Chapter 193: Flagrant Exploitation

"Is it alright if I simply go?"

Wang Yu was in contact with Sieg via the magic communication device, seeking the counsel of this seasoned veteran.

"Well, generally speaking, the seats for the Council of Elders are negotiated and confirmed between the Royal Family and the nobility long before this re-election meeting is even convened. In other words, this so-called re-election meeting is merely a formality."

Sieg’s reply arrived promptly, coolly and objectively laying bare the true nature of the proceedings.

"That’s a relief. The Royal Family has some grievances against me, and if I don't show up, they might seize the opportunity to interrogate me for failing to participate in the vote despite my status as a noble."

Wang Yu pondered for a moment and realized that Shuguin was likely correct; the seats were probably already spoken for. Otherwise, how could those families with nothing but ancient history and no corresponding wealth manage to hold their seats for so many years?

Nobles are driven by profit; these greedy individuals do not waste time on trifles. They are the most pragmatic of people, and they know perfectly well whose vote will serve their interests.

Those so-called ancient houses struggle to compete with the rising noble families who wield wealth as their primary advantage.

"Indeed, your assessment is correct. While you have attained a respectable position and achieved some merit, your foundations in the Royal City remain shallow.

"As an outsider who has been here for less than a year, Shuguin and I can support you in certain respects, but you must be careful not to give anyone a handle to use against you. Consulting me was the right move; choosing to participate will likely spare you some unnecessary trouble."

Sieg’s steady response continued through the communicator. He seemed quite pleased that Wang Yu had thought to seek his advice on this matter.

"Understood. Then I shall go and play the part. I’ll just cast my vote for Charles’s family. After all, the Reid family is a true old-guard house; their seat is guaranteed, so casting my vote for them shouldn't cause any issues."

Wang Yu smiled slightly, his decision made. He would simply coast through the meeting, casting his vote for the Reid family—whose position in the kingdom was unshakable due to their unique gift of prophecy—which would be perfectly acceptable.

"A wise choice." Sieg’s text-only reply carried a hint of a smile.

...

"Yes, that’s about the situation. I’ll just go and drift through it, as the Professor suggested."

Wang Yu spread his hands, relaying the outcome of his conversation with Sieg to Avia.

He should go; it was just a formality.

"Well... since Mr. Sieg has said as much, there shouldn't be any problem. But I have a lingering worry. Although Lady Celine’s probe last time didn't yield any results, the Royal Family must still have their eyes on you."

The girl’s words were hesitant. Reason told her that Wang Yu’s plan to drift through this meeting—which was so closely tied to the kingdom’s power—was the best choice, but her intuition gave her an uncomfortable premonition.

She finally understood what Wang Yu meant when he said he had "stepped onto the stage" after telling her to avoid public scrutiny following the academy incident.

As Wang Yu, a free-spirited outsider, entered the view of various factions, the constraints placed upon him were visibly increasing.

This left the girl feeling unsettled. She knew how much Wang Yu loathed these petty entanglements.

By contrast, Wang Yu’s interest in increasing his strength far outweighed his desire to participate in these messy power struggles. The Royal City seemed less and less like a good place for them to stay.

"Wang..." Avia thought of something she wanted to say, but she was interrupted halfway through.

"It’s fine. Some troubles cannot be avoided by hiding. I don't believe the Royal Family can simply ignore their own web of rules to strike at me. The very rules they set often end up trapping them as well."

Wang Yu placed his hand on Avia’s head and stroked it gently. The warmth from his palm calmed her lingering unease. She understood that Wang Yu was right.

"I’ll go and attend. Edward and Charles will be there too; the chance of encountering trouble is even smaller if we go together."

Wang Yu said with a smile, and Avia did not try to dissuade him further.

Three days later...

"So, you intend to vote for our family? That’s really quite casual of you. Our seat is already set in stone; it doesn't really matter if you vote or not."

Wang Yu sat in a carriage with Charles and Edward, who were also eligible to attend. The three chatted while waiting for the carriage provided by the Royal Family—which was responsible for transporting the eligible nobles to the palace—to reach its destination.

