The Kind of Evil

Chapter 622: Older Generation and Younger Generation.

All the Ordinal Conclaves, the elders, and the guests entered the meeting hall after they had their breakfast, they didn’t see Aurelia with them at the dining table and wondered if she ate separately. However, when they entered the meeting hall, they already saw Aurelia sitting in her chair with the same mask on her face. She pointed her hands at the chair, signaling them to sit. Once everyone was seated, there was a scroll for everyone in front of them and they wondered what it was.

"The scroll you’re seeing is the plan that I have prepared for the decision I made in the last meeting. Please read it thoroughly and if you have questions or dissatisfied with the plan, do not keep it to yourself," Aurelia said as she looked at everyone’s gaze fixated on the scrolls in front of them.

Everyone broke the wax seal and unrolled the scroll in unison and then immediately read the content of the scrolls. The hall was completely silent, and Aurelia observed everyone’s expressions while they were reading the plan. For the experienced leaders, they didn’t show any expression, but for Monica, Maximilian, and Isador they still showed a slight reaction.

The first one that finished reading the plan was Arthor and then followed by Moriganne, and Julius. The three of them shared a look, doing the exact same thing as Aurelia, to see each other’s reaction but found nothing. Once everyone put down the scrolls, they all looked at Aurelia, trying to understand the reason behind that plan.

"Your Excellency, the plan to cut ties with West Neva and South Neva, does that include the South Neva Union and the faction of West Neva that is against the regime under Saint Ermaine?" Arthor asked as he stared at the scroll in front of him.

"Yes. In the first place, the faction in West Neva is doing their movements of their own accord. I didn’t receive any requests from Sorceress Agnesia to support that faction. Even if they did, I would reject such a request because we have nothing to do with it," Aurelia answered as she looked at Agnesia who sat at the table on the side with Lazarus, Lenin, and Thalior. "For the South Neva Union, they have decided to make a peace treaty with the cult and as the consequence, we are cutting ties with them as well. We will exclude ourselves from the situations that happen around the world with the reason of rebuilding our nation that’s currently unstable," she added as she stared at Thalior.

Agnesia and Thalior expected this outcome, but they didn’t expect it to come true. They understood Aurelia’s reasoning and they both lowered their heads with understanding and accepted the reasoning.

"Your Excellency, even if we found this reasonable, the others might not feel the same way as us. Our survival for the present and the future will be seen as betrayal and abandonment for the other parties and it will raise conflicts and perhaps grudge even if our decision is the correct one," Julius pointed out with a serious expression. "What I’m trying to say, Your Excellency, how are you going to deal with that when the time comes?" He asked.

"That’s if we are assuming that both South Neva Union and the faction in West Neva survived. What they think about us is no longer a problem," Moriganne added as she looked at Julius before she looked at Aureli. "What if both Saint Ermaine took down the resistance while the cult devoured South Neva Union and their next objective is our land? We will be nothing but a casualty of the conflict between those two," She asked.

"We will do what we can control in this moment and the safety of our people. I will not risk our nation and our people for something that’s not uncertain," Aurelia answered without hesitation.

Arthor didn’t say a word and just lowered his head with understanding while Julius and Moriganne still had something to say. However, before they could utter their opinion, Monica raised her hand, making everyone’s attention move toward her.

"I believe Her Excellency’s plan is the most reasonable decision we can make. We are making a decision based on what we know that is certain, not speculation, not possibilities, not assumptions. We don’t know what the cult’s current power is, we don’t know how far stronger Saint Ermaine has become, we don’t know what are their plans, what are their goals, what are their opinions about us. We barely scratched the surface of what they are. Instead of talking about the risk and consequences based on Her Excellency’s plan, we should discuss what we can do to prevent that from happening without having to change the plan entirely," Monica said as she looked at everyone at the table and the table on the side where the elders and the guests were. "What Ordinal Conclave said is right, and we should do something about it because we might be able to prevent that from happening. What Ordinal Conclave Moriganne said is also right, but that’s uncertain, and if that really what was going to happen, no plans could prevent us from being their next target," she pointed out.

