"Maybe, Mr. Caelum, you''ve never really gotten to know your son. From what I''ve seen, he''s genuinely good to Sandy. He might have his own reasons, you know?" "Let''s hope so."


    Caelum''s eyes grew a bit misty as he turned to Sophie and said, "When ites to dealing with The Silent Shadows, the Pord family can step in. Your generation is far more capable than ours, I''ve witnessed it firsthand. All I ask is that when the timees, you''ll look after Sandy. I''ve spoiled her since she was young, keeping her sheltered from the world''s harsh realities."


    He paused for a moment before continuing, "But since she''s been with you, I''ve noticed Sandy''s grown up a lot. I''ve lived a long life and only recently realized that money is just a side-note, and it''s living that truly matters. I''m trusting you with Sandy; she sincerely sees you as a friend, and I believe you feel the same about her."


    Sophie nodded, reassuringly, "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure she''s looked after."


    "I don''t have much else to pass on to you. But I do have this."


    With that, Caelum ced a badge in Sophie''s hand. Unlike the ones recently confiscated, this badge had a phoenix on it, making it the mostplete badge Sophie had ever seen.


    "This badge is only held by core members of The Silent Shadows, who aim to build a peaceful empire. You might find it hard to believe, but when I was younger, I was baptized in The Silent Shadows'' church. Back then, I thought the church was pure and righteous, believing everything they did was for the good of humanity."


    "What do you mean by that?" Sophie asked, a bit puzzled.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Caelum shook his head, exining,


    "The initial goal of The Silent Shadows was to maintain world peace and create an order that encouraged groundbreaking advancements in all areas of society. In some ways, The Silent


    Shadows did work wonders, but they also celebrated the contributions of the wealthy while exploiting the poor. The simplest example is Thomas Edison, known for inventing the light bulb. People praised him for it, but the light bulb wasn''t actually his invention; he stole it. Edison was a businessman, not an inventor. Everyone talks about Edison''s impact on the world, but no one knows the real inventors of the light bulb, whether it was one person or many. Those people might never be recognized or acknowledged."


    Sophie started to grasp the role of The Silent Shadows. Wealthy businessmen had ess to the world''s finest resources, and to keep that going, they needed the poor to work endlessly. Yet, The Silent Shadows praised the wealthy for shaping history, brainwashing them into believing their actions were for the good of all humanity.


    From the wealthy''s perspective, The Silent Shadows was an entity that shielded them and let them act without restraint. They even offered a saintly justification, easing their conscience. Because The Silent Shadows would tell you that everything you do is for the salvation of humanity, and that you''re a hero of this era.