Chapter 857: GreyEagle Duke

A squad of Ruike Imperial Guard respectfully escorted Lei En into Fubei Deng Castle, turned left at the plaza, and entered He Palace.

This was not Lei En's first time coming to He Palace.

Along the way, he looked at the luxurious, grand imperial garden and felt a sense that things had changed while people had not. The last time he came, Genieusi was still the Consul, the master of He Palace; now Genieusi is dead, and he must take his place.

Today He Palace is busier than before; on the streets, people come and go, either Consul officials or senators meeting the GreyEagle Duke.

When they saw Lei En, they couldn't help but widen their eyes.

Speaker Lei En!

In this special period, Speaker Lei En entered He Palace to visit the Duke, and even the most dull person could guess Lei En's purpose.

The people concealed their shock and saluted Lei En.

After passing Lei En, they couldn't help but look back at his silhouette, hearts pounding; this was definitely big news.

Speaker Lei En is actually running for Consul!

Some people paused, then quickly ran again, or took out a communicator to whisper rapidly.

In the midst of the gazes, Lei En arrived at the main building of He Palace. This three‑story building was originally the emperor's summer palace, located by Lotus Lake, with open views; later it was converted into an office building named "Consul Hall", sprawling enough to accommodate hundreds of people working simultaneously.

For many years, successive Consuls have worked in Consul Hall; this is the Empire's administrative center.

Now, the GreyEagle Duke Tim*Kenan presides over Consul Hall.

"Speaker Lei En, please wait."

The Ruike Imperial Guard led Lei En to the waiting hall on the first floor of Consul Hall; on the way, someone had already reported in advance.

The waiting hall was filled with many people, all awaiting an audience with the Duke.

Their reaction to seeing Lei En was the same as those outside—deeply shocked—but they dared not express it to Lei En directly.

There were also two Empire Senators among them.

They seemed also to be reporting their candidacy; upon seeing Lei En, their expressions instantly became very vivid.

"Speaker Lei En!"

The crowd rose, saluted and greeted; Lei En simply nodded in response.

One of the Empire Senators was a legendary transcendent, who had served as mayor of a major city in the Empire's southeastern province for many years, and was a member of the Mo Du faction; having interacted with Lei En several times, he finally couldn't help but ask, "Speaker Lei En, you are also …"

Before he could finish, a legendary Wizard entered, his face full of enthusiasm, and said, "Speaker Lei En, the Duke requests you to come in."

The Wizard's magical robe bore an Eight‑Leaf Emblem, clearly indicating he came from Flaniss Floating City.

Lei En followed him to the side of the waiting hall; the other opened a dimensional portal, stepped through, and arrived directly at the top‑floor office of Consul Hall.

Emerging from the portal, he instantly saw the GreyEagle Duke.

The Holy Soul Wizard's attire seemed eternally unchanged: beneath a thick black robe a tall, muscular body, a gleaming crown, a sharply trimmed black beard, an expression never smiling, standing in the spacious office exuding great pressure.

He was waiting for Lei En's arrival.

"Duke," Lei En bowed and greeted.

Tim*Kenan studied Lei En with deep eyes for a few seconds, gave a slight nod, and said, "We've met many times, but this should be our first private face‑to‑face encounter. Your strength exceeds my expectations; having a student like you in Anxi is truly enviable."

At the last auction in the Floating City, the GreyEagle Duke did not propose private talks; he was focused on participation, and Lei En was the host while he was the guest, remaining silent throughout the auction.

Today, though his words praised, his face bore no smile.

The Soul Eye instead detected hostility.

This hostility was very shallow; accurately, it was indifference and dislike, not stemming from personal grudges but from differing stances.

Lei En knew why the other disliked him.

He responded modestly, "Duke, you flatter me."

"Humph." The GreyEagle Duke snorted through his nostrils and said bluntly, "Given your current strength and status, I have no need to be courteous. The Empire's current imbalance is largely due to your emergence; in recent years, your shadow looms behind a series of events."

Lei En shrugged, "Some matters are beyond my control; Duke, you cannot place all responsibility on me."

"Is that so?" Tim*Kenan stared coldly at Lei En, "You were forced to recruit Ouroin as well?"

