"—We're just one step away from the truth."
"The answer is obvious! Without a doubt, 'Return to the Golden Age' is a fallacy!"
Anaxa swept his hand through the air and dropped the final pottery shard into the jar.
"If anything can save Amphoreus, then no matter how fantastical the Journey of the Spark sounds... it's a hundred times wiser than this so-called Golden Age!"
"Hahahahaha!"
Anaxa's wild laughter brought the Citizen Assembly to a close.
"The final vote has been cast," Laigushi said gravely.
"The result is clear."
"By Kephale and Taranton, in the name of the Divine Audience, I bear witness—"
"No... Laigushi, wait!" Kenis rushed to his side and snapped,
"Are you joking? You're announcing the result already?!"
"Come on, use those Antikytheran brains of yours! How could the Elder Council have zero votes?!"
"Did I vote for the Chrysos Heirs too?"
"Yes." Laigushi looked at Kenis, who was rapidly losing her composure, and said solemnly,
"Your Excellency Kenis, you cast your vote for the Chrysos Heirs as well. In fact, I was one of the witnesses."
"What?" Kenis's eyes widened in disbelief.
"That's absurd!"
"It's rigged! The whole thing is rigged!"
"And you... Anaxa!" Kenis turned toward the man whose face had swollen like an eggplant... or perhaps the woman.
"What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?!"
"I'll prepare a torture worthy of you... and you'd better use that clever brain of yours to remember the price of betrayal!"
"Hahahaha... Is that so?" Anaxa smiled at Kenis.
"As I said, that happens to be one of my most precious gifts."
"That last vote wouldn't have changed a thing, but you still slapped me in the face!" Kenis's expression darkened.
"Are you that eager for me to deal with you?!"
"You misunderstand, Your Excellency Kenis."