Chapter 498 Clash V (1/2)
Rhode revealed a gentle smile as he stood in the middle of the hall. The nobles gathered all their attention on the black-haired young man without speaking a word. The remarks of this diplomatic envoy were indeed startling as the nobles were aware of the incident in Soraka Mountain. However, even if they didn't know the truth, their gazes towards Rhode were filled with astonishment. To be honest, they refused to believe what MP Danny had said. Firstly, the Country of Light;s Parliament didn't have a favorable relationship with the Munn Kingdom and they had defamed the Munn Kingdom more than once. Secondly, Rhode had just been awarded an honor by Lydia and even though it was only a feudal rank of Baron, the nobles knew that this was a political statement and Lydia was declaring that she wouldn't give up on Rhode. If Rhode was the main culprit of the entire incident, would Lydia even do this?
”Please continue your statement, Mr. Envoy.” Lydia spoke from her throne without the slightest change in her expression.
Danny lifted his triple-chin proudly and swept a glance of disdain at Rhode before retrieving a stack of thick papers from his pocket. ”Your Highness, the next account that I'm about to present has been reviewed and investigated by the Country of Light's Parliament. We have the most appropriate evidence and witness…” Danny swung his arm forcefully and continued. ”Please allow me to summon my witness.”
”No problem,” Lydia nodded in agreement while Danny gestured to his subordinates. Shortly after, the two guards escorted a man into the hall. He seemed no more than 28 years old and was dressed in a luxurious robe. Although he appeared rather handsome, his every movement seemed extremely haggard, as though a gravely ill patient who didn't have enough rest. The man stood beside the diplomatic envoy and bowed respectfully to everyone present. ”Your Highness, my name is Zieg Alanic and I am the representative of the Alanic Foundation stationed in Soraka Mountain. I swear by the honor of my family that I've witnessed everything that happened on that day…”
Alanic?
Rhode scanned the man from head to toe. Come to think of it, he did see this man in the hall before the start of the meeting in Soraka Mountain. However, he couldn't remember him after the start of the chaos. It seemed that this man was extremely lucky to have survived the disaster. But, Rhode didn't think that he was just simply lucky.
There were no shortage of troubles that this family had given Rhode.
Rhode gritted his teeth at this thought. Initially, he had pestered Marlene in the Fortress and now, it was regarding Soraka Mountain. This Alanic Foundation seemed really afraid of losing their presence and had continuously found troubles for Rhode. If there was a vote for the best model workers, these guys would definitely be a popular choice. Rhode shifted his attention to the minister beside Lydia. The senior wore a white robe and held onto this golden staff while gazing at the man before him with some disgust. Rhode knew where his sense of disgust came from because this senior was the Patriarch of the Senia Family and Marlene's biological father. Marlene was his only daughter and furthermore, she was a rare magical talent and she had almost turned into the slave of the Alanic Foundation… Rhode was aware that if it wasn't for him taking into consideration the prestige of the Munn Kingdom, he would've gone into an all-out battle with the Alanic Foundation. Even though the Alanic Foundation was second to none in the Country of Light, the mighty generations of the Senia Family weren't for naught too. If both sides did end up in a battle, the battle would be no less than a battle between the nations.
Just that the scale of the war would be smaller, that was.
As though sensing Rhode's gaze, the senior turned towards him. Meanwhile, Rhode nodded in response as he knew he was being somewhat discourteous. However, Rhode didn't expect that the senior would place his idling left hand on his chest and bow solemnly. Then, the senior revealed a kind smile before shifting his attention back to the nobleman who was giving his narration.
Rhode was astonished by his actions because no matter their identity or rank, he couldn't be compared to the Patriarch of the family that held the most influence and presence in the Munn Kingdom. Even though he might have a good impression of Rhode due to his previous contributions, it was unlikely for him to go so far as to bow in public. This was obviously more than just simply favoring Rhode.
Rhode realized that there were a few sharp eyes gazing towards him from amongst the crowd. It was apparent that the interaction between Rhode and the Senia Patriarch had gathered some attention. But Rhode disregarded them and focused his attention on the narrations of the nobleman.
