Chapter 700: Influential First-Years

Prince Aldric Aethelmont leaned back in his chair, relaxed.

Low discussion erupted almost immediately after Ezra finished explaining his reasoning about his situation and how it benefited the faction.

The members seated around the long meeting table exchanged a few words, while others remained quiet, considering what they had heard.

The discussion had changed the atmosphere in the room.

Ezra’s answer had given the faction something to consider, and the members were now left to think about how his proposal could be used.

Some continued speaking in low voices, while others directed their attention towards the people seated at the head of the table.

"Haha... Haha..."

Princess Victoria Aethelmont laughed lightly as she placed her legs on the long meeting table.

"This is quite interesting."

She said with an amused tone, looking at Ezra with an expression of interest.

Her laughter drew attention from those seated nearby.

Victoria did not seem concerned about the low discussions that had broken out around the table.

Instead, she appeared to have found something worth enjoying in the situation, and her gaze remained on Ezra.

"What do you find interesting, Princess Victoria?"

Leofirc Hawthorne asked, slightly confused.

Victoria turned her gaze towards him, looking at him quietly while her amused smile remained on her face.

"I just find it interesting that our faction will be facing a lot of scandals due to one person."

She said lightly, deliberately keeping her words light and gentle.

Her gaze moved back to Ezra.

"Who’s not even a Highline Noble of his family."

She said in the same tone, picking up a fresh red apple that had been neatly placed on the meeting table for the members to snack on as the meeting continued.

Victoria held the apple in her hand while looking towards Ezra.

Her words had brought his family status into the discussion, and the members who had been listening to her now had another point to consider.

"Sorry, Princess, to cut in, but Ezra was given the Highline Noble privileges in our family a long time ago."

Bella Ashenlocke cut in politely, correcting the princess.

Victoria tilted her head slightly to the right, a faint look of surprise appearing on her face.

"Oh. So, you have already reached that level."

She said, sounding even more amused.

Bella’s correction had clarified Ezra’s standing within the Ashenlocke family.

Victoria had spoken as though he lacked the privileges associated with a Highline Noble, but Bella had made it clear that this was no longer the case.

"It’s to be expected, since he has played a big part in the family’s new raising."

Claris Greenwood said calmly as she signaled to her personal maid, who was standing at the post where all the personal servants of the faction’s noble members waited.

Her maid responded to the signal and moved towards the table where the ceramic teacups and tea ingredients were neatly arranged.

She began preparing tea for her mistress while the meeting continued.

The quiet work at the side of the room carried on as the discussion moved between the members.

The maid handled the teacups and tea ingredients while Claris remained part of the conversation.

The servants had their designated positions in the meeting room, close enough to attend to their masters and mistresses when needed without interrupting the gathering.

Victoria continued holding the apple.

"I almost thought you Ashenlockes don’t know how to treat a promising child kindly, unless they are from the Mainline or born from a close Highline relation."

Princess Victoria said lightly.

She looked at Bella with a calm expression.

The remark concerned the way the Ashenlocke family treated its promising members.

Victoria had brought up the Mainline and close Highline relations, suggesting that she had expected the family to reserve its best treatment for those with the closest blood connections.

"Of course, we take good care of our promising talents. What do you take us Ashenlockes for?"

Bella replied sharply.

She didn’t look pleased with the way Victoria spoke about her family.

Bella’s response came without much delay.

Victoria’s words had touched on the Ashenlocke family’s treatment of its members, and Bella was not willing to let the remark pass without correcting the impression it gave.

Veda looked quietly at the princess, not joining the conversation.

Neither did Ezra, who was the main person the two ladies were discussing.

He remained seated while the conversation continued around him.

The subject concerned his standing in the Ashenlocke family, yet he did not interrupt either woman’s remarks.

Bella had already answered Victoria’s comment, and there was no need for him to join the exchange.

Victoria, meanwhile, kept her attention on Bella for a moment longer before turning back towards Ezra.

"Okay, I now understand that you Ashenlockes appreciate talent."

Princess Victoria said as she placed the red apple in her mouth and bit off a small piece.

She chewed the apple before continuing.

"That means I wouldn’t have to convince him to leave the Ashenlocke House for a better place."

She said, her golden eyes locked on Ezra.

The Ashenlocke members of the faction all felt a bit of pressure from what she had just said.

Bella frowned slightly, about to counter.

Victoria’s words had moved beyond the question of Ezra’s standing in his family.

She had now openly raised the possibility of him leaving the Ashenlocke House for another place, and the Ashenlocke members present could not ignore the implication.

Bella’s expression showed her displeasure as she prepared to respond.

The princess, however, had already made her point, and the conversation was on the verge of moving further away from the matter the faction had gathered to discuss.

"Enough straying from the main topic."

Prince Aldric Aethelmont finally spoke.

Everyone settled down immediately.

The low discussion around the table came to an end.

Bella did not continue her response, and the members who had been following Victoria’s remarks returned their attention to Aldric.

The personal maid serving Claris brought the prepared tea to her lady.

Claris politely waved her hand as the maid lowered her head and returned to her position.

