Chapter 702: Lack of Interest

"Ehn?"

Veda let out a shocked breath.

For a brief moment, the meeting room fell silent.

The members of the Golden Circle Faction turned their attention towards Ezra, while Prince Charles Aethelmont sat there looking completely shocked.

"I’m not going to be moving around holding up banners, saying, ’Vote for Prince-Four.’ No offense, Prince-Four."

He said plainly, lowering his head towards Prince Charles, who was still trying to process his words.

"I’m quite busy trying to handle my own situation, which would help the faction by reducing the reputation of the other factions if done right."

Ezra said straightforwardly.

He had already explained how his current situation could benefit the Golden Circle Faction.

There was no reason for him to change his plans simply because the discussion had moved towards the First-Year campaign.

He had his own matters to handle, and he intended to focus on them.

Basically...

What Veda could understand from what Ezra was telling him was that Ezra wasn’t going to campaign for anyone.

Veda looked at his friend, trying to make sense of the answer.

He knew Ezra’s personality, at least better than most of the people seated in the meeting room.

Ezra wasn’t someone who would readily change his plans because others expected him to do something.

But Veda had thought that, because Ezra had already made a move to help the faction, he was fully interested in getting involved.

I actually thought Ezra was fully interested in getting involved in the faction.

Veda said to himself in his mind.

He had believed Ezra would be willing to help with the campaign, especially after the way he had approached the earlier problem.

Ezra had already shown that he could come up with a plan that would benefit the faction.

Naturally, Veda had expected that willingness to extend to their other affairs.

Apparently, he had misunderstood.

"Why wouldn’t you help with Prince-Fo... Sorry, I mean Prince Charles Aethelmont’s campaign?"

Chester Kane asked with a displeased tone and expression.

His gaze remained on Ezra.

The young alchemist had just made it clear that he wouldn’t be taking part in the campaign as expected, and Chester didn’t seem pleased with that answer.

"Why are you calling me that?"

Prince Charles stared at Chester, muttering to himself, feeling awkward hearing him almost call him ’Prince-Four’.

"The campaign can easily proceed without me. I will help however I can, but not in the way you are expecting."

Ezra replied flatly.

His plain expression did not change in the slightest.

He wasn’t refusing to help the Golden Circle Faction altogether.

He had simply made a distinction between helping the faction and personally campaigning for Charles.

Whatever assistance he was willing to provide, it wouldn’t be in the form Chester appeared to expect.

"This First-Year, is it because you have achieved something or you think you are something big? Let’s just kick him out..."

Chester Kane said, annoyed.

"Quiet, Chester."

Princess Victoria cut him off almost immediately.

"A... which number is he in that ranking again?"

She leaned towards Claris, asking her question quietly.

Claris replied quietly in her ear.

For a while the two girls stayed close to each other.

Then...

"Yeah, you aren’t even something, and you are talking."

Princess Victoria leaned back in her seat, sitting straight as she pointed her right index finger at Chester.

She spoke straightforwardly.

Chester’s eyes widened.

He didn’t even understand what the Princess meant by ranking.

He was clearly among the Top Hundred Third-Year students, so why was she using a ranking to put him down?

Yet, that was exactly what she had done.

He had been criticizing a First-Year, only for Victoria to turn the discussion towards his own standing.

Whatever number Claris had whispered to her, it had been enough for the Princess to dismiss his complaint without giving him the response he had expected.

It had to be something else.

"Maybe it’s because of his relationship with Vera?"

Bella Ashenlocke suggested, unsure whether that was really the case.

Her attention had shifted from Chester’s complaint to Ezra’s refusal to participate in the campaign.

There was another possibility worth considering, especially given the people involved.

"Now that you mention this, senior, maybe that’s the case. Because, knowing Vera Ashenlocke, she might be expecting him to vote for her."

Starke Drakes said calmly.

The possibility gave the conversation another direction.

Ezra had made it clear that he wouldn’t be campaigning for Charles, but Vera was also among the First Years competing for the position.

If she expected Ezra to vote for her, his decision could become a problem for the faction in a different way.

"And if he doesn’t?"

Prince Aldric asked, clearly enjoying the direction the conversation had taken.

His question brought the attention back to Ezra and Vera.

Aldric seemed interested in hearing what the others thought would happen if Ezra didn’t vote for her.

"Yeahhhhhh... Ezra Ashenlocke, you can relax on the campaign."

A Second-Year Noble boy said warily.

He had considered what a certain Black Flower might do to the faction simply because a certain Black, plain young craftsman had assisted them during the campaign period.

The thought of that danger wasn’t something to dismiss.

Vera’s involvement made the matter more complicated.

The faction had its own plans to carry out, but it also had to consider the consequences of provoking someone who might interfere with those plans.

Ezra’s refusal to campaign for Charles might not be a problem in itself.

The trouble would come if Vera took it personally.

Even Prince Aldric wasn’t in the mood to deal with Vera’s antics.

And, according to the information their spies had obtained from the Royal Crest Faction, it seemed that Vera wasn’t interested in campaigning.

That information made the situation less troublesome, but it didn’t mean they should deliberately provoke her.

