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The fact that the Imperial Assembly was summoned by Jenis Harker unsettled many of the members.

It was an unexpected event. Everyone thought Sally Jeffrey would convene the assembly to assert her theory on the reconstruction of the Empire, and they believed Jenis Harker would delay the meeting to counteract Jeffrey’s influence.

But in reality, Jeffrey hesitated while Jenis moved forward. The Hero, completely unaware of what was happening behind the scenes, attended his designated seat with a mix of anxiety and anticipation.

“Ah, Professor.”

As Jenis stopped Jeongjae, who was on his way to the assembly, she said,

“Please come in a little later. There’s a reason I need you to wait for a bit.”

“A little later? How long is that?”

“One and a half hours! That’s enough time for me to get everything ready.”

Although Jenis spoke confidently, there was something a bit strange about her content. The assembly was already on the verge of starting. If she claimed to be preparing, she should have finished all the preparations long ago. What could possibly require another hour and a half?

“What exactly are you preparing for?”

“Preparing to engulf the world, Professor. In this assembly, I will begin to carve the world to my liking. And nobody will be able to stop me. Why? Because I’m the one who saved the world.”

That sounded a bit dangerous. Jeongjae felt he was not in a position to argue or warn her, yet he got a strong impression that Jenis’s declaration of competition was not against Jeffrey’s faction, but rather against the central Koesernis family.

“Well, I understand. I’ll wait outside.”

“Great. Please come in an hour and a half after the meeting starts.”

With those words, Jenis moved toward the entrance of the Imperial Assembly platform.

A very significant meeting with hundreds of members present. This was not only the first meeting of the assembly formed by this election but also Jenis’s debut summoned by the Great Sage from the Magic Tower.

No one would take Harker’s lesser noble title literally as merely ‘Baron.’ Count Harker already wielded power comparable to a Duke and was a nominal Count in and of himself; Jenis’s lesser nobility was merely wearing the signboard of a Baron while fully inheriting the authority of Count Harker.

Many nobles had doubts about this unexpected meeting. What would Harker say today? Would she support the campaign against the North or oppose it? Would she rally the assembly to her side or attack them aggressively?

Speculations ran rampant. Then, the Great Sage from the Magic Tower walked into the assembly. The assembly guard’s booming voice echoed as he demanded all members to rise.

“Baron Harker, Great Sage of the Magic Tower, Lady Jenis Harker is entering!”

With the Great Sage’s ascension, Jenis moved up to the same level of courtesy that Walter’s party received. That is, everyone present in that official setting had to show her respect immediately by rising. All the nobles, including Walter and Sally Jeffrey, stood up to show their respect for the Great Sage.

Jenis bowed her head slightly to show her respect to the nobles on both sides. Only then did everyone settle back into their seats. Considering that the last time Jenis had stood here, she was in the position of the accused, it felt somehow surreal.

“Thank you, everyone. I am Jenis Harker.”

Before starting her speech, Jenis took out a watch and checked the time.

“The reason I have gathered you here today is that the person worthy of gathering you has not done so. I stand before you today to make a shocking accusation regarding this matter.”

The term “shocking accusation” caused a tense silence in the chamber. Jenis Harker was not someone to speak lightly, regardless of her title. Only Koesernis seemed to be tightly focused on her, evidently aware that she was about to reveal something crucial.

“To put it simply, I, Jenis Harker, propose to impeach Duke Sally Jeffrey from the Imperial Assembly!”

“What?”

Walter was so surprised that his glasses fell onto the table in front of him. The Hero’s agitation was enough to grab the whole assembly’s attention, but everyone reacted in their own way, leaving Walter’s response overlooked. Sally Jeffrey gulped and stood up.

“I am Sally Jeffrey. May I ask a question?”

“Go ahead, Duke. It’s your affair.”

“If I may, I would like to ask the exact reasons for such a grave accusation.”

Jeffrey tried his best to hide his shock, speaking in a calm voice. Jenis raised her hand to explain.

