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TODAY MARKS MAX'S FOURTH day in the House of Bishops. With everything that has happened so far, others might think that Max has been here for an entire month now, but that's not the case at all. It just so happens that Max has done so much for their house that others can't even comprehend it.

     "Alright, class dismissed. Don't forget to answer your activity for our next meeting," their professor says as she packs her bag and leaves the room. Right after, the bell rang, and everyone got up to get ready to eat lunch at the Dining Hall. 

     Max, Keigo, Xander, and Stefan got up from the floor since they still didn't have chairs.

     "I'm so tired!" Stefan says while stretching his arms and yawning, making Keigo and Xander yawn as well.

     Max couldn't really blame them for being this exhausted. They've been cleaning their dorms and doing all sorts of small jobs so they could have enough points before the Tax Collection. Max sometimes feels guilty for overworking them so much, but he has no choice. They have to do this now, or the opportunity won't come again.

     "We have three days left before the tax collection, and we haven't even cleaned the cafeteria yet," Stefan then complains as the four of them start walking out of their classroom.

     "Don't worry, we have plenty of time on Saturday and Sunday," Max then reassures them. "But Xander, have you started working on the trap we talked about last night?" He then asks.

     Xander adjusts his glasses, and then he turns to Max and answers, "I've drawn some drafts, but I just need some extra parts. I'll have to ask my club if they can lend me some."

     "You think that's gonna be a problem?" Max asks further.

      "The Robotics Club is run by a gaffer, so there's a possibility that it might become a problem. But don't worry about me and focus on your own goal. I'll get these traps set by tomorrow," Xander says, and his confidence instantly puts a smile on Max's face.

     "Thank you," Max genuinely replied, instantly making Xander's cheeks burn up in embarrassment. The way Max just trusts him on this makes Xander feel incredibly happy, especially since he has never had someone entrust him with such a task before. Xander mentioned that ranking up was difficult for him because he didn't have skills that were considered useful here. Max found it ridiculous since his skills are actually incredible. If he were in the House of Kings, brotherhoods and other clubs would have wanted his help by now.

     "Anyway, there's a few days left, but I still need to settle things with Vesper and Asahi. But being this busy actually puts me in a great mood since it reminds me so much of J.S High," Max explains, to which Keigo nods in agreement.

     If you're a student of J.S High, it's almost natural for you to see Max running around the campus, doing all sorts of tasks or missions. He wouldn't be Max Sinclaire if he weren't that busy.

     "By the way, I've thought about it before, but...why were you chosen as J.S High's representative instead of your rank 5? And if I remember, the Exchange Program isn't until next week. That's why our own school rep., Martin Osborn, is still here," Stefan points out, which made Keigo a little nervous because he thought the serf might end up catching them in their little white lie.

     After Max was secretly declared as the Elites' new School Representative, President Ian told him about the exchange program and how they'll have to lie about Heaven J. Carter still being in the 5th Rank. Ian explained that if Max formally came to St. George Academy as a member of the Elites, his treatment here would have been very different, which Max finds to be true.

     If Max came as the 5th highest-ranking student in J.S High, he would end up staying in the Saints' dorm, and the way the gaffers would treat him would be the complete opposite of how he's being treated now. Max would only be able to see what the House of Bishops wants him to see, so coming here would have been pointless. Thankfully, Max came prepared with an answer. Before he left House of Kings, the Elites met with him and explained to him what would go down during the entire program.

     "As the House of Kings, we were given the opportunity to send two representatives here. I was one of them. And I was sent here earlier so I can report to the student who will be arriving next week," Max explains, instantly making Xander, Stefan, and even Keigo stop walking to look at their friend in shock.

     "W-Wait, another student from House of Kings is coming here?!" Xander shouts as they stand in the middle of the busy hallway, making the other white uniforms look at them with shock, too.

     Max looks around and notices the others eavesdropping, but he doesn't really do anything to stop them. In any case, it's a good thing that they get to hear this as well so they can spread it around the campus. To be honest, the opportunity that Max is talking about is actually thanks to President Ian's efforts. He talked to the Brotherhood Association about it, and after a lot of convincing, they agreed.

