***
In the Imperial Court, the council was obviously the first to hear about everything. Everyone was pale and gloomy. A depressing mood hung inside the meeting chambers. There was even a sliver of fear in their eyes.
"What should we do?" someone panicked. "The Imperial Princesses are clearly wary of us."
"Their actions in the Yunyun Stronghold show how far they're willing to go," another added. "We cannot let them inherit the throne!"
"That's why we've tweaked the news to the public, right? Isn't that enough?"
Someone snorted. "We're not concerned about the princesses in the slightest. The problem is that giant behind them… the Li Family!"
"You're right. They're just a proxy for the Li Family to gain control of the empire. What a devious hand to play by Imperian Qiang!"
The scene was quite interesting. Many of the ministers were either descendants or subordinates to three of the Four Great Nobility Families, such as the Shui, Jian, and Jun Families. There were, however, none from the Li Family. This was an intentional act by Qiang Li to show his willingness to cooperate with the empire, rather than control it. It was an act of respect to the Imperial Family! Unfortunately, this worked against the Li Family at this time. Without a place on the council, they had no say. The ministers were ambitious. They did not what the Li Family to overshadow them. That was human nature!
"The Li Family is a titan. It's obvious that a civil war is in our future. We need to unite the three Great Nobility Families together against them!"
"Agreed!"
"An excellent idea!"
"We cannot let the Li Family prevail!"
"What do the patriarchs think of this?" someone nervously asked.
"The Jun Family will agree with this alliance!" the Minister of the Military, Keigon Jun, the patriarch of the Jun Family, declared quickly. Many smiled. As the leader of the empire's armed forces, his words naturally had immense sway.
Prime Minister Pon-Wai was contemplative but nodded soon after. "I must discuss this with the family head, but I don't believe there'll be an issue. The Jian Family will also agree."
Everyone turned to the last person who sat in an inconspicuous seat at the table. Surprisingly, it was the patriarch of the Shui Family, Minister Daiyuu Shui! Some ministers' eyes were poisoned with disdain, but all was skillfully hidden. It was expected though. Minister Keigon and the Prime Minister held prominent positions on the council, as befitting their authority in the nobility families. Even the absent Minister Linshi had occupied the seat beside the Prime Minister! What did that mean? It meant that Daiyuu was lower than Linshi! A table's seating order represented more than what was shown!
Daiyuu was troubled. If possible, he would rather excuse himself from unnecessary trouble. He was a meek and unambitious person at heart. Furthermore, his daughter was engaged to Qiang Li! By agreeing to the alliance, was that not openly severing all ties with the Li Family? However, that was exactly what the schemers on the council wanted. If they could force Daiyuu to make his stance right now, it would thoroughly put the Shui Family in their camp. By then, no amount of begging could repair their relationship. In their minds, Daiyuu was a dangerous wild card!
"I…" he hesitated. He did not want to ruin his daughter's happiness and there was also his son, Tai, to worry about, but soon he sighed. "The Shui Family agrees with this as well."
***
Firecast, the capital city of the Zino Kingdom in the Cenova Region of Aereon, was known as the most beautiful city in the world. Nestled in a valley which overflowed with vitality as a waterfall flowed through, it was extraordinarily vibrant and colorful. A massive towering tree anchored the city at the center, shooting straight for the stars. Its all-encompassing canopy covered most of the valley in shade. If Elizabeth was present, she would discover it was the same tree as the one from New Havens. In other words, it was an Asaparagon Tree! As the nexus of World Energy, it symbolized life! This was why the valley was blooming in a myriad of flora! Arcanists would also experience their spells undergo a qualitative transformation near so much World Energy! This was practically a holy ground for studying Arcania!
Twisting around the tree trunk was an elaborate structure, as if a dragon reaching for the sky! The series of intricately built structures formed the core of the Zino Kingdom's government. Near the top was the Palace of Fire and the Celestial Court of Magic, which housed the true powerhouses of the Zino Kingdom, such as the Conquestian and the Three Sages. In the twilight hours, the light would reflect just right across the palace and court, giving it the heavenly visage of a dragon! This gave Firecast the nickname of the Dragon's Nest! People dreamed of travelling across the world to visit Firecast to experience the gorgeous scenery!
In a secluded room of the Celestial Court of Magic, two figures were sat at a round table with three chairs. A chair on an elevated platform overlooked the table, but it was vacant. Overall, it was quiet, but the two occupants were anything but ordinary. The first was an elderly man with white hair and a scholarly appearance. He wore a uniform like the Ten Dawn's azure robe but lifted to another level. There were more complex designs and an air of loftiness was evident. His eyes reflected the experience of decades of rulership. The second was an elderly woman, around the same age and attire as the man, with the sole exception of her crippled legs. This forced her to use a wheelchair to maneuver around. Officially, the man was the First Sage, Sage Pannark Winhelm, and the woman was the Second Sage, Sage Alana Lanark!
The Three Sages was an administrative body second to the Conquestian himself. It acted as a parallel to the Royal Assembly or the Imperial Council, but its power was much more concentrated. The sages had the power to enact any decision across the Zino Kingdom, if all three agreed on the motion. They acted as the rulers whenever the Conquestian was absent! Directly underneath them was the Celestial Council of Magic, which was divided into two groups: the Ten Dawns and the Ten Auroras. Together, they formed the core of the government!
"Honestly, what was Lord Korogin doing? This wasn't part of the plan! We even sent him Nassandra and Tengon. How did he mess up something so simple?" Alana clicked her tongue in disgust.
Reading the report, Pannark frowned. "Our plans must have been leaked to the empire. That means there's a spy in the Royal Assembly."
"It was our mistake for trusting Lord Korogin in the first place! We shouldn't have agreed to his ludicrous plans. I hear he forced the two to perform Torrential Blizzard twice. What a fool!"
"Don't worry. We're still not sure if its been inherited yet. Why not stir the pot a little?" the First Sage said. "In the meantime, we should deal with Nassandra and Tengon's injuries. Should we send Iris and Krogan?"
"That's fine. They're on standby anyways," the Second Sage waved her hand. "More importantly, we should talk about this Princess Elizabeth! Who is this person and where did she come from?"
Out of the three civilizations, the Zino Kingdom was the most in the dark about the situation surrounding Elizabeth. However, Elizabeth's involvement in the death of Emperor Lianghu propelled her into the limelight. Now, everyone knew her as the heir apparent and the emperor's killer!
"We need to know why she's a Ten-Dawn level power," she hissed.
The First Sage pondered a bit more. "It looks like if anyone has the answers, it would be the Alzar Kingdom. Queen Bethnal and the Royal Assembly should know a thing or two. Perhaps I have to make a visit to Algard."
"Shouldn't we discuss this with the Conquestian?"
He shook his head. "There's no need. He is in secluded training for High Condensed Drop Core Level. We shouldn't disturb him unless absolutely necessary. For now, we should call a meeting with the council and decide on our next course of action!"