Chapter 362 - 9: How Shameless
Chapter 362 - 9: How Shameless
’Wow, so that’s the conspiracy theory he’s pushing.’
Upon hearing Eilvette’s words, Ailorus tilted her delicate face and said,
"A conspiracy? Aren’t you being a bit paranoid? The Chaos is spreading because of the separation between the divine and the mortal. Is there anywhere in the entire Mortal World that can escape its assault?"
’Surely Duke Qinghui can’t order Chaos to sever the link between the Supreme Heaven and the Mortal World, can he?’
Her Majesty the Wind Law Queen smiled, and her voice was sweet and gentle as she spoke.
"Lord Eilvette, what evidence do you have to support this claim?"
"On the surface, perhaps. I’m not claiming Duke Qinghui caused the Chaos Corruption. He likely just waited for the situation to develop, then swept in like a savior to complete his de facto annexation and conquest of those lands. No matter how pretty his words are, it doesn’t change the fact that those places are already leaning toward the Qinghui Territory."
Eilvette sneered and said,
"I have gathered a great deal of intelligence on that man. You must understand, Duke Qinghui didn’t begin his expansion *after* the separation of the divine and mortal realms—he started preparing for it *before*! This great upheaval, the likes of which we haven’t seen in millions of years, could not possibly be the work of a mortal. However, he must have known something in advance to have stayed a step ahead at every turn. Otherwise, it’s all too much of a coincidence."
"Furthermore, I don’t know if you’re aware, but Duke Qinghui is extremely close with Practitioners who study Demon Forbidden Techniques. And as for Demon Practitioners in the Mortal World... Hmph. Need I say more?"
’The core members of the Thousand Laws Royal Court knew perfectly well how many pitfalls their own Divine Ancestor had left behind. Demon Practitioners... in all likelihood, they were connected to the Celestial God’s Shadow currently ravaging the Land of Rhythm.’
’A group of Practitioners who still had lingering, unbroken ties to those Demons... and Westheid brought them along with him. It would be difficult not to have suspicions.’
’Did the Witches of the Ring of Clear Skies somehow aid in the escape of the Celestial God’s Shadow?’
However, Ailorus remained unshaken. The young Little Queen, who already carried herself with a monarch’s poise, slowly shook her head.
"That’s a bit of a logical leap, Lord Eilvette. These are matters with no evidence. We should not harbor such baseless suspicions of others."
"Hah... My apologies, Your Majesty. I am motivated only by my desire to protect the Royal Court. Our circumstances, and the world outside, are far too dangerous. The Royal Court can no longer afford any more incidents or accidents."
Eilvette let out a breath and bowed his head.
The tall, stern Elf realized he had been too adversarial in front of the Wind Law Queen. Recalling the recent rumors, even the Grand Law Officer, who typically cared little for gossip, could not help but bow his head and admit his fault.
"It is all right, Lord Eilvette. I know of your loyalty to the Royal Court. There is no harm in vigilance, but you are seeing enemies behind every tree."
Ailorus said softly, "But as it stands, are we not unable to stop the rampage of the Divine Ancestor’s Shadow in the Land of Rhythm? No one from the Royal Court is able to confront those beings. In comparison, aren’t the Practitioners who have dealt with Demons more expert in this area? At the very least, they know how to handle Demons."
The elven girl lightly placed her hand on her chest, just below her neck, and said,
"From what I understand, Duke Qinghui’s Demon Practitioners are not paragons of evil. On the contrary, they have consistently used the power of Demons to fight Chaos. If we judge by actions rather than intentions, then we should not arbitrarily view them as our enemies."
"What you say is reasonable."
Eilvette calmed himself and considered her words, temporarily suppressing the deep-seated prejudice in his mind as he said,
"Your Majesty’s tolerance and enlightenment are a treasure to the Royal Court. Is that also why you took the initiative to propose hiring outside reinforcements?"
Ailorus plucked at the hem of her dress and said with a cheerful lightness,
"Actually, it was Faticia who told me about Duke Qinghui, and that’s why I grew so interested."
At this, Eilvette shot a glare at the melancholic, violet-haired beauty beside them and said coldly,
"As a Tuner who serves Her Majesty, your job is to teach Her Majesty how to control the [Ten Thousand Wind Melodies], not to implant other ideas in her head or attempt to exert your own influence."
Faticia’s pretty face went deathly pale. She clamped her arms over her startlingly ample bosom, head bowed, not daring to speak.
The stern, pale-silver-haired Elf continued to berate her,
"You are Her Majesty’s confidante and, like me, a blood kin of the royal family. Your loyalty to the Royal Court must be without blemish. I have already purged the vermin under me who do nothing but scheme for power and profit. I hope you do not follow their path."
Mist welled in Faticia’s beautiful eyes. "Lord Eilvette, I would never..."
The Grand Law Officer himself was a member of the Jade Royal Family. Generationally, both Eilvette and Faticia were Ailorus’s cousins. In any ordinary mortal kingdom, such a bond forged by blood would signify great closeness, and their statuses would have been similar as well.
However, this was not the case in the Thousand Laws Royal Court. The Jade Royal Family was large, and what determined an Elf’s status was their Talent for the Path of Resonance.
The selection of the King of Wind Law was not based on seniority or legitimacy, but on who had a higher degree of affinity with the [Ten Thousand Wind Melodies]. This was precisely why Ailorus was able to ascend to the high throne at such a tender age.
She had not even been on the Path for long. To truly wield the [Ten Thousand Wind Melodies], she still needed the help of a Tuner—and Faticia was the very teacher who guided Her Majesty the Queen on her journey along the Path of Transcendence.
Seeing the beautiful Elf on the verge of tears, Ailorus immediately stepped in to mediate.
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