Three days after meeting Henning and receiving permission to share the story, Fabian Bingen finally began preparing the move that would shake the European medical industry to its core. He had not expected the boy to agree so easily, especially after everything he and his sister had endured. Yet Henning had accepted with surprising calmness, asking only one thing in return—that no other child would have to suffer the same fate as his sister. Those words alone were enough to make even Fabian, a man who had spent decades watching people die, feel ashamed of the modern medical world. Because the truth was simple. If the system had worked properly, the girl would never have suffered for so many years.
For the plan to succeed, Fabian needed cooperation from the great noble houses of Europe. Not because he feared opposition, but because courtesy still mattered among the ancient families. More importantly, many of those houses had their hands buried deep inside the healthcare industry through investments, political influence, or private partnerships. Fabian did not particularly care if corrupt executives suffered losses, but he was considerate enough to warn the patriarchs to quietly move away anyone they valued before the storm hit. Once this matter became public, hospitals, insurance companies, pharmaceutical groups, and even ministries would be dragged into chaos. The media would tear through the continent like starving wolves once the story surfaced.
At the moment, Fabian sat alone inside a sealed conference room deep within the Bingen family estate. The room itself looked old despite the advanced technology hidden within its walls. Shelves filled with handwritten medical journals stretched across the chamber, some of them older than entire nations. A faint smell of herbs and disinfectant lingered in the air, something that always followed the Bingen family no matter where they went. Fabian calmly poured himself tea while waiting for the communication hologram to establish connection with the various patriarchs. Although hologram technology had become unstable after mana flooded the world, the great houses still possessed enough resources to make short-distance communication possible.
One after another, the holograms flickered to life above the long black table. Elderly men and women dressed in formal attire appeared across the room, each carrying the pressure and authority of centuries-old bloodlines. Some sat in offices, others in gardens or private libraries, but every single one of them looked displeased at being summoned without explanation. Their time was valuable, and none of them enjoyed being called like subordinates.
"You have our attention, Bingen," said Gustaw Pettmont coldly, his heavy voice echoing through the room. "Next time you summon us like this without explanation, we will take action."
Fabian simply snorted and leaned back in his chair. "Yeah, yeah, I know all about your pride already. But after today, you'll be less worried about me summoning you and more worried about how badly you've all crippled yourselves. Honestly, this is beyond shooting yourselves in the foot. You people blew up the entire ammunition depot."
Several patriarchs frowned immediately. Some looked insulted while others merely narrowed their eyes. Fabian, however, only laughed harder as he watched their reactions. The healthcare sector had become a swamp of greed and bureaucracy over the last century, and despite all their influence, none of the great houses had bothered fixing it because there had been no immediate profit to gain. Now that negligence had cost humanity one of the most important opportunities imaginable.
Among all those present, only one person remained calm. Orazio Vassevilliers folded his hands beneath his chin while quietly studying Fabian. The Vassevilliers house was ancient even by noble standards, and Orazio himself was considered one of the greatest patriarchs his lineage had ever produced. Unlike the others, he understood Fabian well enough to know that the man would never gather them for something trivial.
"Get to the point," Orazio said evenly. "We all know your family's obsession with medicine, so I will overlook your behavior for today. Explain why you believe we have harmed ourselves."
Fabian's smile slowly faded. "Simple. Read the dossier I'm sending you. And before anyone gets funny ideas, do not touch the people involved. The boy has already been accepted by the Sonnebergs. Also, for those of you wondering, yes, the hidden lineage may still exist. But the last one you suspected was not them. They were always better at hiding than the Sonnebergs."
That statement alone caused several expressions to change. Ancient lineages that disappeared from public view were always a sensitive topic among the noble houses. Still, everyone quickly opened the files Fabian transmitted. Silence descended upon the room almost immediately afterward.
The dossier contained Henning's entire story. His sister's mysterious illness. Their failed attempts to seek treatment. The rejection at Grand River Hospital. The Bingen doctor whose arrogance prevented the case from reaching the proper channels. Most importantly, it contained the newest diagnosis proving the girl possessed a rare physique awakened by mana itself.
As they read further, the atmosphere in the room grew heavier.
"We already suspected the hidden lineage survived," Gustaw muttered distractedly. But this…" His expression darkened. "Is all of this verified?"
"What you're worried about can easily be checked," Fabian replied calmly. "In fact, your people are probably verifying it already. While they do that, arrange a meeting for me with the EU prime ministers and presidents. I refuse to deal with the Ministry of Health. Those bribed parasites will only get in the way."
Several patriarchs visibly grimaced. The Bingen family rarely showed open hostility toward outsiders, but when it came to matters involving medicine, their temper was infamous. History was filled with stories about nobles, officials, and merchants who crossed the family only to die under mysterious circumstances shortly afterward.
Twenty minutes passed before the verification reports returned. By then, every patriarch in the room looked furious. Not only had Europe nearly lost a valuable talent because of corruption, but they had also failed to notice the appearance of a mana-related physique. Even if they likely would not have solved the problem immediately, merely observing such a case years earlier could have accelerated humanity's understanding of cultivation tremendously.
"Damn it…" one patriarch muttered. "We really missed this."
Orazio closed the dossier slowly and exhaled. "Fine. You have my support. I have no one worth protecting in that industry, and removing the rot will improve stability."
"I agree," Gustaw added reluctantly. "I assume you plan to make the case public while protecting the identities involved?"
Fabian nodded. "Correct. Only limited protection. Intelligence agencies across the world will investigate anyway, so overprotecting them would only attract more attention. Besides, the girl herself is no longer the important part."
That statement caused several people to stiffen slightly.
One of the men seated further back finally spoke. "Are you certain? Those cultists are still active."
Fabian's eyes turned cold for the first time that meeting. "Let them try."
The simple sentence sent chills through the room.
"The nations won't allow anything to happen anyway," Fabian continued. "Soon enough they'll realize how valuable the Sonnebergs are, and our family has already decided to care for the girl personally. Anyone foolish enough to target them will disappear before reaching the front gate."
As Fabian spoke, several patriarchs were reminded of an old story from the fifteenth century. A viscount had once executed villagers whom the Bingen family secretly treated against his orders. In retaliation, the viscount's entire castle was found dead the next morning. Every servant, knight, and family member died screaming in agony without a single wound on their bodies. Officially, the event was blamed on contaminated food. Unofficially, every noble house understood exactly what had happened.
Those records no longer existed outside private archives, but the fear remained.
"Very well," Orazio finally said. "You'll receive your meeting with the EU leadership. And thank you for the warning."
One by one, the holograms vanished from the room. The patriarchs hurried off to pull their own families away from the healthcare industry before the coming storm erupted across Europe. Meanwhile, Fabian remained seated alone in the dark conference room, quietly staring at the medical file resting on the table before him.