When the plot-skips players into the game world

"Oh... Evil God, is it?"

The Lord of Scalefeather read Aiwass's thoughts and leaned forward slightly, letting out a hearty laugh: "Is that how you see it?"

"Just kidding, just kidding..."

Aiwass laughed awkwardly.

To avoid being overheard, Aiwass didn't speak at all. Instead, he relied on the Lord of Scalefeather's mind-reading to communicate with him directly using his "inner thoughts."

For others, such mumbling might count as an inner complaint. But for the Lord of Scalefeather, it was equivalent to a face-to-face jibe — thinking this way, it did feel a bit impolite.

"Just joking."

The Lord of Scalefeather leaned back merrily, reclining on the opposite side of the carriage: "I wouldn't get mad over something like this — is it possible, perhaps, that I really am an Evil God?"

— It feels like you are mad!

But facing Aiwass's increasingly subtle gaze, the Lord of Scalefeather simply replied calmly: "Don't mind those details. After all, what difference is there between an Evil God and a True God?

"Darkness is swallowed by a greater darkness, and villains can be united in the face of greater villains. Just like the assassins of the Hawkeye Organization.

"From their inception, they have been seen as a destabilizing force, an untamable darkness in the eyes of rulers — no ruler in the world can tolerate an assassination guild so skillful they could easily kill them, yet are not under their absolute control.

"But faced with the ever-expanding power of the Son of the Moon, the Iris Royal Family still chose to tacitly approve and even shelter the Hawkeye Organization. During the time of the Royal Family, there was even royal guards and offshoots joining in each generation."

The Lord of Scalefeather said meaningfully: "The leader of this generation of Hawkeye — hails from just such a lineage."

"...That Chairman Pierre?"

Aiwass suddenly understood.

No wonder the three Dukes are so kind to the Hawkeye Organization. Though they were not Transcendents on the Path of Adaptation, to them, both Hawkeye and the Son of the Moon were "outsiders," yet the Dukes clearly favored Hawkeye — unlike those other nobles who heavily leaned towards the Son of the Moon; while the three Dukes openly called themselves "Dukes," there were no "assassins pursuing freedom and equality" out to kill them.

At first, Aiwass thought it was because they sponsored the Hawkeye Organization and received their protection. Little did he know this was actually the "effect," not the "cause."

Although the Hawkeye Organization was massive, the proportion of Transcendents within it was less than one-fifth, with most being peripheral members like those Arsene saw in the bar earlier. And even among the Transcendents, the majority were lower-tier... Those few higher-tier Transcendents had to take on assassination jobs to support the organization, and even so, it was incredibly difficult to sustain so many people.

They indeed lacked money, very much so.

With the protection of the Son of the Moon, those nobles were not very afraid of them, hence reluctant to pay protection fees... in fact, if Hawkeye hadn't killed a few of their family members, the Son of the Moon might not trust them.

In the end, if the Son of the Moon came to cause trouble, they would still die just the same.

The only ones willing to sponsor Hawkeye were the three Dukes.

Though the Hawkeye Organization, to prevent the infiltration and corruption by the Son of the Moon, primarily recruited from the homeless, orphans, prostitutes, gang members, unemployed, debtors, fugitives, and other societal dregs, its core was even high-reaching up to the level of "royal offshoots."

...No wonder Hawkeye would always send people to protect the King in secret.

The "hot-blooded young Louis" who beheaded the Swan King back then, also succeeded by bypassing Hawkeye's surveillance and protection.

At the time, Aiwass heard Hawkeye was also laying groundwork, feeling a bit strange but not thinking much into it. Now he understood the reasoning behind it...

The three Dukes continue to sponsor the Hawkeye Organization because Hawkeye is already the only legitimate Iris left.

How ironic.

"...But speaking of which," Aiwass thought of something else, "that Chairman taking the blame on himself to absolve the Hawkeye Organization... seems a bit misguided."

Chairman Pierre himself had a trace of royal blood, which allowed him to stand out in the Giant Tree Party election — and because of this, the Hawkeye Organization could be tacitly approved and funded.

But if a reputational issue arose on his side, what value would the Hawkeye Organization have?

"Wait a minute, could it be..."

Aiwass realized.

— Is this self-slandering for survival?

"No wonder it's you, realizing it so quickly."

The Lord of Scalefeather smiled with satisfaction.

Chairman Pierre, the leader of the Giant Tree Party, being the leader of the Hawkeye Organization is an utmost secret, probably only known to the high-ranking members of the Hawkeye Organization, the three Dukes, and a very few others.

If the Son of the Moon were to find out, he would be as good as dead.

Although on the surface, the Hawkeye Organization is made up of mercenaries from the Blackhawk Duchy, it is true that the assassinations carried out by the Hawkeye Organization brought about hostility from Avalon and the Holy Nation towards Iris, benefiting the Son of the Moon, who would exploit this to launch attacks — while the Health Party controlled by the Son of the Moon and the Giant Tree Party were adversaries.

If the Son of the Moon seized the opportunity to initiate a purge, with the Health Party seizing total control, Chairman Pierre might also face severe danger, potentially in both the sense of life and politics.

However, if he tarnishes himself, shouldering the blame and arousing dissatisfaction from the masses towards him and the Giant Tree Party... it could instead buy some time.