Arcane: Twin Cities Mechanic

Eldred took a careful look around; the room wasn't large, but seven people had already gathered.

They sat at a round table in the center of the room, shaped like a sturdy shield, with one seat left vacant.

Among those present, three faces were strikingly familiar—they were all members of the Shield Council!

The cold voice that had just accused him of being late belonged to none other than Camilla, the diplomat of the Council and the eldest daughter of the Cartet family.

Besides her, the two other council members were Clemence Oma, in charge of land resources, and Newman Zackley, overseeing national law.

The other four belonged to core families of Demacia, though they were weaker in power compared to the Shield Council families.

"Looks like everyone is right on time," Eldred smiled, pulling out his chair and sitting down. "Sorry, my dear wife needed something from me tonight. It delayed me a bit."

Everyone knew, however, that Tiyana and Eldred didn't have a good relationship; it was purely a political marriage. No one took his excuse seriously.

"Hmph, are you trying to get yourself killed? How dare you speak like that in front of His Majesty?" Newman's voice was cold, cutting straight to the point, his gaze carrying a hint of contempt. He found Eldred's false mannerisms particularly detestable.

"If that old fool Harlen hadn't stepped in to save you, the king would have stripped you of your position for that stunt of yours," Clemence added.

"And even if you want to take care of Viscount Mukern as soon as possible, that wasn't the way to do it," Camilla added, clearly unhappy. "He could easily expose all our secrets."

Eldred intertwined his fingers on the table, a faint smile on his lips. "There's no need to worry about that, my dear brothers and sisters.

"His Majesty still trusts me and the Mageseeker Society. He's unsure of how to handle the mage situation, so we still have time," he replied to Newman and Clemence, then turned to Camilla. "As for Viscount Mukern? That's even easier. Tonight, he'll be 'driven to suicide from guilt'—not a word will leave his mouth."

"You would actually kill someone in the Royal Dungeon?" one of the family heads asked, shocked.

"Oh, how could you say that… who's killing anyone?" Eldred replied indifferently. "I told you, he'll 'commit suicide out of fear of interrogation.'"

Camilla narrowed her eyes, staring intently at the white-haired man across from her. "You realize how serious it could be if the Mukern matter isn't handled well?"

"When have I ever disappointed any of you?"

Eldred's gaze swept across the room, noting each person's expression. 

Then, the smile vanished from his face, replaced by a cold, grim demeanor. "The only reason I acted so boldly today was to protect our shared interests."

"That's an amusing way to put it," Newman scoffed. "If putting us all in danger and not following the plan counts as 'shared interests,' then what does?"

Eldred cut him off with a louder voice. "If gathering His Majesty's true thoughts on magic and his future intentions doesn't count as working for our shared interests, then what does?"

"What do you mean?" asked another noble family head, frowning.

Eldred gave him a sidelong, dispassionate glance, then leaned back in his chair. "Exactly what I said."

"We all know His Majesty's stance on magic. He wants magic to return to Demacia. You can see it from… that Morgana."

Clemence interjected, "And besides, he seems keen to draw in Li Lin, who saved the prince, has close ties with him, and even earned praise from Buvelle."

"Tonight, the girl with him used magic in public, and His Majesty wasn't even angry—he didn't seem to care. I don't think this is a good sign."

"That's exactly my point."

Eldred slapped the table, nodding approvingly at Clemence.

"We're aware that His Majesty is considering reforms to the Mage Codex, but he's never shown any real resolve!" 

"You think that with the return of one of the Winged Protectors, the prince bringing back a woman with dragon's blood, and Li Lin bringing a Twilight Aspect to Demacia, he's planning to dismantle centuries of Demacian law?" Camilla challenged him.

"And why not?"

Eldred sat up straighter, locking eyes with Camilla's cold gaze for a long time.

Yet, having only recently taken over her father's position, Camilla was no match for the experienced Eldred. 

In no time, she averted her gaze, her initial firmness softening. "From the way you're talking, you seem to have a solution in mind?"

Eldred bowed his head in thought, his fingers stroking his bare chin.

"As I said before, His Majesty hasn't fully resolved to amend the Mage Codex… but if word of Morgana's return spreads, that could change everything."

"You plan to target Morgana? Are you insane?"

The third noble family head exclaimed, "That's the guardian said to have inherited divine power! Apart from her so-called elder sister, no one in Demacia could possibly stand against her, right?"

A flash of impatience crossed Eldred's eyes.

If they didn't need manpower right now, there was no way he'd work with these four second-rate small families.

"My point is, it's simple for us to prevent the abolition of the Mageseekers and keep the Codex of Magic from being repealed. All we need to do is make the Demacians see the true dangers of magic, isn't that right?"

A cold, emotionless smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I happen to have just the piece for this. He's been imprisoned in the dark dungeons for eight years, and his heart is already filled with hatred for Demacia."

"You can't mean…" Newman's eyes widened in alarm. "That man is our last resort! If we involve him now, our entire plan could fall apart!"

Eldred abruptly rose, his chair scraping against the floor with a harsh, grating sound.

Then he struck the table with a heavy hand, instantly silencing any remaining doubters.

"At this point, do you have a better plan?" Eldred scanned the room. "Or is there anyone here with an alternative?"

The room remained silent.

"It seems you all understand the gravity of the situation."

A fleeting glimmer of disdain crossed his gaze.

"We're all aware of that mage's capabilities; otherwise, he wouldn't be integral to our plan."

"Though his crimes warrant only a life sentence, if we find the right moment to sentence him to death, it will be enough to spark a rebellion in his heart."

"And then, all we need to do is offer him a sliver of hope…"

Eldred spread his hands, clenching his fists before opening them wide.

"Boom—the whole capital will be in an uproar. The mage in the dungeon will lead an assault against the Dauntless Vanguard. Even if his group can't defeat that elite force, our goal will still be achieved."

"But how can we handle his situation?" Camilla felt a lingering unease about the plan. "The mage's prison isn't accessible to just anyone. We can't simply set this up as a coincidence…"

"Who says we can't?"

Eldred turned to glance back at her, then looked away, a cold thought slipping through his mind: "My niece, Luxanna… will make the perfect pawn."

(End of Chapter)

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