Chapter 312: The Senate Floor (Part 2)

Chapter 312: Chapter 312: The Senate Floor (Part 2)

Chapter 312: The Senate Floor (Part 2)

A few Hawks nodded in slow agreement. It was a known, highly public expenditure.

"I stand before you today to commend the Internal Audit Committee for their rapid, efficient disbursement of these vital funds," Isolde continued, her voice entirely smooth and pleasant.

Vast’s eyes narrowed a microscopic fraction of an inch. Praise from Isolde Renwick was always laced with arsenic.

"However," Isolde pivoted flawlessly, "in my routine review of the district ledgers, I noticed a minor administrative redundancy. I simply wish to request an independent audit of specific merchant guilds receiving these funds, to ensure our treasury is not being accidentally mismanaged."

It sounded incredibly boring. It sounded exactly like an old woman complaining about misplaced pocket change.

"State your specific concern, Elder," Corvain instructed, looking impatiently at the large clock on the wall.

Isolde turned slightly, allowing her gaze to finally sweep across the Hawk benches. She locked eyes with Aurelio Vast.

"My concern, Speaker Corvain, is that the Internal Audit Committee is funding ghosts," Isolde declared.

The quiet, bored murmuring in the chamber instantly ceased.

Isolde reached backward. Torvin placed the first piece of thick parchment directly into her waiting hand.

"I present the founding charter of the Iron-Oak Consortium," Isolde announced, her voice rising in volume and authority. She held the paper high for the room to see. "A merchant guild registered in Bastion Nine exactly six weeks ago. The Internal Audit Committee, under the specific direction of senior auditor Renner, authorized a transfer of two million Capital credits to this guild for the purchase of raw timber and steel."

Isolde dropped the charter onto the wooden rail. She held out her hand again. Torvin placed the Bastion Nine civilian headcount ledger into her palm.

"I cross-referenced this guild against the official civilian registry maintained by Governor Valerius Finch," Isolde stated sharply. "The Iron-Oak Consortium does not own a physical warehouse. They have not moved a single cart of timber. They do not employ a single living laborer. They did not claim a single water ration during the siege."

The Believer faction began to whisper urgently. The Hawks shifted uncomfortably in their seats, exchanging confused, rapid glances.

"They are a complete, undeniable fabrication," Isolde pressed the attack, slamming the ledger down next to the charter.

SMACK.

"And they are not alone," Isolde continued, her eyes flashing with forty years of accumulated political fury. "Torvin, distribute the secondary lists."

The young aide quickly walked down the center aisle, handing thick stacks of parchment to the Senate clerks.

"Silver-Pine. Deep-River. Obsidian-Trade," Isolde rattled off the names with devastating, rhythmic precision. "Dozens of shell companies, all registered in the last six weeks. Deep-River was allocated funds for stone masonry. Obsidian-Trade was given a grant for water purification arrays. None of this material exists. All receiving massive influxes of Capital reconstruction funds authorized by Renner."

The chamber erupted into a chaotic buzz of shouting and frantic page-turning.

"Millions of credits are being quietly siphoned out of our treasury," Isolde projected her powerful voice over the rising noise. "The Internal Audit Committee is washing our money through a warzone. I demand a full, independent Vanguard investigation into this massive financial betrayal!"

Senator Aurelio Vast did not panic. He did not shout defensively.

He stood up from his wooden bench. He smoothly buttoned his immaculate suit jacket. He projected an aura of deep, profound, and utterly believable concern.

"Speaker Corvain," Vast called out, his rich, unhurried voice cutting cleanly through the chaotic shouting.

BANG.

Corvain struck his gavel heavily. "The floor recognizes Senator Vast."

Vast walked down to the central floor. He stood exactly ten feet away from Isolde. He looked at the damning ledgers she had presented. He did not attempt to deny the math, because denying math was a fool’s game.

"Elder Renwick," Vast said softly, placing a hand respectfully over his heart. "I am deeply appalled."

Isolde gritted her teeth. The man was a flawless, terrifying performer.

"I review thousands of resource allocations every single week," Vast explained to the quiet, captive chamber. "I rely heavily on my senior staff to ensure the localized details are perfectly accurate. If what you are showing us is true, this is a catastrophic failure of oversight on my part."

Vast turned to face the Hawk benches. He looked deeply, personally betrayed.

"Renner is a senior auditor," Vast declared, his voice ringing with righteous disappointment. "I trusted him to manage the Bastion Nine reconstruction accounts. It appears he has grossly abused that sacred trust for his own personal enrichment."

Vast threw his own pawn to the wolves without a single moment of hesitation. He moved instantly to reframe the narrative.

"This is not a systemic failure of the committee," Vast argued smoothly, pivoting back to Speaker Corvain. "Elder Renwick has always possessed a vivid imagination, but I applaud her accounting skills today. This is clearly the work of a single, rogue actor exploiting the chaos of a broken city. I thank her for bringing this criminal embezzlement to light."

Vast bowed his head respectfully toward Isolde.

"I will personally lead the internal investigation into Renner," Vast promised the Senate. "I will ensure every stolen credit is found, and he is punished to the fullest extent of Vanguard law."

Isolde gripped her wooden cane so tightly her knuckles turned entirely white.

Vast was trying to steal the investigation right in front of her. If he ran the audit, Renner would simply disappear into a dark cell, and the Cult connection would be buried forever.

"I object, Speaker Corvain!" Isolde shouted, her raspy voice echoing fiercely. "Senator Vast chairs the very committee that authorized the theft! You cannot allow a man to investigate his own bleeding ledger!"

Vast offered a sad, deeply patronizing smile.

"Elder Renwick," Vast replied gently. "I understand your political zeal. But do not let your long-standing bias against my faction cloud your judgment. I am the victim of a rogue employee. Accusing me of complicity without proof is slander."

"The proof is in the staggering scale!" Isolde fired back, pointing a trembling finger at the massive stack of papers. "One rogue clerk does not invent dozens of ghost guilds alone! This required a coordinated, systemic bypass of our security protocols! It requires a fully independent tribunal!"

The Senate floor completely fractured.

The Hawks stood up, shouting angrily, demanding Isolde retract her slander against their senior Senator. The Believers stood up, screaming for Vast to be stripped of his committee chair immediately. The room became a boiling cauldron of political fury, divided precisely in half.

BANG.

BANG.

BANG.

Speaker Corvain struck his wooden gavel repeatedly, demanding order over the deafening noise.

The fate of the entire investigation rested perfectly on the edge of a knife. If Corvain granted Vast the internal review, the Cult’s shadow economy survived intact. If Corvain granted Isolde the independent tribunal, Vast was finally trapped in the light.

"Order in the chamber!" Corvain bellowed, his face red with exertion. ℯℯ𝑙.

Isolde stared at Vast across the polished marble floor. Vast stared back, his smooth, polite smile entirely unyielding. The battle lines were officially drawn, and the entire continent was holding its breath, waiting for the gavel to fall.