"What a dissolute and arrogant son of a duke."

A shadow crossed the man's eyes. His palm clenched tightly and opened again, revealing the envelope in his hand already reduced to powder.

The two professional assassins sent out had both failed.

The failure wasn’t unexpected. After all, considering his status, it was entirely reasonable for him to possess life-saving tools.

But what was surprising was that one were captured alive.

This was far from normal.

Could it be that the assassins' failure wasn’t due to some kind of device but rather because of being outright overwhelmed by sheer strength?

So much so that they couldn’t even take their own lives at the final moment.

Unfortunately, the other side acted quickly, controlling all witnesses on-site. For now, the specific details of the incident remained unknown.

Still...

All of this was inconsequential.

After all, this attack was merely a probe in the first place.

"Send those lambs out."

All thoughts were buried deep within the man as his gaze turned cold and deep, like a silent, unfathomable abyss.

"Yes..."

The dim candlelight flickered momentarily, as if someone’s shadow had flashed by.

The man's gaze lingered one last time on a certain painting before him, his hand tracing over it.

Then, he pressed lightly.

Suddenly, the entire painting recessed inward, triggering the sound of mechanical rotations. A hidden door appeared before him.

The man stepped inside.

After traversing the short passage, a brightly lit room emerged into view.

However, the room contained nothing, save for a single chair and a lit incense stick.

The chair was ordinary and unassuming, yet faint magical waves pulsed subtly around it.

As for the incense, it was just a regular one meant for calming the mind.

The man settled into the chair, reclining against its soft cushions, unconsciously letting his tall stature fully relax.

He closed his eyes, as if entering into a dream-like state.

As he did, the large chair began to emit an increasingly dense glow of magic, eventually coalescing into a spark of light resembling fireflies. The glow ascended along a narrow chimney in the room, climbing higher and higher.

Until it vanished into the infinite darkness of the night.

---

Noise buzzed around his ears.

The man opened his eyes.

“Damn it! We’ve been betrayed! That old bastard Aldrich is absolutely ruthless. Dammit... My ancient magecraft tools! Those were part of my grandfather’s collection, gone, all gone!”

“Why?! We’ve given away so much precious treasure, and yet we’ve gained nothing! Meanwhile, those lowly lower-class noble families sacrificed a few utterly insignificant worthless lives and were rewarded with higher positions and favor—it’s just not fair! Unfair!”

“Those rats from the Lower City District! What nonsense about avoiding trouble during the crackdown? Have they forgotten who their protector is? Just because the Lower City District switched to a new rat leader, now they suddenly want to play nice?”

“Bruce Wayne! Bruce Wayne! I’ve gathered intel on this name. He’s been deemed the new Dark Emperor of the Lower City District. The audacity of those rats stems completely from him!”

“I want him dead! I want Bruce Wayne dead, damn it! Without the income from the Lower City District, I won’t even be able to afford the upkeep for my dozen of lovers next month! Not to mention my thirty-odd children—they’re still nursing, for heaven’s sake!”

“Same here! If next month I can’t afford prime cuts of steak, top-tier imported cigars, or Chateau Locke’s exquisite wines, oh, God help me—I don’t know how I’ll even survive such a miserable existence!”

The chaotic scene unfolded before the man's eyes.

Seated on tiered, circular benches that surrounded the room, voices rose incessantly in piercing clamor, thick with arguments, wails, and curses—as if threatening to tear the roof clean off in unbridled fury. The scene bizarrely resembled the filth-ridden bazaars of the Lower City District.

And yet, peculiarly enough, none of these incessantly bickering, shrieking individuals was human.

Or rather, they didn’t appear human.

Giraffes, white rhinos, vultures, apes, peacocks, robins...

These noisy figures were, in fact, lifelike animals! It was as though he had stepped into a bustling zoo.

However, there was a stark incongruity between their absurd appearances and their demeanor. Despite the spit-flying chaos of their disputes, their conduct remained refined—like noble aristocrats dressed in pristine formal attire. Each movement betrayed the cultivated elegance of upper society.

As for the man himself, he had transformed into a tiger.

The tiger sat upright at the lowest and most central position of the circular seating arrangement.

He raised his head, appraising the animals, who had lost themselves to the frenzy of anger, shame, and fear. Suddenly, he lifted a wooden gavel in his hand and struck it down hard.

“Quiet!”

No one heeded him.

The animals remained consumed by their chaotic worlds.

A cold glint flashed in the tiger’s eyes.

He smashed the wooden gavel in his grasp with force, roaring loudly with a voice that seemed to carry echoes of a tiger’s mighty raw:

“I said, QUIET!”

The room fell into abrupt silence.

All the animals snapped out of their fits, their gazes converging on the tiger at the center.

Their eyes contained varying emotions—reverence, intrigue, disdain.

Whatever the sentiments, all attention eventually focused on him.

“The foolish emperor has already placed a blade against our throats, yet you’re still here bickering furiously over petty scraps?”

“Perhaps it’s been too long since we last convened. You’ve all forgotten what this place stands for. You’ve forgotten the purpose of our gathering here!”

The tiger rose onto two legs, his piercing eyes filled with vicious brilliance, scanning every creature in the room.

“Let me remind you, then. This place is… the Council!

Not the façade of a council erected out of mockery by our emperor to feign deliberation over governance while depriving us of any real authority.

But the Council built to safeguard the glory of the Empire’s bloodlines over millennia!

To ensure the Empire does not succumb to the putrid rot!

To guide the Empire along its rightful course!

To push the foolish emperor to acknowledge his mistakes!

And to prevent imposters like Campbell, with filthy, wretched blood flowing through their veins, from acting as tyrants upon us!

