Bab 1978: Accountability
Though it hadn't been long since Wolhaiksong's transition into the Little Garden, it wasn't exactly the type of incident that would simply pass under the radar. A lot of people kept a close watch on the organization and its activities, so, shortly following the disappearance of the floor-sized forest, senior officials from the Ministries of Wisdom, Defense, Finance, and Faith had gathered to discuss the fate of the Empire.
Gathered alongside the officials, massive humanoid heads that defied the laws of gravity, were the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 6th Commanders of the Jahad Army. This included Adori, acting as Commander-in-Chief, Senna, her Chief Advisor, Arie Andrika, Commander of the 'Dauntless Assault Force', and, most notably, a youthful-looking girl named Eurasia Lem, Commander of the 'Emergency Support Division'.
As was often the case in such situations, a man consisting of nothing but a giant head, pointed ears, and detached hands was the first to speak, bellowing, "This is clearly the prelude to a rebellion! We should have eliminated that man the moment he appeared! Who is going to take responsibility for this!?"
With a size exceeding 10m, a horned golden helm reminiscent of a Chinese general, and white eyes surrounded by blood-red sclera, the 'man', Ke-sa the Furious, created quite the imposing figure. He was also the Minister of National Defense, so, while everyone else was relatively calm, recent events in the Tower had resulted in him becoming increasingly stressed.
Answering Ke-sa's outburst, another giant head, this one appearing as a green-skinned man with four detached hands, large ears, and a monkey-like tail protruding from where his neck should be, plainly remarked, "Standing before you is your Commander in Chief and the most senior member of the Jahad Princesses. If you cannot manage your temper, I will have to ask that you remove yourself from this chamber."
Using one of his detached hands to push up his rather archaic-looking bifocals, the green-skinned man, better known as Arvin Lou, Chairperson of the Office of Wisdom, made it very clear he would not tolerate such behavior. This earned him a fierce glare from the grey-skinned Ke-Sa, who, under normal circumstances, wouldn't hesitate to give Arvin Lou a piece of his mind. Adori was his direct superior, however, so, as the official representing military law and order, he couldn't simply ignore it in her presence.
Observing the interaction between the two, Adori had to briefly close her eyes, suppressing a sigh as she attempted to organize her thoughts. Fortunately, even without her needing to inquire, Senna took the initiative to say, "I don't believe this is a bad thing."
Opening her eyes, Adori shifted her gaze to Senna, silently prompting the woman to explain, "Vahn, the Sage Dragon Emperor, has demonstrated a penchant for personally resolving matters beyond a certain threshold of importance. Though he has allowed some of his family members to explore the Tower, they generally operate under a very strict set of guidelines. I don't believe, not for a moment, that he would mobilize the forces of Wolhaiksong against the Empire. Rather, given his behavior till now, it is safe to assume that Wolhaiksong is now out of the picture. Their principal goal had always been 'leaving' the Tower, not conquering it. I imagine the leadership of Wolhaiksong petitioned him for assistance, so, unless something unexpected occurs, they will likely remain there until Vahn has departed the Tower."
Having witnessed Vahn's 'wrath' after her forces had unnecessarily eliminated a group of Regulars, Adori had little trouble believing in Senna's words. Vahn was capable of incredible destruction, yes, but, unless he had chanced upon circumstances he vehemently disagreed with, he generally did his best to avoid injuring innocents and causing collateral damage.
Nodding her head, Adori passed her gaze over everyone present before saying, "Unless my father issues an Imperial Mandate, we will continue to act as we have been. Though they are undoubtedly troublesome, the Aldrnari Empire is not a direct threat to the Jahad Empire. So long as we continue working on reforms, there is a very real chance that the Sage Dragon Emperor will simply ignore us on his way to the top. Everything that has occurred thus far can be said to be a direct consequence of our mismanagement..."
