Elias faintly smiled and shrugged his shoulder, the one without a crutch.

He quietly asked the councilman, “Do you enjoy overlooking logic?”

“Pardon?”

“The conclusion that some experimental mosquitoes have five times the attack power of the control group comes from the few mosquitoes that survived extremely low odds.”

“Yes, Duke Elias. This is precisely where the problem lies.”

“Let’s hear what the problem is.”

Elias nodded as if he was generously granting permission, a smile on his face.

The councilman raised his voice, veins bulging, “You’re suggesting we spend a whopping 500 million pel to handle a few occasional super mosquitoes, instead of simply eradicating the contaminated mosquitoes in Mepen! Those who don’t know better might call this passive administration, but this is actually excessive administration. It’s a waste of taxpayer money on unnecessary things.”

At first glance, his argument sounded reasonable and valid.

But it missed the most crucial point.

Elias, seemingly incredulous, opened his mouth and after a moment, spoke.

“You seem to be unaware that mosquitoes can fly.”

“……”

“I know.”

“Additionally, you seem to miss that this research doesn’t merely indicate ‘four incredibly powerful mosquitoes emerged after several generations.’”

Elias exaggeratedly raised his eyebrows and smiled.

“You must have been quite pleased with yourself. The research report highlighted the power of mosquitoes, but you focused on the number of mosquitoes with a new perspective, feeling triumphant as if you uncovered a blind spot no one else noticed, right?”

“Excuse me.”

“Then consider this: Why haven’t insects been considered a threat until now? Why has insect contamination become such an issue?”

“……”

“To withstand contaminated magic, the host must be strong. What did we learn from this? Even something as small and weak as an insect can indeed carry contaminated magic. Oh, don’t worry, we’re not the only ones who just found this out. Pleroma also discovered this for the first time this year.”

Elias, who had been speaking fervently, suddenly fell silent and clapped his hands lightly.

“No, it should be expressed as ‘Pleroma finally discovered this,’ so you might understand.”

The councilman just stared at Elias silently.

“Do you understand now? This research is not something to obsess over the number or ratio of mosquitoes. We’ve discovered that mosquitoes can carry enough magic power to be called ‘super mosquitoes.’ That’s what this research implies.”

“Duke, I understand that. Let’s move on to a more productive topic….”

As the situation turned unfavorable, another councilman stood up to interrupt Elias.

Elias waved him off and raised his voice.

“In short! Since it’s possible for mosquitoes to carry such a significant amount of magic power, Pleroma could mass-produce these ‘super mosquitoes’ and release them nationwide. That’s the crux of the matter, and what the royal family, parliament, and the magical elite, who are responsible for the safety of the citizens, need to recognize and prepare for.”

The room fell silent. No one dared to speak.

Elias looked around the now-quiet seats and secretary’s desk, smiling.

“It seems it’s not the time to talk about someone else’s sense of reality, councilman.”

“……”

He did it impeccably.

No, that expression is insufficient.

He accomplished it far more successfully than expected.

Elias Hohenzollern

Impression: +4.5 (+1.5)

Checking the impression score just in case, it had skyrocketed in just an hour.

‘1.5 points in an hour.’

It was an exceptionally high rate of increase, unimaginable in a positive water aspect.

Countless people across the nation are increasingly valuing Elias.

‘Indeed, making a nationwide appearance helps in improving the impression score.’

Of course, it’s still too early to be relieved.

The opposition would have exhausted all their prepared arguments by now, and if cornered, they’ll shamelessly argue without logic.

After all, knowing Elias was their opponent, they probably didn’t prepare thoroughly either.

If they resort to that, Elias will have no choice but to respond in kind.

At that moment, another councilman spoke.

“This is too premature. There’s no guarantee that mass production will succeed.”

“…Huh.”

Elias couldn’t hold back and burst into a laugh.

“Usually, at times like this, don’t you say, ‘We’re also concerned about that’? Remember, your duty isn’t to argue with me but to ensure the safety of the citizens.”

