Chapter 62: Ch 62 saw through it.
But not all shared the sentiment. A few faces hardened, brows tightening further and further—silent expressions of doubt, resistance, or something else entirely.
But why should the Goddess of Wisdom concern herself with such people? Was she worried about their thoughts—or the harm to their interests if they clung to the past and their outdated practices? Not in the slightest. She had no intention of caring for them, nor would she mourn any losses they might suffer as a result of their stubbornness.
On the contrary, if they dared to stand in the way—if they chose to become the boundary to progress—then she, along with her two sisters, would deal with them personally.
So, she ignored them.
And so, she continued her speech. "I won’t waste time listing the benefits to the Federation—you’ve already imagined them yourselves. If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t be sitting in this chamber, nor would you dare call yourselves the Federation’s higher brass."
She spoke in two directions at once. To those already in favor of the opportunity—her words merely highlighted the obvious, affirming their readiness and foresight.
But to those still blind to it, still hesitating—her message was a quiet condemnation: If you can’t see what stands to be gained—or what may be lost—then perhaps you are not worthy of the seat you currently occupy.
She continued with unwavering momentum: "But I will say this: this is our moment. A rare and massive opportunity—one we cannot afford to let slip through our fingers. Not because of doubts. Not because of fears of a future that may never come to pass."
Her gaze swept the chamber. "And yet... I see fear etched on some of your faces. Only a few—but still, it’s disappointing. That even a handful among you cannot see the bigger picture... it speaks volumes."
She let the silence linger for a heartbeat. "But then again, there are always a few rotten apples among the good ones, aren’t there?"
Hearing her words—so pointed, so unmistakably clear—the expressions of nearly a dozen council members darkened further. Their faces, already stern, now brimmed with silent fury. Yet they said nothing. They dared not.
For to speak now would be to expose themselves—to admit, by their own mouths, that they were the very "rotten apples" the goddess had alluded to.Still, their silence did little to hide the truth.