Though she didn't appreciate how Vahn had brought chaos to the Empire, she knew he couldn't be held solely accountable. Everything he had done thus far was in direct response to deeply rooted issues that had plagued the Empire for generations. Had he been a part of the Jahad Family or the Royal Enforcement Division, most of his actions would actually merit some kind of reward. The only reason his behavior was even considered a 'problem' was because it was a direct slap in the face to the Jahad Empire, the Ten Great Families, and the parties responsible for the Tower's administration.
Suppressing another sigh, Adori was about to dismiss everyone when the only 'female' among the giant heads, a pink-skinned entity named Valua Gale, stated, "The disappearance of Wolhaiksong is bound to shake the people's faith. Even if the Sage Dragon Emperor isn't likely to employ them, the fact he has accepted them is a problem in and of itself. It artificially inflates him to a position above the Ranking members of Wolhaiksong, and, most importantly, diminishes the influence of the King. If rumors regarding his ability to depart the Tower begin to circulate, millions, if not more, will begin flocking to him. Even if he doesn't lead an open revolution, the integrity-"
Unable to suppress it any longer, an exasperated sigh escaped Adori's throat, disrupting the long-winded Valua before she could offer any substantive advice. Then, in a tone that caused even Lem to open her eyes, she plainly stated, "Let them go. The Empire was founded with the intention of preserving peace within the Tower. We have never told the people in the Outer Tower how to live, and, so long as they didn't violate the law, we have always supported the independence of people living within the Inner and Middle Towers. Even if hundreds-of-billions of people left, there would still be hundreds-of-billions more remaining in the Tower. Rather than worrying about those that wish to depart, our priority should be ensuring peace and stability for those who remain."
Taken aback by Adori's words, Valua wanted to gently chastise the Princess, but, before she could speak, Senna chimed in to say, "The Princess is correct. The Wall of Peaceful Coexistence is the best example of this sentiment. Just because it has degraded over the years, that isn't a reason to throw away our ideals. Rather, it's decline should offend us. They were intended to serve as monuments to the Empire's foundational principles, yet, as if to reflect the actual state of our administration, they have fallen into ruin. Speaking of conservative values and faith when we have failed to pay homage to the very beliefs upon which our nation was founded is rather short-sighted, don't you think?"
Glaring back at Senna, the pitch of Valua's voice increased drastically as she shouted, "Lady Senna! Such words border on sacrilegious! Administration of the Walls of Peaceful Coexistence was left to the families of the Kingdoms spared as a result of our King's mercy! We cannot be held responsible for their failures! In fact, they should be punished for failing to appreciate the King's magnanimity!"
Staring at Valua as if she was the dumbest person she had ever met, Senna's expression bordered on a deadpan as she stated, "The first walls to fall were those under the direct management of the Empire. You're also arguing that we can't be held responsible for the actions of others while trying to make a point about how the Empire should prevent people from disassociating themselves with our policies. We either have a responsibility to govern and preserve our ideals or we don't. You can't hold others accountable while denying personal responsibility in regard to your own policies. Those at the highest level of government are supposed to be the 'most' accountable for their actions..."
With the color of her skin transitioning from pale-pink to a deep shade of red, Valua looked like she wanted nothing more than to devour Senna on the spot. Unfortunately, the latter was exponentially more powerful than she was, and, despite her status within the Ministry of Faith, her authority was a far cry from Senna's. Not only was she the direct descendant of Ari Han, the most politically inclined of the Great Warriors, she was also the most beloved sister of Ari Chun, one of the Three Lords who ruled the Tower in Jahad's stead...
Furrowing her brows ever so slightly in response to Valua's behavior, Adori made a mental note to file an official complaint as she outwardly expressed, "We will discuss this matter in greater detail at the upcoming Ruler's Conference. In accordance with my father's previous decree, our official policy regarding the Sage Dragon Emperor is non-interference. If you are discovered violating this decree, I will have no choice but to act in my capacity as the Sword of the Empire. Understood?"
