Page 633

This greatly displeased some members of House El-Melloi, but they didn't dare to cause trouble for Lorelei or Sakura Suzuki. Instead, they collectively pressured Reines and El-Melloi II, hoping that the two, as the head of the household and the monarch, could play a role in taking back everything that rightfully belonged to House El-Melloi.

El-Melloi II was thoroughly annoyed. He had just dealt with a series of major events, including the Holy Grail War, the Heartles incident, the Kiritsugu Emiya murder case, and the arrival of evil among humans. He simply had no mood or energy to deal with trivial matters and found these insects particularly noisy.

Not to mention, Waver wasn't particularly keen on reclaiming the Minerals Department; he was more concerned with avenging Professor Kenneth, and that wish had already been fulfilled. So his remaining duty was to maintain the stability of House El-Melloi and hand over the throne to Reines when she came of age.

Next, Waver will have to consider how to ascend to the Throne of Heroes to meet Iskandar, a task he will dedicate his entire life to.

"The Minerals Department... that's where Professor Kenneth dedicated his life, but it's not mine. I don't have the talent to lead the Minerals Department. On the contrary, Reines has quite a talent for mineral magic, and her mastery of Kenneth's secret arts is becoming more and more complete. Lord of the Minerals Department."

With that thought in mind, El-Melloi II subtly glanced at Reines beside him, deciding to prioritize her opinion in this matter.

Reines didn't notice Webber's subtle actions; she was still carefully considering the pros and cons and didn't impulsively agree or disagree.

As the head of House El-Melloi, Reines certainly wants to regain control of the Minerals Department. This would enhance her prestige within the family and solidify her rule. At such a young age, she lacks convincing achievements, and her position as head of the family is merely a matter of good luck.

From a personal perspective, Reines was indifferent to the Minerals Department, even considering it a hot potato and a huge problem, because the El-Melloi family currently lacked the strength to protect their gold and silver mines and could not deter those greedy individuals with malicious intentions.

While it's true that we could easily reclaim the Minerals Department with just a few words, if we fail to hold onto it in the end, then it will all be for nothing.

"Ultimately, why did Suzuki-nee propose this plan? Although Suzuki-nee is a good person, Lana-nee is a scoundrel..."

While Reines was struggling with her dilemma, Suzuki Sakura appeared quite relaxed, leisurely sipping her tea as if she were calmly unwinding.

The girl observed the expressions of the two people opposite her, but she had no expectations of what choice they would make, because she would not lose out no matter what.

The reason we invited Reines and El-Melloi II here today is not because Suzuki Sakura had a sudden burst of kindness, but to eliminate any necessary hidden dangers.

During the Grand Order decision, Lorelei supported Sakura Suzuki's proposal, but this gesture of goodwill was not entirely benevolent; it contained many potential pitfalls.

Besides the intense animosity from the Meastia family, Lorelei's move also aimed to internally divide the democratic camp.

As she predicted, the El-Melloi family reacted, causing a rift in the alliance between Sakura Suzuki and El-Melloi.

If Sakura Suzuki were willing to return the Minerals Department to El-Melloi, this nascent turmoil would immediately subside. However, there would certainly be someone within the Clock Tower secretly plotting a new round of conspiracies surrounding the Minerals Department, and it would be hard to say who would ultimately gain ownership of it.

Sakura Suzuki didn't care much about this, but even if you're going to be a good person, there's no reason to give things away for nothing, so she proposed this exchange agreement.

Compared to the Mineral Arts Department, the Modern Magic Department is indeed far inferior in many aspects, but in some ways this can also be considered a rare advantage.

The Minerals Department has a history of over two thousand years, and the families and powers within it are deeply entrenched, making it impossible for Suzuki Sakura, the newly arrived ruler, to handle.

It took Lana more than two years to get the Spirit Conjuring Department sorted out, and the Mineral Department was no less impressive.

Unless a ruthless approach is used to forcefully push things through, Suzuki Sakura and the others will have their energy confined to the Minerals Department for a long time, leaving them unable to intervene in other matters.

Compared to the Minerals Department, the Transberio family's redevelopment plan for the Spirit Tomb clearly involves more and larger interests.

The Barthero family had always opposed the plan, and Lorelei did indeed intend to use it to distract Suzuki Sakura's faction.

