Frozen Flame of Dawn - Chapter 98

Chapter 98: Chapter 48: Unspoken Truths_1

The moment the doors shut behind the Riendfeld leaving figures with some elders who were not interested, Helen exhaled sharply.

She hadn’t spoken since the decision had been made, but now that only trusted individuals remained, her frustration finally surfaced.

Her eyes flicked between her father and Yenna, the two people she respected most, and yet—

“Why are we letting them go?” Her voice carried an edge of disbelief. “Won’t this just make it easier for them to take control of the outer provinces and declare independence?”

Her father, the former Chancellor, sighed as he had expected this reaction and before before he could answer, the oldest man in the room—the true power behind the Federation—spoke first.

He chuckled, a deep, gravelly sound, shaking his head as though Helen were a child throwing a tantrum. “Little Helen, you’re far too old and powerful to be losing your composure like this.”

His mocking amusement did nothing to soothe her frustration. “If you let emotions dictate your decisions, even I will start to question whether the Federation is safe in your hands.”

His lighthearted tone was just a disguise, a warning. Helen clenched her jaw, forcing herself to calm down.

Seeing that she was listening, the old man’s voice turned serious.

“Yenna did the right thing.” His fingers tapped against the table rhythmically, as though each beat sealed Richard’s fate further into stone “She weeded out the greatest threat to your control over the Central Province.”

“Now that the Riendfeld family is gone, you have full authority to reshape and reinforce the province however you see fit.”

“If they try to rise against us in the future…” A thin smile crossed his face.

“We’ll have built an army strong enough to crush them before they even begin.”

Helen understood the logic, but the risk still unsettled her. “Is there truly no way to prevent them from taking control of the outer provinces?”

Her father, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.

“No.” His voice was calm, resigned. “The moment we abandoned the outer provinces to focus on securing Central, we gave them their opportunity.”

The old captain of the Dragon Unit leaned back in his chair, his sharp eyes scanning the room. His voice was steady, almost casual, yet laced with an underlying warning.

“Helen, your thinking is not straight.” The statement alone made Helen’s brows twitch, but she didn’t interrupt. “The world has changed.”

That one sentence shifted everyone’s attention to him.

No one in this room was ignorant, but hearing it so bluntly from someone with his level of experience made it feel more real than ever.

If there was anyone here who truly understood the balance of power, it was him and Yenna.

“From now on, control and governance won’t rely on democracy or the old military structure. Those things are already relics of the past.” He paused, letting his words settle, before continuing. “This entire Federation was built on the concept of order—rules, regulations, structured hierarchy. But those structures were designed for people who feared consequences.”

He gave a knowing look around the room.

“Slowly, but inevitably, more and more people will awaken abilities.” “And when that happens, rules will no longer be enough to control them.” The implication was clear and knew those with power would dictate the future.

Helen exhaled sharply, not in defeat but acceptance. She was beginning to see it—to truly understand what was at stake. “So, what do you suggest?”

She clenched her fists, then released a slow breath, forcing herself to focus. “Then we secure Central Province first.”

Her gaze shifted toward the old captain of the Dragon Unit and before the former Dragon Captain could respond, Yenna finally broke her silence while he old captain’s lips curled slightly at the question.

“First, you have to build a military that’s strong enough to withstand anything.”

“Second, you need to eliminate all the corrupt officials who were standing in your way before. There is no one left to challenge you now, so act quickly.”

“And third…” His eyes glinted. “Restructure the entire Federation.”while murmur went through the room.

“If the Riendfeld family rises again, their power won’t come from politics or military alone. It will come from their hold over awakened individuals.” As his fingers tapped rhythmically against the table.

“If you don’t prepare now, the Federation will crumble.” The gravity of his words was not lost on anyone.

Helen’s father, the former Chancellor, let out a deep sigh. “He’s right.”As gritted her teeth but nodded. “We secure Central Province first.”

She looked to the old captain. “How do you suggest we begin?”

Yenna, who had been calmly observing, finally spoke up. “You don’t need to worry about every province turning against you.”

Even he had his doubts. If the Rienfeld family had been plotting for years, then surely their foothold in the provinces would be unshakable.

Yenna leaned forward, her expression unreadable. “Out of the four provinces, one won’t fall under their influence.”

Helen’s brow furrowed while Yenna met her gaze. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because in Valdara Province, we already have someone we can trust.” The room went silent. “Someone with the strength and influence to maintain order… someone with enough military support to rally the people against any uprising.”

Confusion flickered across the faces in the room, Yenna didn’t keep them waiting as she looked directly at Helen.

“Our master.” Helen froze as the shock on her face mirrored that of everyone else in the room. “He who was the former Supreme Commander of the military is currently in Valdara Province.”

Murmurs rippled through the chamber as the realization sank. “I informed him of the situation before the surge even happened.”

The old Dragon Unit Captain narrowed his gaze. “How were you able to predict this?”

Yenna didn’t flinch under his scrutiny as answered simply. “Because after the broadcast, I knew this was coming and I was already aware of who was behind it.”

That caught everyone’s attention as the former Chancellor’s expression darkened, his sharp gaze pinning her down. “Are you telling me you knew who orchestrated the broadcast?”

The old Dragon Captain slammed his hand on the table. “Then why didn’t you tell us sooner?”

His voice carried frustration, not just for what she knew, but for the implications of her silence.