     "You said student, right?" Stefan then asks when he realizes what the serf said. "What type of student are we talking about here?"

     Max's friends and the other white uniforms were nervously waiting for him to answer the question. But unfortunately for them, Max wasn't sure about it either.

     "I don't know," Max says, making everyone around them sigh. "Ian never told me who, so we'll just see who it is next week when the Exchange Program officially starts."

     "I can't believe you forgot to tell us about this," Keigo complains.

      "Now I'm starting to feel uneasy. If you're already the first person they sent here, imagine who the second one will be," Xander then adds, making Max chuckle because this isn't how he thought they would react. For Max, this wasn't much of a big deal.

     "Anyway, I'll have to go look for Vesper Cinna to ask him if he's willing to help our division. You guys can go ahead and eat your lunch," Max then says as the other eavesdropping white uniforms start walking away.

     "You sure you don't want to eat first?" Keigo asks.

     "No, I'm not hungry yet. I'll just eat dinner when we get back to our dorm," Max says with a bright smile. Keigo nods his head and heads to the dining hall with Xander and Stefan while Max waves goodbye to them. As soon as they disappeared in front of him, and as soon as Max was the only one left in the long hallway, the smile on his face instantly turned into a serious expression.

     "If you're going to keep following me, at least make it less obvious," Max says before turning around.

     The hallway was silent, but after a couple of seconds, a figure emerged behind a statue. It was a white uniform wearing a brooch that was similar to the one Justice Thorndyke had, a symbol that Max was very much familiar with.

     "What can I do for you...Castling?" Max asks as the white uniform walks in front of him, suddenly holding his chest to show Max his respect, which surprises the heir because, based on his stole, he's a gaffer.

     "As per President Justice's request, the lord is now ready to speak with you," Checkmates' underling reveals, making Max furrow his brows in confusion.

     "President Justice's request?" Max asks, but then he remembers the conversation he had with the Saints' president at the clinic.

     "As a Castling, I have hundreds of information that might help you with your task. But as the President of the House of Bishops, let me ask you one thing. How deep are you willing to actually go to help us?" Max remembered Justice asking him once.

     He wasn't expecting that this is what Justice meant when he asked such a question. And to be honest, speaking to the brotherhoods isn't his top priority at the moment either. But since the opportunity came, Max would be a fool to decline it.

     "Then please lead the way."

...

Max and the underling arrived at the brotherhood's dormitory, better known as Dantes Inferno. Max couldn't help but look around because of how different the place was compared to their own dorm.

     The mistreatment was way too obvious.

     "I heard that the brotherhoods don't have bases, right?" Max asks the Castling.

     "If you mean a private place that they claim as theirs, then no, they don't technically have one. But if you mean a place you can find them, then this might be the one you're looking for," the white uniform explains.

     "So their dorm room is considered their base?" Max thought as he continued to follow behind the white uniform. Max honestly expected that they'd go upstairs or head to a room, but to his surprise, they went inside an elevator instead. The underling pulls a gold card from his pocket and presses it on the scanner. Soon after, the elevator starts descending, surprising Max even more.

     It wasn't obvious outside, so Max wasn't expecting that their rooms would be found on the lower levels. Now, their dorm name is starting to make sense. Considering how their title is named after the seven deadly sins, the lowest floor is perfect for the strongest brotherhood.

     Max also realized that this might be what Justice meant when he asked Max how deep he was willing to go to help them. He never knew he was being literal.

     "Here we are."

     The elevator stops at the 7th level, and then the door eventually opens, revealing a spacious area that almost made Max's mouth drop. The place was completely different from what he imagined it to be. It almost looked like they just entered a completely different dimension.

     "This is a fucking mansion," Max says in disbelief as he stares at the becote wood flooring with red carpet, the chandeliers that illuminated orange light, the wood paneling that had intricate details on the wall, and paintings of people Max wasn't familiar with. The area was also dim as the chandeliers weren't bright enough to light the place up, which definitely set the mood and the atmosphere of the supposed base.

     "Uchdryd has a strange taste," Max unconsciously comments.

     "This was designed by the previous Lord of Pride. Lord Uchdryd just didn't care enough to change it anymore," the underling explains.