The emerging modern magic department doesn't have a similar problem; once El-Melloi II leaves, Sakura Suzuki can easily seize power.

Even if El-Melloi II takes all his prized students away, it doesn't matter; Suzuki Sakura can just bring her own people over from the Far East.

Using the resources of the Clock Tower to cultivate their own team, they transformed the Department of Modern Magic into an impregnable stronghold, effectively controlling both departments.

After a period of quiet reflection, the intelligent Reines had figured out several key points and recognized the enormous benefits and risks involved.

“I see. If we give up on taking back the Minerals Department now, it will be tantamount to making a statement to the outside world. The El-Melloi family will then have no moral ground or reason to reclaim the Minerals Department... But so what? Wealth that can be taken back but not kept is not wealth that belongs to us.”

"More importantly, with my sworn brother's abilities, being the monarch of the Modern Magic Department is already the limit. Letting him go to the Mineral Department... heh."

Once her thoughts were clear, Reines's expression became relaxed and natural, her brows unfurrowing as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

"It seems Miss Reines has made a decision."

Sakura Suzuki put down the teacup she was holding, sat up straight, and looked at Weber.

"And what about Mr. El-Melloi II? Shouldn't we give you two some time to exchange ideas? After all, this proposal covers a wide range of issues."

“No need,” El-Melloi II shook his head and replied, “Let Reines decide. She is the one in charge of El-Melloi.”

"Brother..."

Upon hearing this, Reines glanced at Waver and speculated with a grin.

"You're not just pushing everything onto me because you find it troublesome, are you? That way, even if you go back, you won't have to explain anything to your family, while I, a weak woman, will be the one to suffer all the criticism."

"I have no such thoughts!"

El-Melloi II immediately sat up straight and began to refute him righteously.

"Do you think those spoiled brats will believe that kind of talk? I'll definitely suffer along with you, and most of the trouble will come my way!"

Reines knew perfectly well that Waver was telling the truth, and that she was just teasing her adoptive brother to ease the pressure of making the decision.

The girl also believed that no matter what happened, Weber would never leave her to face dangers and hardships alone; he was just that trustworthy.

Although Webber wasn't particularly strong, he never shied away from trouble, and even if he complained, he would still do his best to take action.

It was because of El-Melloi II's backing that Reines dared to make bold attempts and use her power like a monarch.

“Ms. Suzuki, thank you very much for your kindness, but the El-Melloi family does not currently have the ability to take charge of and protect the Minerals Department, so it would be more prudent for you to operate such an important department. This would be a good thing for both of us, for the democratic camp, and even for the entire Clock Tower.”

“Is that so…” Suzuki Sakura nodded, stood up, and shook hands with Reines with a smile: “Then I’ll take your good wishes, Reines.”

After finishing their business, the two sides chatted for a few more minutes about their intention to cooperate after the Holy Grail War, and then Reines and El-Melloi II took their leave.

On his way back to the monarch's office, El-Melloi II asked Reines how he planned to deal with the reactions and pressures within the family.

"Oh? Well, brother, you don't need to worry about that. I've already come up with a solution. You should go and attend to your duties as the monarch."

Seeing that Reines was so confident, El-Melloi II did not ask any further questions, thinking that Reines should know what she was doing.

Reines's solution was indeed simple: she planned to leave this troublesome matter to the newly arrived Hartles to handle.

Reines agreed to provide shelter to Hartres, not so that he would just freeload; he had to demonstrate his value first.

Since Hartles wants to change the atmosphere within the Magic Association, he should start by correcting the El-Melloi family and eliminating the bad apples.

..........................................

After seeing the two guests off, Suzuki Sakura called another group of people for a meeting.

Although the El-Melloi family didn't get the Minerals Department back, Sakura Suzuki and Lana had already devised a countermeasure.

"Miss Luvia Celinta, is your Edfeldt family interested in the position of Minister of Mineral Science?"

"Ah, this..."

Luvia Celinta was startled and almost jumped off the sofa, completely abandoning her usual composure and dignity.

"Minister of Mineral Science? You mean you want to hand over the management of the Mineral Science Department to us? Is that right?"