As the saying went, one couldn't convince others with all truths while all lies couldn't cut it to and the best way was to mix both truths and lies together. Such lies were the toughest to expose and this Zieg Alanic nobleman was apparently well-versed on this subject. His narrations were clear and orderly, yet weren't all truthful. From the emergence of the Chairman to the eruption of the earthquake and the appearance of the Chaos Flames, all of them matched Rhode's memories. However, this was where the deviations began. He seemed to have 'neglected' Rhode's presence and claimed that when the Chaos Flames erupted, he left the Mithril Hall hurriedly. Then, he spotted a suspicious man in a black robe, which peaked his curiosity. With the powers of his magical equipment, he followed the suspicious character and witnessed him entering the Rock Shrine. Shortly after, the mysterious man met up with the Supervisor and both of them unlocked the seal, which led to the awakening of the Duke Fiend. At that moment, Zieg had intended to leave, but he discovered that the mysterious man had a dispute with the Supervisor…
Got to say, Zieg was really great in making up stories because according to his narrations, it was rather similar to what Rhode had experienced. Zieg ingeniously tampered with some crucial portions and it meant that his guy wasn't purely imagining things. There must be someone who provided him the information—and that person should be one of the ones who escaped alongside Rhode.
But who exactly was that person?
Rhode hadn't gotten an answer to his question and he continued to listen silently.
”… Lastly, I witnessed the terrifying Devil heading towards the Light Dragon Soul. In order to warn my country to prepare for its invasion, I didn't pursue further. Instead, I left with my teleportation item into the Country of Light and I have no clue what happened next.” Zieg ended his narration.
”I understood everything that you've said.” Lydia nodded in acknowledgment before gazing at Rhode meaningfully. ”So, what has this got to do with Baron Rhode?”
”Please pardon my rudeness, Your Highness. I have unintentionally spotted the face of the man in the black robe… And that was the face of this man here,” Zieg added on.
”… Are you sure you haven't mistaken him for someone else?”
”Absolutely not. I swear by the reputation of the family. Besides…” Zieg looked at Rhode slyly. ”I can't forget his face even if I want to, since he has such distinctive features.”
Soft laughter filled the crowd. Even though they hadn't concluded the integrity of Zieg's words, they agreed that he was right that Rhode's striking appearance that would definitely leave a deep impression. Just like the pair of young noble heirs in Eagle City. They only met Rhode once during the Midsummer Festival and they could immediately recognize him when they were escaping.
Sometimes, sharp features weren't a good thing.
”I've heard your assertion,” Lydia turned a deaf ear to the laughter and she gazed at the man calmly. ”But this is only from your account, Mr. Alanic. You have to admit that you don't have any evidence to support your statement.”
”Your Highness, his account was reviewed and verified by the Country of Light's Parliament and is the truth!” MP Danny knitted his brows and replied coldly. The fake smile on his face vanished gradually and it was obvious that he was extremely dissatisfied with Lydia's behavior of finding excuses. ”After Mr. Zieg returned to the Country of Light, the Country of Light's Parliament has dispatched Mages to trace his spirit memories for the scenes that he had witnessed. It was according to the scenes that we have confirmed that he wasn't lying. In order to search for the main culprit that led to this disaster, Mr. Zieg had even dragged himself out of his sick bed to go through Spirit Tracing.”
MP Danny pointed at the man emotionally to signal for everyone to observe how haggard he was. ”For the sake of justice, he was willing to damage his spirit to find the culprit. Isn't this enough to prove the authenticity of his recount?”
Even though the fat parliament member seemed to feel indignant at the injustice, it wasn't that easy for the crowd to take the bait. Shortly after, Lydia raised a new doubt. ”So then, as evidence, I would like to see the magical image traced from his spirit. Surely this won't be a difficult request, right?”
”Of course not.” The fat parliament member seemed to have a card up his sleeve, which peaked Rhode's curiosity. Even though great Mages were indeed able to trace the entirety of one's personal experience with a spell, this spell, after all, would establish only around the truth. No matter how rich this Mr Alanic's imagination was, he couldn't possibly store memories that he hadn't experienced in his spirit. But, this fat pig seemed so calm… What exactly was he up to?