The next morning the sky was thick with blue fog a sign that city wide magic was in motion Ethan walked with Lorian Mira Aria and Ten through the central district toward the Council Tower The tower was enormous shaped like a spiral carved from living stone pulsing faintly with runes that regulated city scale magic Citizens stepped aside as they passed some whispering fearfully others nodding with curiosity AMAX had become a name people recognized The Council Tower doors opened on their own as they approached Ethan entered first head high Lorian clutching the sprite gently Mira walking confidently Aria moving quietly but watching everything The interior shimmered with floating crystals that absorbed mana from the air and redirected it through tall channels The sight might intimidate average mages but to Ethan it felt like an oversized inefficient corporate building He whispered We stay calm We stay smart The Council chamber was a wide circular room with six seats arranged like a crescent Each seat held a Councilor powerful mages selected by the kingdom to oversee magic regulation They wore robes embroidered with runes glowing faintly and their eyes carried centuries of experience The central Councilor spoke first You are the founders of AMAX the new magical enterprise Ethan nodded Yes we are The Councilor continued Your demonstration yesterday caused disruption across Astravar Your methods are unconventional Your creatures bypass established guild systems We request explanation Lorian nearly trembled but Ethan raised a hand respectfully We understand the Council’s concern Innovation often appears disruptive But our intention is simple We build reliable magical services that improve life for citizens while maintaining safety control and transparency The second Councilor leaned forward Your fire sprite courier Is it stable Lorian took a deep breath Yes It follows structured runes and controlled mana loops The sprite demonstrated yesterday Ethan continued FireCourier reduces long range spell burden decreases use of risky scroll spells and offers faster safer communication The Council murmured among themselves A third Councilor then turned to Mira And your summoned creatures Are they bound properly Mira responded clearly They obey behavior anchors and safety runes We use control loops tested repeatedly They will not harm citizens unless commanded The Council examined her with cold eyes Then asked What prevents misuse Mira answered Because the runes restrict instinct Weapons cannot fire without triggers The creatures cannot attack without explicit command Ethan watched the Council They respected structure They feared chaos They needed to hear how controlled AMAX was Aria then stepped forward quietly I redesigned the mana conduits to prevent overload If our creatures or runes destabilize the hall absorbs the energy The Council’s eyes widened slightly They did not expect such precision Who designed this Aria raised her hand I did A soft ripple spread through the room the Council recognizing her talent Ethan stepped forward finishing the message AMAX is not reckless Our work is disciplined repeatable and beneficial The fourth Councilor spoke Your services could destabilize economic balance Delivery guilds petition against you Ethan answered respectfully Economic progress is not destabilization It is evolution The citizens demand efficiency cost reduction and safer magic The Council exchanged looks The fifth Councilor finally asked What is your goal Ethan replied To create a world where magic empowers innovation not restrains it The chamber fell silent Then the eldest Councilor who had not spoken yet raised a glowing hand The kingdom will not stop progress But progress must be regulated We will monitor AMAX You may continue operations but must report monthly and follow new guidelines Ethan bowed slightly We accept transparency The Councilor nodded But be warned Rivals will challenge you Guilds will resist you And magic itself may test you Ethan replied calmly Then we will adapt The Council dismissed them One by one the AMAX team walked out of the tower Citizens waited outside whispering anxiously Lorian asked softly Did we pass Ethan answered We were not shut down That means we won Mira exhaled in relief Aria said quietly The Council sees potential Ten shouted That means AMAX lives Ethan stood in the plaza looking at the tower proud but also thoughtful He knew the Council’s approval was double edged They were now on the map officially recognized and officially watched But more importantly AMAX had survived its first confrontation with power Ethan looked at his team and said Today we crossed a threshold We are not a rumor anymore We are real And now the real work begins They walked back toward the guild hall unaware that new challenges already stirred in the shadows Because while AMAX gained legitimacy their competitors were preparing their next move And the kingdom itself was beginning to change