Chapter 183: A Big Catch(2)
Chapter 183: A Big Catch(2)
As mentioned previously, Piren’s political career spanned over several centuries. He had held a significant position in the Senate since before the Race War, accumulating a vast wealth of experience over those long years.
There were times when he had to choose between warring factions within the Senate, and times when the Senate’s survival was jeopardized by the catastrophic decisions it made during the Race War.
Yet, Piren had managed to narrowly escape every crisis. His methods were as varied as the challenges themselves.
Sometimes through fabrication and incitement, sometimes through truth and explanation, and occasionally through despicable schemes carried out in the shadows.
Using these methods, he had kept the embattled Senate afloat until now, eventually rising to the position of Council Member and grasping immense power.
The clean convictions he held long ago when he first joined the Senate had been tainted by power ages ago; all that remained was greed and arrogance. Once one tastes power, they become addicted, unable to break free as if enslaved by a drug.
His constant efforts to check and depose the Kings of Albenheim whenever they threatened his authority were part of that addiction. The stronger the royal power grew, the more the Senate’s interests withered.
Though various crises had struck throughout his life, Piren had always been able to navigate them smoothly by utilizing his experience and resourcefulness to the fullest.
But now, the greatest crisis of his life had returned.
"These are the criminals who attacked Xenon under the orders of Piren Gerrit Stormwalker, the head of the Senate!"
Arwen cried out in a powerful, resonant voice. Thanks to Voice Amplification Magic, her words echoed across the plaza.
As if her voice had swallowed all other sounds, the plaza fell deathly silent once the echoes faded. A profound stillness settled over the crowd, so heavy that even a single cough would have sounded loud.
Her declaration sent a massive shockwave through the citizens gathered in the plaza and the foreign dignitaries alike.
"What... what did she just say?"
"She definitely said... Councilor Piren, didn't she?"
"Are those... those criminals the ones who harmed Xenon?"
The crowd began to stir as the unbelievable news sank in. The citizens of Albenheim knew well what the Senate was, and they knew exactly who Piren was.
The Senate had stood as a silent symbol of Albenheim for centuries, so it would be stranger not to know them. Furthermore, given that the Senate’s horrific atrocities during the Race War had led Albenheim to defeat, their reputation was far from good, to put it mildly.
But here, Arwen hadn't just fanned the flames; she had poured gallons of oil onto the fire.
"P-Piren? What on earth is..."
"... ..."
Like his bewildered aides, Piren was equally stunned. No, beyond mere shock, it felt as if his heart had plummeted into his stomach.
Where exactly had things gone wrong? The Blood Pact wasn't a fake, and there had been nothing suspicious about Kalas’s behavior.
It was hard to conclude that he was a spy. He had known Kalas for decades, and seeing him brought onto the stage bound like a criminal proved he wasn't a double agent.
That meant they had discovered Kalas’s crime through some other means, but Piren couldn't even fathom what it was. No matter how much he searched his memory, he found nothing.
While Piren was lost in extreme confusion, trying to organize his thoughts, Arwen continued her speech. Her voice and tone were resolute, possessing a weight that belied her small stature.
"These criminals disregarded the grace Xenon bestowed upon us and harmed him simply because he possessed dangerous knowledge! They ruthlessly ruined the right hand of Xenon, who has given us immeasurable gifts! They acted unilaterally, without even consulting me, the Queen of Albenheim!"
Despite Arwen’s shouting, there was no immediate outcry. It was a shocking matter, but more importantly, there was a lack of 'evidence.'
Her oratorical skills were proven, as seen before, but the scale of this accusation was dangerously massive. If handled poorly, Albenheim could face pressure from neighboring nations, or in the worst-case scenario, a declaration of war.
Incitement based on lies requires a mountain of evidence to dismantle once people are swayed, but incitement itself is equally difficult to initiate. Even if public opinion currently favored Arwen, the citizens were not easily moved.
