Chapter 49: Courses 2

“Look like they are pushing things along nicely,” Elania said, her finger drawing Yolani’s gaze to a clump of workers moving around a cluster of buildings.

The sound and sight of progress were visible all around as they moved down the main avenue of the new Neftasu District. The hum of saws and the clang of hammers filled the air while workers swarmed over the abandoned buildings like industrious ants.

A sense of fulfillment swelled in her chest as she watched the revitalization effort unfold. The investment they had made was paying off, the fruits of their efforts blossoming in the form of patched walls and repaired roofs.

Yolani glanced at Elania. “Are you nervous?”

Elania blinked before glancing at her partner. “No, why?”

“Because it’s the first time we’ll meet with the entire council,” Yolani said.

Elania paused. There was a time when the thought of speaking to strangers would have filled her with dread.

Heck, she muted unknown numbers calling on her phone as a matter of course.

Now?

The prospect didn’t faze her in the slightest.

Had everything that had happened changed her so much?

Or was it something else?

Was there something about [Divine Essence] or being a demi-divine that smothered her innate introvert?

She shook her head, dismissing the thought. It didn’t matter, not now.

They had a council to meet.

As they approached the new Neftasu Council Building, a pair of guards snapped to attention and provided a crisp salute.

They climbed the steps and a servant greeted them at the door. “The council has assembled, my lady. They await your arrival.”

The interior was clean but simple. No time for anyone to pile on ostentatious trappings—yet. It actually made Elania feel more comfortable knowing that no one had wasted any funding on something like silly vases or paintings.

A wry smile tugged at Elania’s mouth. “Nothing like the king making a late entrance...”

Yolani grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Or queen.”

Elania inhaled deeply, steeling herself. With a firm hand, she pushed open the set of double doors.

The council chamber itself was a large room that stretched, a long table dominating the center. Captain Gaston and Captain Montlas stood as they entered, nodding their greetings.

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“Lady Elania,” Gaston said. “Glad you could join us.”

Elania’s gaze swept over the assembled civilians: Amara, Galen, Naia, Selia, and Theron. It was her first time seeing them in person, but Darius’ reports let her put a face, age, and gender to each one.

They all represented a different facet of the Neftasu survivors. Or at least, it was what the ad hoc voting had produced.

She nodded to each in turn, clasping their hands and exchanging pleasantries. When she made the full trip back to Yolani, she placed a hand on her partner’s shoulder.

“This is Yolani, my oracle,” Elania said. “Any order from her can be considered the same as from myself.”

The civilians shared a ripple of concerned looks, but Elania held up a hand. “Ultimate authority for the group remains with me. While your voices are incredibly important, I will be making the final decisions.”

She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. “That said, I will be heavily delegating areas of responsibility. I can’t be everywhere at once, and I hope the people assembled here will prove to have the skills and abilities required to see that the survivors of Neftasu are cared for and protected.”

Theron leaned forward. “What about the Lightbringers? Are we in danger?”

Of course, that news had spread like wildfire. She held back a sigh.

Elania shook her head. “For now, things are fine, but I’m monitoring the situation.”

Amara spoke up next. “We’re running low on supplies for the construction.”

Galen nodded in agreement. “There’s a shortage of raw materials. From what I understand, it’s due to the city requiring a larger amount for defensive construction.”

Naia chimed in, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. “We’re also severely lacking in healing supplies. The small medical providers have been overworked.”

Selia shifted in her seat. “Food supplies for the refugees have been disrupted slightly, but nothing we can’t adjust to with alternatives.”

Elania took a deep breath. The discussion was like a wave of responsibilities hitting her from every direction. She held up her hand again. “One at a time, please. There’s a lot we need to go over.”

She glanced at Yolani.

The other girl gave her a nod and then stood up. Her partner’s green eyes scanned the assembled council with an intensity Elania hadn’t seen often.

Yolani’s voice rang out clear and strong, “We have several priorities right now, but the first is to avoid conflict with the Lightbringers at the wharfs. To that end, we are banning travel into the Wharf District.”

Captain Montlas leaned forward. “What about the Ironfist?”

Elania nodded, her gaze meeting the captain’s. They still needed operations to continue. “The Ironfist will be permitted into the Wharf District to operate our airships. Other activities will be curbed and recommended to the other districts for the time being, though.”

Theron raised a hand. “What about the legality of such measures? How are we going to express and enforce those restrictions? Do we even have any standing to do so?”

Elania took a deep breath. She needed to choose her words carefully. “The Neftasu Guard will be given auxiliary powers in the Neftasu District to operate as a local police force. Technically, we can’t force people to stay away from the docks. Being a refugee from Neftasu doesn’t automatically place someone under our authority.”

She paused, glancing from face to face. “However, we can remove anyone who violates the restriction from our group and revoke their access to refugee supplies. If they choose to reject our authority, we will reject them in return.”

Selia shifted in her seat. “That seems harsh. I’m afraid some might still go, anyway.”

Elania nodded. “I doubt the measure will be foolproof, but for most people, it will keep them away. That will reduce the chances of any incidents occurring.”

Yolani straightened in her seat. “We won’t be challenging any ruling from the Towers involving a refugee if they attempt to harm the Lightbringers as well. If someone causes an incident, they will be well and truly on their own. Contia’s laws aren’t kind to those who harm ‘protected’ diplomatic members, either.”

Elania nodded. Disavowed. As much as possible.

A heavy silence settled over the room.

Well, that was the dark part dealt with.

Now they could discuss all the other things. “We should start discussing the district construction efforts and the progress made.”