First, Master Merlin pulls out a magi motion orb of her own and lets others see it. It's a recording of what appears to be a slave trader making their way through the street when it's intercepted, but they skillfully maneuver around the guards, making the guards lose track of each of them. That's what it looked like on the surface, but... Even I feel that something is wrong... I just looked at The Special Knight as well as Sister Khamisah and I can tell that they already know something is wrong from the recording. Judging by their expressions and based on my own experience, I can make a guess. It's the dark guild and they're in cahoots with the guard, but why show such a thing? I don't really understand that part.
(Is something wrong?) [Marianne]
(Well...) [Diana]
I whispered what I was thinking to the three of them. They didn't really notice, but now that they are aware, they make some comments themselves.
(Knowing Teacher, she must have gathered some evidence to blackmail those who disagree with this project) [Kara]
(I feel the same way. While it's just like you said, it seemed like a random slave trader from the Dark Guild escaping the guard, I bet they're hired by the one who just voiced his disagreement) [Mara].
(This guy sweats when it's cold. I said he'll soon speak up and say, "What's the significance of showing this recording now out of all the time?") [Marianne]
"And why are you showing this? How does that have anything to do with our discussions?"
(Wow! Marianne! You guessed right!) [Diana]
(Hehe, it's only natural for me) [Marianne]
I'm impressed. This is going to be so much fun. The four of us slowly whisper to each other what will happen next, starting with me
"Why of course, this is just to show you how weak your guard is, letting a simple slave trader outmaneuver your guard. Not like they're in cahoots with a certain someone. Unfortunately, the very important parts were misplaced by me, so I couldn't really find them. Too bad, maybe if I do find it, it will show where the slave trader will be resting and with whom they will trade their good. How clumsy of me, misplacing it just around my hut and yet I couldn't find it" [Merlin]
Well, my guess is kind of right? I thought Master Merlin would come right out and say that he's the real culprit, but she's obviously faking it. It's clear as day that she has the evidence, and yet she just chose not to bring it out.
"Well, how about we see an example of how the Knight of Amleth handled similar situations by using the Magic Motion Orb" [Merlin].
Huh? Aren't those men from Aeron's squad? If they were, there's no way they could be outmaneuvered by that pesky dark guild. In fact, they don't even need the Magic Motion Orb to move in unison, but with the help of it, their formation is solid, with no room for error. Maybe someone like Nar, Sas, and Sir Arthur will find one, but in my eyes, it's just perfect.
"See. With this, your guards, knights, troops, mages, or anything or anyone can be in unison. From stopping a certain noble house that may or may not be involved with the Dark Guild, to stopping a generous donation in a certain mansion up in North Kor, or just preventing crime in general, let's just say certain someone might feel naughty and want to torture someone just for fun. I have recorded them, and I have even recorded the Knight in Amleth preventing similar incidents to show you how this will undoubtedly strengthen your troops. Shall I get it? It's in my hut, after all" [Merlin].
"Just who are you?"
"I am nothing more than a humble teacher at a noble school. It's not like I'm the one and only legendary witch who can pry through a soul to see a person's weaknesses and gather evidence accordingly. No, I am just a humble teacher who teaches my sweet, sweet students the importance of being a decent human being." [Merlin]
That last part where she introduces herself as a humble teacher is something all four of us guessed correctly. At this point, she really doesn't care about her identity. I mean, I'm sure almost everyone knew, from Prince Rufus of the Empire to Mr. Ling, the Prime Minister of Xianxia.
"Teacher Merlin, we are getting off topic. May I suggest that everyone take a sip from their cup and calm down. After all, this project will inevitably be useful in our upcoming battle with the Devil King's army, so I would like everyone to focus more on how we can best utilize it" [Saintess Rumia].
"If that's what Goddess Favorite Daughter says, then I'll finish my presentation. I'm sure the other knights are more than capable of speaking on the topic she requested" [Merlin].
Master Merlin really respects Saintess Rumia, doesn't she? Well, she's the goddess' favorite daughter.
Kara, Mara, and Marianne noticed how some of the delegates, be they royalty, nobility, or some of the merchant guild masters, breathed a sigh of relief. It's obvious that they felt threatened by Master Merlin just now. Master Merlin did mention earlier that she would help us by gathering evidence of their wrongdoing, but to think that she would just blurt it out like that. I'm guessing that one of the reasons why Aunt Amleth allowed the conference to be seen by the citizens, aside from listening to the discussion, is to make Master Merlin's plan more effective. Surely they don't want the evidence of their misdeeds to be shown to the masses.
As time went on, the discussion naturally went in the direction we all hoped for. I'm sure there are still some differences of opinion, but none of them wanted to voice them. From those who support the project, their questions become more and more critical, which the researcher welcomes. Even I have to speak up, since I am part of the people who are making this project a reality.