Chapter 902: God is in the Law

After Lei En finished his oath and bestowed blessings on him, VijesCui said not a single word, like a spectator, and remained silent until now, when Tim*Kenan petitioned the deity for a ruling, still keeping silent.

One second, ten seconds, half a minute…

The God of Magic said nothing.

Beneath the veil of mystery, no one could see the deity's expression; clearly standing on the stage yet like a statue, inscrutable.

Tim*Kenan's heart sank; this was the worst case.

But he did not believe the goddess would permit the Mo Du faction to disrupt the stable order that had lasted for over a thousand years, endangering the Supreme Council and the Empire.

"Lady!"

Tim*Kenan couldn't help but remind again: "The Empire's stability is the cornerstone of your billions of followers' faith. If the Empire's rule falls into the hands of a single person or faction, the risk of war and division skyrockets, and the loss to the Empire's people would be extremely detrimental to you, Lady, please think twice."

Those words were very straightforward.

Even the most slow-witted could grasp the meaning of Duke GreyEagle; most people thought he was reasonable.

The balance of the Supreme Council and the Empire's political structure indeed benefits national stability.

This also benefits the goddess's followers.

However, the Empire's upper echelons on the steps each had their own thoughts; the Mo Du faction's legislators were ecstatic, following Master Anxiwodasi and the Consul to gain more benefits. Members of the other faction, however, wore displeased looks.

VijesCui still gave no response, as if she had not heard Tim*Kenan's impassioned speech. Such an unexpected situation led the important figures on the steps to infer some clues.

"Honorable Lady," Kerlston also stepped forward: "A Holy Soul Wizard cannot serve as Consul…"

His words were immediately interrupted by Anxiwodasi, "Does the Empire have such a law?"

"No."

Kerlston calmly acknowledged this and continued to argue: "Although no law has been enacted, over the past thousand years this rule has been recognized by the Supreme Council and the Empire's legislators. Master Anxiwodasi, you do not deny that, do you?"

"I only recognize law," Anxiwodasi said, unmoved.

"Law is nothing but human sentiment; any rule approved by the overwhelming majority is law," Kerlston said, looking at the goddess's saintly incarnation, his face showing reverence, each word deliberate: "Moreover, God is in the Law!"

Anxiwodasi's expression shifted slightly.

The others on the steps also caught it; Duke Hong Shi hinted that Master Anxiwodasi was trampling the law, provoking the goddess's authority.

A smile curved Kerlston's lips as he said: "Lei En has just become Consul; this is the result of a vote by the Empire's legislators and the Supreme Council, reflecting the people's will and blessed by the goddess. It is fully compliant and legal, with no reason to dismiss the Consul."

"Therefore, I propose…"

Mid-sentence, Kerlston bowed to the God of Magic.

He shouted: "Lei En may not enter the Supreme Council during his term as Consul, and legislation shall be enacted at once: Holy Soul Wizards shall not serve as Consul, and this shall not be repeated."

This proposal immediately garnered support from many, especially members of the Naiser faction and the Balance faction.

Even some Mo Du faction members found it acceptable; the controversy of a Holy Soul Wizard serving as Consul was too great and detrimental to the Empire's upper unity, so a step back was preferable.

Anyway, the Mo Du faction already holds half the votes in the Supreme Council, and Lei En is Consul, fully guaranteeing the faction's interests.

If Lei En wishes to enter the Supreme Council, he must wait until his term ends ten years later.

Ten years is brief for a long-lived Holy Soul Wizard, and Lei En has no need to rush.

This compromise moved many.

The five Holy Soul Wizards of the Mo Du faction, with raised hands, wavered; each showed a thoughtful expression, clearly their stance was no longer firm.

Even Anxiwodasi's gaze flickered.

Hmph!

Lei En let out a cold hum in his mind; his Soul Eye immediately discerned the teacher's thoughts.

The teacher had never approved of his claim to the throne; the previous deal was merely a non‑committal, pretend‑ignorant promise. This time, pushing himself into the Supreme Council was more about heralding the Mo Du faction's ideological victory, forcing his advance toward the Golden Throne.

The Supreme Council is the Empire's highest authority; without entry, even with the Consul title, many matters are constrained.

The plan to claim the throne would undoubtedly be severely set back, becoming even harder.

This aligns with the teacher's stance.

Anyway, he has already achieved the goal of spreading the Mo Du faction's doctrine.

