Inside the safe house, only Lilian remained.
Ludmila had been asked to leave by Gamma under the pretext that the “Master requested a private meeting,” and Camilla had been temporarily settled in the adjacent room to rest.
In the center of the room, the wall that had previously shown the interior of the house rippled with a water-like glow. It eventually transformed into a smooth, mirror-like magic projection screen.
Gamma stood slightly in front of the screen and bowed deeply to Lilian.
“Your Highness, please wait here for a moment. My Master is connecting now.”
With that, she also withdrew, gently closing the door behind her.
Absolute silence enveloped the room, broken only by the faint sound of the water from the central fountain.
Lilian sat alone on the wide sofa, her back straight and her hands folded over her knees. While she appeared calm, her slightly tightening fingertips betrayed the turmoil within her.
‘Cain… I am finally going to face this mysterious head of the trading company.’
The rumors regarding “Cain” occupied a significant portion of the Royal Family’s intelligence database.
Some said he was a legendary Grand Alchemist who had lived for hundreds of years in seclusion, possessing lost ancient techniques. Others claimed he was a persona used by a Ninth-Rank Expert who had grown weary of worldly conflicts. There were even those who believed “Cain” did not exist at all and was merely a symbol put forward to draw fire, while the true controller was some ancient hidden organization or a foreign power.
However, Lilian knew that “Cain” was a real person.
About one and a half years ago, the notorious evil organization known as the Eclipse Brotherhood, which had rampaged across the western border of the Empire, was uprooted overnight. The corpse of their leader, the “Shadow of the Eclipsing Moon,” was found nailed to a cross and hung upside down from the flagpole of a border watchtower.
There were no signs of a large-scale battle at the scene, as if they had died before they even had a chance to resist. The brotherhood’s years of accumulated wealth and secret archives had vanished without a trace.
In the traces of magic power left at the scene, the imperial intelligence agency captured an extremely unique fluctuation. It was highly consistent with the energy signatures displayed by certain agents of the Kayin Trading Company when they took action later on.
Although there was no direct evidence, the upper echelons of the Royal Family basically concluded that it was “Cain” or the forces under his command that had destroyed the Eclipse Brotherhood.
This incident made the Empire feel fortunate to have removed a malignant tumor, but it also instilled a deep sense of dread regarding “Cain” and the power he controlled.
To be able to silently wipe out a massive dark organization led by a Ninth-Rank Expert was a level of strength and style that exceeded the scope of ordinary commercial powers.
This was also one of the reasons why the Empire chose limited cooperation instead of direct suppression, even when they suspected the Kayin Trading Company might have connections to non-human entities.
Strength was always the best passport.
Lilian took a deep breath, suppressing the surge of tension, expectation, and a faint, imperceptible fear in her heart.
She had risked making this request tonight partly to use the assassination attempt as leverage to test the other party’s attitude. However, the deeper reason was that she needed a variable—a powerful external force sufficient to break the current deadlock in the Imperial Capital.
And “Cain,” this mysterious, powerful, and unpredictable existence, might be the “variable” she had been looking for.
The light on the magic screen stabilized. The scene inside no longer reflected the room but turned into a deep dark blue background that looked like both a starry sky and a chaotic void.
A blurred phantom enveloped in a faint glow appeared in the center of the screen.
The face was indistinguishable, the gender unidentifiable, and even the physical form was difficult to determine. There was no sound, but an indescribable sense of pressure permeated through the screen.
Lilian’s heart beat faster uncontrollably. Her royal pride and the composure she had cultivated since childhood allowed her to force a veneer of calm, even managing to produce a polite smile.
She stood up and performed a standard royal greeting toward the phantom on the screen.
“Good evening, esteemed Lord Cain. It is an honor to have the opportunity to speak with you. I am Lilian Vivalana, the Fourth Imperial Princess of the Vivarana Empire.”
The phantom on the screen did not move. After a moment of silence, a voice that could not be distinguished by age or gender echoed directly in her mind.
“Imperial Princess of Vivarana, state your purpose. My time is limited.” The voice was calm, without any emotional fluctuations, yet it carried an unquestionable sense of authority.
Lilian composed herself and sat back down, her hands still folded on her knees. Her posture was respectful but not subservient.
