The Noble Council—a recurring gathering of the upper crust. While the agenda shifted with every session, the central theme remained constant: the state of the sorcery world.
The nobility stood at the vanguard of that world. Or so they told themselves.
In recent years, however, that pride had begun to waver under a lengthening shadow—the existence of the Seven Grand Sorcerers.
Seven elite individuals chosen from the Grand Rank, the absolute peak of the sorcerous hierarchy.
For a child of noble blood, being commanded by their parents to reach that height was only natural. They were raised to believe that achieving greatness as a sorcerer was the ultimate pursuit of their station. This sentiment was especially pervasive among the lower and middle-class nobility.
Yet, at the same time, certain members of the high nobility and the Three Great Noble Families were beginning to face a cold reality.
A sorcerer's aptitude was increasingly becoming something that lineage alone could not explain. In the past, as long as the nobility guarded the purity of their blood, they would naturally produce powerful sorcerers.
But the present told a different story.
Among the current Seven Grand Sorcerers, not a single one hailed from the high nobility or the Three Great Noble Families. In fact, some were not even of noble birth.
Disturbed by this shift, the heads of the Three Great Noble Families convened for a private summit.
"Phew... well then, where shall we begin?"
"Bruno. How is that matter progressing?"
"My daughter’s engagement?"
"Yes."
"It is proceeding exactly as I informed you before. There are no delays."
"...I don’t intend to meddle in your family affairs, but isn’t it a bit early?"
"My house has its own circumstances to consider."
"I see..."
These summits typically took place in a private room within the Magic Association. As the President was unavailable due to other business, only the heads of the Three Great Noble Families were in attendance.
Claude Rose, head of House Rose.
Bruno Bradley, head of House Bradley.
Volkhard Algren, head of House Algren.
It had been six months since the three had last sat together, just before the entrance ceremonies of their respective academies. At that time, they had coordinated the year’s schedule and analyzed the political landscape of the sorcery world to provide direction to the lesser nobles.
And now, they met again.
While there was no immediate crisis, each man harbored a growing sense of unease.
The rise of Eugenics—the organization's reach had begun to permeate even the highest echelons of the nobility. Obsessed with reaching the ultimate truth of sorcery, some nobles had cast off the shackles of ethics to pursue forbidden paths. Several had already been investigated, and some had even been purged.
It was this disturbing trend that had brought them together today.
"Oh! Claude, Bruno! It's been a while!"
"Volk. You’re exactly one minute late."
"Hah... Honestly, Claude, you’re so stiff it’s a wonder you can move. You could use a bit more flexibility, don’t you think, Bruno?"
"Indeed. Lord Claude is a man of rigid principles. However, I consider that a virtue in its own right."
"Hahaha! Well said, youngster!"
"I am humbled."
The three men took their places at the round table.
Claude Rose was in his early fifties. He kept his crimson hair—the signature trait of House Rose—trimmed short. His features remained remarkably youthful for his age.
Bruno Bradley, in his early forties, was the youngest of the trio. He wore his sleek black hair tied back in a ponytail. Recently, perhaps due to the weight of his duties, a few strands of white had begun to show.
Volkhard Algren was the same age as Claude. The two had been classmates at the academy and were long-time friends who often met privately. Among the three, Volk possessed the most massive build, his frame so barrel-chested and broad that his presence dominated the room. Even through his clothing, the sheer mass of his muscles was undeniable.
His physique had remained virtually unchanged since his twenties—an almost abnormal level of maintenance. Naturally, his primary hobby was weight training. His platinum hair was cropped into a clean buzz cut, giving him a sharp, energetic look. The others called him Volk.
With the pleasantries finished, they moved to the heart of the matter.
"Now then, based on the intelligence I’ve gathered... there appear to be suspicious movements within the Kingdom."
"Suspicious movements?"
"Yes. Much like our previous concerns, I believe it is related to Eugenics."
"I see..."
"Those Eugenics bastards. I wonder how many sorcerers have been lured away by their promises... Perhaps this is simply the weight of human karma," Volk muttered, his expression uncharacteristically somber as he stroked his beard.
They discussed the Eugenics situation for some time before the conversation naturally shifted to the Magics Chevalier.
"Oh! Come to think of it, I heard Amelia beat our Ariane at the Magics Chevalier! That was a hell of a fight. Wouldn't you say, Claude?"
"My daughter has always possessed talent. It has simply begun to bloom."
"Hah-hah-hah! But mark my words, Ariane will win the next one! My girl gets back up no matter how many times she’s knocked down! Gahaha!"
"Lady Amelia, was it? Indeed, that Origin Magic of hers was magnificent," Bruno added. "Lord Claude, that is surely a power capable of reaching the Seven Grand Sorcerers."
