Non’s jaw tightened for a fleeting second, but he quickly composed himself. Straightening his posture, he replied calmly, "You are right, Count Jeremy. I do not cim to stand for some grand reform or sweeping vision for the empire. I stand only for one thing: the survival of myself and my family."

  Jeremy raised a single eyebrow at Non’s admission, an intrigued glint sparking briefly in his otherwise detached gaze.

  "But isn’t that the same reason the Ministry of Finance and Logistics remains neutral?" Non pressed, stepping closer to the desk that divided them. His voice lowered slightly, taking on a sharper edge. "You refuse to take any side in this race because you know that when the storm breaks, when the real battles begin, neutrality might be your only shield."

  Jeremy’s smile did not falter, but he tapped a finger thoughtfully against the polished wood of his desk.

  "I am not here to demand your allegiance," Non continued, his tone measured yet firm. "All I seek is favorable consideration. After all, Count, both your ministry’s path and my own share the same goal—survival."

  Jeremy leaned back slightly in his chair, folding his hands across his p. "Hmm," he hummed noncommittally, as if weighing Non's words in his mind.

  Seizing the moment, Non continued, "If any of my siblings ascends to the throne, the ministry will not survive—not as it exists now. That is not a warning, Count, it is a certainty. For the first time in the seven-hundred-year history of our empire, the succession struggle has stretched this long without civil war. And yet, it is more dangerous than any that came before."

  Jeremy tilted his head slightly, the ever-present smile still etched across his face, though his eyes sharpened.

  "So you believe this time neutrality will not be enough?" he asked, voice calm but probing.

  Non nodded, his expression grave."Yes. Unlike previous succession races, where ministries could survive by remaining impartial, this time is different," he said firmly. "Each faction now controls its own independent sources of funding, separate from the Ministry’s reach. They have no need for the treasury’s favor. No reliance on the ministry’s coffers. When the dust settles, they will see the ministry not as a neutral institution to be preserved, but as a relic of a system they intend to remake in their own image or to destroy."

  He paused, letting the weight of his words settle heavily in the room.

  Adjusting his cloak over his shoulder, Non turned toward the door, his final words thrown over his shoulder like a dagger:

  "All I ask is favorable consideration, Count. When the tides shift, and they will, you'll find my survival and yours may be more intertwined than you think."

  Without waiting for a response, Non exited the office, leaving the door slightly ajar. Behind him, Count Jeremy sat silently, his fingers steepled in thought as the golden afternoon light deepened into the long, uncertain shadows of evening.

  Ravenna’s Office, Jo City, Jo Isnd

  The interface flickered to life before Ravenna’s eyes.

  [ Reputation System v0.1 ]User: Ravenna Sorius / Joy Cha KimReputation Level: 70 — (59,301 / 59,400 EXP) ↑Current Reputation Points: 210,000 RP ↑Titles Unlocked: Raven of the Sun Pace, Unruly Princess, Beast Syer{ View Reputation Log }?{ Spend Reputation Points }

  Ravenna leaned back in her chair, absently tapping the side of her armrest as she scanned through the test financial reports. The neatly organized documents summarized the current disposable budget and funding reserves for the dukedom — a reassuring sight, but her mind wandered elsewhere.

  "My points are still steadily climbing," she muttered under her breath checking the reputation system, watching the glowing numbers growing with speed.

  With a few quick gestures, she navigated away from the main screen toward the internet access menu."I should check the novel and the recent events" she said, half to herself.

  Her fingers moved deftly, opening the serialized updates of the story she had once known so well As she skimmed the chapters, her gaze sharpened with focus.

  "Hopefully Eugene has defeated the Conley invaders by now... and gotten a clue that the Hercules Crime Syndicate was behind the magical beast attacks" she murmured.

  The decision to conceal the Syndicate's involvement from Duke Morgen had been a calcuted one. If everything pyed out as she intended, it would be Eugene, not the dukedom’s forces, who would bring about the Syndicate’s downfall just like the novel.

  "He’s supposed to meet his love interest during the raid on their headquarters," Ravenna whispered, recalling the delicate sequence of events.

  In the original Light’s Conquest, Eugene and William were meant to rally the high nobility to their cause by saving them from the magical beast crisis, all while an invasion from the Conley Empire strained the empire’s defenses. Eugene’s investigation would eventually lead him to Estra Kingdom’s Morgen Dukedom — a critical turning point where he uncovers the Syndicate’s true role.

  “That’s where the new arc begins,” Ravenna said, rereading the chapter breakdown. In the novel, Duke Kevin Morgen had already perished, leaving Aria Morgen, his daughter, in charge. Aria, driven by grief and political ambition, eventually sided with Prince William in exchange for his help in avenging her father against the Conley Empire. It was during this alliance that Eugene and William led the daring raid against the Hercules Crime Syndicate.

  However, Ravenna had already started diverging from the original script.

  "I sent Eugene to the frontlines much earlier than the novel intended," she muttered, tapping her finger thoughtfully against the desk. "I just hope he still raids the headquarters in time... and meets the female lead."

  Although Ravenna had given herself the freedom to alter events to her advantage, there were certain key moments she couldn't afford to let slip. Eugene’s personal growth, his trials and hardships, were not merely background noise — they were essential if he was to reach the strength needed to defeat the true viliness of the story: the Witch of the West.

  "I need to become Ancorna’s Empress," Ravenna whispered, her voice barely audible over the quiet hum of the city outside her window. "But I also can’t rob Eugene of the struggles he needs to face. Without them, he’ll never be ready for the battle that matters most."

  Finishing her reread of the critical arcs, Ravenna closed the system with a soft snap. Outside, the twilight deepened, and a cold wind rattled the gss panes of her office windows.

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