"Sure enough, this was what misled him... I originally thought the family was of little use to me now, but it seemed being a descendant of the Chehalorvo Family was truly a blessing."
Ian relaxed slightly. What Mikael suspected was, of course, not the Silver Chip or the Inheritance of the Immovable Fortress. "Thank you, family. I will carry your glory forward."
This was only natural. Ian's disguise had indeed been excellent; he had not revealed a single flaw. Under Master Gose's guidance, he had even prepared the disguise of his second layer of identity.
What Mikael now saw was that second identity: "the Chehalorvo Family's last hope."
And that identity could explain far too many things. Alchemy, inscription studies, and all manner of strange currents of thought could fit beneath it.
In theory, Ian would never have suspected that he had been exposed. At most, one of his identities as a prophet might be exposed—but that was not entirely a bad thing for him. It would only mean that he would have to live under everyone's intense scrutiny from then on, making it difficult to act. In exchange, he would gain an exceptionally lofty status and could take the route through the court and the church.
But Master Gose and the others had dealt his confidence a ruthless blow. There truly were not many fools among Terra's upper ranks. At the very least, they were better than him when it came to reading people.
But precisely because of that, Ian could learn.
Learn from their experience.
Coming back to himself, Ian continued acting with Mikael. After seeing through this layer of disguise, the Second Prince had wanted to observe him a little longer. But once he realized that Ian truly had no flaws, and trusted his own judgment, he