"So, we either abandon our current identities and flee, or we bring in a third party." Klein said, his expression turning serious. "You just said that anything involving both Intis and Feysac spies is no small matter. This is Loen's capital, the home turf of the Loen military. I could report this to them, and once they get involved, the Intis ambassador might not have time to bother with me."
Clap, clap, clap... Alaric immediately gave an appreciative round of applause, then asked sincerely, "But what if the ambassador is so cautious that, even with the Loen military stirring things up, he still sends someone to silence you?"
"Uh…" Klein faltered, hesitating for a few seconds before his eyes flickered with determination. "Then I'd have to find a way to take him out."
Even a pushover has limits, and Klein wasn't spineless. Someone trying to kill him... and not for the first time... meant he had no qualms about fighting back. After all, anyone ruthless enough to order an assassination on a whim was clearly no saint. Eliminating them would be a public service.
"And how do you plan to take him out?" A voice asked from the side. Klein was about to respond when he realized it wasn't Jack speaking. Glancing over, he saw Medici had returned at some point, lounging lazily on the sofa. A cigarette dangled between Medici's fingers, its tip igniting on its own without any visible effort.
"Can you smoke that outside? Or at least by the window?" Alaric said irritably, scooting back with a look of clear disdain.
It wasn't surprising... Alaric didn't smoke and had no interest in breathing secondhand fumes.
"Heh, kid." Medici said, shooting Alaric a glance with a mocking smirk.
"Not as bad as you, you ancient relic." Alaric retorted, rolling his eyes.
The tense atmosphere in the living room lightened in that moment. Klein quickly stepped in to mediate, first calming the visibly ruffled Alaric, then turning to Medici with sincerity. "Mr. Red, smoking indoors isn't great. How about I open a window for you?"
Medici glanced at him, then at Alaric, who mouthed something about a "tea party." Medici clicked his tongue but didn't extinguish the cigarette. Instead, he moved to the window, opened it, and sat on the sill to smoke.
Alaric immediately looked relieved, as if he'd been saved.
Medici surveyed the room's chaos and repeated his earlier question. "Kid, how do you plan to take him out?"
Klein was caught off guard but thought for a few seconds before answering, "I could hire a powerful Beyonder to deal with him."
"Do you have the money for that?" Medici asked unhurriedly, clearly aware of someone's financial situation.
Klein's expression stiffened. He indeed lacked the funds to hire anyone, but…
As the Fool, I can issue a commission at the Tarot Club and pay with something else.
Klein added this in his mind, though he couldn't say it out loud.
Alaric, meanwhile, rubbed his chin. He hadn't originally planned to get involved in the espionage plot, content to watch the mastermind Roselle's antics unfold. But now, a peculiar idea struck him, and he spoke up. "We might not need to kill the Intis ambassador."
Klein looked at him, puzzled. "Jack, what's your idea?"
"What if we could make the Intis ambassador think we're on his side?" Alaric said eagerly.
"Huh?" Klein was visibly baffled, staring at Alaric in confusion. "Are you serious?"
They had no connection to the Intis ambassador except for the fresh grudge they'd just earned. How could they possibly convince him they were allies?
"Red, you're on the Hunter pathway, right? A high-sequence Hunter, at that." Alaric said with a smile, turning to Medici.
"What kind of scheme are you cooking up now?" Medici narrowed his eyes, unconvinced that Alaric's intentions were purely about resolving the situation.
"It's well known that Intis has an abundance of Hunter pathway Beyonders, while Loen has very few. So, Red, could you pose as a high-sequence Intis spy infiltrating Loen?" Alaric continued without hesitation.
"That's impossible…" Klein instinctively started to protest the wild idea but stopped mid-sentence, realizing it might actually be feasible.
Klein thought it over seriously and raised a concern after a few seconds. "But someone at the level of the Intis ambassador is a big deal. Even if Mr. Red is a high-sequence Hunter, without some kind of proof to back up his identity, the ambassador might not buy it."
"That's where our great Mr. Red comes in." Alaric said, grinning at Medici. "I'm sure Mr. Red knows exactly what kind of proof would convince someone of an official Intis identity."
Alaric didn't believe for a second that Medici, after regaining his freedom, hadn't looked into Intis and its Hunter families. After all, Intis was within the sphere of influence of the True Creator's forces.
Hearing this, Klein instinctively turned to Medici as well.
Under their gazes, Medici scoffed. He casually snuffed out his cigarette and looked at Alaric. "I could indeed get the proof to back up an identity and fool that so-called ambassador without issue. But why should I help you two?"
Right, why would Mr. Red help them? Klein realized this belatedly, having been swept up in Alaric's confident attitude.
Alaric, however, showed no embarrassment. Instead, he met Medici's gaze with a smile. "Because this benefits you too, Mr. Red."
"What benefits? Let's hear it." Medici said, crossing his legs. He knew that if Alaric gave him an order, he'd have to comply as a worker, however grudgingly. But he was genuinely curious what Alaric could spin out of this.
"Red, I hear you're keen on pushing for change, shaking up the status quo in Loen, right?" Alaric said with a grin.
Klein froze, caught off guard. "What change?" He asked instinctively.
It sounded like he'd just stumbled onto something huge.
Alaric blinked and explained, "What, Sherlock, you didn't know? Mr. Red's backers are led by someone with high moral standards who can't stand Loen's current state... places like the East District, for instance. So, they're planning to spark a revolution."
***
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