The first council member arrived after moments. It was Angelika who was penalized by Dean.
Angelika frozen for a moment when she saw Dean sitting alone in the conference hall. She gently moved towards the table: "Greetings elder."
Dean looked at the oil painting but didn't reply.
Angelika casually grabbed a chair and sat down.
The other members came one after another. In half an hour there were fourteen figures in the hall. There was supposed to be sixteen members. One of them was Amy who was imprisoned and the other person didn't come on purpose.
That council member had defected to Sword King's side.
Dean retracted his eyes and said: "You must have heard about the situation from yesterday."
Tom was the first to talk: "Elder, its good that you haven't been hurt. Otherwise we would have to give a big blow to Holy Church."
Dean replied: "I'm afraid there isn't such a person in the outer wall who can hurt me."
Tom smiled as he remembered Dean's extraordinary strength: "True."
"The action itself was very confidential so very few people knew about it." Dean glanced around.
An old man sitting next to him said: "Elder, yo you suspect that sumone betrayed you?"
"Betrayed the elder?"
"Who would do that? Who is so bold?"
There were few who asked.
Dean slightly raised his hand to stop the chit-chat: "The person who leaked the message has been found." He gentle tapped the bell.
The door to the conference hall was opened. Hawkeye came into the hall as he carried the previous youth.
Dean looked at the youth and asked: "Who was the one to instigate you to sell my location?"
The youth trembled: "Elder, it was Amy. Amy instructed..."
An uproar echoed after council members heard the youth.
"How could Amy?!!"
"She isn't being ..."
Everyone looked at each other.
"I heard that Amy was dissatisfied with the punishment of the elder. Moreover she had tried to kill you in the office. Most probably she instructed this youth to sell your position because of the hate." The previous old man said.
Dean waved and Hawkeye dragged away the youth. He looked around: "I would take care of Amy if she didn't try to kill me and give my head as a gift to Underworld King. However since today all the rights and wealth of Amy will be confiscated and given to the treasury of the 9th region for use."
"In the future, anyone who will act like Amy will have the same punishment!"
"Do you have any objections?"
Dean silently looked around.
"I agree with the elder!" Tom took the lead.
"I also agree!"
"She dared to kill the elder! Her sins can't be redeemed!"
All the members raised their hands. Only four stayed silent.
Dean remembered the four as he announced the end of the meeting.
Dean told Hawkeye to get rid of the youth after returning to the office.
Sky lit at the dawn. Dean asked for breakfast and morning newspapers.
"Golden Wolf try them out." Dean handed the milk and bread to Neuss.
Neuss drank a bit of milk and ate a piece of bread: "Elder, its not poisoned."
Dean nodded as he picked up the newspapers.
"At 7:20 evening yesterday members of a cult commited violence against the history professer Marley of the Rewey Institute. He was killed. The Knights of Light who were patrolling in the vicinity rushed to the scene but were a step late. They couldn't save Mr Marley's life... "
"Ten members of the cult were arrested including a three star alchemist. All of them will be purified by flames in the Oak Square at 9 o'clock this morning!"
"The captain of the knight's team Melk was active as he personally captured the evil alchemist. He was awarded with a Grand Knight Medal..."
Dean wrinkled his brows when he read the name 'Melk'. The name was familiar. He pondered for a bit and remembered where he heard the name. The first time he heard Melk's name was when Melk killed the captured alchemist in the scavenger trial! Later on Dean got to know this man's identity. He was Mark's son and elder brother of Sarah Mel!
"Mel family ..." Dean narrowed his eyes. He didn't expect to see the sight of this family as they should have disappeared. Pope was the man who designed this task to him and others. He was supporting the remnants of the Mel family!
"Pope knows my identity and he is aware of the hatred that's between me and the Mel fmily. So what is he trying to tell me by giving such a task to me? Is he trying to say that I should forget the past hatreds or simply... he will beat me?" Dean pondered. After coming back from the inner wall he wasn't going to play around with Mel family. He knew that the Monastery was his main enemy! However he didn't think that the descendants of the Mel family will be used as pawns by the Pope!
They will be the stepping stone for him!
"The Monastery concealed my identity and its known to you (Pope)! If you want to play around...Hmpf! Good!" Dean's eyes narrowed as an intent to kill flashed in them. After a moment his expression restored back to normal.
He turned the pages as he checked other news.
Who can fight against the whole world?
"Oh ... " Dean gently smiled as he slowly put down the newspaper. However a news on the corner of the newspaper caught his eyes. His breathing went up and his eyes opened wide as he picked the paper.