When Wang Yu mentioned his plan to simply coast through the meeting and cast a meaningless vote for their family, Charles, as expected, began to clamor.

"I never intended to participate in the first place. You know I have no interest in this. Voting for the Reid family is the simplest approach; no one can find fault with it. It’s just a matter of showing a stance." Wang Yu ignored Charles’s rambling and explained casually.

"Pfft, as if anyone wants to be here. I have to cast this vote for the Holheim family. They are our family’s arch-rivals—or rather, my old man’s arch-rivals. I have to cast this vote just to annoy my father. How about it, Edward? You should vote too. Your father’s position doesn't need this pathetic Council of Elders to guarantee it anyway."

Charles curled his lip in disdain, expressing his own indifference toward the re-election meeting, mirroring Wang Yu’s attitude.

He also revealed his true purpose for coming: to irritate his father and urge Edward to vote for his family’s rival.

"Don't drag me into your foolishness. I’m better off voting for your family."

Edward rolled his eyes. Both he and Wang Yu were accustomed to Charles’s erratic behavior, though usually, hidden within Charles’s antics was a cunning purpose.

In truth, none of the three had any interest in the meeting.

The carriage drove on, entering the heavily guarded palace. The gathering of so many nobles and their numerous guards made the combat power present quite staggering. Wang Yu could sense four or five Great Knights just from those visible, not counting those who were hidden.

The palace was surrounded by a large number of soldiers. With such a massive gathering of nobles, any attack would be no laughing matter.

Magic fluctuations lingered in the air, and the materialized magic circle atop the palace rotated slowly. Wang Yu could feel countless threads of magic descending from it, covering everyone present. Though he didn't know its function, it was clearly no simple device.

"This way, please..." After disembarking, royal attendants led Wang Yu and the others toward the meeting hall.

Inside the opulent and grand palace corridors, numerous nobles walked about, chatting and communicating their thoughts on the upcoming vote.

They naturally knew that this meeting was likely just a formality and that the vote would not determine the ownership of the Council seats. However, the vote was a matter of stance; many signals of alliance were given through that single vote.

Thus, for most nobles, the greatest significance of this meeting was socializing and finding "partners" and allies for mutual benefit.

This once again made Wang Yu feel out of place. Midway, Edward and Charles parted ways with him; nobles of different ranks were directed to different seating areas.

Edward and Charles held special status and could not possibly sit with a minor Viscount like Wang Yu.

Walking alone into the auditorium where the assembly was held, Wang Yu marveled briefly at the immense scale of the palace hall before walking to the area corresponding to his rank and sitting down casually.

Coincidentally, as he approached his seat, he spotted an acquaintance: the leader of the Golden Rain Merchant Alliance and the next successor of the Hahn family, Klant Hahn.

The previous attempt at an alliance had failed, so upon seeing each other, both parties merely nodded politely before moving on.

Sitting in his seat, Wang Yu ignored the happenings around him—the gossip among the nobles and the discussions of alliances. He simply flipped through the small booklet Avia had given him.

*The Spellweaver’s Handbook: Maintenance Guide*—a manual Avia had prepared in case Wang Yu damaged the Spellweaver’s Book while she was not around. The contents were sufficient for Wang Yu to troubleshoot minor issues.

"Damn it, I’m really not good at this. It’s so difficult..."

Wang Yu stared at the complex alchemical diagrams and the construction of various components, feeling troubled. It was like being back in his advanced mathematics classes; it wasn't that he couldn't understand it at all, but when it came to solving the problems, he was completely lost.

"Avia’s talent for alchemy is truly remarkable. Even though I’m a clumsy alchemist, I must learn the basics so I can truly master the equipment she gives me."

Wang Yu had one redeeming quality: even if his talent was sometimes lacking, he was absolutely willing to work hard and learn. Though it was difficult to grasp, he studied it with great earnestness.

Focusing on a task made time pass quickly. By the time Wang Yu had roughly grasped the methods for repairing the Spellweaver’s Book, the re-election meeting had officially begun.

High-ranking nobles sat at the front of the auditorium, while those of lower rank were arranged behind them according to their titles. Wang Yu chose a seat on the edge to remain inconspicuous, distractedly watching the royal representative take the stage to speak.

