: Damn it, just seeing this woman makes my teeth itch with hatred.
: Stupid and arrogant, a complete idiot who only cares about profit!!!
: MiHoYo, I'm begging you, just let someone take her out!
: Damn it, in an apocalypse, people like this who are blinded by greed are the most disgusting villains, no exceptions!
: If I ever read a novel where an author writes something this revolting, I'm definitely going to roast it hard!
: So stupid, and she still wants to start a war, damn it, fight the Chrysos Heirs? Who's going to fight? You?
: Caenis has gone off course, return not permitted!
: Correct, absolutely correct.
.....
From the audience's perspective, they were completely immersed.
This kind of foolish, arrogant, self-important person was inherently detestable.
Not to mention, Caenis was the worst of the worst, someone who would disregard everything for the sake of profit and power.
The moment she appeared, she was met with overwhelming criticism.
...
But for Anaxagoras, Caenis' intentions were already crystal clear.
This was the value he held in her eyes. They were planning a purge against the Chrysos Heirs, but war was only one aspect.
Public sentiment was another.
If, at this moment, a Chrysos Heir were to abandon the darkness and stand on the Council of Elder's side, it would undoubtedly further strengthen the Council of Elder's legitimacy.
However, Caenis obviously wouldn't accept Anaxagoras so easily.
As expected, after saying all this, Caenis narrowed her eyes and said, "...But now that you're an ally of ours, we can continue talking somewhere else. As you know, these walls have ears."
She was wary of Aglaea's golden threads, as well as the crowd currently watching.
Just as there were people opposing Aglaea, there were also those dissatisfied with Caenis, choosing to stand on Aglaea's side.
Anaxagoras followed Caenis, passing through the gazes of the crowd, and arrived at the core of the district.
A massive deep-blue cube floated above them.
"Welcome back to the hub of the Demigod Council, Lord Anaxagoras."
"Borrowing the power of Kephale's flame, even those unpleasant golden threads cannot reach here."
Caenis finally relaxed. "Surely you remember that countless eloquent orators have stood in this spot before and emerged victorious by stoking public sentiment with their words. And yet, there have also been innumerable blasphemous philosophers who set themselves up for failure because they refused to defend their actions."
"This tiny stage is the most profound embodiment of Okhema in centuries. In fifteen days, this site shall also become the most important, as well as the final turning point in Okhema's history..."
"May the both of us carry out our duties with honor and lead the masses back toward the Era Chrysea, a golden age with no Death, Strife, or Trickery."
Fifteen days and nights? What a coincidence.
The day of Stelle's time-out, Anaxagoras's death, and the final moment in Caenis' plan, were all the same day?!
The audience perked up. And in the scene, seeing the timing was right, Anaxagoras got straight to the point:
"That's enough, Lady Caenis. Dispense with the niceties. I only accepted your invitation so that I can serve the commoners alongside the members of the Council of Elders. Don't test my patience with such superfluous formalities."
"I carry Cerces' flame, and I'm also a Chrysos Heir. You should know exactly how important I am."
Of course, he was important. Caenis knew that very well.
But she would never say it outright, nor would she fully acknowledge his value and let him take control.
"You say that now, but surely you also require my aid as well, so that you can stay alive, even when being pursued by the golden thread?"
Caenis chuckled. "You still need our support."
She was reminding Anaxagoras, just because he carried the Coreflame didn't mean he could do whatever he wanted.
If he wanted to live, he still had to rely on the Council of Elders. This was clearly a misjudgment.
She had misjudged Anaxagoras's purpose in coming to her, believing it was for survival.
But Anaxagoras remained composed and simply followed her line of thought:
"You worry too much. She won't show her hand too freely, as she still needs to garner support from the masses at the citizens' assembly."
Hearing this, Caenis' gaze flickered slightly. Anaxagoras was implying that this wasn't his only path, if pushed to desperation, going to Aglaea and accepting his fate was also an option.
Yet ironically, this answer only convinced Caenis further that he had come to the Council of Elders to save his own life.