Monica cleared her throat as she took a deep breath before she continued.

"If you may, Your Excellency. I would like to offer a plan where the faction in West Neva and South Neva Union will understand our circumstances and prevent them for feeling betrayed or abandoned," Monica offered as she looked at Aurelia with a serious expression.

"I would offer myself to help as well, Your Excellency. We have Alexander in West Neva, and I believe we can use his influence to help us with this matter," Isador said as he looked at Monica and gave her a nod before he looked at Aurelia.

"I’ll be waiting for your suggestion," Aurelia nodded with understanding. "Is there anything else anyone want to add in this matter?" She asked.

Everyone shook their heads because Arthor, Moriganne, and Julius had already uttered what they wanted to say. They continued to give their opinion on the other parts of the plan and neither of them stayed passive and had their own moments of uttering the most crucial risks of the plan. However, Maximilian, Monica, and Isador were the ones who offered solutions to the risks to minimalize them without changing the plan. They showed the plan from different perspectives after Aurelia gave her reasonings it was as if those three understood Aurelia’s plan and thoroughly looked at it from different angles.

Lenin and Lazarus couldn’t help but smile, where the older generation criticized the younger generation offered a solution and putting an addition to the plan without changing it. There was something different from the way they saw it from their perspective that the younger generation like Isador, Monica, and Maximilan tend to trust Aurelia’s decision and tried their best to assist, not to criticize. Those four had created powerful bonds during their days at the academy that began with unhealthy rivalry. Lenin knew that their changes were due to Rasmus’ teaching and influence.

"The younger generation, was it?" Lenin recalled her conversation with Lazarus yesterday when they were with Aurelia.

"As you said, maybe this is why Count Blackheart taught them to be. They managed to see things through a different lens first before they spoke. But sometimes to see it too broadly isn’t always the right thing to do either," Lazarus crossed his arms and listened to the meeting with a serious expression. "But that’s what being young. They made mistake, and they learned. I’m confident that they will learn and keep moving forward," he added.

"Young and brave, old and wise. But not all young are brave, and fools can grow old as well. I have seen them enough during their enrollment in the academy, I can’t help but see myself as the Chancellor and not as an Elder in this moment," Lenin smiled softly as she looked at Aurelia, Monica, Maxmilian, and Isador. "I believe in them," she said with nothing but honesty, trust, and confidence.

The meeting ended and the sun was already setting. One by one, everyone left the meeting hall and was ready to proceed with the plan that Aurelia had decided and agreed to by the Ordinal Conclaves. Agnesia and Thalior also left and prepared to go back to their continents to inform where Centriva would stand.

"Elder, there are things that I want to discuss. I need your time for a moment," Aurelia looked at Lazarus and Lenin who were about to stand up from their seats.

"Yes, Your Excellency," Lenin lowered her head and stayed in the meeting hall with Lazarus.

Once everyone left the meeting hall, Aurelia stood up and walked toward the table on the side of the hall. She carried a chair with her and put it across from Lazarus and Lenin. She sat down and looked at both of them for a moment before she took a deep breath and exhaled deeply.

"How’s the progress with the children candidates for my successor?" Aurelia asked as she removed her mask, her expression serious.

"I have selected a few orphans and am about to proceed to the next stage, Your Excellency. But why do you want to ask about them? It’s still far away in the future," Lenin asked with her brows furrowed.

"We would never know long I would live with the current situation around the world, Elder," Aurelia answered as she put down the mask on the table.

"Your Excellency..." Lazarus’s expression stiffened when he heard Aurelia’s words.

"I’m not planning to reign over this nation for long in the first place. My only desire is to rebuild and to make sure we survive this situation. My way of thinking is for survival not for peace. Everything I do it’s merely to survive, and I believe when peace time arrive, someone else is more suitable for that moment," Aurelia said as she looked at both of them with a soft smile on her face. "Please nurture them to befit the status as High Regent, Elders," she said as she lowered her head at both of them.

Lazarus and Lenin lowered their heads as they let out a quiet sigh.

"Yes, Your Excellency...." Both of them answered in unison.