Sherlock Holmes is not a warp god.

The security personnel dispatched to the Eden Academy parent-teacher meeting were definitely not novices.

As the primary agency responsible for national security, they have a thorough understanding of intelligence on all important figures in the country.

Moreover, Mycroft was already quite familiar with their director, Weyman Wilke, so as long as it was confirmed that Mycroft was the real person, the rest of the checks could be omitted.

"I'm just benefiting from your help," Furen chuckled.

He didn't know if he could hide his wallet during the security check.

Furen had little confidence in firewalls made from alchemy from hundreds of years ago.

Mycroft did not answer this pointless question; he had not attended a family reunion for three years after graduating from Sherlock.

Mycroft had no interest in such social interactions. His power never stemmed from these social niceties.

The emperor's apprentices and their parents, who were among the graduates, arrived at the Tower of Wisdom only after the graduation ceremony had concluded. Many other attendees had already arrived before then.

For example, Donovan Desmond and Demetrius Desmond, who are currently surrounded by a crowd.

The entire venue was practically centered around them, with everyone else surrounding them in layers. Those high-ranking figures on the outside were all fawning and flattering towards Donovan Desmond.

The leader of the Unity Party is the pinnacle of the country, second only to the emperor.

Fren and Mycroft stood outside the crowd, quietly enjoying their tea and snacks.

Mycroft, in particular, ate a small, high-calorie cake very quickly.

Fren has photosynthesis; as long as he drinks water and basks in the sun, he can continuously regenerate energy. But Mycroft is different. Apart from the homemade sandwich he ate in the morning, he hadn't had a drop of water.

In the center of the crowd, Donovan skillfully handled everyone's flattery.

Neither agree nor refuse, neither take the initiative.

His words were all art of speaking, nothing but the nonsense of a politician.

The taciturn Demetrius tugged at his father's sleeve, and Donovan spotted the Holmes brothers on the outskirts of the crowd.

Shylock and Demetrius's time as the emperor's apprentices overlapped.

At the family reunion, Mycroft and Donovan met each other.

However, one was the leader of the pro-peace Communist Party and the other was the leader of the pro-war Unity Party; the two never spoke a word to each other in public.

Without a proper reason, any contact could become the fuse for factional conflict.

But this time it's different. Demetrius and Francessoko are "very good friends in school life".

As parents, of course we need to know about this.

Factional disputes have not yet extended to students who have not yet graduated or have just graduated from high school.

At that moment, Mycroft also raised his eyes, and his gaze met Donovan's for a brief moment.

Mycroft understood.

"Go find Demetrius," Mycroft whispered to his younger brother beside him.

Fren nodded; that was what he had been thinking too. In the vast hall, Demetrius was the only acquaintance he knew.

Walking towards the tea area, Furen brewed himself a cup of green tea and turned the hourglass next to him upright. In this world, there are scientifically accurate measurements for the steeping time of beverages, and each drink has its own corresponding hourglass. When this hourglass runs out, the tea is at its best flavor.

Demetrius also stepped out of the crowd centered around his father, but he was not as relaxed as Fren.

Surrounding him were many students, also apprentices of the emperor. Their parents were with Donovan, and their "target" was Donovan's eldest son.

"I need my own space," Demetrius said indifferently, his eyes vacant and lifeless as he glanced at the students around him.

The aura was so overwhelming that the students instinctively took a step back.

Seeing Demetrius walk toward Francissoko, no one dared to follow.

"Did your father ask you to do this?" Fren asked softly.

"Yes, I need to be your friend." At this point, Demetrius no longer hid anything. However, he still had some complicated emotions in his heart.

Perhaps it could be called tension.

After Fren learns the reason why they became friends, Demetrius wonders what Fren will think, whether he will feel that the friendship is not pure, or whether he will feel deceived.

Fren didn't feel anything; any relationship inevitably begins with interests.

Just like the other side of love at first sight is lust, wanting to become friends is also because the other person has value that you need. It's either physical value or emotional value, in short, something that is beneficial to you.

"So, do you think we're friends?" Furen watched the hourglass end and poured Demetrius a cup of tea.

"Yes," Demetrius replied without hesitation.

This answer was enough to satisfy Fren.

The two quietly finished their tea, seemingly oblivious to the social interactions in the distant world of fame and fortune.

Several people who seemed to know Mycroft's status approached him, treating him with the same deference they showed Donovan. After all, even if Mycroft's status was somewhat concealed, there were always people who knew of his existence. Moreover, there were Communist Party members present, who naturally recognized their leader.

Unlike Donovan, Mycroft presented himself as a cold, unyielding machine, directly and smoothly dismissing them from his side.

Anyone familiar with Mycroft would not feel that he is deliberately targeting them; Mycroft targets everyone equally.

"Let's go." Watching this scene unfold, Furen suddenly said, "Let's go to the fourth floor; there's a private tea room there."

At family gatherings, there are always times when one-on-one conversations are needed.

Therefore, there are spaces of different sizes on the second, third, and fourth floors here.

The level of luxury increases with each floor, and which floor one can enter depends on the parents' overall influence.

Both Mycroft and Donovan are certainly qualified.

Led by Demetrius, the two took the elevator to the fourth floor and arrived at a tea room that was about the size of an ordinary classroom.

Fren dismissed all the waiters and waited quietly.

Sure enough, Mycroft entered the room a few minutes later.

Then the wait was a bit long, but Donovan finally arrived.

The two major political parties finally sat down face to face.

Without shying away from his son and the other party's brother, Donovan stated bluntly, "This country needs war."

"Agreed," Mycroft replied just as succinctly.

The Eastern and Western kingdoms need to maintain an ambiguous state of war.