Chapter 578: The Vow
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 578: The Vow
That night.
As the events of the Imperial Council spread among the nobility—and even commoners heard whispers of the anecdote about a father reporting his own son, marveling at it as a choice bit of gossip—dark undercurrents were already surging beneath the seemingly calm surface of the great capital.
In the thousand-year history of the Empire, the rise and fall of a single Marquis’s house might not typically cause much of a splash.
However, at this crossroads of history, it was enough to become a tidal wave, forcing the great ship of the Empire onto a different course.
Furthermore, the Dion family, with its deep roots in the Empire, was no small splash.
Beneath those deceptively still waters lay countless tangled, pitch-black, and terrifying whirlpools—and behind those whirlpools lay even more.
"Why did it turn out like this!"
In a dimly lit hall, tiered mahogany tables were arranged in a wide arc. The only bright light shone upon a massive white tiger seated at the very center.
This layout served to highlight the majesty of the one in the middle while allowing everyone’s opinion to echo clearly through the hall, expressing respect for every member... at least on the surface.
But it was precisely because everyone could voice their opinion that the place became incredibly noisy and chaotic when everyone clamored to be heard at once.
"This is not what we agreed upon!"
"The Dion family... how could they leave such a massive opening? How could they be investigated?"
"If the Dion family is truly scrutinized, what happens to our families? We did those things together; no one’s hands are clean! If we get dragged into this, none of us will survive!"
"Dammit! Quick! Send someone to deal with that lowly bastard daughter of the Bugard family immediately! We cannot let her continue her investigation!"
"People have already been sent. We dispatched an assassination group that claimed a hundred percent success rate, but there hasn't been a single word back. They must have failed!"
"Argh, useless! Useless! How could this happen? How could this happen!"
Behind the long tables, these well-dressed "animals" had long since abandoned their usual refinement and elegance. They were locked in a heated, chaotic argument. Had the attendees not been mere puppets incapable of feeling pain, they would likely have been red-faced and brawling by now.
The current chaos made the place look like... a literal zoo.
The corners of the White Tiger’s mouth twitched in a joyless sneer. Then, he slammed a fist onto the table before him.
"Enough! All of you, be silent! Is this the time for bickering?!"
"..."
The hall quickly fell quiet.
However, before long, a discordant voice rose through the silence.
"Since things have reached this point, the Lord Speaker should bear most of the responsibility, shouldn't he?"
"What did you say?"
The White Tiger’s cold, piercing gaze swept over. The bloated Hippo shrank back, intimidated by the White Tiger’s majesty, but still summoned the courage to speak:
"The... the Dion family is facing this situation precisely because you, as the coordinator, left a loophole for the enemy to exploit. You vowed before that you would lead us all back to glory, but now, I see no glory. I only see a hopeless future!"
"A hopeless... future?"
The White Tiger murmured, chewing on the words before breaking into a cold laugh.
"Did... did I say something wrong?"
The Hippo forced itself to remain steady. "The Dion family holds a vital position within the Inner Council. If they are investigated, a vast number of us will be implicated. Princess Celicia has clearly locked onto us. It’s not impossible for her to follow the trail and uproot the entire Inner Council. When that happens, even your current identity might not be enough to protect you!"
"Moreover, once the Inner Council is exposed to the light of day, the things you’ve done in the past can no longer be covered up. We’ll all be finished! Lord Speaker, didn't you say you had at least—"
"Shut up!"
The White Tiger roared in fury, shattering the tabletop with a single palm strike.
The Hippo was so terrified it nearly curled itself into a ball, not daring to say another word.
"Finished? You think it’s over just like that? You useless lot think that because the enemy caught the Dion family in a blunder, everything is over? Heh... it’s because of trash like you that a woman who does nothing but keep a pretty boy can play us for fools!
"So what if it's the Dion family? That is merely one family... just the Dions. That’s right, it is merely one Dion family! If the Dion family is gone, so what? What of it?!"
The White Tiger’s chest heaved violently. Every word sounded as though he were grinding his teeth to dust.
"If the Dion family is lost, then let them be lost. Sharp was a disappointment anyway. Regardless, for the Inner Council as a whole, losing the Dion family isn't a crippling blow. As for being implicated... it won't happen that fast. Precisely because there are so many hidden connections, they won't be able to trace it back to you all so quickly!"
"The Lord Speaker is right."
The Robin landed in the seat closest to the White Tiger and looked around. "The enemy's goal is to make us panic. The more critical the moment, the more we must remain calm. Everyone, think carefully about what stands behind you. Moving against you is not that simple."
"Then... what should we do next?"
The "animals" looked at each other. Finally, one who didn't seem quite as afraid of the White Tiger’s power stood up and asked:
"Our plan has been disrupted after all. Given the current situation, the enemy certainly won't sit idly by and wait for us to take that seat as a matter of course."
"Since the plan has been disrupted..."
The White Tiger tilted his head back in thought. Then, in the deathly silence, he snapped his eyes open. A sinister, ferocious glint flashed in his pupils.
"Then we won't follow the original plan. We'll use a more... direct method."
"You mean..."
As if understanding some deep implication, the faces of most of the animals present changed drastically.
"I mean exactly that."
"But... isn't that too risky?"
"At this stage, is there any path left that isn't risky? Don't forget why we spent countless resources to obtain this."
In the glow, the White Tiger reached out his hand. But it was not a savage tiger claw; it was a fair, youthful, human hand.
"This is our greatest weapon. We have cast everything aside and staked it all on this one gamble for this very reason. ...Everyone!"
The White Tiger swept his hand out. The light illuminating him expanded, making the entire hall completely bright for the first time.
As the members turned to look, they were astonished to find lifelike, majestic statues standing around the perimeter of the hall.
These statues bore a resemblance to those in the Imperial Council hall of the palace, yet they were far more realistic. They were covered in scars, clad in shattered armor, and held cracked swords... as if they might come back to life at any moment and march back onto a battlefield of blood and corpses.
Behind these statues was the phantom of a giant tree, golden and brilliant, radiating a dazzling light.
"A thousand years ago, our ancestors followed the First King and swore an oath beneath a golden tree to go forth and establish this great nation. This is the origin of Glory's Blood!"
"Yet over these thousand years, our glory has been gradually forgotten, usurped, and trampled upon by lowly ants. Most importantly, even the one sitting in that seat... that senile Emperor, has betrayed us as well!"
"They have forgotten the glory. They have forgotten Glory's Blood. They have forgotten that we are the true masters of this Empire! At the same time, they have forgotten... why Glory's Blood is powerful!"
"Therefore, they must pay the price for their forgetfulness and contempt. And we shall, under the light of glory, set this kingdom right once more and return it to its proper track!"
"Since they will not give it to us, we shall take it ourselves!"
The White Tiger’s expression was solemn as he declared:
"This is the vow the First King granted us. No one can change it!"