The conference chamber remained drowned in silence long after Kel finished speaking.
No one moved immediately.
No one interrupted.
The flickering lanternlight stretched across the polished darkwood table while moonlight spilled faint silver through the towering windows overlooking the Southern capital below. Outside, the city still pulsed with distant music and noble laughter from the ballroom beneath them—
Yet inside this room—
The atmosphere felt entirely different now.
Heavy.
Sharp.
Dangerously thoughtful.
The proposal no longer resembled a business contract.
It looked like the foundation of a new era.
And every noble present understood that.
Duke Altair remained seated with crossed arms while his sharp military gaze rested quietly upon the proposal papers before him. Duchess Seraphine leaned elegantly against her chair, though her pale eyes drifted repeatedly toward Kel despite herself. Duke Kael Draven sat motionless within shadow near the far side of the chamber, his exhausted gray eyes unreadable beneath dim lanternlight.
Merchant Counts whispered softly among themselves.
Military nobles exchanged subtle glances.
The room itself had fractured into silent calculations.
Kel observed everything quietly from behind Landon's chair.
The tension.
The uncertainty.
The greed.
The fear.
Perfect.
Sairen's voice echoed softly through the soul-link.
"…You broke the balance of the room."
Far away—
At Scarder Lake—
Sairen stood upon endless silver mist while watching the chamber through Kel's senses.
Kel answered calmly.
"No."
A slight pause followed.
"I showed them a new balance."
And that—
Was far more dangerous.
Finally—
An older merchant Count slowly exhaled and broke the silence.
"Lord Landon…"
His voice carried caution now rather than arrogance.
"…this proposal is not something we can answer immediately."
Several nobles nodded instantly.
Of course they did.
No sane noble would casually agree to something capable of reshaping the South overnight.
Another Count adjusted his glasses while speaking quietly.
"We require time for discussion."
"Internal discussion."
A military noble added immediately afterward.
Duke Altair remained silent for several moments before finally speaking himself.
"That would be wise."
The chamber quieted further.
Because once a Duke acknowledged caution—
No one would rush recklessly.
Landon stood calmly near the head of the table while listening to the room carefully.
Outwardly—
He appeared composed.
Controlled.
Exactly like a proper rising Southern lord.
But inwardly—
Even he understood how enormous tonight had become.
Then finally—
He nodded once.
"Of course."
His voice remained smooth beneath the lanternlight.
"House Veil understands the significance of this proposal."
Several nobles relaxed faintly hearing that.
Landon continued calmly.
"You may discuss matters freely."
A slight pause.
"And if modifications become necessary…"
His gaze moved calmly across the room.
"…House Veil is willing to continue negotiations."
The tension softened slightly afterward.
Not entirely.
But enough.
Because now—
The nobles no longer felt cornered.
They felt involved.
Exactly as Kel intended from the beginning.
Sairen softly laughed through the soul-link.
"…You trained him well."
Kel remained calm internally.
"He adapted well."
Landon slowly stepped away from the head position near the table.
Then—
With perfect noble composure—
He inclined his head slightly toward the room.
"In the meantime…"
A faint polite smile appeared.
"…I should return downstairs to attend our remaining guests."
The statement sounded natural.
Appropriate.
Expected.
After all—
A host abandoning the ballroom entirely for private negotiations too long would eventually attract unnecessary suspicion below.
Several nobles nodded immediately in understanding.
"Quite understandable."
"We appreciate your hospitality, Lord Landon."
"Please allow us time to review matters carefully."
The atmosphere had shifted noticeably now.
Earlier—
Many nobles addressed Landon cautiously as a rising Viscount.
Now—
There was visible respect within their tone.
Not complete trust.
But respect.
And respect within noble society…
Was far more valuable.
Landon gave one final nod.
Then turned toward the chamber doors.
Naturally—
Kel followed behind him.
Exactly two steps back.
Silent.
Calm.
Attendant-like.
Yet somehow—
As he moved through the chamber beneath flickering lanternlight, every noble's gaze unconsciously followed him instead.
The man who wrote the proposal.
The man who turned a business meeting into the potential birth of a Southern political institution.
The man who manipulated greed, pride, and ambition so elegantly that half the room still wasn't certain whether they had been trapped or inspired.
Kel stopped briefly near the chamber exit.
Then politely inclined his head toward the gathered nobles.
A simple gesture.
Refined.
Respectful.
And somehow—
Dangerous.
Duchess Seraphine watched him most closely.
Far too closely.
The warm lanternlight brushed softly across his dark attire while shadows concealed portions of his expression beneath calm composure. Even now, after shaking the entire chamber politically, he looked entirely unaffected.
As though everything tonight—
Had unfolded exactly as expected.
Her chest tightened faintly again.
Ridiculous.
No matter how she tried to analyze him rationally—
Her eyes kept drifting toward him instinctively.
Toward his posture.
His voice.
His calmness.
The subtle elegance hidden within his movements.
And worse—
Now she understood how terrifyingly intelligent he truly was.
Which only deepened the attraction instead of weakening it.
Dangerous man…
Meanwhile—
Duke Altair silently observed the departing pair.
And internally—
A faint realization settled heavily within him.
Tonight…
The South had changed already.
Even if no contracts were signed yet.
Because once nobles glimpsed the possibility of unity…
The old fragmented structure would never feel sufficient again.
Duke Kael Draven's gray eyes lingered on Kel until the very moment he disappeared beyond the chamber doorway.
And for reasons even he didn't fully understand—
He found himself wanting another conversation with that strange young man.
The heavy conference doors slowly closed behind Landon and Kel.
And the moment they shut—
The room exploded into low discussions instantly.
"…What do you think?"
"Is House Veil truly capable of this?"
"The Southern Council…"
"If the Dukes support it…"
"That man Heral is dangerous."
"No ordinary alchemist writes something like this."
Voices overlapped beneath lanternlight while tension spread rapidly across the chamber.
The nobles had entered negotiation phase now.
Exactly where Kel wanted them.
Meanwhile—
Outside the chamber—
The atmosphere became quieter immediately.
The long second-floor corridor stretched beneath silver lanternlight while distant ballroom music drifted softly upward through the mansion like echoes from another world.
Landon finally exhaled slowly once they were alone.
Not heavily.
But enough.
Then he glanced slightly toward Kel beside him.
"…My lord."
His voice lowered naturally now.
More familiar.
More honest.
"…Did everything go as planned?"
Kel continued walking calmly beside the moonlit windows.
His dark figure reflected faintly against the glass while the Southern capital stretched endlessly beyond.
Then—
A faint smile appeared.
Small.
Sharp.
Satisfied.
"Better than expected."