Gacha Harem System

Baldwin clasped his hands behind his back before speaking.

"The Brotherhood cells we’d identified in the city have gone quiet," he said. "All of them, around the same time."

"More importantly, we’ve seen no movement or communication we can intercept from them. There’s even none of the expected activity at the usual locations."

Morgana’s eyes didn’t leave the ledger, but her pen stopped moving.

"They’ve gone to ground," she said.

"Yes."

She set the pen down slowly. "That doesn’t happen without a reason, which means someone gave the order."

"Our inside man was able to confirm that much," Baldwin said. "A significant figure within the organization has come to the city. He wasn’t able to get a name, but the rank of the individual is high enough that the cells shut themselves down without being told twice."

Morgana was quiet for a moment, her fingers resting lightly on the edge of the desk. "They’re planning something."

"Definitely. This feels like the calm before the storm, but I doubt it’ll be a repeat of what happened in Havenhart. This must be something targeted."

Silence filled the room.

"Should we make a move on them?" Baldwin finally asked. "We know enough locations to cause real damage. We could wipe out what we’ve identified before they realize we’re coming."

Morgana shook her head slowly.

"No," she said. "If we strike now, all we do is push them deeper. The ones we miss would go underground and we’ll lose every thread we’ve spent months building."

She frowned, thinking about all the efforts she’d put into not just finding the cells, but being placed in charge of the Brotherhood problem in the first place.

"The best thing to do right now is to wait. Let the Brotherhood move when they’re ready to move. The moment they act, they’ll expose themselves, and we’ll swoop in and round them all up. That way, we’ll have several threads to follow from what they leave behind."

She exhaled quietly, leaning back.

"What would be even more useful is if those threads lead outside this city. That way, we can find Brotherhood contacts in other cities."

She looked towards the window. "If we can hand the family a network map that stretches beyond Salaria, the merit that comes from dismantling it gives us grounds to expand our influence. That’s worth more than a handful of cells eliminated in one night."

Baldwin nodded. "And if we’re patient enough, that becomes possible."

"Exactly." She paused. "Though patience has its own costs."

There was a moment of silence.

"Do you think they can ever be fully wiped out?" Baldwin asked.

Morgana didn’t need to be told to understand what he was asking about.

"No," she said finally. "I don’t think so."

"Their structure makes it nearly impossible. There are no central records, and no membership lists we can seize. Even if we broke the organization down to nothing, some would escape. They always do."

She folded her hands on the desk. "And beyond the structure, the Brotherhood exists because people choose it."

"The desperate, the broken, and the ones who’ve been pointed in the wrong direction and told it’s the right one." She shook her head. "As long as those people exist, something like the Brotherhood will always find a way to grow back."

"So what’s the realistic outcome?" Baldwin asked.

"We damage them enough that they lose momentum," Morgana said. "Eventually the cult members remaining are scattered in all directions, never to congregate again."

"Maybe this way, the cult would die out on its own, without anyone to fuel it. That’s more achievable than outright eradication."

She picked up her pen again. "But we have to be patient enough to get there. If we strike now, all we’d be doing is taking out the grunts. The heads would keep hiding, and all our hard work would come to nothing."

"You have to cut off the head of the snake yourself to ensure it dies, not just the tail."

Baldwin was quiet for a moment, his eyes on her.

"Should I report on your siblings as well?" he asked. "Their movements have been worth noting."

Morgana looked up at him, then laughed. It was a short, genuine sound. Even she was surprised by her own laughter.

"You already know what I think when it comes to these things, Baldwin," she said.

"But there’s nothing wrong in knowing—"

"There’s no need," she chuckled, interrupting him. "I know what my siblings are doing without being told. They’re all chasing the same thing, which is the City Lord seat. Every move they make circles back to that."

She set her pen down and folded her hands. "Let them have it."

Baldwin sighed, already knowing what she was about to say. She’d already said it more times than he could count.

"The City Lord seat is a ceiling," she said simply. "I’m not interested in ceilings. I’m building a foundation that takes me past all of it, all the way to the top of the tower."

Her voice was matter of fact, as if it was all certain. "Whoever claims the wish first wins everything. That’s what I’m after. My siblings can fight each other for the scraps on the first few floors."

Baldwin said nothing to that, which was his way of agreeing.

"Thank you, Baldwin." She picked up her pen. "You can return to your duties."

He bowed, low and unhurried. "I’ll see to the Lukas matter first, then."

"Good," she said, without looking up.

His footsteps crossed the room, and the door opened and closed behind him.

The study was silent once again.

Morgana sat there for a moment, then set her pen down again and pressed two fingers to her temple, massaging slowly.

Her eyes drifted to the picture on the side of her desk.

She stared at it for a long time, thinking about what she had to do.

The wish at the top of the Tower could bring back the dead.

It had to be able to.

There would be no other outcome.

She wouldn’t allow it.

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