As noble inheritors of millennia-old imperial ideals, bound together by our exalted lineage, we assemble here to constructively serve the Empire, pursuing prosperity and growth!

This is the Inner Council!”

“Our purpose… is for the glory of the blood!”

The tiger’s thunderous roar surged across the chamber like a mighty gale, igniting every being within.

The animals’ emotions were swept up by his fire; their eyes gleamed, their faces turned feverish as they shouted in fervent unison:

"For the glory of the blood!”

"Good—so you haven’t forgotten the noble blood coursing through your veins!”

The tiger struck the table hard, commanding the enthusiastic storm to subside, before proclaiming with authority:

"Our immediate priority is to dismantle the obstacles ahead. If Campbell House solidifies its ties with the royal family, the wretched peasants will rally under their banner. Endorsed by the emperor’s tacit approval, they will greedily seize, bit by bit, everything that rightfully belongs to us—like the new Lower City District governor has done!”

“But…”

Suddenly, a hesitant hand rose from the white rhino in the seating. His eyes flickered with uncertainty and fear as he stammered:

“Even if the marriage proceeds, Moen Campbell is but a useless figure. With only him capable of helming Campbell House right now, how could they possibly pose any threat to us? Is it worth tearing apart our relationship with them entirely over this?”

“Fool!”

The tiger barked acridly:

“Is Moen Campbell the entire issue here? The issue lies with Celicia Leopold—that illustrious princess!

She is no weakling!

Once she secures the title of Duchess and can legitimately command the resources of both Campbell House and the royal family, do you imagine there would still be any flaws left in the royal faction?

Do you honestly believe that your selfish squabbling over paltry gains could withstand relentless assaults from the emperor and his bolstered faction?”

The tiger paused briefly before continuing in fury:

"I suspect the emperor is orchestrating this rushed union—not just as a political maneuver—but perhaps for…”

He trailed off momentarily before bellowing his final words with greater vitriol:

"Fools! If that happens, forget your lovers and fine wines—you’ll be driven from your plush estates, stripped of your opulent jewels and collections! You’ll end up destitute, forced to share crowded spaces with those vile peasants from Lower City District!

Tell me, do you want this?”

The white rhino lowered his head in shame.

Not only he, but several other animals who had been the most frenzied in their earlier squabbling now blushed with guilt.

"Trust me, whether it’s the black revenue from the Lower City District or the posts stolen from us, everything rightfully ours will be reclaimed!"

The tiger declared coldly, brimming with undeniable confidence.

"But you’ve failed, Chairperson."

Just then, an incongruous and dispassionate voice cut through the room.

The speaker was Robin.

Silently perched in the corner, his diminutive figure created a stark contrast next to the massive white rhino beside him, rendering him nearly unnoticeable.

Yet his plumage gleamed elegantly; the red markings on his chest resembled jewels of remote brilliance, mirroring the detached nature of his demeanor. Even during the fervent peak of everyone’s shouts, he had remained aloof.

He was one of the few individuals unafraid to challenge the tiger.

And his disruption was as sharp as his tone.

"Twice, actually. You’ve failed twice today."

“...”

The tiger’s gaze grew profoundly dark. "Robin, it seems you know more than I expected."

"As you can see, our council is riddled with imbeciles, and so I am, naturally, quite cautious."

Robin shrugged indifferently before saying:

“Forgive my impertinence, Chairperson, but our current actions will determine our future fates. You must at least prove you merit our cooperation or allegiance."

"Heh… merit, is it?"

The tiger sneered, extending his paw to summon a pile of papers, which he flung toward Robin.

"Tell me if this suffices."

"This is…"

Robin lowered his gaze to the documents, flipping through several pages. His pupils narrowed abruptly as he gasped:

"This… Are you serious?”

“This is merely a last-ditch contingency. I wouldn’t deploy it unless absolutely necessary.”

“This is still utter madness! If we fail, all of us will plunge into eternal damnation!”

Robin quickly scanned the document, but halfway through, he suddenly stopped.

Because only half of the information was there.

He raised his head, his blood-red eyes fixed tightly on the Tiger.

“And the rest?”

“I’ve already told you, that part was merely a desperate measure, wasn’t it? As long as we can resolve that annoying Moen Campbell, none of this will be a problem, and the later parts won’t even come into play.”

The Tiger leaned back in his oversized chair, speaking in a detached manner:

“True, I failed before, but strictly speaking, that was merely a probe.”

“But you’ve already made Moen Campbell wary! He’ll definitely hide inside the Academy! While Santa Maria College is nominally under the control of a council formed by the nobility, everyone knows that our influence cannot penetrate there at all!”

Robin roared,

“Are you expecting those good-for-nothing noble sons to assassinate Moen Campbell inside the Academy? No, I’d say there’s a better chance of success if we send in some of their attractive daughters to seduce him—success in bed seems far more likely!”

“Calm yourself, Mr. Robin. Since I’ve taken this course of action, it means I have follow-up plans,” the Tiger said coolly.

“Follow-up plans?”

“According to my intelligence, it won’t be long before an excellent opportunity presents itself.”

The Tiger tapped the desk, and another file appeared before Robin.

This time, every other animal in the room also received a copy of the document.

“Take a good look, everyone. This is the very reason I reconvened the Inner Council and summoned you all here!”

Once more, the Tiger swept his gaze across all the animals, his eyes seeming to ignite with sparks of light. With the force of crumbling mountains, he roared with fury:

“For us. For the Empire. For the eternal survival of the Glory Bloodline!

In the upcoming opportunity, we must spare no cost—

**to utterly annihilate Moen Campbell!**”