"...I am aware. An Origin Magic of the Causality Interference type. It is a power on par with the Sorcerer of Fiction. However, precisely because it is so potent, mastering it will be an arduous task for her."
"Are the necessary precautions in place?"
"...Yes."
It was a momentary hesitation, but Bruno did not miss it.
"Lord Claude. I ask that you be honest with us. Is he involved?"
"So, you’ve already figured it out..."
"I have."
Bruno had possessed that information for a while. It was the primary reason he had pushed for this meeting. To him, the Eugenics discussion was merely the prelude to his true objective: the current Ice Sword Sorcerer.
"Regarding the current Ice Sword... he seems to be on quite intimate terms with Lady Amelia."
"...You know that much?"
"Yes. Though I will admit, digging up that information was no easy feat."
Bruno had first become aware of Ray White during the Magics Chevalier. Rumors had reached him that the eldest daughter of House Rose was receiving private instruction from an Ordinary.
It was pure coincidence that he had overheard it; the other nobles had been gossiping about it with looks of utter disgust, lamenting that a daughter of the Three Great Noble Families would associate with someone so common.
The rumors had been a hot topic during the enrollment period but had since vanished entirely—as if someone were intentionally scrubbing the information from the public eye.
Then, Amelia had awakened. And she had done so with an Origin Magic that manipulated the very threads of causality.
Suspicious of the timing, Bruno began an investigation into Ray. However, the more he dug, the more he realized that the sorcerer known as Ray White was a bottomless enigma. Normally, with the resources of the Three Great Noble Families, investigating a commoner would be trivial. Yet, the boy's background remained a void.
His curiosity piqued, Bruno pushed further until he finally grasped the truth.
Ray White was the current Ice Sword Sorcerer. Furthermore, he discovered that House Rose had already established a deep connection with him.
"To have attained the title of the strongest Ice Sword Sorcerer in his teens, potentially even surpassing Lydia Ainsworth—the woman hailed as the greatest sorcerer in history—is a feat of sheer, unadulterated talent. It is a power that could shake the foundations of the world. The nobility will naturally resist his entry into our society, but even so, that talent is too overwhelming to ignore. Personally, I wouldn’t mind being a bit reckless if it meant securing that bloodline for my house. Hypothetically speaking, of course..."
Their gazes locked. The atmosphere between Bruno and Claude grew taut with tension.
"...Lady Rebecca was only just engaged, was she not?"
"I have my younger daughter, Maria."
"...You would ignore the scandal?"
"His talent is worth more than a few rumors. Reaching the rank of the Ice Sword Sorcerer in his teens is proof enough that he is the finest sorcerer in the world. Do you not agree that the Three Great Noble Families need such a symbol to further elevate our status?"
As the two men went back and forth, Volk, who had been silent, slammed his palm onto the table with a resonant boom.
"That's enough, both of you! I understand the desire to bring the blood of a Seven Grand Sorcerer into the fold, but humans aren't meant to be traded like livestock!"
Despite his high status, Volkhard Algren was a man of passion and integrity. He could not hide his irritation at a conversation that treated a sorcerer as nothing more than a breeding asset.
"My apologies..."
"I am sorry, Volk."
The two men lowered their heads. Both acknowledged they had gotten ahead of themselves and offered sincere apologies. Neither was a true bloodline extremist—they were simply pragmatic enough to want to adapt to the changing times.
However, they also knew they couldn't afford to let a talent as monumental as a teenage Seven Grand Sorcerer slip through their fingers.
Volk then listened as they summarized the facts: that a boy attending Arnold Magic Academy as an Ordinary was, in fact, the current Ice Sword Sorcerer.
"Well, that is interesting... Now that I think about it, my daughter mentioned something similar. Said there was a 'fascinating' sorcerer at the academy. Hmmm... I think I’ll have to meet him myself one of these days."
Volk grinned, his own interest in Ray clearly piqued.
"...Regardless, it is best we keep this information strictly between us for now," Bruno suggested. "The other nobles would descend into chaos. Besides, given the level of information control surrounding him, there is no doubt that high-ranking sorcerers—Lydia Ainsworth included—are acting as his shield. Making a move now would be unwise. They represent a faction entirely separate from the nobility, and even I am not keen on making an enemy of the Seven Grand Sorcerers."
"I agree with Bruno's assessment," Claude said. "I intend to maintain the same stance."
After touching on a few other topics, the Noble Council was adjourned.
The existence of Ray White was now officially recognized by the heads of the Three Great Noble Families—a recognition that would serve as the opening act for a new era of upheaval.