SSS-Class Revival Hunter-Chapter 218: The Golden Rule (2)

Viscountess Amethyst and I made our way to the assembly chamber with dozens of nobles following after us. No one spoke. Only the sound of footsteps echoed across the hall. The nobles were like elite soldiers about to enter their final battle.

The nobles from the other factions who had already arrived at the assembly chamber turned to look at us. I felt suffocated. Some were angry. Others were jealous. Some seemed to idolize Amethyst and stared at her with stars in their eyes. Every emotion known to man seemed to be targeted at Amethyst at this moment.

“Hello, everyone. It seems the meeting will resume soon,” Amethyst said, flashing a carefree smile. “I’m here with the members of my faction. Am I late?”

No one answered her, but it seemed she wasn’t seeking an answer in the first place. Grinning, Amethyst headed for her seat, though she turned to glance back at me. “What are you doing, Advisor?”

“What?”

“Your seat is right next to mine. Follow me, quickly. I’m sure you don’t intend to leave my side cold and empty.”

Ah, my memories are vague, so she’s being considerate of me.

I bowed and followed after her. As I approached the seat assigned to me, the entire assembly chamber came into view. It was very different from the parliament I was familiar with. The chamber was circular, not a semicircle. It looked like a Colosseum. The throne was in the exact center, like a pillar, and the seats of the nobles surrounded it.

The most unusual part was...

Water?

Yes, waterways had been installed under the seats. When I sat down, I had to put my feet in the water. The waterways spread like a spider’s web through the chamber, until they reached the sewers installed below the throne.

Amethyst took off her leather boots and sat down. “It’s Amniotic Fluid,” she told me.

I looked around and saw the other nobles also taking off their shoes, as if they were used to this.

“Amniotic Fluid?”

“Yes, you heard that right. There is a huge lake underground in the capital. Water is drawn from there and spread throughout the waterways in the capital. This is where the water passes through first, Platinum Tower’s assembly chamber.”

Following everyone’s example, I also took off my shoes. “Why did you guys name it this way?”

“It has many meanings and uses. We make laws in the noble assembly, and the laws make up the kingdom. Hence, the kingdom is born right here. ‘Always be aware that we are giving birth to the kingdom.’ That’s why it’s called Amniotic Fluid.”

I took off my socks and dipped my feet into the waterway. Warm water seeped between my toes. “It’s warm...”

“Yes, because it’s winter now. The water is cool in the summer. It also helps regulate the chamber’s temperature.”

“Fascinating.”

“The color of the water also changes, depending on how serious the agenda is. For example, when the assembly decides to subdue one of the dragon kingdoms, the Amniotic Fluid turns red like blood. The waterways in the capital also turn red to inform the people that there is an emergency.”

“Oh...”

“In short, the water people use in their lives is what sweeps through the nobles’ toes. That seems to bring fetish-like satisfaction to a small number of nobles and citizens. It’s practical in many ways, isn’t it?”

That’s so disgusting...

Amethyst chuckled. “Mr. Gong-Ja, you aren’t like Advisor River Eternal at all.”

“Pardon?”

“My advisor never makes that look. It’ll be funny if your identity is revealed, but the meeting comes first right now. I would appreciate it if you could be careful so that people don’t notice something is off.”

Hmm.

“How does the advisor talk?”

“Huh? You don’t remember?”

“No, my memories are a little blurry. I feel like I’m seeing the Amniotic Fluid for the first time.”

Amethyst smiled. “Hmm. Well, it’s simple. She’s mostly polite but also impassive. If you manage to talk like you’re indifferent to everything in the world, then you’ll nail it.”

I relaxed my eyebrows. “You mean like this?”

Amethyst rested her chin on her palm and looked at me. “That’s good, but try to be a little more impassive. My advisor truly places no value on this world.”

“Place no value on the world...”

“Yes. Whether it’s a random person, a citizen, or the kingdom itself, nothing matters to her. The only people who have a place in her heart are me and her daughter. Everyone else is white noise.”

Suddenly, I remembered the information spell that the original owner of this body had left about Amethyst:

My master. My heart. My blood. My everything in this world. freēwēbnovel.com

When I remembered that note, my heart felt numb for some reason.

Amethyst looked amused. “Your acting is quite good. Have you ever received acting training?”

“While climbing the Tower, I had the opportunity to become part of a troupe.”

Her smile became wider. “You’re surprisingly versatile, Mr. Gong-Ja. You look very much like my Advisor River Eternal. Is it okay if I keep calling you Advisor instead of Mr. Kim Gong-Ja from now on?”

For some reason, my heart started pounding hard again. I was just making eye contact with her, but my chest felt tight and my head was foggy. It felt just like when the trauma started.

Fortunately, a voice called to my attention just before the fog completely engulfed me.

“All rise for Her Majesty the Sun Queen!”

The meeting resumed.

***

As soon as the meeting began, nobles from the other factions launched waves of attacks against Amethyst. The first person to open fire was Countess Towerfang Tiger, who had been waiting for her moment since we left the lounge.

“Viscountess Amethyst accepted rebels as her personal subordinates. I’m not talking about just the Red Fingernails. The Stone Assembly, Boulder, Feignevil, Heavenly Avatar, Heart. All the rebel organizations that caused trouble recently have become her subordinates. A noble with such a record cannot be recommended to a dukedom.”

Hundreds of nobles looked at Towerfang Tiger. The queen didn’t stop her from speaking. This seemed more like a hearing about Amethyst than a regular meeting.

“It’s only right to arrest the rebels who have been hiding behind Viscountess Amethyst and punish them according to the crimes they committed. If the viscountess is truly loyal to the kingdom, she will cooperate. Isn’t that right, Viscountess? Unless you’re plotting treason, why would you harbor fugitives?”

“Countess, all the people I took in as subordinates were captured by me,” Amethyst retorted with a smile. “All prisoners captured on the battlefield become the property of the general. I’m handling my property as I like, so what’s wrong with that?”

“Even if they were traitors who aimed their swords at the kingdom?”

“Property cannot commit sins. An excellent warrior’s sword may shed the blood of hundreds of people, but no one blames the slaughter on the sword. They blame it on the warrior instead. I just collect swords that shed a lot of blood.”

“Are you treating them as objects?”

“Yes.”

Towerfang Tiger seemed taken aback by this response.

Amethyst blinked, feigning surprise. “I told you they’re my property. If you have a problem with that, you should have captured them yourself. Or you can abolish slavery. Oh, right. There are a lot of slaves in the County of Tiger. It feels a bit icky seeing a territory that relies on the slave economy for its finances. You could have reformed the estate’s economy if you really wanted to solve the slavery problem.”

“Who do you think you are to meddle in my county’s management—”

“Think about it. The prisoners I took in are my private property. I don’t know what right you think you have to interfere with my family’s affairs. Wouldn’t it be better for both of us to mind our business?”

Towerfang Tiger gritted her teeth. “What if the crime was committed by an actual person, not your property?”

“Hmm?”

She looked at the person on the throne. “Your Majesty, may I present my opinion?”

“Go on.”

“In the kingdom’s two thousand year history, no new dukedoms have been established. Considering the magnitude of the matter, I believe a strict screening process to verify the qualities of the duke candidate is necessary.”

The Sun Queen listened to Towerfang Tiger in silence. She hadn’t been out of her quarters for the past sixty years. Those who didn’t work had no success nor authority. The queen was like that, so the nobles did not respect her.

Towerfang Tiger went on. “I’ve come across several reports that bring up quite a few questions regarding Viscountess Amethyst’s moral character. Therefore, with your permission, I would like to summon witnesses here.”

The Sun Queen turned her head and looked at Amethyst, silently asking for her cooperation. Amethyst smiled as if telling the queen not to worry.

“I’ll allow it,” the Sun Queen answered.

Towerfang Tiger bowed. “And I’ll be eternally grateful.”

The witnesses entered the chamber one after another. The first person to step into the Amniotic Fluid was an old man dressed neatly.

Towerfang Tiger asked, “What’s your name?”

“My name is Brookstone.”

“What is your status and origin?”

“I’m a citizen. Forty-one years ago, I came from the Death Harbinger Barony and settled in the royal capital.”

“Brookstone, you have stepped into this place as a mere citizen. The blessings bestowed upon you are by no means light.”

The old man kneeled and placed his forehead on the floor. “I’ll be eternally grateful for this blessing.”

“You previously passed around an appeal to the nobles saying that you have been wronged.”

“It felt like the world collapsed around me after losing my one and only granddaughter, so I dared to draw a few mediocre brush strokes to write some words. I apologize for befouling the eyes of the honorable.”

I turned my head to the seat next to mine. There sat Marchioness Snowhite Rabbit, who had turned pale.

“It’s a pity that you lost your granddaughter. However, it’s the heavens that decide the loss of a person’s life, and you aren’t the only one who lost your family member. What made you find this so unfair that you filed an appeal?”

“It’s as natural for a lowly citizen’s life to end like a weed that was cut down, but I would like to speak of injustice because the heavens didn’t take my daughter.”

As if she were a benevolent ruler, Towerfang Tiger asked, “How did your granddaughter die?”

“My granddaughter was whipped to death by a noble named Snowhite Rabbit.”

The Amniotic Fluid turned turbulent as the nobles shuffled in their seats.

“Snowhite Rabbit? That name sounds familiar. Do you know anything more about them?”

