They finish up the Grand Assembly.
“Say, what do you think of the people in there?” Jimin whispered to Elian.
“They look like liars.”
“Liars? That's a really harsh assessment though.”
“Not all,” Elian said. “But most. I did mean the representatives, of course. Not their body guards.”
“What about the Emperor? What do you think of him? I bet he's a super strong Reborn like what the rumors say.”
Elian activated his Emotion Sight and looked around the room, scanning if anyone was paying attention to him.
None.
He stared at the corners, the ceiling, at blind spots, looking for any cameras or monitoring equipment, but they were everywhere. He lifted his hand and reached for Jimin’s, flipping it so that her palm faced upwards. With his finger, he started drawing letters on the her palm.
F.R.A.U.D.
Jimin looked at Elian with surprise, but he simply closed his eyes and subtly shook his head, before he continued to spell out more letters.
N.O.T.R.E.B.O.R.N.
After a brief pause, he continued writing.
N.O.T.H.U.M.A.N.
Jimin’s eyes wavered for a moment before settling in to calmness.
“It's not a surprise,” Jimin said. “That ‘thing’ there could just be a puppet to guarantee his safety. The emperor is a prime target for enemies and to be enemies after all.”
Elian nodded and focused his attention back to the Assembly that was getting getting interesting.
“Are they really revealing such things to the public?” Elian asked. “Wouldn't it spread unwanted chaos and panic?”
“It depends,” Derrick said from behind the two. “They aren’t revealing any important information other than the mention of hidden organisations. It would be better to at least show the public that they are aware of these threats rather than paint a paradise of peace. People aren't dumb anyway. If ordinary humans already commit crimes, what more those with inhuman or superhuman powers?”
They looked at Gaeul who was leading the second motion.
“Apart from the current known hidden organisations, we have seen a surge in the number of new ones. Many of them are small and harbour idealistic manifestos, but they remain dangerous and unpredictable. I have included an updated list of the organisation names for those that are known, but there are many that we still have limited information on.”
Gaeul reached into her pocket and pulled out her small circular device, tossing it onto the ground in front of her podium. A holograph appeared instantly, projecting an enormous rectangular screen that showed a list.
The terminal in front of those seated in the observation chamber zoomed and focused on the projected hologram showing the dozens of names that were arranged neatly.
Some were accompanied by symbols. Others had nothing more than a question mark beside them. Elian glanced at some of the manifestos.
Silent Accordium
The world of ordinary humans and the world of Reborns was never meant to coexist under one law. We only seek separation, a place where the gifted may live unbound by the fears of the powerless.
Black Garden
Strength is the only law that nature respects. The strong survives, the weak whittles away. We are merely acting as the filter where the worthy may rise and the weak will feed on dirt beneath the soil. Mercy is the luxury of those who have already won.
Erasure
Existence is a mistake. We do not seek power for glory, nor justice for the oppressed. We seek the quiet and emptiness that comes when all light is extinguished. Let the world be emptied, so that only silence remains.
“The majority of these organisations are small,” Gaeul said. “Some have few members, and others have no sort of leadership whatsoever. Their ideals can range from religious movement to political reform, territorial independence, and even things like anti-Reborn/Human sentiments or the complete abolition of the current factional system.”
Bzzz.
“The Chair recognises Representative Garnas Seig from Battleforge. You may speak.”
Garnas stood and walked to the podium.
“Are these organisations actually a threat or are you just exaggerating the problem. From what I hear, if a group has a small number of ten or so people screaming about revolution in a basement, I don’t think we need to mobilise an army.”
The people behind Battleforge’s bench began to snigger.
Gaeul gave them a stoic stare.
“It’s a fact that some of them have fewer than ten members, but remember, what I have here are ‘identified’ members. We don’t know how many members they actually have.”
The laughter died at her words.
Gaeul changed the display on the holograph.
“We have identified organisations that appear to have no more than a handful of members, only to discover months later that they possessed entire networks spanning multiple cities. Some have acquired weapons. Others have acquired forbidden knowledge. A few have demonstrated the ability to even infiltrate governmental facilities.”
She looked back at Garnas with an expression of doubt.
“Representative Garnas Seig. I don’t know what you know but think about it, since when have we only placed emphasis on quantity. If there were ten people in a basement as you have said, of which all are Reborns of high Rebirth stages, how would you view them? A threat, right? And I’m not even talking about those of Rebirths 4 and 5 like us all here. A group of ten Rebirth 3s who are aiming for ideologies like genocide — they would pose as a massive threat to normal civilians. One unnoticed operation is all it takes, and casualties can go up to tenfold at minimum.”
Garnas stood at his podium silently, his small face reddening from the embarrassment that was stuffed into his face.
“And that’s not all. Perhaps most the most concerning thing is that we are seeing cooperation between groups that previously had no connection to one another.”
“Cooperation?” Peskin, the representative from Spellbound muttered softly.
“Yes,” Gaeul said. “I know you all know about these matters, given your influence in Kandar. But I don’t think you know the gravity of the situation. It’s like you’re in denial, thinking that the six factions will always remain in power.”
“Representative Kim Gaeul, please remain objective,” Kravis reminded.
“My apologies, Mr Speaker,” Gaeul said, before continuing. “Information sharing. Weapons trading. Occasionally even coordinated operations. Not to mention, you don’t have to be a Reborn to be a threat. What happens if an organisation manipulates or brainwashes common people to do their bidding, changing their beliefs into said ideologies? Will the six factions here be able to handle the consequences if it happens?”
“Representative Kim Gaeul,” Krivas reiterated.
“Got it,” Gaeul said. “Regardless, my point stands. The Detective Union recommends increasing intelligence funding and establishing a central registry for hidden organisations.”
Bzzz.
“The Chair recognises Minister Troy Senial from the Ministry of Finance. You may speak.”
An elderly man stood up, walking towards the podium with a stick, supporting his shaky legs.