CHAPTER 193: BRAZEN EXPLOITATION

"So it's fine if I just head there directly?"

Wang Yu was using his magic communication device to consult with Sieg.

"Mm. Generally speaking, the seats in the Elder Council have already been negotiated between the royal family and the nobility before the re-election meeting even takes place. In other words, the meeting is nothing more than a formality."

Sieg's reply arrived quickly and calmly.

"Well, that's fine. I'm sure the royal family isn't very happy with me right now. If I don't attend, they might find fault with the fact that a noble like me is deliberately abstaining from the vote."

Wang Yu thought for a moment and realized that Sieg was likely right. The council seats had to have been assigned in advance. Otherwise, how could those ancient noble houses who had lost their financial strength hold onto their positions on the Elder Council for so long?

After all, nobles were driven by profit. They would hardly play games without gain. They were unfailingly pragmatic—they'd easily sell their ballots for promised benefits.

Those ancient houses would have been hard-pressed to compete against newer ones with solid financial backing.

"Exactly. Although you've already gained decent status and accomplished quite a few things, you barely have any roots in the capital," Sieg continued.

"You're an outsider who's been here for less than a year. Hugin and I can support you in some ways, but you'll have to be careful not to give others anything they can use against you. Consulting me this time was the right move—attending the meeting should help you avoid unnecessary trouble."

Sieg was clearly satisfied that Wang Yu had thought to consult him on the matter.

"Got it. I'll just go through the motions then. I'll throw my vote to Charles's family. The Ryders are an established house—they've definitely secured their seat already. Voting for them won't raise any eyebrows."

Wang Yu smiled slightly, his decision made. He'd just show up and coast through the re-election meeting. The Ryders' standing in the kingdom, thanks to their unique prophetic abilities, was unshakably solid.

"A wise choice." Sieg's text-based response seemed to carry a trace of amusement.

"Yeah, that's basically it. I'll just go and play along—that's what the Professor said to do,"

Wang Yu told Avia as he shrugged.

He had to go, even if just for formality's sake.

"Hm... If even Mr. Sieg says so, then I suppose—I do still feel uneasy. Even though Lady Selene's probe last time didn't uncover anything, I think the royal family still has its eyes on you."

The young woman spoke hesitantly. Logically, she knew that attending the meeting because of its political weight was the safest move. Emotionally, however, she couldn't shake the bad premonition she had.

She finally understood what Wang Yu had meant when he told her to avoid the spotlight after the Academy incident, now that he had stepped onto the stage himself.

The constraints on his behavior were growing visibly by the day.

Avia didn't like what she was seeing at all. She knew Wang Yu hated these kinds of entanglements.

He was far more interested in gaining strength than in playing these twisted games of power. The capital was growing more and more inhospitable by the day.

"Wang Yu—" Avia had just opened her mouth when Wang Yu cut her off.

"It's fine. There's trouble that I can't avoid just by hiding. I don't think the royal family can simply ignore all their rules and act against me directly. The rules they've made can sometimes trap them too."

Wang Yu placed his hand gently on her head. The warmth of his palm calmed her. She knew he was right.

"Let's attend, then. Edward and Charles will be there too. Going together will reduce the chance of any trouble."

Wang Yu smiled, and Avia didn't press the issue any further.

Three days later...

"So, you're planning to vote for our family? That's pretty half-hearted of you, you know. We've basically been guaranteed a seat already. Whether you vote or not won't make a difference."

Wang Yu was sitting in a carriage with Charles and Edward, who also had the right to participate in the vote. They chatted idly as they waited for the royal carriage to reach its destination.

After Wang Yu casually mentioned he'd vote for Charles's family, Charles immediately burst into indignant protest, just as expected.

"I never planned on actually getting involved. You know I don't care about any of this. Voting for the Ryders is the easiest route. No one will question it. It's just about making a statement," Wang Yu replied without much care, not at all bothered by Charles's griping.

"Tch! Do you think I want to be here? I'm voting for the Holheims. They're my family's sworn enemies—or rather, my dad's. I'm casting this vote just to piss him off. What about you, Edward? Join me. Your dad doesn't need the Council to maintain his position anyway."

Charles sneered, expressing his own lack of interest in the whole thing. Then, he tried to rope Edward into voting for his rivals as well.

"Don't drag me into your nonsense. I'm better off voting for your house."

Edward rolled his eyes. Both he and Wang Yu were used to Charles's antics by now. Still, Charles's outrageous behavior often hid some deeper purpose—he was no fool.

In truth, none of the three of them were particularly invested in the meeting.

The carriage made its way through the heavily guarded palace gates. The number of nobles gathered, and the sheer size and power of their entourages, was impressive. Wang Yu could sense four or five grand knights from auras alone—excluding those who were hiding their strength.

The palace was surrounded by royal guards. With so many members of the nobility milling about, a sneak attack would be no joking matter.

Mana pulsed in the air. A massive, tangible magic circle rotated slowly above the palace. Wang Yu could feel countless threads of mana descending from it, wrapping around everyone present. He wasn't sure just what it did, but it certainly wouldn't be a simple effect.

"This way, please..." After they disembarked, a royal attendant led Wang Yu and the others toward the meeting hall.

Inside the grand palace corridors, nobles were chatting everywhere before the upcoming vote.

They all knew this vote likely wouldn't affect who got council seats, but it was still a matter of positioning. A vote was a signal, and alliances were often formed based on those signals.

For most nobles, this meeting was about socializing and finding "partners" for mutually beneficial deals.

