Chapter 9: Legitimate Claim

"Ah, I knew it would come to this. I thought I had some talent for getting people to 'play along,' but it seems that doesn’t include robots… What a blow to my confidence!"

Venti sighed, pretending to be disheartened, though he had anticipated Svarog’s response.

Perhaps because of Clara, Svarog didn’t kick him while he was down. Instead, he calmly analyzed:

"Our intent in establishing this conversation is not to make each other feel good, bard. I have my mission to uphold, and you have your talent for pleasing others. These two are not mutually exclusive."

Then he added, "If your goal is to provide the lower districts with more means of mental entertainment, slowing the spread of despair and collapse, then according to my calculations, the probability of you succeeding in this role is 98.76%."

In other words, if Venti stuck to his "day job," even Svarog would acknowledge his contributions.

"That won’t do. While poetry and performances can temporarily lift people’s spirits, they lack the power to lead others out of their "predicament."

Venti shook his head, looking up at the super robot known as Boss Svarog.

"At the very least, even if I devoted all my time to this, I couldn’t change the bleak future this city is headed toward."

The sense of loss in his eyes—or perhaps a freer, outsider’s perspective—caused Svarog’s analysis system to pause momentarily.

Svarog stated bluntly, "You have a clear understanding of your role, bard. Then you should understand that by telling Clara about visions that cannot be realized, you are not giving her hope or motivation. Instead, you are plunging her into despair and self-blame for her inability to change things."

This might be the real reason Svarog had called for this meeting.

Because of his closeness to Clara, Venti had shared many exclusive stories with her, most of which were about Mondstadt. This was a rare indulgence of his personal feelings.

Now, it was time to revisit those threads.

"Is that so? Then she must have told you about the free city-state of Mondstadt, right?"

Venti feigned surprise, though it was useless against Svarog. The robot could scan even the subtlest changes in Venti’s expression, and the analysis showed that Venti was merely trying to steer the conversation.

"...Clara did mention it, but I see no value in drawing parallels. Whether it’s their fragile governance system or their lack of emergency response capabilities, it’s clear they are ill-equipped to handle crises.

More importantly, without the intervention of 'outsiders' and 'deities,' their chances of surviving a catastrophic event are less than 0.2379%.

Conclusion: This scenario lacks the necessary context and cannot be recognized."

"Such harsh yet undeniable words."

Realizing he’d been seen through, Venti chuckled wryly but pressed on.

"But don’t you think their situation is somewhat similar to Belobog’s current state?"

"Your argument lacks sufficient theoretical support. Please elaborate."

Svarog remained stoic and rational. (Not that he could express anything else.)

"Why do you think Mondstadt has been able to walk the path of freedom for thousands of years, even without the direct intervention of its deity?

Is it because the people genuinely believe in the Anemo Archon, or because of their governance system—or perhaps both?"

Venti asked casually.

"...Please continue."

Svarog seemed to have an inkling but didn’t interrupt.

"Let’s look at it another way. What do you think of the current Belobogians’ faith in the Preservation Aeon, Qlipoth? And what has the Supreme Guardian done about it?"

This question caused Svarog to pause. In the era of his creation, people had fervently and sincerely believed in the Preservation Aeon, who had granted them the miracle of survival.

But now, centuries later, with no further divine intervention, that faith had eroded, becoming fragile and hollow.

Today, perhaps only the Silvermane Guards on the frontlines could claim to uphold that faith.

"It seems you’ve realized it too. While everyone here claims to believe in Qlipoth, and even built palaces in His name, most people’s first words here aren’t about the Aeon’s greatness but about their own desires for the authorities to fulfill their wishes, right?"

Venti murmured softly, and Svarog listened in silence.

"Time has worn away people’s trust in His power, leaving only blind obedience to the authority of the Architects.

I don’t see a single church dedicated to Qlipoth here. The lack of devotion in faith is evident in every aspect.

And the Supreme Guardian has done nothing to address this. In fact, since her appointment, she has made many mistakes."

Of course, the erosion of faith couldn’t be blamed solely on the people.

In Belobog’s current state, where divine miracles are absent, no amount of faith in the Preservation Aeon could ensure a full stomach or shelter from the cold.

