Episode 821 World Conference (5)
Darkwarton Tower Master Reindel joined hands.
“If they possess sufficient intelligence and ethics, there is no reason to ostracize them just because they are undead.”“The very existenceof the undead is a threat.” “I understand your position, Saint. However, I am saying that is the reality. Generally, the mere presence of the undead nearby does not cause mental breakdown or melt away flesh.”
Reindel added.
“Of course, to the extent that one can control death energy.”
The greatest damage from the Undead crisis was not human life. It was the land.The aura of death emitted by the hordes of the undead devoured and eventually stole away vitality, turning even the fertile land into a wasteland.
“It is only natural that the more powerful the undead, the greater the evil spirit they harbor. And their nature also leans toward hating living beings even more. If there were any undead capable of coexistence, the prerequisite would be that they must be able to perfectly control their nature and evil spirit.”
He shook his head slightly.
“Unfortunately, I have never actually seen that kind of undead. So I have some doubts about whether we should even discuss the undead as a subject capable of coexistence. That is my opinion, Verden.”“Thank you for your insight. However, it seems my intention was conveyed differently. The undead are not the focus of the discussion; they are merely a part of it.”
Verden faced everyone.
“Let me correct this before the misunderstanding deepens. What I specified as a sub-agenda is the lifting of racial restrictions on heteromorphic species, not the undead. To be precise, my wish is to keep in mind the possibility of coexistence with all sentient beings.”
The Pope asks.
“What is the ulterior motive behind that wish?”“Not discriminating based on race.”
Verden asserted.
“Of course, that does not mean I have the slightest intention of disregarding the human-centered ideology of the Ruas Theocracy. Nor do I intend to cause conflict over this matter.”
His tone of voice became much softer.
“Saint Ersetia.”“Speak.”“I acknowledge the contributions of the Ruas Theocracy. It is an achievement that no other force can replace. It is absolutely no exaggeration to say that humanity has been able to come this far thanks to the Religion of Light. Every human being must feel indebted to the Ruas religion, even if they are not believers in the Light.”
The saint’s expression became subtle. She hesitated for a moment, unsure how to react to hearing pleasant words from the opponent with whom she had been in sharp conflict just moments before.
“Grace… As expected, the Divine understood the grace of light. That is truly joyful news. However, why do you seek not to discriminate against races?”
The saint demanded an answer with a dazzling smile.
Verden narrowed his eyes inwardly.
“I guess they’ll turn everything upside down if things don’t go their way.”
Behind the beautiful smile, a distinct boundary is visible. There is no middle ground. The moment one touches the line, they will express fierce opposition.
“Because my standard is strictly ‘intellect’.”
Verden tapped his temple.
“I have no plans to differentiate status based on intelligence, like a class system. I intend to grant the opportunity for social coexistence only to those who can feel emotions, think logically, and control themselves.”
There is a monster possessing intelligence and lifestyle habits equivalent to those of a human. Are humans superior to monsters? Should monsters be excluded simply because of their different appearance? It is utterly ridiculous to call that a standard.
“Look here. Elves, beastmen, and dwarves. Naturally, they are not human, yet they are at the World Council alongside humans. We Alpha and Beta are also undeniably heteromorphic. It is in the same context. I do not want to draw boundaries based on the wall of race.”“I have one question.”
Salber Wendisir, Head of the Adventurer’s Guild, raised his hand to speak.
“If you intend to break down racial barriers, it seems you include not only heteromorphs but also demi-humans. Does this mean that goblins would also be considered partners for coexistence if they possess intelligence and ethics?”“As you know, the variety and population of demi-humans are incomparably greater than that of heteromorphs, so we plan to approach this cautiously. At least, we do not intend to expand the scope to include demi-humans right now. However, ultimately, that is likely how it will turn out.”
Verden crossed his arms.
That is part of my ideal.
… … !
The fact that the Transcendental Being has spoken of his ideals must be interpreted as meaning he has absolutely no intention of backing down. Madness does not bend.Even if he is rejected at the World Conference right now, he will not give up, whether it takes a few years or decades.
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!
Teriwen, the leader of the Iderat Federation, clapped his hands. He was an integrationist who desired harmony among all human species and wanted more heteromorphic beings to coexist in society.