      The two of them walk further inside. Checkmates' banner starts appearing on the walls, and Max couldn't help but imagine the fear others had when they saw this banner back in the House of Kings.

     Checkmates were the previous princes in J.S High, and they were as notorious as Paradox. It's strange to think that Uchdryd Rease was able to separate themselves from the terrible history of their brotherhood, but at the same time, it's quite impressive. The fact that Uchdryd did everything to clear their name really shows what kind of leader he is.

     "I can't go any further than this. The lord is inside that room at the far end," the white uniform suddenly says, making Max feel even more curious.

     "Am I gonna get shot?" Max jokingly asks, but the white uniform doesn't show any sign of a reaction, so the heir can only sigh and thank the Castling for bringing him here.

     After adjusting his brooches and stole, Max walked towards the large entrance that had Checkmate's flag on both sides. He took one last deep breath and finally knocked on the wooden door, the sound echoing down the long hallway behind him.

     "Come in," a voice says.

     Max turns the doorknob and pushes the door open. He was expecting to see an office-like room or maybe even a torture room like the one Cigarettes had, but to his surprise, the room was actually a large bathroom, or in this case, a mini spa area. In the middle of the room was a jacuzzi where Uchdryd Rease, the leader of Rank 7 brotherhood, Checkmate, could be found.

     "You got to be kidding me," Max mumbled to himself as he walked towards Uchdryd, who was enjoying a relaxing bath. He was fully naked, so all the tattoos on his body were there for Max to see.

     "Care to join me?" Uchdryd asks, grabbing a glass of wine and taking a sip of it.

     "Don't humor me," Max answers. "Out of all the time and date you can call me, you chose your bath time?" Max then asks, making the lord chuckle because of how annoyed the young heir looked.

      "To be fair, this is the only free time I have," Uchdryd then answers. "But then again, you're in no position to be choosy."

     "Is it because you helped me during the morning assembly?"

     "Oh, that? No, that was for a different reason. I had to show the students I had no favorites, so I acted like I punched you as punishment. Besides, that act saved you from being brought to the Ministry. And believe me, the people there aren't saints," Uchdryd reveals.

     "I can tell," Max then answers before lifting his hands and showing his wounds that have now started to heal.

      "That's right, I saw the video. Such a heroic act. I expected nothing less from you, Maximilian Sinclaire. But please tell your protectors that we had nothing to do with it. I don't want to go to war with any of the brotherhoods in J.S High. As well as that vice president, who I find very unsettling," Uchdryd says next, and Max couldn't tell if the leader was just messing with him or not.

     "Anyway, I called you here today for something else."

     "Is it about our Division?"

     "Wow, you catch on fast."

     "Do you want me to stop helping the serfs?" Max then asks, and the question genuinely surprised the leader.

     "Why? If I tell you to stop, would you?"

     "No," Max answers with no hesitation, making Uchdryd smirk.

     "Exactly, you won't. That's the reason why I'm not going to ask you to stop," he explains. "In fact, I want to encourage you to do just that. For others, or maybe even from your own perspective, you all think this is just a harmless way of helping the serfs stand on their feet. But on a much deeper level, that's not the case at all."

     "What do you mean?"

     "Maximilian Leigh Sinclaire, if you are able to pull this off—if you're able to help the serfs and their Division—you will be the first person, ever, in the ground of St. George Academy, to challenge the Divisions Program," Uchdryd reveals, making Max furrow his brows in confusion.

     "Challenge the Divisions Program? What are you talking about?"

     Uchdryd puts his wine down and suddenly stands up from the jacuzzi. Max doesn't look away, but he notices that the dragon tattoo on Uchdryd's chest actually extends down to his legs. Uchdryd notices that the heir is staring, but he doesn't call him out for it.

     "This might come as a surprise, but we don't like the Division Program as much as the next guy. Every brotherhood here hates it," Uchdryd says as he reaches out for a towel to wipe the water off his body.

     "Let me guess...it's because you don't have brotherhood customs," Max then reveals, instantly putting a grin on Uchdryd's face.

     "You're really good. It's honestly making the hair on my skin crawl," Uchdryd teases before grabbing a silky black bathrobe and wearing it to finally cover himself.

