Upon hearing Xio's description, Fors pondered for a moment before saying, "It's also possible he possesses a powerful Sealed Artifact..."
"That's another strange thing," Xio replied, "Apparently, someone once observed the 'Leader' while wearing a corresponding Sealed Artifact, but found no trace of powerful mystical items on him... only a few Extraordinary weapons."
She paused before continuing, "The 'Leader' doesn't seem to fear investigation or leaks about the gathering. Take Byron, for example... After I caught him and he revealed some details about the gathering, his punishment was just having to provide five valuable pieces of intelligence for free..."
"...Only those who leak information without reporting it to the gathering face severe consequences."
Fors, of course, knew the difference between mystical items and Extraordinary weapons, "That is odd. Could he be from the same Sequence as me...?"
"...Unlikely... even Door Opening has distance limitations. And beyond a certain thickness, it won't work."
At this point, she hadn't yet established stable contact with the Abraham family, so her avenues for Mystical knowledge were limited. Given the level of occult gatherings she has been exposed to, she wasn't even aware of the Travelʼs Door ability...
In the end, Fors couldn't help but sigh, "He truly is a mysterious man."
Xio nodded, "That's why I'm hesitant. If I pass their so-called routine investigation, should I really join this 'Mysticism Research Society'?"
After some thought, Fors said, "I'd actually recommend you take the opportunity if it arises..."
"...Think about it, even leaking information about the gathering doesn't result in harsh punishment, and investigating the host isn't penalized either. This gathering has an unusually high tolerance for its members!.."
"...At the very least, you won't be in danger. And as long as there's no danger, being able to trade for high-level intelligence is more than enough for you, isn't it?"
Xio dipped her bread into the stew, "You're right."
....
Having decided to advance, Odis didn't immediately start preparing the potion...
Instead, he went about his usual routine... having Kain oversee the workers who were replacing the shop window, while he taught Aelia how to craft bullets for the 'Flamebolt' in the backyard.
Today's lesson was relatively simple, ending just past ten in the morning.
With all the lessons now complete, Aelia only needed to return later to collect the ten Flamebolts.
She left her contact address and told Odis to write to her if he needed anything.
After seeing Aelia off, Odis mixed some paint with Kain and touched up the walls scorched by yesterday's flames...
...
Once everything was done, he took a carriage to the 'Backlund Institute for Mechanical Research' to have lunch with his old friend, Max Livermore.
Odis spent 1 soli on a private dining room.
He insisted on calling it a 'private dining room' rather than a 'VIP room' or 'booth' because, in his opinion, it was far too cramped (just a single table and two chairs) and definitely not worth the price...
After ordering and waiting for the waiter to leave, Max smiled and asked, "What's the occasion? You're being unusually generous today."
Odis blinked, "Am I usually stingy?"
"Not exactly," Max teased, "The last time you treated me this formally was a year ago."
For an ordinary herbal shop owner, this wouldn't be unusual... given Backlund's prices, a decent meal with a bottle of wine could easily cost 2 pounds.
But Max knew full well that the man before him was no simple shopkeeper.
Odis had two layers of identity: on the surface, he was the owner of an herbal shop with gray-market ventures like the "Rosewood Pavilion" and "Rosewood Restaurant", as well as two bars and a gambling den managed through his proxy, Enoch.
His second identity was as an informant for the 'Machinery Hivemind', a protective cover that was easy to verify. Few, however, knew he was also the founder of the 'Mysticism Research Society'...
Max wasn't sure whether the 'Mysticism Research Society' was profitable, but no dancehall in Backlund out-earned the Rosewood Pavilion.
What Max didn't know was that Odis had a third identity... a scholar pursuing knowledge in the 'Knowledge Moor'.
Despite being only Sequence 9, his research achievements surpassed those of most other Beyonders.
Creating a unique method for crafting mystical weapons using arrays was just the most basic application of his findings. Oh, and he was also a member of the Tarot Club now.
These two identities were nearly impossible to uncover.
And these were the fruits of Odis's three years in this world.
Chuckling awkwardly at Max's teasing, Odis said, "You know how expensive my experiments are."
"It's not just the experiments, is it?" Max countered, "Those factories you opened last year... the ones that went bankrupt, those must've cost a fortune too, right?"
Just then, the waiter arrived with their food. Max turned to him and said, "Bring me a cigar."
Odis interjected, "That'll be 2 soli a piece!"
"Then make it two."
"One's enough. I don't smoke," Odis said helplessly.
After the waiter clipped and lit Max's cigar, Odis finally explained, "Back then, I was still eager to try new things."
He had wanted to open factories to solve employment issues, thinking that as a transmigrator, any business he started would thrive.
But once the factories were up and running, Odis realized he had no talent for commerce.
The bankruptcies weren't due to poor management, but rather Odis's refusal to compromise on worker safety.
For example, at his enamel factory, the polishing process required multiple layers of protective measures, something other factories ignored, treating their workers as expendable.
As a result, Odis's products couldn't compete on price.
Compounding the issue was the broader economic climate. With the passage of the 'Grain Act', countless middle-class families and farmers went bankrupt, while industrial production across Loen continued to rise, saturating the market.
This was also why international tensions were escalating... every nation wanted to dump its surplus goods into other countries or colonies.
After three factories failed in succession, Odis abandoned the idea and focused entirely on expanding the 'Rosewood Pavilion'...
As the waiter poured their wine, the two ate and chatted.
Odis said, "I've decided to advance to Melee Scholar."
What had held him back until now was the 'Machinery Hivemindʼs' surveillance.
Odis knew full well that encountering supernatural incidents wouldn't draw their prolonged attention, unless those incidents involved High-Sequence Beyonder Characteristics or Sealed Artifacts (or, in his case, the 'Knowledge Moor') related to the 'Mystery Pryer' or 'Savant' Pathways...
Three years ago, he had sensed covert inspections more than once. Back then, if he had revealed his understanding of potion 'digestion', he might've been arrested and interrogated on the spot.
But now, after three years without any anomalies, and given his usefulness to the 'Machinery Hivemind', he felt secure enough to apply for advancement.
Max's hands, holding his knife and fork, froze momentarily, "Are you sure? I've heard that at Sequence 9, while you might occasionally hear whispers from evil gods, they're usually negligible..."
"...But at Sequence 8, those whispers become far clearer, and far more seductive."
This was something he'd already looked into for Odis...