Coincidences Close to Home

"Alright, old friend, long time no see. You don't have to come at me like that, do you?" Altair smiled broadly and gave up arguing.

He shrugged, his gaze mocking:

"Don't you realize the problem? You're Sequence 5 Beyonder; under normal circumstances, I don't have the ability to manage you."

Parliamentarian Begat's pupils constricted.

"Your plan yesterday didn't completely fail; you've received the reward from the great being?"

"What do you say, old friend?" Altair chuckled. "Why would I stay and die if I wasn't absolutely certain?"

"Although yesterday's Sacrificial Ritual went wrong, everything was under the watchful eye of the Great Supreme Being, and He still generously rewarded me."

"In a sense, my current strength is no weaker than that of Demigod."

In a sense? Parliamentarian Begat pondered silently for a moment, "Did the great being you believe in bestow upon you Sealed Artifact at the Demigod level?"

"To be precise, it's not a gift, but an elevation..." Altair didn't reveal any more of his trump cards, and changed the subject:

"So, how about it? Interested in continuing to invest in your old friend?"

Parliamentarian Begat fell silent again.

Altair didn't urge him, but waited with a smile for the other party's reply.

A few minutes later, Parliamentarian Begat sighed:

"You must tell me honestly what you're planning to do this time, and what level of help you need from me."

Altair's smile widened, and he nodded slightly.

"Certainly.

"This is a necessary respect between allies."

Respect your mother... If you had respected me last time, I wouldn't have gotten involved in your lousy plan at all... Parliamentarian Begat's eye twitched involuntarily.

Altair seemed oblivious to Parliamentarian Begat's grim expression and continued speaking to himself:

My plan consists of two parts.

"First, kill MI9 Lieutenant Colonel Vera, who ruined our plans—no, perhaps I should call him Colonel now; I heard he got promoted."

As soon as he finished speaking, Parliamentarian Begat couldn't help but frown and interrupt:

"That's impossible!"

"According to what I know, Vera has Advancement Sequence 5, which is the first tier below the Demigod, and she is a true Quasi-High-Level."

Even if he makes some Error, MI9 will not punish him easily.

"Besides, he's now relegated to a secondary role, basically living under the watchful eye of Demigod every day, so you won't find an opportunity to touch him."

"That's not necessarily true..." Altair shook his head slightly, his face full of confidence.

"In fact, I've already arranged everything. As long as you agree to cooperate with me, I'm absolutely certain I can make this person disappear."

"Absolutely certain?" Parliamentarian Begat scoffed.

Even a true Demigod wouldn't dare say they could definitely do it... Alright, but I'll choose to trust you one more time. Let's get straight to the second thing.

"The second point builds upon the first, so let's leave it aside for now."

Altair chuckled, "I need you to provide a Sealed Artifact that can change one's appearance. Your Rose School shouldn't lack anything like that."

"Having enough doesn't mean I can just take it out whenever I want."

Parliamentarian Begat refused without hesitation, and after a moment's thought, said, "At most, I can provide similar disposable items."

It can only change one's appearance, and the effect lasts for a maximum of three months.

"And it's not free."

Altair's face darkened, but quickly broke into a bright smile. He strode to the car window and extended his right hand to Parliamentarian Begat inside.

"It's been a pleasure working with you, old friend."

"As a reward for this assistance and the previous Pound, the Sequence 5 ' Disciplinary Paladin ' Beyonder Characteristic is yours."

Parliamentarian Begat let out a deep breath and shook hands firmly with the other man. "Also, you must leave Backlund as soon as possible afterward."

Altair nodded in a pleasant tone:

"I promise."

"You'd better keep your word," Parliamentarian Begat said irritably. "That One-Time Item will take three days to arrive. How are you going to deliver it then?"

"Take it with you when you leave, and you'll be able to come back to this place again." Altair withdrew his hand. "Do you need me to send you away now?"

Parliamentarian Begat nodded slightly.

Immediately, he found that the scene before him had changed drastically, and his carriage appeared on the street where the accident had just occurred, facing the entrance of a narrow alley.

The conversation just now felt like an illusion.

Only his memories and the still unconscious coachman told him it was true.

at the same time.

Inside a secluded house in the West Borough.

Vera looked at the Informant who had arrived without her notice, listened quietly to the other's concerns, and took a small sip of her slightly warm Black Tea.

He slowly exhaled and asked:

"You suspect that Altair won't let us go?"

"It's not doubt," Lorry said seriously. "These are Miles's own words before he died. I don't believe he would lie to me."

Vera nodded thoughtfully:

You're right.

"However, I think you're the one who needs to be more careful."

He put down his teacup, a slight smile appearing on his face.

"Now, besides guarding the Sealed Artifact underground, I stay at home."

"When I'm at work, the Director and Deputy Director are right above me, and this place is only three blocks away from the Cathedral, with ' Nighthawks ' stationed here all year round."

"Furthermore, it's not so easy for a Sequence 6 Blessed to deal with me, a ' Disciplinary Paladin '."

"On the contrary, those of you who are weaker are more likely to become the targets of these arrangements."

"But according to Miles, the Fantasy Ability of ' Literature Lover ' can transcend the limitations of Sequence, and if the conditions are right, it's not impossible to orchestrate the actions of Demigod," Lorry said in a deep voice. "His advice to me is to pay close attention to coincidences or chance occurrences around me."

"If possible, make a list of the next day's arrangements in advance, and be on high alert immediately if anything unexpected happens."

He pulled a slip of paper from his pocket, indicating that he was prepared.

Vera pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly:

"That's a good idea; it's not a bad solution."

He picked up his teacup, took two sips, and smiled:

Okay, I understand what you mean.

"Starting tomorrow, I will also use the same method: if I realize something is wrong, I will immediately return to MI9 or the Cathedral."

"You little rascal... you didn't let me down."

Then, he changed the subject:

Is there anything else?

"If not, don't interrupt my bedtime prayer later."

Lorry was surprised that the Lieutenant Colonel believed his story so readily. After a moment's hesitation, he whispered another point of doubt:

"Lieutenant Colonel, speaking of coincidences..."

"Don't you think it was quite unexpected that Ms. Beyoncé would appear? You suddenly decided to stroll around my New Book Launch, and that's how you ran into her."

"She wants a Special Edition New Book, and you happen to have one."