promises ant everything to those families! You can't simply erase them."
Elio raised his hands, trying to calm the situation. "Nobody's erasing anything. We're here to discuss, to find a solution that works for everyone."
Cassandra leaned back in her chair, a smile playing on her lips. "Oh, Elio. So noble, so idealistic. But the reality is, you can't please everyone. You'll have to make a decision, and that decision will have consequences."
Saren nodded, his eyes fixed on Elio. "Miss Cassandra is right. Every decision you make will upset soone. The question is, who are you willing to upset?"
Elio straightened up, feeling the weight of his responsibility. "We've considered it, Saren. And that's why I'm proposing a compromise."
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