Altair returned to the second floor. Upon entering the room, he saw Irene giving Vivian a massage.
Seeing him enter, Vivian said in a cheerful tone, "You're back. How did the banquet go today?"
As Altair approached, he said, "Not bad. Is there nothing to do today? Usually, you wouldn't be back at this time."
Vivian chuckled softly and said, "This is all thanks to you. Now that the Industrial Zone is in chaos, no one will investigate a few deaths. I let those little ones go hunting on their own; there's no need for me to handle the aftermath for them."
Altair asked in surprise, "So the ones benefiting from the Demoness Sect this time are all 'Assassins'?"
While helping Altair undress, Vivian said, "It's the Theosophy Order. Because members within the Demoness Sect couldn't reach a consensus, they used a subordinate organization to participate this time. On the surface, the Demoness Sect doesn't acknowledge this plan."
After removing the 'corset' and 'pannier', Altair felt his body freed from restraint, relaxing both physically and mentally. He said, "Although the Theosophy Order is related to the Demoness Sect, they aren't subordinates. It's just a training ground established through cooperation between you and others. I really can't figure out which faction you belong to—the Demoness Sect or the Theosophy Order."
Vivian patted his chest and laughed, "Actually, I haven't joined any faction, not even my own lineage of Demonesses. The reason I work so hard is simply for 'High-Sequence' Beyonder characteristics."
After saying this, Vivian couldn't help but shake her head, then explained, "The subsequent materials for the Assassin Pathway are basically monopolized by the Demoness Sect. This means that if one wants to advance, they can only rely on completing missions to exchange for materials."
Altair asked curiously, "Have you already finished your Acting and are preparing to advance to sequence five, 'Demoness of Afflictions'?"
"If only it were that simple," Vivian countered. "Even with you helping me digest the potion every day, it's impossible to advance so quickly. At my current pace, I'll need to continue Acting for at least another three months."
"Besides, I haven't prepared the materials yet. It's hard to say when I'll be able to advance."
Altair was quite curious and asked, "Are there no High-Sequence materials circulating outside? Can't they be obtained through trade or purchase?"
Vivian thought for a moment and said with a smile, "There are some, but they are very difficult to obtain through trade. For one, it's to ensure the materials don't flow back to the Demoness Sect, and secondly, High-Sequence materials themselves are extremely valuable, so they generally aren't used for trade."
This was indeed a fact. Although money can buy things, it also depends on whether others are willing to sell. If someone doesn't want to sell, no amount of money will help.
Fortunately, when Altair was negotiating cooperation, he had set additional conditions, hoping to trade Beyonder characteristics. In a couple of days, he could go and conduct a Beyonder characteristic trade with Uncle-Grandfather Leif and the others.
These families have been passed down for at least several hundred years. Over so many years, they should have some High-Sequence characteristics. Even if they can't use them themselves, they should have them in their collections. He could see then if a trade was possible.
This period of unrest had allowed Altair to completely digest the 'Instigator' potion; he just hadn't chosen to advance yet. Vivian was happy to see this and did not entice him to take the 'Witch' potion.
After a moment of pleasure, Vivian leaned against Altair's chest and asked breathlessly, "Should we take advantage of the fact that you haven't advanced yet and have a child?"
Altair stroked Vivian's hair, thought for a moment, and said, "Let's not. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Right now, we are both at the center of the storm. Having a child would undoubtedly increase the risk."
Vivian nodded and sighed, "How wonderful it would be if we were both ordinary people."
Altair did not respond to this. If they were both ordinary people, they likely would never have met, let alone fallen in love... The next day, everyone was busy with their own affairs, leaving Altair alone in the study reading a book.
It wasn't until near noon that Altair finished his studies for the day. He casually dismissed the Spirit Book and prepared to get up and leave.
Looking up, he saw a priest wearing a simple white robe, with a thick pale-gold beard covering the lower half of his face and golden eyes as clear and pure as a baby's. The priest smiled and nodded slightly to him, his tone gentle and devoid of any hostility or cause for alarm:
"Good morning, Lady Altair or Mr. Lucius. Quite an impressive ability. Were you just reading 'Fundamentals of Mechanical Design'?"
Seeing him, Altair thought in panic, 'Holy crap, I ran into the BOSS right at the start.' After calming himself, he asked with a smile, "How should I address you, Father? I don't recall any of the sects having such a style of dress."
"You can just call me Adam," the blond priest introduced himself with a smile, but then added, "I think I don't actually need to introduce myself. After all, I can tell from your reaction that you should know me."
Altair's expression instantly collapsed, showing he was not amused. He pursed his lips and said, "I know a little bit. I wonder what business you have with me, Mr. Adam?"
"Also, when did you start observing me?"
To Altair's questions, Adam maintained his unchanging smile and said in a calm and gentle tone, "After you created those new weapons. Originally, I didn't suspect you; after all, according to the development of the era, people like you would appear in this period."
"But the factory you built and the institutional system you established afterwards confirmed your identity for me."
Hearing Adam's words, Altair smiled bitterly, "So, I still exposed how different I am from this era."
Adam smiled and nodded, "Although you tried your best to hide it, you ultimately do not belong here. No matter how you hide it, you cannot change the facts."
Altair lowered his head in thought. Indeed, no matter how he hid it, he couldn't change the fact that he was not a person of this era.
While Altair was still thinking, Adam explained, "I have already helped you with some concealment. It makes them feel like you are just a naive child. You don't need to worry about future identity issues; only those from the same period will notice."
Looking at the expressionless Adam, Altair asked, "What price do I need to pay, and what is your purpose for coming to find me this time?"
"It seems you have already adapted to the rules of how this world operates." Adam thought for a moment and still smiled, "I need you to do one thing for me when I need it. Rest assured, this matter will not go against your will."
"As for the purpose, it's just to meet in advance."