"...I rely asked a question."
Draksis answered in a low voice. Kael, however, did not have a shred of patience in him now.
"It was a dumb question.
One that soone sitting in this Hall shouldn’t be asking."
"You—"
Draksis wanted to retort in anger but quickly froze as he saw a portal opening behind Kael and a Dragon’s Claw coming out of it.
In an instant, the entire Council Hall widened their eyes in disbelief; even Lavinia was no exception. Draksis stood up, staring at the fiery red claw with a pale face. In an instant, the mory of unquenchable flas burning his arm resurfaced in his head as the Dragon stepped out.
The Giant Dragon looked right at Draksis with his ember eyes, and just then—
"Igni."
Kael called out with a cold, emotionless look on his face.
"I am not with words.
So the mont you feel he is directly or indirectly targeting ,
Burn him."
"Wha...?"
Draksis widened his eyes in horror, unable to even complete his words, fearing that the Dragon might actually do what he was ordered to.
After all, with how he was glaring at him, it was clear that he wanted to.
The Forge Leader quickly stepped back, not even daring to breathe too loudly, fearing the consequences.
The only thing he could do was glance at the Matriarch, wanting so form of protection, and this ti—
The Matriarch stood with him.
"Kael."
She called out as she turned towards Kael.
But—
"I am not here to play foolish gas, Matriarch."
Kael interrupted before she could even begin.
"We have lost twenty-three n in three days. It could have been a coincidence the first ti. If we stretch it far, the second ti can be called a coincidence as well.
But now burning the trees that we have been saving?
If this does not alert you people, I do not know what will."
Kael then leaned forward towards Morvain and—
"We are being targeted, Matriarch.
By more enemies than we believe.
We do not have ti for foolish politics. Targeting at a ti like this is beyond foolish; I fail to comprehend how soone who doesn’t understand such a thing is able to sit in this room.
If it were up to , I would have thrown him out of the Hall a long ti ago."
He spoke those last words as he stared at Draksis, his cold, emotionless face not changing.
"But it is not up to you."
Morvain did not step back either. Kael turned towards her; for a mont, the two stared at each other in silence.
And then—
"That is why he is still here."
Kael answered.
"Wasting the ti of the Council, ti that otherwise could have been used more productively."
"I was the one who made Elder Draksis the Leader of Forge and gave him the seat at the Council.
Are you questioning my decision?"
The Matriarch narrowed her eyes in an intimidating manner.
But then—
"Yes."
Kael nodded directly, and in an instant, the hall turned silent. Even Lavinia blinked, taken aback by Kael’s direct words.
The rest of the elders gulped, feeling the heavy air; even Morvain couldn’t believe what had just happened.
"...What?"
She questioned, as if unsure whether she heard correctly.
"What are you surprised about?
Do you not see the results of your decisions?
You made him the Leader of Forge, you ca up with an entirely new title for and made the Warden of Vigilance, and here we are, fighting as if we are mortal enemies.
So sothing went wrong, did it not?
As the leader, you should take responsibility."
Kael answered with the sa emotionless look on his face.
Draksis, on the other hand, was as silent as a corpse. His nervous eyes continued to secretly eye the Dragon, who, considering how he was glaring at him, might attack with even the slightest mishap.
As for the Matriarch...
"You are blaming for not being able to get along with other Council mbers?"
She questioned; her face did not hide how absurd she found this situation.
"I am blaming you for choosing an incompetent man—a man who refuses to look beyond soone’s age, rejects everything another person has done for him and his people, and constantly targets the one who is actively working to make things better—in a position as important as this."
Kael answered.
And as if he felt his words weren’t convincing enough, he added more.
"How many tis has it been? Three or is it the fourth?
He has interrupted multiple Council etings without having sothing important to add on his own, and he does it to raise the sa petty point over and over again.
How is adding soone this incompetent not reflective of your leadership skills?"
Silence.
Absolute silence fell over the place.
Morvain stayed silent, and her silence intensified the atmosphere. The rest of the elders were frozen stiff; they were not expecting a confrontation like this.
