Book 2: Chapter 163: Factions
Vol 2 Chapter 163: Factions
Declining assistance from others, Veronica sat alone in an office chair. After several minutes of listening to explanations from several local branch employees, she finally understood the full context of what had happened.
"...Forget it. Let's just pretend this never occurred."
Though she now knew why she had been bumped into earlier, Veronica had no intention of pursuing the matter. In her view, the person who collided with her was merely an ordinary clerk who hadn't done it intentionally - better to be merciful when possible. "There's no need for such solemn expressions. Everyone relax."
What she left unspoken was that since she had agreed to enter the Magical Affairs Court branch using this covert method, she was here strictly on official business with no time to dwell on trivial matters.
And this official business was quite clear: to adjust the security arrangements for upcoming assessments according to her plans.
Due to procedural requirements, they needed to discuss this matter internally within the Magical Affairs Court. Considering both communication efficiency and confidentiality concerns, Veronica couldn't remotely direct them to complete this work either.
Thus, she had no choice but to find a way to infiltrate the Magical Affairs Court without drawing attention.
Furthermore, since the main Court delegation had arrived through official channels with proper documentation - ostensibly coming to Rune Norrey for meetings with the Research Court - even this branch office could verify the complete roster of visitors. To avoid any discrepancies being discovered later, Veronica couldn't even openly blend into the group and had to resort to this method on Folding Crane Orchid's suggestion.
Both Folding Crane Orchid's group and Veronica understood perfectly that at this stage, they couldn't reveal their plans to anyone. Even though most clerks at this local branch were likely magic girls without significant connections or remarkable abilities - those with real talent wouldn't be stuck in such a minor branch office - exceptions always existed. No one could guarantee all branch employees would willingly align with their faction. Moreover, there might be members of other Magical Affairs Court factions among the branch staff. If any learned about the Research Court faction's schemes and reported them, the consequences would be severe.
Veronica now understood that regarding the question of "whether to support Cornflower's return to the Scepter of Sapphire position," the five factions within the Magical Affairs Court held differing stances.
The faction aligned with the Research Court, known as the "Green Faction" within the Magical Affairs Court, included not only veterans of the Inter-Realm War like Folding Crane Orchid, but also members like Larkspur and Bird of Paradise who were originally from Rune Norrey - having grown up in this city and even experienced the war as civilians. This faction's members not only leaned toward the Research Court but also held Cornflower, once propagandized as a war hero, in high esteem. Hence their current collaboration to maneuver Veronica toward the Scepter of Gems position.
The Investigation Court-aligned faction that often worked closely with the Greens called themselves the "Yellow Faction" within the Magical Affairs Court. These two factions frequently exchanged benefits and collaborated more than any others. The Yellows were equally enthusiastic about appointing a Scepter of Gems for the Magical Affairs Court. Additionally, since Chrysoberyl Cat's Eye herself had interacted with Veronica multiple times before, they should logically be the first allies to recruit.
As for the remaining three factions, they could hardly be considered "friendly."
First was the "Red Faction" aligned with the Civil Administration Bureau - a group that had never taken a stance on "whether to have a Scepter of Gems." They typically avoided aligning with any faction, remaining detached until the Bureau's plans encountered obstacles, at which point they'd emerge to negotiate benefits with other factions. Otherwise, these magic girls were the most idle within the Magical Affairs Court.
Next came the "Crown Faction" that upheld the Royal Court's rule. They also wanted a Scepter of Gems to solidify noble control over the Magical Affairs Court and expel the other four factions. Unfortunately, in their view, this Scepter shouldn't go to Cornflower.
For someone like Cornflower who dared to "defy the Queen" - a "rebel" in their eyes - the Crown Faction held little regard, even outright opposition. They believed the Magical Affairs Court's future Scepter should be a noble-born "insider" with impeccable bloodline, abilities, and willpower. They strove to promote a Scepter candidate from within their own ranks while continuously trying to bring their candidate to the Queen's attention.
Yet even the Crown Faction wasn't the hardest to win over. According to Folding Crane Orchid's explanation to Veronica, the strongest opposition within the entire Magical Affairs Court to her becoming Scepter came from the "Purple Faction" aligned with the Finance Court.
Because their stance was quite clear: "The Magical Affairs Court doesn't need a Scepter of Gems."
Though the Finance Court hadn't always held this position, both its remaining members and the Magical Affairs Court's Purple Faction could sense that the Scepter of Diamond's thirst for power had undergone noticeable changes after a certain point.
The concrete manifestation was that over the past twenty years, compared to other factions, the Scepter of Diamond appeared more frequently in the Magical Affairs Court, sometimes even openly supporting the Purple Faction. Regarding the Finance Court's rightful authority, they similarly maintained an iron grip with little delegation.
This behavior naturally fostered stronger loyalty and sense of belonging among the Purple Faction's magic girls toward the Scepter of Diamond. Often, they saw themselves as extensions of the Finance Court within the Magical Affairs Court rather than true members of the latter. Thus, their mission became preserving the Scepter of Diamond's interests at all costs, never surrendering them.
To rank-and-file magic girls, this Finance Court and Purple Faction might merely seem somewhat odd, at most noticing that "the Scepter of Diamond's style has changed slightly." But at Folding Crane Orchid and Emerald's level, they knew this shift wasn't because "the Scepter of Diamond changed," but because "the person holding the Scepter changed."
According to Emerald's description, the current Diamond was exceptionally assertive with deep power ambitions. Having held the Scepter for the shortest time, they strongly desired to maintain prestige and consolidate authority, displaying full aggression toward anyone challenging it.
Compounding this, to conceal the scandal of "Purple Diamond's defection," the Royal Court never publicly announced the Scepter's change of hands. Despite widespread rumors among civilians, they refused official confirmation. Consequently, the current Diamond couldn't even operate under their own name, still forced to act as "Purple Diamond." This situation naturally exacerbated the power-hungry current Diamond's psychological imbalance.
"From her perspective," Emerald had warned Veronica, "someone like herself - loyal to the Royal Court and proactive - must hide like a thief behind the Scepter's position. Meanwhile, you, Cornflower - disrespectful toward the Royal Court and arrogant - want to openly ascend to the Scepter of Sapphire. This must be utterly unacceptable to her."
When discussing the current Diamond, Emerald had given Veronica fair warning: "So our next moves must avoid the Crown Faction while absolutely keeping the Purple Faction in the dark. Only after they owe us enough favors can we negotiate. Otherwise, they'll surely sabotage us."
Precisely to guard against potential Crown and Purple Faction members in the branch was why Veronica had resorted to sneaking into the Magical Affairs Court inside a suitcase - leaving no evidence for external branch clerks to find.