As a large-scale subjugation force was being assembled, an emergency meeting was held at the temple.
Attendees included all supreme-rank individuals and key forces, including those from the Mage Tower.
“Will His Holiness the Pope and the cardinals not be attending?” someone asked.
“They’ve fully entrusted the subjugation matters to Lord Mikael,” came the reply.
The Pope and cardinals, being unfamiliar with combat and occupied with diplomatic duties like meeting the king one-on-one or handling the temple’s external affairs, were absent.
Thus, it was more efficient for Mikael, a former holy knight with experience facing the creatures, to represent the temple.
“From now on, we’ll call them ‘beasts,’” Mikael declared.
After prolonged discussion in the first meeting, the creatures’ designation was finalized.
Their corrupted black mana marked them as ominous, and their man-eating nature deemed them evil, leading to the name “beasts,” which everyone agreed upon.
Rita, having faced the beasts more times than most, naturally shared a key insight.
“The beasts are growth-stage creatures. We can roughly categorize them by size: those below a person’s waist, those about human-sized, and those larger, approaching two to three meters. Generally, they fall into these three types.”
“The smaller ones seemed weaker, like juveniles; human-sized ones could attack to some degree; and the larger ones surpassed advanced levels,”
Mikael added helpfully.
Rita nodded in acknowledgment and proposed to the group,
“How about classifying them as juveniles, sub-adults, and adults based on size? For reference, think of juveniles as low-tier, sub-adults as mid-tier, and adults as high-tier.”
“I agree. In my experience, the smaller they are, the weaker; the larger, the stronger,”
Princess Sercia chimed in.
“That classification would help in organizing our forces,” Valery Gainer added.
With their support, the classification was all but confirmed.
With unanimous agreement, the beasts’ growth stages were defined, simplifying their categorization.
“They all look different. Are there specific traits tied to their appearances?”
Floria asked, sparking a flurry of questions directed at Rita.
As the one who first encountered and fought the beasts, she became the focus of attention, and the meeting naturally revolved around her.
This shift made the Mage Tower’s mages, particularly the elders, subtly wary.
The tension broke when Valery Gainer made a request.
“We should distribute mages across the units. Rita, I’d like your help. I’ll organize the troops if you can assign suitable mages.”
Valery Gainer, head of the prestigious Gainer ducal family, Princess Sercia’s godfather, and a pureblood noble known for his rigid demeanor and disdain for commoners, was treating Rita, a commoner, with respect.
This shocked the elder mages, who had often been treated as inferior by Valery.
Unaware that his contempt stemmed from their crass behavior rather than their status, the elders began to puff up as if they were the ones being honored.
“Hmm, since Rita is now the face of the Mage Tower, it’s only natural she’d take on such an important role,” said Mona, a woman in her fifties and Talos’s aide, firmly in his camp.
Known for her unscrupulous reputation—rumored to siphon funds from the Mage Tower— she was universally despised by mages for her vile nature.
Rita, who also disliked her, glared at Mona’s sudden interjection.
‘She didn’t show her face during battles and only rushed here for the meeting, and now she spouts this nonsense?’
Rita thought.
‘Despite holding no significant role in the Mage Tower, Mona enjoyed elder status solely due to her closeness to Talos.’
Smirking slyly, Mona nudged Talos with her elbow.
Having known her for years, Talos understood her intent and read the room.
Valery Gainer, more influential than the Gradius ducal family to whom Talos kowtowed, presented an opportunity.
“Hmm, Rita, given your experience, wouldn’t it be better for you to take overall command of the battle?” he said subtly.
Rita’s face flushed with embarrassment.
After clearing her throat, she couldn’t believe Talos would suggest such an outrageous idea.
Fearing others might have overheard, she couldn’t lift her head from shame.
“This is a chance to seize full command of the army. That way, the Mage Tower won’t be overlooked,”
Talos whispered, feigning wise counsel.
Rita’s anger surged to a boiling point.
Talos and the elders planned to use her as a figurehead while pulling strings from behind.
Swallowing her rage, she replied coldly,
“Master, my experience is limited to fighting beasts a few times. I’ve never led thousands of troops.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll—”
“Then who in the Mage Tower has such experience?” she cut in.
“That’s not what I meant. I’m saying we should take the lead—”
“A commander’s single word can decide a war’s outcome. Please think carefully.”
Her icy gaze burned with warning, silencing Talos.
The elders, who had hoped to manipulate her through Talos, lowered their eyes to the floor.
Rita scanned them, swallowing her disdain.
Fortunately, the mages were clustered together, and the conversation had veered off, masking the awkward atmosphere.
