On the cruise ship's deck, Bai Zhu leaned against the railing, his fingertips unconsciously tapping against the cold metal as he gazed at the endless lights stretching across the shore.
The wind blowing in from the harbor swept across the deck, carrying the mixed stench of seawater, fuel, and the indescribable filth of the city. Bai Zhu lifted his teacup, then set it back down untouched.
"This place isn't even fit for appreciating the wind."
Mynah perched on the cage's crossbar and immediately opened its beak.
"Idiot! Knife up the ass!"
"That summed it up pretty well."
Bai Zhu turned his communicator face-down and stopped paying attention to Tserriednich.
Unma had spent three billion to buy his blood. Tserriednich had tipped him off in advance. Camilla had used their old connection to lure him to the Church. All three sides had their own schemes, yet every move had landed squarely on his itinerary.
The Caspian Sea blockade had only just been breached when Kakin Port prepared diversionary inspections.
He had barely finished meeting Unma when Tserriednich's message arrived.
His negotiations with Camilla had only just broken down when someone came to inspect the results.
The timing was far too precise.
Bai Zhu raised his hand and tapped his communicator a few times, pulling up the sending times of the two messages and comparing them back and forth.
"Pariston."
Mynah immediately chimed in.
"Idiot!"
"That one was right too."
He repeated the name twice, rearranging the clues in his mind.
Pariston's dealings with Tserriednich did not necessarily mean he truly wanted to support the Fourth Prince's rise to power. That man's greatest hobby was dragging everyone into the game, then sitting somewhere farther away to watch the spectacle. Supporting a prince with decent odds of winning was far too simple and