The Next Day

The next day.

Rayne arrived at Governance Hall on time that morning. After waiting briefly, he entered the office.

This was a projection room specifically used by the Governor to attend High Council meetings. The Governor had been entrusted by the High Council with governing the Empire and was qualified to sit in on most meetings. However, Rayne was attending as a Soul Saint Wizard, giving him far greater authority than the Governor.

Heistok stood guard outside the projection room while a Legendary Wizard activated the Rune Array.

Rayne stood in the center.

After a powerful surge of Magic, the scene before Rayne's eyes twisted. He entered a magnificent palace situated in the endless Void. A long bronze table stood inside the palace, and at the far end was a hundred-meter-tall statue of the Goddess of Magic, looking down over the meeting.

The High Palace!

Rayne had only just joined the High Council and had never truly visited the High Palace before.

According to his teacher, Soul Saint Wizards rarely went to the High Palace. They had visited only three times in more than a thousand years, and the location had been different each time. His teacher speculated that the High Palace was probably not far from the Goddess's Divine Kingdom, or perhaps was even located inside it.

Apart from Rayne, there was no one else in the High Palace.

Normally, only the Empire's three leading figures were qualified to summon Soul Saint Wizards. This meeting had been initiated at Rayne's request through his teacher, and everything had been arranged several days ago.

Soon, figures appeared on both sides of the bronze table.

The seat of honor at one end of the table was empty.

That had originally been Master Ogulvi's seat. However, ever since Master Ogulvi's disappearance, this chair,