Altair returned to the second floor and entered the room, where he saw Irene massaging Vivian.
When she noticed him come in, Vivian asked cheerfully, "You're back. How did the banquet go?"
Altair walked closer. "Pretty well. Don't you have anything to do today? Usually, you wouldn't be back at this hour."
Vivian chuckled. "That's all thanks to you. The Industrial Zone is in chaos right now, so nobody will investigate if a few people die. I sent the little ones out to hunt on their own, so I don't have to clean up after them."
Altair asked in surprise, "Did the Demoness Sect offer a good deal to the Assassins this time?"
As she helped Altair out of his clothes, Vivian said, "It was the Spirituality Society. The members of the Demoness Sect couldn't agree, so this time they brought in one of their subordinate organizations. Officially, the Demoness Sect doesn't acknowledge that there's any such plan."
Once the corset and bustle were off, Altair felt his body freed from its restraints. Relaxing both physically and mentally, he said, "The Spirituality Society may be connected to the Demoness Sect, but it isn't subordinate to it. It's just a training ground you set up with other people. I really can't figure out which faction you belong to. You're part of both the Demoness Sect and the Spirituality Society."
Vivian patted his chest and laughed. "Actually, I haven't joined any faction. I'm not even part of the Demoness line of witches. I've worked myself so hard for just one thing: a High Sequence Beyonder Characteristic."
She shook her head, then explained, "The materials for the later stages of the Assassin pathway have basically been monopolized by the Demoness Sect. That means the only way to advance is to do missions in