As soon as Lord Valualeta said this, the expressions of many lords darkened, especially that of Lord Trambelio.
No one would be pleased to encounter a spoiler when confident of victory. He coldly asked:
"Why are students from Modern Magecraft here?"
Shinji didn't even bother to glance at this second-in-command of the Clock Tower in the conventional sense. He said to Lord Valualeta, "You still have such keen insight."
"Answer my question, Levi Ackerman!"
Lord Trambelio's face grew uglier by the second.
"Annoying!"
Shinji impatiently waved his hand.
"Let him be quiet for a while."
"You—"
"Understood."
Accompanied by a soft chuckle, a woman robed from head to toe suddenly appeared behind Shinji.
With just a gesture of her finger, the voice of the renowned Clock Tower figure was taken away. No matter how he opened and closed his mouth, he couldn't make a sound.
The other two lords of the Democratic faction immediately began to try to break the spell, but it was useless. The mysterious woman's technique was entirely different in both scale and principle.
One of the lords' expressions shifted slightly: "Magecraft from the Age of Gods? Are you from the Wandering Sea?"
"I don't know what Wandering Sea you're talking about," the woman replied indifferently. Though her demeanor was calm, deep down, she was as arrogant as Shinji.
"Young man, do you know what consequences you'll face for attacking a lord?"
Lord Valualeta kindly reminded him. Perhaps due to the previous Iselma incident, she had a favorable view of those from Waver's faction.
"I'm well aware, but I don't care."
"Oh? And why is that?"
"It's simple: do you think the Old Man of Jewels and Miss Blue would care about such matters?"
For the first time, the old woman's calm demeanor broke.
The Old Man of Jewels is referred to Kishua Zelretch Schweinorg.
Miss Blue referred to Aoko Aozaki.
The commonality between the two?
They were both magicians, beings who surpassed even grand magus. Shinji's intentions with such a statement were clear.
"You are—"
"Apologies, Lord Valualeta. 'Levi Ackerman' is just a pseudonym I used for certain reasons. Allow me to reintroduce myself: Matou Shinji, who recently became the Third Magician in Fuyuki City, Japan!"
A collective gasp echoed throughout the meeting room.
Everyone present was an elite among elites, and because of that, they understood the gravity of the title "magician"—beings who could stand at the pinnacle of the mystical world through their power alone.
They all knew about the birth of the Third Magician and had sent people to investigate, but no valuable information could be gleaned. The small city of Fuyuki had concealed far too many monsters. Ancestors, Servants, Grand Magus, Magicians—all of them had lingered long after the Holy Grail War had ended, with even the Japanese government unable to interfere. What could the distant Clock Tower possibly do?
As for the few participants who might have known the details, Lorelei was the first to return—after attempting to impeach her, what reason would she have to share anything?
From that moment on, no one underestimates the young man named Matou Shinji.
The magician, who had boldly intruded into the core of the Clock Tower, continued: "I am the master of the Holy Grail from the Holy Grail War. Everything that followed was due to me. If you want to hold someone accountable, come directly at me!"
"And how do you plan to take responsibility?"
Lorelei asked, slightly tilting her head.
Shinji grinned.
"It's simple: I follow the timeless truth of this world—'the one with the bigger fist calls the shots.' Didn't someone say the consequences of attacking a lord are severe? I'd like to see just how severe. But let me warn everyone here—my temper isn't great. It might be even worse than Miss Blue's, and the consequences of attacking me will be equally severe."
His threat sounded like a joke, but no one dared to laugh.
The name of a magician carried that much weight.
"Lord Trambelio, I attacked you. What consequences should I face?"
"…"
"Oh, I forgot. You can't speak yet. Can you lift his silence for a moment?"
"A trivial matter."
The mysterious woman behind him waved her finger again, and the magic binding Lord Trambelio dissipated.
Even so, Lord Trambelio remained silent, as if the spell was still in effect.
Though he didn't speak, Shinji wasn't about to let him off the hook:
"Not saying anything? Then I'll take that as the matter being settled. Feel free to retaliate later. When that time comes, I'll have this lady beside me pay a visit to your family. I wonder, can one of the three noble houses at the pinnacle of Modern Magecraft withstand the highest-level magecraft from the Age of Gods?"
"The highest-level magecraft from the Age of Gods… a Servant."
Another collective gasp.
For this meeting, every Servant had gathered information on the Holy Grail War through various channels, and they were well aware of what Servants were. If that were the case, then overpowering Trambelio would be no problem. After all, a Servant's very existence transcended modern magecraft.
"If you think that's too much of a bully move, I can substitute with a warrior from the Age of Faeries. Due to some unexpected events in the Holy Grail War, several Servants remained in the world. Some are on vacation at my home, and others have already arrived in London."
"Servants? Several of them?"
Some of the lords were already too stunned to react.
This was precisely the effect Shinji sought. With the commotion he had caused, there was no way to hide anymore. Since he was going to step into the spotlight, he needed to display enough power to deter everyone from acting recklessly. Barging into the lords' meeting with Medea, revealing his strength—it was all for that purpose, just like how Aozaki Aoko had rampaged across Britain years ago.
Only by making these people afraid could his future life be peaceful.
In essence, it was a simple logic. While other lords might not have understood due to the sudden appearance of the Third Magician, Lorelei and Kayneth, who were familiar with Shinji, had long since figured it out.
Thus, after Shinji finished his harsh words, the two spoke:
"Maybe it's time to stop."
"The lords' meeting is only halfway through. There are still other matters to discuss. If you're fine, you can leave, or stay and listen in if you prefer. There's precedent for Second Magicians attending the lords' meeting, so you're eligible."
"Don't be like that. I haven't said my last piece."
Naturally, Shinji wouldn't act high and mighty toward these two.
"Then hurry up," Kayneth urged impatiently.
Shinji cleared his throat.
"Listen up, everyone. I don't care about factional disputes or political games, but there's one thing you all need to remember: don't go too far with Lorelei. I declare this as the Third Magician: no matter what her status is, whether she's a lord or not, I will always be her strongest supporter. If you oppose her, you oppose me. And if anyone lays a hand on her, I'll destroy them! Lorelei, you protected me for seven years; I'll guard you for a lifetime."
With that, Shinji left with Medea, leaving behind a room full of dumbfounded mages.
No one had expected the newly ascended Third Magician, destined to shake the world of mysteries, to make such a public declaration, not even Lorelei or Kayneth.
Lorelei bit her finger out of habit.
"Dummy..."
Kayneth burst into laughter.
"I thought proposing to Sola with a Grand title was over the top, but he's even more exaggerated. Isn't this hilarious?"
Lord Trambelio, who had suffered the most today, dryly asked, "What's your relationship?"
"I didn't tell you? He's always been a member of the Department of Policies."
Lorelei put down her finger, which was already bleeding, and tried to keep a straight face, but the smile at the corner of her mouth was impossible to conceal.