Seeing Philip again

If such a problem really arises, then the Hermits of Fate can forget about it, and in the end, he will also have to sacrifice a Marionette.

Therefore, Kronos has now completely realized the situation and no longer expects anything from such a thing.

Since the Marionette was no longer of any use, Kronos decided to use its Marionette Beyonder Characteristic to create an Beyonder Item. At least he would have an item obtained through a Error Pathway, which would be considered as achieving his goal.

After putting away the Marionette, Kronos straightened his clothes, glanced at the Villa behind him, and disappeared into the darkness.

A week later, Kronos attended his first social Banquet in more than six months.

Philip was recalled from his Warship of service because of a military commendation ceremony.

So Philip invited Kronos to his Banquet.

If it were someone he wasn't very familiar with, Kronos might not have bothered to attend, but Philip was quite sincere towards him, so Kronos naturally dressed up for the occasion.

They were dressed in formal attire, but they were actually wearing naval uniforms.

Philip emphasized in his invitation that the Banquet would be attended mostly by those who would be attending the awards ceremony in a few days, so most of them would be military personnel.

That's fine too; there's no need to choose, so Kronos just came in his military uniform.

Upon arriving at Philip's Villa, they found Philip standing at the Villa, greeting one guest after another.

Upon seeing Kronos, he came over to greet him very warmly and immediately gave Kronos a hug.

"Kronos, it's been so long since we last met. How have you been?"

Although Kronos wasn't that excited, he was still quite happy and joked, "How could you not know how I'm doing?"

Philip chuckled and said, "Since you can still make fun of me, you must be doing quite well."

Even if Philip had already returned to Backlund, the Negan's influence at sea would have been enough to send information about Kronos onto Warship.

Therefore, Philip naturally knew about what had happened during this period.

This includes the Science and Technology Research Center established by Kronos, and the unpleasant incident with the Saint Hilleran Cathedral.

Upon returning to Backlund, his first thought was to see Kronos and use any power he could to help his friend.

But Duke Negan stopped him.

Duke Negan said, "Your friend is very methodical, and the Argel Family is not the lowly, destitute family you imagine. There's no need for them to interfere now."

"I'm not stopping you from helping your friends, but I hope you can have a clear understanding of your friends' abilities."

So Philip didn't go to see Kronos immediately, but instead sent him an invitation to come today.

Today, Kronos arrived, and Philip was certain that his father was right; his friend was under far less pressure than he had imagined.

Philip had to continue greeting other people, so Kronos went into the Villa on his own.

There were already quite a few people in the Villa, some wearing military uniforms and others wearing ordinary formal attire.

Kronos looked around and found that he didn't recognize anyone.

In terms of social circles, Kronos had it all figured out; they were all elders.

For example, that blond young man over there drinking red wine is Earl Wolf's son. Kronos doesn't know him well, but he has a really good relationship with his uncle.

For example, there's a man in military uniform in the center of the hall. He's a young researcher at the Ship Research Institute, a graduate of Backlund University, and a student of Professor Portland, Kronos's "male best friend."

Not to mention the Levett Family, Amyrius's connections are there too.

If he were to reveal his connections, Kronos would instantly gain a super seniority.

Kronos has no intention of having any deeper dealings with these people now, after all, Kronos will be returning to the Midseashire in a few months, and then he may have to go out to sea.

So Kronos simply found a spot on the edge, grabbed a glass of red wine, and just sat there.

Before long, the Banquet began, and everyone was actively socializing, except for Kronos, who leaned against the window, quietly looking out.

This aura of "keep away" immediately deterred many people who wanted to inquire about Kronos's identity.

After some time, Philip, the host, had already greeted most of the people at the banquet before approaching Kronos.

Philip, holding a glass of red wine, leaned against the other side of the window, quietly keeping Kronos as they looked outside.

Kronos initially felt quite comfortable with this arrangement, but after Philip arrived, he waited for Philip to speak.