Master Ouroin was originally a member of the Balance Faction, but everyone in the Supreme Council knows that he has now fully shifted to the Mo Du faction, lacking only an official announcement.

The Balance Faction originally comprised four Holy Soul Wizards; the other two factions also each had four, making it very balanced.

The PurpleFlameDuke sided with the Naiser Faction.

Master Ouroin joined the Mo Du faction.

Now the Balance Faction has only Tim*Kenan and Master Howai left; with merely two votes, their influence in the Supreme Council has sharply declined. He can only ally with Kaisitong, opposing the Mo Du faction that holds half the votes, barely keeping the Supreme Council's fragile balance.

However, the three‑way stalemate has become a two‑power contest.

This leaves the Balance Faction with no maneuvering space, unable to hop repeatedly, and its voice is greatly diminished.

Tim*Kenan was outmaneuvered by Kaisitong last time, losing face; the arena hasn't been reclaimed yet, yet he must cooperate with the opponent, being restrained at every turn. This time, assuming the Consul's authority also cost him a considerable price.

His goal is to give Otiluke a hand.

Otiluke has followed him all his life, contributing labor without merit; now, with Holy Soul Ascension unattainable, he wishes in his final decades to serve as Consul, achieve something, and leave his name in Empire history, so he must help fulfill this dream.

Never did he expect Lei En to intervene.

Tim*Kenan, more than most, knows Lei En's background; whether personal strength or his transcendent legion, Otiluke is far behind by at least eight streets.

Even if the Flaniss "Eight‑Leaf Hand" were fully given to Otiluke, his chance to defeat Lei En in battle remains very slim.

So Tim*Kenan gets angry upon seeing Lei En; it's no wonder he's not happy.

Facing the questioning, Lei En shows no fear.

"Master Ouroin has always wanted to strengthen the combat school; as a junior combat Wizard, helping him realize his ideal is normal," Lei En said matter‑of‑factly. "As for whom Master Ouroin votes for, that's his right; I never interfere, nor have the authority to do so."

Tim*Kenan spat two words: "Specious."

"That's a fact," Lei En replied earnestly. "If the Duke doesn't believe it, there's nothing I can do."

He was almost about to have "Believe it or not" written on his face.

This attitude made Tim*Kenan even more displeased; in a cold voice he said, "Back then on that minor plane, you openly accused Kaisitong of being petty, which I admired your courage for. Now it seems you're no better than Kaisitong. Kaisitong is merely scheming and selfish, while your ambition is greater; the Empire's balanced structure will inevitably be shattered by you, causing massive disaster."

Lei En felt a sudden thump in his heart; could the other have guessed his plan?

Probably not.

The Soul Eye confirmed that Tim*Kenan's emotions were not intense; if he knew he intended to overthrow the Supreme Council, he wouldn't merely rebuke, he would have acted already.

Lei En's face remained impassive, "Duke, not everyone believes in the Balance Theory; please do not condemn me for allegedly breaking balance, especially since it hasn't occurred."

"Do you think the Balance Theory is wrong?"

Tim*Kenan asked very calmly, his tone even, yet his breath grew dangerous.

Lei En became wary; the Balance Theory is what Tim*Kenan values most—his whole life's deeds, his magical path, his floating city and students, and the entire philosophical school are built upon that theory.

Denying the Balance Theory is denying everything about Tim*Kenan.

The Soul Eye saw the other's emotions gradually turn red.

"Duke, you misunderstand."

Lei En didn't want to fully anger this one of the Empire's three giants, yet he didn't back down immediately; he calmly explained, "I am a Mo Du wizard; I know little about the Balance Theory, and my understanding is shallow. I only know that nothing is absolute, only relative, and balance should be the same."

"All things have only relative balance, no absolute balance."

"Just as the Empire's pattern shifts—sometimes peaceful and stable, sometimes war‑torn and contentious—always in constant flux. History proceeds like a saw cutting wood, sometimes forward, sometimes backward, but overall it develops deeper, spiraling forward."

"The only constant in the world is change."

"Balance itself is also in constant change; as for how to define balance, each person's standard differs. Duke, what do you think?"

Lei En's words were pointed.

