The scene shifts back to Elysia in the White Tower. She gazed at Baldy Burke, whose bald head seemed to radiate an almost otherworldly aura. "You didn't pull another all-nighter, did you?" she asked with concern.
"It wasn't too bad," Baldy Burke sighed. "At least I passed out for an hour or two while working last night. That counts as a mini-vacation, right?" He glanced at the shattered crystal balls in his office, then decided to say nothing.
Though Elysia was indirectly responsible for the damage, it wasn't intentional. Even if he told her, the young girl would only feel guilty, and she couldn't help him fix the mess anyway. He'd have to repair the crystal balls himself in the end.
Might as well keep it to myself, he thought. No need to spread negativity.
Instead, Baldy Burke changed the subject. "The two videos from yesterday received an overwhelmingly positive response. Based on my projections, once they've circulated and generated enough buzz, you have an exceptionally high chance of being directly elected to the White Eagle Eight."
After all, time, place, and public sentiment were all aligned in Elysia's favor. It would be stranger if she struggled to win at this point.
"However," he added, "aside from this good news, everything else is bad."
Baldy Burke then briefly explained the White Tower's current situation. The most pressing issue was a severe shortage of personnel.
The White Tower currently employed only about 230 Evolvers. Of course, there were also Evolvers stationed in regional offices within the Tower's jurisdiction, similar to the Dragon Nation's Local Investigation Bureau.
But even including these regional Evolvers, the total number of personnel the White Tower could command was only between 400 and 500. This was alarmingly low for an official organization of this scale.
The primary reason for this shortage was that most Evolvers in the White Eagle faction had followed the "follow the hero" mentality. With the death of their leader, Martyr, morale crumbled, and the group disbanded, with most members withdrawing from the White Tower.
Baldy Burke turned to Elysia. "Once you officially become one of the White Eagle Eight, many will undoubtedly rejoin us. But that will take time. Until then, the White Tower will remain critically understaffed."
Normally, a personnel shortage wouldn't be a major issue. But these were far from normal times.
Baldy Burke's expression turned grave. "I think I know who assassinated Lady Kaya. After yesterday's attack, I performed a divination at the cultist's self-detonation site, and the results were identical to those from the divination I performed at Lady Kaya's death scene."
"The Eldritch Concord may have set their sights on us. The current situation is certainly to their advantage."
When a region descends into leaderless chaos, it becomes a breeding ground for cultist activity.
"I'm still unsure of their motives. Could they be spreading their doctrine and recruiting followers? Or perhaps they have some other sinister plan? Whatever it is, it can't be anything good."
Elysia frowned, considering the implications. "So, these cultists really know how to pick their moment."
When the Martyr first died, the territory was indeed leaderless, but the remaining seven members of the White Eagle Eight were still alive. Any attempt to stir up trouble then would have ended disastrously for them.
But now, due to various incidents, the Hunter and Wizard were dead, the Hermit was still tracking down targets in the Sakura Nation, and the Mad Lion had disappeared in the Dragon Nation.
That meant only three members of the White Eagle Eight remained active within White Eagle territory: the reclusive Prophet, the Scholar (Female), and the Manor Lord (Male).
"Oh, right," Burke recalled, "the Scholar is currently in the Sakura Nation negotiating postwar handover matters. This conference has already lasted longer than the war itself! But what can you do? The Sakura Nation's negotiators keep mysteriously dying during the talks."
In short, the only member of the White Eagle Eight definitively located within White Eagle territory was the Manor Lord. Naturally, this was the perfect time for the Cultists to strike.
Among all the unclaimed territories, the White Tower—the former domain of the Martyr, which had been without a leader the longest—was the most vulnerable, as nearly all its Evolvers had already departed, leaving its defenses at their weakest.
"So, is there anything I can do right now?" Elysia asked.
Baldy Burke shook his head. "No, that's what's so infuriating about these Cultists. They scurry around like pesky rats, constantly hiding in the shadows."
Without knowing the enemy's location, there was nothing to be done.
After chatting for a while longer, Baldy Burke returned to his duties, while Elysia wandered through the White Tower. Of course, she wasn't just aimlessly strolling; this was one of the few things she could actually do at the moment.
Although she had practically been appointed, Elysia wasn't yet officially a member of the White Eagle Eight. Until her formal induction, she couldn't officially assume any related responsibilities.
For now, Elysia's only option was to familiarize herself with her future workplace and build good relationships with her new colleagues.
Well, that was something she excelled at!
Since the Human Skin Book was in her possession, she also needed to be wary of potential attacks from the Eldritch Concord. But that wasn't a major concern; Elysia practically welcomed the cultists' attempts to target her.
Afterward, Elysia greeted everyone she encountered in the White Tower. She didn't even need to try; most people developed a considerable fondness for her upon first meeting her.
If a favorability score of 50 represented a stranger and 100 was the maximum, most people's initial favorability toward Elysia hovered around 70.
It's worth noting that the real Elysia's initial favorability toward others would likely be around 80.
This innate warmth, coupled with her endearing appearance, allowed others' favorability toward Elysia to skyrocket rapidly.
Who wouldn't adore such a gentle, kind, and lovely young girl who treats everyone so well?
Carolina trailed behind Elysia, watching her cheerfully chat with the Evolvers in the White Tower. As expected of Sister Ely... she thought admiringly.
In truth, Carolina had no idea how old Elysia was, but that didn't stop her from using the honorific.
As time passed, something remarkable happened. Earlier that day, most of the White Tower's employees had looked like weary, overworked office workers, drained of energy and simply going through the motions. But by the end of the workday, nearly everyone's face glowed with anticipation.
They looked forward to tomorrow's work, eager to see Miss Elysia again.
"Lady Elysia is just too kind!"
"She's going to be our new supervisor? That's amazing!"
"I feel a little bad for Lady Kaya... but I really, really like Lady Elysia!"