Once again, this made Wang Yu feel completely out of place. Along the way, Edward and Charles parted ways with Wang Yu. Nobles of different ranks were seated separately, and they were far above him in terms of position. There was no way a mere viscount like Wang Yu could sit beside them.

Entering the great hall alone, Wang Yu admired the sheer size of the hall in this otherworldly palace, then made his way to his designated seat without pomp or ceremony.

Coincidentally, as he approached, he saw a familiar face: Clement Hahn, heir to the house of Hahn and leader of the Golden Rain Coalition.

Since their talk of alliance had broken down last time, they only exchanged polite nods before moving on.

As he seated himself, Wang Yu ignored the buzzing discussions and negotiations among nobles. Instead, he flipped open a small booklet Avia had given him.

"A Maintenance Manual for the Spellweaver's Tome"—a pamphlet Avia had prepared in case Wang Yu damaged the tome during battle while she wasn't around. Its contents would help him fix minor issues himself.

"Damn, I really suck at this. It's all so complicated..."

Wang Yu frowned as he flipped through its complex alchemical diagrams and intricate component breakdowns. It reminded him of struggling through calculus back in the day—he could sort of understand it, but when it came to actually solving problems, he was hopeless.

"Avia's talent as an alchemist is amazing. Even though I'm lousy at it, I've got to learn at least the basics. Otherwise, I'll never be able to fully use the equipment she gives me."

Though he might lack talent, Wang Yu was definitely willing to work hard and learn. Even though he often had trouble understanding things, he studied what he could with intensity and diligence.

Time passed quickly. By the time Wang Yu had a rough grasp of how to repair the Spellweaver's Tome, the voting assembly had officially begun.

High-ranking nobles sat at the front of the grand hall, while those of lower rank were seated further back in order of their titles. Wang Yu picked a seat near the edge, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, and absentmindedly watched the royal representative take the stage.

"This round of voting may differ from those in the past. Given the debilitating impact of the war against Selwyn, we shall place greater emphasis on the results of this vote. Seats in the Elder Council will be assigned proportionally to the houses that secure the most votes. Please cast your votes carefully.

"In addition, we've added another round to the discussions. Houses seeking representation on the Elder Council may send a speaker to the stage in hopes of gaining greater support."

The royal representative's announcement stirred a wave of discussion among the nobles.

Putting aside whether any of this would affect the supposedly predetermined outcomes, this new round of speeches was certainly a fresh twist.

"In fifteen minutes, noble houses who wish to speak may take the stage in order. Voting will proceed as it has in the past."

With that, the royal representative gave a bow to the audience and stepped down.

The nobles quickly conversed among themselves. This new segment was unfamiliar, but a few were willing to give it a try—after all, there was hardly any downside.

Wang Yu didn't care much about any of it. No matter what was said on stage, all he had to do was cast his vote for the Ryders when the time came—and then leave.

Fifteen minutes passed in the blink of an eye. The royal representative signaled that those who wished to speak could now send someone up.

Some of the powerful nobles seated in the front made no move to act. The vote didn't matter much to them—no matter what, they would have a seat in the Elder Council, so there was no need to bother with a speech.

The first to take the stage was a noble house seated near the middle. They sent a representative to give a general introduction of their strengths, including their financial resources and their role in several key industries of the kingdom.

Honestly, it was fairly convincing—Wang Yu was almost compelled to vote for them. After all, casting a vote could serve as a gesture of goodwill and a symbol of potential alliance. There was no harm in befriending a capable house.

After that, several other mid-ranking houses—not quite ancient lineages, but still respectable—sent representatives to speak as well.

They presented their advantages in a straightforward way and expressed their gratitude and goodwill toward those who might vote for them.

Their speeches received polite applause from the audience. Some nobles began seriously considering giving a vote to houses that actually seemed promising.

Even when the noble houses near the middle were finished, no one from the rear—the minor nobles—stepped forward.

They knew full well that their titles didn't mean much, and they held no real power. The Elder Council seats had nothing to do with them. They were only here to go through the motions.

Silence settled over the hall. Just as Wang Yu thought it was finally time to vote and leave, someone from the rear stood up—someone known to him. It was the leader of the Golden Rain Coalition, Clement Hahn.

Wang Yu turned to look at the heir of the house of Hahn, who was currently only a viscount. Clement seemed to notice the gaze and briefly made eye contact with Wang Yu, flashing a sly smile before turning and heading toward the stage.

Wang Yu frowned. That deliberate glance from Clent made him uneasy. What was that guy planning?

He watched with furrowed brows as Clement began his speech. It started out standard enough—he introduced the Hahn family as a powerhouse in the commercial sector and highlighted their financial prowess. Then he mentioned the Golden Rain Coalition, a group of nobles working together to further their commercial ambitions.

It was a convincing presentation. Many nobles in the audience began to show interest in the Hahns and their trade alliance. Based on what they knew, Clement's claims seemed to hold water.

"Ahem, that concludes the more conventional part of the introduction. Now, I'd like to present a more unique advantage of ours."

Clent cleared his throat, his tone shifting to one that was slightly more formal and serious.

"Our Golden Rain Coalition has established a partnership with Lord Wang Yu—a member of the Nightblades' special ops team, a universal team leader of the Nightblades, who was personally honored and granted a title by His Majesty."

A wave of chatter swept through the nobles below—and all because of three fateful words, "Nightblades' special ops."

Wang Yu narrowed his eyes, glancing at Clement—who seemed to be staring back, intentionally or otherwise. A flicker of anger began to smolder in Wang Yu's chest.

There was no doubt that what Clement said was utter nonsense, but the other nobles wouldn't see it that way. This was blatant exploitation—a shameless name-drop.