The Church of Steam and Machinery's response
So the first thing Kronos did after leaving was to prepare a bunch of Scroll Materials and experiment with them thoroughly.
After dinner, Kronos went straight to his room.
The Skill Scroll that Kronos remembered today were not on the same level as those he had studied; at least the Sequence were different.
Moreover, these Skill Scroll, which come with detailed analysis and explanations, are much easier to create.
It took Kronos anywhere from a dozen or so attempts to complete a new Scroll. As each Scroll was finished, Kronos felt his back straighten up.
The main reason that accelerated Kronos's return to review the Family Secret Manual was the incident with Mr. A. A last time; otherwise, he would have at least completed another Black Emperor Sequence skill before considering this matter.
But he really didn't want to face a situation he had no control over again, like last time.
The Argel Family's Family Secret Manual can solve this problem; their accumulated knowledge over so many years is enough to propel him to the top of Sequence 6 in one go.
If he had that ability back then, even if he couldn't beat Mr. A, at least he wouldn't have been so nervous and upset. If he couldn't beat him, couldn't he at least run away?
The most painful thing is being unable to fight back or escape, which means you have no control over your own Fate.
Kronos was busy until 10 p. m., then went to bed on time.
In the past, Kronos would have stayed up all night to finish making all the Scroll, but now that he has fully experienced the benefits of a healthy routine, he will not break it unless absolutely necessary.
The next morning, Kronos got up and went for a run in his Their Manor.
The air here is so much better than in Backlund. In the early morning, the air is fresh and you can even see the blue sky.
It's nothing like back in Backlund, where you can smell all sorts of weird and wonderful odors.
Logically speaking, Kronos lived in a very high-class area and shouldn't have these problems.
If it's in Empress Borough or the West Borough, then that's definitely true; upscale residential areas are always absolutely clean.
But the Saint George District is different; basically all of Backlund's Factory are located in this district.
Light industry is somewhat better, but the smells produced by heavy industry are uncontrollable.
The neighborhood where Kronos lived was absolutely spotless, without a single speck of trash or dirt, but the stench wafting through the air was something that simply couldn't be eliminated.
Moreover, it's rare to see blue skies in any area because of air pollution; the entire Backlund is shrouded in fog and overcast skies all day long.
When the weather is clear, it's just a bit brighter, but you really can't see the blue sky.
Enjoying the environment of the Manor, Kronos was in a better mood and ran for an extra half hour in the morning.
After finishing his run and breakfast, Kronos continued with his "work".
Kronos had already made up his mind to stay at the Manor for a few more days.
The main reason for this choice was a desire to avoid the situation.
In fact, before he decided to return, the Church of Steam and Machinery Member twice to invite Kronos to Church services.
Even if Kronos were stupid, he would know their purpose. It couldn't possibly be that they wanted him to go to church; it could only be because of the Research Center.
Since the meeting, Kronos has had no further contact with them.
With Archbishop Horamick around, Saint Hilarion Church won't break ties with the Argel Family.
However, the situation is different with the Royal Family. Kronos is unsure whether the kings who have retired will know about his family's history, so it's best to avoid further contact with the Church of Steam and Machinery for the time being.
Having made up his mind, Kronos left Backlund after being repeatedly invited by the Church of Steam and Machinery.
After several days of familiarization and practice, Kronos successfully created a number of Skill Scroll, which he then put into the Mystic Pouch at his waist. These were his source of confidence.
Having bolstered his confidence, Kronos left Argel Manor by carriage.
Today is the agreed-upon trading day with Isengard, so Kronos naturally needs to join Backlund.
Since Kronos had set off after breakfast, he had plenty of time and didn't rush along the way, but instead strolled around leisurely.
Upon entering Backlund, Kronos did not choose to stay at any of his own properties, but went straight to the Higher Education Committee.
Judging by the time, Professor Portland should be here by now. Once he arrives, he can inquire about the situation these past few days and assess the Church of Steam and Machinery's attitude.
Upon arriving at the Higher Education Committee, Kronos went straight to Portland's office.
The office door was open, and you could see Portland inside, looking at some files at his desk.
Kronos knocked twice on the door, then went straight in.