"What do you think of the Senate? Do you truly believe they are working for the development of our Albenheim? Because of the Senate’s atrocities, we suffered the humiliation of defeat in the Race War, and furthermore, they have oppressed many fields simply because we are Elves! Even now, they seek to suppress our brilliantly shining culture!"
Thus, Arwen began to slowly sway the crowd by pointing out the Senate’s past transgressions one by one. As well-known as the Senate was, its evils were equally notorious.
The Senate could occasionally cover up minor misdeeds by manipulating history, but major atrocities, like those during the Race War, were impossible to hide. As the saying goes, stagnant water is bound to rot, and the citizens of Albenheim were well aware of this truth.
They knew the Senate was a den of corrupt power. It had only been maintained this long due to its symbolic status.
Not only the New Generation Elves but even the Old Generation Elves, while acknowledging the Senate’s past achievements, were wary of them. They supported the institution solely because it was a 'symbol' that had shared their history.
"The world is changing rapidly! Yet they turn a blind eye to the changing world and care only for their current comfort! And not for the comfort of Albenheim, but for their own, they are suppressing our beautiful culture! But do you think they will stop at Xenon? While you are carefully building a beautiful culture, the Senate will harm you just as they did Xenon if you do not please them! And then they will tear that culture down at its roots!"
"Y-yes. She's right. Xenon was even hiding his identity."
"Would it be any different for us?"
"Those Senate bastards... they've finally gone and done it again..."
Incitement is naturally effective when a plausible narrative is presented. Just like now.
If the Senate’s usual conduct had been upright and clean, it might have been different, but given their track record, the crowd began to sympathize one by one.
If even Xenon, who lived in hiding, was harmed, would they be any different? Could they freely express their art in this country?
Even if they moved to another country, if they displeased the Senate, wouldn't they be hunted down just like Xenon?
It was impossible. As long as the Senate existed, it was obvious they would suppress not only culture but any speech or action they deemed unfavorable to Elves.
Like a stone thrown into a still lake, the hearts of the crowd were violently stirred.
Seeing that the crowd was sufficiently agitated, Arwen immediately shouted at Kalas and his group.
"I ask the criminals! Is it true that you harmed Xenon under Piren’s orders?"
"...Yes. That is correct."
"Xenon has never harmed you. Why did you do it?"
"Because the knowledge Xenon possesses... is dangerous."
Kalas answered quietly, but thanks to the Voice Amplification Magic, the entire crowd heard him. As his testimony continued, the crowd grew increasingly volatile.
However, the final blow was still missing. Arwen turned her gaze toward Piren for that finishing touch.
Piren was maintaining a calm expression on the surface, but his pale complexion revealed he was mentally cornered. At this, Arwen spoke in a quiet voice.
"Since the criminal has named Piren, a Council Member of the Senate, Councilor Piren, come up to this platform."
"... ..."
"If you do not come, I shall have you dragged here by force."
At those words, Elf warriors began to stride toward Piren. They moved without a moment's hesitation, as if they had been briefed in advance.
"Get away! I will go up myself!"
"... ..."
Whether out of pride or something else, Piren stubbornly refused their escort. The Elf warriors said nothing and simply flanked him as he headed toward the platform.
Piren straightened his slightly disheveled clothes and stepped onto the platform where Arwen stood. Even as he ascended, the murmuring of the crowd did not subside.
Finally, Piren, the Council Member of the Senate, stood on the platform with the Queen. Before facing Arwen, he glared at Kalas and his men, who were kneeling like criminals.
Only a few days ago, Piren had praised him, but not anymore. He saw Kalas only as the incompetent fool who had failed to clean up the mess and dragged him into this crisis.
If he survived this, he planned not only to expel Kalas from the Senate but also to crush his family. The Senate’s prestige would surely diminish because of this incident.
"...Your Majesty. This joke has gone far enough."
Piren spoke to Arwen, maintaining as much composure as possible. However, the cold sweat trickling down his cheek made it easy to see he was nervous.
