Hearing this answer, Bishop Byrne's lips curved into a smile.
When he first met Kallen, he had only thought him a fine young man. His son had noticed this young security officer's exceptional qualities before he had.
In the Court of Judgment, Bishop Byrne had matched wits with Kallen on behalf of the Regional Administration Office. That encounter had sparked Byrne's genuine admiration for this young man.
This young man's maturity, his composure, his planning... in short, Byrne saw his younger self in him, and could even admit that he had not been as outstanding at that age.
Of course, the greatest difference lay in... appearances.
Although appearances were nothing compared with ability, there was no denying that the latter required more effort.
This young man presented himself so well in public that, by comparison, Byrne felt he belonged among those better suited to standing in the shadows.
But when this young man said, "Follow the Order Regulations," Byrne's smile came from the heart, because that was his conviction, the path he had chosen based on his faith in the God of Order.
At that moment, his view of Kallen shifted from admiration to acceptance.
"I'm glad you said that." Byrne raised his glass and took another sip. "But what interests me more is this: do you already know which way the wind is blowing?"
Kallen shook his head. "As things stand, it's still very confused."
"Oh, in other words, you can't predict the outcome of your choice either."
Minister Bernie, District Chief Harry, and the others presumably hoped he would cooperate in minimizing the impact of this affair, but he was unwilling to do so, even though he knew it would at least bring immediate, short-term benefits.
If, instead of cooperating, he deliberately fanned these flames, once the fire