Before a certain someone's shameless expansion of the Public Council's scale, Sulfur Mountain City's councilor had once been a well-respected job.
They were the representatives for the respective interests of different trades, races and through socializing with the Bureau of Internal Affairs, the legal system and the city lord, they were able bring up certain proposals or opinions. If their view was supported by the entire Public Council, then even the city lord would have to take it seriously.
When Adam, as the lucky charm, refused to interfere in city affairs and the legal system was only interested in security issues and the judging of criminals, on many occasions, the council was able to make the solitary Bureau of Internal Affair give in, even though the head of the Bureau was the Great Saint Margaret.
Of course, authority also brought along benefits. By simply changing the tax of a good or approving the import of a good, it could bring in countless shining gold coins and as the councilors started to understand the advantages that came with the power in their hands, how could they remain satisfied with just staying a normal merchant.
After all, in this world, there were nobles that were 'born great' and even royalty who viewed 'country as private property'. The human heart can never be satisfied. In a stable and peaceful city, they naturally strived for greater heights.
Nowadays, after normal workers, farmers, community aunties and fishmongers became councilors, when 'Is morning dancing exercise considered bothering the civilian', 'Can the council provide free lunch' replaced the previous topics such as 'Should we purchase the black gold mines from Chrome city', the value of the identity as a councilor for big merchants, tribal heads and elders had been pulled down, making them incredibly displeased.
When the Public Council had been swollen to the point that it was incredibly inefficient, councilors of opposite standings spat on each other and the council had become the place for citizens to watch a good fight. The original councilors were heartbroken and carved the name of the seeming friendly suggester onto their hearts — The devil-like cunning evil Wumianzhe.
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"Council Head Grant, please make up your mind!!"
Right now, in Council Head Grant's office, a bunch of young and overbearing Alliance Faction councilors had the old and ordinary council head surrounded. They were forcing him to make up his mind that moment.
"Right now, the escapees are all around the city and chaos is spreading. We must protest against the idle city lord and remove the foolish masked man who failed his job and interrogate him! Also, we must push for the dissolution of those dark elf bitches!"
"Yeah, the city lord's successor Annie is still far too young and inexperienced. She's incapable of leading the people. That's why such chaos is happening right now. She needs to be removed from her position and punished accordingly!"
Pah pah, the office desk made of high-grade redwood was slammed repeatedly by the agitated councilors. Yet, the old council head turned his head to look outside the window. It was already time to get off work. On other days, there would be a crowd of people returning home, elderly bringing their grandchildren for a walk, young couples strolling in the flower gardens while the shops by the road would advertise meals unique to different kinds of races, the aroma of the food travelling far and wide…
But right now, only thick smoke could be seen. The road that has been filled with laughter on other days… all that remained was fire and screams, there was nothing else!!
"Enough." Taking a deep breath, the renowned ordinary Council Head quietly took off his glasses and looked at his well-dressed colleagues.
"What?" The one leading the pack, Councilor Karn, didn't expect the Council Head to have this kind of reaction.
"Pah! I said, enough!"
The old man's shout shocked all of the councilors. Those blood-red eyes were like a ferocious beast looking at its prey. Even though they were used to the noisy council meetings, but they were still surprised how the monotonous and ordinary council head of the past, the old man who drank tea and slept during meetings would have such an angry look on his face.
"Other than the escapees outside, there should be some of your private armies mixed within. Don't you understand what you are doing? This is nothing more than rebellion!!"
The rage of the old Council Head made the other councilors subconsciously retreat. But Karn, who was the most likely candidate to become the next council head, stood out.
"Sulfur Mountain City belongs to everyone, so how can this be considered a rebellion? We are just asking City Lord Adam to make a comeback, to calm down the situation, as well as punish those officials who failed at their job. After everything calms down, we will invite him to remain as our permanent honorary city lord."