Arwen noticed this immediately and smiled inwardly. She still had one final card to play, but she intended to wait for the perfect timing.
"A joke, you say? I am merely speaking the truth."
"The truth? I do not even know who those men are."
"You don't know them? Your name was mentioned by those criminals, and yet you intend to play innocent?"
"I am simply saying I don't know people I don't know. I can hardly say I know them, can I?"
Piren continued to lie, desperate to find a way out. Their conversation was being broadcast live to everyone through magic.
"How interesting. After clamoring for me to find Xenon... do you really intend to deny it? If you confess your crimes now, I will grant you the highest courtesies befitting a Council Member of the Senate."
"It seems you dislike me so much that you are willing to fabricate crimes. If I am guilty, surely there would be evidence? The testimony of a mere criminal is hardly enough."
"Evidence... Yes. Evidence. Just as you say."
Snap!
As soon as the word 'evidence' left Piren’s mouth, Arwen smiled and lightly snapped her fingers. A ripple of mana surged, and a large, rectangular shape formed near the platform.
It was large enough that Isaac would have thought of a cinema screen, and it was clearly visible to both Piren and the distant crowd. Everyone’s eyes turned toward the screen.
And what the screen showed was...
[So, have you found Xenon?]
It was the scene of Kalas and Piren having a secret conversation in the mansion. The moment Piren saw it, his face turned deathly pale.
[Of course. As expected, humans are nothing special. The publisher was particularly easy to track, being a human with no abilities.]
[Ho. That is impressive. I thought Xenon might have hidden his identity with the help of another race. Like the Demons, for instance.]
As the conversation progressed, Piren’s expression became ghastly, and the crowd fell into a sudden, stunned silence.
This wasn't incitement; clear evidence was unfolding before their eyes. Who could possibly object? Recording magic could be edited, perhaps, but it was impossible to forge.
However, Arwen had excluded the parts where Xenon’s identity (the fake one) was directly mentioned. Even if it was a fake identity, it could still cause unnecessary confusion.
[Anyway, I am curious if the persuasion went well.]
[Well, as you expected, Councilor, persuasion didn't work. On the contrary, he turned us away, saying he didn't want to side with those who censor precious culture. Aren't all artists like that?]
[It is a trait of artists. And then?]
[I took certain measures to ensure he never thinks like that again. When I told him I'd make it so he could never write again, he was soon crying and begging.]
[Hahahaha! Excellent. I'm curious about those measures. Can you tell me?]
[Well... I snapped his fingers so he won't be able to write for a while.]
Watching the scene, the crowd shared a similar thought.
They felt sick. They wanted it to stop. They had seen enough.
Some squeezed their eyes shut, while others covered their mouths in disbelief.
They couldn't fathom the exact degree of pain Xenon had suffered, but the more they heard, the more their imaginations filled in the blanks.
How painful must it have been? How humiliating? How difficult?
An artist’s pride and convictions had been utterly crushed by these greedy men; it was a miracle he hadn't taken his own life.
[I have brought something else that I believe will satisfy you, Lord Piren.]
[This is...]
[A Blood Pact.]
[A Blood Pact?]
To make matters worse, the revelation that a 'Blood Pact' had been made left the crowd in utter horror. As Elves, masters of magic, they knew exactly what kind of magic a Blood Pact was.
Once made, one has no choice but to act according to the terms of the pact. That meant Xenon would never be able to write the stories he wanted in the Xenon Chronicle ever again.
In short, because of that greedy Elf, the progression of the Xenon Chronicle had been completely ruined.
[Thanks to this, our Senate will be able to exert its influence.]
With Piren’s final words, the evidence ended. But no one, including Piren, dared to speak.
The evidence Arwen had shown was enough to shake not just Albenheim, but the entire world.
Just as a long, heavy silence settled over the grounds...
"He's a total son of a bitch!!"
Starting with someone’s piercing cry, the crowd exploded.
"Off with that damn bastard's head right now!!"
"I'm ashamed to be the same race as him!"
