Chapter 1041: Lifetime Consul

"Holy Soul Wizard may not serve as Consul!"

A resonant, powerful voice echoed through the council hall, and the whole chamber was so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

More than three hundred Empire senators seated below the platform watched the speaking legendary wizard, and none of their faces remained unchanged; reactions varied—some were shocked, some nervous, some indifferent, some angry, and some strained to keep their composure.

In the next second, everyone turned their gaze to the Consul on the stage.

This proposal was aimed directly at the Consul; who doesn't know that Lei En is a Holy Soul Wizard? The Consul is not only a Holy Soul Wizard, and because Master Anxi of the Mo Du faction has rarely appeared in the past decade, the Consul has monopolized power and dominates the entire Empire!

The one who presented the proposal is Master Niesitu.

He is one of the Eight Leaves of Flaniss Floating City, a student of Duke GreyEagle, and also holds another title: the lord of the Count Ladiya domain under Duke Longpis, whose count automatically receives a seat in the Empire council.

Ladiya is the second city in the ducal lands, second only to Longpis; Master Niesitu being ennobled as a count shows the duke's trust in him—he is definitely one of their own.

Master Niesitu daring to launch the proposal makes his backers obvious.

The Empire senators repeatedly glanced at Tim*Kenan, seeing his expression blank as if none of this concerned him.

Everyone's gaze returned to the Consul, and they found that the Consul was not as explosively angry as expected; his demeanor was extremely calm, showing no hint of fluctuation.

"Councilor Niesitu," Lei En said in a calm voice, "Please elaborate the reasoning behind your proposal."

"Yes."

Niesitu rose from his seat, stepped onto the platform before the podium, faced the Empire senators, and shouted, "Colleagues, I raised this proposal not to target the Consul. We have all witnessed the Consul's achievements over the past ten years; Lei En is the finest Consul in Empire history. I hold only admiration and respect for the Consul, with no dissatisfaction or hostility whatsoever."

Having said that, Niesitu turned and solemnly bowed to Lei En beside him.

Lei En gave a slight nod.

"But..."

Niesitu shifted his tone, deliberately emphasizing, and continued, "The Oriense Empire has reached its present state thanks to the leadership of the Supreme Council, which guides us and safeguards the Empire for the people. This is a triumph of the system, and of the efforts of everyone in the Empire, not the merit of any single individual or faction."

"Colleagues, can you imagine what the Oriense Empire would look like today if the Empire still had an emperor on the throne?"

At those words, many senators' gazes below changed.

Niesitu said with a heavy expression, "From the disappearance of Emperor Ai Erfa 271 years ago to the founding of the Supreme Council in year 1368, nearly eleven hundred years have passed. In that span, the Empire endured two civil wars, four cycles of division and reunification, and over two hundred wars of all scales—almost every war sparked by succession disputes, causing countless slaughter and immense suffering for the Empire's people."

Low murmurs rose in the council hall.

Lei En's complexion finally showed a hint of ripple; after a few glances at Niesitu, he had to admit that the legendary wizard's speech was quite persuasive.

The crucial point was that his words subtly hinted that he intended to become emperor.

And yet he was called out on it!

Lei En couldn't help but wonder whether Duke GreyEagle had guessed his plan, or whether Niesitu was merely speculating to bolster his own speech.

"Do you mean I'm to become emperor?" Lei En asked in a calm voice.

The council hall fell silent instantly.

Niesitu instantly felt immense pressure, cold sweat beading on his back, and his legs trembling.

He hurried to explain, "I trust the Consul's noble character and am certain he would never entertain such a ridiculous notion. However, the Empire's power must not be concentrated in a single hand; over time, the Consul's office would become corrupted, its status surpassing that of the Supreme Council, undermining the stable system that has worked for millennia."

"This would be detrimental to the Empire and would also damage the Consul's personal reputation."

"I hope the Consul will consider the greater good and relinquish this title. I also hope all of you colleagues will together uphold our system, allowing the Empire to develop for another thousand, two thousand, even ten thousand years, becoming the greatest ten-thousand-year Empire in human history!"

After finishing, Niesitu bowed deeply toward the senators below, holding the posture for over ten seconds before straightening, his face full of sincerity and pleading.

