There was a chance that they had the ability to obscure the truth much like they had with Cassarae's Favorability… but Sylas didn't want to bank on it.
There was a good chance that the trio of the Grimblades was even more powerful than them, and they definitely had a greater supporting cast around them as well.
Cassarae already knew of Sylas' situation, so she spoke first.
"Sylas and I live in the same area. We can come together first. Olivia, you know the location already. Morgan, I am not sure where you live, but you don't need to tell me. You're one of us now, so if you can, bring those you can to Veridian. I live in a town close by to the famous university. Sylas over here is one of their tenured professors."
Both Morgan and Olivia blinked in surprise, looking toward Sylas at the same time.
"Really? He's so young…" Morgan said with a breath.
The world didn't have a universal university ranking system, but every country had their own clear number one, and they all shared the same prestige.
Veridian was without a doubt the number one ranked university of the United Coalition of Terranova.
Olivia chuckled. "No wonder, everything makes sense now."
Sylas raised an eyebrow, but didn't pursue the line of questioning. Instead, he gave Cassarae a look that only she would take as his version of thanks. As for everyone else, it just looked like his normal, indifferent gaze.
"That location is quite far for me," Morgan replied honestly. "I live in the Celestial Republic, across the ocean."
The Celestial Republic was located in what had once been China before the Sixth Extinction. Without understanding what the situation would be like on the other side when they returned, this would, indeed, be tricky.
Cassarae leaned back, tapping her finger on her armrest. This was, indeed, a problem.
"Gregory, what do you think? Should we have Morgan stay put?" Cassarae asked.
"It's possible, City Lady. There could be some benefit in having two foundations instead of just one. You have to remember that once your Village becomes a Town, it's possible to form subsidiary branches of your power. Having a location that is already well-established could be more beneficial than not. There are some pros and cons to weigh, though."
Gregory was quite tactful, but his meaning was clear. This was a matter of whether Morgan could be trusted or not.
Cassarae looked into Morgan's eyes and made a decision.
When Sylas saw the fire in her eyes, he couldn't help but smile a bit.
The person the most pissed off about what had happened wasn't Sylas; it was without a doubt Cassarae. And when this woman was backed into a corner, she didn't cower, she preferred to lash out and bite back.
"Morgan, soon, a specialty armor created thanks to the beast pelts Sylas brought back will be completed. I will give it to you along with 10,000 Coins and a Noble Title. This Noble Title will allow you to recruit vassals for yourself, who will by proxy become our supporters as well.
A few more details of their coming operation were hashed out, and by the time the meeting ended, the sun had already been high in the sky for a while and was beginning to ebb away into the front end of an early evening.
"… Don't worry, City Lady. I will appease Seamstress Maya. I believe that she will be very happy. The trolls do not have furs, but their hides are thicker than any beast. It will be an easy task."
"I will leave that to you, then. I'm sure everyone wants some rest now, so please enjoy the rest of your days. I will take a small break as well."
With that, everyone left one after another, leaving Olivia and Cassarae behind.
Sylas stepped out from the office, exhaling a slow breath. He had been in this world for barely over a week and yet so much had happened… he was looking forward to seeing his family again.
"Sylas, can we talk?"
Sylas looked over to find Morgan. He nodded and followed.
"What did you want to talk about?" Sylas asked.
Morgan sighed. "Honestly, I didn't expect to get strapped in to a bunch of youths like you all, but after I heard you were a professor as well, I thought that you would probably understand me the most."
"As well?" Sylas asked.
Morgan smiled. "I'm a professor at King. It seems we have more in common than I thought."
King was to Morgan's country what Veridian was to Sylas' own. It was no doubt at that top-tier echelon.
"Oh? What do you research?"
There seemed to be a glint in Morgan's eyes before he replied, as though he wanted to see through Sylas first.
"That's a pretty broad response," Sylas replied. Though he said this, he remembered Morgan correcting Alex on his understanding of sociopaths when they first met. He hadn't thought much of it back then because it was semi-common language, but it seemed that there was more to it.
"You're right. I'm used to replying with that because it's what most people understand. You could say that I study neurodivergence."
Morgan laughed. Sylas was, indeed, much like what he thought he would be.
"It does sound like a new, politically correct term. But no, I mean neurodivergence. And by that, I mean in the sense of people who seem to have superhuman mental capacities. Kind of like you."
Sylas shook his head. "I don't believe that I'm special enough to be categorized like that. My memory is a standard deviation better than most, as is my spatial awareness, but most of everything else is based on diligence."
"Mm, I didn't come to diagnose you, though I don't like that word. I believe that it has a negative connotation when it shouldn't. Either way, I will take your word for it. I only called you here to say thank you."
This time, Sylas was surprised. "… Why?"