Fire Mage

"Hmm, does that mean entering the Destiny Tower is impossible?" A frown crept across Charles's face.

Taking control of the world isn't easy. Countless causalities would unfold if war breaks out.

More importantly, the Iron Kingdom was nothing more than a third-rate nation—its army small, its Mystics fewer still.

"Also, we can't invade another kingdom without providing a valid reason to the United Council. Even then, it wouldn't be justified. If we ignite a war, every Kingdom, Empire, and Church would unite against us." His voice lowered with conviction. "I've heard stories about that Council—made up of the top powerhouses of this world. Starting a war without cause would be suicide."

Runeth nodded in agreement.

"You're right. Unlike Easica World, where I came from, this world has enjoyed peace for a long time. I heard even the Iron Kingdom's recent civil war caused an uproar in the last Council meeting." He paused before continuing, his expression turning grim.

"But that peaceful era is over, isn't it? Ever since the disaster two years ago, battles have erupted all over the world. Millions have died. From what you've uncovered about the Edhen's Children organization, there's clearly a reason the Doomsday Avatars are seizing control of small kingdoms. No one has noticed it yet, but chaos is brewing beneath the surface."

Rhea, who had been silently listening, finally spoke up.

"I have no intention of invading other kingdoms, Mr. Runeth. And my ancestor never wanted full control of the kingdoms—only the Churches, right? After recent events, the Kingdoms and Empires are furious at the Churches. Most have stopped relying on them. If the Churches were still as powerful as before, this would be impossible." Her eyes sharpened. "But now, they're at their weakest. Even the Pope of the Twilight Church was gravely injured in an ambush by two 'Undying Princes' members. If we act now, we can remove most of the Church council members, create a divide, and fracture the United Council itself. Once the Churches are isolated, we can spark conflict from within and bring them down, one by one."

Charles's eyes widened.

"Creating a rift in the Council, huh?" He nodded thoughtfully. "In that case, we'll need to make bold moves. We'll also need allies."

"That part's easier than you think," Jessie chimed in. "The Rogue Throne, Azure Federation, and Blood Empire already have a loose alliance. They've opposed the Churches in Council for years. From what I've heard, they're even planning to elect a new Council Leader during the upcoming session. Rumors say a young leader might replace the current one. It's mostly a symbolic title, but still carries significant influence."

She glanced at Rhea.

"If we use a certain prophecy from a Seer of the Rogue Throne wisely, the three Empires might back Rhea as the next leader."

"Another prophecy?" Charles raised an eyebrow and turned to Rhea, studying her closely.

She's the weakest among us, yet her influence keeps growing.

Jessie nodded.

"It was spoken by a powerful Seer named Rory from the Rogue Throne. She's one of the Seven Champions of the World and played a key role in the last planar war. Her prophecies have about a 90% accuracy rate." Jessie paused before adding, "She's also a Council member—highly respected, with strong influence among the independents."

Charles furrowed his brow.

This United Council may be far more powerful than I thought.

It's more like a world parliament. And if that's the case, its leader isn't a puppet—it's a position of real power.

"Jessie, tell me more about this Council. When will it convene? Who are its main members? What's its real purpose?"

Jessie nodded and shared everything she'd gathered.

"The Lawful United Council was formed over 6,000 years ago, Mr. Charles. I don't know the exact date, but it was shortly after the First Arcane Era. At the time, it was just a loose alliance between three major human empires: the Molan Empire, the Holy Empire, and the Star Empire. But then, the Star Empire vanished within months. In its wake rose smaller kingdoms like Iron, Moon, Arc, Ember, and Hearth."

She continued with growing clarity.

"I found records in the Iron Kingdom's Royal Library. The Boneflare Family was once a noble household in the Star Empire. But after the Empire's fall and the death of the Star Emperor, a few influential houses rose as independent rulers. The Molan Empire later split into the Azure Federation and Rogue Throne. The Blood Empire? It used to be a small kingdom. It became an empire by absorbing half the Star Empire's territory."

"So, the Holy Empire evolved into the Sacred Empire," Charles mused aloud.

"Exactly. But even after the Lawful Alliance was formed, small wars kept happening. Churches used the chaos for personal gain. The so-called peace? It was a façade. Civil wars raged beneath the surface. That all changed with the last Planar War," Jessie said, her tone solemn.

"Around 400 years ago, the Sun Church emerged and solidified its power. The Sun God intervened and restructured the Lawful Alliance, renaming it the United Council. Before then, each Kingdom or Empire could only send one representative. But the new Council had 510 seats. The Iron Kingdom holds eleven. Empires like the Azure Federation have sixty to seventy."

"In this Council, even Church members and influential organizations can hold seats."

At that moment, Noel cleared his throat.

"I heard even the 'Unseen Legends' have two seats."

"Oh? So there's an election process too?" Charles asked.

"Yes, Mr. Charles," Jessie confirmed. "And if we can convince the three powerful Empires, we'll have around 200 votes. Bribe a few organizations and individuals, and we might just win."

Runeth chuckled at her bold thinking.

"You think the Emperors will support Rhea just because of a prophecy? They're all Demigod-level powerhouses. Stubborn, proud, and used to complete control. Even if Charles and I approached them and displayed our full strength, they wouldn't listen. As they grow older, they grow more rigid. I do the same sometimes—make foolish decisions out of pride."

He looked at Charles.

"Gather intel on every one of the 500+ Council members. Give it to him. He'll take it from there."

He's right, Charles thought. I only considered our side—never how an Emperor would see things. From their eyes, Rhea and the rest of us are just children. We're not even Legend Rank Mystics yet.

Jessie gave a forced smile and nodded.

"Don't worry too much about it," Charles said, turning his gaze to the Destiny Tower. Then he looked at Rhea.

"Rhea, summon your most trusted knights. Have them guard this place until our true goal is within reach. Also, tell them not to harm any of those unique beings in the nearby forest."

With that, he tapped into his wisdom power and began to rise into the air.

"We're returning to the Tower of Rebirth. It's time to focus on strengthening ourselves."

"Well, we can only take things slowly from now on," Runeth said with a nod. He then rose into the air and flew toward the Rebirth Tower.

Meanwhile, Rhea and the others remained in the Griffon Territory, focusing on maintaining law and order.

The first major event was the execution date for the traitors of the Iron Kingdom.

Within a week, the Griffon Family Head, Andy, along with the Elders and all allied family heads, were transported to Iron City and put on trial. Rhea's orders were carried out discreetly. The Royal Knights confiscated the Griffon and other traitorous families' lands and wealth and exiled them.

While Rhea suppressed rebellious groups, Charles and Runeth returned to the Tower of Rebirth to focus on strengthening themselves.

Runeth secluded himself in the underground basement, while Charles returned to his residence in the 24th Layer.

He sat on the sofa in the reception room, his expression calm but thoughtful.

"I've more or less reached the peak of Legend Rank in my Main Class. I could break through to the next realm at any moment..." he muttered. But he knew better.

"Without a Class Gem, it's almost impossible to advance," he admitted. There might be potions that could help, but in Edhen World, such resources were virtually unattainable.