From his throne, Shawn looked down over them, naturally noticing the hostility simmering among his subordinates.
But he was glad to see it.
Although he had never specifically studied the art of ruling, he knew something about maintaining a balance of power.
If his subordinates were united and perfectly harmonious, that would be the real disaster.
Well, the Duke of Spades was naturally Tom. (Heh, wasn't that stating the obvious?)
Shawn had no intention of revealing Tom's identity to everyone. Having a mysterious duke above them would also spur the others to work harder.
Just as Shawn was about to announce the start of the meeting-
Something unexpected happened: Theodore, who had always cared little for fame or status, was the first to lose patience.
The aloof, proud boy rose and walked lightly to the center of the hall. First, he bowed to Shawn, then turned and drew his White Jade Wand, pointing it at Tom.
His voice was icy.
"I won't ask who you are or what you do, but since you've taken the duke's rank in the sequence, a position beneath only one person, you must have the strength to prove yourself.
"The Chief has no use for dead weight! I have no way of judging your other talents, but at the very least, you must overcome my wand!"
Theodore's actions left Shawn staring. Everyone else was even more stunned, and Tom himself paused in surprise.
Until then, Tom's eyes beneath his cloak had been full of contempt. So the Throne Shawn had mentioned establishing at school back when Tom was still a notebook was nothing more than this childish game of make-believe?
Shawn had even made him come all this way for it. What a farce.
But Theodore's extraordinary display of loyalty and firm resolve slightly improved