“Right. I was just about to mention it. Everyone, you must know about Duke Sally Jeffrey’s promise before this election. Was it the Jeffrey Principle, the theory of the reconstruction of the Empire? It sounds splendid. With such excellent measures, why did Duke Sally Jeffrey refrain from holding the assembly and instead let Jenis Harker step up? Did any of you harbor such doubts?”

“That is…”

Jeffrey could not provide an answer. The armed forces of the Magic Tower and the movements of the Elves. To hesitate with such trivial circumstantial evidence was not a clear explanation. It only represented a subtle background that could further incite confusion in the assembly.

“Duke Sally Jeffrey was planning an illegal conspiracy. Because she was betting her entire political life on this resolution, it would mean a death sentence for her in central politics if her theory on the reconstruction of the Empire failed in the assembly. Yes, there might be some who confidently declare, ‘The local factions hold the majority in today’s Imperial Assembly; Jeffrey has won!’ But let’s take a closer look. Is it really so?”

“What on earth is that supposed to mean…?”

Walter put his glasses back on, speaking. Unaware that Jenis had already brought Koesernis on her side, Walter saw Jenis digging her own grave and making herself a political outsider.

“An assembly proposal cannot pass unless it exceeds a majority! However, the local lords might or might not attend depending on their circumstances. If the royal faction, which does not favor Jeffrey’s proposal, wishes to devise a strategy, what could they do?”

The assembly fell into silence. Many people seemed puzzled, but the one who felt the most bewildered was surely Duke Jeffrey, who was being accused of something he didn’t even do.

“Simply drag out the session. The Imperial Assembly can extend debates indefinitely as long as the opposition does not exceed the majority before voting. If this drags on for days or weeks, it will be disadvantageous for Jeffrey! While the exhausted local lords return to manage their territories, the royal faction nearby can guard this place for days and weeks, obstructing the resolution. Well, I understand; desperation will drive them. But still, Duke Jeffrey…”

Jenis continued to speak without pause, even as she slipped in lies. The moment her gaze met Jeffrey’s troubled eyes, she beamed with a victorious smile.

“What if they plotted to violently obstruct the attendance of opposing members?”

“That’s a lie!”

Sally Jeffrey shouted in outrage. Jenis’s voice was filled with such confidence, and her authority as the Great Sage remained solid. The assembly members were unsure which side to lean toward concerning this unproven allegation.

If Jenis’s words were true, it seemed entirely plausible that Jeffrey might resort to somewhat extreme measures to protect his political career. She had previously suggested the most extreme weapon, the ‘fragmentation of the Empire’, so if he were to act like this, it would seem ‘believable.’

But even so, it didn’t even constitute circumstantial evidence. Making such a significant accusation in the assembly by merely presenting circumstantial evidence could backfire.

“Baron! How dare you make such a baseless accusation! No matter how afraid you are of Jeffrey, this crosses a line! Do you have any evidence? Or at least a witness!”

“A witness! You made a great point! Duke Jeffrey, stop playing dumb. How could I have known about this fact if I hadn’t discussed it with you? There’s an essential witness, a whistleblower who informed me of this fact. Baron Koesernis! Please speak out.”

Jeffrey blinked in confusion as if questioning whether he heard her rightly. The moment Douglas Koesernis slowly raised himself from his seat, Jenis held the Great Sage’s staff up high, projecting a red image in the middle of the assembly.

All assembly members present could see a magically composed silent video. In the video shown to the members, Sally Jeffrey seemed to be grabbing Koesernis and trying to say something to him, while Koesernis appeared to be refusing her.

“What, is this supposed to be evidence? Magic is tricky, and you can manipulate or edit scenes in ways you cannot possibly verify. I’ve shown you this to give you a clear explanation of how I arrived at this truth.”

“That… that scene…”

Jeffrey cocked his head. Jenis continued speaking despite his response as if it didn’t matter.

