Chapter 443

Chapter 443: Origin.

The chill in the room seemed to ease a little. The living people who had been shivering from the cold finally let out a small sigh of relief.

But Tyrian still did not answer the series of ‘proposals’ the confidential secretary had put forward. He only stared calmly at the things on the table. It felt as if a century had passed in that silence.

Only when everyone was almost crushed by it did he finally raise his head: “This is the wisdom of maintaining order. I imagine fifty years ago, this wisdom played a great role.”

“You should know what state Frostholm was in back then,” the confidential secretary said. His gaze did not dodge. “Great people do many great things, but the mistakes they make can be just as deadly as their achievements. To keep control of the situation, there were things we had to do. General Tyrian, I studied history. In truth… I have always believed Her Majesty Ray Nora was a remarkable ruler. But that cannot hide the mess left behind after the failure of the Abyssal Trench Project.”

“Yes. You studied history,” Tyrian said calmly. “But I lived it. We both know what it was like in those days, so I am not here to blame you. Honestly, you at least kept Frostholm steady for another half century after that.”

The tension in the confidential secretary’s body finally seemed to relax a little. He leaned forward without thinking: “So, you mean you agree…”

Tyrian still did not answer. He only pressed his hand onto the documents and pushed down.

A freezing force soaked through the paper. Fine ice crystals formed, then shattered in an instant. With a rough, rustling sound, the records that could have left heavy marks in history turned into powder.

The confidential secretary’s eyes flew open. General Lister, who had hardly spoken a word this whole time, could not hold back a low exclamation: “What are you doing…”

“These are not what I want,” Tyrian raised his head and looked at the Frostholm men opposite him. “I want the real records. What was truly wrong in that mine. How the cultists really slipped into the city-state. Who was responsible and who was not. And Governor Winston’s real path in office. Put aside the idea of ‘restoring order quickly’ and give me the truest firsthand information.”

He paused, then went on: “That is what is truly needed to keep control of the situation.”

The confidential secretary froze for a moment, then quickly understood: “So you are accepting Frostholm’s ‘invitation’… but, if I may speak frankly, you still need the documents that were on the table. Of course you can hold the real intelligence, but you also have to find a way to divert the people’s attention—”

He hesitated for two seconds here, as if he were making up his mind, then continued: “To be honest, things in the city will get bad next. A lot of the basic infrastructure may have to be shut down for a while. With that ‘mud’ causing corruption, fuel supplies will grow tight. Food distribution will suffer. Public security will get worse. That will stir up anger everywhere. We must find some way to divert the people’s attention. Turning it toward the former government and the old Governor is the most effective way…”

“If fuel is tight, we use reserves. If that is not enough, I will find another way. If food distribution is a mess, we enforce strict supervision and punishment, and we put the whole city under rationing, including the Upper City. If public security breaks down, we impose temporary military control. The people need something to vent their anger on? Then we really go out and seize the cultists. We seize the subversives. We seize the ones who are truly responsible,” Tyrian said sternly. “Of course this whole series of actions will be harder. But at least it will actually solve the problem. And it will truly ‘let more people live’.”

The room went quiet again. You could even hear the sound of people breathing. The always-elegant, always-composed confidential secretary seemed to go a little stiff. Faced with Tyrian’s forceful words, he looked as if he did not quite know how to respond.

Tyrian only gave a light laugh and shook his head: “I will not belittle your work or your solution. Within your limits, you had no better path. You chose what best fit the situation back then. But things are different now. I do not want to repeat these fifty years all over again. Mr. Secretary, the Sea Mist Fleet has its own way of doing things. You might as well raise your expectations a bit.”

The confidential secretary finally seemed to catch up. He blinked, straightened his posture, and fixed his bright gaze on Tyrian: “You can really do all the things you just said?”

“As long as what remains of City Hall’s strength can cooperate to the fullest. As for the rest…” Tyrian stopped on purpose here. Then the corners of his mouth curled in a small smile. “Mr. Secretary, do you know who is most orderly on the Boundless Sea?”

“The most orderly?” The confidential secretary was stunned, as if he had not followed. “The City Navy? Or the long-distance trade fleets?”

