Envy's warning made Daniel contemplate what he had heard and understood until now. He knew that normal firearms such as pistols and rifles would have no effect on the Anti-Missile spells used by mages. These spells rendered all projectiles, the mainstream of modern-day weapons, useless.
"And aren't the mages the ones at the top of the food chain here?" Daniel asked.
"Before the Grand Alteration Spell, yes, it was as you think. But after the Grand Alteration spell? I'm afraid people's mindsets will revert back to the time during the Witch hunts in Europe. The spell will make normal people, who didn't have enough of an impression of the Curtained World, forget all about it. This time... I think it'll be much worse than during the Witch hunts.
Back then, they only had cold weapons. But now? They might even try to capture us and study us," Envy explained.
"During the Witch hunts. What happened back then? Why did society turn to look up to mages instead of seeing them as test subjects, like you told me?" Daniel inquired.
"About that, you could say that I and two of the Grand Councilors, who are no longer in this world, back then taught those people a very harsh lesson not to mess with mages," Envy said, her smile sad and melancholic as she reminisced about those days.
"You? Being ruthless? Please," Daniel scoffed at Envy, who only smiled sadly.
"Danny," Koyuki called out as she nudged Daniel's side. "Envy can be ruthless when she really needs to be; she just doesn't like being that way," Koyuki told him.
"Really?" He asked, looking at Envy as if he were seeing her for the first time.
Envy shook her head and sighed. "Emphasize the words 'Really need to.' If I don't see it as absolutely necessary, I don't want to do it either. It's... bad for my mental health," Envy explained.
"What did you do?" Asked Daniel.
"Let's just say... the second Black Plague during 1665-1667 is my handiwork, and I'm not proud of it," Envy said, her eyes dimming with guilt. (Author Note: This event replaces the Great Plague of London in this novel's timeline during 1665-1666, and the number of victims who fell to the plague is much greater as it affects all of Europe.)
"I'm sorry... for bringing that up," Daniel sincerely apologized.
Envy smiled as she lightly touched Daniel's chest and dragged her finger downward toward his abs. "I have lived for a very long time, Danny. I have a lot of connections in the Curtained World and a lot of favors that I deliberately didn't call in. Even in the Vatican, there are some people in the higher hierarchy there who owe me some serious favors," Envy said with a mysterious smile.
Hearing this, Daniel turned toward Koyuki. "Honey... Can you please ask your great-grandfather and your mother if they want to tour America with me? I'll quickly install a teleportation portal here that connects to my super submarine in case they feel homesick and want to return here to sleep," Daniel asked his wife.
"Okay... I'll be right back and tell you the good news. Great-grandfather might be stubborn as a mule, but he can't stand my puppy eyes for long," Envy said mischievously before leaving the guest room to ask both her great-grandfather and her mother about visiting America.
After receiving a clear picture from Envy, Daniel instructed the technician and engineering team to install the teleportation portal in the Mori Clan Castle. He then contacted Penthesilea to arrange for someone to send Sylvana to stay with him.
Daniel visited Odysseus to plan ahead and prepare some countermeasures against those greedy individuals who wanted his technology. He ensured that they would find themselves without any moral high ground over him while he maintained his status quo.
In fact, he had already prepared a secret project in Sector Alpha City a long time ago, in case things got messy over there. However, it wasn't the time to reveal that card yet. He needed to ensure that people wouldn't dare to mess with him or see him as a pushover they could extort something from for free.
Regarding the Hightower, he planned to discuss this with Greed and see what they could do, as the effect of the Grand Alteration spell had affected the entire world. The situation there might have changed drastically, so he needed to be prepared for the worst-case scenario there too.
— A few Days Pass —
A few days passed, and the transition of power orchestrated by Odysseus allowed Takayuki Matsudaira, a loyal samurai of the Tokugawa Clan, to easily control the overall situation in Japan. Daniel left some outdated power armor for Matsudaira and his trusted allies to use if needed.
Odysseus and Momotaro were instructed to remain in Japan to assist Matsudaira in firmly controlling and pacifying the country. Daniel also provided them with VTOL aircraft, a battleship, and a small battalion of soldiers for mobilization.
Takayuki Matsudaira now acted as regent for the young heir of the Tokugawa, who was only three years old. All authority would be transferred back to the young heir once he reached the age of eighteen.
Tomoe accompanied them to America as Daniel ordered her to serve as a bodyguard for Mayumi and her grandfather. Both Seichuro and Mayumi agreed to accompany Daniel to America after enduring prolonged puppy eyes from their beloved daughter/great-granddaughter.
Despite feeling indignant that he couldn't keep his precious great-granddaughter with him in Japan and that he had to travel to America with his aged body, the stubborn old man still came without complaining, though he did huff at Daniel.