Chapter 85: [85] Mind Games

There were only seven votes left, but all Drakili needed to do was gain one more vote to put the election to a stalemate.

But Eliron calmly observed as the next elder stood up.

He could see Drakili smiling, rejoicing that he had the election in the bag.

’He most likely threatened this elder as well.’ Eliron mused as the man walked forward.

The elder stood there for a few seconds, and it was as though the air hung still.

The elves were already grumbling words of protest, their discontent towards the chiefs growing by the second.

Drakili smiled. “You had a good ru—”

“I vote Lord Eliron.”

The crowd grew silent just before exploding in a wave of cheers. The confluence was only half way done, yet they were ecstatic that they still had a fighting chance.

“What is the meaning of this?” Drakili muttered, unable to believe what was happening.

Eliron smiled as the second Elder stepped forward. “Your schemes are far too obvious, elder. You think I wouldn’t have caught up on to your antics?”

“I vote Lord Eliron.”

“I vote lord Eliron.”

“I vote Lord Eliron.”

“I vote Lord Eliron.”

One by one, the elders walked up to the stage, and unlike when those who voted Drakili, the elders bore smiles on their faces as they announced their candidate.

The sound of Eliron’s name being sung was like a sweet lullaby that filled the elves with hope, but it was like poison in Drakili’s stomach.

“You did this on purpose didn’t you?” He spat, glaring at Eliron.

“You set up the voting to make it look like I was winning. Why would you do something so childish?!”

Only two votes remained…

Eliron slowly turned to face Drakili, then he tilted his head slightly, and smiled so maliciously that Drakili got chills.

“To give you hope of course.”

“Y-you bastard!!”

The next elder got up on stage, a man who was widely known for his political apathy. A disciplined man even Drakili was unable to coerce.

Chief Sophron.

All he did was take a look at someone in the crowd, then he swallowed.

“Lord Eliron.”

’Fuck!!’ Drakili screamed internally, feeling as though his blood was going to boil out of his ears.

He has spent days agonizing on how to get him to his side, and even sent countless threats, but Sophron was unwavering.

How then did they manage to convince him??

’No, there is no need to panic…’

The fight was not yet lost, because the next person was even worse than Sophron.

She was a woman who they had to even drag out of her home to get here. The laziest person in the village.

Surely, she would annul her vote!

Zenith took to the stage and glanced at Lazarus in an annoyed manner, her violet eyes dull with disinterest.

She looked tired, as though she had been working nonstop for the past week, and once she got to the stage, she yawned loudly and frowned.

“What am I supposed to do again?” She asked, shocking the crowd.

Lazarus angrily cleared his throat. “You are supposed to pick who you want to be lord…” he whispered sharply.

“Oh?”

At this point, every single elf on the stage casted their hopeful gazes on her.

If she chose to stay out of it, another confluence would be held, but she had the power to decide right then and there.

Zenith blinked slowly. “Who are the contestants again?”

Lazarus at this point felt like hurling her off the stage.

He angrily stormed over to her and pointed at Eliron and Drakili. “Them!”

“Oh!” Her eyes brightened up when she saw Eliron.

She hurried over to the young lord, sitting on her knees right in front of him.

“Guess what?” She said smugly.

“I was finally able to make the connection last night! That rune block fit perfectly in my circuits, now everything you asked for is ready!” Zenith beamed.

Over the past four days, Eliron had spent a lot of time in Zenith’s workshop, helping her with her projects and suggesting possible improvements.

It was only after he got close to her, that Eliron realised Zenith had such a friendly side to her.

And now, the aloof elder was acting like a child explaining their latest discoveries to their mother.

When Drakili saw this, he ran his hand through his face, realising it was over before she even spoke.

Lazarus quickly walked over to her. “Zenith! We are in the middle of an—”

“Yeah yeah, shut up you old klutz. I vote Eliron—”

Before she could even finish her statement, the elves screamed out in joy. They all stood up, chanting a song as they celebrated amongst themselves.

Drakili just sat there, gnashing his teeth and bubbling with rage, while everyone around him celebrated.

Meanwhile, Eliron stood up, a relaxed smile on his face as he took in a long breath and sighed.

“Now that that is over with.”

He suddenly unsheathed his blade, causing a deathly silence to overcome the crowd.

Drakili’s eyes widened as the guards suddenly surrounded him, and roughly pulled him to his feet.

“W-what is the meaning of this!” He demanded.

Eliron stared at him coldly, not a flicker of emotion in those icy blue eyes.

The tip of his sword was placed against the soil, while he rested one hand on the pommel.

Whispers passed through the elves like wild fire as they watched, unsure of what was going on. But Eliron’s next words shocked them to their core.

With his free hand, he reached into his clothing and pulled out a piece of paper.

A red letter.

“Drakili Evaborne. You stand accused of treachery, conspiracy to murder a sitting lord and treason. How do you plead?”

The elder felt as though his world had been turned upside down.

He tried to flee, but he was surrounded on all sides by the guards, the most worrying of them being Ash.

’I thought I burned every single one of them—’

“You are probably thinking you burned everything right?” Eliron smiled. “Well, you missed one…”

“Didn’t you feel something was odd these past few weeks? Wasn’t it as though, well I don’t know…” his smile deepened.

“You were missing a vital piece of information?”

Drakili’s eyes slowly widened.

All this time when he thought the assassin was not coming… she had actually sent him a letter which Eliron intercepted.

’How long has he been suspecting me?’

Was it from their first meeting? After the hunting expedition?

Drakili shook his head. ’No…’

From the look in Eliron’s eyes, that gaze that accused him without a notion of doubt, or even the slightest bit of shock…

’He knew right from the very beginning.’

Drakili clenched his jaw so hard that he tasted the metallic taste of blood.

Before the election even started, even as he layed threat upon threat on the young lord.

Eliron always had the one thing capable of bringing him to ruin.

From the very begining…

Drakili had been playing on the palm of his hands.

Eliron lifted his blade. “For your crimes against the elves, and for betraying your own people.”

“I hereby sentence you to death.”

“?!”

Before the sword moved, Drakili pulled his hands out of his pocket, and tossed a finger-like object into his mouth.

Swooosh!

The sword came down with merciless accuracy, the silver tip of the blade slicing down in one clean arc.

Drakili’s head was looped off from his body, yet, before it landed on the floor, a hand reached out and grabbed it.

Drakili’s arm.

The man who was meant to be dead, was holding his head in his own hands.

The head’s eyes suddenly snapped in Eliron’s direction, and then it smiled.

One of the guards jumped back. “What the—”

Bang!

An explosion surged forward, rocking Artaris, followed by booming laughter… that reeked of the profane.

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