"This re-election meeting may differ slightly from previous ones. Considering the impact the war with Seovintan has had on our kingdom, we will place greater respect on the results of this vote. The seats of the Council of Elders will lean more toward families with more votes. Please cast your ballots with caution."

"Furthermore, an additional segment has been added to this vote. Families seeking a seat on the Council may send a representative to the stage to describe their advantages, thereby gaining more support."

The royal representative’s words sparked a discussion below. This meeting seemed to have significant procedural differences from the previous ones.

Setting aside whether the shift toward favoring higher vote counts would affect the pre-determined seats, this segment for showcasing advantages was indeed new.

"Please prepare yourselves. In fifteen minutes, families who wish to do so may present their advantages in order from front to back. Afterward, the voting will proceed in the previous format."

The royal representative bowed to everyone and retreated behind the scenes.

The nobles below began to deliberate. This new segment was unfamiliar to them, though some intended to go up and try it; there was nothing to lose, after all.

Wang Yu didn't care much. Regardless of what was said on stage, his plan remained: cast his vote for the Reid family when the time came, and then leave.

Fifteen minutes passed in the blink of an eye. The royal representative signaled that families wishing to speak could now send their representatives to the stage.

The high-ranking nobles in the front remained motionless. The votes had little impact on them; they were guaranteed a seat on the Council regardless, so there was no need to go up and make a speech.

The first to take the podium was a family seated near the center, their representative outlining the clan’s strengths, emphasizing their vast wealth and pivotal influence over the kingdom’s key industries.

To be frank, their presentation was compelling enough to warrant a vote; after all, a vote served as a signal of goodwill and alliance, and there was no harm in befriending a family of such formidable stature.

Following them, several other families from the middle ranks—not quite the old guard, yet possessing respectable strength—sent representatives to address the assembly.

They spoke with practiced ease, detailing their own advantages while expressing gratitude and promising future favor to those who might cast a vote in their direction.

Each received applause from the floor, and indeed, some nobles, having weighed these introductions against intelligence gathered beforehand, began to consider casting their ballots for the families that seemed to hold genuine promise.

Once the families from the middle section had finished, the smaller houses and minor nobles from the rear remained seated, offering no further speakers.

They were well aware that for those of their negligible rank and lack of political leverage, a seat on the Council of Elders was a pipe dream; they were merely here to go through the motions.

A long silence settled over the hall, and just as Wang Yu began to think he might finally cast his vote and depart, a familiar figure from the back rows rose to take the floor: Klant Hahn, the leader of the Golden Rain Merchant Alliance.

Wang Yu turned his gaze toward the man, a family heir who currently held only the title of Viscount. Klant seemed to notice the attention, turning to exchange a brief, knowing glance with Wang Yu, a sly smile playing on his lips before he turned to ascend the stage.

Wang Yu furrowed his brow; the deliberate way Klant had looked at him felt wrong. What was this man planning?

He watched with a scowl as Klant began his address, delivering a standard introduction that highlighted the Hahn family’s dominance in commerce and showcased their wealth, while also bringing up the Golden Rain Merchant Alliance—a coalition of families united by their business interests.

These persuasive points piqued the interest of many nobles in the audience, as their own intelligence confirmed that Klant’s claims were, in fact, entirely accurate.

"Ahem, those were merely the conventional introductions; now, I shall speak of our more unique advantage."

Having exhausted the usual talking points, Klant cleared his throat, appearing to prepare for a revelation of great gravity.

"Our Golden Rain Merchant Alliance has entered into a cooperative partnership with a member of the Night’s Edge special operations team, a captain of the Night’s Edge, and a gentleman personally commended and ennobled by His Majesty: Lord Wang Yu."

As the words fell, the nobles below erupted into murmurs, not for any other reason than the four syllables that made up "Night’s Edge."

"Tsk, what is he playing at..." Wang Yu narrowed his eyes, staring at Klant, who seemed to be casting glances in his direction with calculated intent, a flicker of irritation beginning to burn within him.

His claim was, without a doubt, utter nonsense, but the other nobles would not see it that way; this was, quite brazenly, an exploitation of his name.