Kano took a good look at Nekker. He was still as lean as when he’d gotten his start in the grain market. Despite suffering an unprecedented setback, he remained in high spirits and full of energy. The man’s eyes were sunken. If he weren’t still clutching newspaper clippings, relentlessly trying to clear his name with words, the former Minister of Finance would be indistinguishable from a common gambler.

The Great Mage did not directly confirm Nekker’s words. "I’m not sure how you reached that conclusion. The only thing I can be sure of is that you’ve been resting well here."

Nekker’s hand caressed the newspaper. Though the "Law of Truth" was concealing the facts, he had effortlessly dug up the situation behind the curtain. After all, Nekker had one advantage—he himself had once been behind the curtain.

"It seems my deduction was correct. There isn’t another ambitious man in Valuva who fancies himself so clever." He made no effort to hide his smug expression. "The Duke was only wary of His Majesty and the Church; it never occurred to him that you would get involved."

Ever since the Noble Conference, Nekker had keenly sensed that the Magic Guild, which had once been even more detached from worldly affairs than the Church, had undergone a great shift in its stance. This was the foundation of his confidence in turning to them.

"If you intend to ’fall from grace’ and meddle in mortal affairs, then you might as well go all in! Place your bets on those lawyers who bill themselves as progressives."

Kano picked up the cards Nekker and his assistant had been playing with and began to shuffle them. "No rush. We still have time."

Nekker drew three cards. "Of course. Your chips are stacked so high, you could even surpass the Church. Dipresy always puts on an act of being loyal to the state, but in reality, all he does is wrangle with the Bishops and the Sword Nobles.

"As for Melovinca... Hmph. He’s grown close to my former colleagues—those bankers—thinking he can get the moneybags to back his usurpation. He’s a smart dog with a keen sense of smell, but his mind has been clouded by the allure of the throne."

The resigned former Minister of Finance sat there, assessing the great figures of the age over a game of cards, projecting an air that suggested, ’Of all the heroes in this Kingdom, there are only you and I.’

"So invest in those lawyers when their value is at its lowest! Once the Third Level Estate Assembly convenes, they will enter the halls of power under the banner of ’the will of the people,’ and their value will skyrocket."

This was predictable. When a person is willing to demand justice for the poor, they win their trust. Normally, low-ranking Priests also had frequent contact with the common people, but they already had seats. Therefore, the representatives of the Third Estate would predominantly be these righteous lawyers.

The two revealed their cards. Nekker read his out: "Seven of Scepters, One of Holy Grails, One of Swords... Heh, a small pair."

Kano turned his over: Ten of Stars, Ten of Scepters, Three of Swords.

Kano pinched the Three of Swords card, gave it a little shake, and when his hand stopped, it had become the Ten of Swords.

Nekker was unfazed by the blatant cheating. He casually tossed his hand down. "You win."

Still, he couldn’t resist saying, "Actually, you were winning from the very beginning..."

"We’re not the only ones at this table."

Leaving Nekker’s "convalescence ward," Kano summoned Rorschach and Pascal to his office.

"How has Philippe been lately?" the Great Mage first asked Rorschach.

"He’s been behaving himself. He was quite happy after his article was published and asked if you had time to visit the Duke’s Mansion."

Kano pulled out a pair of pistols from behind his desk. "I’ve been busy lately, so I won’t disturb Duke Melovinca. Return these to the Duke for me."

A look of shock crossed Pascal’s face. ’These pistols belong to the Duke? That means...’

Kano relayed Nekker’s assessment to his two students, finally telling Pascal, "Whether or not you reveal this to that ’love something’ club of yours is up to you."

"As for Rorschach, I have other arrangements..."

...

The meetings of the "Friends of Universal Love and Equality" became increasingly frequent and grew in scale. They had even managed to borrow a Monastery for their gatherings. Compared to their previous, more relaxed salons, the atmosphere was now far more tense.

Debate became the main focus of the proceedings, and the arguments and discussions invariably revolved around two themes: what the Kingdom should do, and what they themselves should do.

After the attack, every member felt threatened. Ironically, it was the Order Church that provided a sense of security—the very institution they often railed against as an accomplice to the King and an opiate for the ignorant. They held an unfounded faith that no conspiracy, no bloody tendrils, could reach them inside the Monastery; that not even the most wicked assassin would dare pull a trigger under the watchful eye of the Lord of Order.

"Maxim!" Pascal wasted no time upon arriving at the gathering, immediately seeking out the key decision-maker. The two of them needed a quiet place to speak, and a Confession Room was the obvious choice.

The small chamber was partitioned on two sides. It was so narrow that the scent of damp wood from the walls filled Pascal’s nostrils—a strangely calming aroma.

Sitting in the Priest’s stall, Maxim spoke with the air of a Clergyman. "So, Thor, what is it you have to say?"

"The mastermind is Duke Melovinca. He hoped to use the attack to drive a wedge between the high court and the royal court... He was identified by a member from before the club’s reorganization... The targets of the attack were all lawyers. Including you, Maxim."

Pascal had committed Kano’s words to memory, but for now, he was only relaying certain parts.

Silence fell on the other side of the partition. Then, Maxim’s steady voice drifted over. "Thank you for sharing this information.

"Fortunately, the plot to cause injuries during the attack failed, but the Duke’s other stratagems have already succeeded... Every lawyer in Valuva now knows it’s only a matter of time before the King orders the dissolution of the high court and the regional circuit courts.

"Therefore, even though I am a lawyer, exposing the truth to the rest of the club is now pointless. It would only incite the hot-headed members to launch a futile attack, giving the Nobility and the King a perfect pretext to have them convicted and thrown in prison..."

Maxim spoke slowly, laying his thought process bare. This allowed his audience to feel his sincerity while marveling at the clarity of his logic. By the time he reached a conclusion, it was impossible not to be convinced.

Inside the Confession Room, however, Maxim’s voice stopped short. Pascal felt as if a gaze had pierced the wooden partition to fix upon him. When Maxim spoke again, the topic had changed completely.

"Mage Thor. That is correct, isn’t it?"

"...Yes."

"Are you representing yourself, or the Magic Guild?"

In the past, Pascal might have adopted the tone of the other club members. He would have tried to flaunt his ardor and passion to prove how deeply he believed in the club’s ideals, how much he enjoyed the company of his like-minded companions, and how desperate he was to change the Kingdom.

But that was clearly not the answer Maxim wanted to hear.

"I joined this club as an individual, a choice of my own making. I wholeheartedly endorse the ideals you represent, and I can assure you that the Magic Guild will not be an obstacle to our shared cause." Though his words didn’t perfectly capture his intent, it was the best Pascal could articulate at that moment.

A glimmer of understanding dawned on Pascal. Kano had already made his stance clear to him that morning. Pascal’s responsibility was to convey his teacher’s stance to Maxim.

"I am glad to hear you speak honestly, Thor."