"Abolish the Senate immediately! Otherwise, there's no hope for this country!!"
The crowd began to lash out at Piren with one heart. It wasn't just criticism; a storm of condemnation, insults, and words too foul to repeat surged toward him.
Arwen listened to the deafening roar and looked at Piren. Piren stood there with a dazed expression, as if he couldn't believe this reality.
"I, the Queen of Albenheim, command."
"... ..."
"Seize Piren Gerrit Stormwalker, Council Member of the Senate and criminal!"
As soon as her command fell, Piren snapped back to his senses. But it was already too late.
Thud!
"Urgh!"
The Elf warriors, who had approached him unnoticed, quickly subdued him. They forced him to his knees and pinned his arms so he couldn't even resist.
To reiterate, Piren was a politician, not a soldier. Moreover, he was old enough to be covered in wrinkles; there was no way he could stand against the warriors.
"Let go! Let go of me! How dare you...!"
"It seems you still haven't come to your senses. Councilor Piren—no, criminal."
"You...!"
Piren, having thrown away all formalities, now spoke to her with utter disrespect. Arwen smirked as she looked at Piren, who was glaring at her with burning eyes.
The Senate could no longer survive. The situation had already been precarious, but now that the final nail had been driven into the coffin, it was destined to vanish into history.
"Do you think you can rule Albenheim without us! You greenhorn Queen, who knows nothing of how our Senate has governed Albenheim until now!!"
"I know very well. But one cannot keep limbs that have already rotted away, can they?"
Even as Piren screamed at the top of his lungs, Arwen countered him clearly. Naturally, Piren was fuming with rage.
"Behead him now!!"
"Your Majesty! Please take that filthy face away! He is a disgrace to all Elves!"
"How dare you harm Xenon, whom even the Gods have recognized?! If Albenheim falls, it's all your fault!!"
Meanwhile, the voices of the crowd grew even louder. Occasionally, some who couldn't contain their rage tried to charge forward, but they were immediately restrained by the warriors.
As the endless insults rained down on him, Piren’s spirit began to wither, yet he clenched his teeth, unwilling to let it end like this. Arwen noticed this as well.
But she remained still. She had a rough idea of what he was about to blurt out.
Then, with a look of grim determination, Piren shouted not at Arwen, but at the crowd.
"Listen, everyone! That man's name is Xenon Cloud!"
"... ..."
"He is an old human man living in the Hask region of the Kingdom of Ters! He has a neatly trimmed beard, white hair, and blue eyes!"
As if refusing to die alone, Piren began to reveal Xenon’s fake identity. But it was far from enough to quiet the exploding crowd.
Of course, some would listen, but it didn't matter. It was all fake anyway, so it made no difference whether it was revealed or not.
Just as Arwen was about to gesture for him to be taken away, Piren spat out a bombshell declaration.
"And he is the lover of Arwen Elidya, who is playing at being Queen while doing such absurd things!!"
"...What?"
What kind of nonsense was this? Not only Arwen, but the crowd as well, was so startled by the bombshell that their anger momentarily ceased.
"Did you think I wouldn't know? I suspected it from the moment I heard he gave the speech draft to you! Unless you were lovers, would you have stayed in contact and gone this far?"
"W-what are you talking about...! Take the criminal away at once!"
Arwen, unable to hide her fluster, hurriedly issued the order. However, Piren did not stop struggling even as he was dragged away by the warriors.
"You will be recorded in history like this! As a foolish ruler who lost her heart to a mere human lover and ruined the state! What will you be able to do once that human dies!! I will watch it all! Everything!! With these very eyes!!"
"... ..."
Piren was eventually taken down from the platform, but...
"The Queen... is dating Xenon?"
"Is that true?"
"And what was that about the speech draft?"
The crowd began to whisper in a different way.
"Wait. Come to think of it, Xenon also wrote about not being able to be with an Elf in his book."
"Really? Then..."
"It all fits perfectly, doesn't it?"
Villains, it seemed, always managed to exert their influence until the very end.