In an instant, Ronald thought the meeting room was about to erupt into chaos.
As soon as Dantrian uttered those words, there were people around who couldn’t help wanting to exchange opinions, and the sound of whispering increased. The underground meeting room could have turned into a noisy beehive.
However, things didn’t go as Ronald had anticipated.
After the first few seconds of disorder, the people in the meeting room quickly quieted down.
—The reason was simple.
Her Majesty the Queen’s solemn gaze swept around.
The casters who were already watching her immediately shut their mouths.
The meeting room fell silent.
After a few seconds, Dantrian continued to speak:
"What I just said may have not been very clear."
"To avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, let me elaborate."
"Since the end of last year, I believe many of you have noticed that the effects of your spells have been increasing, and some have even had ideas that they shouldn’t have."
Those who were a bit slow to catch on had yet to react.
But with the Queen getting to this point in her speech, Ronald had already realized the final possibility of why everyone had been called to today’s meeting.
He didn’t know whether to be happy or anxious.
Ronald controlled his emotions and for the first time in today’s meeting, he spoke:
"Your Majesty the Queen!"
"Are you saying that the data mentioned earlier is also due to this change?"
Upon hearing Ronald’s question, Dantrian nodded at him.
She then continued in a serious tone:
"In fact, right before your eyes, new changes are quietly taking place."
"Since the end of last month up to now, the effectiveness of the Church’s Reconnaissance Magic has declined significantly, and that is the real reason behind the reduction in the reconnaissance range. Also, the statistics reported by the Investigation Bureau have been affected by the decline in spell effectiveness, which has resulted in the final figures."
The scene instantly spiraled out of control.
The previously quiet meeting room instantly turned into a noisy marketplace.
Firstly, Dantrian’s identity in itself was a guarantee of credibility.
Such a serious statement coming from the Queen had a very compelling persuasive power.
Secondly, even if it were a lie.
Dantrian wouldn’t present something so easily debunked.
Any caster could leave the meeting and immediately verify the truth of the statement for themselves.
Lastly, it was the significance of the statement.
The reduction in the effectiveness of magical spells on the mystical side was a huge issue that affected the actual interests of everyone.
No one would be indifferent to such an occurrence!
Despite the noisy environment, Ronald’s expression remained unchanged.
He turned to look around.
Representatives from large schools, leaders of the Church and the Investigation Bureau, direct members of the royal staff, and even a few ’outlaws’ near Ronald. Facing Dantrian’s statement, the expressions of these people did not change.
They had known from the start, or rather, were well aware of the situation.
That’s why they remained indifferent at this moment.
And during this process, Dantrian watched the commotion in the meeting room without uttering a word.
The Queen understood that she needed to give these unknowing people some time.
Thus, she wasn’t in a rush to interrupt their exchanges.
Gradually, the noise began to subside.
After all, some people still remembered who had called them together, so they couldn’t continue to make a ruckus.
Thus, the number of people who fell silent grew from one to many.
After a few minutes of commotion, the meeting room returned to a state of quiet.
But this moment was unlike before.
Only a dozen seconds after silence descended, a Caster couldn’t help but speak up.
"Your Majesty the Queen, we believe everything you have said."
"But for such a thing to happen without any warning, doesn’t that seem a bit..."
"I know what you’re trying to say." Dantrian directly interrupted the other’s inquiry and then with a wave of her hand, signaled for the person to sit down. After conjuring up some emotions, she continued, "Everyone, the signs of this event were actually right before your eyes."
"It’s just that because it wasn’t closely related to everyone, perhaps no one thought to make the connection."
At this point, Dantrian’s tone softened.
Ronald, sitting below, felt that the timing was about right and helped to continue the conversation:
"Does this matter... have anything to do with the industrial district’s accident?"
Her Majesty the Queen directly confirmed Ronald’s speculation.
Dantrian glanced toward the right-side seats with an appreciative look and continued:
"The incident in the industrial district had a major impact, and the ensuing problems were also significant, one of which was the decline in the effectiveness of Spells!"
Immediately, a participant of the meeting expressed their doubt:
"Respected Your Majesty the Queen, isn’t that a bit... Tales of the Arabian Nights?"
"How could an accident in a mundane factory affect our mystical powers?"
Dantrian glanced at the person who had asked the question.
She did not argue with them but directly explained:
"Because everyone fears that terrifying explosion that shocked the entire city. Some read the newspapers, others inquired amongst each other, and some consulted scholars; in the end, the change was that everyone understood it was an accident triggered by a chemical explosion. Even due to the unique nature of Springstead, news of this significant event began to spread to other parts of the world."
Another person who knew nothing chimed in:
"But still... that has nothing to do with the mystical side!"
"Even if a few identical explosions were to happen again..."
"Who told you it’s unrelated, you imbecile!"
Suddenly, Alya, who was sitting next to Ronald, stood up.
She extended her parasol pointedly at the person who had spoken, her voice fierce as she scolded:
"If this continues, and the whole world learns of it, the very power of Spells will keep declining. Accompanying the ongoing progress of mundane society’s technology, everything you have now might even become delusional."
"By that time, don’t even think about using your Spells to enjoy life!"
Alya’s tirade not only silenced the Caster who had spoken.
The meeting room was now completely quiet.
After waiting for a few breaths, it was Queen Dantrian who spoke to calm Alya:
"Alya, please take a seat."
"It is normal for these ordinary Casters to be unaware of the situation, and without a correct understanding of the world, of course, they wouldn’t comprehend what we see."
After being calmed by Dantrian,
Alya came back to her senses with an apologetic look and then sat back down.
And at this very moment.
Dantrian sighed in front of everyone before continuing:
"All of you know, those who have gained knowledge of Spells become ’Seeds,’ thus impacting the world. Have you ever considered that the Grid Industrial System itself is also founded on knowledge?"
"More and more people are becoming aware of this knowledge, understanding it."
"As a result, these new and alternative ’Seeds’ are being born one after another, and they, too, will impact the world!"