The teacup had been prepared while the discussion was underway, and Claris could now turn her attention back to the meeting without needing to interrupt the conversation to attend to it.

"I really like people who are smart without too much reasoning."

Aldric said calmly.

He rested his chin on his joined hands, with his elbows resting on the table.

"People who don’t panic in sudden situations and are already planning their next step."

He looked at Ezra with a pleased smile.

"Your reasoning on this matter, Ezra Ashenlocke, is exactly what I already had planned."

He said calmly.

Aldric’s words brought the discussion back to Ezra’s earlier explanation.

The prince had listened to his reasoning and found that it matched the approach he had already intended to take.

Rather than allowing the situation to catch the faction unprepared, he preferred members who could remain composed and consider their next move.

Ezra had done that during the discussion.

Aldric continued looking at him with a pleased expression before moving on to the faction’s wider position.

"This matter is a big chance for those in the Royal Blue Faction and any other faction that thinks they can use this scandal as a card to mess with us to get utterly humiliated, and I’m sure you will see through this, Ezra Ashenlocke."

He raised an eyebrow, waiting for an answer from Ezra.

"I will do my best."

Ezra replied calmly.

"Good."

Prince Aldric smiled, pleased once again.

"Let’s move on to the next matter at hand."

He glanced at Claris, who sipped a little of her tea.

Claris gracefully placed the teacup down and picked up the document she had left on the table, preparing to resume the meeting.

"The next discussion is about the planning of our campaign, the First-Years we have to win over, and who we should be wary of."

She said calmly before placing the document down.

The subject had shifted to the faction’s campaign.

The members would have to consider which First-Year students they wanted to bring over to their side and which ones could pose a problem.

With the faction’s plans under discussion, the attention of the members turned towards the students who could influence the outcome.

"Aah... this is a problem."

Patricia Hawthorne spoke as she placed her right hand on her forehead, rubbing it.

"What’s the problem, Patricia dear? You don’t think I can’t win the General Second-Year representative position?"

Princess Victoria looked at Patricia with a playfully offended expression.

"I didn’t mean it like that. I’m not even that worried about our Year election."

Patricia said, waving her hand dismissively while still looking troubled.

Her response did little to hide her concern.

She was not speaking about the Second-Year election, and Victoria’s question had not addressed the part of the campaign that was bothering her.

"It’s because of the heavy hitters in the First Year, right?"

Veda asked, already aware of why Patricia was worried.

Even every First-Year present in the meeting room had the same thought.

Especially Prince Charles Aethelmont, who was the one representing them.

The discussion had now reached the First-Years, and the names involved were enough to make the matter difficult.

The Golden Circle had to consider students from different families and backgrounds, including those whose influence could draw others towards their faction.

Patricia’s concern was not limited to one student.

The number of influential First-Years spread across the rival factions made the campaign more complicated, and the Golden Circle could not afford to ignore how those students might affect its position.

"Our major problem comes from the Royal Blue Faction, which has Prince Tristin Aethelmont as their representative. And with his group, which has Felix Ashenlocke, Gareth Ashenlocke, Desmond Derlis, and more slightly influential students in the First Year, their push in attracting other students in the First Year is threatening."

Claris explained her thoughts on the issue.

The Royal Blue Faction had several names to work with. Prince Tristin Aethelmont served as its representative, while Felix Ashenlocke, Gareth Ashenlocke, and Desmond Derlis were among the other students in his group.

Their presence gave the faction several influential First-Years who could help draw more students towards them.

For the Golden Circle, the concern was not simply the number of names on the list.

It was the influence those students could have over their fellow First-Years and how that influence might affect the campaign.

If the Royal Blue Faction continued attracting students through its representative and his group, the Golden Circle would have to account for that when deciding how to approach its own recruitment.

"The Royal Crest Faction is the worst of all..."

Patricia said, looking completely worried about the number of influential First-Years in the faction.

"They don’t only have Princess Stella Aethelmont and Lady Phiora Casper. They also have Lady Diane Bergwyn, Lady Selena Galehart, Lady Sasha Burnwick, and the list of First-Years goes on and on."

She said, finding it hard to understand why so many of the most loved ladies of the Kingdom and the Academy were all in the same place.

Patricia’s concern grew as she went through the names.

Princess Stella Aethelmont and Lady Phiora Casper were already part of the Royal Crest Faction, but they were not the only ones attracting attention.

Lady Diane Bergwyn, Lady Selena Galehart, and Lady Sasha Burnwick were also among its First-Years.

The list seemed to continue beyond the names Patricia had mentioned.

With so many well-liked ladies gathered in one faction, the Royal Crest had a strong group of students to draw attention from their year.

Patricia found the situation difficult to understand.

The problem was not just that the Royal Crest had influential First-Years, but that so many of the Kingdom’s and Academy’s most loved ladies were gathered under the same banner.

"And the most annoying of them..."

Princess Victoria said calmly.

"Vera Ashenlocke."

She said Vera’s name lightly.

Immediately after she said the name, Veda, Bella, Leofirc, and many of the other Ashenlocke members present all felt the awkwardness that came from the reasoning behind why the word annoying had been used to describe Vera Ashenlocke.