Kallen's entire sequence of movements was fluid, without the slightest hesitation.
After all, the Defensive Magic Formation he had painstakingly set up was meant to protect Jisen, and as a Formation Master, he naturally had to fix any problems with his formation. Wherever something jammed, he would remove it, whether it was a low-level Spell Art or a Lesser Forbidden Spell.
Mr. Hoffen had written clearly in his Formation Notes: an outstanding Formation Master must have confidence of his own.
Kallen could not yet reach the level of "a Divine Servant sealing an Evil God," but he could at least try treating a Lesser Forbidden Spell like a straw dog.
Jisen turned to look at Kallen standing behind him, his expression horribly twisted.
It was not that he had never suspected Kallen of involvement in this assassination, but he had deliberately kept that final veneer of civility intact. He truly had not expected Kallen to be the first to rip it away so brutally.
He did not reflect on whether the provocation in his final remark had successfully goaded Kallen. There was no need, because Kallen had stood behind him from the beginning. That meant this young Minister had already made up his mind when he arrived.
"Kallen, anything... can be discussed."
His pride was gone, his reserve nowhere to be seen. With his trump card smashed before it could take effect, Jisen willingly gave in.
Kallen had seen many such transformations. Stripped of the halos of their status, most people were actually much the same. It was like a public bathhouse: before everyone undressed, some of the supposed "differences" were still visible; once they all entered the pool naked, they were basically alike.
"Heh."
Kallen merely smiled.
"Whatever conditions you have, name them, as long as you can keep