Chapter 563: Seizing Control of the Council

"Welcome, Sabbath Dean, to our ranks!"

As Anxiwodasi's words fell, behind the first chair at the long table, the statue of the God of Magic trembled slightly, a silver radiance shot from its eyes, landing on the table before Sabbath, engraving his name: Sabbath*Pasival!

Although this is only a projection, people know that the same thing is happening in the Supreme Palace right now.

Entering the Supreme Palace, one can see the place belonging to Sabbath.

Sabbath Dean has received the goddess's approval; from this moment, he officially becomes a member of the Ke Mi Ti Si Supreme Council, with his own seat.

"Thank you!"

Sabbath strained to remain calm, stood up solemnly and said: "Thank you all for your support. I will faithfully fulfill the duties of the Supreme Council, do my utmost, uphold, protect and defend the interests of the Supreme Council, may the goddess's wisdom and radiance continue to illuminate my path forward, truth forever!"

"Truth forever!"

The Holy Soul Wizards sang in unison.

Lei En noticed that several Holy Soul Wizards did not appear very devout, shouting the goddess's maxim without zeal, even somewhat perfunctory.

The Empire is the Wizards' Empire, and also the goddess's Empire.

But not all Holy Soul Wizards are devout followers of the God of Magic; they are mainly loyal believers and superficial believers. Apart from a few Divine Chosen, they merely agree with the goddess's philosophy, actually regarding the goddess as the most advanced predecessor on the magical path, even as a goal and ultimate rival.

Lei En looked at this group of great Wizards and suddenly recalled a saying:

A mortal's body stands shoulder to shoulder with a deity.

The stronger the Wizard, the less reverence for the deity; this is evident from the council's name—Supreme Council, magic supreme, truth supreme, yet not the goddess supreme.

The oath for new members entering the Supreme Council also serves to safeguard the council's authority.

Although the oath also invokes the God of Magic, it looks more like a notice, not truly requiring His approval to pass.

The God of Magic seems more like an optional addition.

"Ke Mi Ti Si" as a prefix has nothing to do with the God of Magic; it commemorates the first human Wizard over three thousand years ago. Although the Wizard named Ke Mi Ti Si died regrettably before reaching thirty, having been only a Level Two Wizard in life, his pioneering contributions to future humanity will be forever remembered.

Anxiwodasi said softly, "Sabbath Dean, please sit down."

"Master Anxiwodasi." Sabbath returned a smile, nodded at him, and then sat down.

The other Holy Soul Wizards, upon seeing this, had several of them instantly change their gaze slightly.

Especially Tim Kainan, who strives to maintain the council's balance, suddenly looked at Anxiwodasi sitting opposite, seeming a bit out of line.

Anxiwodasi did not hide his good relationship with Sabbath; Sabbath also stated plainly that he would stand beside Anxiwodasi in the council, thereby causing a major shift in the council's configuration.

The Supreme Council's Twelve Holy Soul Wizards are divided into three factions.

The Naiser faction, the Mo Du faction, and the Balance faction.

Each faction happens to have four Wizards; the Balance faction has the shallowest foundation and the least stable relationships. Within the faction, PurpleFlameDuke, Ouroin Master, and Howai Master do not particularly endorse the Balance faction's philosophy; they simply dislike handling affairs, often abstaining from voting, and are not always in lockstep with Master Tim Kainan.

Thus the Balance faction is the weakest, and usually the Naiser and Mo Du factions clash.

When these two factions reach a stalemate, the Balance faction led by Master Tim Kainan becomes the prize both sides vie for, becoming especially crucial.

Now, Sabbath's addition brings the Mo Du faction to five votes, giving it a clear advantage.

The leader of the Naiser faction, Augulevi Master, has encountered a mishap; given his nature, unless forced by irresistible circumstances, he would not be absent without cause.

If something truly happens, the Naiser faction would be left with only three members.

As one side loses and the other gains, in any future issue, Anxiwodasi need only win over any one member of the Balance faction to command six votes.

And the Supreme Council requires a majority to pass a resolution, i. e., at least seven votes.

If Anxiwodasi holds six votes, without his approval the Supreme Council cannot pass any resolution.

In other words, Anxiwodasi is only one vote away from controlling the Supreme Council!

Each Holy Soul Wizard is intelligent, immediately grasping this crucial point, their expressions varying. The three Holy Soul Wizards of the Naiser faction—KangJieladeGreatSage and Hong Shi Duke—had faces as still as water, clearly unwilling to witness this situation; Black Robe Duke remained as indifferent as ever, expressionless, as if it were none of his business.

Members of the Mo Du faction, Storm Queen and Silver Star Duke, both had slightly bright eyes, appearing rather pleased.