Being looked at by this luxuriously clothed middle-aged councilor in front of him, with a calm look on his face, Council Head Grant was stunned for a moment. Then, he smiled.
"Ho, you aren't that foolish. I understand now, you all are scared. You all fear that after the old city lord steps down, the new city lord would be unable to protect you all in the chaotic underground world. You all want to force Annie to step down, then install the old city lord as the so-called honorary city lord and continue to serve as your guardian deity?"
"It's for the best that you understand it now. At that time, you will be our future Head of Internal Affairs…"
"Shameless!!"
A mouthful of spit was spat on Karn's face. The face of the big boss of a jewelry store instantly distorted.
"You all wish to chase away a man's goddaughter, yet you all still expect him to protect you all to his death... you bunch of shameless people! To think that you all dare to harbor such a thought, to think that you all have the cheek to say such words, I feel ashamed being in the same organization as the rest of you!!"
The councilors seemed to want to speak, but the incensed old council head didn't stop his reprimand. His fingers were pointed towards a lively old gentleman.
"Rulus! Fifty years ago, due to the sins your father committed, your entire family ended up as slaves and was about to be sold to Chrome City as tributes for churches. It was the kind old city lord who risked falling out with Chrome city to save you personally. I still remember the you as a kid then and how you cried while kowtowing to him, swearing 'I will never forget your grace'. AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY HIM?"
"Tuine! Your father once died in his line of work for Sulfur Mountain City and you always appear before the citizen using your identity as the 'son of a hero'. Hmph! Son of a hero? A soldier who was killed by a stray bullet while escaping! Do you still have any shame left in you? Lord Margaret only gave him an honorable death because she knew that your family required the pension to survive! IS THAT HOW YOU REPAY THE LORD'S GRACIOUS HEART?"
"Suedna! You, we were once part of 'the 3 musketeers' of the Public Council. You had suffered a great tragedy, your entire family of 13 was killed by someone and you ended up as the sole survivor. Let me ask you, who was the one who personally stood out and spent more than half a year to trace the culprit for a few thousand miles to capture him, so that he could receive judgement, to avenge your family? Who was the one who paid the tuition fees until you matured? You can't answer? And here I thought you were a speaker with great oratory skills, specialized in inciting the public's will? Let me answer that for you then, it was Lord Wumianzhe WHO YOU CONDEMNED AS A DEVIL!"
"Kart! Your cursed family bloodline, if it wasn't for the Great Saint…"
"Lunaris! You…"
"And you! Karn! Let me ask you! When your family went bankrupt after you got duped, who was the one who helped you retrieve part of your family's assets? If it wasn't for the Bureau of Internal Affairs acting as a guarantor, you think with that old face of yours, those goblins would provide you a loan without skyrocketing the interest rates? You owe both Lord Margaret and Lord Wumianzhe a favor, and yet you still have the gal to rebel against them?"
One councilor after another got severely reprimanded and yet no one dared to raise their heads. After all, sometimes, in front of an old man who was aware of everything, the guilty would find it hard to face the truth. Sometimes, even sinners understood that justice lived on in the heart.
"You bunch of shameless fools, have you forgotten where you all are? This is Sulfur Mountain City, it lies in the cursed underground world! Without the protection of the city lord and the others throughout the last hundred years, you powerless fools would have long since ended up as slaves or food for others…"
"Enough, we don't need the most ordinary council head in history to step up to the task. We shall do it ourselves!"
The embarrassed and angry red-faced Karn turned around and left.
The other councilors followed Karn with their heads still down, not daring to look at the face of their comrades. To them, who had their masks ripped off, every second in this office started to feel as painful as being stabbed by a knife.
But the sarcasm of the old man resounded from their back.
"Ordinary? Indeed, I am ordinary and foolish, but were you aware that I created a new record for the council?"
No one replied him, but hearing 'a new record for the council', all the councilors stopped in their tracks intrigued.
