Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 428: The Ten-Person Group Meeting
Chapter 428: The Ten-Person Group Meeting
TL: Etude Translations
Throughout the entire afternoon, Kevin continued to copy books.
As evening approached, Kevin finished organizing his day’s work and prepared to return to his residence at the Scholar’s Tower.
To his surprise, his senior, Mond, came to visit at this time.
“Senior, you must have high access rights, aren’t the books in the Scholar’s Tower library enough for you?”
“What are you talking about? Which library can hold all the books in the world? In fact, I come to the Royal Archives every now and then to check out any interesting new additions. It’s just that I have been busy these past few days and couldn’t come. Don’t believe me? Ask your supervisor and colleagues; I’m well acquainted with them.”
Mond explained cheerfully, casually greeting another administrator who was leaving.
“Alright then, let me assist you, Senior. What books would you like to see?”
“I’ve made a list, could you please find them for me?”
Mond handed a slip of paper to Kevin.
Holding the list, Kevin found the books one by one and placed them on the table. When he found the last book, he said with a smile, “You’re lucky, this book was just returned at noon today.”
“Oh, that is indeed lucky.”
Mond laughed heartily, gathered the pile of books, and left.
But not even a minute passed before he returned, speaking mysteriously, “Kevin, I have good news for you. The teacher has been dispatched by His Majesty as an envoy to the Holy See, and he plans to take you along for some exposure. Prepare yourself.”
“Ah?” Kevin was surprised. “I’ve only been working here for a few days; isn’t it inappropriate?”
“Don’t worry, it’s just a part-time job. I’ll talk to your supervisor tomorrow. Wouldn’t he want to save face for our teacher?”
“Uh… okay.”
…
In the military camp north of the Imperial Capital, the ten-person group of the Arcane Society was holding a meeting.
However, the so-called “ten-person group” still had only nine members.
The leader, an old man in a black robe, spoke in a deep voice, “Considering all factors, the Kingdom of Ordo is now effectively fragmented, and Jars only maintains nominal allegiance to the royal family.”
Another person added, “Yes, the power of Ordo has reached its lowest point in history. In the foreseeable future, this country will continue to decline.”
Others joined the discussion.
“It’s really lamentable. Back then, the founding monarch of Ordo subdued the local lords amidst chaos and even reclaimed territories occupied by orcs for years, expanding the territory to the natural borders of Nerodan Corridor in the east, the endless sea in the west, the Rocky Mountains in the north, and the Miasma Forest in the south. It was almost the revival of the glory of the ancient Gubera Empire. It’s unexpected to see it fall to this state.” 𝘙Â₦Ǒ𐌱Ęs
“There is no eternal dynasty. Historically, with time, a monarch’s control over his vassals diminishes, leading to fragmentation. Alas, even our enterprise, after a few hundred years, will just be a passage in history books. Also, be careful with your words. What do you mean by ‘reviving the glory of the ancient Gubera Empire’? We of Gabella are the legitimate successors of the ancient Gubera Empire.”
“Hmph!” A female voice expressed dissatisfaction.
“The ancient Gubera Empire’s capital and the majority of its population and territory were in Ordo…”
“What, do you still have feelings for Ordo? Hmph, I know your past…”
“I don’t understand, even considering Ordo’s previous state, it lacked the power to strongly interfere in external affairs, so why should we…”
“You know, that Princess Catherine of theirs is no easy adversary. What if she ascends to the throne and unites Ordo? The current state is the best, even if she takes over, she will be powerless. Besides, this is what Prince Antonio also agrees with. Are you going to defy Prince Antonio?”
“Shut up! When did I say I would defy Prince Antonio?”
…
“Enough!”
Seeing the argument escalating, the old man in the black robe immediately intervened to stop it.
“Although we come from different countries, I hope everyone does not let national differences cause discord. The weakening of Ordo and our maneuvers in Horn Bay are necessary acts for our plan. We are not destroying for the sake of destruction, nor are we acting purely for the benefit of the Gabella Empire. It is because of the empire’s strength and Prince Antonio’s recognition of us that Gabella has become the best platform for our plan. However, everything we do is for the future of the entire human race.”
The black-robed elder spoke deliberately:
“I hope everyone does not forget that terrible prophecy.”
This last statement made everyone present tense up.
The meeting returned to the original topic.
“Now that Ordo has fallen into the state we desired, it’s time to take action in Horn Bay.”
The black-robed elder turned to the woman who had spoken earlier, “Lady Redflame, you recently visited Horn Bay personally. What’s your view on the situation there?”
Lady Redflame, a woman with a beautiful face and dazzling red hair, responded, “The conflict between the coastal countries and the Church has reached a peak, just waiting for a spark to ignite.”
The elder said, “Hmm, Nathan is still lurking there. With your son’s abilities, it should be easy to ignite this spark, especially since we have collaborators within the Church in Horn Bay.”
He continued, “We also need to stoke the fires at the headquarters of the Holy See. The war in Horn Bay is not the goal; dragging the Holy See into it is.”
Someone responded, “Lord Aldridge’s mission has already been arranged. He has persuaded His Majesty the Emperor to support the Holy See in the upcoming Horn Bay dispute. With the support of a major power like Gabella, the Holy See will surely be more determined and bold to intervene in Horn Bay.”
“Very well.”
The black-robed elder nodded.
A hoarse voice rose, “Since we’ve almost covered the main topics, let’s discuss something else… about Barnett.”
Mentioning this name, everyone suddenly realized that Barnett, a member of the ten-person group, had not appeared for several years, and they… seemed to have overlooked this irregularity.
This was not surprising, after all, Barnett was known for being a loner.
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The hoarse voice said, “Barnett has been absent for so long, failing to fulfill his responsibilities and duties. I propose we expel him from the ten-person group.”
“This…”
There was a stir among the members.
Someone said, “Expelling Barnett unilaterally will lead to conflict when he returns. Barnett holds a significant position among his peers.”
“Return?” The hoarse voice scoffed, “Let’s assume he’s dead. Have you ever gone this long without hearing from him?”
Those who knew Barnett realized, although Barnett often disappeared for extended periods, it was unprecedented for him to be incommunicado for years.
Such a powerful caster – could he really be dead? A mortal would need an entire army to kill him, yet Barnett had the ability to escape even military sieges.
Someone muttered, “Mages cherish their freedom. To expel him for long absences…”
The hoarse voice countered, “A bunch of rats in the gutter still talking about freedom. Let’s talk about this after our goal is achieved. Until then, we need to maintain the cohesion of the Arcane Society. Lone wolves like Barnett are a detriment to the group.”
Everyone fell silent.
The black-robed elder said, “In that case, I propose we induct Lord Aldridge of the Scholar’s Tower into the ten-person group.”
“What? How can this be?”
Someone disagreed.
“Members of the Arcane Society must first be casters, especially to lead the ten-person group. Of course, I respect Scholar Aldridge, but we cannot break the rules.”
The black-robed elder smiled, “Haha, you don’t know, actually…”
“Let’s postpone this discussion…”
A voice came from outside, and its owner, Scholar Aldridge, appeared.
He spoke seriously, “I need you to take action immediately.”
“Regarding Marshal MacDonald’s…”
