Sage Maximus was never going to give in. All the elders had realized this fact. So since he wasn't, it was better to look for means to benefit from his adamance instead.
"There will be a penalty for floundering the will of the Elders, Maximus." One of the older elders spoke, drawing nods of assent from the others. "You can't be allowed to go unpunished for abusing your power on this matter. You even look ready to wreak chaos if any elder decides to pursue this matter to the end. So to pacify everyone, you'll have to forfeit your seat among us temporarily…" The old man said with a feigned remorse.
"Crestwood… you're booting me off my seat here?" Sage Maximus asked with genuine surprise. Even the other elders, friend and foe alike, were surprised too. The old Crestwood had reached really far with his verdict, but he held on to it, maybe out of wanting to see how far Sage Maximus was willing to go for the boy, or just for his personal gain. That was still unknown.