"It is best not to provoke that Black Flower."

Aldric said in a serious tone.

His chin rested on his hands again, with his elbows on the table again.

The earlier amusement in his expression had given way to seriousness.

He had listened to the discussion and understood the point the others were making.

There was little reason to create an unnecessary problem when the faction already had a campaign to prepare.

"You guys are just overexaggerating."

Princess Victoria said, her tone coming out unsure.

She didn’t want to look as though Vera was someone she found difficult to handle.

After all, Victoria was a Princess of the Aethelmont Royal Family.

She wasn’t someone who would readily admit that another girl, who is younger than her, was difficult for her to deal with, especially in front of the people gathered in the meeting room.

But in truth...

Vera was the number one person she hated dealing with, apart from some other ladies and gentlemen whom she preferred to avoid.

Victoria’s response did little to change the direction of the discussion.

The others had already considered the matter, and Aldric had made his position clear.

Ezra, meanwhile, had not changed his answer.

He hadn’t agreed to campaign for Charles, nor had he promised to vote for Vera.

He had only stated that he would help the faction in whatever way he could, provided it didn’t interfere with his own plans.

For Ezra, that was enough.

"So, everyone should get to know their duties, as well as write their different strategies. We don’t have much time left, and we need to begin acting as fast as we can. The meeting ends here."

Prince Aldric said calmly, closing the meeting.

Once he finished speaking, everyone nodded in agreement.

The members had their own responsibilities to consider, and the faction couldn’t afford to waste more time discussing matters that had already been settled.

The campaign required preparation, and the First Years who would be helping Charles needed to know what they were expected to do.

Then they began to leave.

The meeting room gradually emptied as the members departed.

The day’s light had begun to fade beyond the windows, and the setting sun cast a warm glow over the Academy grounds.

Ezra left almost immediately, without waiting to speak with the faction members.

He would have followed Veda, but Veda was busy arranging the duties of the First Years who would be helping Prince Charles with his campaign.

As a result, Veda would still be occupied for some time.

Ezra had no reason to wait around.

His own work was waiting for him, and he had already made his position clear during the meeting.

He ordered a Steam Cab to take him all the way to his residence.

Once the cab arrived, he boarded it and settled in for the journey home.

The vehicle soon drove away from the Golden Circle Faction House, carrying him away from the Academy as the daylight continued to fade.

In an open-windowed area of the Golden Circle Faction House...

Princess Victoria Aethelmont watched the Steam Cab driving away.

"He escaped so fast."

She muttered in a low voice, keeping her gaze on the departing vehicle.

"Too bad, but you won’t escape me, Ezra Ashenlocke."

She said with a pleased smirk on her face.

Hours passed, and the sky became fully dark, filled with stars and the light of the moon.

Inside Ezra’s study...

"You got back home late, Master."

Lucy looked at her master, folding her arms.

Ezra had just returned from the Academy and was already unpacking his research documents and assignments.

He placed the papers on the table, sorting through them so that he could get back to work.

"The meeting took longer than I expected. Plus, it’s just 8:20."

Ezra replied calmly without looking at Lucy.

He continued unpacking his documents as though the time wasn’t particularly late.

"So, did they mention, you know what?"

Lucy asked curiously.

She walked gently from the entrance, holding the novel she had been reading while waiting for her master’s arrival.

Her curiosity was clear.

She had waited for her Master to return, and now that he was home, she wanted to know what had happened during the meeting.

"Yes, but it was cleared."

Ezra replied plainly.

"Thank the Scholars, they didn’t give you too much of a headache."

Lucy said with an expression of relief.

Her shoulders relaxed as she heard his answer.

Whatever trouble the matter might have caused, her Master had managed to get through the meeting without it becoming a bigger problem.

"Lady Vera Ashenlocke told me she would love it if you actually got kicked out, so she could drag you into the Royal Crest Faction. She was literally praying for it. Even Mr. Cyrus was the loudest, hoping you would get kicked out."

She said, almost laughing as she spoke.

Ezra paused what he was doing and looked at Lucy.

He could imagine just how they had laughed while wishing for that to happen.

The thought of Vera hoping he would be kicked out, only to drag him into the Royal Crest Faction, was certainly an interesting one.

Cyrus joining her in hoping for the same outcome made the situation even more amusing.

"Funny."

He said plainly without his expression changing before sitting down.

"Let me also continue my own studying."

Lucy said, jumping onto the other chair inside the study.

She raised her novel with a relaxed expression.

A cold fruit drink sat on the table close to her.

She rested her legs on the armrest of the chair and leaned her back against it, settling into a position that suited her.

It was an unnatural posture, especially with the nightgown she wore.

But to her, it was comfortable.

Ezra didn’t bother looking at her.

He had already freshened up and eaten since returning home.

With those matters taken care of, it was time to work before his usual sleeping time arrived.

He still had his assignments to get done before tomorrow, and he wasn’t going to waste the remaining hours of the evening.

He also wanted to cover a review of the research he and Cyrus had studied together.

The study of the Alchemy System and bringing AI, or Artificial Intelligence, into reality.