Although the Edfeldt family is very powerful, they are often derisively referred to as nouveau riche or upstarts because their rise to power was too recent.

However, becoming the Dean of the Department of Minerals would be a significant honor for the Edfeldt family.

Moreover, the Edfeldt family is particularly skilled in gem magic, making them a perfect fit for managing the Minerals Department.

"That's right, but I also have a few conditions to make clear beforehand."

Sakura Suzuki raised her hand to signal Luvia Celineta to calm down, and began to explain slowly.

"First of all, only you can serve as the dean of this department; secondly, Rin Tohsaka will serve as your deputy to assist and supervise you."

The current head of the Edfeldt family is Luvia's father, a magician who is both intelligent and brave, and is by no means an easy person to deal with.

Compared to this old fox, the straightforward Luvia is obviously easier to get along with, and her performance during the Holy Grail War was quite remarkable.

Before Luvia Celineta could answer, Rin Tohsaka snapped and slammed her fist on the table in a huff.

"What?! You want me to be this guy's deputy? No way, absolutely not! I can't accept a brainless person as my boss!"

"Huh? You penniless wretch, who are you calling brainless?! Do you think I want a subordinate as stupid as you?"

Luvia Celinta was immediately annoyed, and she slammed her hand on the table, making an announcement with an air of dominance.

"Mr. Suzuki, I agree to all your suggestions. I will go back and discuss with my family what to do."

After saying that, Luvia Celinta left in a hurry, and Rin Tohsaka immediately chased after her, and the two of them started a full-blown fight.

After the two walked away playfully, the third person who had been hiding in the room finally emerged and sat down awkwardly in front of Suzuki Sakura.

"Mr. Suzuki..." Yvette tentatively began, "What do you think the Lehman family should do next?"

Before the fall of the Meastia family, Yvette had already defected to the democrats and provided intelligence to El-Melloi II.

Upon learning that the Minerals Department had been handed over to Sakura Suzuki, Yvette immediately made contact with him through her connection with Shirou Matou.

"I accept the surrender of the Lehman family. Keep an eye on the Edfeldt family and the other families in the Minerals Department."

Sakura Suzuki calmly gazed at Yvette, putting considerable pressure on the Mystic Eyes girl, making her feel as if she were meeting an empress of an empire.

"Also, you can continue to stay in the El-Mello classroom... I believe you should be able to figure out what to do with your professional spy skills."

Limited-time recruitment of 800 Masters in the London Holy Grail War pool (5K cards available).

In the corridor of the mansion.

Rin Tohsaka and Luvia chased each other, heading towards the underground fighting arena without prior arrangement.

The two always resolved their conflicts in such a simple and direct way: by using their fists to demonstrate the truth.

Meanwhile, Shirou Matou sat quietly in a chair by the window, leisurely admiring the round and bright moon.

"Hey, how many times have these two done this today? They're so energetic and full of life..."

He watched Rin and Luvia walk away, wanting to catch up and take good care of them, but he was powerless to do so.

After thinking for a moment, he lay back down in his chair and gazed at the stars and moon in the night sky.

The boy's silvery-white hair shone brightly in the pale yellow moonlight, and its color did not appear decayed or rotten.

In order to maintain the Reality Marble as much as possible, Shirou Matou overexerted his physical strength and vitality, falling into a state of exhaustion.

Nowadays, apart from his height and skin color, he looks like a carbon copy of the Heroic Spirit Emiya, which leaves even himself speechless.

For magicians, overdrawing their life force will damage their foundation, and even if they can rest and recover, it will take a long time.

But this was not a difficult problem for Suzuki Sakura; it was just a matter of needing expensive magic potions, which could be easily solved with money.

What's more, there's also the little red bottle from the Great Tomb of Nazarick, just one bottle is enough to restore Matou Shirou to his full potential.

Ainz Ooal Gown has already given the potion to Sakura Suzuki, but Sakura hasn't given it to Shirou Matou yet. She knows that Shirou Matou is a restless person who will immediately throw himself into his work once he fully recovers, so it's better to take this opportunity to let him, who has been busy for many years, have a good rest.

Incidentally, Sakura Suzuki also entrusted the important task of taking care of Shirou Matou to Rin Tohsaka. Rin Tohsaka complained, but her actions betrayed her true feelings.