Reality

After hearing Madam Sharon's conditions, Altair frowned slightly, as if he were seriously considering them. After a few seconds of hesitation, he nodded gently. "How much share do you need? At what price? When will I receive my Beyonder Characteristic? How much additional money do I need? And most importantly, what kind of mission?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Sharon chuckled twice, raised her head, and said, "Don't worry, sister. We're all family, and we understand your current situation. We won't make things difficult for you."

"Regarding the weapons deal, the clan chief hopes to purchase them at the price set by the Loen Army. Also, you need to persuade the other shareholders to secure a stable share for the clan; they won't make things difficult for you."

"Regarding the features, someone will deliver them to you after our conversation, and she will discuss the price with you."

"As for the mission, there's a lot for you to do. You also know that playing the Demoness Pathway often brings disaster."

"The family hopes that you can use your noble status to provide some assistance to some of your sisters, such as helping them with their role-playing during the chaos that occurred in Bexland a few months ago, and assisting them in their covert retreat."

"The task you described is too vague; it's a huge trap," Altair interrupted in a flat tone.

He then added, "Regarding weapons, I will strive to secure the best possible benefits for the family. But as for the mission, I need to weigh the gains and losses before deciding whether to offer assistance."

"Yes, that's fine," Madam Sharon said with a smile, without refusing.

Altair chuckled and joked, "Aren't you afraid I won't offer any help later?"

"Sister, you jest." After saying this, Madam Sharon stood up and said with a charming smile:

"Now that the family has won you over, we will make sure you feel our sincerity."

Before she finished speaking, Madam Sharon took off her clothes as if no one else was around, revealing her naturally alluring figure, as if she was about to change into a dress.

But then, as if remembering something, she looked up and asked softly, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, little sister. I almost forgot something important."

"The clan still has matters to consult with regarding the weapons designers at the arsenal."

"May I ask you, younger sister, if you could enlighten me?"

"Tell me about it," Altair blinked, asking curiously.

Madam Sharon's lips curved into a half-smile, her voice as soft as water as she asked, "According to the New Weapon Design Plan the family has acquired, these concepts are basically identical to Roselle's ideas from back then."

"So they wanted to know if those weapons designers had found that Ethereal Rumored Land and obtained Rochelle's Legacy."

"I don't know about that." Upon hearing this, Altair shook his head and added, "You should know that I'm still a minor, and Uncle Leif doesn't allow me to get involved in these things. I only know that some such designers exist, but I don't know where or how to find them."

Madam Sharon didn't press the matter further. After silently changing into a gorgeous long dress, she turned her back to Altair and said in a seductive voice, "Little sister, help your older sister adjust her corset."

Upon hearing this, Altair also got up to help her shape her body. Meanwhile, Madam Sharon, now with a moment to herself, said with a hint of grievance, "We've only known each other for less than half an hour, and I've spent over 20 minutes envying you, sister, for having such a good life."

"High status, wealth, and power—the very qualities needed to advance to Demigod are being offered to you by your family. I, your sister, will only be qualified to obtain the Demoness of Affliction's recipe after completing the task of winning you over. As for when I'll actually acquire those qualities, I don't even dare to dream about it."

"If you ever have any ideas about selling items with the Demoness of Affliction trait, be sure to let me know."

Altair didn't intend to reply to Madam Sharon's words, but instead asked curiously:

"How did you know you were in Tingen City? My whereabouts have been kept secret the whole time."

Upon hearing this, Madam Sharon slowly walked to the dressing table, took out a slender glass vial containing a pale yellow liquid, and handed it to Altair, chuckling softly, "This is the potion you made, sister, isn't it? I deduced from it that you've already returned to your Ancestral Land for the winter."

"Although you improved this medicine, making it more effective and with greater side effects, its essence remains unchanged, and coincidentally, I had done research on it before."

"So I gave it a try, and well, it worked! At least I managed to lure you out, little sister."

After hearing Madam Sharon's explanation, Altair took a deep breath and said, "Aren't you afraid you're wrong?"

Madam Sharon turned around, took Altair's arm, and said affectionately, "Don't worry, and even if I'm wrong and you don't come back, I won't lose anything by trying this time."

"But right now I have something that I need my sister's help with."

"As you know, I held this Charity Auction in the name of Baron Khoy. If my sister hadn't returned, that would have been fine; I could have handled the consequences in Tingen City. But the difficulty now is that you've returned, and it's hard for me, your older sister, to bear the consequences."

So I think...

Before Madam Sharon could finish speaking, Altair lightly raised his right hand, letting his slender white fingers slowly trace a path down her face, and said with a mischievous grin, "I refuse to help."

"This is the consequence of your own actions, and you must bear the consequences yourself."

At 9 p. m., Altair and Madam Sharon left her room and went to the banquet hall to take their seats.

After the host finished explaining that all proceeds from the auction would be used for the construction of Orphanage, he emphasized the "social responsibility" of the nobility once again. With that, the auction officially began.

After the words were spoken, servants continued to bring items onto the auction stage, mostly antiques, Artwork, and jewelry; no item went unsold.

Because the original owner of the item will guarantee a minimum price for the auctioned item, if no one is interested, an agent will place the bid.

But all of this had nothing to do with Altair. She would bid on items she liked, but she wouldn't keep trying to buy them. Once someone else bid higher, she would give up. In the end, she only spent 200 Gold Pound to buy a Gem Necklace.

After the auction ended, Altair and Old Clayton quietly left, without attending the subsequent ball and banquet.

Before the auction began, Old Clayton had "persuaded" Baron Khoy, and successfully obtained compensation before leaving.

The underlying rule of any world is violence; whoever has the biggest fist calls the shots, and if they don't, it just means their fist isn't big enough. In this world, that means whoever is Beyonder, whoever has a higher Sequence, and whoever has the strongest backing has a brighter future.