Iver: Count Me In, I'm Coming Too

After the matter was settled, Vice President Boca took Iver to a small banquet.

This was a small gathering of fewer than ten people, all mid-level members of Lloyd's. They were clearly not among the rare Transcender within Lloyd's's. Vice President Boca hadn't mentioned a word about the Noble Red Society, and they obviously had no idea what it was.

Vice President Boca announced that he personally invited Iver Moriarty, who was recently awarded the Holy Sword Medal by the Queen, to join Lloyd's's.

With the vice president's guarantee, and in front of the serious-looking and earnest Vice President Boca, these people all behaved very enthusiastically.

They are all well-known businessmen on Glass Island, and even the least wealthy among them owns the second-largest construction company in Lloyd District. They are all "corporate members" Lloyd's's as a company, which is a higher status than "individual members" who borrow or insure in their own names.

Among these people were several who had known Iver for a long time. They had been on good terms with Old Moriarty, and one of them had even been introduced to Lloyd's's by Old Moriarty.

They were clearly unaware of Professor Moriarty's death. Their first reaction upon learning that Ivy had joined Lloyd's was to celebrate.

In their view, this clearly indicated that Professor Moriarty intended for Iver to inherit the family business. That's why they asked Vice President Boca to invite Iver in and allow him to meet with these "old friends."

Of course, these people might not be of any use. If they knew Professor Moriarty was "in trouble," they might even turn around and kick him while he was down. Vice President Boca brought Iver to see them to make public the fact that "Iver was invited by Boca to Lloyd's's."

Although this matter might not make the news, these people are clearly not the type to keep secrets. They will soon spread this information within their own circles... Before long, well-informed people on Glass Island will know that Iver has become a member of Lloyd's's, and specifically, of Boca's faction.

This behavior actually made Iver somewhat amused.

Boca's behavior was not well received by the Lloyd President.

According to the intelligence Iver had just received, Lawyer York, Vice President Boca, and Lloyd President were all Transcender of the Noble Red Society. However, Vice President Boca seemed reluctant to let Iver meet Lloyd President.

Before even introducing him to Lloyd President, or even notifying the president, Iver was introduced to his subordinates... This clearly shows that they didn't want Lloyd President to refuse Iver's application.

This is completely against procedure.

How can you recruit an important member—a spy, advisor, and spokesperson at the same time—without showing him to the boss or even asking for his approval?

In their previous conversations, Iver had already learned far too much he shouldn't have. If he refused to join, then they would have no choice but to take action.

Similarly, if Iver agrees to join but Lloyd refuses, they will still have to kill him.

Iver keenly sensed the growing urgency – not only was Lawyer York who had been given a death order, anxious, but even Vice President Boca seemed a little anxious.

From this detail, Iver boldly concluded that Vice President Boca and Lloyd President likely have significant conflicts. Meanwhile, Lawyer York is a fence-sitter who hasn't yet decided whether to remain neutral.

Before this, he hadn't decided whether to side with the president or the vice president. But now he clearly had no choice.

As Giant Hybrid and a man-made Transcender, Lloyd President might be closer to the Noble Red. He's also the glue that holds these two organizations together... so he's the one who pressured Lawyer York and ordered him to kill Sherlock.

Boca was probably a fence-sitter in both organizations. His greedy instincts as a businessman led him to want to exploit and even annex the dangerous Demon Scholar Society; while his characteristics as Transcender made him unwilling to relinquish profits to his superior, Lloyd President, and even wanted to replace him.

That's why they tried to recruit Iver.

Recruiting Iver was a risky move, but businessmen are always willing to take risks for profit.

Although they already knew that Iver was First Level Demon Scholar, and had gained leverage over Iver through both military and political means, and were also trying to entice and befriend him with promises of inheritance and demonic knowledge, this plan was ultimately very risky and could go wrong at any time.

The fact that they are so eager and even hasty to execute this plan despite the risks... actually proves from another angle that Vice President Boca's current situation is not good.

This is quite normal.

As Transcender, he is very close to the former Lloyd's's. The Lloyd's's must be wary and feel a sense of crisis.

But there is actually a trap on the way here.

Those who Path of Transcendence should never, unless absolutely necessary, deliberately suppress those who come after them, preventing them from surpassing them.

