Wein was stunned when he heard such words. King James, clearly irritated, slammed his fist on the table without uttering a word—his clenched hand thudding against the wood.
"A setup, you say? We gave Gladius warriors to your nation—what came of it? They died because you let them fight alone!" King James snapped.
"I don't care. But I will not allow a sixteen-year-old child to be placed in such a high position," the dwarf king said, glaring at Wein with a scornful expression.
The room fell into a brief silence before someone offered a reasonable suggestion—not just silence, but a decision.
"How about we take a vote?" Queen Faylin proposed. The king beside her nodded, along with several Gladius members.
King James's expression began to calm. He had something to focus on now, rather than fruitless arguments without fair resolution.
Though King James strongly desired another Gladius from the human race, he also cared deeply for his people. The stress showed on his face, each wrinkle telling a story of burden.
"Very well. Please prepare the ballots," Queen Faylin said to an assistant standing behind her, requesting the papers with elegance.
The assistant immediately understood and distributed slips of paper to everyone in the room, along with pens placed at their stations. Elaina picked up the pen and twirled it gracefully across the blank paper.
"I will now explain the rules… A circle means agreement, a cross means rejection. Any unclear marks will be counted as blank votes," she explained. "You may begin now."
A moment of silence followed. Everyone began marking their choices, some more hesitant than others, and the room grew deathly quiet.
Only the sound of pens dancing across the paper filled the air as each person determined Wein Arcveil's fate. He closely observed each hand movement, each stroke.
His heart pounded…
"Finished," Queen Faylin said using a voice amplifier rune. She folded her paper into four before handing it to the assistant holding a basket beside her.
As the first vote was cast, the assistant began walking around, collecting everyone's ballots. Meanwhile, another assistant prepared a chalkboard and chalk.
Halfway through, only a few people remained. They placed their papers into the basket calmly and expressionlessly. The dwarf leaders, however, were visibly hostile.
Seconds passed. It was time for the count. Another assistant took the basket and began unfolding the papers.
The first paper, unfolded to its last crease, was spun and revealed.
"Valid!" the assistant called out. One point for 'Circle.'
Second: "Circle."
Third: "Circle."
Fourth: "Circle."
Fifth: "Circle."
Sixth: "Unclear (Box)."
The room grew tense. Everyone wondered who had cast such a vote—and why. Then came the seventh result.
"Cross. Valid!" the assistant announced, drawing one tally under 'Cross' and four tallies plus a diagonal slash under 'Circle.'
Seconds dragged on. The entire room was engulfed in tension, the silence so sharp that the scratching of chalk echoed eerily.
Heart pounding, Wein stood with arms crossed over his chest, watching the board before turning his gaze toward the Dwarf King.
"Last vote—Circle. Valid!"
All the votes had been counted. The final tally: thirteen circles, two crosses, and one blank vote. Some in the room glanced toward the dwarf king, but then quickly looked away.
No names were mentioned, yet everyone knew who had rejected the vote without formally introducing themselves or giving a reason.
"Very well, the result is decided," Queen Faylin said with a sly smile, her gaze warm as it landed on Wein.
But even with the process this fair, Dwarf King Ground Ogmund was far from accepting. His scowling face twisted before he slammed his hand hard on the table.
"Damn it!" he shouted, startling the entire room. The sudden outburst roused King James, and their eyes locked in a heated clash. Meanwhile, their queens tried to calm them down.
"The meeting ends here for today. Elaina and Scylla, please lead Wein's ability assessment. He must prepare for the public speech in a few weeks," said King James as he rose from his seat.
He was followed by the Elf King, whose massive cloak gently swept across the floor as he exited the chamber, along with several other Gladius who quickly dispersed.
"That's normal. He always causes a scene," Elaina muttered accurately. Facing Wein, she made intense eye contact, then smiled.
"Well, I hope I can someday cause him some trouble myself," Wein said, slowly breaking eye contact with the girl staring at him.
"Oh, and over there is Scylla Myolder—one year older than you and recently appointed as a Gladius a few months ago," Elaina added just as the girl disappeared from view.
Leaving behind a mist like magic.
"Nice to meet you, I…" a voice whispered close to his ear, making Wein's ear burn with surprise.
Wein turned quickly to find the source of the voice—indeed, it was real. Scylla had suddenly appeared in the seat next to him, astonishing him with such teleportation.
"Your reaction's adorable. I'm Scylla Myolder, pleased to meet you," she said, extending her hand toward Wein, whose heart gradually accepted the handshake as they all stood.
The main objective was now clear: he would undergo testing before his speech to the public. The loss of many members also needed to be addressed before Sperum could declare war on Vernisius.
Scylla leaned forward slightly until she was very close and asked enthusiastically,
"What's it like to have six elements?"
Not thinking much of the fact that they were only one year apart, Wein smiled awkwardly and sent a small gesture to his sister, Elaina.
"It feels normal, really. Because I can only use the elements I'm capable of," Wein replied. "Some elements are just too difficult to control," he added, lying.
Upon hearing Wein's answer, Scylla stood upright beside him, no longer looking his way. Instead, she focused ahead and quickened her pace.
It only took seconds, but it felt like someone who had changed over a year—someone who'd become a different person entirely, even though they'd only just met.