      "That's right. Among all the five houses, the House of Bishops is the only school that does not have a brotherhood custom. We have our own gig, but customs are officially recognized by the association, which makes it somehow legal. The reason why we can't really do anything to the white uniforms is because of that very reason," Uchdryd explains, which Max already suspected when he first read their handbook.

     The brotherhoods in St. George Academy don't have a brotherhood custom because there is no White Uniform Protection Code. No White Uniform Protection Code means no Brotherhood Protection Code. And no Brotherhood Protection Code means no Brotherhood Custom.

     Viktor himself proposed the brotherhood custom because of those two protection codes. The fact that St. George Academy doesn't implement the codes only means that they can't have customs because there's no reason for them to have one.

     "We can show fear, but fear can waver when it's not solidified. Sure, we can intimidate them, maybe even bully them from time to time, but that's not helping anyone. We need Brotherhood Customs, and these customs can help straighten these bastards up," Uchdryd explains, making Max scratch his chin.

     "I get your point, but what do you want me to do about it? As you mentioned, I'm in no position to make demands, let alone propose a fucking law that ninety percent of your students don't like," Max says, and Uchdryd walks towards him so he can stand right in front of the heir.

     "And that's the reason why I told you not to stop helping the serfs."

     "English, please."

     "I can even explain it to you in French," Uchdryd continues to tease before turning away from Max and walking behind a partition so he can change. 

     Max sighs and walks closer as Uchdryd starts changing back into his uniform.

     "We need two important factors to make this work. These factors are the white uniforms and the brotherhoods. We can have the full support and participation of the brotherhoods, and I can make sure of that. While in the white uniforms, we can have the support of the serfs and the dwellers, and that is where you'll come in," Uchdryd explains. 

     "Support of what?"

     "You see, Max, the Saints' president will be proposing the White Uniform Protection Code soon," Uchdryd then reveals, surprising Max. Looks like their president really is different from the other Saints. Their house will definitely have a bright future with him as their rank 1.

     "The problem is, when a council proposes something, it needs the approval of all the members of the Elites, as well as 75% of votes from the entire student body. With how things are now, failure is almost expected. But the tides are changing thanks to you and Kim Hee-joon," Uchdryd explains next, and Max instantly realizes what he meant when the lord mentioned Joon's name.

     "Wait, you mean to say that Hee-joon did the Prince Law to help get the White Uniform Protection Code approved?" Max asks, and Uchdryd starts laughing behind the partition.

     After a couple of seconds, Uchdryd steps out, now wearing his black uniform. He looks at Max with a wide smile, and then he walks his way towards an insanely large mirror to fix his hair.

     "You're really good at this, Max," Uchdryd continues to compliment while putting gel on his hair, but Max ignored that comment and quickly stood behind him to ask about Kim Hee-joon further.

     "Joon is trying to get the White Uniform Protection approved. And he used the Prince Law because it's the only custom that can legally be used against the white uniforms, right?" Max asks again.

     Uchdryd, who is focusing on fixing his hair, stares at his reflection before answering, "That's right. If Joon continues what he's doing, the tides can shift, and the approval might be handed to us on a silver platter instead. And then we have you, who has the ability to change everything completely. The serfs will definitely have your full support, as well as some dwellers."

     "How exactly?"

     "The Division Program is built as an advantage for the Gaffers. If you successfully help the serfs, it will be enough proof to claim that the program is useless. Students are able to rank up without it, and that can be a great case when we propose the White Uniform Protection Code," Uchdryd explains further, and Max couldn't help but feel excited about it.

     Looks like things are starting to fall into place after all.

      "You know, I've always wondered how this is possible, but...why are the gaffers in this house so protected anyway?" Max asks while Uchdryd is now putting his brooches on.

     "Oh yeah, the rules in J.S High value the students' personal growth now," Uchdryd starts. "Your house values secrecy, and outside titles are stripped away there, which I really liked. But in St. George Academy, things are a little different. Because other than points and skills, these students simply have one thing that the others lack."

     "And what is that?"

     Uchdryd pauses, and then he looks at Max's reflection and answers, "Money."

- END -