Experience was one of the few areas where the Secretary-General could stand above Ganis and look down on him.
He believed the Consul's experience could utterly crush Ganis's. It was not impossible that he could coax information out of him.
As for the Consul defecting... it was not impossible, but trust was not so easily built.
Watching the Secretary-General leave, the Consul smiled.
This was called playing both sides. In truth, the information he had revealed was completely useless.
How could the powerful not know that Ganis intended to make a move against them?
The two sides had always been opposed, so they were surely guarding against each other in secret.
Getting the news from the Consul merely confirmed it.
But how could they defend against the methods Ganis planned to use?
"Ganis, I hope you handle things cleanly and don't make me step in to tip the scales."
For the Consul, conflict between the two sides was his chance to profit as a third party. Otherwise, if they truly compromised, he would be the one to suffer.
Ganis had no idea he had been sold out the moment he turned around.
Though he still could not completely trust the Consul, faith at least kept him from being overly hostile toward him.
Perhaps they interpreted faith differently, but Ganis believed that cooperation between them now outweighed competition.
He continued according to his own steps, as had been discussed within the Sect beforehand.
The Sect members' imprisonment had changed their thinking.
They had gone from seeking nonviolent cooperation to being willing to risk themselves.
Such a drastic change had clearly been caused by outside provocation.
Perhaps after suffering a blow, they would change their minds again.
But the Sect members' Transcendent Power might prevent that blow from ever coming.
Ganis