His demeanor was moving.

But not all senators were convinced; a senator seated in the back row stood up and shouted, "Master Niesitu, you also know how great the Consul's contributions to the Empire are—within a single term he accomplished so much. If the Consul were not reappointed, how would his policies continue?"

"Lei En, as a Holy Soul Wizard, can also guide the implementation of Empire policy within the Supreme Council," Niesitu replied immediately.

Another senator instantly retorted, "How can you guarantee that the succeeding Consul will possess that capability?"

"The Consul is chosen from among you, so his ability is naturally not lacking," Niesitu said with a smile.

The senators were not convinced.

Someone shouted, "The forty‑four Consuls before Lei En were also selected from Empire senators; why has none matched Lei En's achievements?"

"Indeed, I wouldn't dare stand shoulder‑to‑shoulder with the Consul," someone nearby echoed.

Most senators nodded in agreement.

To become an Empire senator, none of the over three hundred present are of the easy‑going sort, yet the Consul's achievements are so dazzling that even the most confident senators dare not claim they could replicate Lei En's deeds, not even a tenth of them.

Amid the bustling debate, someone suddenly said coldly, "What if the new Consul has his own ideas?"

"Exactly!" a senator looked up to the stage and questioned, "Master Niesitu, if the new Consul opposes Lei En's policies, whose orders should be followed?"

Niesitu hesitated briefly before answering, "Naturally, one should heed Lei En."

"Then it's better to let Lei En continue as Consul!"

"Makes sense."

"Master Niesitu's proposal is redundant," dozens of Empire senators echoed, all seated close together, forming a cluster of Mo Du faction members.

A noble senator stood up and questioned again, "If the new Consul insists on his own opinion, what then?"

Niesitu shook his head, "Such a situation will not arise; Lei En represents the will of the Supreme Council."

"Why not?"

The noble senator sneered, "You dare stand on the stage opposing the Consul's reappointment because you have the duke's support. The new Consul might also be one of your people; then he would certainly feel free to disrupt Lei En's policies, even act in direct opposition!"

A senator in the front row also stood up, accusing, "Niesitu, you keep saying it's for the Empire, but everyone knows it's really just for the private interests of the Balance faction."

"If the Consul fails to be reappointed and halts the Empire's development, can you bear that responsibility?"

"You are the Empire's sinner!"

One after another, Empire senators rose to oppose the proposal, their collective fury giving Niesitu no chance to defend himself; his expression turned grim.

"Nonsense!"

Balance faction senators, seeing Niesitu besieged, could no longer sit idle and rose to voice support.

The two camps of senators descended into a shouting match, the council hall noisy and chaotic like a marketplace.

If the Holy Soul Wizards of the Supreme Council were not on the stage, some impulsive Empire senators might not be able to hold back and would act.

"Silence!"

Lei En watched coldly for a while before speaking to halt them.

The hall fell silent again.

"Everyone, sit down," Lei En's voice carried a terrifying pressure; the Empire senators felt as if their skulls had been lifted and a cold bucket poured over them, instantly freezing them like cicadas, and they quickly shut their mouths and returned to their seats.

Lei En's gaze swept over the senators below and finally rested on Nesitu, calmly saying, "Senators who initially support Master Tusutu's proposal, please raise your hands."

On the left side of the hall, over twenty hands immediately rose, all belonging to the Balance faction senators.

According to the Empire Council's law, a proposal only needs ten supporters in the preliminary vote to proceed to the voting process.

If the supporters are fewer than ten, the Consul may veto outright.

"Then let's vote."

Lei En waved his hand, and a simple table appeared on the stage, bearing two transparent containers labeled 'Approve' and 'Reject', with over three hundred gems beside them. This is the tool Empire senators use for voting, different from the Consul election method, simpler, and recorded by name.

"If you agree with Master Nesitu's proposal to legislate that Holy Soul Wizards cannot serve as Consuls, please vote in favor."

"Otherwise, please vote against."

Lei En announced the voting procedure and stepped aside.

Nesitu was the first to approach, took a gem, infused it with soul energy, and cast an approving vote, then returned to his seat. After he left, the front‑row senators rose in order, one by one stepping onto the stage before the Holy Soul Wizards, each picking up a gem and dropping it into a container.