Prophet Medif had long been aware.

The worst expression belonged to Master Tim Kainan; the Supreme Council's imbalance meant his years of maintenance had utterly failed.

He glanced at the three Holy Soul Wizards who were nominally his allies but had never been staunch.

PurpleFlameDuke's face was hidden beneath a hood, unseen; Ouroin turned his head to look at Anxiwodasi seated at his right side, his face thoughtful; Wan Tu Si Rui*Howai frowned, taking a hard puff from his pipe.

If any one of these three defects to the Mo Du faction, the Supreme Council and the Empire will become Anxiwodasi's realm!

Tim Kainan thought even further.

Even if no one defects to Anxiwodasi, he also has a student who is renowned throughout the Empire, Ryan Augustus. Bigg Bai has already reported the details of the exchange match and made a deduction: based on Lei En's displayed talent, within a century, barring any mishap, he will inevitably achieve Holy Soul Ascension.

By then, the Mo Du faction will firmly hold six votes.

"Anxiwodasi."

Tim Kainan knocked on the long table, drawing everyone's attention, and said in a deep voice, "Balance governs all things; the Supreme Council should not be decided by a single person. Even Augulevi Master has never imagined controlling the council alone."

"Never?" Anxiwodasi retorted, "Do you need me to give an example?"

As one of the seven founders of the Supreme Council, Anxiwodasi knows every past event of the council; perhaps Augulevi Master truly never single‑handedly controlled the council, but not because he was unwilling, rather because it was impossible.

In fact, for several centuries after the council's establishment, Augulevi Master essentially held sway over everything.

Only after more Holy Soul Wizards joined did a three‑pronged stalemate gradually take shape.

"I don't want to reopen the council's old accounts with you," Tim Kainan sighed, "Maintaining balance is what allows the council to endure; a single voice will ultimately lead to an irreparable outcome. For the Empire and the council, I hope you will consider this carefully."

At this point, his gaze swept to his three allies.

Regarding the Naiser faction members, Tim Kainan is not worried about their defection; although the sides are not at odds like fire and water, the relationship is extremely poor due to ideological differences.

But regarding the three Wizards of the Balance faction, he is uncertain.

"Kainan, you need not lecture me on that balance theory; after a thousand years I've heard it enough to grow a cocoon," Anxiwodasi said helplessly, shaking his head, then looked toward the Holy Soul Wizards on both sides of the long table and declared loudly, "Everyone, I have always believed that disputes over ideology should not become our division, nor should they be the cause of tearing the council apart; every resolution should be judged on its merits, not opposed merely for opposition's sake."

"With Sabbath Dean's joining, we should be glad for him."

"I am also pleased with the Supreme Council's growth; as for who decides the council, that is not my decision, and I do not seek to control the council."

"The Supreme Council is our tool for ruling the Empire; I will not destroy it."

"But the Supreme Council shouldn't be the black hand hindering Weizelan's development; you all know well the difficulties Weizelan has faced over the past few hundred years…"

Anxiwodasi spoke at length, abandoning his previously gentle demeanor; his sharp gaze swept over the Holy Soul Wizards and finally rested on Tim Kainan, sneering, "Weizelan has stalled; could that possibly be beneficial to the balance?"

Tim Kainan was at a loss for words and could not refute it.

Everyone is well aware of Weizelan's economic hardships; Anxiwodasi repeatedly proposed reinstating the ducal title, but the Naisè faction naturally opposed strongly, and the Balance faction also stood on the opposite side, causing Anxiwodasi's proposals to never pass.

"Anxiwodasi Master."

The Duke Hong Shi, seated at the far end of the long table, spoke up.

His voice was magnetic and his pace relaxed, causing listeners to involuntarily heed his words; he declared loudly, "Reducing the nobility, returning territories to the Empire, preventing land consolidation—this policy was set years ago, and you agreed to it then."

He paused, "Moreover, relinquishing the ducal title and then reinstating it has no precedent."

"No precedent means we can't do it?" Anxiwodasi retorted.

"But that contradicts the national policy set by the Supreme Council and has been enforced for centuries; countless old nobles have had their lands stripped, and after two or three generations they lost even their titles," the Duke Hong Shi countered without hesitation, clearly having thought it over, "The old nobles still wield great influence in the Empire; if you break the precedent and reinstate the title, it will provoke fierce backlash, giving them an excuse to oppose any future land seizures."

Across from the Duke Hong Shi, the three giants showed no sign of fear; his words earned the approval of several Holy Soul Wizards, who nodded lightly, their faces showing deep agreement.

Anxiwodasi fell silent.