Their opinions, however, were divided.
So supported Morvain. As people who had seen everything the Matriarch had done for the Heights and the people, they could not turn their backs on her—not to ntion the way Kael was acting right now, calling out a Dragon and directly threatening another Council mber—it could, by no ans, be accepted.
But at the sa ti—
So, like Aelindra and Korvath, supported Kael.
Yes, the two of them were loyal to Morvain. They, too, respected her and knew everything she had done, but they did agree with Kael’s words.
Soone like Draksis shouldn’t be sitting in the Council Hall, especially after everything he had done.
Honestly, Draksis should be grateful that Morvain was suppressing the matter regarding his ’feud’ with Kael and that Kael himself wasn’t spreading the word,
Because if this matter spread and the people realized what he was doing...
This wouldn’t end normally.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the people themselves surrounded Draksis and forced him to step down from his position.
Yes, that was the influence Kael had over the people; so literally treated him like a god. The mont they found out that soone was targeting their god, they would not let it go.
"Choosing Draksis shows my incompetence, huh."
Suddenly, the Elders Hall, which had been deathly silent for more than a minute now, heard a voice.
Morvain looked straight into Kael’s eyes and—
"Then what about you?"
She asked.
"Burning a Council mber’s arm beyond repair, using a Dragon to threaten another Council mber when he spoke his mind—what would you call these actions?
Is this not a sign of incompetence?
Lack of emotional maturity and self-control?
Or is it... excessive pride?
Pride that no one here should be able to speak over you.
Pride that no one is better than you."
Kael didn’t answer; he knew Morvain wasn’t done.
And she wasn’t.
"What is the end goal?
After Draksis, who will you target? Soone else who questions you? Perhaps ?
Is this how you wish to ’help’ us—by threatening us with your Dragons? By forcing your decisions upon us in such a tyrannical manner?"
Kael turned silent.
The word tyrannical forced him to think about Morvain’s words and take them seriously, and from a certain standpoint, he did agree with her words to so extent.
Didn’t his actions seem... too unreasonable?
This thought started to form in his head.
But then—
"That is quite a far-fetched statent, don’t you think?"
Lavinia spoke up.
"Tyrannical? To think you would use such a word for him."
The Mage laughed out loud.
"Do you think this is a laughing matter?"
Morvain narrowed her eyes. The last person she wanted to get involved in this conversation was Lavinia.
But it was clear that wasn’t going to happen.
"Is it not?"
Lavinia answered back. Then, the smile on her face disappeared, and she raised her voice,
"You bla Kael for being tyrannical as you twist the facts however you desire. Do you think I would simply accept it?
Attacking a Council mber? That was done when the said Council mber threatened to hurt him and his family.
Threatening the Council mber when he is rely speaking his mind? He is not speaking his mind; he is foolishly pointing fingers at Kael knowing full well that this falls outside his jurisdiction.
All ’tyrannical’ actions Kael took happened because he was left with no other choice.
If anything, rather than using a word like tyrannical for Kael,
I will give you a better word—
Ungrateful."
Lavinia looked right into Morvain’s eyes before she turned towards the rest of the Council mbers,
"Ungrateful.
Every. Single. One. Of. You.
To push a man—who only wishes for peace, love, harmony; a man whose hands tremble when he kills but still does it for yours and everyone else’s safety—to take ’tyrannical’ actions.
It says more about you lot than it does about him."
Lavinia finished, and once again, the Elders Hall turned silent. Even Morvain could not co up with a proper retort, especially when Lavinia had no plans of giving her the ti to.
"This is how you wish to play this, correct?"
The Mage began, turning back towards Morvain.
Then, she grabbed Kael’s hand,
"We will play along then."
The woman stared at everyone in the Elders Hall and—
"Choose."
She ordered.
"Either Kael, the ’tyrannical’ man you all wish to avoid so much,
Or Draksis, the poor victim of Kael’s ’tyranny.’
Choose and keep it in your mind.
This will be your final choice."
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