My Disfigured Duke Husband Helps Me Plot My Revenge
Chapter 263: On the Same Page

Chapter 263: On the Same Page

"Mages fighting a war that’s simply... unheard of."

"Unorthodox and certainly against the teachings of the church–"

"Please mind the words you say in front of two of the highest ranked mages in Castille," Stephano interrupted, being the one who would have to put his foot down. "And this doesn’t include me, my lord. Are you implying that the very mage blood that runs through my veins is in any way against the church?"

That was enough to shut the old man up for a few moments. He was, without a doubt, a supporter of the former King and would never say anything against at least him.

The noblemen and the King’s most trusted court of advisors were immediately disagreeable about fighting with mages. They were old and traditional and were never for anything that wasn’t as it always was.

Leonor felt that there was no way for her to get an edge over anyone else. The back and forth made her head spin. Not to mention, she hadn’t faced such open hostility since she moved away from her father’s home.

There was a large, burly man sitting towards the other side of the table who boasted the uniform of a decorated military officer. Leonor couldn’t quite remember his name or title but she was certain she had heard of him.

"Mages going into war," he scoffed, sharing the sentiments of the others at the table. "How on Earth can we expect a bunch of bookworms to face the front lines?"

For a long while, Leonor had wondered about her purpose for having to sit through such a meeting, but she quickly found it without realizing it at first.

Her head felt hot at his insinuation.

She leaned into the table.

"If I may, sir," she spoke up for the first time. "While mages are predisposed to slighter frames than sword-wielding warriors, every mage that passes through the Magic Academy has practical physical training for combat situations. The very test to be put into a mana category is by being sent to the field and figuring things out for yourself. In a combat setting, a mage’s knowledge of healing herbs and ability to charge oneself with the natural environment is something most soldiers don’t have."

Leonor shut up the moment she realized she was rambling. She hoped that it didn’t come off as a ramble but a knowledgeable defense of mages. The stereotype that they were weak pencil pushes was lost to her. She spent her time in the academy putting her body and mind through perilous tests that changed her for the better for the rest of her life.

Perhaps she thought so highly of the tests because they were what made her realize she didn’t need to fear her father. The only power he truly had was money. Otherwise, he was a weak man.

Even better she no longer had to worry about his money because the man she married to had far more.

It sent her into another cyclical train of thought where she, again, was wondering why she feared her father in the first place. Was trauma enough to keep her pinned down even if she knew she could defend herself if he was ever physically violent with her?

Perhaps it was the fact that mana was harder to access when your head was muddled.

Regardless, as she settled down, she had a lot of surprised men staring at her.

She cast a glance at Desmond to see if he was sending her a disapproving stare, but when she saw his expression, she knew he was admiring her. It made her face feel even hotter than rambling in front of such dignified individuals in the kingdom.

Quinn cleared his throat. His approach was a lot calmer than Leonor’s.

"Her grace is correct," the head mage admitted. "There isn’t a mage who graduated in Magia who doesn’t have the tools to face battle. For hundreds of years, mages were persecuted and had to learn how to defend themselves." His silver eyes drifted pointedly towards the soldier who called them bookworms. "It’s only in the last couple of generations that magic has been more accepted rather than scorned as something blasphemous."

There were a few people shifting in their seats. Again, they toed the line of offending the monarch who was known to have powerful Royal Mana. It was said that his father did as well but there were also rumors that his usage of mana was greatly exaggerated and, even though he had the predisposition, he never mastered mana the way his son did.

"I have said before that it will be necessary to mobilize the mage forces for Castille," Stephano explained. "I believe this impending conflict will be a landmark event to show just how we can solve problems through mana and not necessarily violence. My desire to extend a hand rather than a sword is supported by the peacefulness taught to mages from a young age."

Another man scoffed.

He wore the robes of someone in the clergy. Leonor didn’t recognize him in particular, but she had spent enough time around religion to know where he stood or who he might be.

"Your Majesty, are you here to take our advice or tell us what you are planning to do?" the man said. "If you tell us your true intentions then we will be able to handle moving forward with this new information more smoothly."

"You’re misunderstanding. This is not to say I believe we will be able to face Eirenguard without soldiers in tow, " Stephano corrected. "I’m saying that soldiers and mages ought to work hand in hand from now on to work towards a peaceful future. I am not like my father and take treaties with other kingdoms seriously."

It was enough to silence a few for a short while.

"Cian, what else can you tell us about this mana stone?" Quinn asked. "Mana stones are powerful but their power doesn’t last forever."

The Eirenguardian man turned to Quinn and nodded lightly.

"While I am not a mage, I have seen the scale of these stones," he admitted. "There are only a handful of mages left in Eirenguard but the vein of mana stones in a recently uncovered mine are said to be abundant. The late King of Castille ignored this mine for one offering riches and gold. Miners left in Eirenguard were sure to deliver this information to what people in power we have left."

Leonor couldn’t help subtly eyeing this Eirenguardian man. He had the same coloring as Desmond when he was younger and was handsome but, because he wasn’t Valerio or Desmond, she was completely uninterested.

She felt a foot against hers as if the very man she was thinking of could feel her thoughts. A small smile pulled at her lips despite the heaviness of the conversation in front of them.

"Then we must figure out a way to neutralize the power of a mana stone before they can figure out how to weaponize it," the military officer from before realized.

Stephano’s light eyebrows rose and the expression on his face was unamused.

"Just as I said, it’s time for the military forces of Castille and the mages to join hands," the King explained. "The result of this meeting is that you’re finally in the same understanding I am in. We can’t behave as we always have."

There were utters of agreement even if they seemed reluctant.

Many moved as if they were about to stand up and leave the meeting despite the King having not dismissed them.

However, Leonor had another question she felt was right to ask in front of the others.

"Your Majesty," she said and Stephano turned to her. "Considering the serious nature of these talks and the time sensitivity of the situation, is it still appropriate to continue with the Winter Solstice Ball in a couple of days? To celebrate at the top of possible war feels callous."

"Word has not reached the common people," Stephano explained. "No action has taken place or blood has been shed. The Eirenguardians haven’t yet moved to the border considering the cooler weather and uncertainty if Castille will be waiting for them. We’re sitting and watching but we have plenty on the border keeping alert. We will hold the Winter Solstice Ball as usual."

In the room, Quinn, Desmond, and Leonor seemed particularly disappointed that the event they had all been dreading was set to continue as usual.

Leonor was surprised to see that the man called Cian was disappointed as well.

Quinn turned towards the Eirenguardian, confusion etched on his expression that a foreigner would dread attending a ball in Castille.

"Will you be attending?" Quinn asked.

Before Cian could answer, Stephano spoke up.

"Since the leaders of Eirenguard won’t accept my outstretched offers of repairing their kingdom rather than going to war, I have provided relief to various other factions within Eirenguard," Stephano explained. "Cian’s payment back to me is providing me with information regarding the movements in the south and attending public events in Coeurvalle so that our people fall under the impression that I am seeking an alliance with Eirenguard rather than preparing soldiers."

"You’re tricking Eirenguard into believing you’re only seeking peace and not violence," Quinn realized.

"I can only go so far with my peace offerings until I have to defend my people," Stephano explained.

Leonor turned to Desmond who had a pensive expression, though he didn’t seem to be in full disagreement.

Sometimes war was a choiceless endeavor.

It felt so wrong to celebrate the winter solstice when there was impending violence around the corner.