Ashes Of Deep Sea
Chapter 442 - Chapter 442 Chapter 443 Origin

Chapter 442: Chapter 443: Origin Chapter 442: Chapter 443: Origin The chill that had filled the room seemed to settle somewhat, and the living, who had been shivering from the cold, finally breathed a little easier.

Yet Tyrion had still not responded to the series of “suggestions” put forth by the confidential secretary. He was merely staring calmly at the items on the table as though centuries had passed.

When the weight of the silence had almost crushed everyone, he finally lifted his head, “This is indeed the wisdom of maintaining order, which must have been quite effective half a century ago.”

“You should know how dire the situation in Frost had become at that time,” the confidential secretary said with a gaze that did not shy away, “Great people do many great things, but their mistakes can be as deadly as their accomplishments — for the sake of control, there are some things we simply must do. General Tyrion, I have studied history, in fact… I have always personally considered Her Majesty Lei Nora to be a remarkable ruler, but this cannot hide the mess that followed the failure of the Abyss Plan.”

“Yes, you studied history — and I have lived through history,” Tyrion said calmly, “We both understand the situation back then, and so I am not being critical. To be fair, you at least kept Frost stable for another half-century after that.”

The confidential secretary’s Tense nerves finally seemed to relax a bit, and he leaned forward subconsciously, “So, what you’re saying is that you agree with…”

But Tyrion didn’t speak; he simply pressed his hand onto those documents and applied a slight force.

The extreme cold permeated the paper, fine ice crystals rapidly formed and shattered, and with the sound of rustling, those records that could have left countless indelible marks in history disintegrated into scraps.

The confidential secretary’s eyes widened instantly, and General Lister, who had been mostly silent, couldn’t help but exclaim softly, “Are you doing…”

“I do not need these,” Tyrion lifted his head and looked at the Frostfolk opposite him, “What I need are the true records — what exactly was the problem in that mine, how exactly did the Heretics infiltrate the City-State, who is accountable, who is not, and the true trajectory of Governor Winston’s administration — give me the most authentic first-hand information without considering ‘the rapid restoration of order’.”

He paused, then continued, “This is essential for controlling the situation.”

The confidential secretary was stunned for a moment, then quickly caught on, “You are accepting Frost’s ‘invitation’… But with all due respect, you still need those documents that were on the table just now. You can certainly hold the real intelligence, but you also need to find a way to divert the attention of the citizens–”

He hesitated for two seconds, as if making a decision, before continuing, “To be honest, the situation in the city will be bad moving forward. A lot of the infrastructure may have to shut down for a while, plus the pollution caused by those ‘muds’, there will be a shortage of fuel supply, problems with food distribution, worsening public order, and the resulting public outrage, we must find a way to divert the public’s attention, targeting the former government and the governor is the most effective method…”

“If there’s a fuel shortage, use the reserves, if that’s not enough, I can find ways; if food distribution is chaotic, implement strict monitoring and punishment, including the Upper City District, enforce rationing throughout the city; if public order worsens, then impose martial law temporarily, people need a target for their anger — go genuinely capture the Heretics, the subversive elements, those who are truly responsible,” Tyrion said seriously, “This series of measures will certainly be more difficult, but at least, it can practically solve the problem, and truly ‘let more people survive’.”

The room fell silent for a moment, one could even hear the sound of people’s breathing. The eternally elegant and proper confidential secretary seemed somewhat stiff for a moment. Faced with Tyrion’s imposing speech, he seemed at a loss for how to respond.

But Tyrion just smiled faintly and shook his head, “I won’t belittle your efforts and solutions — because within the scope of your abilities, there were no better alternatives available, you chose the most suitable method for the situation at that time, but circumstances are different now, and I do not wish to repeat those fifty years. Mr. Secretary, the Mist Fleet has its own way of doing things, so it might be worthwhile to set your expectations a bit higher.”

The confidential secretary seemed to finally catch on, he blinked, adjusting his posture, and looked at Tyrion with a piercing gaze, “Can you really do all the things you mentioned?”

“As long as the remaining power of the city hall can reach maximal cooperation, and for the rest…” Tyrion paused deliberately, then the corner of his mouth revealed a hint of a smile, “Mr. Secretary, do you know who has the most order on the Endless Sea?”