“Pirates. The Pirate Lords of the Frost Sea,” Tyrian laughed. “The City Navy always has steady supply ports and safe harbors. The long-distance trade fleets always have the Church’s protection and naval escorts. Only pirates… to stand against the Boundless Sea, we can rely on nothing but strict discipline and order.”

The confidential secretary did not answer for a moment. It seemed he had no idea how to discuss this topic. It clearly lay far outside his daily work and his field of study.

Seeing this, Tyrian only smiled again and reached out to pat the man’s shoulder.

“Relax a little, Mr. Secretary. Compared with fifty years ago, Frostholm’s situation is actually not that bad right now. I still know many ‘partners in trade’. I believe if they learn the truth of what happened here, many of them will be willing to help. At least when it comes to worldly order, you do not need to worry too much. As for the part that lies outside ‘worldly order’…”

Tyrian stopped suddenly and looked up at the window.

The deep veil of night covered the city. The glow of gas lamps wound through the Harbor district like a river of light. At some point the snow had stopped. The clouds had scattered. The cold, pale shine of the World’s Wound bathed the world, and under that light, the city lay peaceful tonight.

“The part outside worldly order… I think my Father will handle that.”

The Pirate Lord hesitated for a few seconds, then finally spoke in a slightly strange tone.

Many people in the room clearly shivered.

“Your Father, He…” General Lister could not help speaking. Without thinking, he even used the divine honorific in his wording. “Is He still watching over Frostholm? Where is He now?”

[Of course He is watching over Frostholm. He might even be standing at a second-floor window right now, looking out. He is living at Oak Street No. 44, in a house he rented from your citizen Service Center…]

A string of answers flashed through Tyrian’s mind at once, but after a long struggle he did not dare say any of them out loud.

After all, from the looks of it, the Frostholm people in front of him still had no idea that ‘He’ was currently inside the city. If Tyrian started talking everywhere about his Father’s whereabouts without permission, he would probably earn himself another round of heavy “fatherly discipline” later. He was about to become a Governor. He really could not afford that, in pride or in dignity.

“He is still watching this matter, but I cannot reveal the details,” after hesitating for half a day, the Pirate Lord could only give this vague answer. “He is very busy. I am not the only one He has to stay in touch with.”

Lister froze for a second, then nodded at once: “Ah… that is understandable.”

Tyrian had no idea how Lister was “understanding” it.

The confidential secretary, unable to hold back his curiosity, asked: “Your Father… what does He usually do?”

Tyrian fought down the urge to roll his eye. How was he supposed to know? Ever since his Father came back from Subspace, He had been wrapped in mystery. Who could say what His daily life was like? He could hardly imagine Him acting like some retired old man, going fishing, walking dogs, and feeding pigeons when He had nothing better to do…

The confidential secretary noticed the subtle change in Tyrian’s expression. Realizing that he had stepped over the line, he hurried to straighten his face: “I am sorry. I should not have asked.”

“It is all right. It is just that ordinary people really should not talk too much about ‘Him’. Let us say it is for the sake of everyone’s mental health. Let us end this topic here,” Tyrian waved his hand and quickly changed the subject.

Then he let out a long breath, rose slowly from the sofa, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.

The lights outside were still burning. At several intersections leading into the inner city, you could still faintly see the temporary barricades built during the battle earlier.

When the Sun rose tomorrow, those barricades would be taken down. After that… the city’s new Administrator would have to do everything in his power to restore order here.

The countless lights of the city blocks in the distance reflected in Tyrian’s eye.

“It has been many years since I saw this view. Compared to back then, it has not changed that much.”

General Lister walked over and stood behind Tyrian: “But after today, it should change a great deal.”

“…Fifty years ago, the last royalists left this city. The rebels formed a new City Hall, and I became a rebel. Fifty years later, I have come back. The city still looks the way it did when I left…” Tyrian looked at the distant streets, and a sudden emotion rose in him. “round and round, it all seems to have come back to the starting point. General Lister, tell me, these past fifty years of ours… what did they mean?”

Lister did not answer at once. He seemed lost in thought.

The confidential secretary stepped up beside them, raised his hand, and pointed out the window.

“General Tyrian, this is the meaning.”