SYNOPSIS
A social gathering is held at Eden College once a term. It is a heavily guarded event, where only Imperial Scholars and their parents, VIPs from Ostania, are allowed to enter. Damian tells his brother that he would like to see their father when he attends the event. Loid learns of this and uses Damian to get close to his target.
SUMMARY
The Imperial Scholars Mixer is Eden Academy’s semi-annual gathering exclusively for Imperial Scholars, their parents and select alumni. In short, it’s a meeting between the top of Ostania. Since the event is currently underway, school security has been tightened, with agents and the military on guard. Inside the campus, Twilight overlooks a security guard disguised as a professor. He notes how difficult it is to infiltrate the Imperial Scholar mix, citing past failed attempts by other agents.
The event takes place in the “Tower of Wisdom”, which not only has several possible entrances, but even tighter security. Twilight considers taking the tower by force, but that could only work once and be effective if he were to assassinate Donovan Desmond. But since Operation Strix requires establishing continuous contact with Donovan, it’s out of the question. Another option is to approach Donovan in disguise, but Twilight is aware of the risks and decides to meet him as “Loid Forger”. He concludes that opportunities to contact Desmond outside the tower are virtually non-existent, but he should try to explore those possibilities.
Cecile Hall ends class and the teacher reminds them that the school will be closed in the afternoon for the Imperial Scholars event, so the students must leave the school grounds. Students talk about the mixer and who will be participating. One of the girls asks Damian Desmond if his father will be there since his brother Demetrius is an Imperial scholar. Damian doesn’t hear them, instead he remembers the phone call with Demetrius. Damian asked his brother to deliver a message to Donovan: meet him in the courtyard at Library 2 after the blender. Demetrius agrees but tells Damian not to get his hopes up as their father is a busy man before ending the call.
Back in the present, the girls ask to meet Donovan, and Damian angrily tells them to leave him alone and walks away with his friends in tow. After reading his thoughts, Anya Forger executes Damian’s plan. Seeing that her plan to win his heart through fashion has failed, she decides to follow Damian and confront Donovan herself. The boys have already noticed Anya sneaking up behind them and staring at them, so Damian yells at her to go away. Ewen Egeburg speaks up and tells Damian why Anya is after him. Damian blushes, assuming romantic reasons. Ewen explains that Anya could be stalking him to curry favor with Donovan, and Emile Elman agrees, saying that Anya is just like all the other kids. Embarrassed and enraged, Damian calls Anya a stalker and other names before running away. Anya suggests that she punch him again, but Becky Blackbell, who was with her, reminds her that if she does, she will be expelled.
Suddenly, Anya hears Lloyd’s thoughts, expressing his frustration that Anya and Damian aren’t getting along and that Plan B is failing. Loid decides to follow Damian if he decides to meet Donovan. Anya has heard her father’s plan and follows Damian. The boys head to the courtyard and discuss Damian’s plan to meet his father. Loid eavesdrops on their conversation and confirms that Damian will meet Donovan when the boys go to see the blender themselves.
In front of the Tower of Wisdom, the Imperial Scholars and their families walk through the school grounds, heading for the event. The boys are amazed at how many people are there, and Emile comments that even with all the famous people in attendance, Donovan is a V.I.P., which chills Damian. He chooses not to see his father, shocking the boy and Loid. Damian reasons that Donovan is an incredible and busy man who has no time to waste on people like him. As he turns to inform Demetrius of his decision, Anya stops him, who won’t let him.
Loid and Damian are surprised by her sudden appearance and Damian again tells her to leave, calling her a stalker. Anya smugly taunts Damian, asking him if he’s scared and saying she knows he is. Damian wonders if she’s reading his mind, which worries Anya. Anya nervously reveals that Damian got a 50 on the language test. When asked how she knew, Anya replied that she peeked over Damian’s shoulder, making Becky think Anya was indeed a stalker. Anya says that Damian is worried that his father will find out about his bad grade and tries to empathize with him, admitting that he got a 17. Anya says she doesn’t know if Loid likes her so she’s scared too, adding that he often gets mad at her. Despite this, Anya trusts her father because she loves him, so she uses all her courage to tell him that she failed.
The boys, Becky, and Loid stare in confusion at Anya, who quickly wonders aloud what she was talking about. Damian heads off in the opposite direction and Ewen asks where he’s going. Embarrassed, Damian says he will go to the courtyard to meet Donovan. His friends follow him, cheering him on as Damian says it’s not because he’s afraid. While not sure what just happened, Loid quietly praises Anya for her effort.
In the courtyard, the children sit quietly and wait for the blender to finish. Becky is surprised that Anya does the same because she wants to go home. He surmises that Anya is eager to meet Damian’s parents because she wants their blessing to get married and has misunderstood her seriousness. Becky decides to wait with Anya, hoping to see the “big moment” for herself. Anya falls asleep shortly after and Becky realizes her mistake. He asks a nearby Martha Marriott to take Anya back to their car as they prepare to leave. On their way out, they pass Loid, who reveals a handmade duplicate of Anya’s expensive sheep keychains made from cheaper materials. With that, Twilight sets her plan in motion.
Loid continues to observe the blender from outside until it finishes. He watches until Donovan leaves and decides to make a move. In the courtyard where Damian’s group is waiting, Loid appears and asks the boys if they saw the sheep keychain. Damian recognizes the description and gives Lloyd the replica that was earlier planted on the ground for them to find. The boys connect the dots and realize they are talking to Anya’s father. Realizing who he was talking to, Loid quickly knelt down in front of Damian and apologized for Anya’s orientation behavior. He tells Damian that he’d also like to apologize to his parents, and that’s when Donovan arrives. In her mind, Twilight apologizes to Damian for needing to crash his family reunion. Damian is surprised to see his father show up, while Loid confronts Donovan. He tries to talk to Donovan, but the bodyguards tell him to leave. However, Donovan gives him a chance to talk, gets Lloyd to apologize for Anya’s behavior towards Damian, and introduces himself with a smile.
