Chapter 921 - A Full Council

Caelum remained seated across from Trafalgar, his posture as straight and controlled as ever. The office had gone quiet around them, broken only by the faint crackle of the fireplace and the muted sounds of servants moving beyond the closed door.

"The last full Council was a long time ago," Caelum began. "More than two years, in fact. A great deal has happened since then, and until now there has not been a point where all eight seats could properly be represented."

Trafalgar rested one arm against the side of his chair and listened.

"As you know, House Myrrhvale had no recognized head after the death of its previous matriarch," Caelum continued. "Officially, her death was attributed to natural causes."

"We both know that isn't what happened," Trafalgar said. "You don't need to repeat the public version to me. I'll explain what I found in Myrrhvale after we finish this."

Caelum inclined his head. "Understood. Then I will continue from there."

"With Nerith di Myrrhvale formally recognized, every one of the Eight Great Families now has a legitimate head again, whether patriarch or matriarch. That removes the largest obstacle. The Council of Sages also wants the other family heads to meet Lady Nerith officially."

Trafalgar nodded slowly. Nerith had gone from one heir among several to one of the eight people sitting at the highest political table in the world. Even if everyone already knew her name, recognition and acceptance were different things.

"So there isn't some major crisis behind the meeting?"

"Not one that has been announced."

"No disputes between the families? Nothing one of the Eight did to another?"

Caelum's gaze stayed level. "House Vaelion acted against House Morgain."

Trafalgar's expression changed slightly.

"I know. The mine."

"Yes. But we will reach that matter later. It deserves its own discussion."

"Fair enough." Trafalgar leaned back again. "Anything else about the Council itself that I should know before we move on?"

"There is one important difference. This gathering will resemble the older Councils rather than the most recent one."

That immediately gave Trafalgar a clear idea of what Caelum meant.

The first Council he remembered attending after awakening had been enormous. Hundreds of nobles had filled the floating palace, alongside merchants, military figures and envoys from families that stood far below the Eight but still held enough power to matter. The actual Council took place behind closed doors, but everything surrounding it had been an event of its own.

Caelum continued. "The invitations are broad this time. Noble houses from across several territories will attend. Major merchants will be present as well, along with military representatives, guild leaders and other influential figures."

Trafalgar looked toward the window for a moment.

He could already picture the island: marble bridges suspended over open sky, tall spires and glass domes above the clouds, mana-fed gardens and golden halls. Beneath all of it waited an endless drop hidden by white mist. The first time he had seen the place, he had barely been able to believe an entire political center was floating in the sky.

Back then, almost nobody had cared that he was there.

'That definitely isn't going to happen this time.'

"Young Master," Caelum said, "you should expect considerably more attention than you received during your first visit."

"Yeah. Without any doubt."

Trafalgar did not sound pleased, but neither did he sound surprised. Too much had happened since then. His talent was public. He held Euclid. He had fought in wars, become connected to several Great Families, married into House Rosenthal and built a reputation separate from the one attached to the old Trafalgar.

"People are going to approach me," he continued. "Probably a lot of them. There's no point pretending otherwise."

"I would expect a great many."

"It's normal." Trafalgar exhaled quietly. "If that's what I have to deal with, then I'll deal with it. It's not like I can escape hundreds or thousands of nobles by jumping off the side of the island."

Caelum regarded him without any change in expression.

"I strongly advise against doing that."

Caelum moved on. "There is another group likely to draw significant attention. The Council of Sages intends to present members of its elite force publicly during the gathering."

Trafalgar's eyes narrowed slightly. "Why now?"

"Recognition, mostly. Their actions over the last several years have earned them considerable goodwill. There are nobles, merchants and entire territories that owe their safety to people operating under the Council's authority. Allowing them to appear during an event of this scale serves several purposes."

The Council of Sages liked neutrality, but neutrality did not mean invisibility. Showing people the individuals responsible for solving problems that ordinary forces could not handle made sense in a room full of powerful people.

"They'll probably become one of the main attractions, then."

"I am almost certain of it," Caelum replied. "Many people will want to meet them personally. Others will simply want to be seen speaking with them. Their presence will attract attention even with all Eight Great Families gathered in the same place."

"You really think that many people care?"

"Yes, Young Master."

Caelum's answer was immediate enough that Trafalgar accepted it. In a world where monsters, wars and things far worse could erase entire settlements, the people who repeatedly arrived when everyone else failed tended to be remembered.

The conversation settled for a moment.

Trafalgar looked down at the desk, mentally arranging what he had heard. The Council itself did not seem complicated yet. All Eight. Nerith's first appearance as matriarch. Nobles and merchants everywhere. Vaelion waiting somewhere in the middle of it all. And before any of that, Valttair wanted to speak with him privately.

'There'll be more.'

Caelum studied him for another second before changing subjects.

"If you permit me, Young Master, I would like to ask about Myrrhvale now."

Trafalgar looked up.

"Through the Shadowlink Echo, you told me several times that too much had happened to explain properly from a distance. You also said it would be better to discuss everything face to face."

"Yeah. It was."

Caelum waited.

Trafalgar leaned forward and rested his forearms against the desk. For the first time since the conversation about the Council began, his expression became completely serious.

"A lot happened in Myrrhvale."

"I assumed so."

Trafalgar's eyes remained on Caelum.

"Let's start with the main thing."