NOVGO.NET Chapter 521: Dragons Are Not Democracy
Chapter 521: Dragons Are Not Democracy
The silence that followed Aethel’s final words was brittle, tense enough to snap.
Then, like a sudden downpour, the questions began.
Reporters surged to their feet in a controlled frenzy, hands raised, voices overlapping as camera drones shifted wildly to catch the chaos.
“Director Aethel!”
“Sir, over here!”
One was finally acknowledged, Lana Myre a reporter , her voice cutting cleanly through the others as she spoke into her mic.
“Director,” she began, “with all due respect, the city’s current stability, such as it is, is largely credited to Alister and the dragons under his command. If he is detained, what structure do you intend to put in place to maintain order?”
Another reporter, a younger man from a rival channel, quickly followed up.
“And if I may add, why now? Why declare this so suddenly? Don’t you think this risks turning the population against the Union, given Alister’s rising public support?”
All eyes returned to Aethel.
He stood motionless at the podium, fingers curled against its edge. For a moment, he said nothing. Only the faint ticking of the broadcast countdown echoed from the far screens.
Then he finally spoke, his voice clear and clipped:
“I understand your concerns. But dragons, no matter how noble, are not a substitute for law.”
He raised a hand, silencing a wave of further interjections.
“Yes, Alister’s beasts have quelled chaos. Yes, they have protected citizens. But power used without restraint, without oversight, is no different from tyranny with a golden leash.”
He narrowed his gaze slightly, scanning the audience.
“As for what comes next… that will be decided not by one man, nor by fear, but by the collective will of the Union leadership. By the law. The safety of the city will be upheld through coordination between the remaining guilds, the defense units, and our emergency oversight council.”
Another burst of questions rose:
“Do you really believe they can match what Alister’s been able to do?”
“How do you expect people to accept that?”
“Sir, are you not worried this will spark revolt?”
But Aethel stepped back from the podium without another word.
As he turned and left the microphone, the chamber erupted, not with cheers or outrage, but with urgent voices whispering, clashing, calculating.
Because the one thing everyone understood now…
The game had changed.
And Alister wasn’t just a name anymore.
He was a question.
And soon, an answer.
As the echo of Aethel’s speech faded, the hall filled with hushed murmurs and shifting reactions. Some leaned in to whisper. Others simply stared ahead, stunned.
Amidst the crowd, the White Comets sat together.
Lady Aiko adjusted her glasses, her voice low but firm as she turned toward Yuuto.
“Guildmaster…” she began, careful with her words, “I thought the purpose of this summit was to begin transitioning Union support toward Alister. You said yourself the city would soon have no choice but to rely on him.”
She glanced toward the stage, narrowing her eyes at Aethel’s retreating form.
“Why does it sound like he intends to challenge him instead?”
Yuuto didn’t answer right away.
He exhaled deeply, closing his eyes for the briefest moment before speaking softly.
“Aethel…” he muttered, shaking his head slightly.
“You are beyond naive.”
A tense pause. Then, colder, sharper:
“I see you’ve chosen where you stand.”
Around him, his team leaders subtly shifted. Ren’s expression hardened. Kaida cracked her knuckles again, this time not out of boredom. Even Goro frowned.
Hiroshie muttered under his breath, “And here I was hoping this would stay boring…”
Yuuto straightened slightly in his seat, his voice low but commanding.
“Prepare yourselves.”
Hiroshie glanced sideways at him, brows furrowed.
“Prepare for what?”
Yuuto didn’t immediately answer.
But then,
His silver eyes began to glow faintly, his pupils narrowing into reptilian slits.
“Some heads will roll during this meeting.”
The others went still.
Ren’s expression didn’t change, but he shifted his boot slightly, ready.
Goro clenched a fist, knuckles cracking.
Aiko adjusted her glasses, her mouth thinning into a line.
Even Hiroshie, usually dismissive, lost all trace of sarcasm.
Kaida, now leaning forward, muttered under her breath:
Razorgrin sighs, “Seems things are going to get messy today…” He glanced at Yuuto, then toward the stage.
“Damn. What is Alister up to?”
The press pit was a storm of rising tension.
Even as Aethel stepped away from the podium, the reporters refused to let the matter settle.
A sharp voice rang out, this time from a middle-aged correspondent wearing a press badge from The Zero Herald.
“Director Aethel, you’ve yet to answer the most pressing question: On what grounds is Alister being detained?”
Aethel paused mid-step.
The reporter continued, voice steady but pointed:
“All of his actions, even the more extreme ones, have been in the public’s interest. He’s stopped riots, quelled monsters, executed known war criminals, and restored order in sectors where the Union’s own forces were failing.”
Another reporter added, “He hasn’t demanded recognition, seized land, or even requested authority. If anything, the people are asking for him to lead.”
A chorus of murmurs followed. A few even nodded from the gallery, Guild reps, business elites, and heads of local houses all casting uneasy glances at one another.
Someone muttered under their breath, just loud enough to be picked up by a boom mic:
“This is starting to feel more like a purge than justice…”
Aethel’s jaw clenched.
He turned back toward the podium slowly. The cameras were still rolling. The air was oppressive with expectation.
His voice, when it came, was laced with careful authority.
“I do not question the results of Alister’s actions.”
He took a breath.
“But results do not justify bypassing law. We do not trade democracy for dragons. We do not bow to the convenient hero. We hold even the strongest accountable.”
He swept his gaze across the room, his eyes harder now.
“If we let power rewrite the law whenever it sees fit, then we no longer govern, we kneel.”
A silence fell again, heavier than before.
But the seed of doubt had already taken root in the room.
Director Aethel’s expression remained stone-cold beneath the weight of the questions. But there was a flash of irritation in his eyes now, like a man backed into a corner who still believed in the righteousness of his sword.
He raised a hand to silence the crowd and leaned once more into the podium mic.
“…And you need not worry, the Union is just. There are other charges,” he said grimly. “Lesser known. Less public. Offenses that were buried for the sake of stability, but will be brought to light when he arrives.”