Petra asked in confusion, "I know the Cathedral would never agree, but if you plan to move first, isn't that a contradiction?"

Andrew smiled and said, "I already told you, it is a smokescreen. Vance is smart, but when dealing with smart people, you sometimes have to use clumsy methods. His rationality will keep telling him that I am just talking and that I would never dare to act.

"But after a day or two, Vance will not be able to sit still. He will start wondering whether I was just bluffing, or that I might actually shock everyone by boldly grabbing that prize first."

He explained, "If we somehow pulled it off and took Throne City, especially now that the Ludendorff family is already shattered and barely worth mentioning. Whether by luck or sheer madness, the other factions would beat their chests in regret.

"To prevent even that tiny possibility, Vance will slowly plant a seed of doubt in his own mind. At that point, he will half believe it and half fear that we truly intend to