Today's failure to enter the Supreme Council was also the result of Tim*Kenan and Kerlston's opposition; the teacher can fully claim he did his best and not blame them.

It can be said to be a triple win.

Lei En instantly clarified the stakes.

One must admit, Kerlston was indeed formidable, precisely gauging the Holy Soul Wizards' attitudes, and with a few words nearly turned the tide.

The legendary Element of Insight rivals the Soul Eye in perceiving hearts.

But Lei En was not at all flustered.

Indeed, he made no move to argue for himself or to push for entry into the Supreme Council, letting events unfold as if he were an uninvolved outsider.

Tim*Kenan kept observing Lei En, noting his great composure and no sign of demanding the fulfillment of the thirty‑year pact, which eased his mind slightly.

He became even more confident in his judgment.

Anxiwodasi was the mastermind behind all this; it was Anxiwodasi who had Lei En run for Consul and who concealed Lei En's ascension to Holy Soul Wizard, only revealing it today to let the Mo Du faction utterly crush the Naiser faction while seizing control of the Supreme Council and the Empire.

Lei En cooperated with the teacher's plan, contributing greatly, but could only be considered an accomplice.

This caught everyone off guard, teacher and student alike.

Fortunately, Kerlston finally proved useful.

Tim*Kenan glanced at Kerlston, saw him look back, and with a simple eye exchange the two instantly reached an understanding.

"I agree with Hong Shi's…" Tim*Kenan took over, ready to press on persuading the other Holy Soul Wizards not to raise their hands in agreement for this vote, when he suddenly heard the goddess's voice.

VijesCui finally broke the silence; the deity's voice remained calm and gentle, resonating directly in everyone's minds: "Lei En is a Holy Soul Wizard; once the vote passes, he should enter the Supreme Council. Whether the Consul is dismissed is not for me to decide, but must reflect the will of the Empire's people."

Tim*Kenan and Kerlston were both wide‑eyed with shock.

The Holy Soul Wizards were also stunned.

The goddess gave no explicit stance; the deity's words sounded neutral, unwilling to meddle in mortal affairs and not opposing Lei En's entry into the Supreme Council or his role as Consul.

If you don't oppose, that's tacit approval!

And tacit approval is support!

The Empire councilors and guests on the steps stared at each other, while the tens of thousands of spectators below, most of whom hadn't grasped the situation, whispered to one another, and a commotion arose.

"This…"

Tim*Kenan finally caught on, but was even more incredulous, almost thinking he had misheard. He knew the God of Magic favored Lei En greatly, repeatedly expressing protection over Lei En, granting him treatment higher than that of the Divine Chosen, even to the point where people wondered whether Lei En was the goddess's lover or her illegitimate child.

Nevertheless, even with such favor toward Lei En, the goddess had no reason to allow him to dominate the Empire.

The Empire is the goddess's believers' largest and most crucial base; if the Empire were to tumble, affecting doctrine propagation or even reducing the number of followers, her divine power would also be weakened.

No deity in the world would tolerate a decline in their divine power!

The God of Magic is no exception.

Tim*Kenan immediately considered another possibility: unless this could increase the goddess's divine power, but how could Anxiwodasi and Lei En guarantee that? Could it rely solely on the statue in Gotham City? There must be another reason!

Without knowing the root cause, he couldn't counter it, and Tim*Kenan was at a loss for words.

The goddess's status is supreme; since she leans toward supporting Lei En, the outcome cannot change, no amount of talk will help.

Kelston, however, was unwilling to accept it and urged, "Colleagues, we must jointly safeguard the Supreme Council's interests; we must not let it fall into the hands of a single person or faction. Before raising your hand, consider carefully whether this vote gains more or loses more; we must not be swayed by external forces."

The Holy Soul Wizards discerned that his so‑called external force referred to the God of Magic.

What nerve!

However, the God of Magic gave no indication, not even glancing at Kelston.

The Twelve Holy Soul Wizards, six from the Mo Du faction who were initially wavering, regained their resolve after VijesCui's statement.

Among the remaining six, Tim*Kenan and Kelston firmly opposed, KangJieladeGreatSage was still pondering, Black Robe Duke Tuzi Lei and PurpleFlameDuke Magna remained silent from start to finish, barely noticeable, and almost no one knew their stance.

Only Lei En knew.

After the Holy Soul Ascension, the Soul Eye could already sense the soul state and Element of targets below th Level Saint Rank, with clearer detection of emotional shifts.

The Black Robe Duke was indeed Augulevi Master's avatar!

