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Envy remained in silence, her expression growing increasingly complex. She understood the implications of Daniel\'s words and was well-versed in the inner workings and mindset of the Hightower. As Daniel revealed not just his individual power but also the vast forces and advanced technology of Atlantis from its Golden Age that he had at his disposal, Envy realized that this could potentially trigger a conflict. 

Whether driven by greed or fear, a mage civil war, possibly escalating into a worldwide conflict like WW3, could erupt. She saw the looming threat of the very catastrophe she aimed to prevent, but on an even larger scale.

Observing Envy\'s conflicted expression, Daniel let out a sigh. He recognized that look – it was the contemplation of choosing a side or course of action.

"It seems you\'re searching for a middle ground, a way to halt the impending atrocities your colleagues are planning while still maintaining the equilibrium and benefits that the Hightower as a whole seeks," Daniel began, drawing Envy\'s attention back to him.

"While I may not be deeply intertwined with the Hightower like some mages, given that the only individuals I know directly linked to it are you and old man Stenmark, I have heard tales of the reputation of Hightower mages – or at least most of them. They are often seen as heartless pragmatists," he paused before continuing.

"Let me explain what that means in my terms. It implies that they tend to opt for the path of least resistance, often compromising on aspects like quality or unintended consequences. Pragmatists focus on what\'s achievable in the most straightforward manner, sometimes ignoring ideal scenarios where they wouldn\'t need to compromise or tolerate drawbacks. 

I\'m not against a touch of pragmatism, as it can be efficient, but the kind of heartless pragmatism exhibited by many in the Hightower? That\'s a different story. They go for shortcuts to achieve their goals without giving a damn about the aftermath. 

Of course, being pragmatists, they make sure they won\'t personally bear those consequences, but they care very little about how others might suffer as a result. Take those hellgate incidents under the city as an example," Daniel stated, candidly expressing his perspective on the Hightower\'s approach.

Staring into Envy\'s eyes, Daniel\'s mind rewound to the hellgate incident. Amidst the chaos, he hadn\'t had the luxury of contemplation. The intentions behind their actions weren\'t solely about stalling him; if survival and delay were Lucian Blackscar\'s objectives, he could have sought refuge within the protective embrace of the Hightower\'s countless mages. Yet, they had opted to remain here, even seeking concealment alongside priests, and perhaps utilizing their connections with the Vatican.

This enigmatic choice begged further investigation. The answer began to take shape within Daniel\'s thoughts, reflecting the essence of the place he currently inhabited. Despite its Southeast Asian locale and its accessible infrastructure, this country held a more significant role.

It was a place ripe for exploitation in the Hightower\'s sinister experiments, an abundant pool of "material" to serve their twisted aims. Furthermore, its island nature allowed for swift quarantine should a catastrophic event unfold – a few nukes could erase any potential threats.

The pieces fit together, and Daniel\'s understanding expanded beyond the demonic essence. He recognized that the very essence they had unleashed carried with it the promise of substantial mana. Understanding the scarcity of mana in this world, thanks to Koyuki\'s insights, he pondered the scenario from a decision-maker\'s perspective. How would he approach it? The answer was clear: tackling the world\'s mana deficiency would become a top priority, and the influx from the demonic realm could hold the solution.

This brought his thoughts back to the initial incident, where the hellgate had not only released demonic essence but also forged a conduit between the underworld\'s mana and Earth\'s. This surplus of mana presented an irresistible opportunity for the Hightower\'s dark experiments.

"I\'m not a fool, Ms. Envy. I know why Lucian Blackscar decided to hide here instead of holing up in the Hightower. Your colleagues wanted to use this place as an experimental ground," Daniel stated, outlining his theory about the Hightower\'s motive.

Envy\'s expression became complex; Daniel\'s words had struck a chord, for the Hightower indeed harbored plans to utilize the Hellgate for the restoration of the world\'s mana. This knowledge was confined to the three Grand Councilors and a select few, including Lucian Blackscar, who were involved in the scheme. Envy desired to confide in Daniel, to share the inner workings of the Hightower, and perhaps even pave the way for him to ascend to the position of a Grand Councilor.

However, hesitation gripped her. Daniel\'s words had given her pause.

