Section Forty-Nine: The Great Debate (III)

Child’s words sent a shockwave through the hall. The secret of the "Transmigrators" was kept hidden from most people on the continent. Even those who knew of them, such as individuals fortunate enough to have encountered relics from the Tianlun Dynasty, possessed only a fragmented understanding. Thus, the councilors were stunned when Child spoke with such startling detail.

"This—is there truly such an evil creature in this world? One that could usurp everything I am? Why then not find them early and destroy them?" One councilor, overcome by shock, forgot to seek permission from Achilles and stood up to demand an answer.

"Because we cannot locate them with precision. Even the Lord of Radiance can only provide us with vague guidance to eradicate them. Gentlemen, the Church has been waging a war against these malevolent beings, and to avoid inciting panic across the continent, we have chosen to bear the misunderstanding of the public rather than spread the truth. Once the existence of such creatures is sensationalized by the ignorant, it will inevitably lead to catastrophe and the collapse of world order. I do not deny that the Church has made mistakes in this process, targeting some suspected individuals without sufficient evidence, but we do not kill at will. We are protecting you all; this is our duty, and the mission and glory bestowed upon us by the Lord." Child bowed deeply, but as he raised his head, he fixed his gaze upon Fahrenheit. Regrettably, no discernible expression could be read on Fahrenheit’s face.

Crow felt a flicker of surprise—not regarding the Transmigrators themselves, but that Child dared to disclose this information here. However, the subject of Transmigrators was something he, too, was interested in. In fact, his decision to accept Spielberg’s employment and aid Fahrenheit was largely driven by his keen intuition that he would eventually encounter matters related to them.

Child’s words undoubtedly shook the entire congress. Several councilors rose one after another, demanding further explanation.

Child felt a surge of secret triumph. Revealing the existence of Transmigrators at the congress was a desperate gamble. Fahrenheit was far too cunning; the mere maneuver with Martin had placed the Church in a passive position, turning the commoners against them. Furthermore, the sudden appearance of the miller accusing the Prime Minister before they entered the Capitol could not have been a mere coincidence—there had to be a conspiracy at play. Child reasoned that to turn the tide, he had to instill fear in these councilors. If they were afraid, perhaps they would be less resistant to the treaty. The Church had long suppressed the truth about Transmigrators, largely because admitting that such evil creatures existed—and that even God could not accurately locate them—would severely challenge the dogma of divine omnipotence, potentially leading to the Church’s collapse.

Yet, after much deliberation, Child decided to ignore the Church’s prohibitions. As long as he could force these councilors to submit and sign the treaty, his disclosure would be overlooked, for it would imply that the Church’s sphere of influence had expanded to include Landia; once it was known to "their own," the secret was safe.

"Everyone, please, quiet down," Achilles, who was presiding over the congress, was also shaken. Even Kidd, who had known some of the inside story, wore a look of astonishment, likely never expecting Child to dare reveal this truth in public.

The councilors eventually quieted down, but their faces were no longer resolute; hesitation and uncertainty were clearly visible. Child’s words had terrified them. If such terrifying creatures truly existed, then the treaty, though it might restrict some freedoms, seemed worth the cost.

"Do not be deceived by his lies! He is simply fabricating something that does not exist to intimidate us. Bishop Child, prove to us that these creatures exist!" There were those who adamantly refused to believe him, shouting hoarsely as they saw their colleagues wavering.

Child calmly pointed toward Fahrenheit, who remained composed and had yet to offer any rebuttal. "If you do not believe me, you may ask your Prime Minister if he can deny the existence of these beings. The Tianlun Dynasty was a signatory to this treaty, which only became void after that dynasty fell. Surely your nation received many relics from the old dynasty; there must be records of Transmigrators among them. Others may not have had access, but Mr. Fahrenheit certainly has, has he not? Furthermore, I trust you all remember a major event from over a decade ago: the death of the Prince Regent of the Ross Empire. I can tell you now that the Lionheart King was a Transmigrator, which is why the Church assisted Peter II in removing him."

These words dropped like a bomb among the councilors, and the previously settling murmurs erupted into a chaotic din. The two revelations were simply too shocking. Was it true that the Prime Minister knew of the Transmigrators? And the death of the Lionheart King—that was even more startling. Over twenty years ago, the old emperor of the Ross Empire passed away. The new emperor was too young to rule, so the Lionheart King, a high-ranking minister, served as Regent, his power once equaling that of the Emperor himself. Later, as the young monarch grew, he grew unwilling to let power slip away and attempted to seize control. The situation at the time was highly peculiar, as the Lionheart King’s influence in the Ross Empire was at its zenith, and the young emperor’s faction seemed to have no hope of victory. Yet, in the end, it was the Lionheart King who was soundly defeated. It was rumored that the young emperor’s success was largely due to the Church’s intervention, which provided direct aid and swayed the attitudes of several neighboring nations.

People had always speculated about this, but they had never understood why the Church would intervene to strike down the Lionheart King. Now, the truth was laid bare: he was an evil Transmigrator!

Hearing Child aim his final words directly at him, Fahrenheit’s expression shifted slightly. While others assumed this was due to the sensational nature of the revelation, they could not know that he was merely feeling a pang of sorrow at the mention of a name. The fall of the Lionheart King was not solely due to the reasons Child claimed. While the Church’s intervention was the primary cause of his death, half the blame lay in a conflict he had with his own allies. Due to a dispute of pride, the Lionheart King had declared his departure from his partners, refusing to seek their help even as the Church moved against him. His partners, in turn, stood by and watched his struggle with the young emperor, failing to rescue him in time. It was precisely this tragedy that led to the creation of the Council of Constellations’ representative protection system; they never wanted to see such a tragedy repeated. The Lionheart King’s death was a grim reminder: no lion, if left alone, could stand against a pack of wolves.