But unexpectedly, this person also became engrossed in the view from the window. After waiting for a while, Kronos, having no other choice, finally asked.

"Why are you so engrossed in watching it? Tell me, what do you want to say to me?"

Philip then came to his senses and said, "I actually wanted to go find you when I got back, because I heard you were at odds with the Church of Steam and Machinery, but my father stopped me."

"I checked today, and it turns out I was overthinking it. You're in much better shape than I imagined, and you probably don't need my help."

Kronos smiled. "I thought you were going to tell me something. You really shouldn't get involved in this matter. Saint Hilleran Cathedral has already suffered considerable damage. If they take their anger out on you because of this, the Negan will also suffer."

"As for the rest, Duke Negan certainly sees it more clearly than I do, so I don't need to remind him."

At this point, Kronos paused for a moment, then added, "You should listen to the Duke more; his experience is exactly what young people like us need."

In this respect, Philip did a good job; he always considered his father's advice and did not exhibit any rebellious tendencies.

However, the Duke Negan had too much to teach and too little time, which is why he was unable to truly enable Philip to take charge after his death.

Philip didn't object to Kronos's question, so he nodded and asked, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Kronos smiled and said, "Perhaps, but not now. It's too early. I'll tell you when I need it."

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she asked, "How's your Potion digesting?"

Philip replied, "The pace is alright. In about six months, I'll be able to advance to Sequence 6. Anyway, there's no rush; I'm still young."

Most nobles held this attitude toward the power of Beyonder; no one truly considered it their foundation, so they generally just muddled through.

Philip's speed is not slow; Duke Negan is only a Sequence 6 Judge at the moment.

"Do you have Potion Formula for beings of Demigod or higher?" Kronos asked.

Philip smiled wryly, "No, the highest we've reached is Sequence 5. Our family once tried to find the Potion Formula for Demigod, but we haven't made any progress yet. The Royal Family sent someone to talk to the Duke at the time, and after that, the family never considered it again."

"No one knows what they talked about at the time, but later speculations all point to the fact that we faced a choice between two options: power or the Potion Formula."

"Over the years, many people have said that if they had chosen the Demigod's Potion Formula back then, with the family's strength, they would probably have cultivated countless Demigod, and their power would have been much more secure."

"But my father once said that if we had chosen the Potion Formula back then, the Negan might have perished that year."

Kronos was somewhat puzzled. "Has the Negan never received Potion from the Royal Family family? Not even a single Demigod?"

Philip remained silent for a long time before saying, "We dare not accept it. Most of the military Demigod you know were promoted by the Royal Family through Potion, but each of them agreed to a huge condition from the Royal Family. Our family dares not casually agree to such conditions."

It's somewhat pathetic to think about it. Such a powerful Duke family, with immense influence and wealth, could be considered somewhat understandable if they were limited by their talent and unable to become Demigod.

However, because the Royal Family disagreed, the Negan didn't have a single Demigod.

In the Fourth Epoch Age, every Duke family had at least one Angel.

Kronos suddenly leaned close to Philip's ear and said, "Hurry up and improve yourself. Once you've digested the Sequence 5 Potion, come find me, and I'll give you a hand."

The sound was very soft, just loud enough for Philip to hear.

Philip was surprised; he naturally understood what those words meant.

So he quickly asked, "Can you give it to me now? I still have some able-bodied members in the Sequence 5 in my family."

Kronos pondered for a long time before replying, "No, MI9 is everywhere. I hope you won't mention this to Duke Negan, otherwise I can't withstand the Royal Family's questioning, and the whole thing will fall through."

"When we're both in our prime, that's when our chance to truly shine will be. Then, if we join forces, we might be able to hold our own, but right now, that's not the case."

Philip couldn't possibly be unaware of the logic in those words, and since they were all correct, there was no reason for Philip to continue arguing.

"Alright, for now we can only lie low, but when we each take power, we must turn things around and lead our families out of this predicament!" Philip said with great ambition, his eyes gleaming with sharp light.