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Three days soon passed, and a council meeting took place. All the elected officials along with the Council Elders showed up thinking that this would be a regular meeting like any others.
However, after everybody arrived, they discovered that the Emperor sat on a throne in the highest seat of the council. They did not whether he instantly appeared on that sit or he was always here but they could not notice him.
Many people immediately became scared. There was a rumor that the Emperor went to a faraway place and would not return for at least a few decades if not centuries.
Because of this, many people became impudent and did things that they were not supposed to; things they knew could get them killed or imprisoned.
So, after seeing the Emperor alive and well after only a short five years, these people knew that they were in trouble. A few of them wanted to run, however, as soon as this idea popped up in their minds, a powerful pressure enveloped the room making everybody unable to move.
Arcane Rune Spell: Spiritual Pressure.
This was a spell that Edward invented based on Bleach's anime reiatsu or spiritual pressure. With this spell, he could release the strength of his soul to intimidate his opponent.
And if there is a vast difference in soul strength, he can render the person immobile and unable to use their mana. With Edward's Tier 5 strength and the fact that his soul has always been innately powerful, he was able to immobilize all the Tier 3 wizards in the room along with the other regular people.
Once everybody was unable to move, Edward began to use a large-scale Legilimency Spell to read the mind of these people.
This act infuriated all of them, even the people who had nothing to hide. After all, no one wanted to have their mind and memories read by someone else; this was an invasion of property.
So, all of them collectively resisted.
Unfortunately, soon after, a warning was sent in their minds:
"If they resisted, more force will be used, which could lead to damage to their minds and souls."
Immediately, these people knew that the Emperor was furious and will not play nice with them as usual. Anyone who stood in his way today will suffer the consequences.
Although some people were unwilling, they stop resisting. As for the ones that refused to, they suffered the consequences. Many of them dropped to the floor, screaming in pain as they held their heads.
Once Edward was done with his search, a few people discovered that some people had a red "X" braided on their foreheads. More importantly, Three Council Elders had the same mark.
The room instantly became quiet with everybody having a subtle look in their eyes.
Then, one of the people who had a mark on them was suddenly enveloped by a dark aura that allowed him to break the spiritual pressure immobilization. Afterward, that person began to turn into a shadowy figure seeming to want to apparate away.
Unfortunately, before he could do so, a magic circle appeared on the ceiling and a green light flew from it and hit him. With a look of horror on his face, that person fell to the ground, his body paled–although there was not a single scratch on him.
A few knowledgeable wizards could tell that this spell looked similar to the Killing Curse that was once infamous in the wizarding world.
And these people were correct, at least partially. Edward modified the Killing Curse to destroy people's souls instead of the vitality inside the body, thus making the spell more deadly.
While everyone was still terrified by this person's death, members of the Imperial Guard entered the room and took away the people who had marks on them.
"I would like to apologize to all of you who are innocent in this incident," said Edward calmly. "Unfortunately, the situation required desperate measures.
"To express my gratitude for your loyalty to me and the Empire, you can rest assured that you will be compensated."
Immediately, the remaining people receive a notification that a great number of Arcane Points have been added to their accounts. Additionally, they discovered that the Grand Library has been updated with two different power systems and many other new things.
The Wizards in the room quickly took notice of Tier 4 and Tier 5 advancing methods, while the Mages took notice of the ways to stabilize their Magic Core and increase the upper limit of Mana.
"Alright, you can review these things after this meeting. They will not be publicly announced for another two weeks, which should be plenty of time to give many of you an advantage," said Edward.
So, everyone quieted down and provided their attention to him.
"First, there will be a rise in taxes to all the Private Corporations along with laws that strictly regulate them. You can emphasize the aspect of them taking credits for other people's works. I have a zero-tolerance policy regarding their actions.
"The Imperial Guards will assist in the arrest of the people found guilty of such crimes. They will have the power to kill anyone who resists before reporting."
A few people clenched their teeth after hearing this. Although they were publicly elected, they still have private businesses on the side. But now, they could foresee hard times with these new laws.
"Second," continued Edward. "All people with extraordinary abilities will be collectively referred to as 'Arcanist.'
"Mages will be called Arcanists, wizards as Bloodline Arcanists, Wizard Knight as Arcane Knight or Arcane Swordmen based on their preferred choice."
Edward then proceeded to divide the different classes of Arcanists.
People who use Gate Alchemy will be known as Gate Arcanists. People who modified their genes, people who replaced their bodies with robotic, and [Aura Masters] will be under the category of Enhancer Arcanists.
Although he wanted to have a separate category for mechanically enhanced individuals, the field was just beginning and there were not many people or knowledge to be an independent department.
Another department that faced the same problem is Psychic Energy that Narcissa Malfoy and Soleil discovered. This particular system has not developed yet to the point of being on its own.
However, once they do, they either be called Spiritual Arcanists or Arcane Psykers. He hasn't decided yet.
After the meeting was over, Edward left the council. He hoped that the first law deal with some of the issues regarding class division and wealth distribution in the Empire.
As for the second, it is to bridge the gap between wizards, mages, and other extraordinary people. With the common identity as "Arcanist", it will be easier for people to be united and rally together.
So, from now on, he is no longer a wizard but an arcanist.
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Title: High Magic