"I, Grant Bart, this ordinary old fellow, have occupied the seat of the council head for more than 13 years. I am the second longest serving council head since the founding of the council. I still intended to try and break my father Bart's record of 16 years. But a pity, you all messed it up..."
This council head who had been well-known to be foolish throughout the city, at this moment, his red-face looked spirited without a trace of the usual foolishness. His gaze towards his colleagues possessed an additional weird emotion, that could only be called… pity?
"Hmph, you just lived a long life. What's there to be proud about?!"
"Hah, of course it's something to be proud about. The previous Council Head, Li Wensi, he came from the East, skilled in both academics and martial arts. Against all pressure, he intended to reduce the number of council members. Everyone was expecting great things from him, but in the end what was his fate? Death, in the third year as council head, he was turned into a zombie by a passing necromancer. Or what about his predecessor, Council Head Cloven? He also was well looked upon by the citizens. He organized multiple mass protests to force the Head of Internal Affairs Lord Margaret to give in on several occasions, earning him the nickname as 'Sulfur Mountain City's Uncrowned King' but in the end? During the third year as council head, he died. He was stabbed by a pickpocket in his stomach, his intestines spilling out on the floor of in an unfrequented alley"
Karn and the other councilors shared impatient looks on their faces previously, but now, they were sweating profusely and their hands felt cold.
"Before that, let me tell you about the old Vice-Head Ben. hehe, the council head Karya at that time was sided towards the city lord. Thus, the Vice-Head fabricated rumours of him having illicit relationships, causing him to commit suicide. Ben was indeed talented, he had managed to wash his hands clean of the crime. Everything was done so perfectly, that not even the fierce dogs of the legal system were ever able to find any evidence. So what became of him? After being involved in a fight in a bar, he went missing for 20 years. However every year on Karya's death anniversary, a part of a male body gets left behind on her grave as an offering. Last year, it was a finger from the right hand, and on it was the copper ring belonging to that old fellow Ben. Hehe."
In this instant, all of the councilors turned around with fear on their face. They no longer dared to underestimate this old fellow who had seemed on the verge of dying.
"Don't tell me it was done by Adam and the others!! I thought they were good people…"
"Lord Margaret and the old City Lord are good people, you aren't wrong about that. But do you know, the one who was scolded by you all to possess a devil-like cunning, how we referred to him before he had gotten that nickname?"
"How?"
" 'The hand of the laws that was even stronger and evil than the devils'. This was used to describe his intangible hands. No matter who it is, as long as anyone crosses the line and steps on the codex of law, kacha, the blade will slice down on them. You think that you are the only ones skilled in inciting, controlling the opinions and will of the citizens? That lord is capable to even alter memories. Do you believe it would be difficult for him to fabricate rumours and develop them in the exact direction which would benefit him?"
"My old father, the longest serving Council Head in its history, old Bart, before his passing he told me one. Does anyone here know what it was?"
By then, none of the terribly frightened councilors had the guts to reply to him. Their faces were as white as corpses. The pack leader Karn bucked up his courage and shouted.
"Old fellow! I am not interested to know…"
But the old council head shook his head, his face full of reminiscence as he continued talking:
"He told me 'Sulfur Mountain City is a paradise in the underground world. But, that is merely due to a devil doing all the dirty jobs by himself. He personally gets rid of all the lesser evil and dirty things trying to corrupt this town, thus on the surface, it would naturally look clean and beautiful like heaven. If you wish to become a council head in the future, it is actually quite easy. Just be a bit dumber and don't harbor any ambitions that exceed your own abilities. The fools in front of you will all die sooner or later. Then, you will be able to become the council head.' Hah, to think he was actually right. The both of us, as the longest serving council head, you know why this has been the case? We were simply the history's most ordinary council heads."
At this moment, Karn had lost all the arrogance he had shown previously. His mouth was opened wide as he breathed heavily and uncontrollably, similar to a toad on shore. He seemed to feel an intangible chain placed on his neck. The icy-cold sensation that bore resemblance to death made one feel suffocated.