Some voted for, some against, and a few set their gems aside to abstain.

At the start, the approving votes were noticeably more.

A hint of a smile flashed in Tim*Kenan's eyes.

A proposal in the Empire Council requires two‑thirds of the senators' approval to pass; this session has 329 senators, all present today, so 220 affirmative votes are needed.

The Empire senators aligned with the three major camps of the Supreme Council are roughly equal, each faction about a third, but some senators are indecisive and frequently switch sides. There are over thirty such swing senators; over the past few months I have privately summoned most of them to ensure they vote in favor, and together with the core bases of the Balance and Naiser factions, we can reliably secure over 240 votes!

Once the Empire Council passes a proposal, it is submitted to the Supreme Council for an immediate vote.

Lei En's Consul is finished!

Tim*Kenan let out a cold laugh in his mind, his gaze sweeping over Lei En, noticing Lei En also looking at him, his mouth curling into a suggestive smile.

"What does he mean?"

Tim*Kenan suddenly felt uneasy; before he could figure out what was happening, he saw an Empire senator cast a dissenting vote, and his complexion instantly darkened.

The person was Viscount Kasin of the southern Empire, one of the swing senators.

He personally visited Kasin's domain for half a month, promising numerous benefits, including granting the Kasen family a chance to study magic at Flaniss Floating City; the counterpart wept with gratitude, promising to cast an approving vote in the Empire Council.

In the end, Kasin, right before his eyes, cast a dissenting vote!

"How daring!"

Tim*Kenan's face remained impassive, but inside a fire of anger rose; he stared coldly at Viscount Kasin, who, after voting, stepped down without daring to look at him.

He was contemplating how to punish Viscount Kasin when he saw another senator cast a dissenting vote.

That's also a swing senator I had summoned!

"Another one..."

Tim*Kenan watched as the dissenting votes kept rising, soon surpassing the approving votes and widening the gap, finally realizing something was wrong.

The few swing senators who had already taken the stage broke their promises.

When the Naiser faction Empire senators took the stage, many of them also cast dissenting votes, instantly causing Duke Hong Shi Kairston and the GrandSage to change expression. The Naiser faction senators who voted against numbered over fifty, more than half!

That meant the proposal had failed.

Tim*Kenan cursed inwardly, "Kairston, that useless fool, can't even control his own subordinate Empire senators."

Not long after, he was stunned, his face turning a steel‑blue.

Because the Balance faction Empire senators also began voting against, and not just a few but a majority—over sixty—including some long‑standing loyal senators, betrayed the Balance faction at the crucial moment!

Tim*Kenan and Kairston exchanged a glance, seeing shock and fury in each other's eyes.

The two soon discovered that these treacherous Empire senators shared a common background: some were shareholders of the Subcontinent Trade Company, others had received promotions under Lei En's Consul system, and some had participated in the territorial development of the New Continent.

In short, they have countless intertwined interests with Lei En.

Both realized belatedly that Lei En not only controls the Supreme Council but has also bought off most Empire senators!

The entire Empire, from top to bottom, is Lei En's.

The voting concluded quickly.

Everyone could see at a glance that the dissenting votes far outnumbered the approving ones, by several times, far short of the 220 votes needed for passage.

Lei En immediately announced, "85 votes in favor, 244 against. Master Nesitu, your proposal has been rejected."

Nesitu wore a bewildered expression, not understanding why this happened.

Lei En's face showed a faint smile.

The Holy Soul Wizards of the Balance and Naiser factions fell silent.

Tim*Kenan kept a composed face; Lei En's grin was especially glaring to him, as if he had slapped himself hard. The months of scheming had become a joke, especially those swing senators who had promised, who must have been mocking themselves in their hearts at the time.

"Hmph..."

He glanced at Kairston beside him, and their eyes met in agreement.

The failure of the Empire Council's proposal does not mean there is no recourse; it can still be brought directly to the Supreme Council for a vote. The reason for voting in the Empire Council was to stand on the high ground of public opinion, using popular sentiment to pressure Lei En and the Mo Du faction. Since that plan failed, we can proceed directly to a vote in the Supreme Council, achieving the same effect.