At the Golden Opera House, the most popular performances were always about the Supreme Guardian, not Qlipoth.

People preferred the heroic tales written in history books over praising the Aeon’s greatness.

This was likely the fate most deities would eventually face…

After giving each other some time to digest this, Venti spoke again:

"Given this premise, let’s set aside the topic of faith and Aeons for now and return to the core issue: the people.

If Mondstadt’s survival has relied on the dedication of each Grand Master, what do you think of Mondstadt’s current Acting Grand Master, Jean Gunnhildr?"

Svarog quickly answered:

"For the people, Jean Gunnhildr is a sincere, kind, and dutiful Knight Captain. For her colleagues, she is a reliable and trustworthy leader.

However, she is not a suitable ruler. She cares too much for her people, micromanaging everything. This not only burdens her with trivial matters but also makes her too lax in building her team.

Such a character and governance system are ill-suited for leading people in harsh environments…"

Svarog paused, then added, "However, this is due to her lack of necessary experience in such scenarios. Growth is not ruled out.

Therefore, if you’re comparing her to the current Supreme Guardian, I would say the people would prefer Jean. But this is meaningless."

As Venti looked at him, Svarog gazed at the massive mechanism above. The crimson glow in his single eye dimmed slightly.

"For the people of Belobog, the current Supreme Guardian, Cocolia, was chosen by the Architects. She is the legitimate ruler.

Therefore, no matter how absurd or radical her actions, they are the result of the people’s own decisions.

In other words, this is an internal human issue. My role is not to raise a flag of rebellion but to ensure the lower districts survive, even if only for a millisecond longer than the upper districts. I will execute this strictly."

The atmosphere grew heavy as he spoke.

"Even if her actions will inevitably lead to Belobog’s earlier demise?"

"Even so, she is more credible than a leader who exists only in stories."

Svarog ended the topic coldly and continued:

"I understand your doubts about the current Supreme Guardian’s governance. However, she is the best option Belobog has at this time."

This wasn’t wrong. Even if Venti could summon Jean here, she wouldn’t be able to handle these issues.

As Svarog said, she was perfect for governing a small city-state like Mondstadt, but in a high-stakes scenario like this, her character wasn’t suited for making life-or-death decisions.

Moreover, she wasn’t a native of Jarilo-VI and had no right to decide their future.

Even within Wildfire, the members’ educational backgrounds varied widely.

The most educated was Natasha, who had served as a field medic in the elite "Expedition Teams." The least educated could be a random purple-haired woman who hadn’t finished elementary school.

While they commanded respect in the lower districts, their influence didn’t extend to the more complex upper districts.

Even someone like Natasha, whose background was transparent and easily verifiable, lacked the decisive factor needed to gain the upper districts’ trust:

Legitimacy.

Legitimacy could come from bloodline or legal authority, but it always followed one rule: only those who met the criteria had the right to rule.

No matter how outstanding other candidates were, they couldn’t simply usurp the rightful ruler’s authority.

They could either declare themselves king and be branded traitors or maneuver within the rules to see who would come out on top.

History was filled with struggles over this right.

And Cocolia was the last victor walking this path.

No matter how much of a "tyrant" she seemed now, she was still the "tyrant" chosen by the Architects.

To some extent, she represented not only the will of the people but also the absolute legitimacy of her rule.

If Wildfire and the Mechanical Settlement simply stormed in and assassinated Cocolia, it would be easy.

But doing so would only plunge society into chaos, opening Pandora’s box and unleashing a host of demons.

No Supreme Guardian had ever been publicly assassinated. Even if she had made countless mistakes, her death would absolve her of blame, and her killers would be seen as terrorists trying to destroy the social order.

Therefore, to defeat Cocolia, they couldn’t rely on brute force.

First, they had to erode her public trust until the people were clamoring for her downfall.

Then, through pressure from public opinion, the frontline, logistics, and administration, they could force other legitimate claimants and the Architects to invoke an emergency proxy decree, regain control of Belobog’s governance, and reshuffle power.

Only then could Belobog step back from the brink and focus on addressing the Stellaron crisis.

So, did such a legitimate claimant exist? Someone with potential, empathy for the lower districts, and the willingness to fight for Belobog’s survival?

Venti "happened" to know someone like that.