“Ah. What a magnificent philosophy! To think that you embrace not only the heteromorphic races but also the demi-human races without any discrimination against other human species. As the representative of the Iderat Confederation, I cannot help but be deeply impressed.”
* * *
The leader of the Iderat Alliance was not the only one to show a positive reaction.Braonic Strom, the top multi-racial diplomat of the Iderat Alliance who was escorting him, also openly praised him.
“As expected, you are fully awake. You are truly a transcendent being befitting the new era.”“…….”
Braonic nodded with satisfaction, as if he had sensed Verden’s extraordinary nature ever since he saw him at the General Assembly of the Magic World.His disciple, Barigant, one of the Four Great Powers of the Central Continent, stared silently at Verden.
“I fully understand why the previous representative system restricted coexistence with heteromorphs. Powers and habits that defy logical understanding are subjects of caution. There are also individuals deemed impossible to coexist with. Therefore, we plan to establish a residential zone for heteromorphs within Eon’s territory and conduct a pilot program. It will not be too late to assess the results afterward.”
Verden exchanged glances with the Adventurer’s Guild Headquarters, the Luas Theocracy, and the Darkwarton Magic Tower in turn.
“I think the Adventurer’s Guild could review the social coexistence of heteromorphs as it has done in the past, but with exceptions—the Darkwarton Magic Tower could make decisions regarding the undead, and the Luas Theocracy could make decisions regarding demons.”
The saint twitched the corners of her eyes.
“So you intend to include even demons at all costs.”“Excluding them from the list simply because they are demons does not align with my ideals. However, the final decision rests with the Theocracy of Luas. Can you still not accept this?”“…….”
The Saint did not answer immediately but spoke with the Pope and Leonhardt while covering her mouth. The two of them also covered their mouths.
The World Conference Hall constructed by Ignacia is equipped with various devices utilizing illusions.Attendees of the Senate and House of Representatives can conceal themselves to prevent their voices from leaking out. However, since their appearances are still visible, they had to hide their mouth movements separately.
The Saint and the Pope engage in a serious discussion. Leonhardt tried to listen, but the conversation was too difficult to understand.
Not discriminating based on race… isn’t that a good thing?
That was Leonhardt’s thought.
Upon seeing beastmen, elves, and dwarves for the first time at the World Conference, he felt no negative emotions. He was simply fascinated and amazed.If these异형종 (abnormal beings) possessed intelligence and ethics comparable to humans, there would be no reason to exterminate them; such was the only thought that came to the innocent Leonhardt.
“What does Leon think?”“Ah, *clears throat*.”
However, Leonhardt was not in the spirit to see his point through.At least, that was the case for now.
“I think it would be best to do as the Saint and the Pope wish.”“Yes, then I agree.”
And so, the gods of the Luas religion simultaneously lowered the hands covering their mouths.
The Pope said.
We must exclude the Divine and the Demon from the target.
For some reason, it feels like I can hear the sound of the atmosphere twisting.
Callia and Lobeline watched the situation, breaking out in a cold sweat.Neither of them had heard the details of what Verden was going to do. This was because they were not as skilled at concealing their reactions as Isabella.
It was necessary security.
Because there was a risk that he could end up in a difficult situation, just like when the King of Water read Leonhardt’s emotions and used the King of Ronia.
“…I thought I had conceded as much as possible.”“It’s not over yet.”
The Pope added to the conditions.
“The Adventurer’s Guild will oversee other variants as before, but the Undead will be reviewed simultaneously by the Darkwarton Magic Tower and our Luas Cult. Unless the two factions agree, the Undead cannot coexist in any way. If this clause is not added, we will reject the Divine Minor Ritual.”
It is a stubborn attitude.
It is effectively no different from saying that they will not accept the undead or demons into society. Because if they were to find fault, there would be no end to it.
It is a stumbling block for Verden.
However, it was not Verden himself who removed that obstacle.
Reindel put down his wine glass.
“I never imagined the Ruas Theocracy would distrust the Darkwarton Magic Tower this much. To think they couldn’t even entrust us with a mere task of verifying the undead, yet they proposed a simultaneous examination.”
The saint refuted.
“The Darkwarton Tower Master has a personal relationship with the Divine.”“So, do you think I’ll grant you a favor?”“Then declare it right here and now. That the Darkwarton Tower Master will take responsibility for the sins committed by all the undead who have come to coexist in society.”
