It's not a hope (frankly I agree with your sentiment), merely a feeling based on some of his intereactions. All of this is circumstantial of course but:
1) He is definetly trying to hide his full competence, and it shows. You've got him feigning to be a nobody in the shop, pretending he doesn't know what trim crystal are, pretending not to care about politics, etc. So what are his full capabilities? We'll find out.
Fair to say, but I took that to be the saavy stance of a veteran politician that cant Openly lead because he's the Chair of a Committee rather than Commander and Chief. Not unliek Gaius Sextus, in that regard.
2) There's the quote from Cavendish (though I'll admit it can be read in different ways).
The Spider thing? Considering the same was used (admittedly in a different way) to describe her Batman, Im not ready to lock the Spider=Etherealist equivalency just yet, not until we get a better look at the controlling 'Enemy'. And again it's a term that was used to describe Gaius Sextus as a skilled political veteran.
3) Maybe it's just me, but his manner of speaking is very similar to Ferus during his lucid moments. Though maybe that's just the "scholarly voice" coming through.
Ya, scoloarly voice is how I saw those. If we see it go the other way, seeing the Spirearch acting in any way erratic/crazy/damaged, even a hint of low-level OCD, and Id be far more willing to get on-board.
4) He's making big decisions (the supercrystal for the ship, the away team, warning the guilds in habble Landing) that seems to imply a certain amount of foresight . Sure, he could merely be a very good planner, but the set of coincidences that created this win seem a little "future vision" type thing.
The only one of those I see as needing any amount of foresight, and not simply an eye for capable people and a willingness to invest in them, is the warning of the Guilds. He's entirely aware of Grimm's past and his extreme dedication to Duty, so the crystals he gave were Golden Chains as much as anything else. But arguably were a fully justified war tactic, upgrading the predator which is alrady one of the Spire's more potent tools (And Im assuming he's aware of the first Gen crystal as well, which makes Preddy an even more valuable war resource).
Also, it's equally possible that he has an etherist on staff that provides prognostication services.
For example, what's with sending the Lancaster girl as "the smooth talker"? His one interaction with her must have shown him that she's way less competent than she thinks she is. It is arguable that Benedict would have done better with any of their interactions (the marines, the innkeeper, the potential ambush on the way to the inn). And yet sending her coincidentally allows Predator to be fixed in time. Very fortunate.
I submit to you that Gwen herself was the only one that thought she was there as "a smooth talker." She was a Battering Ram. One who is entirely willing to bring the full brunt of aristocratic privileged to bear, but one who has the ethical grounding to do so without the sort of foppish arrogance that would normally come right along with it and do more harm than good.
Also, fwiw, I think he was far more aware of her than she realized and than just from that one 'chance' meeting; I think he was checking her out because of her involvement in the Duel that he'd let become a focal point for the new Legal Status of Cats.
All in all there's nothing here conclusive, but it's a feeling I can't deny -- so much that I thought I saw a quote confirming it.
Haha, been there...
I will say that IF he is an etherealist, it's his most closely guarded secret. They know precisely how cracked that power makes you, sooner or later, and I doubt they let such a person remain in a position of prime leadership. I expect there are even Laws against it.