This behavior is, firstly, a suppression and rebellion against the act of "transcendence" itself; secondly, it symbolizes the fear of one's own talent declining and the inability to continue to improve, which may make subordinates realize that their superiors have become weaker; and this kind of top-down control and suppression is itself the domain of the "authoritarian" path... The more one wants to control subordinates, the easier it is to deviate from the Path of Authority.

The best way to avoid being overtaken is to keep moving forward and striving upward. You can't stop for a moment, or you'll be overtaken and have everything taken away.

Therefore, competition that Path of Transcendence often manifests as competition among peers and betrayal by subordinates. Superiors, on the other hand, tend to be more amicable towards their subordinates.

The Lloyd's was clearly aware of this taboo. That's why he couldn't take action against Boca Juniors, but that didn't mean he wasn't nervous.

The "surpassing" in "Path of Transcendence" is not as simple or friendly as catching up in a race.

The most legitimate form of plunder is when the weak triumph over the strong. The more magnificent the victory and the greater the plunder, the more Path Power one gains from this act that resonates with the Way. To grow by consuming death and defeat—this is the essence of the path to transcendence.

However, meaningless bullying and oppression often lead to a weakening and dulling of one's will, which may stagnate one's growth or even weaken one's own. For example, the pretext for war for the Stibium Kingdom can only be "to make Star Antimony as intact as before," "to make Star Antimony great again," and "to make Star Antimony continue to expand," and cannot be "to suppress the development of its neighbors."

Therefore, to prevent the opponent from having the opportunity to surpass them again... when surpassing the target, the Transcender will strip the opponent of everything they can. They will completely tear the opponent apart, defeat them, and destroy them, leaving them no chance for revenge.

Vice President Boca had clearly set his sights on the man above him.

Lloyd President wanted to move forward further; he couldn't afford to turn around and suppress Vice President Boca at this juncture. If he went any further, he would have to fulfill Lloyd Prince's wish—to usurp the throne. That was no easy task.

However, he cannot openly suppress Boca Juniors without reason, but he can "incidentally suppress Vice President Boca" within a reasonable scope.

For example, they could use the pretext that "Iver has offended the Noble Red Society" to refuse him membership and then kill him to silence him. In this way, Vice President Boca would have eliminated his weakness. And if Iver died here, then the Lawyer York who brought him would also be implicated.

Vice President Boca believed that this was the most likely outcome. That's why he risked offending the Lloyd President's to forcefully push for its implementation.

It seems that the Noble Red and Lloyd's's are ready to break ties at any moment... which makes sense, since one side is all businessmen and the other side is Transcender. Shared interests alone are not enough to unite them; they need a common enemy.

Now the royal family is too weak, and it is almost extinct but it is still enduring... So on the eve of victory, the Noble Red and Lloyd's's couldn't help but start attacking each other.

—Since the conflict has reached this point, it's quite simple.

Iver already knew what he had to do.

After defeating the group of Demon Scholar, he could stage a scene.

For example, in his dormitory, he could stage an attack by Demon Scholar using a ritual to summon a shadow demon, then hide and pretend he'd disappeared. Leaving a wheelchair behind would be enough to prove he'd been kidnapped.

Shadow Fiends of this era are difficult to contract, but summoning them to cause destruction is still possible. Furthermore, Iver actually possessed a Shadow Fiend, making it easy to leave behind tangible evidence.

At this point, what would Mr. Boca think? He would only assume that it was Lloyd President who did it, trying to kill Iver to sabotage his plans; but what would Lloyd President do if he knew he hadn't done it? He could only assume that the Society didn't trust them and chose to take matters into their own hands—after all, the Big Purple and his apprentice were members of the Society, and they had already summoned the Shadow Fiend once.

But the association also knows that it didn't do it, so they can only suspect Lloyd's.

In other organizations, one could use "taking an oath" to prove that one is telling the truth. But the Noble Red Society has a tradition of Breach of Covenant, rendering the binding force of oaths meaningless.

Regardless, Iver, who was only at the First Level and whose demonology knowledge for becoming Demon Scholar was acquired from the Society, was definitely innocent; he was a pure victim. Besides, Shadow Fiends, Greater Demon, are not something just anyone can summon.

At this point, Iver could directly control Shadow Fiend to attack Lloyd's's.

Simply put, his plan was so simple it could be summarized in a single sentence—often, the shorter the plan, the more effective it is, because it targets the giant's most vulnerable weakness.

That is, "You all faked your deaths, so I'll fake my death too!"