Moreover, he concealed his Wizard rank, far higher than the displayed Twenty‑three, certainly surpassing th Level, and though the Soul Eye could not see the Element through a veil of mist, it could roughly judge that he was nearing Thirty-level.

PurpleFlameDuke Magna also approached Thirty-level as a Wizard, matching external assessments of her strength.

Their stance was clear: all opposed.

KangJieladeGreatSage, though still hesitating, also clearly leaned toward opposition.

Lei En had long anticipated their stance, held no expectations, and simply ignored those three Holy Soul Wizards, turning his gaze to another member of the Balance Faction, Wantu Si Rui*Howai Master.

Previously, Howai Master had opposed.

But after the God of Magic's statement, his position was no longer so firm. As a Chosen One of the goddess, he naturally should support her decision, yet having stood beside Tim*Kenan for years and endorsed parts of the Balance Faction's ideas, he hesitated.

Howai sensed Lei En's gaze and immediately recalled the favor he owed Lei En.

"I approve."

The tens of thousands before the temple heard the words, and then saw Wantu Si Rui*Howai Master slowly yet firmly raise his right hand.

Seven votes, the resolution passes!

Tim*Kenan sighed, shook his head, and remained silent.

Kelston, however, was so agitated he nearly jumped, demanding, "Howai Master, are you mad? How can you approve his entry into the Supreme Council? This raise of hand is your last exercise of voting power; by relinquishing your authority, you will regret it sooner or later!"

Howai Master puffed his pipe, his expression displeased.

He knew well the consequences of raising his hand; the Mo Du faction held seven votes, and not only did their own voting power become meaningless, but the six Holy Soul Wizards of the Naise faction and the Balance Faction also lost voting rights, because whether they voted for or against no longer mattered.

"This is the goddess's will," Howai Master finally replied.

Kelston said gravely, "You are a Holy Soul Wizard; you should have your own judgment."

"How audacious!"

Storm Queen shouted, "Kelston, if you dare again to question the goddess face‑to‑face, do you truly think we sisters are dead?"

The Silver Star Duke also glared at him.

Around the Empire council and the tens of thousands below the steps, many wore angry faces, their gazes like swords piercing Kelston, chilling his heart; realizing he had incurred the crowd's wrath, he quickly bowed his head and apologized, "I did not intend to offend the goddess's majesty; I beg your forgiveness."

VijesCui turned her head and gave him a glance, making Kelston feel a terrifying pressure, his complexion paling slightly.

"This shall not be repeated," the goddess said softly.

"Understood."

Kelston felt as if granted a pardon, regretting his haste, and said, "I praise your forbearance; henceforth I will strive harder to follow your light of wisdom and explore the path of magic."

VijesCui gave a noncommittal nod and fell silent.

Lei En watched all this with cold eyes.

At that moment, Anxiwodasi shouted, "The proposal passes. I announce that Ryan Augustus formally enters the Supreme Council, becoming its thirteenth member!"

The steps and plaza before the temple fell silent for a few seconds.

Clap—clap—clap…

Finally, applause erupted, more and more people joining, the cheers growing hotter, congratulating the Empire's thirteenth Holy Soul Wizard, also the most unique Holy Soul Wizard.

Everyone clapped, including Tim*Kenan, Kelston, and members of the two factions, each with their own thoughts—some wore forced smiles, some were expressionless, and some wore grim faces as if their parents were dead.

The inauguration ceremony returned to its normal procedure.

Anxiwodasi had Lei En deliver a speech, the Consul's first official address, of great importance; Lei En was well prepared, briefly outlining his governance program, emphasizing industry and education, which would be the main policies of his term.

Politicians' speeches are forever the most boring thing; listeners are bored, speakers feel bored too, yet they cannot forgo them.

Lei En lacked talent in this area; the content was dry, so he could only shorten the duration.

The overwhelming majority were still immersed in the recent upheaval, unable to focus on the speech; even after Lei En finished, they remained distracted.

Listening to a speech once is like having heard a speech.

Only a few remembered the key points.

After the speech ended, the God of Magic immediately returned to the Divine Realm, and the Holy Soul Wizards also left one after another. Next, Lei En, as the new Consul, led a celebratory parade lasting more than two hours, circling around Nuosiruier City to receive the crowd's cheers, after which the procession returned to Floating Shell Castle.

The final step of the inauguration ceremony was the Consul formally moving into the He Palace.

(End of chapter)