The Tear Knight Governor Candidates' Meeting

As evening drew near, Lorenhill arrived at the inner reception hall as arranged by the Governor's Mansion.

No formal council protocol had been adopted here. Only a few attendants and recorders stood guard outside, while tea and several Defense Zone documents were all that had been set out inside.

Lorenhill had initially understood this arrangement to be a private meeting, but upon entering the antechamber, he saw Raymond and High Priest Edwin seated on opposite sides of the long table.

Raymond was tall and broad-shouldered, with short, dark gray hair lying against his temples. Over his Legion uniform, he still wore a short cloak that allowed ease of movement.

He had spent years stationed on the Tear Knight front line. Now serving as the Tear Knight Legion Commander, he was also the candidate nominated by the Legion establishment.

High Priest Edwin wore neatly arranged silver-white clerical robes. His face was lean, and his hands rested folded at the edge of the table.

He coordinated Sacred Affairs in Tear Knight City and the clerical establishment across the Twelve Defense Zones, and had always handled matters with care.

An identical seat had been reserved for Lorenhill on the other side of the long table.

The three seats were equally distant from Yasol's seat at the head, and the items laid before them were identical. Through seating and protocol, the Governor's Mansion had already made its stance clear: the three candidates held equal standing in the succession process, and the Governor favored none of them.

Of course, that was only a matter of appearances. No one knew what Yasol truly thought.

Lorenhill approached the table and first greeted the two men. "Legion Commander Harwin, High Priest Edwin."

Raymond rose and pressed his right fist against his breastplate, returning the greeting with a formal