Seven-Person Council

Thanks to Toanna, before the expedition began, Bi An had to attend an emergency meeting convened by the current Pope.

On the white glass of the domed church were long swords representing justice and order. Six people in disparate attire sat around the square table beneath the dome. Bi An, as the current commander of the Kingdom Army promoted by His Majesty Henry, attended the meeting as a member of the council.

The Seven-Person Council system was a glorious tradition left by the First King, intended to allow him to hear voices from all sectors and make decisions that would benefit the Empire's future.

These seven representatives came from the seven fields that had the most profound influence on the Empire.

The Holy See, the Nobles, the Chamber of Commerce, the Academy, the Astrology Society, the Tribunal, and the military, represented by Bi An.

Although the current news was that no one had died, with only one Grand Magus from the Astrology Society seriously injured, the magic that appeared in the Imperial Capital was enough to alert everyone, reminding them of an "old friend."

Several years ago, that "old friend" was also a member of the Seven-Person Council, representing the Academy at a meeting convened by Henry VI.

However, that was before the War of Corruption. The King was severely wounded after the war, and his health deteriorated, leading to the transfer of the power to convene meetings to the current Pope.

No one spoke in the meeting hall. The six people present were waiting for the arrival of the last council representative—the current Dean of the Academy. After the War of Corruption, this elder, over a hundred years old, had to once again take up the mantle of the Seven-Person Council.

Before long, an old man in a white robe walked in, dusty from his travels. His eyes were cloudy, and he appeared even more aged than the last time they met.

"Mr. 'The Hermit,' I hope you bring us some good news."

The Pope's majestic tone kicked off the meeting.

"I'm afraid I will disappoint everyone," the white-haired old man said calmly after taking his seat. "Your concerns are not unfounded. The three Elemental Shaping spells that appeared in the Imperial Capital are highly similar to the spells of... the person you know, with only minor differences in the details."

The Pope looked deeply at the old man. "Are you implying that the Witch is still alive?"

The expressions of several council members varied; this was undoubtedly a dangerous question.

To admit that the Winter Witch was still alive would be tantamount to announcing to the world that the public execution two years ago was a farce staged by the Pope himself.

Since the War of Corruption, many had proposed the possibility that the Winter Witch was still alive, but those individuals were either exiled to the Empire's borders or discovered to be followers of an Evil God, attempting to sow discord and incite public panic.

As for whether they were truly influenced by an Evil God...

The authority to determine faith had always rested with the Holy See.

"She may not be alive, but the person who created these magic scrolls must have been deeply influenced by her. This explains why these scrolls could trigger such a massive ice elemental riot."

"Mr. 'The Hermit,' please elaborate."

The speaker was the representative of the Astrology Society. Judging by her appearance, one would only see a kind old lady with a wrinkled face. She smiled gently, as if unfazed by the seriously injured Grand Magus.

Drawing magic scrolls was not the exclusive domain of Elemental Shapers. In fact, in recent years, Magicians, represented by the Astrology Society, had become the Empire's primary creators of magic scrolls, while Elemental Shaping Magic had gradually fallen out of favor.

The Saint's magic was unique. As a Grand Magus, she yearned to know more details.

"During her tenure at the Academy, that person... you know who I mean, once proposed a theory about the relationship between Elemental Shapers and natural elements."

Upon hearing this, the representative from the Lofik Consortium even took out a notebook and a quill pen. Clearly, the Astrology Society was not the only faction interested in these secrets.

Although a hint of displeasure flashed in the Pope's eyes, he did not interrupt the old man, allowing him to continue.

"This theory proposed an unprecedented concept: 'The resonance between Elemental Shapers and natural elements primarily stems from emotions.' She believed that the existing Elemental Shaping theory was essentially a form of confinement. While it allowed apprentices to quickly master a spell, it severed their potential to resonate with natural elements in the long run."

"Resonance!"

The current president of the Astrology Society struggled to contain her excitement. However, the frequency of her fingers tapping on the conference table increased. She felt she should thank the person who created these magic scrolls, otherwise, it would be difficult for her to learn the secrets of the Academy.

She then asked, "A spell is essentially a command. The method of command damages the relationship between the caster and the natural elements... a very interesting viewpoint. So, does she mean for casters to become friends with the natural elements?"

"Establishing resonance with natural elements and becoming friends is merely the most basic stage of this theory. This entire theory was developed for a final purpose, or rather, her ideal concept."

The Lofik Consortium representative also joined the discussion, eagerly asking, "What concept?"

"The caster, as the element itself."

Instantly, the room fell silent.

Everyone held their breath, processing the immense amount of information.

They all knew what these calm words represented—the secret of Saint-level magic!

They could hardly believe that the old man had so easily shared these profound theories with them. The Lofik Consortium representative shared the same thought as the Noble faction: after this meeting, they would put this theory into practice.

Bi An, however, noticed something and asked, "If that's the case, why didn't the Academy include this theory in its textbooks?"

In the past two years, she had encountered many excellent Elemental Shapers, and they were still using the "old ways."

"Because no one could learn this theory, or rather, this theory could not achieve success in a short period."

That grand teaching reform ultimately ended in failure. "The Academy gave her one semester to promote her theory. After one semester, her students voluntarily abandoned it."

The progress was too slow, so slow it could be described as nonexistent.

Not only that, but they also watched their peers who studied elemental magic excel in various academy activities. In stark contrast, both students and teachers harbored the same question.

Was a Saint necessarily a good teacher?

Perhaps she was just exceptionally talented, capable of developing a theory that no one else could learn but her.

Worse still, even the experienced professors at the Academy could not prove the feasibility of this theory. Their ways of interacting with elements were deeply ingrained.

Even the professors who still believed in the theory ultimately reached a conclusion.

The Elemental Shapers who could learn this theory would only be people from outside the Academy.

And now, that person had appeared.

"This is the secret hidden within those magic scrolls. He didn't record a spell in them; instead, he sent a letter to an Elemental Spirit. Miss Anna tore open the envelope, allowing the Elemental Spirit to see the contents of the letter."

Having said this, the old man paused for a moment before stating the final conclusion of his investigation, "The one battling Mr. Silver Fox was nature itself."

(Please give me a follow-up read! The third round of trial recommendations is more than halfway through, and it's expected to go on shelves in about two weeks. The current plan for explosive updates after going on shelves is as follows: if the first order for this book reaches the 'premium' level (above 3000), I will continue with five updates (over 10,000 characters) for the entire month after it goes on shelves!)

Thank you to Twelve Fingers Hui for the reward of 100 Qidian Coins!

Thank you all for your monthly votes and follow-up reads~