At the WISE hideout, the rookie checks a file containing participants in the Imperial Scholars mix, including Donovan Desmond. Seeing how the blender is a treasure trove of intelligence, he suggests sending more agents to back Twilight up. Sylvia Sherwood advises otherwise, saying it would provide them with easy prey. He reminds the young man that they are in enemy territory and Eden Academy is the front line of this cold war.
As Loid Forger introduces himself to Donovan, he ponders his investigation into any media regarding the man. In it, he hadn’t been able to learn much about Donovan since his disappearance from the public eye. In this conversation, she must learn more about Donovan, his behavior, how to attract the attention of the “Loid Forger” and get the plans for the war he is preparing. Donovan recalls the orientation incident and apologizes that he was too busy to respond in person. Loid offers to bring a sign of remorse to his estate. However, Donovan brushes it off with an uncharacteristically bright smile, catching Lloyd off guard. Donovan says it’s just a spat between kids, but Damian yells that Anya put her hands on him, Desmond. Loid agrees and insists on fixing what she did. Donovan smiles again and says it’s okay, though he appreciates the sentiment. Loid realizes he’s fired and withdraws, but not before thanking Donovan for his generosity.
Seeing that his father doesn’t care, Damian tries to express his humiliation to him, hoping for affection. However, Donovan responds with an exasperated sigh, which unnerves Damian as Loid looks on silently. Damian stops and apologizes and his father smiles. Loid speaks up and says that Damian’s anger is justified. He continues to talk about Anya and her bizarre behavior. Hearing this, Damian, Ewen and Emile all think in unison how rough Loid is. He then talks about the challenges of raising children and how they can be out of control.
Donovan agrees, saying that even though you share blood, your children are basically strangers and it’s impossible to understand what someone else is really thinking. He says that people will never be able to understand each other in the end. As he says this, Damian is stunned.
Loid wonders if this is why Donovan seeks to dominate other nations with threats of military force and if he has revealed an underlying belief. Loid goes on to agree with the statement, saying that as a psychiatrist he sometimes wonders if he can really understand what’s going on in his patients’ heads. He adds that it is perhaps arrogant to think that people can understand each other. In the back of his mind, Loid knows that the idea of people reaching mutual understanding by talking to each other is idealistic at best. Still, he tells Donovan that the important thing is to meet them in the middle. Loid admits that while he doesn’t understand Anya’s actions, he acknowledges her and creates opportunities for dialogue whether it works out or not. Loid then thinks about how he, as a spy, never stops looking for information to understand others.
Loid steps forward, pats a dejected Damian on the shoulder, and says that this may have been why Donovan took time out of his plan to meet his son. Donovan assumes he is, which surprises Damian. Loid then talks about Damian’s respect for his father and brings up the school report about Donovan’s work, which he snooped on at school. Loid claims that it moved Anya so much that it was all she could talk about at home. He tells Donovan that he was touched by Damian’s respect and knowledge of his work as party chairman, and praises the boy.
Loid mentions his initial misgivings about the National Unity Party platform, but changes his views after hearing of the passion with which Donovan pursues Ostania’s interests in Damian’s report. He wonders if he should attend one of the party seminars and praises Damian again. Embarrassed, Damian tells Loid to stop and Loid happily apologizes. Donovan decides to end the conversation, but not before remembering Lloyd’s name and saying that he enjoyed their conversation. Loid is pleased with the result, crediting Donovan remembering his name as a victory and being able to remember the faces and features of his security team. Loid thanks Donovan for sharing his time with him.
Before he leaves, Loid asks Damian not to tell Anye about their conversation. He says Anya is in an awkward phase and if Damian thinks she hates him, Loid suspects it’s different, so he hopes they get along. Damian sheepishly says that he wants to too, surprising his friends. She quickly becomes embarrassed and yells at Lloyd to go away. Loid laughs it off and says goodbye, leaving the Desmonds to talk.
Donovan looks at Damian and asks what his son wants from him. Damian gets nervous and says it was nothing. Trying to get the words out, he thinks back to Lloyd and emphasizes the importance of creating a dialogue with others. As Donovan prepares to leave, Damian remembers how Anya said she would muster up all her courage to tell Loid that she failed. Damian yells at his dad and informs him about his midterm Stella star, his 50 on the reading test, and how the griffin he made in art class won first prize. When Donovan hears this, he congratulates him. Damian asks why Donovan decided to come after him, and Donovan says he acted on a whim and didn’t think anything of it. As he leaves, he tells Damian to continue trying not to tarnish their family name. Damian enthusiastically agrees as Ewen and Emile cheer him on.
Looking from inside the school, Twilight can feel how far away Donovan is from her son. He concludes that the closer Donovan and Damian are to each other, the better the chances of success for Plan B. As for Donovan, Twilight has decided not to follow him and his next step is to lay a careful foundation and transfer his new information to headquarters. analysis. Before she leaves, Twilight sees Damian and his friends excitedly cheering for Stella. Loid watches them silently before heading outside.
Loid returns home to Yor Forger and Anye and sees his daughter sound asleep with Bond Forger. Yor explains that Anya was already asleep because Becky and Martha dropped her off, and Loid thinks how carefree she is. Anya mutters in her sleep that she and Loid will “fight the superboss together”. Loid thinks about how carefree she is and has no idea what she’s talking about.