I became a legion lich Chapter 211 - 211 Supreme elder

211 Supre elder

“Has anyone arrived for the trial or am I the first?” Eirin asked in a disinterested voice as she sat down on the couch and grabbed one of the goblets, the mage quickly getting to his feet and pouring wine. She was really desperate to have been the first to arrive and speak privately with so of the elders to secure support, but she had to maintain the image of a respectable elder.

‘Pfft...!’ Canan laughed at his performance, but Eirin ignored it.

“Yes, supre elder. The elder of light, air and fire has already arrived and is in other rooms awaiting the start of the trial.” The mage inford, pouring the wine and asking if she needed anything else.

‘The light elder is an ally of the dark elder and the new leader of the faction after he was arrested, so he is a guaranteed ally. The elders of fire and air are neutral and avoid getting involved in political discussions, but they must not oppose the dark elder paying for his cris on the front lines.’ Eirin thought, glad that her adversaries were not yet present.

‘Having all your opponents gone is not a good sign, Eirin. It ans they’re together and planning sothing big.’ Canan warned her, throwing cold water on Eirin’s excitent.

‘I know, that’s why I need to et with the neutral elders and secure their cooperation. They may not be the dark elder’s allies, but I hope they are my allies.’ Eirin answered. She had tried to gain the elders’ support, but their responses had been lukewarm at best.

Both said that they would not oppose the other elders’ decision and did not intend to intervene in the trial, participating only because they had to.

“Tell them both to co here, I’m requesting their presence.” Eirin spoke, realizing she had been silent too long and the mage was starting to sweat with nervousness.

“Understood, supre elder. I will notify them of your request imdiately.” The mage bowed and left the room, leaving Eirin alone.

.....

‘So, any ideas on how to turn those two elders over to my side?’ Eirin asked her brother, as all her previous attempts had been in vain.

‘Try to get a deal. You’ve tried to provide resources and financial support for your magic researches before, but any mage who rises to the rank of elder already has his own sources of magic resources.’ Canan criticized her previous thods.

‘Offer knowledge, a way to overco the growth bottleneck they’re stuck in, or sothing that only you can offer and they can’t refuse. That’s the basics of negotiation.’ Canan was exasperated by his sister’s lack of negotiating skills.

‘You know I already tried that, you were there to laugh at my attempts.’ Eirin growled. ‘The only one who is in a growth bottleneck is the fire elder, but that woman is stubborn and insists on overcoming her limitations alone.’

‘Your research is also sothing unique that I don’t have knowledge of, so I don’t have useful knowledge to share. She would need to share her secrets and research with so I can understand and then help her, but we both know that’s impossible.’

‘And the elder of the air? I’m sure he wouldn’t refuse your help or knowledge, even if it’s not your area of expertise.’ Canan suggested, realizing that it would be useless to try to convince the Fire Elder to do anything. That woman was too stubborn to be talked into doing sothing she didn’t want to.

‘He is the one I intend to convince today, even if I have to make so disadvantageous concessions here. The air elder is a weather mage, runesmith and a golemancer, so we have knowledge we can trade.’

‘Just avoid sounding desperate and revealing too much. That mysterious bastard is as cunning as a snake and his intentions are unknown to us. The only thing that matters to him is the magic research itself.’ Canan warned her.

‘I know and that’s why I want your help, brother.’ Eirin asked, making puppy dog eyes as she ruffled her hair, the sa gesture she used whenever she wanted to ask a favor. It was a mania he’d had since he was a child, over a millennium ago, but Canan always gave in.

He was about to answer, but a knock on the door interrupted the telepathic conversation.

“Supre Elder, both elders have agreed to et with you and are waiting here.” The mage spoke from outside and only entered when Eirin gave permission.

The mage entered, followed by a woman wearing a red cloak and a tal bird on her shoulder.

The woman wore a red cloak that covered her from head to toe and her face was scarred as if she had just woken up, yawning lazily. The woman appeared to be in her mid-40s, with long black hair streaked with age-gray streaks. His na was Valk Seit, the fire elder.

The tallic bird was approximately 50 centiters long and had silvery feathers. He looked exactly like a silver hawk, except for the magic stones for eyes. The bird was a golem created by the air elder, remotely controlled by magic.

Eirin just nodded at the strange pair and offered them a seat. The woman and the bird bowed their heads slightly in respect and the woman sat down, while the bird just stood on the arm of the couch.

The assistant mage bowed and left the room when he received a glare from Eirin, leaving the elders alone in the room. He knew a secret deal was going on here, just as he knew he should pretend he didn’t know anything and erase from the records that the elders had t before the trial.

Similar things had already happened in the past and all jailers who tried to say sothing mysteriously disappeared, while those who kept silent received a promotion and a huge salary bonus.

It was the reason why he applied to serve the supre elder, as it was the fastest way to a promotion.

“I thank you for granting my request and for eting with today. I believe you already know why I have called the two of you here, but let repeat myself. It is strictly necessary for the dark elder to participate in the war that is to co, and I want your support to ensure he’s there on the front lines.” Eirin spoke in a serious tone, but both elders knew that and had already given their answer.

“With all due respect, supre elder, both the fire elder and I are aware of the situation we find ourselves in and have already given our opinion on the matter.” The tal hawk spoke, its voice fully human despite the fact that it was speaking through a golem.

“As the bird said, I have no intention of getting involved in stupid power struggles. Besides, that stupid old man has committed countless cris and is now paying for it.” The fire elder spoke as she tried and failed to hide how uninterested she was about the trial.

She grabbed a bottle of wine and downed it in one gulp before continuing. “The destruction of the portal tower was an accident and not a terrorist attack as the water elder tried to make it out to be, but that wasn’t his only cri.”

“Elder Louis possessed a list of cris longer than a giant’s arm, so heinous cris that even soone callous as I abhor, and others that go against all laws of the order. Countless careers of talented mages have been destroyed at their hands. ”

“Personally, I believe he should be imprisoned for eternity, but I know that’s impossible. I also know that the opposition is no better than he is and I’m sure they have a list of cris almost as long, so I I remain impartial in judgnt.” The fire elder honestly spoke her opinion and the bird nodded in agreent.

The air elder was the dark elder’s longti business partner, but that was the extent of their relationship. He would never risk opposing the Water Elder’s faction for soone else.

“I know this and I agree that the dark elder deserves the worst of fates, but his power is still needed, so I suggest he pay for his cris on the front lines rather than uselessly rotting in a cell.” Eirin understood their position, but she couldn’t give up here.

“That would be doable, if Louis weren’t a cunning, traitorous bastard. The sa power that makes him so indispensable to war also makes him a dangerous variable. If we’re really going to put him on the battlefield as a prisoner, who will watch him and make sure he doesn’t run away?” The golem bird spoke.

“He is a powerful mage and an even better necromancer. Only another elder could restrain him, then it would be necessary for another elder to keep watch over him. Or does the supre elder intend to watch over him personally?” Valk questioned her about sothing that bothered not only her, but the entire upper echelon of the order as a whole.

For so reason unknown to them, Eirin had declared that she would not participate in the war against Doravon.