A few days later, the first official meeting of the Provisional Council convened in a solemn conference room within the Hidden Sea Convent.
Around the massive circular table, thirteen high-backed chairs symbolized Laguna's brand-new power structure.
The air was thick with a feigned, uneasy calm—a tension so taut that a single spark could ignite it.
The four representatives of the Mortari family—Francis, Coletta, and two family elders—and the four representatives of the Fesale family—Cantarella and three of her trusted aides—sat distinctly divided on either side.
The Convent's five priests—the two reformists led by Antonio and Marco, the two conservatives led by Alex, and a terrified-looking centrist—sat opposite them. The division between them was almost visible to the naked eye.
Rover still sat in his special position, leaning back against his chair with his eyes half-closed. It was as if he were already tired of the impending arguments, entering a state of rest ahead of time.
But without a doubt, his presence was like a sea-calming needle and a sword hanging over their heads, preventing anyone from acting too presumptuously.
By nomination, the role of meeting facilitator was temporarily assumed by Francis, the eldest and most skilled peacemaker.
The old man cleared his throat and began with a beaming smile:
"Everyone, for our first meeting, the most urgent task is to establish a clear and pressing goal to demonstrate the council's efficacy. This old man proposes that 'rebuilding the Hidden Sea Proving Ground and restoring its function as Laguna's sole compliant production site for public Echoes' be our very first resolution."
"Public Echoes concern the foundation of public livelihood, the operation of city defenses, and even our economic lifeline. For every day the Proving Ground remains down, a massive hidden danger exists within Laguna's order."
"This matter is extremely urgent."
The moment the topic was raised, everyone's expressions turned serious. This was indeed the most crucial and thorny issue at present.
However, consensus ended right there.
As soon as the discussion touched upon how to rebuild, how to allocate resources, and who would lead the supervision, disagreements immediately erupted.
"Rebuilding is inevitable!"
Priest Alex spoke first, his tone unyielding.
"But the Proving Ground is a vital asset of the Convent. Its core technology and management rights must be retained by the Convent! The two major families may provide supplies and support, but the dominance..."
"Absurd!"
Cantarella sneered, interrupting him before he could even finish. Her voice was languid yet carried a bone-chilling coldness.
"It was precisely because of the Convent's mismanagement that this massive disaster occurred in the first place! Right now, more than half of the Proving Ground is in ruins. It's unknown whether the residual Threnodian energy and dangerous creations inside have been cleared, or if the core technology is even intact!"
"And you want to hand the dominance back to an organization plagued by internal strife, one that can't even sort out its own mess? Are you trying to place Laguna's lifeline in jeopardy once again?"
Her words were sharp, direct, and merciless, choking Alex until his face turned ashen.
"Family Head Cantarella's words are too harsh!"
Priest Antonio hurriedly chimed in, trying to smooth things over.
"The Convent indeed bears responsibility, but it also has the most experience! What we need is support, not deprivation! We can establish a joint supervisory committee..."
"Joint supervision is fine," Francis smoothly picked up the thread, seemingly supportive but carrying hidden motives. "But how do we supervise? How will the seats be allocated? How do we guarantee efficiency?"
"The Mortari family is willing to bear the majority of the reconstruction funds and material dispatching during the initial stages of the project. However, we must possess full rights to information and supervision over the use of funds and the project's progress."
"After all, this concerns whether the Mortari family's investments are being used where they should be."
The meeting rapidly devolved into a fierce argument.
The two factions within the Convent began fighting among themselves first—the conservatives wanting power, the reformists wanting to compromise while still fighting for benefits.
Mortari and Fesale interjected from time to time, refuting the Convent's excessive demands while probing each other.
Coletta listened earnestly, trying hard to digest the viewpoints of all parties.
She noticed that although her grandfather and Cantarella were also arguing, whenever the Convent made an overly outrageous demand, the two would tacitly echo each other and easily shoot it down.
She felt she was learning a lot and wanted to contribute as well.
Finally, on a detailed issue regarding the selection of an Echo energy supplier, Coletta gathered her courage, took a deep breath, and spoke:
"I believe that when selecting a supplier, besides considering cost and efficiency, perhaps we should also evaluate their past safety records and social responsibility..."