Though Senna was a monster in her own right, the power possessed by Adori was, simply put, in a league of its own. As a result, Valua couldn't help paling in response to Adori's words, a fresh layer of sweat covering her inordinately large head as she nervously replied, "I...I understand. I will store the Princesses' words in my heart and do everything in my power to guarantee the integrity of the King's decree..."
Offering a curt nod in response, Adori promptly turned on her heels, habitually flaring her cape as she added, "We are finished here. Convey my words to the Floor Rulers and make sure everyone is continuing to audit their respective departments. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, the Imperial Army will not come to the aid of anyone who has provoked the anger of the Sage Dragon Emperor. If they are smart, they will turn themselves in and make an earnest effort to repent. If such recourse is beyond them, they only have themselves to blame for what is to come..."
Without looking back to confirm that her words were regarded with the severity they warranted, Adori promptly departed with Senna, Andrika, and Lem following close behind. This left only the four giant heads remaining in the inordinately large judicial chamber, two appearing weary, one a caricature of fury, and the other appearing just as pale as she had under Adori's steely gaze...
---
Shortly following Adori's departure, details pertaining to the relatively brief discussion were quickly spread through various information channels. This included networks directly affiliated with each of the Great Families, and, as a result, it wasn't long before Yeon Ilarde, self-proclaimed Godmother of the Yeon Family, received the news. Immediately thereafter, a vase worth more than a floating castle was sent hurtling across the room, violently smashing against a wall comprised almost entirely of an inordinately rare red marble, highly polished gold, and various other valuable materials.
Seeing their Godmother behave in such a way, the group responsible for reporting to her couldn't help freezing up. Fortunately, almost immediately after smashing the vase, Ilarde, a breathtakingly beautiful woman with raven-black hair, fair skin, and ruby-red eyes appeared to regain her senses. There was even a hint of red in her cheeks as she turned to the group of doll-like women observing her from the side, saying, "I have shamed myself in front of you. Please, do not speak of this in front of your sisters..."
Without any hesitation whatsoever, each of the girls standing across from Ilarde bowed their heads, haughty yet reverential looks on their faces as the most senior among them chimed, "The greatness of the Godmother cannot be tarnished so easily. Regardless, it is our greatest honor to help protect the dignity of the Yeon Family and its most illustrious member."
Hearing her daughter's words, Ilarde used a phoenix-inspired fan to veil the smile that had spread across her face. The only thing she enjoyed more than hearing praise regarding her greatness was tormenting the vile and despicable men who thought themselves worthy of her favor. Thus, while it was difficult to suppress her anger, she eventually managed to compose a mask of indifference as she said, "That woman's incompetence knows no limits. I can't even begin to fathom what our King was thinking when he put her in charge of the military..."
Though her words might have caused a scene elsewhere, Ilarde was able to speak freely in front of the members of her own family. Rather, whenever they heard her speaking casually about Jahad, the respect and adulation of those closest to her only seemed to increase. They genuinely believed she was the contemporary of Jahad and the Great Warriors, and, were it not for a promise she had made with her sister, Hana's mother, she would have been much more than the de facto leader of the Yeon Family.
Noticing the looks she was receiving, Ilarde fought hard against the urge to smile, forcing herself to appear cold and detached as she ordered, "Send a message to Hana. I have other matters to attend at the present moment, but, once I'm finished, I will be heading there to meet her. Have her washed and ready within the hour. And don't forget to treat her with the utmost respect. If I find out any of you have said or done anything hurtful to my beloved niece, expect a severe punishment..."
Bowing even lower than before, Ilarde's daughters responded in the affirmative before half of them promptly broke off to carry out her orders. As for the rest, they followed after their mother, eager to make themselves available if she required their assistance. Filial piety was one of the basic principles of the Yeon Family, so, no matter what demands their mother asked of them, it was their 'honor' to oblige...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'TL:DR: Don't fuck with Vahn','Valua just got gaslit xD...','Ah, the wonders of fundamentalism~')
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