The next morning the council hall buzzed with tension Every mage noble guard and adviser in the building felt the aftermath of the dark cloud incident Even those who supported the tower project seemed shaken as if unsure whether order or chaos was winning The hall lights flickered with faint blue runes that always shone during meetings but today the glow felt colder

I stood in the center holding a leather folder filled with updated diagrams of the Mana Incineration Tower The council members sat in a half circle watching me silently Some with suspicion some with curiosity some with thinly veiled hostility Solen stood at my side his staff resting gently on the floor Leron and several apprentices waited behind us whispering quietly as they scanned the room

The council elder asked me to present my plan I opened the folder placed the diagrams on the crystal table and spoke with a voice steadier than I felt I explained the problem The city faced increasing sabotage from the Ash Guild More cursed objects were appearing in alleys markets and even private homes The tower functioned perfectly but the political attacks grew stronger each day Nobles spread rumors residents grew more frightened and panic traveled faster than any unstable waste

I told them fear could not be defeated by arguments Fear answered only to proof undeniable overwhelming proof

That was why I proposed a full load trial A complete activation of the tower at maximum capacity Processing red waste black waste and unstable items at a scale equal to several days of citywide waste accumulation

The hall erupted immediately Some shouted it was reckless Others accused me of wanting glory They warned a full load risked collapse They said it could produce energy surges strong enough to crack stone walls They wondered what would happen if one cursed object reacted badly inside the tower

I waited calmly until the shouting slowed Then I explained the data from previous tests The purification ring performed above expectations The heat boundaries remained stable even with black waste The airflow channels created consistent pressure levels The tower breathed smoothly across three cycles without losing integrity

Solen raised his staff and spoke supporting my proposal He reminded the council that partial tests convinced no one and the Ash Guild knew this He warned if the kingdom hesitated now sabotage would only grow more creative and more dangerous The nobles shifted uncomfortably unwilling to admit the truth in his words

A younger council mage asked the most important question If the full load succeeded what would it prove I replied simply It would prove the kingdom could control magic waste instead of letting magic waste control the kingdom

The elder council member leaned forward asking for details I described the plan step by step Workers would prepare standardized waste bundles sorted using the Four Color Arcane System Red bundles for volatile dust Blue bundles for recyclable enchanted metal Green bundles for organic magic residue and Black bundles for cursed objects kept in layered containment rings We would process each category in sequence before mixing portions for a final integrated burn The output from the purification vents would be measured by runes controlled by Solen and Leron

Silence fell Heavy tense thoughtful

Then a noble stepped forward looking oddly calm He said if the tower succeeded it would reshape the entire kingdom’s economy and disrupt several powerful factions including his rivals and his allies He admitted some nobles opposed the tower not because they feared it but because they feared losing control of industries tied to magic waste The honesty surprised me though his tone felt cold rather than sincere He finished by saying fear was the weapon of those in power and the tower undermined that weapon

He then announced he would vote in favor because the kingdom needed to grow or crumble

The other nobles shifted They did not want to appear weaker than him So one by one they agreed reluctantly except a few who glared at me with quiet resentment

The council passed the proposal The full load trial would begin tomorrow at sunrise

Workers in the hall cheered softly Apprentices exchanged excited glances Leron almost shouted in relief Solen exhaled deeply as if letting go of a heavy burden

But my relief did not last long

Once the meeting ended and council members left the hall Solen leaned close and whispered something that made my pulse quicken He sensed a faint residue of Ash Guild curses in the room He suspected someone inside the council secretly passed information to our enemies

If the Ash Guild learned about the full load trial they would not stay silent They would strike harder than ever before

As we walked back to the tower site residents gathered around us They asked what the council decided When I told them about the full load trial some smiled with cautious hope Others tensed with fear I reassured them the trial would prove the tower’s capability and protect their homes A few nodded slowly but uncertainty still lingered

Workers spent the rest of the day preparing waste bundles They sorted dust metals herbs monster remains and cursed objects carefully using gloves runes and containment stones Every bundle was tied with colored rope red blue green and black The bundles glowed faintly forming small hills at the edge of the field

The tower itself stood tall humming softly Its stones felt warm under my hand Its rings pulsed in slow calm beats

Tonight the tower would rest Tomorrow it would face its greatest trial Tomorrow the kingdom would face truth

As the sun set behind the rooftops I whispered to the tower The city doubts you but I do not

And somewhere far beyond the field a faint spiral shaped flare lit the sky

The Ash Guild had heard the news