Her voice was crisp, and the idea itself wasn't bad. But on this battlefield of old foxes, it appeared somewhat naive and idealistic.
Before she could even finish, Cantarella let out a soft chuckle.
The laugh carried a nearly imperceptible trace of superiority.
She didn't even look at Coletta, speaking directly to Francis instead:
"Old man Francis, the proposal from your family's representative... is full of love and compassion."
"But in commercial cooperation, especially on a critical project like this, I'm afraid love and compassion aren't enough. Stability and reliability must be the primary considerations, wouldn't you say?"
Using an ounce of effort to deflect a thousand pounds, she directly defined Coletta's proposal as "impractical compassion" while simultaneously buttering up Francis.
Francis chuckled and naturally accepted the pass:
"Family Head Cantarella is correct. Coletta, your thoughts are good, but the details require further deliberation."
With one light sentence, he suppressed his granddaughter's opinion.
Coletta's face instantly flushed red—not from anger, but from a profound sense of defeat.
She felt like a little child being easily brushed off by the adults.
She subconsciously looked toward Rover, hoping for a bit of support.
However, Rover still had his eyes closed, resting, as if he hadn't heard the verbal sparring at all, like an entirely detached bystander.
Just then, the Convent's centrist priest, Breno, timidly proposed a compromise in an attempt to break the deadlock, though the plan clearly favored the Convent.
Cantarella and Francis almost simultaneously voiced their opposition. Coming from different angles but achieving the identical effect, they instantly tore the proposal to shreds.
The two even subconsciously exchanged a tacit, knowing glance.
In this moment, Coletta clearly saw the gap between herself and Cantarella.
It wasn't just age and experience; it was a maturity and shrewdness in manipulating the field of power, perfectly hiding personal emotions beneath calculated interests.
That woman from Castello Portovino was walking far ahead of her—both in political maneuvering and in... personal romance.
An emotion mixing unwillingness, grievance, and intense competitiveness began to spread in her heart.
The arguing continued for a long time.
Finally, after a light cough from Rover signaled that his patience was limited, the parties barely managed to reach a phased consensus:
The establishment of the "Proving Ground Reconstruction Committee," formed jointly by all three parties with seats allocated according to the council's proportions, prioritizing ruin clearance and hazard assessment.
The initial funds and materials required for the reconstruction project would be advanced by the Mortari family.
The Fesale family would be responsible for coordinating security and certain material channels.
The Convent was required to provide all surviving technical blueprints and safety protocols, which had to undergo a joint review by the council.
Crucial issues such as specific dominance and the allocation of core benefits were all shelved, left to be argued over at the next meeting.
The first meeting concluded in a "harmonious" atmosphere that seemingly yielded results but had actually buried even more landmines.
As everyone left their seats, Cantarella stood up elegantly.
Passing by Coletta, she paused her steps slightly and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear,
"Little sister Coletta, the council isn't playing house. Just having ideas won't cut it."
Her tone carried a trace of senior-like instruction, but in reality, it was dripping with mockery.
After saying this, she drifted toward the door as if it were just a casual remark.
Coletta froze in place, her fingers tightly clutching the hem of her clothes.
Upon reaching the door, Cantarella seemed to suddenly remember something.
She glanced back at Rover, who was still seated, and hooked her lips into an alluring smile:
"Rover, regarding some technical details of the reconstruction, the Fesale family has some materials you might be interested in."
"Would you like to come over tonight... and take a look?"
She issued the invitation publicly, her tone as natural as if she were discussing official business.
Meeting her gaze, Rover's face was expressionless.
He simply gave a faint nod:
"Alright."
Cantarella smiled in satisfaction and left like a victor.
Watching this scene unfold, Coletta only felt the flame in her heart burning even fiercer.
She took a deep breath. Instead of looking at Rover again, she turned to her grandfather and said firmly,
"Grandfather, please give me a copy of all the materials related to the Proving Ground's reconstruction. I will familiarize myself with them as quickly as possible!"
Seeing the fighting spirit ignite in his granddaughter's eyes, Francis chuckled,
"Good, very good."
The meeting adjourned, but the dark currents continued to surge.
And the competition between Coletta and Cantarella—from the battlefield of love to the battlefield of politics—had fully raised its curtains.