She nearly exposed the Mage Tower’s disgrace to outsiders.
I’d love to humiliate them publicly, but as a supreme-rank mage, the Mage Tower will forever be my label.
Spitting in her own face was no easy task.
Yet, she couldn’t let the elders’ pathetic behavior slide.
To act freely without interference, she needed to assert her dominance, and now was the moment.
“Master,” she said loudly, drawing glances from nearby attendees.
“W-What is it?” Talos stammered.
“I have a question.”
As eyes turned to them, Talos and the elders grew visibly nervous.
“During battle, should the elders lead the younger mages?” Rita asked.
“Well, naturally. Even if affiliations mix, experienced elders should take charge—”
“Then, with Elder Obern’s death, we need to fill his vacancy.”
“Y-Yes, that’s right,” Talos faltered, caught off guard.
Rita smiled dryly.
Obern’s death was a perfect topic to draw attention.
Princess Sercia, lamenting the loss of a valuable ally, sighed.
Seizing the moment, Rita suggested, “I’d like to recommend someone suitable.”
“You, Rita?”
Talos asked, surprised.
“Yes. I recommend Elder Shariel, who has served diligently in the research division.”
The elders’ faces soured instantly.
Shariel, a contemporary of Talos, was from a rival faction.
Unlike the rigid elders, he was known for mentoring younger mages and was disliked by them for his differing values.
“Shariel?”
Talos echoed, glancing at Mona.
Talos had intended to hand the research division to Mona, his ally.
But in a room filled with the Saint, the Princess, and high nobles, dismissing Rita— a supreme-rank mage and symbolic figure for the Mage Tower—was impossible.
Moreover, Mona lacked the merit to justify such a promotion.
“Have you someone else in mind, Master?”
Rita asked pointedly, eyeing Mona.
Talos forced a smile and shook his head.
Naming Mona over Shariel, whom Rita endorsed, was unarguable given Mona’s lack of accomplishments.
“I agree with Shariel,” Elder Ganesha from the herbology division interjected, raising her hand.
The elders frowned, but Talos hid his displeasure.
Rita’s gaze grew colder, and he had no reason to argue with his supreme-rank disciple in such a public setting.
“Very well, let’s do as you say,” he conceded.
“Thank you for your respect. And…”
Rita continued, causing Talos’s heart to sink again.
“To prevent tragedies like Obern’s, if another vacancy arises, how about appointing a suitable candidate immediately, as we’ve done now?”
Her gaze lingered on the elders behind Talos.
“As you said, Master, the elders will lead the mages. If a vacancy occurs suddenly, won’t inexperienced mages be left in disarray?”
The speechless elders were outdone as Sercia nodded in agreement, joined by Valery.
“A fine idea. My knights’ brigade has a pre-established chain of command to avoid vacancies. It may seem cold, but a leader is necessary for the survivors.”
“Our holy knights operate similarly,” the holy knight commander added.
As support swelled, the elders paled.
To them, it sounded like: If you die, we’ll replace you immediately.
Talos felt the same.
Who was more likely to die—first-class elders or supreme-rank Rita?
The answer was obvious, but they realized too late: Rita could now eliminate first-class mages at will.
Shuddering, Talos and the elders fell silent for the rest of the meeting.
***
“Phew.”
Outside for a break, Rita let out a long sigh.
The sun had set, but the meeting showed no signs of ending.
The silver lining was the absence of further interference from Talos and the elders.
Naturally, if Rita, a supreme-rank mage, began reshaping the Mage Tower’s power structure, the elders would bear the losses.
Her actions in the meeting were a warning, ensuring they’d tread carefully to preserve their positions.
“You’re here?”
Mikael approached, smiling, as Rita sighed again at the elders’ foolishness.
Embarrassed by the Mage Tower’s display, she hid her face.
“My apologies for showing such a shameful scene.”
Though she’d spoken civilly, everyone knew the Mage Tower mages were squabbling over influence.
The organization’s messy power dynamics were no secret.
When a young mage reached supreme rank, Pope Anacleo had warned that the greedy elders would hound her.
Yet, contrary to expectations, Rita held her ground.
Once Mikael’s oracle was announced, Rita’s status would rise further.
The Mage Tower would have to treat her as its master, and the elders would need to fully support her.
A Mage Tower centered on Rita was its only path forward.
Mikael, assuming the wise Talos already saw this, silently cheered for the embarrassed Rita.
Though her personal oracle was somewhat ambiguous, her emergence in this crisis was undoubtedly a divine blessing.
With heartfelt gratitude, Mikael vowed to protect Rita, the oracle’s chosen, to the very end.