It was a provocative proposal, but Reindel did not even blink. One could read her fundamental intentions from the fact that she specified the Tower Master, rather than the Darkwarton Tower, as the person in charge.
“You regard me as a thorn in your side as the glory of death, no, even more so.”
Understanding the saint, Reindel perfectly concealed his pity, stalled for time by pretending to be lost in thought, and then spoke.
“How rude. Fine, I’ll take responsibility.”“If you go so far as to say that, I suppose I can no longer object. Let us exclude the undead from the additional clauses. Holy One, will you accept?”
Tap tap tap.
Verden tapped the table with his eyes closed, then soon nodded.
“……It can’t be helped. I’ll postpone dealing with the devil until next time.”“We’ll discuss it then.”
Although the vote was strictly by majority rule, the atmosphere suggested it had already passed. This was the power of the mighty forces.
And neither the Senate nor the House had any particular reason to object.
The Lee Hyung-jong Social Coexistence Zone is difficult to operate due to numerous risk factors, so they are offering to handle it on their behalf. This would allow them to obtain the relevant research data without any money or effort.The Magic Tower, the nations, and the Transcendental forces were all quite interested in the results of that pilot test.
At this, Verden inwardly twisted the corners of his mouth.
As expected.
Devil?A demi-human?
Verden is sincere in his desire to tear down the walls separating races, but there is absolutely no rush. It is to the point where it doesn’t matter if it isn’t even mentioned at the World Conference.
In any case, as long as the Ruas Theocracy reigns, no demon can come out into the light. There are no exceptions, no matter how friendly the demons are to Verden.
The demon was bait that Verden intended to use as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the Ruas Theocracy.By pretending to temporarily set aside his desire for ideals to save face, he ultimately weakened their vigilance against the undead as much as possible.
The first button has been fastened.
The Darkwarton Tower Master is quite friendly toward Verden. Otherwise, he would not have told him about the taboos related to death.
The Adventurer’s Guild includes Obsidian-ranked adventurers Black Sea and Demonic Terror.With Black Sea, one simply needs to secure cooperation by using the sea as leverage. Demonic Terror is none other than the Slayer of Calamity, one of the five captains of the Ark.
The network is already established.
After the World Conference, the first Necromancer can operate legally without any issues. They will pass the standards without any problems.The same goes for the Golden Sinner.
Isabella and Legrit are demons, but since the demon race is completely unknown in the present era, there is no need to reveal their identities.
With this, the branches of power have increased.
The reason Verden intended to designate even the heteromorphic zone was not solely due to the first Necromancer.
Lee Hyung-jong’s operationalization.
Verden intended to strengthen Eon’s total power in every aspect. The freedom through power that he pursues does not discriminate against race.
“Hehehe, your lord’s tongue is indeed great, too.”“He’s not fighting. What a waste.”
The Water King chuckled as he glanced at Adrian, and Ignacia whined about when they would finish the first Grand Council and fight.
I wonder what you’ve come to see…
Meia, the agent of the Lefragium Magic Tower, frowned inwardly.
The Provider continued the meeting as the chairman.
“I will grant time for the detailed revision of the representative system before the first Small Council vote. Verden has finished speaking. The next proposer, League Leader Iderat, please speak.”
It was the turn of the Iderat Alliance Leader, who had actively endorsed Verden’s ideology. Clearing his throat firmly, he spoke forcefully.
The minor agenda I intend to propose is more of a suggestion than a legal one. It seems that the Iderat Confederation will not be able to handle it.
Ignacia’s eyes gleamed.
“Oh, what is it?”“If you have an interest in ancient history and treasures, you have probably heard of it at least once. A sword known to have disappeared 800 years ago.”
Iderat, the leader of the federation, puffed out his chest.
“Dragon Sword, Magras.”
Reactions erupted in various places.
It was those who knew the truth about the Glory of the Dead who felt inward turmoil, especially figures like Verden who knew the Six Great Legends.
The last owner of the Dragon Sword was the ancient king.
The Iderat Alliance Leader, who had no way of knowing the details, continued speaking confidently.
It seems our Iderat Alliance has located the Dragon Sword, Magras.
