Chapter 274 - Conclusions
Using the armillary sphere in Mistress’ office, Scarlett reappeared in the restroom where she had first initiated her vanishing act. She smoothed her dress, checked her reflection in the mirror, then returned to the Emperor’s Forum. As she entered the vast chamber, she noted that most of the guests had already returned, but she wasn’t the last to arrive. Both the emperor and several key figures at the central table were still absent.
Lady Withersworth and Duke Valentino’s wife greeted her as she approached their seats in the galleries. The former fixed Scarlett with a penetrating gaze, the curiosity in her eyes barely concealed. “I trust your meeting with your acquaintance was fruitful?” she asked.
Scarlett settled into her seat. “It went as well as could be expected,” she replied evenly. “There were a few unexpected developments, but nothing of great consequence.”
“Hmm.” Lady Withersworth’s lips curled into a faint smile. “If you say so, dear.”
Their attention was soon drawn to the chamber’s grand entrance as the royal herald’s booming voice rang out. The massive doors atop the staircase swung open, revealing the emperor’s retinue. Scarlett’s gaze was instinctively drawn to the raven-haired woman walking just behind the emperor. Mistress had finished up whatever talks she’d had with Malachi, it seemed, but Scarlett couldn’t help but wonder what those discussions had been about.
The emperor descended to his throne, the room falling into a respectful silence as he took his seat at the head of the central table. His gaze swept across the gathered nobles and dignitaries.
“I trust you have all had the time to reflect further on the matter at hand,” the man began, his voice effortlessly reaching every corner of the chamber. “Let us resume our discussion regarding the establishment of a barrier across imperial lands, to thwart the Tribe of Sin's use of teleportation magic. Those who wish to speak, now is the time.”
A stillness hung in the air, heavy and expectant. Then, as if a dam had burst, the chamber erupted into a torrent of voices. Lord Withersworth and his allies’ faction and their opponents clashed in a renewed cacophony of arguments that surged forward, mixed in with the occasional accusation and rebuttal.
Scarlett almost found herself marveling at how little the break seemed to have tempered the intensity of the debates as she observed nobles, one after the other, raise concerns over the astronomical costs of the project, the crippling of vital trade routes, and the potential devastation of defensive strategies that relied on the Kilnstone network. The counterarguments were just as fierce, pointing out the immediate threat posed by the Tribe of Sin and the need to combat the current incursions before anything else.
One noble stood and addressed the assembly, asking what would happen if the empire’s eastern borders faced an unforeseen attack from the Undead Council or monsters hailing from the Unresting Steppes. And what would they do in the—however unlikely scenario—of the Voneia Kingdom to the west staging an attack without them being able to rapidly deploy troops in defence through the Kilnstones? To that, both the Imperial General and several associates of different knight orders suggested that stationing more permanent military units in vulnerable regions was far from impossible, though some seemed to balk at the mere notion.
As the discussions raged on, Scarlett found it increasingly difficult to gauge which side held the advantage. Both factions boasted influential speakers. Just judging by the number of voices, those opposing erecting the barrier seemed to have a slight edge. Still, it didn’t escape her notice that certain groups—such as the Followers of Ittar—maintained a conspicuous silence throughout the proceedings.
Scarlett herself was a bit conflicted on the matter. While she recognised the need to stabilise the empire and had resolved not to obstruct the barrier’s implementation if it moved forward, that didn’t mean she had no reservations. Beyond her suspicions about how someone like Mistress would exploit the situation, the inconvenience of losing access to the Kilnstone network couldn’t be ignored. There was also the question of the costs that might be levied on nobles like Scarlett, even if she could really become exempt from some of them, as Mistress suggested.