After seeing all the students off, Rorschach and Pascal walked back toward the Tower of Stars.

In his past life, he had often stayed up late, but now, with no electronic devices to keep him company, Rorschach’s schedule had become a "healthy routine." He let out a slight yawn. Pascal, on the other hand, had to go back and continue dealing with unfinished business in the research building, which meant another late night for him.

"No wonder you’re always so listless."

Pascal shrugged. "I’m used to it. My mind only gets going at night."

"Then you’re suited to be a Necromancer."

"Get out of here. What an antiquated profession..."

The two strolled through the streets. Relying on their status, they paid no mind to any potential trouble from the Security Team, swaggering across the road while sipping drinks from Rorschach’s Storage Ring.

’Huh? A house with its lights still on at this hour?’ Rorschach passed rows of darkened buildings, noticing only one stately mansion with lights still shining on an upper floor. As they drew closer, they could hear the sounds of merrymaking and laughter.

"Probably just a bunch of rich drunks," Pascal muttered.

There was indeed drinking in the building they passed, but the attendees were all perfectly sober. They were lounging comfortably on sofas and armchairs, enjoying tobacco, wine, and some crude jokes.

Playing cards were scattered across small round tables, and several scantily clad female attendants clung to the guests, their slender, jade-like fingers picking up small snacks to feed the men they were serving.

Although the organizer and host of the venue was someone else, the clear Leader was Count Granor. The first time he had played cards was just a few months ago in the Royal Palace, a nervous wreck then, but now he was dominating the game, winning hand after hand.

"Ahem." After Lord Earl gave the signal, the master of the house immediately understood and dismissed all the attendants. Once the door was closed, Granor tapped the armrest of his chair. The gem on his ring flared with light, sealing the entire space off from the outside world.

After this change, the other guests shed their relaxed and jocular attitudes, all sitting up straight. Granor watched them, satisfied that they were showing him the proper respect, and began to speak at a deliberate pace:

"I trust that all of you, having gathered here despite your busy schedules, did not come just to play cards. Today, I will share a top-secret piece of information with you all: a Noble Conference will soon be convened, and representatives from the Magic Guild and the Tower of Stars will be invited to attend."

Everyone present was a Caster, and they were first taken aback by this news. "A conference of this nature hasn’t been held for over a hundred years. Is this by order of His Majesty the King?"

Granor gestured for everyone to remain calm. "By the time the King’s decree comes down, I’m afraid the whole city will know. My inside information comes from the Minister of Finance himself. Furthermore, this matter is being driven by another high-ranking lord, which means it’s as good as set in stone!"

The left and right brains of the Kingdom were both pushing for this. To outsiders, it seemed His Majesty the King would have to agree, whether he wanted to or not.

In fact, after Nekker learned that Dipresy wanted to convene a Noble Conference, he had argued with the Prime Minister again before His Majesty the King.

But in the end, Charles XVI agreed to hold the conference. The Minister of Finance immediately changed his strategy, shifting to a fight for control over the conference’s agenda and proceedings. His methods included leaking information to Granor and his associates to win over and rally others.

This inside information set the listeners whispering amongst themselves. Granor held up his hands to quiet the room, for he wasn’t finished. "Once we are at the conference, we must naturally strive for the greatest advantage. But I ask you all to consider: who are the most likely representatives to attend, and can they secure benefits for us?"

At the Noble Conference, nobles with the rank of Count or higher and Bishops each had a single vote. Other attendees, however, held multiple votes each:

First, the Mage representatives.

Most Casters did not have their own fiefdoms or clear allegiances, not to mention that many were unwilling to get involved in such "trivial matters." Therefore, according to the century-old precedent, the mages would first elect a leader to vote on behalf of all Middle Level and higher Casters.

Barring any surprises, the representatives would be the Chief Mages of the Tower of Stars, the Tower of Thunderstorm, and the Tower of Primordial Earth within the Holy Kingdom. Moreover, the reclusive Tower of Primordial Earth would entrust its voting rights to the Chief Mage of the Tower of Stars.

Second, the leaders of the Robed Nobility.

These were mainly the Chief Justice of the Kingdom’s high court, regional royal chief justices, and major administrative officials who held honorary titles. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

They not only represented the Kingdom’s judicial power but could also act as representatives for major merchants and bankers. Many of them had simply bought their noble robes and letters of appointment from the King with cash.

Finally, aside from the Bishops, the Church also had Priest representatives, elected by an assembly of Priests. They were of low rank, often being Priests from cities or rural villages, but they tended to vote in unison with the Bishops.

"We now have four factions: the Robed Nobility, the landed Nobility, the Church, and us. This position is therefore of critical importance." Everyone knew that if tradition were followed, Master Kano, the Chief Mage of the Tower of Stars, would hold the votes of two towers and have absolute say in the Guild. He alone would represent the Magic Guild of the Holy Kingdom and two-thirds of all its mages!

Among the guests were newly ennobled mages who, like Granor, had received fiefdoms in a sub-plane. There were also Casters who came from prominent families and remained tied to them after their advancement. If one were to give this clique a name, they might be called the "Noble Faction" among the mages.

"The name Kano was once highly regarded by the former king, but Leonel now betrays his family’s honor and His Majesty the King!"

"Indeed. And look at his students! What kind of people are they? Some have run off to the Empire to teach, others participate in radical activities, and there’s even that fellow from the Empire Faction, running amok in the Royal Capital."

Understanding who Granor’s criticism was aimed at, the others chimed in with complaints of their own. Lionel Kano’s father was a master of mathematics and a logistics genius. He was highly valued by Charles XIV, who wanted to build a powerful army, and had overseen the reforms of the Valois Army with outstanding results.

But then, that was the end of that. After the reign of the Fifteenth, the military was neglected. Due to ideological differences, both father and son parted ways with the Royal Family. Before becoming the Chief Mage of the Tower of Stars, Kano had actively led the Magic Guild in supporting its affiliated merchant companies, released many of the Alchemy Department’s findings, and made the Tower of Stars more open in its student admissions...

Such actions drew the ire of the Noble Faction.

Seeing that the time was right, Granor seized the opportunity to reveal his ambition. "Since everyone is dissatisfied, it would be best to elect a more suitable representative before the conference is held. To be honest, my own domain has stabilized recently. It wouldn’t be a bad thing to return to the Tower of Stars to teach and mentor the next generation."

’The old fox wants to be the Chief Mage!’

However, if he succeeded, the Noble Faction would secure a seat in the Noble Conference. Granor was, after all, a Great Mage and was also on very close terms with Nekker and Charles XVI... Considering this, the others—some eagerly, some reluctantly—accepted the mage-count’s suggestion.

Middle Level Mage Gerard de Villefort was the first to speak up. "We support you in taking charge, Lord Earl."

Once he had spoken, the others no longer hesitated, and one by one they voiced their support for Granor.

"Excellent, Gerard. Since you are the one primarily responsible for this investigation, you must pay special attention to Kano’s two troublesome students. I trust you will find something useful. Let us toast to Mage Vilfort’s success!" Granor took the lead in raising his glass, making Gerard flush with pride.