“It was suspicious. From the red eyes of Reina looking down on me at the Magic Tower, I had to be suspicious. Sally Jeffrey was not holding the meeting that needed to be held. Meanwhile, it seemed she was trying to ask something from another powerhouse of the South, the Baron, in some alley. What could she have needed? Why did it have to be like this?”

Jenis waved her hand and took the video down from the sky.

“Baron, you speak for yourself. What offer did Sally Jeffrey make you that day?”

“Duke Jeffrey…”

Koesernis followed the script.

“That day, she suggested we detain about four members of the royal faction without raising suspicion so that our theory on the reconstruction of the Empire could smoothly pass.”

The assembly began to ripple with commotion over Koesernis’s accusation. Jeffrey seemed shocked, sinking back into his seat, shaking his head.

“Why… why on earth…”

“Is that so, Baron? Then how did you respond to her proposal?”

“I refused outright. However, because I promised her I wouldn’t report this matter anywhere, I feel heavy saying this now. But when the Great Sage figured it out and questioned me about it, I had no choice. Duke Jeffrey, forgive me. Ultimately, it’s the Duke’s fault for attempting to use such methods out of desperation.”

“This is clearly an illegal act! Accusing is the right thing to do.”

From this point on, the only person who realized that all of Jenis’s accusations were false was Walter Hellhound, who had plotted from the very beginning with Koesernis. Walter began to grasp the rough situation as soon as Koesernis aligned himself with Jenis.

The Hero tried to conceal his expression as much as possible to avoid interfering with Jenis, while secretly chuckling to himself.

“Ah, I see. This is a method I could never use.”

Walter was a well-intentioned individual. He knew how to tell an appropriate lie when necessary, but spinning such a large lie without any hesitation while disregarding his duty as a member of the assembly was not something Walter could do. In fact, he couldn’t even conceive of such a tactic.

But Jenis seemed to weave lies so naturally, harnessing them to captivate and incite the atmosphere.

Members began to notice. This was no longer a matter of whether Jenis’s accusations were true or false. What mattered was that Koesernis had politically aligned himself with Jenis. The fact that he supported Jeffrey’s impeachment for whatever reason now mattered.

That would mean that, in addition to the royal faction members who held disdain for Jeffrey, a solid majority of around two-thirds of the assembly would likely lean towards Jenis.

Koesernis was a figure with his own power. Many lords under Koesernis’s absolute influence had participated in this assembly, and when combined with the local lords who fell under Harker’s influence, the number of assembly members that belonged purely to the Jeffrey faction continued to dwindle.

As Koesernis cast his lot with Jenis, it became clear that most lords would begin to distance themselves from Jeffrey. Realizing the flow of the situation, Jeffrey lost the strength to counter this unfounded accusation. Jenis’s gestures seemed to suggest that at any moment she might propose a deal to Jeffrey. But if the accusation crossed a line and escalated to a royal court, it was evident that Jeffrey would suffer a fate even worse than impeachment.

“Then, does this mean I deserve to be impeached here?”

“No! In reality, this matter should be addressed in a court of law, not an assembly. It’s a conspiracy! An act against the sacred Imperial Assembly! It must be judged according to imperial law through capture and interrogation!”

Ironically, she was the one committing the serious crime of perjury in the assembly, yet there was not a hint of shame on Jenis’s face.

Jeffrey’s face turned pale. If it went down this road, Jeffrey had no choice but to fight for his self-defense at all costs. He understood that Sally Jeffrey was paying the price for making a political attack she could not afford to lose; however, if that price extended beyond political ruin to criminal punishment, it transformed into a matter he must fight at all costs.

“But, this matter is already in motion, and punishing a key figure like Duke Jeffrey is not good for the show, so I would like to make a special proposal that can maximize punishment for the Duke while also resolving the contradictions the Empire is facing. Would you like to hear it?”

Jeffrey’s suspicion was correct. From now on, Jenis Harker would start negotiations. A witch-like deal that would bring the most significant benefits to Harker.

 

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