Yuri and Savahn gave the two a worried glance as they moved away to the spectators' stands.

On the one hand, it was a good thing that they had managed to place, and even though they had lost, it was very close... But on the other hand, they had lost.

However, after a while, they exhaled. What were they so worried about? This wasn't the Gathering of Kingdoms, there was no genocide on the line...

Right?

Leonel grinned and gave them a wink, taking Aina's hand and pulling her toward a set of pillars that were slowly coming out from the ground.

One another another, the 50 or so remaining groups each took up a seat on a pillar surrounding the Pillar of Truth.

Minerva watched Leonel from start to finish, an uneasy feeling in her heart. How could she not tell that Aina and Leonel were communicating? The problem was that she couldn't tell how.

She knew their souls were bound, but there was a suppression on that so it couldn't be. In that case, it must be a treasure of some sort, that was the logical answer. But... why was he so casual about the loss? He didn't seem like the type to take such a thing in stride.

Her eyes narrowed, but ultimately, she maintained her composure.

While it wasn't an existential matter that fuelled her desire to take home a victory, she wanted this victory for the Owlans. This would mean their rise back to the status they deserved. Minerva suddenly relaxed. She had done enough. If her disciple couldn't snatch victory for herself, then it just meant that they were unworthy.

She didn't believe a pure blooded Owlan would lose to a human, let alone two of them.

"Congratulations to those of you that have made it to the round of debates. You've all been acknowledged by the Pillar of Truth one way or another, but ultimately, the Pillar is a tool and it is the minds of the living that created it. magic

"Often, it isn't the best idea that wins out, but instead the idea that is presented the best. This isn't the truth I want, but is rather just the way of the world. A great con man will outsell a genius ten out of ten times.

"On the middling levels of society, this is meaningless, especially as a Crafter. What others do will never have any effect on your performance so why bother with the foolish thoughts of others?

"However, on the largest scales, when the Convergences collide and Karma begins to play a larger role, you can no longer ignore the minds of others. There is only one Dream World and we all share it."

Leonel's gaze narrowed. His heart trembled at the words and he seemed to have understood something quite profound in that moment. It was just the faintest edges of it, so small and infantile that it could barely be considered an understanding at all. And yet, it still seemed to hit him like a speeding truck.

His surprise was one thing though, his actual reaction to the words being said was another. That was because Minerva was once again using terms he wasn't quite familiar with, and with his Dream Force restrained, he couldn't just analyze her meaning. If it wasn't for the fact he had already come to analyze the language of the Owlans thanks to their earlier encounter, he wouldn't even know how to understand or read any of this stuff.

That said... he was in a much better position now.

He knew what the word Karma meant, and almost the instant she said it, he recalled his conversation with El'Rion about the issues with taking in too many Innate Nodes...

He felt that there was a better than 70% likelihood that these two matters were related. "There are 48 groups of you right now, and you'll already be ranked from the first to the last seed. Your seeds will decide the priority in speaking. Those with higher seeds have the right to interject and suppress the voices of those with lower seeds. However, they can only do so to a particular target just a single time, and only when they have a proper rebuttal.

"Should you silence someone but not have an appropriate rebuttal, you will lose silencing rights for an entire hour.

"During this spar of words, you will be rewarded points for every successful rebuttal. Every hour, the seeding will change based on these accumulated points, and thus the silencing rights will also shift.

"After three days have come to an end, the round of debates will come to a close. From then, we will move on to the round of challenges. However, as you might expect, the higher your seed, the better chances you will have when it comes to these rounds as well.

"No, as the two tied for first seed, you two may decide amongst yourselves who will kick off this round of debates with their opening statements."

"HAHA!" Talon laughed boisterously. "As the saying goes, ladies first, no? Any disagreement, Somnus?"

"None," Somnus replied with a light smile.

Verma gently flapped her wings and sparkling embers of gold filled the skies as though she was speaking in agreement.

Celestia took this matter in stride and effortlessly parted her lips. In that moment, she looked like an Empress who was born to rule.

"I will keep this opening statement light and brief. The Convergences, that of the Point of Dimension, the Point of Life and the Point of Creation, has long been a widely accepted theory.

"However, I personally believe that it has many faults that our predecessors have yet to take into account.

"Verma here has posited the existence of a fourth Convergence, however we are just laymen and juniors in the face of the true masters so we can only posit what this fourth Convergence might be.

"It has to be something that both Crafting and Force Pill Crafting share, but also something fundamental enough to lay the foundation of life itself.

"I will open the floor for you all to convey your own personal ideas. What could this fourth Convergence be?"