"By the way, Envy," Daniel started, looking at her intently. "What's the deal with the Hephaestus Institute? They're a research organization, yes. But what else do they do? Are they somehow tied to the Hightower, or are they independent?"
"And what about their forces? Are they substantial, like having an army, or just elite combatants focused on turf protection?" Daniel continued his inquiry.
This time, Envy was silent for a few seconds before responding. "They do have forces to protect themselves. But how many and how strong they are, I don't exactly know." She paused briefly before continuing. "The only information I have about the strength of the Hephaestus Institute is based on rumors, hearsay, and bits and pieces of evidence."
"Such as?"
"For instance, when the Hightower sent in some infiltrators and the next day, they returned to the Hightower." She paused.
"In body bags," Envy then continued.
"Or when several mage families attacked them, hoping to gain access to new research or force the Hephaestus Institute to merge with their families, only to be secretly annihilated a few weeks later. As an outsider, the deepest one can go into their organization is their guest house.
Trust me, I stayed there for a night. Everything seemed nice and sunshine, but I felt an overwhelming sense of unease, and I didn't want to stay longer than necessary," Envy explained.
Hearing this, Koyuki was confused. She argued, "Huh? That place is quite nice though. If it weren't for some urgent business, I might have stayed there for a few more days."
Taking note of this in his heart, Daniel inquired further. "And... Did the Path of Knowledge have any problems with them? I mean, those guys are all about gaining new knowledge and advancement at the lowest cost possible."
"You mean Cyrus, right?" Envy asked.
Daniel nodded in confirmation. Envy then continued.
"No, they didn't. Other than some radical splinter groups from the Path of Knowledge that got annihilated, no one bothered them. They usually keep to themselves and trade with both individual mage families and the Hightower from time to time.
Why? You seem very interested in them. Is your paranoid mind sounding alarms?" Envy teased with a smile before cutting a small piece of steak and feeding it to Daniel, who accepted it albeit with an annoyed expression at her teasing.
"What's their take on the mana rejuvenation plan of the Hightower, and the gods?" asked Daniel.
"I don't know. Remember, we just uncovered the plan of the god followers recently. We don't even know how they organize or who their leader is. The entire Hightower, or the people that are still loyal to it, wouldn't know about it, let alone the Hephaestus Institute. But I guess even if they did know, they wouldn't bother with it," said Envy.
Why was that?
Seeing his girls' worried looks, he let out a sigh. "For now, I'll have someone keep an eye on them. When I return to Sector Alpha City, I'll find a way to uncover the reasons behind this," said Daniel.
"Er... Lord Emberweave, what about our alliance and... the organization you mentioned," Anastasia asked frantically, afraid Daniel would forget their matter after discussing the Hephaestus Institute.
"I can consider the alliance, and I agree to trade if the Romanovs are looking for our products on friendlier terms and prices. But as for creating an organization? The answer is no. I'm already busy as the founder and chief inventor of Astral Tech," said Daniel.
Daniel's answer left Anastasia's face crestfallen, feeling a tinge of disappointment. Yet, she knew she couldn't expect everything at once. As long as they became allies, other options would remain open for negotiation. That was a satisfactory outcome for their first round of talks.
"Thank you for considering our alliance. I'll convey the results of our discussion to my father, and we'll send finalized documents to you to formalize our agreement," said Anastasia.
After that, Daniel enjoyed his meal with his girls and Anastasia, all the while keeping the matter of the Hephaestus Institute in mind. Once he had actualized the Whispering Hall in Sector Alpha City, he planned to instruct Albert to keep a close eye on the Hephaestus Institute.
As they savored their meal, Daniel glanced out of the window. Their VIP room, situated on the third floor of the building near Union Square, provided a panoramic view of the entire square. They could relish the night view, with neon lights illuminating the lively nightlife of San Francisco.
However, their peaceful moment was disrupted when screams erupted from Union Square, and people started running in panic. From Daniel's angle, he couldn't discern the cause of the commotion that sent everyone into a frenzy.
"What are they running from?" Daniel uttered, straining to see the cause of the commotion.
At that moment, a restaurant manager rushed into the VIP room, maintaining a calm demeanor befitting of his position at this high-end establishment.
"Lady Envy, my apologies, but there's a rogue mage currently in conflict with the police. The police are at a disadvantage, and I'm not a combat mage. Could you please assist us in resolving this? We can only suppress the news and other emergency service departments for another five minutes," the manager explained urgently.
Given that this restaurant is a subsidiary of the Golden Empire Group, it's common for non-combat mages to work for Greed, as they might not be strong enough to work for the Hightower, which values combat mages more.
"A rogue mage?" Daniel repeated, looking at Envy. He remembered the challenges he faced when awakened as a mage, labeled as a rogue by the Hightower and targeted for elimination. This history fueled his curiosity about the situation unfolding before them.
"Yes, a rogue mage," Envy confirmed as she rose from her seat and headed towards the door.
Daniel quickly followed her, eager to witness Envy's actions. As they approached the scene, Daniel observed a middle aged man in his early forties standing atop an ice pillar, looking down at the police and terrified bystanders.
The rogue mage expression exuded arrogance and excitement, a wide smile on his face. It was clear that this was his first taste of triumph against the police, as their bullets were ineffective against his natural mana shield.