"Good deeds bring good rewards, and evil deeds bring evil retribution..."
Charles stared at the crudely written letter in his hand, dumbfounded.
"What idiot with too much time on their hands came up with this prank?"
After spending so many years in Backlund's underground intelligence circles, he had weathered his share of storms. To monopolize the detective market in certain districts and help the Society gather intelligence in secret, he had employed plenty of underhanded methods.
Extortion, traps, driving competitors into bankruptcy or making them disappear in an "accident." No one reached his position without a ruthless streak. Charles was well aware that he was hardly a good person.
Assassination attempts by enemies, acts of revenge, and even scrutiny from official Beyonders had once been everyday occurrences.
But in all these years, this was his first time encountering retaliation that resembled a child's prank.
Did someone really think a trick like this could frighten a mid-sequence Beyonder?
Charles's eyes darkened slightly as he activated Spirit Vision and scanned the letter. After confirming that it showed no abnormal mystical reactions, he sneered and tossed it into the wastebasket beside him.
He had no time for such pointless pranks right now. There were more pressing matters to consider.
"As a member of the old nobility, Earl Hall undoubtedly has more resources and tricks up his sleeve than we imagine."
Pacing around his office, Charles played out the situation in his mind. "If we use the Balam riots as a pretext to attack him in the Council, catching him before he has time to respond, the ambush will most likely succeed. But once Earl Hall reacts and mobilizes his resources to strike back..."
"Whatever else he may be, Earl Hall is a hereditary noble. The Reformists would certainly welcome infighting among the nobility.