As the autumn wind grew increasingly bitter, seven days passed in the blink of an eye amid the chill spreading through the Imperial Capital.
Over those seven days, after talking Conrad into joining his side, John completed his plan to recruit potential party members. He made no unnecessary moves, maintaining his routine of teaching Lothar command techniques in the morning, visiting the Mage Soldier training camp in the afternoon to check on the selection progress for the 303rd Division's reserve members, and attending dinner invitations from the Reformist Faction, small neutral forces, newly risen noble families, and chambers of commerce in the evening, all while trying to find more people worth recruiting through those political exchanges.
After returning to the hotel late at night, aside from getting the necessary rest, he also squeezed out one or two hours to read magecraft books, attempting to further familiarize himself with and master his own power.
As for the invitation the First Princess Ailafia had extended at the victory banquet, he had thrown it straight to the back of his mind. From beginning to end, he had never considered going to Mirror Spring Manor to meet that exceptionally troublesome Rose Witch.
After all, even though he had recovered the Sealing Casket and officially regained his combat strength, the gaps in his memories meant that, even now, he did not know what kind of deal the original owner of this body had made with that troublesome being. Going there rashly would bring him no benefit beyond exposing his own information and weaknesses.
Therefore, even though he knew breaking the appointment would only make the Rose Witch take notice of him, John could only do so.
Still, judging from the attitude she had displayed at the victory banquet, the cooperation between her and the original