Because in her eyes, his words were clearly an attempt at concealment, pretending he had other options, that he didn't care about cooperating with the Council of Elders, to hide just how important it really was to him.
Her expression relaxed even more.
"Perhaps. But as you said, is there anyone present who can swear by the sacred vow of Kephale and guarantee that you weren't in league with that woman before coming here? Are you just trying to pull the wool over our eyes and aid her in her savagery?"
This was a direct probe. Anaxagoras's expression didn't change as he replied calmly:
"If Aglaea required a suitably intelligent Chrysos Heir, then I'm the best fit for her needs. However, it's quite evident that she has no need for a Chrysos Heir who could break free of her control at any time."
"Since I believe in neither Titans nor the prophecy, there's no way that I would willingly walk on the path that she extols. Given how rigorously she enforces her principles, how would she ever accept a heretic such as me?"
Caenis curled her lips slightly, nodding in approval. Anaxagoras's evaluation of Aglaea pleased her.
"At the very least, the both of us agree that this tyrant who wallows in extravagance and greed is the greatest threat to achieving peace in Okhema. The Council of Elders is willing to defend your right to live, just as we defend every oppressed citizen."
With that acknowledgment, she formally promised that the Council of Elders would stand behind Anaxagoras. And she had used the word "citizens."
This showed that Caenis was now fully convinced Anaxagoras had come seeking survival.
Naturally… her guard in other areas would begin to loosen. However, after assuring the Council of Elder's support, she also needed Anaxagoras to contribute something in return.
"However, I regret to say that sentiments in favor of the Chrysos Heirs and Aglaea are only growing in magnitude. The peace that we are aspiring toward, as well as everything that we hold dear, will be destroyed completely. The city will be burned to ashes and the citizens' blood will be shed..."
"Tell me, what are you willing to do for our esteemed citizens so that they can vanquish the enemies of our fine city?"
Caenis wore an expression of exaggerated concern, making the audience feel sick just watching her.
....
: Ah?!!!
: This idiot doesn't even bother to think about why the voices supporting Aglaea keep rising.
: Ever considered it's because you're just that terrible?
: There's no way Caenis would think that, though. She definitely believes everyone else is stupid and that it has nothing to do with her.
: Is Aglaea oppressing the people? Now that's interesting.
: Not about protection, not about peace.
: What Caenis said honestly pissed me off so much I had to laugh.
: So you're seriously not going to think about this, after you bring down the Chrysos Heirs, what exactly is the Council of Elders going to rely on to resist the Black Tide? Prayer?
: Holy shit, Caenis is completely losing it.
: For someone like Anaxagoras to calmly talk with Caenis like this… you really have to admit, as expected of a teacher, his composure is solid.
...
The audience was about to be driven mad by Caenis. Meanwhile, Anaxagoras's composure remained perfectly intact.
Faced with the questioning, he showed no reaction at all, as if he wasn't dealing with an idiot. Instead, he even revealed a faint, confident smile.
"Garnering my support is equivalent to garnering the support of the entire Grove."
Anaxagoras crossed his arms, a trace of perfectly measured arrogance in his tone. "Although the circumstances are rather unfortunate, from an objective point of view, it is an undeniable fact that ever since the Grove was attacked, I have become the de facto leader of the Grove."
"The Council of Elders needs more backing if it wishes to topple Aglaea and it's evident that the academy wields considerable influence."
"At the very least, I have served as the Grove's special envoy to Okhema for a significant amount of time. Of course, this also means that I will hold a crucial vote at the citizens' assembly."
Support from the Grove. And at the same time, a decisive vote in the elected assembly.
That was obviously more than weighty enough. Even without considering Anaxagoras himself, the Grove behind him carried immense influence.
What's more, from his words, Caenis saw an even more enticing future.
With the sages of the Grove nearly wiped out, and power falling into the hands of Anaxagoras, a scholar not particularly well-liked, didn't that mean she could control Anaxagoras and, by extension, control the entire Grove in the future?
