Unique Tastes

A few minutes later, Fitzgerald was sitting calmly across from Solam. As a gangster with great ambitions, the thing Fitzgerald was proudest of in his life was his ability to look ahead. Since things had already come to this, he could not be bothered to dwell on it anymore.

He had more important things to do now.

"So? Let's work together again! Trust me, if we succeed, you and I can rule this country together!" As soon as Edward had recovered, Fitzgerald immediately began making new plans. Athkatla's tremendous losses this time had shown him an opportunity!

Athkatla's political landscape was very interesting. Several factions had formed a delicate balance, with four pillars supporting the entire arrangement—the Council, the church system, the Shadow Thieves, and the Masked Mage Guild!

The church, the Shadow Thieves, and the Masked Mage Guild each handled their own affairs, while the Council acted as the thread that connected them and maintained the balance. This arrangement allowed the Council to save enormous amounts of manpower and resources. While sitting securely at the center, it also made Athkatla's political environment highly dependent on that balance.

If any one side collapsed, the Council, as the balancing force, would have to pay a tremendous price to make up for the loss of one of the four pillars. Take the current situation, for instance. The church system appeared to have suffered heavy losses, seemingly with little to do with the Council, but in truth, the church's severe weakening had directly thrown the Council into chaos. They had to take over the responsibilities once handled by the Order of the Radiant Heart, and the complexity of that could not possibly be explained in just a few words.

In short, this tremendous upheaval had created an unprecedentedly favorable environment for the Shadow