After hearing the knock, Portland looked up, saw it was Kronos, and then lowered his head again.
"You're here! I haven't seen you lately. What have you been up to?"
Kronos plopped down on the sofa in his office, giving a wry smile. "I was forced to hide. The Church of Steam and Machinery kept trying to invite me over, and I couldn't take it anymore, so I went to my Manor outside the city."
Upon hearing this, Portland became very interested. He didn't even bother to look at the file in his hand, tossing it aside, and asked with great interest, "Didn't you say you had everything under control? Why are you still afraid to go see them?"
Kronos said irritably, "With the Royal Family being so petty, and then trying to trick the three of us one last time, I don't dare to contact the Church of Steam and Machinery so soon, for fear that the Royal Family will question my stance."
Portland burst into laughter. "So that's why you're afraid to go back to Backlund?"
"Isn't that enough? With my small size, sandwiched between two behemoths, I could be crushed at any moment."
"You're being a little too cautious."
Kronos said helplessly, "You don't understand. Sometimes, being overly cautious is never a good idea."
Portland understands it or not is another matter, but it's true that he's not interested in politics, so he immediately changed the subject.
"So, after you came back this time, will you still hide away? And why did you come back this time?"
Kronos and Portland are always straightforward. "I'm here to get Message, to ask how you two are doing lately. The answer will determine my choice."
Portland didn't hide anything. "I really don't have anything going on my end. The Church of Steam and Machinery sent people over once, with a lot of money, wanting to discuss dissolving the contract with me, but I didn't even get to see them."
"I thought that was the end of it, but one day, when I got home, I saw that Captain of the Machinery Hivemind, what's his name, Ikanser? He broke into my house and tried to scare me with all sorts of things."
Kronos laughed, "I thought this guy had some brains. He even tried to trick me before. I didn't expect he does have a brain, but not much. This was definitely an unauthorized action."
Portland nodded. "I think so too. I wouldn't say I have a huge grudge against the Church of Steam and Machinery over the years, but our relationship is definitely not good. I'm naturally familiar with their methods."
"So I ignored him and just did what I was doing. He got really angry and started threatening me. In the end, when he realized I wasn't paying any attention to him, he just left."
Kronos finally concluded on this behavior. "Clown!"
Portland laughed for a long time after hearing this assessment.
"That's my situation. As for Kask, that old guy hasn't been doing too well lately either."
"The day after the meeting ended, he rushed to hand over his work and prepare to take over as Secretary-General, but an order from above suspended the process, saying that it needed to be discussed again."
"The same goes for the Parliament. The people who originally recommended Portland have been turned back, with some even saying he was negligent and unfit for the task."
This was clearly retaliation from the Church of Steam and Machinery, but Kronos didn't seem nervous at all.
"These are minor matters. Anyone who dares to jump out and help the Church of Steam and Machinery will be purged by the Royal Family family within days. I just don't know if Horamick pulled a dirty trick or deliberately created this opening to let the Royal Family vent their anger."
Portland was somewhat surprised; he clearly hadn't considered this possibility.
"You mean, the Church of Steam and Machinery deliberately stirred these people up so that the Royal Family could vent their anger on them, preventing a larger conflict from escalating?"
Kronos thought for a moment, then said, "That's quite possible. The Church of Steam and Machinery doesn't have much power at the Executives to begin with, and the people they're using now are most likely temporary connections. They won't care if someone sacrifices someone from these connections."
"It's clear that the Church of Steam and Machinery is trying to push Mr. Kask up by befriending Parliament of House of Commons. If these are all purged, the Church of Steam and Machinery might even have a chance to install one or two of its own people."
"Not just them, Professor Portland, if you're interested, you can give it a try. With your status and position, you're certainly qualified to fight for a seat in a Member of Parliament."
Portland scoffed, "If I wanted a Member of Parliament seat, I would have been twenty years ago. Why would I need to fight for it now?"
Kronos pursed his lips. "Alright, if you're not interested, then forget it. I'll go talk to the Negan later. They have extensive Message, but they might not know the specifics. This Message might fetch a good price."
Portland waved his hand, indicating that there was no need to say anything more; he wasn't interested.
Upon seeing this, Kronos asked, "Has anything else important happened recently?"