“The most order?” The confidential secretary was puzzled for a moment, not quite catching on, “The City-State navy? Or the long-distance trade fleets?”

“The sea pirates, the great pirates of the Chill Sea,” Tyrion smiled, “The City-State navy always has its stable supply ports and safe harbors, the long-distance trade fleets always have church asylum and navy escorts, only the pirates — to fight against the Endless Sea, all we can rely on is strict discipline and order.”

The confidential secretary was silent for a moment, seemingly unsure how to engage in this topic — it clearly went beyond his daily scope of work and expertise.

Seeing this, Tyrion just smiled and reached out to pat the secretary’s shoulder.

“Relax a bit, Mr. Secretary, compared to fifty years ago, the current situation in Frost isn’t too bad. I still know many ‘trade partners’, and I believe if they knew the real situation here, many would be willing to offer help. At least in terms of worldly order, you don’t have to worry too much. As for the part beyond ‘worldly order’…”

Tyrion suddenly paused and looked out the window.

The deep night shrouded the city, with the glow of the gas lights winding their way through the harbor district. The snow had stopped at some unknown time, the clouds dispersed, and the cold, pale luminescence of the Creation of the World was enveloping the world–beneath this clear light, the city was peaceful tonight.

“The part outside the secular order… I think, my father will find a way.”

The great pirate hesitated for a few seconds before finally speaking in a strange tone.

Many people in the room visibly shuddered.

“Your father, He…” General Lister couldn’t help but speak up, and even unconsciously used the word “He,” “Is He still watching over Frost? Where is He now?”

Of course, He’d be watching over Frost, and might even be standing at the second-floor window watching, residing at 44 Oak Street, renting a house from your Citizen Service Center…

A string of answers flashed through Tyrion’s mind, but after much hesitation, he dared not utter them.

After all, it seemed the Frostfolk present didn’t yet know that “he” was currently in the city. If he disclosed it without his father’s permission, he might well end up getting a thrashing–soon to be Governor, he couldn’t afford to lose face inside or out.

“He is still paying attention to this matter, but I can’t reveal the specifics,” the pirate had to say vaguely after long hesitation, “He’s usually very busy, not just in contact with me.”

General Lister paused, then hurriedly nodded, “Ah… I can understand.”

How he understood was anyone’s guess.

Meanwhile, the privileged secretary couldn’t help but ask a little curiously, “Your father… What does He usually do?”

Tyrion suppressed the urge to roll his eyes–where was he supposed to know that from? Ever since his father returned from Subspace, a shroud of mystery enveloped him. Who knew what his old man did on a daily basis? Surely he couldn’t just be like a typical retiree, idling away time by fishing, walking the dog, or feeding pigeons…

The privileged secretary noticed the subtle change in Tyrion’s expression and realized that his question had overstepped, quickly composing himself: “Sorry, I’ve spoken out of turn.”

“No matter, it’s just not appropriate for common folk to discuss matters related to ‘him’ too much, let’s just consider it for the sake of mental and physical health and drop the subject,” Tyrion waved his hand, swiftly transitioning the conversation.

He then took a long breath, slowly rising from the sofa and walking over to the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Outside the window, the lights remained, and at several junctions leading to the city district, the temporary barricades erected during the earlier battles were barely visible.

By the time the sun rose tomorrow, those barricades would be dismantled, and then… the rulers of this city would have to do their utmost to restore order here.

The myriad lights of the far-off city streets caught Tyrion’s eye.

“I haven’t seen this view in many years, not much change compared to back then.”

General Lister came over, standing behind Tyrion, “But after today, there should be significant changes.”

“…Fifty years ago, the last of the king’s loyalists left this City-State, the rebels established a new city hall, and I became a rebel. Fifty years later, I’ve returned, and the city is still as I left it…” Tyrion gazed at the distant scenery, suddenly moved to speech, “After all these twists and turns, everything seems to have come full circle–General Lister, tell me, what was the meaning of these past fifty years?”

Lister didn’t speak for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.

Yet, the privileged secretary came up beside them, raising a finger towards the window.

“General Tyrion, this is the meaning.”