Looking at the delegates, all worked up as they were, Babajide did not feel embarrassed this time. If anything, he let out a relieved sigh.
So this was what it felt like to have someone else standing in front to take the pressure.
Faced with Tver's surprised look, he spread his hands helplessly.
"I understand what you all mean, so I will not waste everyone's time. We will move straight to the second item on today's agenda. Our new British representative, Mr. Tver Fawley, will now present his observations on the muggle world over the past two years."
Unlike the polite applause from last time, many of the wizards present had built up quite a rapport with Tver through a year of correspondence.
Whether that rapport was good or bad, they all admired the maturity of Tver's ideas, maturity far beyond his years, and they were all looking forward to what he would say next.
"Of course, if anyone would like to know more about my views, feel free to come speak with me after the meeting..."
"Cut the nonsense. We have heard your speeches so often our ears are growing calluses!" Quentin's voice still rang out clearly through the applause.
Babajide gave Tver a helpless smile that said he could do nothing about it, then walked over to him looking utterly relaxed.
"...What happened to helping me take some of the pressure?" Tver looked at Babajide in disbelief. The man's skin was as thick as the snowy mountains outside.
"The crowd is too fired up. I could hardly refuse."
Babajide put on an innocent look, then gave Tver a broad shove and pushed him straight toward the center.
The moment Tver appeared, the applause in the conference room became even more enthusiastic, with exactly the same kind of "warmth" Babajide had received just now.
"Thank you. I thought you might throw me out. Quite a few representatives have complained to me more than once that after last year's speech, they barely slept properly for an entire year."
As Tver strode toward the center of the circle, he studied the expression on every face with obvious interest.
"What happened last year no longer matters. The key question is whether any of us will still be able to sleep soundly after today."
A ripple of laughter spread through the room, but Quentin's sudden voice was like a bucket of cold water thrown over the relaxed mood.
"I would not count on that."
Tver gave a light laugh.
"Because not only have the problems we face not been resolved, they have become even more severe."
Sensing at once that something was different, the representatives' expressions turned grave.
When it came to the question of wizarding survival, even Quentin did not dare keep joking. He looked at Tver with a serious face.
"Has something happened?"
"Before I answer that, let us deal with another matter first."
"I imagine all of you are curious why I brought Madam Modesty here."
Tver suddenly changed direction and turned his gaze toward Modesty, who was sitting beside Zhou Ya, doing her best to hide herself beneath her shawl.
"It is very simple. I want you to hear a voice from the muggle world."
With a wave of his hand, and under Zhou Ya's slightly displeased gaze, he exposed Modesty to everyone's sight.
"Please stand up, Madam Modesty. Do not be afraid. We will protect you."
Perhaps it was Tver's reassurance, or perhaps the protection Zhou Ya had given her over the past several days, but under their encouraging looks, Modesty slowly rose to her feet.
At once, whispers spread through the room, and Modesty's body began to tremble slightly with fear.
But by then, Tver had already walked over to stand in front of her.
"You have lived here for a full week. In this sacred city of wizards, you have met many of them. So tell me, what is your impression of wizards?"
Tver's voice was like that of a patient teacher guiding a student, helping Modesty relax while also drawing a little courage out of her.
But standing before so many wizards for the first time still left her deeply hesitant and afraid.
"One word is enough," Tver said softly, and even the murmuring around them seemed to fade beneath his voice.
"Arrogant..."
"What?" Tver acted as though he had not heard clearly. Frowning, he leaned in as if trying to catch her words better. "Could you say that again? I did not hear you very clearly."
Seeing that, the representatives gradually stopped whispering among themselves. Like Tver, they all focused their attention on Modesty.
"Arrogant."
"What?!"
Tver lifted his head in disbelief, looking just as startled as everyone else.
"My ears did not deceive me, did they, Madam Modesty? Could you say it one last time?"
"It is arrogance!"
Modesty seemed to be angered by his expression. Her hands clenched tightly into fists, fury filled her aged face, and even her neck flushed red with emotion.
"Ever since I arrived here, all I have heard is you calling us muggles and No-Majs. We are human beings. People. Not animals for you to sort into whatever categories you please!"
"Just because an ordinary person who cannot use magic appeared in your sacred place, you all act as though my very existence has stained it."
"I am a person. A living, breathing person!"
She turned to face the shocked wizards and declared her existence as a human being.
"Just because I cannot use magic, does that mean I deserve to endure the discrimination you were born with?!"
Her aged voice was nearly hysterical, echoing through the pin drop silence of the room, striking again and again at the wizards' understanding.
"Perhaps the term muggle really did come from wizarding arrogance in the beginning, but today we use it only to distinguish between two kinds of people, just as you would use words like scientist or taxi driver to refer to certain groups."
Quentin's voice was unexpectedly gentle. He was the first to speak after Modesty had finished venting.
"As for your appearance here, I... we were actually more worried that some ill intentioned wizard might use your presence to damage the peace between us, and the peace of all humanity."
"I admit that many wizards, no, all wizards, carry some degree of arrogance when dealing with people like you. For that, I am sorry. But please believe that we have always been trying to let both sides live in a quiet and peaceful world."
Seeing the guilt in Quentin's eyes, Modesty's unfamiliarity with, and fear of, wizards surged up once more. She sat down in a panic and leaned close against Zhou Ya.
"Thank you. Thank you both for that exchange."
After a brief silence, Tver spoke again, drawing everyone's attention back to the speech.
"Do you see now? This is the issue we are here to discuss today."
"The many problems wizards face can in fact all be traced back to a single word. Arrogance."
"It is precisely this ignorant arrogance that keeps causing us to offend muggles, and even many non human magical creatures."
"And that is the root of the difficulties we are about to face."
"My friends, weakness and ignorance are not the greatest obstacles to survival. Arrogance is."