Tim*Kenan had already arranged for Mayoufu to bring forward the vote.

Mayoufu was about to speak when someone cut in front of him.

An Empire senator stood up from the audience and shouted, "Consul, fellow colleagues, although Master Nesitu's proposal did not pass, it gave me an insight."

Everyone's gaze was drawn there.

The speaker was Governor Moselio of Osi'an Province, who declared with lofty righteousness:

In order to ensure the Consul can be re‑elected, make greater contributions to the Empire, and benefit all Empire citizens, I hereby propose to the Council: appoint Lord Ryan Augustus as "Lifetime Consul" until His Excellency Lei En ascends to the goddess's divine realm!

Whoa……

The chamber was filled with clamor.

The Holy Soul Wizards on the stage also wore stunned expressions; whether from the Mo Du faction, the Balance faction, or the Naiser faction, all were shocked by the proposal.

Only Anxiwodasi shook his head gently and let out a low sigh.

Tim*Kenan sprang to his feet and rebuked Governor Ousian below the stage: "Moserio, do you know what you're saying?"

"I'm very clear, Duke," Moserio said, unflinching before the Holy Soul Wizards, "My proposal is entirely for the welfare of the Empire's people, with no selfish motives."

"Nonsense!"

Tim*Kenan erupted in fury; although it was only his projection, the terrifying aura that burst from his anger made the chamber tremble.

"Duke, this is the Empire Council; please mind your demeanor," Lei En's voice rang out, his figure blocking Tim*Kenan.

"Lei En, what are you trying to do?" Tim*Kenan glared at Lei En, taking no step back.

Their faces were almost touching.

Lei En gave no reply.

Kerston rose and stepped forward, saying in a deep voice, "Lei En, I advise you to reject this proposal; otherwise not only should you not fantasize about a Lifetime Consul, you will have no place even in the Supreme Council."

Lei En turned his head, "Are you threatening me?"

"I'm reminding you," Kerston snorted, raising his voice, "You became a Lifetime Consul today; do you also intend to become emperor later? Council members, you heard Nistoo's words just now; the Empire must not have another emperor."

The Empire council members below wore varied expressions, but none dared to speak.

"Everyone."

Kerston shouted, "The original purpose of establishing the Supreme Council was to free the Empire from the emperor's grip; we cannot allow anyone to monopolize power and develop unwarranted ambition."

The Holy Soul Wizards remained silent.

Members of the Balance and Naiser factions reacted more intensely, while the Mo Du faction members appeared very calm.

Kerston said, "I propose to remove Ryan Augustus from the Consulship…"

"Shut up!"

Lei En cut him off, "This is the Empire Council, not the Supreme Palace; it's not your turn to speak."

He waved his hand to control the rune array on the console, silencing Kerston's projection, then said, "Whether the proposal passes is for the Empire council members to vote on, then submit to the Supreme Council for a decision. You spew rhetoric alone here; who do you think you are?"

Lei En ignored Kerston, turned to the council members below, and said, "If you initially support Governor Moserio's proposal, please raise your hand."

He forced the voting process to begin.

As soon as the words finished, hundreds of hands rose.

"Vote!"

Lei En shouted, "I am glad to serve as Lifetime Consul; it is my honor and supreme glory, but the decision lies in your hands. Who is for, who is against?"

The Empire council members quickly stepped onto the platform, dropping gem after gem into the receptacle, almost all in favor.

The final result was obvious.

Tim*Kenan and Kerston wore composed faces, but they were merely projections, unable to stop the vote, not even able to make a sound.

Lei En watched the voting while coldly glancing at the Holy Soul Wizards.

As the voting progressed, the number of affirmative votes kept increasing.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of miles away in the Dark Realm, on the ninth floor of the Obsidian Tower, Reslin, who had been waiting for a long time, opened his eyes. Beside him stood ten spellcasters of differing appearance, age, and temperament, each a Grand Mage.

The teleportation array was activated.

Reslin led the ten Grand Mages inside, heading to the lower levels of the Dark Realm, target: the Spirit-absorbing Monster city Yilaientu.

(End of Chapter)