The Table of Truth
Three days later, I visited the Imperial Magic Tower in time for the start of the congress.
During the carriage ride, Lunia looked at me with a worried expression, likely thinking about what had happened last night.
"Don't worry. It was just a brief lecture."
When I reassured her, she looked visibly relieved.
Before long, we arrived at the Imperial Magic Tower.
The interior was as lavish as its exterior was imposing, but the most surprising part was its sheer scale—the inside was absurdly larger than it appeared from the outside.
"Spatial expansion magic," Stern explained, noticing my intrigued expression.
"The structure is far wider on the inside than it looks from the outside. It's a highly advanced spell that twists and connects space."
I silently understood.
A similar magic had been applied to Lunia's rebel barracks. From the outside, it looked like a single shabby tent, but it had enough space to fit a dozen people.
"Hey, Raygan. This is your first time here, isn't it? I've been here three times already. I guess a country bumpkin like you would find it fascinating. Why don't you close your mouth before you start drooling?"
Arno sneered, assuming my looking around was because I was overwhelmed by the tower's grandeur. But my mind was elsewhere.
...Demian Carius.
The headquarters of the Imperial Magic Academy was located within the Imperial Magic Tower. In other words, this was the home turf of the Archduke of Demonic Magic. Since the prestigious House Benheim was visiting, that bastard—the Chief Investigator of the Academy—would surely make an appearance.
Sure enough, as we walked further down the inner corridor, high-ranking mages of the Imperial Magic Academy greeted us with utmost hospitality.
It was a moment that made me truly realize the absolute authority House Benheim held in the magic world.
"We meet again, young Raygan."
Standing at the head of the crowd was the Chief Investigator, Demian Carius.
He offered me a hand with a genial smile.
I reluctantly took his hand.
"Your grip is quite strong. Do you work out?"
"...Just a hobby, I suppose."
I smiled back, trying to look as innocent as possible.
I didn't know how my eyes looked to him, but Demian's red eyes curved into crescents as if he found my reaction amusing.
"Are you also attending this congress, Lord Demian?"
"Of course. I will be representing the Imperial Magic Academy on behalf of the President. Naturally, I have the right to speak as well."
Is this how he toyed with the Great Magic Alliance in my past life as well?
I could clearly picture how he must have expanded his forces, hiding behind the authority of the imperial family while blinding and deafening the mages.
Anger flared deep inside me, but I didn't let it show.
Afterward, we were guided to the congress hall.
It was a massive circular chamber. The mages apparently called this place the Round Table of Truth.
"Raygan, I'm sorry, but you'll have to sit over here."
Since House Benheim had convened this congress, we occupied the very center of the seating arrangement.
However, because I was merely a low-ranking son-in-law and not of direct bloodline, I was seated on the outer edge of the hall. Lunia pouted in disappointment, but for me, this was actually preferable.
From here, I could observe everyone at a glance—most importantly, the high seat where Demian would be sitting.
"You've arrived before us, Duke Benheim."
Soon, the doors to the congress hall opened, and the mages of the Lucen Count family arrived.
Caiden Lucen...
My eyes locked onto Petra Lucen, the red-haired woman following behind Caiden.
Her condition seemed more stable than when we had crossed paths at the station three days ago.
But it was merely a temporary fix. House Lucen probably took some measures because they didn't want to become the subject of gossip at the congress.
Regardless, House Lucen was one of the families I needed to keep a close eye on during this congress. If they dropped any clues, I couldn't afford to miss them.
"My, I haven't seen your face before."
At that moment, someone spoke to me. Turning my head, I saw a woman with her brown hair tied up, looking at me with curiosity.
...A mage?
Judging by the mana radiating from her body, she was at the entry level of the 6th circle. While not an exceptionally high realm, it was a remarkable achievement considering she looked to be in her thirties at most.
However, her attire was unusual. Instead of the typical robes worn by mages, she wore a shirt with rolled-up sleeves and suspenders. It looked more like work clothes.
"Ah, don't tell me you're that rumored new son-in-law of House Benheim?"
The woman's eyes sparkled as she looked at the Benheim crest pinned to my formal uniform.
Before I could even answer, she grabbed my wrist. Since I felt no hostility from her, I could have easily dodged, but not knowing who she was, I decided to stay still for now.
"These gloves."
The woman rubbed the leather gloves on my hands and asked,
"Uncle Valen should have had these. Did you inherit them?"
I frowned. It seemed this woman was well-acquainted with the gloves I had received from Valen.
"Do you know about these gloves?"
"Oh, stop joking. They were made in Arkamen. How could I, the head of the family, not know about them?"
"..."