When Tim*Kenan looks back in the future, he will surely awaken to the true meaning of Lei En's words.

But for now, he is inspired.

The Holy Soul wizard's eyes flickered slightly, chewing over a few phrases in his mind: relative balance, absolute balance, the only constant is change…

He couldn't help falling into contemplation.

Only after a long while did Tim*Kenan come to his senses, giving Lei En a brief glance and saying lightly, "Your thoughts are deeper than I imagined; if opportunity arises, we can discuss them."

His demeanor seemed indifferent, but inside he was very interested.

Suddenly, Lei En felt a bit flustered.

He had no profound thoughts, only superficial knowledge from a past life; his belly half‑filled with water clanged, and continuing would expose him.

Fortunately, Tim*Kenan returned to the matter, asking, "Lei En, are you running for Consul?"

"Yes, Duke."

Lei En sweated internally, glad the bluff had passed.

"What benefit does this have for you?"

Tim*Kenan asked while moving to sit behind the desk, pointing at the half‑meter‑high stack of documents and shaking his head, "A Consul handles these every day, and this is only a fraction. I've been Consul for less than ten days and already feel weary; I just want to finish my revenge quickly and hand this position to someone else."

He looked at Lei En, a hint of puzzlement on his face, "With your talent and strength, you'll eventually enter the Supreme Council; why trouble yourself?"

In fact, Tim*Kenan learned this from Anxiwodasi ten days ago.

He had been waiting for Lei En to arrive.

Lei En had already prepared his speech; he smiled and pointed at the thick stack of documents, "Duke, in your eyes these are petty nuisances, but to the vast majority in the world they represent power—great power!"

"True power comes from extraordinary strength and magic," Tim*Kenan replied dismissively.

"That sentence needs a qualifier—sufficiently powerful," Lei En shook his head, "Not every extraordinary being gets a chance to ascend to Saint Rank; compared with Imperial Council members, becoming Consul grants huge power, and this path is easier to achieve."

The Consul's status in the Empire is only below the Supreme Council.

A Consul's authority surpasses that of several indifferent Holy Soul wizards in the Supreme Council.

Tim*Kenan, of course, knew this; he stared at Lei En as if seeking an answer, "Others have no chance, but you do. I can see you're already at Legendary Peak; you should soon break through to become a Holy Soul wizard, right?"

Lei En nodded, admitting it plainly.

"I want to experience being Consul before entering the Supreme Council," he said half‑seriously, "Duke, I was a child born in the countryside; I never imagined I'd reach this position."

"I'm young, my future is long, and I don't want to study magic all day."

"So I want to try more."

"In different positions, meet different people, witness different things, achieve different feats, and enrich my life experience."

Lei En faced Tim*Kenan sincerely, earnestly saying, "Consul is a fine title; it can bring me honor and power. I want to see what I could achieve governing the Empire; perhaps I could surprise the Empire's people and the Supreme Council."

Tim*Kenan fell silent.

Lei En's argument was persuasive; he truly was very young, only twenty‑seven, still not even a fraction of his age.

Young people are always more driven, love seeking fresh thrills; that's normal.

As for whether Lei En would, as Consul, turn the Empire into a mess, Tim*Kenan wasn't worried; judging from Lei En's past achievements, he is highly capable.

Even if Lei En errs, the Supreme Council sits above, unable to cause a big stir.

Anxiwodasi would not ignore it.

After careful thought, Tim*Kenan deemed giving Lei En a chance not unreasonable, nodding, "I accept your application."

According to election rules, he has no right to refuse.

But obtaining consent is naturally better, to avoid conflict during his revenge; Lei En was delighted, proposing, "Master Tim*Kenan, if I win the Imperial Council vote, could you cast a supporting vote for me in the Supreme Council?"

The Mo Du sect has only six votes.

And the Supreme Council requires a majority to pass a resolution, still lacking the crucial vote. If Tim*Kenan's support is secured, together with his and Howai Master's two votes, it will be solid.

Tim*Kenan smiled, teasingly asking, "What reason do you have for me to vote in favor?"

He was waiting for a price.

Lei En instantly understood; this was precisely the real purpose of his visit to He Palace today—the bargaining chip, which he had prepared long ago.

(End of Chapter)