“First, please allow me to express my gratitude once again for your company’s timely rescue tonight. Supervisor Gamma’s professionalism and strength were truly impressive.”
“Spare me the pleasantries. Go straight to the point. You did not request to meet me just to give thanks,” the phantom’s voice interrupted Lilian’s small talk.
Lilian was not annoyed at being interrupted; instead, her heart settled. The other party liked being direct, which suited her perfectly.
“Yes. Then, please allow me to be blunt.”
Lilian looked up, her pale gold eyes staring directly into those illusory eyes on the screen. Her tone became solemn and clear.
“I seek cooperation with you and the Kayin Trading Company. However, I am not here in my official capacity as the Fourth Imperial Princess of the Vivarana Royal Family, but… as the individual Lilian Vivalana.” She paused, observing the phantom’s reaction, but there was no movement.
“I need your power to help me ascend the throne of the Vivarana Empire.”
These words were spoken calmly, but if they were heard outside, they would surely cause a massive uproar.
Directly asking a mysterious merchant for help in competing for the throne was undoubtedly an extremely risky, even insane, act.
However, Lilian’s expression was incredibly serious, and her gaze was exceptionally cold and rational.
The phantom on the screen seemed to move slightly, and the light in those “eyes” flickered for a brief moment.
“Interesting. What does the struggle for the Vivarana throne have to do with me? Interest? Profit? What can you give me that the Vivarana Royal Family cannot, but you can?”
‘There is a chance!’
Lilian’s spirits rose. The fact that the other party did not refuse immediately meant there was room for negotiation.
“Yes, I can give you things that even the Royal Family cannot easily provide.”
She stared at the other party and began to throw out her bargaining chips.
“First, if I ascend the throne, I will authorize the Kayin Trading Company to exclusively enjoy the research, development, and production rights for the Empire’s military standard equipment and certain military magic mechanical devices for the next thirty years. I know your company has unique expertise in magic technology and the study of ancient artifacts. This authorization means massive orders from the imperial military and the most cutting-edge application feedback. It is enough to take your company’s technological accumulation and wealth to a whole new level.”
The research and development of military equipment had always been a strictly controlled field in the Empire, monopolized by several traditional Duke houses and the royal workshops.
Opening it to an external trading company, even if it was only a partial authorization, would be enough to cause a sensation. But for Lilian, who urgently needed technological innovation and a way to break the old structure, this was a risky move that could also bring immense help.
“Second, regarding the Emerald Tablet.”
Lilian carefully observed the phantom. When she mentioned that name, she seemed to feel the starlight flowing around the other party speed up slightly.
“I know your company has been secretly collecting the Emerald Tablet Fragments at high prices. I have three relatively complete pages of the Albedo Scroll in my possession. If we cooperate, these three pages can be offered immediately as a down payment. Furthermore, after I take power, all other collections and research materials related to the Emerald Tablet in the royal secret treasury can be opened to your company on a limited basis.”
She threw out a temptation that would be difficult for any Alchemist or related researcher to resist. The value of Emerald Tablet Fragments, especially those recording core theories, could not be measured by money.
The phantom on the screen remained silent, the starlight shifting as if it were thinking and weighing the options.
“The military authorization is indeed somewhat attractive, and the Emerald Tablet Fragments are also what I need. But it is not enough,” the other party said in a calm tone.
“The struggle for the throne of the Vivarana Empire is a deep whirlpool with vast complications. It is no small matter. These things alone are not enough for me to step into it. Lilian Vivalana, your competitors are your elder brothers. Behind them stand the old aristocracy, the military’s powerful factions, and perhaps even the shadows of other countries. Why do you think you can win? And why do you think my help can be the decisive chip? Show me your true trump card, or end this conversation.”
The pressure suddenly intensified.
Lilian felt a fine cold sweat breaking out on her back.
The other party was indeed not an easy person to deal with; he had easily seen that these surface-level chips were not enough to move him.
She took a deep breath, knowing that the most critical moment had arrived.
“You are right. My brothers’ influences are deeply rooted, and each one is much stronger than I am.” Lilian’s voice remained steady, but her eyes became sharper, as if she had shed her final layer of disguise.
“But I also have something they do not possess.”
She paused and spoke a name word by word.
“You should also have some understanding of this name. Its code name is—The Omega.”