Chapter 285: The Ongoing Conference
Fierce winds swept across the Red Line, tearing loose fragments of gravel from its summit.
Like the world below, the Holy Land Mary Geoise had fallen into turmoil.
The World Conference was meant to preserve peace and order.
This time, it had achieved the opposite.
No solution for maintaining peace had emerged. Instead, a silent war was already taking shape beneath the surface.
Inside one of Mary Geoise's grand halls, representatives from the gathered nations attended an emergency conference to discuss the recent deaths.
An elderly Celestial Dragon presided over the meeting from the raised platform.
"In only a few days, six of our brethren have died!"
His voice echoed through the chamber.
"This was no coincidence. It was a series of planned assassinations!"
"Despite the Marines' supposedly strict security, they detected nothing before these deaths occurred. The Marines must be held accountable for this failure."
His gaze swept across the assembled kings and delegates.
"Furthermore, can we truly rule out the possibility that the assassin is among you?"
A man rose from his seat and bowed respectfully.
"Please allow me to speak."
The Celestial Dragon gave a slight nod, granting permission.
"Honored World Noble, everyone present is either a king or an envoy who has traveled here from across the world."
The man kept his head lowered.
"None of us has the motive or courage to commit such an outrageous act."
"Nothing like this has ever occurred during previous World Conferences. Is that not evidence enough?"
"We revere the greatness of the Celestial Dragons. It is impossible that one of us would dare do such a thing."
He hesitated briefly before continuing.
"Rather than suspecting the gathered nations, perhaps this incident was arranged by the Marines themselves."
Bang!
A Marine officer slammed a hand against the table.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
The accusation of negligence was already difficult to tolerate.
Being accused of orchestrating the assassinations themselves was far worse.
However, the moment the Marine raised his voice, the elderly Celestial Dragon turned toward him.
"How dare you cause a disturbance without permission!"
He pointed at the officer.
"You are sentenced to death."
Sengoku immediately spoke.
"Please forgive him."
His tone remained composed.
"My subordinate only lost control because the honor of the Marines was being slandered."
The Celestial Dragon glanced at Sengoku and considered the request for a moment.
"Since you have spoken on his behalf, I will spare him this once."
His expression hardened.
"But he is no longer permitted to remain here."
At once, guards entered and escorted the Marine officer out of the chamber.
The Celestial Dragon looked back toward the delegates.
"Continue."
"A solution must be found."
"You are now permitted to speak freely."
The conference hall immediately descended into noisy debate.
Whatever their differences, this matter concerned all of their lives.
Six Celestial Dragons had died in succession.
It was one of the most serious incidents in history, even worse than the previous incident at the Sabaody Archipelago.
Three Celestial Dragons had died then, but that case had begun through a conflict involving human traffickers. It had not originally been a deliberate campaign against the World Nobles themselves.
This time was different.
Someone had intentionally targeted the Celestial Dragons.
Each victim had died in the same manner, raising a weapon and pulling the trigger on themselves in front of witnesses.
One death might be dismissed as a coincidence.
Two could perhaps still be explained away, especially if the Celestial Dragons wished to preserve their dignity.
But six identical deaths could no longer be denied.
This was deliberate provocation.
The Celestial Dragons were furious.
Even if the gathered nations wished to abandon the conference and leave Mary Geoise, they could not.
Everyone was now a suspect.
Considering the Celestial Dragons' usual behavior, they were more likely to kill the innocent than risk allowing the guilty person to escape.
No one dared remain silent or refuse to help find a solution.
A delegate eventually raised his voice above the others.
"I propose dividing the investigation into two parts."
"One should cover the national delegations, and the other should cover the Marines."
"Each nation can verify the identities and number of people it brought, then account for their movements during every relevant period."
"As for the Marines, they must conduct a similar investigation within their own ranks."
Many people voiced their approval.
However, another delegate immediately objected.
"The nations can monitor one another, but who will oversee the Marines?"
"What if they simply protect their own?"
A Marine representative answered at once.
"The Marines would never do such a thing!"
"Anyone can make promises," the delegate replied. "Words mean nothing without results."
"Then supervise us," Sengoku said.
The hall quieted slightly.
"If you fear that the Marines will conceal evidence during the investigation, your representatives may observe the entire process."
"However, the same rule will apply to you."
"When the nations inspect their own personnel, the Marines will also supervise."
The expressions of several delegates immediately changed.
Many nations had brought people to Mary Geoise for reasons that had little to do with the conference.
Private negotiations, secret agreements, and other questionable dealings were taking place throughout the Holy Land.
If the Marines supervised every investigation, those secrets might be exposed.
Yet no one dared object.
Refusing scrutiny now would only invite suspicion.
The Celestial Dragons would not interpret such resistance as concern over privacy.
They would ask only one question.
Did you assassinate the Celestial Dragons?
Once that accusation took hold, the matter would no longer concern dignity or political influence.
It would become a question of survival.
Not only the accused delegate, but an entire kingdom could be destroyed.
The Celestial Dragons possessed the authority to call for a Buster Call.
Whether they would use that power merely to vent their fury, no one could say.
Then an unfamiliar voice echoed through the conference hall.
No one could tell where it came from.
"Could this have been arranged by the Celestial Dragons themselves?"
The entire chamber fell silent.
"If anyone here has the means to carry out such an operation, it would be those most familiar with Mary Geoise."
Cold sweat appeared on countless faces.
Some people immediately searched for the speaker.
Others began considering the possibility despite themselves.
Even the elderly Celestial Dragon on the platform lowered his head in thought.
He did not condemn the speaker.
Nor did he order anyone to find them.
Although the suggestion had come from one of the lower classes, it could not be dismissed entirely.
The society of the Celestial Dragons was nowhere near as peaceful or united as outsiders imagined.
Nearly every king remained silent.
Only a handful of rulers who strongly supported the Celestial Dragons dared to object.
"Who said that?"
"What ridiculous slander!"
"Enough!"
The room erupted into noise once more.
Then it fell silent just as quickly.
The elderly Celestial Dragon had raised one hand.
"Until this investigation is completed, the Holy Land Mary Geoise will be sealed."
His tone allowed no argument.
"Anyone attempting to escape will be executed immediately."
This gathering could barely be called a conference.
It was closer to a performance in which one person made every decision while the rest watched.
Even those who disagreed remained silent.
No one wanted to be the first to object.
The first person to raise their head would become the easiest target.
Worse still, those standing behind them might gladly push them forward and declare them the culprit if it meant resolving the crisis.
Everyone understood that.
So no one spoke.
....
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