Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva-Chapter 1593 - 68: Identity Suspicions Exposed (Part 2)
"What’s there to doubt? Wasn’t she conferred by the Golden Flame Grand Cathedral? Is there really any reason to question that?"
"It’s not that simple. Now many people suspect she’s not a regular Songstress, but some kind of special experimental product."
"A special experiment?"
"Yes, it’s said to be a creation of legacy from the Fifth Epoch, made by the Black Suns for reviving themselves."
"So, the Hexia Tilan we see might very well be the resurrection of a Black Sun from history."
"That’s too absurd." Many people initially didn’t believe it.
"Don’t you find it strange, how Hexia Tilan is so peculiar?"
"Firstly, she showed exceptional learning talent at such a young age, which is rare among Songstresses with almost no precedent. If that were all, people wouldn’t be that suspicious. But the mysterious death of her sister and her ability to raise the Moon Crown on an abandoned planet without a Throne System, where she can raise the Divine Crown, are exactly like the Black Sun in directly connecting the consciousness of various life forms."
"This..." Some were half-convinced.
"There are even more doubts about Hexia’s sister, Temisia. Now, some have found documents from decades ago showing Temisia had contact with the Forbidden Cult. They were a cult aiming to resurrect the Black Sun."
Initially, no one believed such rumors, but as more word-of-mouth evidence emerged, more people began to suspect, and the discussions grew.
...
In the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain, at the Jade Dragon Headquarters.
A man in a gray uniform with silver edges paced back and forth, his brow furrowed.
"Are these words intentionally spread from the Central Star Domain?"
"It doesn’t seem like it was instigated by the ’Fire Lotus - Radiant Star’ faction, but they haven’t stopped it, allowing the spreading to become wider." An intelligence officer reported.
"Regardless of who spread it, since they didn’t stop it, they might as well be the originators." There was a hint of anger in the voice.
"Is it circulating on the networks of the Southern Star Region now?"
"No, we urgently activated 45 T1-level super AI for network surveillance across various Star Domains in the Southern Star Region to eliminate and ban related speeches."
"However, as long as our connection with the Central Star Domain’s network isn’t severed, there will still be people who become aware of the situation from there."
"Although cutting the network is possible, according to departmental experts’ analysis, it could elicit public panic, making the rumors more credible than they already are."
"The most feasible solution right now is to ask the High Priest of the Golden Flame Grand Cathedral to dispel the rumor and affirm Lord Tilan’s identity."
"Have you contacted the Golden Flame Grand Cathedral?"
"We have, but the response was that they are still discussing their approach and gave no definite answer."
"That’s bad." The leading man suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"What’s wrong?"
"You don’t understand. The Priests of the Golden Flame Grand Cathedral have always had a good relationship with Lord Tilan. Many even believe Lord Tilan will unify the Federation sooner or later."
"Under such expectations, issuing a statement to dispel the rumor is extremely simple. Furthermore, the ’Fire Lotus - Radiant Star’ faction hasn’t managed to control the Great Cathedral of the Floral Crown Star Domain, so they cannot interfere with the statements of this independent institution."
"But under such advantageous conditions, their ambiguous response is a very dangerous signal."
"What would be the worst-case scenario?" The man turned to inquire.
"The worst case... would be the Golden Flame Grand Cathedral acknowledging these claims, stripping Lord Tilan of the Songstress title, then declaring her identity and lineage illegal. That would practically force her to her end..." someone analyzed in a daze.
"Something like that... It shouldn’t happen, right." Someone stood up slowly, full of disbelief, but their voice was especially anxious.
"Hard to say, but if it really happens, we must have a plan." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶
"Let us prepare one." A member sitting in the corner of the room stood up, clad in a dark black robe, blending so well with the environment that people often subconsciously overlooked him.
"You? The Dark Moon Execution Team?"
This team had not been established long, comprised mainly of the Withering Sequence. They were responsible for clandestinely protecting Songstresses and Jade Dragon’s upper management, as well as counter-espionage and intelligence. They were a particularly mysterious department under Tilan.
"Yes, we have extensive experience. We will draft a readiness plan and then present it to you. If an unforeseen event occurs, execute according to the specified plan."
Some attendees hesitated, but Tilan happened to be away from the Four-leaf Crystal, visiting the Holy White Melody and couldn’t immediately return to host.
"In this case, let’s vote." The leading man suggested.
Three minutes later, the vote concluded.
"14 against, 23 in favor, passed. The preparation of the plan will be left to you, but we will conduct a final review after it’s drafted to ensure nothing is missed."
"Understood." Upon finishing, he again blended into the corner, his presence unnoticed by most, difficult to discern even with focused attention.
In the subsequent weeks, speculation about Hexia Tilan’s identity not only failed to dissipate but spread even more widely. Many began digging into the specifics of Tilan’s biological mother and father, uncovering more doubts along the way.
’Lord Tilan’s father is quite a suspect.’
"It’s really unfortunate and pitiful that Lord Tilan’s mother passed away so early."
"Miss Tilan and Miss Temisia really do look alike, almost indistinguishable. Why didn’t anyone mention this before?"
"Because their styles were too different. Temisia’s early decease meant there weren’t many images of her, and her hairstyle and clothing, which she favored, were never worn by Miss Tilan, making it hard to connect them visually."
"Some speculate that both Temisia and Tilan were test-tube babies, originally meant to be twins."
"Why were they born separately then?"
"We don’t know, but some speculate that Tilan’s body might not be in good condition, so having two at once might have been too stressful and dangerous."
After all, being one of the only two Sunlit Level Songstresses in the Federation now, Tilan’s experiences and gossip have garnered increasing discussion, and doubts about her identity continue to surface.
"Tilan’s talent as a Songstress is truly unique among the Songstresses of this and past epochs."
"Though Prin Coco has lost to Tilan three times, by the standards of historical Songstresses, she is incredibly outstanding and possesses excellent talents."
"Are you implying that there are considerable doubts about Tilan’s identity and origins, and that she is likely a legacy means of the Fifth Epoch’s Black Suns?"
"Don’t twist my words. If anyone from the Court of Judgment comes asking, you better not name me."
...
The ambiguous stance of the Golden Flame Grand Cathedral allowed the rumors to ferment even faster. Though the Southern Star Region remained peaceful, the increasingly intense outside discussions made containment and censoring difficult, and many in the Southern Star Region were quietly discussing it among themselves.
"This has to be false. The people from the Central Star Domain are being so underhanded, resorting to such tactics."
"I trust Lord Tilan. I don’t pay attention to all these speculations or conjectures, only to what Lord Tilan has done over the years. She has never actively waged war and has even prevented several large-scale wars and disturbances, indirectly saving and changing many lives. Why should I doubt her over something so tenuous?"
Despite the circulation of the rumors, the majority in the Southern Star Region still believed in Tilan, viewing it only as a low-handed suppression tactic by the Central Star Domain.
This situation persisted until two months later, when the Golden Flame Grand Cathedral finally issued a statement.
"According to investigations and verifications, there are indeed ambiguities and difficulties in determining Miss Hexia Tilan’s identity, but she remains a Songstress of the Federation and cannot be denied."
The announcement caused a great tumult across the Federation and brought the issue of the Songstress’s identity to its peak, forcing even the Southern Star Region’s networks to allow some discussion space to prevent more uncontrollable comments from surfacing.
Days later, a starship slowly traversed the vast Galaxy Star Sea, arriving at the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain, marking the first appearance of Hexia Tilan, the storm’s epicenter, since the rumors began to spread.