For a moment, I wondered if I had misheard.
But the woman had clearly referred to herself as the head of the family.
Perhaps my bewilderment showed on my face. She burst into laughter and slapped my back.
"Ahaha! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Iline Arkamen. As I just said, I'm the head of the Arkamen family. You didn't expect me to be this young, did you?"
"...Can I answer honestly?"
"Of course."
"Yes."
Iline chuckled at my reply.
It was a fresh shock to me. I had thought Caiden Lucen, who was in his forties, was exceptionally young for a family head, but to think there was a family head ten years younger than him.
"Is it shocking to see a thirty-three-year-old big sister acting like a family head? Do I look a bit ridiculous to you?"
"It's not like that."
"Oh, please. It's written all over your face."
Iline asked with a mischievous smile,
"What's your name, kid?"
"Raygan."
"Mhm, Raygan. That's a nice name."
Iline slung her arm around my neck as if we were close friends. Then, she pointed toward the seats occupied by House Arkamen, where several heavily bearded old men were sitting.
"To be honest, I didn't want to be the family head either. Those old geezers over there forced it on me. In the first place, Arkamen isn't really a traditional magic family; we're more like a gathering of engineers. A merchant guild of sorts? A family business bound by blood? So, it's probably more accurate to call me a representative rather than a family head."
"I see."
Only then did I understand why Stern had told me I didn't need to be wary of House Arkamen.
They were open-minded and highly sociable.
With the head of the family being like this, the other mages of the family probably weren't much different.
"By the way..."
Iline cast a curious glance toward my lower abdomen, where my mana core resided.
"You have a really peculiar mana core. It looks similar to Benheim's, yet it's different. Did you modify it yourself?"
"..."
Despite her casual demeanor, she was indeed the head of a great family. Iline had already perceived the state of my mana core.
Just as I was about to give a vague answer—
Click.
The doors to the congress hall swung open, and mages clad in purple robes filed in one after another. Leading them was a white-haired old man.
Though it was my first time seeing him, I knew exactly who he was, thanks to the pale-faced girl following behind him with her head lowered.
It was a face I had seen in Rodel six months ago.
...Yusefin Airid.
Without removing her arm from my neck, Iline leaned her face closer and whispered,
"Hey, do you know who that is?"
"Is it... Airid?"
"Bingo. Oswald Airid, the old man who heads the Spectrum Airid family."
The corner of Iline's mouth twitched slightly.
"Hey, you're thinking the same thing, aren't you?"
She lowered her voice to a soft whisper.
"The successor of House Airid was found in a dark mages' den, suffering from the Black Sickness. But no matter how you look at it, isn't that incredibly suspicious?"
"What do you mean?"
"Heh, don't play dumb with me. Either the head of Airid allied with dark mages to create the Black Sickness, or he's trying to cure it. Looking at the old man's state, the latter seems far more likely."
"..."
Iline, the head of House Arkamen, was voicing the exact same suspicions as Stern.
She claimed she had only become the family head because the elders forced her, but that alone wouldn't have been enough to lead one of the great magic families.
In addition to instantly recognizing the unique nature of my mana core, her insight was extraordinary. Ultimately, the mage known as Iline Arkamen possessed abilities that rivaled any of the other family heads.
Since I couldn't be sure if she was trustworthy, I decided to keep my mouth shut.
"Wise choice. The right to remain silent is very important."
Iline chuckled, seemingly pleased with my reaction, and pulled away.
"Raygan, was it? Come find me after this congress ends. I can take a look at your gloves and a few other things. Who knows? I might even give you something better."
Just then, the elders of House Arkamen gestured to her. Iline clicked her tongue and walked away from me.
Afterward, the final family, House Maelrn, arrived. The head of Maelrn had black hair, blue eyes, and a bushy beard.
"It seems everyone has gathered."
The President of the Imperial Magic Academy, acting as the chairman, rapped his gavel and spoke.
"We shall now begin the 178th Great Magic Alliance Congress. Since House Benheim convened this assembly, you may speak first."
Stern stood up. After scanning the room, he spoke in a solemn tone.
"I will get straight to the point. The dark mages have already pointed their blades at our throats. The incident in Rodel is not the only issue."
Stern let out a heavy sigh before continuing.
"An elder of Benheim and my own brother were dark mages. Furthermore, several dark mages hiding their identities have been discovered within the Magic Towers as well."
A wave of murmurs rippled through the hall. The fact that there were dark mages inside House Benheim had been kept a secret. It was a shocking revelation to the other magic families.
Stern drove the point home to the agitated crowd.
"This is not a problem unique to Benheim. If the very heart of Benheim was breached, there is no guarantee that other families are safe. Unlike in the past, the dark mages are moving systematically. It is time for us to devise a new approach."