"Right, you all liaised with Chrome City right. Did you all think that it would be so simple to defeat the three big heads just by colluding with the underground alliance? Have you already imagined your lives as nobles and royalty? Hehe, you all have experienced true war. My naive children... No matter who wins or loses, the first ones to be killed will be you all, the petty traitors!"
"Old fool!!"
The impulsive Suedna punched the face of the old council head, Grant crashed into the table violently, his spectacles shattered. The edge of his mouth and eyes were bleeding, but he was still smiling, satisfied.
"Hehe, does nobody here wonder why I have been talking to you so much without any fear of this conversation leaving this room? It was because I wanted to live, you fools! Am I right? Lord Wumianzhe, the dead won't reveal secrets. Since these dumb snakes have been lured out, it should be about time to pull in the net."
"Pah, pah, pah." That was an eerie applause which sounded similar to bones knocking into each other. But in the ears of the councilors, it became a music note that seemed to be counting down to their death.
A slender figure appeared from the shadows. Under the silver mask was a pair of icy-cold red eyes. That eerie applause originated from the crystal ball on the hand of the enforcer.
"Silver Rose! The head of the intelligence team 'Observer'! The underground queen of Sulfur Mountain City!" The appearance of Wumianzhe's most trusted underling, the infamous intelligence queen's sudden appearance destroyed the final line of defence in the councilor's hearts.
"You, you…"
Looking at the agitated councilors who were pointing their finger at her rudely, Silver Rose frowned in displeasure. 'Pacha' With a snap of her fingers, the invisible wires which had been set up in the room contracted. In the next moment, all of the councilor's necks tightened as the invisible wires hung them up in the air.
Yes, from the start, the intangible chain that Karn felt wasn't an illusion… As traitors, they were being sentenced to the only possible verdict — Death penalty!
"Ke!!" After a few seconds, just like a fish which was caught, the struggling councilors started to quieten down one after another, eternal silence…
Seeing how his comrades were suddenly hanged to death, old Grant's face was full of anxiety.
But the voice from the crystal ball made him calm down once again.
"Looks like I underestimated your father and you. Forget it, I am still quite satisfied with your performance. If you don't want to end up holding a funeral, you better rein in that grandson of yours, who stirs up trouble every so often using your name. Right, good luck for the next election. I am looking forward to you being re-elected."
The silent Silver Rose bowed to Grant, then took a step back before disappearing in the shadows once again.
The old council head slumped down on the table, panting heavily. He was left as the only survivor in the entire office…
"Haha, hahaha!! I survived! I survived!"
Even after Silver Rose had walked out of the building, the laughter of the old man who managed to survive could be heard even from a long distance away…
Sulfur Mountain City had totally descended into chaos. The escapees and the private armies of big merchants were busy stealing and ransacking properties, while outside the city, Dark Elves were preparing to blend in with the elite Town Security. It appeared as if the paradise of the underground world had turned into a hell.
At the same time, in the tall tower, I looked with interest at the utter chaos below. Behind me, the Head of the Hall of Enforcement Xueti, the Head of the Hall of Law Kale and the Head of the Hall of Judgement Kelvin were filled with rage watching at the tragedy occurring below.
"Alright, alright, don't look so bitter. The corrosion has already penetrated the bones. If we don't bleed a little, how else can we get rid of the rotten flesh? If our heads did not bleed, then how else would we remember the pain? To put the craving for peace into the heads of those fools, for the stability and peace of Sulfur Mountain City in the next three decades, just have some patience. Besides, our men have started moving so the situation should improve soon."
Afterwards, when Silver Rose, or should I call her my head maid Elisa, appeared before me once again, I immediately understood that there was a change in the situation.
"Hm? Those fools actually colluded with other underground cities and their armies are going to march into the city? Hehe, my four heavenly kings, looks like there's something fun going on. In that case let's go out to play, shall we?!"