BXBX NOVEL Chapter 514 Those that Still Remember
After getting through the first two councilors that had questions for him, Marcus counited to give favorable responses, or shut down those that were trying to entrap him into saying something contradictory.
However, while Marcus was certainly winning logically, people rarely made decisions purely on logic.
And soon a very old ice elf, who had been waiting patiently for his turn stood up and looked at Marcus with contempt.
“Councilors, certainly we have been doing a thorough job of establishing that Lady Irene here would make a good representative for Borealia here in our esteemed city. She is a spirit and not a human. That her character is undisputable and that she is not an agent sent to steal our secrets or cause us harm. However, are these what we should really be asking? I say that we have no need of a representative in the first place. There are those of us that still remember the invasion sent by Borealia all those years ago. And I for one can never forgive them. Over a thousand of our brothers and sisters died that day before our guardian intervened. I lost many good friends and family members that day, as did everyone. No, we should not even entertain the idea of allying ourselves with those humans again.”
Once this irate councilor finished his speech. Arryn wasted no time and said, “Councilor Valyra, you know that this meeting is just to confirm Lady Irene to the position of representative that was already voted on. Now is not your time to voice your grievances about an issue that has already passed.”.
“Oh, but isn’t it. It was quite convenient that the meeting to decide on the matter of creating the position of representative happened while I and another member of the council were not able to attend. So now is the time that I have to voice my grievances.” Councilor Valyra said.
Arryn was about to respond, when the chairwoman stood up and loudly clapped her hands together.
This quickly gathered everyone’s attention and silence permeated the chamber until she said, “Councilor Valyra, as Councilor Valorre said today’s meeting is about confirming Lady Irene as Borealia’s representative. I understand your position, but we must stick to the matter at hand.”
However, as soon as the chairwoman stopped speaking Marcus contacted Arryn using telepathy.
‘Arryn go ahead and let Councilor Valyra speak his mind. This is just a tactic he is employing to try and make some of the councilors feel like he has been wronged. I can already tell that around sixty-eight of the councilors are set in their decision, and it is split slightly in favor against me. So, it will come down to convincing the others that are still making up their minds.’
Turning her head towards Marcus, Arryn looked at him skeptically.
But when she saw the resolute look in his eyes, she nodded her head and looked back towards the chairwoman.
“Chairwoman Naeris, I have decided to allow Councilor Valyra to speak as he pleases.”
Hearing this the entire council looked down at Arryn with confusion, not understanding what she was after.
In the worst-case scenario, it could lead to another vote where the position of a Borealian representative was revoked.
Still, even though he was surprised, Councilor Valyra was willing to continue and began speaking out against allying any further with Borealia.
“What is it that we have to gain from establishing relations with Borealia? Currently we trade some of our snow melons for their magic cores, but what of it. They have no other way to obtain theses natural tressures that grow only in these mountains, while we have plenty of hunters that can gather magic cores. We have long been self-sustaining on our own, even before Borealia came into existence. And even though their first king came with open hands, it was not long afterwards that the humans came to stab us in the backs. Think about what would have happened if they won. We would have ended up as slaves and they would have stolen everything that belongs to us.”
After Councilor Valyra said this, he crossed his arms and looked down at Marcus waiting for his response.
“Certainly, you are right that the people of the past did wrong the ice elves, but that was centuries ago. While some of you may still remember that time, none of the humans that were involved are still alive. Also, the royal family and half of the kingdom were not involved in it to begin with. It was simply a plot of a faction that really does not exist anymore after being wiped out for their idiocy. Now it has been a long time, and Borealia wishes to take another step forward towards the relationship that was once had with Glenna Reota. They have already been making amends for many decades.
So if not now, how long must they wait? Five hundred more years, a thousand? Must they wait until every ice elf that remembers that terrible and misguided invasion has died?
Also, you said that there is nothing that Borealia has to offer you, but is that true? Do you have any access to rare metals such as adamantine? Is there any among you that has a forge skill above six and can work with amethros? And this is just one example. Sure, you are advanced, and your society is strong, but do you truly have every skill that you need? In the end no one can do everything alone and this goes for nations as well. Eventually you will find yourself lacking in something that you might need, or at least could make your lives easier.”
Having now said his point, Marcus looked back towards Councilor Valyra waiting to see if he had any rebuttal.
Luckily it seemed that the councilor had already said his piece and sat back down. Seeing that any further arguing would likely lead him nowhere.
Quickly the rest of the councilors that wanted to speak said their parts and asked their questions of Marcus. Until it was finally time for the vote.
Then once all of the votes were cast, the chairwoman activated a magical device at her desk and the results were displayed for all to see.
“Thirty-eight for, thirty-eight against, and one abstained.” Chairwoman Naeris said, reading the results out loud.
With the results now revealed everyone just stared in silence at the first tie that had just happened in over a century.