Observing her turmoil, Daniel released a resigned sigh.

"I\'ll bear in mind what you\'ve disclosed, and I\'ll work on formulating a plan should the culling come to pass. It\'s quite late now. You should rest, Ms. Envy," Daniel advised before rising from his seat.

Yet, just as he was about to leave the room, he halted.

"Ms. Envy, sooner or later, you\'ll need to make a choice. As long as the Hightower continues to view people as mere resources to exploit and maintains its heartless pragmatism, there will eventually be a clash between them and me if their practices cross my line," Daniel declared before departing for his own rest.

Left alone in the room, Envy contemplated Daniel\'s words. She recognized the inevitable truth that she would have to choose a side. She had devoted her life to the Hightower, even before Cyrus rose to the position of a councilor. Though Cyrus might view her as an adversary, she still regarded him as a champion who had strived for the betterment of mages, someone who had shielded the Hightower from the Vatican\'s purges and averted numerous mage conflicts.

—

The next morning dawned, heralding a new day ripe with decisions and actions. Daniel had made the deliberate choice to allow his daughter, Sylvana, to stay home. School had proven to be less than accommodating for her, as the other children had unconsciously isolated her due to her exceptional knowledge.

Following a cheerful breakfast and some quality bonding time, the quartet of Daniel, Sylvana, Greed, and Envy embarked on their journey. Their destination was a bustling medical center, where a significant meeting awaited them. Daniel had previously committed to introducing Matsudaira\'s group to the individuals who would be joining them in Japan to oversee his interests.

Upon their arrival at the busy medical center, they were met with acknowledging nods from Matsudaira and his associates. It seemed that Matsudaira\'s group had arrived ahead of schedule, indicating their punctuality and readiness.

"Greetings, Lord Emberweave," Matsudaira and his associates bowed toward Daniel, adhering to Japanese tradition.

"Good morning, Mr. Matsudaira," Daniel reciprocated with a nod, glancing at his wristwatch to confirm the time.

In the blink of an eye, an electric car pulled into the nearby parking lot, and Vlad emerged dressed in an elegant red suit. He was accompanied by Atlanteus, clad in a refined black suit with a white-striped tie that complemented him remarkably. Atlanteus had tied his long white hair into a neat ponytail, and his glasses, along with the cane he held, bestowed upon him an air of scholarly wisdom.

"Count…" Envy uttered as her gaze fell upon Vlad in the distinctive red suit.

Vlad also caught sight of Envy, momentarily taken aback before swiftly regaining his composure. He nodded toward Envy, acknowledging her presence with a respectful inclination of his head.

"Teacher! Over here!" Daniel waved toward Atlanteus, who smiled like a kind old grandpa as he walked toward Daniel, showing no signs of aging despite his centuries-old existence.

"How are you doing, lad? You seem to be doing well, judging by the base here," the old man played his role as Daniel\'s teacher, enveloping Daniel in a warm hug, much like an elderly man would do to his son.

"I\'m doing fine, teacher," Daniel replied, proceeding to introduce Greed and his daughter, Sylvana. Greed was taken aback, further astonished as she recognized Atlanteus from the ancient tomes within the Hightower library. Although doubts about Daniel\'s claims regarding Atlanteus had crossed her mind, the aura of mana emanating from Atlanteus contradicted any skepticism she may have had.

Every aspect of Atlanteus resonated with authenticity to her. No modern mage possessed a magic vein or mana pathways quite like him. The way he channeled magic throughout his body without the use of the \'Insignia\' marked him as an ancient mage, rather than a modern one.

"Count… I remember you were impaled by a Christ nail that pierced through your heart, and your body was engulfed in flames! How on earth did you manage to survive that?" Envy exclaimed in disbelief towards Vlad Dracula, the first ancestor of the vampires.

"What can I say, Envy… I\'m hard to kill," Vlad replied nonchalantly, clearly avoiding delving into the details of his survival.

From these two conversations, Daniel deduced that Vlad somehow knew Envy. It was as if Vlad, despite being a card that he actualized into this world, had truly existed and personally knew Envy. He then remembered that The Keeper had told him before that anything he actualized would become \'real\' in this world. Is this what The Keeper truly meant?