“Duke, you’re not here to lecture us.”

“Oh, yes. I just wanted to try using some words I picked up. Satisfied? So, what will you do if Pleroma succeeds?”

It wasn’t just words picked up; it was likely their original thoughts.

Speaking plainly sometimes to lighten the mood was done with the emperor in mind.

“We can allocate new funds when the time comes.”

“Too late. You said they succeeded in mass production.”

Seeing that foolish questions would follow, a mage from the security bureau stopped the councilman and began speaking.

“We understand the Duke’s anxiety and fear. But by that logic, demonic beasts should also be a concern. We were going to report it next week, but since the topic has come up, we suspect that’s also Pleroma’s doing.”

“Oh, great. You brought it up well. I personally explored the restricted zone and found another problem.”

“There is no problem. We regularly inspect….”

“There was. I wonder if you can see the evidence on my body.”

Elias gestured toward his leg.

“It was labeled a high-level restricted zone, so we prepared according to the security bureau’s manual, but the situation was so dire that it could be called top-level or beyond. I got poisoned by the contaminated air and fell off a cliff before I could properly use magic.”

“This is not the place to discuss your personal faults….”

“How much do I have to explain?!”

Elias shouted, slamming the desk.

“To be direct, we need to adjust the barrier levels. From the existing 15, 5, 1 to 8 low, 8 medium, 3 high, and 2 top-level zones. The budget, including purification costs, will total 11.5926 billion pel. The documents have already been submitted to you.”

“…Oh my, 11.59 billion….”

“Duke, you’ve been bringing up unrealistic ideas continuously, which is problematic.”

“This isn’t relevant to this session. Let’s address it in-depth another time.”

I opened my mouth in response to the councilman’s words.

“No, it is relevant. Barriers that don’t match the level of contamination make it easier for contaminated animals to escape. Naturally, insects classified as animals are included.”

The mage from the security bureau, who had been listening to our words with a contorted face, finally shook his head as if he couldn’t take it anymore.

“As I said earlier, we understand the Duke’s and Marquis’s concerns. But….”

“It’s not about my anxiety but the safety of the citizens, isn’t it?”

“Of course, it is. However, right now, you’re overly frightened and overestimating Pleroma, which only incites public fear and distorts reality. Our budget is limited, so we can’t just throw money at potential risks. That’s why we’ve drafted an adjustment plan to maximize the citizens’ safety within our means.”

Elias nodded, signaling for the man to continue.

“Once a month, we’ll investigate the cycle period during which mosquitoes breed and cast purification spells accordingly.”

“…Hmm.”

Elias smirked.

“Sorry, but mosquitoes aren’t the only blood-sucking insects.”

“……”

A look of realization briefly crossed the man’s face before he responded with a calm and collected demeanor.

“If we take it that far, as I mentioned earlier, it would require excessive budget allocation. Pleroma’s research and development on various insect species won’t be rapid, and considering accessibility and symbolic significance from their size and habitats, we assumed they would prioritize mosquitoes over other insects.”

What nonsense was that?

The problem was the very fact that contaminated magic could be infused into insects, which are inherently resistant to magic. If it becomes possible to stably infuse one insect with magic, it’s only a matter of time before other insects can also carry magic.

‘Even though I set low expectations…’

I hadn’t expected them to be this incapable of applying what I said. It was more surprising than anticipated.

I slowly countered his argument.

“Once they succeed, applying it to other insects will happen rapidly. Insects with short growth periods can reproduce and cause damage within a month. Hence, you should be monitoring and taking countermeasures, considering that insects can carry magic. Regardless of budget constraints, it’s the security bureau’s job to devise the most cost-effective measures to ensure maximum safety.”

“Yes, that’s correct. Since it’s been less than a week since the incident, there are deficiencies. We ask for your understanding.”

He alternated his gaze between me and the broadcast cameras.

Was that even a proper statement? He probably thought the public would buy it….