“When my granddaughter died six years ago, I only heard that her murderer was called Lady Snowhite Rabbit.”

“Lady Snowhite Rabbit... Isn’t she the marchioness sitting over there right now?”

The nobles looked at Snowhite Rabbit, who was not only pale but shivering.

Towerfang Tiger turned to her. “Marchioness.”

“Yes?”

“This citizen here says that you whipped his granddaughter to death six years ago. Is this true?”

“Ah, it is. I-I...”

Amethyst stood up. The water around her feet splashed as she bowed slightly. “Your Majesty.”

“Go on,” the queen told her.

“Since Marchioness Snowhite’s family is under my wing, I should be the one reprimanded for my subordinate’s crime. I believe it isn’t right for Countess Towerfang Tiger to question my subordinate.”

“What do you think, Countess?”

“How kind and considerate. In fact, I would also like to ask Viscountess Amethyst a question, not the marchioness.”

Towerfang Tiger looked triumphant. It seemed this was what she had been aiming for. “Viscountess.”

“Yes, Countess Towerfang Tiger.”

“Were you aware of what the marchioness had done?”

“Yes, I was aware.”

The Amniotic Fluid became turbulent once again.

“For how long?”

“I already knew when I accepted her as my subordinate. The marchioness herself confessed to me directly,” Amethyst answered.

“What? Does it mean that you accepted her as your subordinate even though you were aware of her sins?”

“I guess so.”

Towerfang Tiger slammed her fist onto the desk. “Why?! The marchioness whipped a young citizen to death. Have you no shame? How can you accept such a cruel person as your subordinate?”

Amethyst smiled. It made my heart pound hard. She said, “I don’t know if you know, but the marchioness was notorious for her character. Lady Fool, Lady Idiot, Lady Brainless... She heard all kinds of insults. After I met her, I thought I should raise her properly.”

“Raise her properly?”

Snowhite Rabbit was trembling even more now.

“The young lady grew up abused by her family. Former Marquis White Crest Rabbit, the marchioness’ grandfather, was a genius, but not in a good way. He couldn’t understand people who were less intelligent than him, so he didn’t try to understand his granddaughter. His malicious verbal and physical abuse defined Marchioness Snowhite’s childhood.”

Towerfang Tiger frowned. “So? Are you saying that the marchioness should be forgiven because she had a pitiful past?”

Amethyst covered her mouth with her sleeve and giggled. “No, if I had left her be, Marchioness Snowhite would have lived as Marchioness Brainless forever. Someone would have sent an assassin one day and let her have a comfortable death without any regrets about the sin she had committed. I don’t think that’s a good ending for her.”

“What?”

“I took the marchioness under my wing and went on a trip for fifteen days.” Amethyst hummed, looking like she was reminiscing about a happy past. “I showed what life is like to this young noble lady who had never washed a plate or a shirt in her life. I forced her to experience the life of a person who cannot eat unless they work. She was forced to face reality: if she worked as a commoner, it would be nearly impossible to survive.

“Thanks to this trip, Marchioness Snowhite realized that even if she was unhappy, her misfortune was endurable. I regularly had classes with her. Sometimes, we went to the northern port, where I showed her the daily lives of merchants. From time to time, I showed her a bandit raid so she could see people’s lives being crushed at an instant.”

Amethyst’s cheeks were rosy, like a preacher focused on their ceremony. “Do you understand? Marchioness Snowhite is only fifteen, but she’s already experienced the death of commoners, merchants, and bandits. I’ll go out on a limb and assure you that the marchioness will become a great politician, one of the top twelve in this kingdom.”

Towerfang Tiger sneered. “Ha. I was wondering where you were going with this, but you’re basically suggesting covering up her old mistake because she’ll become a great politician in the future. With such a rotten mindset—”

“You really don’t know anything, Countess.”

“What?”

Amethyst became even more heated up. “What does it matter whether she becomes a great politician in the future or not? The important thing is that, even though she becomes such a great noble, she committed a mistake that can never be undone. The better the marchioness becomes, the more miserable she will be. Do you understand that?”

Towerfang Tiger could only stare at Amethyst as she continued her defense.

“No matter how well she governs or how many lives she comforts, she can never consider herself a good person. It’s only natural since nothing will change the fact that she killed a child.”

Amethyst clasped her hands together as if she was praying.

“I’ll raise Marchioness Snowhite Rabbit to be the greatest and most unfortunate noble in the kingdom. With every passing day, she will experience a mix of misfortune, self-reproach, and shame. Countess, imagine the day these things will define the marchioness completely. Each time she waves her hand, it’ll emanate misfortune. Her past will cling onto her shadow in each of her steps.”

Amethyst smiled as brightly as a saint. “What do you think? Won’t she become lovely?”