Stern's gaze swept over Caiden and Oswald in turn.
"Therefore, I propose this: let us draft elites from each family to form an Allied Subjugation Force. Under the name of the Great Magic Alliance, let us completely excise this tumor known as dark mages."
Silence fell over the chamber as Stern finished speaking and sat back down.
The Allied Subjugation Force.
The intention was to gather the military strength of each family in the Magic Alliance to keep the dark mages in check, while simultaneously uniting the families to weed out any traitors.
The first to speak was the head of House Maelrn.
"House Maelrn will not involve itself in such trivial matters."
He crossed his arms and looked around at everyone, continuing in an arrogant tone.
"Even if dark mages ran rampant within your family, that is merely due to Benheim's lax management, not a continent-wide crisis. The territory of Maelrn is more peaceful than ever, so we will not concern ourselves with this. Do as you please."
It wasn't the kind of response one would expect at a council convened for cooperation, but everyone's reaction was lukewarm. If anything, they looked as if they had expected nothing less.
Once again, I realized just how accurate Stern's explanation of House Maelrn had been.
They were overbearing and uncooperative. There was even a strange hint of contempt in the way they looked at those around them.
As the head of House Maelrn sat down, signaling he was finished, House Lucen spoke next.
"House Lucen agrees with Benheim's proposal. During the last hunting festival, the dark mages targeted Lucen's mages as well. Those rats who dared to challenge Lucen's authority must be hunted down and crushed."
House Lucen valued prestige above all other families. Their agreement with Benheim was likely entirely for the sake of saving face.
However, I couldn't let my guard down. Given Petra's condition, House Lucen might also have ties to the dark mages.
Next, Oswald, the head of House Airid, pushed himself up with difficulty to speak.
"House Airid opposes this. We have too many internal matters to resolve, so we cannot afford to spare any forces."
On the other hand, House Airid was negative.
It could simply be a lack of military power, but it could also be a move to shield the dark mages.
Whatever the case, that was the family I needed to watch most closely right now.
Perhaps because of that, another question followed Airid's statement.
"There are rumors of an unidentified illness spreading within House Airid. Is this unrelated to that?"
"It is none of your concern."
"We might be able to offer assistance."
"We have no need for your help. House Airid will always stand tall in the Magic Alliance as the Spectrum Airid."
Oswald snapped irritably.
His stubborn refusal only made him seem more suspicious.
Just as everyone's attention was focusing on House Airid—
"May I speak?"
Chief Investigator Demian Carius raised his hand.
As the room fell quiet, Demian spoke with a gentle smile.
"The Imperial Magic Academy is already hunting down dark mages around the clock. Is there truly a need to mobilize the forces of the Great Magic Alliance? Doing so might infringe upon the authority of the imperial family."
Demian's voice was soft, but his words carried a sharp edge.
"The captured dark mages are securely held in Grave, our specialized prison. There is not a shred of a chance for escape. If necessary, you are welcome to visit for verification. I will personally instruct the head warden to guide you warmly. Therefore, please trust and leave this matter to our Academy."
The other magic families in the hall seemed convinced. Since even the chairman was the President of the Imperial Magic Academy, he nodded in agreement with Demian's opinion.
The fact that dark mages were indeed being captured continuously, making it seem as though their numbers were dwindling, lent weight to his argument.
This was the power of imperial authority. A statement backed by justification, practical benefit, and sheer influence.
Tsk.
I clicked my tongue. The Archduke of Demonic Magic held an incredibly advantageous position.
"Let us summarize the opinions so far," the chairman spoke, tapping his gavel.
House Maelrn abstained. House Benheim and House Lucen voted in favor. The Imperial Magic Academy and House Airid opposed.
Ultimately, the council was locked in a tight stalemate.
"What is House Arkamen's stance?" the chairman asked.
Iline Arkamen, the last remaining speaker, shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, if a joint organization is formed by your decision, Arkamen will promise full support. While we cannot provide military strength, we can at least supply the equipment you will use. But honestly, we don't really mind either way. To be frank, we would prefer to minimize our expenses if possible."
In the end, she was casting a vote of neutrality. In a way, it was a sensible decision, given how sharply divided the two sides were.
The congress continued to run on parallel lines, unable to find common ground.
Watching this silently, I let out a soft sigh.
I had once wondered how the Archduke of Demonic Magic, even with the backing of the imperial family, could have brought down this massive alliance of imperial mages in less than a year.
But watching this farce, I realized it all over again.
They deserved to fall.
Every single one of these so-called giants of the magic world was a half-wit.