Chapter 476
Chapter 476 The Witch Council
The entirety of the Northern Lands belonged to the witches.
The once incomparably powerful thirteen witch branches had split the Northern Lands into thirteen interconnected territories. These thirteen territories surrounded a neutral land that spanned up to fifty kilometers.
It was the location of the Witch Council– Werning!
Werning was also a mega-city of its own. It possessed an impressive population of nearly three hundred thousand individuals. The most famous building in the city was the Council Hall that sat in the center of the city. It was a sacred and holy land where only the witch leaders could gather to discuss their matters.
Every witch branch had their territories and had to manage all of their own external affairs. The witch leaders would never waste their precious time arguing in the council of this rural area if it wasn’t a matter of great importance that involved all the witch branches.
Consequently, Werning had always been under the protection of the neutral witch clan, Clan Sidonthiria. To ensure their absolute fairness and neutrality, the Sidonthiria Clan swore to defend Werning forever, and to never expand their influence even a single inch beyond the walls of Werning.
It was the binding power of this ancient oath that allowed the unyielding flags of Clan Sidonthiria to continue waving above the skies of Werning, never changing through the years. Only seven of the thirteen witch branches remained, and the lands had changed hands many times, but the Sidonthiria remained faithful to their post.
“They will definitely come. As long as they are Northern Witches, and can hear this bell ringing, they will come.” The elderly man seemed to be yelling at the top of his lungs amidst the chattering, despite his weak breathing.
As the center of authority in the Northern Lands of the past, Werning City had been silent and quiet for far too long!
All the citizens felt a passionate joy that they couldn’t hide swell in their hearts now that they once again heard the ringing of the bells that had been quiet for a hundred years. Excited and joyful expressions broke out on their faces.
People cheered and danced, almost instantly turning Werning City into a sea of happiness!
As the civilians were celebrating on their own, countless apprentice witches with Sidonthirian emblems hopped onto their brooms and rushed out of Werning City. They flew towards the lands of the various witch branches.
…………
Alice, who had barely climbed onto her seat as the leader of the Witches of Fate, had exercised her rights as a leader and submitted a suggestion for all witch branches to convene for the Witch Council.
For a moment, the effect of this matter rippled throughout the lands, causing a commotion everywhere. Everyone was discussing and gossiping, not knowing what the new leader of the Witches of Fate was planning.
The various witch branches were even more confused. They had absolutely no idea how to deal with this troublemaker that didn’t play by the rules.
According to the traditions left behind by the ancient witches, only witch leaders could actively propose and organize a Witch Council. A democratic vote would then decide the more difficult internal affairs of the witches.
However, as time passed and the witch branches invested more and more efforts into the prosperity of their personal lands, the Witch Council that had once been the institution of absolute highest authority over the Northern Witches started to lose its significance. Even when conflicts broke out between the branches, the leaders only needed to get together to discuss a solution. They very rarely relied upon the great ‘weapon’ that was the Witch Council.
Thus, the Witch Council’s authority was slowly stripped away and reduced to a shell of what it used to be. It became a place where the various witch branches took turns to manage the neutral public cities.
However, while the excellent reputation of the Witch Council could be sealed in the past, it could never truly wiped away.
That was why the entire Northern Lands erupted into disorder when the bells of the Werning Council Hall rang once again.
The witch leaders didn’t like Alice, and they didn’t wish for the Council to reign above their own rule. However, all of them could only cast aside their work with angry expressions and hurry to that familiar yet foreign City of Werning the moment the bells rang.
For a moment, things started to intensify around Werning City. Many witches hurried to this place by marching day and night. On the third day after the bell rang, the Pale Witch Leader, who resided furthest away, had also appeared in the Council Hall.
All the Witch Leaders of the Northern Lands had now arrived in Werning City.
After one hundred and thirty-two years, the next Witch Council had finally gathered.
…………
The so-called Council Hall was, in truth, no more than an ancient, fortress-style castle.
The place where they held the council was also no more than a dimly lit hall on the second level of the castle.
Three long, narrow windows were nestled in the walls of the hall, and not much sunlight could get in. This place required torches to illuminate everything, even during the daytime.
A ubiquitous long table had been placed in the hall. Fourteen crude chairs made of wood sat alongside the table. Apart from the black chair at one end of the table, all thirteen other chairs were placed on both sides of the table.
The corresponding witch emblems were carved into the seats of the chairs.
At this moment, only eight people sat in the thirteen chairs; five of them were missing. On the other hand, no one even dared to go close to the black chair at the end of the table.
It was said that the black chair was the seat of the Witch Queen.
No one dared to infringe the might of the Witch Queen in this holy place!
Even if she had traveled beyond the realm for more than ten thousand years.