Just in case, I called up the status window.

Lucas Rene Askanian

Impression: -9.9 (+0.1) [+3.8009128]

It started at 2 points and now it’s 3.8?

The impression score is rising nicely.

The reflected benefit from their poor answers is quite rewarding.

Then Elias spoke up.

“Just out of curiosity, what about the regions?”

“That part will be announced later through the Imperial News.”

This meant they didn’t plan to purify all 21 zones but would determine the purification areas based on public opinion, doing the bare minimum.

“…….”

“…Let me guess. ‘We will support regular purification spells for Mepen and the nearby restricted zones’—sounds like a generous offer. Is that your actual plan?”

“Duke Elias.”

“I’m just curious. Mepen and its neighboring restricted zones only include two places, Osnabrück and its vicinity.”

“The government strives to allocate the budget as efficiently as possible through cost-benefit analysis. All projects and budget proposals are results reviewed by the Imperial Economic Research Institute under the Royal Family.”

A perfect escape.

“Well, since you’re not denying it, it seems accurate. You can’t change plans arbitrarily before getting approval, can you? Your lack of flexibility and adaptability must be frustrating for others. I’ll give you a chance to explain yourself before you get scolded when you go back. Go ahead.”

The mage from the security bureau furrowed his brows deeply and began to protest.

“What on earth are you talking about? It’s not that simple. Considering insect contamination, Mepen and Osnabrück are the most dangerous areas. Focusing solely on the number of purification zones would be an unnecessary waste of taxes….”

Elias looked at him with a derisive smile.

He had achieved his goal.

They had no intention of purifying all 21 zones.

Irritating them worked.

Indeed, to get involved in politics, you need someone like Elias who can be relentless.

“Wait! These questions are unproductive. Due to time constraints, we will skip this.”

The vice-chair glared at the mage from the security bureau, cutting him off.

Continuing this would mean admitting they only planned to purify a few zones.

‘This must have given us quite the reflected benefit as well.’

Now, it’s time to check the changes in favorability among those present.

I shifted my attention away from the debate and scanned the faces in the room.

[Favorability 0*]

[Favorability +1*]

[Favorability +3]

[Favorability +5]

[Favorability +2*]

Except for the increase in starred ratings, most were similar to before.

‘Could it be that the significant ones are not present?’

Someone from the existing supporting faction should have begun to drastically drop in favorability towards me.

For Pleroma to thrive, restricted zones need to exist, supporting the approval of barriers.

‘…Ah.’

No, I must judge more flexibly.

As I began jotting down numbers while looking at people’s faces, Elias grinned broadly and raised his voice.

“Honorable Vice-Chair.”

The vice-chair squinted, doubting his ears at what sounded like a courtroom statement.

“We understand the government and parliament’s views well. So, what will you do if Pleroma succeeds in mass-producing contaminated mosquitoes and a disaster ensues? Will you and the government take responsibility?”

“Such an event is unlikely.”

“Why?”

“Before a disaster occurs, the Royal Family will intervene in the most appropriate and efficient manner, as always. It would be helpful if you, Duke Elias, provide the grounds for your belief first.”

Now they too were starting to give automated responses.

Elias, momentarily speechless, then chuckled.

“It sounds like you’re proposing a children’s argument. You’re saying the Royal Family will handle it when it happens, so there’s no need to spend money now?”

“Maintain your decorum. Remember where you are standing.”

“I apologize, Vice-Chair. I never intended to undermine the authority of the parliament.”

Elias dropped his eyebrows and once again wore a strange smile.

He then picked up a black box from the desk, walking to the front of the vice-chair’s seat with the help of an aide.

“…!”

I stopped my note-taking and watched him.

“Evidence… right. I should provide evidence. Although it’s modest, I’ll give you something that might change your mind, Vice-Chair. Open it.”

Elias, balancing on his crutch, handed the small box to the vice-chair almost as if he were throwing it.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep