Reborn as the Last van Ambrose

Dawn broke over the imperial capital, painting the sky in shades of amber and gold. In the Ambrose estate, Grim made his way to his study. When he entered, he found Chen Xing hunched over his desk, carefully applying a wax seal to a document.

"Is it done?" Grim asked, closing the door behind him.

Chen Xing looked up, dark circles under his eyes suggesting he’d worked through the night. "Almost." He gestured to several documents spread across the desk. "Correspondence between House Draykar and contacts in the Demon Lands, records of payments to the assassins that attacked us, and a letter recommending Talyra for the tournament with Lord Draykar’s seal."

Grim picked up one of the documents, examining the handwriting. "Impressive. One would think these are authentic."

"I had good teachers," Chen Xing replied, a grim smile on his face."

Grim nodded in approval. "And the evidence will be planted..."

"Before the noon bell. In Lord Draykar’s private study, hidden away. Enough that a thorough search would discover it." Chen Xing carefully placed the documents in a leather folio."

Grim nodded, satisfied. "Once you’ve finished, seek out Mei Zhou. Tell her I need to meet with the Patriarch of House Orvannis before the matches begin."

"Orvannis?" Chen Xing raised an eyebrow. "They’ve been neutral in all this. Why would they..."

"Because I have evidence that Julius hired Aithen specifically to eliminate their champion from the tournament," Grim interrupted. "Evidence I’m willing to share, provided they support the right side when the time comes."

Understanding dawned on Chen Xing’s face. "You’re building a coalition."