"I don’t know much either."
Duke Milton raised the wine glass in his hand with composed elegance, but in front of a beautiful woman, he couldn’t help showcasing boastfully: "All I know is that First University is teetering on the edge of complete fracture."
"There are nurous indications suggesting the Naless Principal intends to resign, so the two vice principals—Lady Shi Hui and Mr. Ruo Yu—are vying for that seat. The school’s great wizards have already split into three factions: those supporting Mrs. Stone, those supporting Mr. Ruo Yu, and those attempting to remain neutral by simply supporting the principal... regardless of which wizard eventually claims the principal’s title."
"Among the three factions, Lady Shi Hui wields influence over the Professor Joint eting and the Assistant Team, while Mr. Ruo Yu controls the School Works Committee. The Research Institute and related institutions remain neutral. The strength of these three sides is roughly balanced, and if they rely solely on voting and debates, I imagine it would take a hundred years to elect a new principal."
"Therefore, the key lies in internal and external forces."
"By internal, I refer to the students of First University, particularly the Student Union and the Club Union. These two student organizations have intricate connections with external hunting teams—the forr provides a continuous stream of fresh recruits to the latter, while the latter serves as ntors and guides to the forr. Gaining student support indirectly ans acquiring the backing of those powerful New World hunting teams. On this front, Mrs. Stone has the advantage... After all, the mbers of the Professor Joint eting share closer relationships with the students."
"External forces refer to what you just ntioned—the Dark Council and other factions within the Mage Alliance, such as the Moon Council and the Wizard Council."
"As you know, Mrs. Stone holds a rather unfavorable impression of our Clans of the Moon. Her disciple, the recently appointed Director of the Trident Sword, has been diligently cracking down on the Dark Council and certain overreaching Clans of the Moon... Hence, these two factions can only, and must, support Mr. Ruo Yu."
"Beyond this, compared to the radical and firm Mrs. Stone, the elder wizards in the Wizard Council have greater appreciation for the conservative approach of Mr. Ruo Yu... They believe that under Mr. Ruo Yu’s leadership, First University is likely to collaborate with the Alliance in a more tolerant and freer manner."
"At the mont, both sides are sparing no effort to undermine the other’s foundation. For instance, it is rumored—just a rumor, mind you—that the School Works Committee secretly condoned the Lake Bell Fishman Tribe’s unrest, intensifying conflicts between Jiuyou Academy and Alpha Academy. This kind of internal friction is certainly bad news for Lady Shi Hui. Alternatively, there’s the ’Mandatory Summoning Order’ aid at the Moon Council, which Lady Shi Hui forcibly passed at the Great Wizard Conference... For her, this is a multi-pronged strategy: it weakens the forces of the Clans of the Moon she despises, undercuts Mr. Ruo Yu’s external support, and demonstrates her power, causing the neutral faction to waver."
"What a tangled ss." The witch let out a deep sigh, and the four swaying fox tails behind her drooped in complete dejection, the tips hanging low.
She absolutely loathed these political intrigues.
That’s why she chose to distance herself from Qingqiu and the Moon Council, retreating into her laboratory at First University. But alas, as the saying goes, "the tree desires stillness, yet the wind will not cease"; there are things evasion alone cannot solve.
"No, this isn’t the worst of it yet." Milton, oblivious to the witch’s frustration, eagerly continued to flaunt his knowledge, longing to spill every detail he knew: "The two forces within First University want to leverage external influence, but external factions are not slis... Everyone wants to dig their hands into the school. Mr. Ruo Yu has given the councils an irresistible opportunity."
Su Shijun could hear that when Milton referred to the "councils," he specifically ant the Moon Council.
This was the part that puzzled her the most.
"Then why was I interrogated?" The witch’s fox tails swished irritably behind her. "From what you’re saying, the Moon Council and the School Works Committee have already reached so sort of tacit agreent, while other factions supporting Mr. Ruo Yu are aligned with the Alliance... We’re on the sa side, aren’t we? So why are they bothering ?"
Duke Milton, rubbing the wine glass in his hands, cast a longing glance at the swaying fox tails behind the witch. "The Moon Council and Mr. Ruo Yu are not bound by shared interests but by shared adversaries, huddling together for warmth... Perhaps they see you as a key to unlocking the neutral faction, a way to sway the research institute’s wizards closer to Mr. Ruo Yu."
"You’re saying that amid the entanglent of Shi Hui and Ruo Yu with the Black Prison, the Alliance intends to pressure the research institute to win over so neutral wizards?" When Su Shijun finished processing Milton’s analysis and reflected on her earlier experiences, a trace of realization dawned across her face, but she couldn’t help shaking her head: "You all are overestimating the influence a single laboratory has on the entire research institute... I seriously doubt whether the person who devised this plan properly analyzed the relationships among First University’s various departnts."
"This is rely speculation," the host of the Dark Blue Castle, Silent Souls, quickly interjected, "In truth, every participant in this ancient ga is striving to grab cards favorable to them and discard those that aren’t."
"It indeed may not work," Milton added, spreading his hands, flashing an innocent smile: "But what difference does it make? It’s no loss for the Alliance... If the persuasion succeeds, it strengthens the Alliance’s influence over First University; if it fails, it further divides First University; and if they manage to get their hands on certain research materials from the school, those old wizards in the Alliance would probably laugh out loud even in their dreams."
"Dirty and antiquated approach," the witch remarked curtly.
"The older and simpler the magic, the more effective it often proves." Duke Milton took a sip of red wine and, satisfied, moistened his throat while basking in the glory he’d shown before the goddess. "... No one can deny this fact."
This caused William Tabbot to feel a trendous sense of threat.
"Ruo Yu, Ruo Yu," Mister Wolfman muttered the na under his breath, narrowing his eyes. "If I recall correctly, the First University’s principal’s code on Arcana’s list was ’The Fool,’ yes? Ruo Yu—well, that’s quite a fitting na."
"A na saturated with ambition," Duke Milton smacked his lips as if savoring the flavor of the wine, his tone tinged with playful sarcasm: "I always assud it ca from the phrase ’great intelligence looks like stupidity,’ implying he’s a clever man."
"Mr. Ruo Yu is not known for his sharpness." Hearing the other mbers’ comnts, Silent Souls’ ethereal face revealed a hint of amusent. "To my knowledge, the na Ruo Yu originates from a Go ranking reference, aning soone inflexible and fixed on established patterns... It aligns perfectly with Mr. Ruo Yu’s usual style. Rarely does anyone consider this na from the perspective of the Arcana codena."
Su Shijun silently sighed.
This was precisely why she despised politics and distanced herself from the councils—simply a na could have countless interpretations in different people’s eyes.
Wouldn’t it be better to use that ti for conducting experints or reading books?
"Ruo Yu ans ’like a fool,’" the witch unceremoniously put an end to the topic, "There’s no other interpretation."
The werewolf and vampire imdiately raised their hands in agreent, expressing heartfelt repentance for their previous over-interpretation.
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