For some reason, the party was taking quite a while to begin. Still, no one seemed particularly bothered. The guests mingled, glasses in hand, exchanging pleasantries with each other.
"Mister Schneider! I’ve been wanting to meet you for quite some time now. You’ve been all over the television lately. Quite the celebrity, aren’t you? Haha!"
Julius managed a polite smile. He’d heard this condescending tone before. Once upon a time, these same people had mocked him, calling him the failure of the Schneider bloodline, the undeserving heir who wasted his family’s influence.
They’d whispered behind his back that if they were born a Schneider, they would’ve made something greater of themselves.
Now, those same mouths smiled at him, flattering him as though the past had never existed. Julius raised his glass and nodded.
"Thank you. I can only give my best to serve this nation."
Another man laughed, clearly pleased by the polite response. "Ah, such humility! The new generation ought to learn from you, Mister Schneider!"
Julius returned his laugh with a chuckle, swirling the wine in his glass. One by one, several of Dream Industries’ lead engineers and inventors approached him, all eager to strike conversation.
Some spoke with genuine admiration, praising his contributions to the terrorist situation. Others tried too hard to smile with rehearsed compliments. A few, though polite, had an obvious look of disbelief, unable to reconcile the Julius Schneider before them with the man they once dismissed as a failure.
Julius handled them all effortlessly. He nodded at the right moments, offered just enough wit to appear engaged, and deflected insincerity with a smile that gave nothing away.
Years of politics within the Directorate had taught him this dance well.
When the crowd’s attention shifted elsewhere, Julius seized the opportunity. He turned slightly and gestured for Isolde to approach.
"If I may, I’d like to introduce someone who has been instrumental in my most recent endeavors."
Isolde, who had been waiting near the refreshments, blinked in surprise before stepping closer. The heads around them began to turn, curious who the mysterious woman beside Julius might be.
"This is Doctor Isolde Caroline Heinrich. As some of you may know, my father has spoken in past interviews about my decision to branch out from Dream Industries and begin establishing my own ventures in the corporate field."
He paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in before continuing.
"Doctor Heinrich is the lead mind behind one of those ventures. Her expertise and dedication have been invaluable to our progress."
Polite applause followed. Julius offered a composed smile that hinted at authority without arrogance. Isolde, meanwhile, lowered her head slightly in acknowledgment.
"Good evening, everyone," Isolde began. "It’s an honor to be here tonight among such esteemed minds and innovators. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Mister Schneider and to contribute to a project that I believe holds great potential."
Though nervous, Isolde managed to speak for herself. It was clear this wasn’t her first time in a setting like this.
Julius stepped forward again to ease the attention off her. "Doctor Heinrich and I have been working toward integrating cognitive therapy models with advanced magi-tech systems. It’s still in its early stages, but progress has been promising."
"That’s quite unexpected, Mister Schneider," one of the investors remarked. "I assumed your new venture would mirror Dream Industries’ focus, but to think you’re pursuing a niche like this... Truly, the Schneider family’s capacity for innovation is second to none."
Another man joined in. "That’s in the psychological field, correct? My brother-in-law’s a psychologist. He’s mentioned how integrated technology has become in modern therapy.
Julius nodded slightly. "That’s right. What we’re developing focuses on bridging that integration further."
One by one, Julius introduced SIBYL to the guests, tailoring his words to suit each person’s interests.
Whenever the discussion turned technical, Isolde seamlessly filled in the blanks for him.
By the time they finished, Julius could already see the results. Several guests exchanged cards, while others hinted at potential collaboration, and a few subtly offered to meet in the future.
It was exactly as he had planned.
"When is the party starting?" someone suddenly called out from across the hall.
A few guests chuckled, raising their glasses in amusement, but the question wasn’t without merit. The wait had gone on longer than expected.
Julius glanced at his watch. By now, the event should have begun. The orchestra had already taken their positions, the servers waited by the buffet tables, and the main stage lights were primed.
Everything was ready, except for one thing.
He looked toward Gabriel, who was stationed near the entrance. Their eyes met briefly, and Gabriel subtly shook his head. Julius understood immediately.
Of course. The party couldn’t begin until the Deutschmann heir arrived.
The realization left a subtle tension in the air, but Julius merely smiled
"I suppose the guest of honor must be running late," he said lightly, earning polite laughter from those around him.
"Guest of honor?" someone said. "Oh, that’s right. Leo Deutschmann is finally making an appearance this year."
Leo Deutschmann was at least two years younger than Julius and Gabriel. Yet, even at the age of twenty-two, he had yet to make any tangible contributions to Dream Industries, nor was his name listed anywhere in the company’s ownership records.
Whether this was intentional or simply a reflection of his incompetence, no one could say for sure. The Deutschmanns were notoriously private about their affairs, and any information about their family was tightly controlled.
But Julius knew the truth.
Leo had been studying abroad in the United States under strict confidentiality.
His studies, however, weren’t purely academic. They served multiple purposes, the most important of which was to gather insight into the rapidly advancing magi-tech industry of the United States.
In recent years, America had grown into Germany’s fiercest rival in the field. Their breakthroughs in mana integration, artificial intelligence, and combat augmentation had brought them dangerously close to matching Germany’s dominance.
Leo’s time abroad was intended to bridge the gap for the Deutschmann family, ensuring Dream Industries remained ahead of the curve.
After about twenty minutes had passed, and with no sign of Leo’s arrival, the head of the Deutschmann family, Adolf Niklaus Deutschmann, decided to begin the event.
He took the stage, welcoming the guests and preparing to introduce the evening’s most important figures.
Naturally, one of them was Julius. Being called to the podium alongside Adolf also meant that the Schneider family’s presence was to be acknowledged in full.
As Julius approached, a familiar voice greeted him.
"Julius, I see you’ve made it. I was planning to come to you earlier, but you seemed rather occupied entertaining the guests."
Julius smiled, waving his hands in front of the cameras. "Hello, Jeremy. You seem to be balding."
"...."
"It’s fascinating, isn’t it?" Julius continued. "Technology has advanced so far that we can replicate bones, even remodel organs, yet humanity still can’t solve the simple issue of hair loss."
"You—"
"Congratulations, my dear brother, your forehead shines brighter than the chandeliers."