Okhema… the entire Grove… all of it under her control.
Caenis' breathing grew slightly hurried, but she quickly concealed it.
At this point, she had already been completely persuaded by Anaxagoras, but there was still one final, crucial question that required his promise.
"At this stage, it's clear that you and I understand the benefits to be won from this discussion. Let me put it plainly: The Council of Elders has always been renowned for its fairness, and that fairness is built on a foundation of sincerity..."
"The Council of Elders has vowed to all citizens of Okhema that it will always remain loyal to them. As for you, my lord, how will you guarantee that you will be able to live up to such earnestness and will not betray Okhema's indomitable citizens when the opportunity presents itself, just as you now betray Aglaea when it suits you?"
Caenis stared directly into Anaxagoras's eyes, trying to read something from them.
But his eyes remained calm and undisturbed, holding only that irritating sense of superiority and faint mockery.
"Hmph, surely you jest. My loyalty does not need to be proven."
"The fact that the Council of Elders is asking for proof of my loyalty is itself akin to a form of betrayal."
Caenis froze. And the audience was left speechless by those two lines.
Holy shit… That was incredible!
Since when was Anaxagoras this good with words?! A scholar is a scholar, indeed.
He didn't fall into Caenis' trap of forced self-proof at all. The answer was blunt, almost excessively so.
But every word hit like thunder. When it came to demanding a pledge of loyalty, Anaxagoras didn't even entertain it. He directly pointed out one thing,
"I'm here for an exchange of interests, a political alliance, not some master-servant relationship. Who do you think you are, Caenis, to demand my loyalty?"
And that final line, was an outright verbal annihilation of that idiot Caenis!
It vented the audience's frustration perfectly. Wasn't Caenis always hiding behind "the people," constantly talking about citizens and the peace of Okhema?
But what is she, really? A member of the Council of Elders.
And what is the Council of Elders? An institution that serves the people.
Its power comes from the votes of the citizens.
The Council of Elder's authority comes from the people's mandate, it is the recipient of power, while the citizens are the ones who grant it.
And clearly, "citizens" includes everyone, Anaxagoras included.
So now, a body that has been granted power is demanding that those who granted it prove their loyalty?
Who do you think you are? Isn't that completely upside down?
A betrayal of the people, and of the authority granted to it.
If anyone should be proving loyalty, it should be the Council of Elders proving its loyalty to the people!
So Caenis was stunned. And the audience felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.
...
: Damn, holy shit, Anaxagoras really dares to speak! And he's so good at it!
: Insane, insane, insane!
: That felt amazing!
: He hit the nail right on the head!
: Caenis is exactly the kind of politician who steals democratic power!
: This episode is way too intense, guys, I really want to see how fans outside react to this part.
: They really had the guts to write this!
: No wonder we hate Caenis so much, it's because we've seen too many people like her in real life.
: Explode, explode, explode!
: That was so satisfying, so refreshing!
: So this is how intellectuals insult people? Every word cuts to the bone, I need to learn this!
: I'm seriously going to study this scene!
...
The comments flooded in like crazy.
The audience had clearly forgotten that not long ago, they had still been somewhat sympathetic toward Caenis.
Now, everyone was instinctively cheering for Anaxagoras.
The way he bluntly and decisively exposed Caenis' hypocrisy, it unconsciously shifted the audience's stance completely.
Especially… in a world ruled by gods, Anaxagoras's current demeanor, in the eyes of many viewers, had become like a towering figure radiating rational justice.
And compared to those piercing words, on screen, Caenis' defeated expression was even more satisfying.
Usually eloquent and sharp-tongued, she now could only stare coldly at Anaxagoras, her lips unable to form a smile.
What could she even do? If she lashed out, that would only prove Anaxagoras right.
That she was exactly the kind of thief he described, and had been exposed so thoroughly that she lost control.
But just as the atmosphere turned awkward, Lygus appeared at the perfect moment.