A Spy Struggle-01

A day later, Cyrus faced trial in the Hightower, providing some relief to the tension in Europe. However, the trial's outcome mirrored Envy's prediction: Cyrus was temporarily relieved of his Grand Councilor position and authority but not permanently removed.

In response, the European mage societies decided to temporarily withhold mana until further notice, further fueling Cyrus's frustration.

"These damn vampires and snooty nobles! Can't they see that this is a bloody accident?" Cyrus roared in his former office, which he now had to evacuate until he could prove himself to the Hightower en masse.

With no authority derived from his position, a significant portion of the Path of Knowledge Faction, dissatisfied with Cyrus's methods, began to disavow him as their leader. They ignored him, skipping meetings, and only 75% of the faction members continued to lend their ear to Cyrus.