Lei En, standing outside the projection room, couldn't help shaking his head repeatedly.

The Duke Hong Shi's remarks were indeed formidable and sounded reasonable, but in reality they muddled concepts and cloaked them in grandiose justifications, making them hard to refute.

Are the Holy Soul Wizards' fiefs the same as the old nobles' territories?

First, the Holy Soul Wizards' territories are non‑hereditary; second, their fiefs are granted by the Supreme Council, making them lawful and legitimate.

The national policy of reducing nobles and territories has always conflicted with the ennoblement of Holy Soul Wizards.

In essence, it remains a privilege of the Holy Soul Wizards.

That privilege stems from the Holy Soul Wizards' power; for over a thousand years, everyone throughout the Empire has tacitly accepted that the Holy Soul Wizards possess it, and no one has equated them with the old nobles.

As one of the Empire's three giants, who would dare oppose the reinstatement of territories?

If some clueless old noble does step forward, wouldn't that be a perfect opportunity to eliminate them?

Ai Lun E Si lives in a world where the strong reign supreme; the notion of universal equality has all but vanished, and uttering it is treated as a joke—utterly unattainable.

The Holy Soul Wizards are lofty and noble; how could they be the same as ordinary people?

Yet the Duke Hong Shi conflates the Master with ordinary nobles, thereby implicitly stripping the Holy Soul Wizards of their privilege.

Given the Master's nature, he couldn't bring himself to claim that, as a Holy Soul Wizard, he is different from ordinary people.

Lei En saw the Master's silence and sensed trouble; indeed, the kind are taken advantage of. The Duke Hong Shi excels at reading minds, exploiting others' character flaws; worthy of being the founder of psychics, his achievements in the mental realm are unmatched, and a single glance can reveal a wealth of information.

He shook his head inwardly.

Dealing with such a person requires either abandoning reason or having thick skin.

Obviously the Master cannot let his pride go.

Nevertheless, Anxiwodasi did not give up, turning to say, "We can discuss the fief later; Weizelan suffered a devastating invasion by the undead calamity, with heavy casualties. Three years have passed; the Supreme Council should at least provide an explanation, right?"

The Duke Hong Shi was about to speak when Anxiwodasi added, "Don't tell me Weizelan doesn't pay taxes to the Empire; tax or not, Weizelan remains a subject of the Empire, unless you refuse to acknowledge it."

"We already discussed it then and raised our hands to vote," the Duke Hong Shi said calmly, "Augulevi Master believes the timing is not right."

Anxiwodasi pressed, "Then when will the timing be right?"

"You'll have to ask Augulevi Master," the Duke Hong Shi replied, spreading his hands to indicate his ignorance.

Everyone's gaze turned to the empty high‑backed chair at the head of the long table.

A hush fell.

A few uneasy feelings arose in the projection room; the Holy Soul Wizards' senses were extremely acute, granting them vague premonitions of future events, their expressions clouded with gloom.

After pondering, the Duke Hong Shi called out, "Consul."

A tall man clad in ornate armor with a blue cape appeared in the projection; standing at the far end of the long table, he gave a slight bow, "Honored to meet all the Holy Souls."

Lei En couldn't help observing closely.

That plain‑faced man was the current Imperial Consul—Gneus*Kikuro!

He is a true Sword Saint!

Sword Saint is an honorific, generally referring to transcendents with superb swordsmanship, while a true Sword Saint is a swordmaster of Level 20 or higher.

Gneus*Kikuro's transcendental vocation is Magic Swordsman; he was promoted to the Saint Rank many years ago and now stands at Level 23. Though his strength does not surpass that of the Holy Soul Wizards, he enjoys a formidable reputation throughout the Empire. He rose from among the Imperial councilors, and after being elected Consul, his fame grew even greater.

The Consul is granted by the Supreme Council the authority to form a cabinet and staff, owns a massive residence in the capital, and oversees the Empire's daily governance; his power, though less than the Emperor's, ranks just below the Supreme Council—truly second to twelve men!

Because it is only a projection, Lei En's soul eye cannot perceive the other party's Element.

Tim Kainan asked, "What news is there from the Naisè Fu Kong Cheng?"

"I have already sent someone to inquire; there is no news for now, Master Kainan," Gneus replied, shaking his head. The Consul is stationed year‑round in the capital Nuosiruier, closest to the Naisè Fu Kong Cheng.

As soon as his words ended, Lei En, standing outside the projection room, suddenly sensed danger.

Sabra also sensed something and abruptly turned his head to search.

Before the two could locate the source of danger, Lei En's surroundings shifted; the space seemed to flip, and the next instant he found himself in an unfamiliar place.

(End of Chapter)