"I'm in!"
Almost the instant John finished speaking, ten arms shot up. Their owners answered him in unison.
John said nothing in response to their immediate support. He gave them a slight nod, then calmly looked toward the three who had yet to declare themselves, each wearing a different expression.
In truth, he had expected this initial result.
Miles, one of the Five Tiger Officers, was known for being slippery and always siding with whoever held the advantage. He came from a wealthy merchant family with a trace of noble blood and had always been cautious. After hearing a proposal to found a party this dangerous, of course he would wait and see.
But now that the others had declared themselves, a man of Miles's temperament and intelligence would probably make the sensible choice soon enough. John wasn't worried that he would oppose him.
John also knew why Sellviya hadn't declared herself yet. It was simply her pride.
She thought agreeing with him at once would make her look subordinate. If John knew her, she would soon make some grand statement to assert her presence and prove she was a partner, not a follower.
She was painfully easy to read.
But there was one person in the room John truly couldn't read—one who even worried him.
Laiya Binote.
Laiya had listened to his speech and his goals from beginning to end, then sat there without a word. As John watched her, a flicker of complicated concern crossed his eyes.
Before the meeting, he had initially considered leaving her out.
It wasn't because he doubted her principles or thought she could never become a genuine member of the party.
It was her identity, her position, and her past that gave him pause.
She was the Binote Family's only surviving direct descendant,