William was going through a meeting with his father and some of the empire's strategists when the glass ball in his pocket started emitting heat.

Realizing that Trader Bill had just contacted him, William excused himself from the meeting and went to his private tent to answer the call.

"Trader Bill? What's the matter, did you find the person I was looking for?"

A moment of silence fell when he asked, and William waited patiently for a response.

"Ah, yes, I've brought him here already, so you can go ahead and talk amongst each other, don't worry about me."

After a bit, trader Bill responded, making William face-palm.

'Couldn't this old man be more obvious?'

He thought, waiting for Vincent Blackwood to speak.

Vincent cleared his throat before speaking, his voice still unsure since the person who was talking to him sounded like an immature boy.

"Hello there, sir? I heard you are looking for me…"

William straightened up, his interest piqued. It seemed like they really found him.

"Yes, I have been searching for you. My name is William Virtu, the youngest son of Baronet Malcolm Virtu. The empire is currently in a dire situation and we are looking for competent people. I have heard from multiple villagers around Kelsein about your presence, how they feared you and said that you were a demon, so I investigated you further. It was then that I found out about your past and so I asked trader Bill to find you. As for the reason, its the fact that I have a proposition for you."

Of course, William was not telling him the truth of the matter since he couldn't expose the fact that he knew about the future, so he decided to mix some truth within his lies just so he could get through this deal.

Vincent raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Since his parents had just passed away into the afterlife, he had no one in his life and currently had no plans. William's proposition sounded like an opportunity to him.

"Do tell."

He asked, not knowing what to expect. His aspect was currently acting up as if this was an excellent opportunity for it to grow stronger.

"I know that you possess a unique aspect that has a mind of its own, these type of aspects are like double edged swords. If you are willing to follow my plans, I will give you a method to properly control it and also give you a sustainable environment for you to grow stronger."

William had thought hard about what he could do to affect Vincent's wants since he knew that Vincent was now still a youth and not the maniac that rampaged through the battlefields. The control of his aspect would surely lure him in enough to accept the proposal.

Vincent stared at the glass sphere while in thought, considering William's proposal. Having some doubts, he asked.

"How can I trust you? What if the plans you want me to follow are going to kill me in some way, why would I accept such a deal?"

William smiled mischievously, already knowing he was going to ask something along those lines.

"I understand your concerns, but you have nothing to worry about. My proposal is not about causing harm to you, but to work together for the betterment of the empire. As for trusting me, I can assure you that I am a man of my word, and if you accept my offer, I will do everything in my power to make sure you succeed."

Vincent pondered for a moment, still unsure. But he couldn't deny the temptation of having control over his aspect and the opportunity to grow stronger. And with the empire in a dire situation, he knew he couldn't afford to pass up this opportunity.

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"I'll accept your proposition, William. But I have one condition… I want to know everything about your plans and what you're trying to achieve. I won't be a pawn in someone else's game."

William nodded, impressed with Vincent's assertiveness. He liked subordinates who could think on their own; after all, it was not a godlike opponent he was afraid of but a pig-like teammate.

"Fair enough. I will tell you everything, but only when we meet face to face. For now, old Bill, could you please bring Vincent into the border camp between our borders with Dreghel. I'm willing to pay in any information you might want…"

Vincent nodded, feeling a sense of purpose for the first time in a while. He knew this was just the beginning of a long journey, but he was ready for whatever lay ahead.

On the other hand, trader Bill was smiling happily at Williams's words.

"Oh, how interesting, to think that you have information that, I, the greatest information dealer in the empire would want, you truly surprise me with your words."

He spoke, his words having a hint of irony as well as curiosity.

William couldn't help but laugh at his passive-aggressive attitude and made up his mind about an idea he had.

"Scratch what I just said. Old Bill, I will give you a piece of info without me waiting for you to ask, considered it as enough payment for all our future transactions. Donald Christensen is still alive, he is currently living inside a forest in the Protectorate of Baryngoria."

With that, William shut off the connection and stepped out of his private tent, heading back to the strategy meeting.

On the other side, trader Bill's face had turned into many different shades, and he screamed at the top of his lungs, entirely out of character.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY? SAY THAT AGAIN? MY SON IS ALIVE?"

He shouted for a while, but his words fell on deaf ears since William had long closed the line, and the glass ball had become inactive soon after.

Vincent stood in a corner as he witnessed the appearance of the old man warp, as his personality completely changed.

It was only after a few more minutes of shouting that Trader Bill returned to normal, as his expression expressed shock, surprise, and a hint of hope.

He tried to contact William once again to confirm the truth of what he just said, but William didn't answer no matter how many times he tried. Sighing, he contacted Jesse to come and escort Victor to Pandora, who would arrange his travel.

Trader Bill seemed to have aged even further in a couple of minutes, being left alone once again. Pulling out an artifact from his pocket, he waved his hand, and a giant painting manifested before him.

The painting was highly detailed, to the point one might think it was an accurate depiction of reality. The painting was that of a couple and a young boy.

The man was Trader Bill in his younger years, while the woman was his deceased wife. Below them, his son, a young boy with brown hair and eyes, was sitting peacefully.

"My son, it turns out you were alive. This old man of yours is ashamed to even look you in the eyes at the moment, but I will still come to find you."

Muttered Trader Bill, tears falling from his wrinkly eyes.

----------------------------------------

William had just dropped a bombshell in trader Bill's life, so he wanted to be asked only a few questions until the old man calmed down.

In the beginning, William found Trader Bill's existence mysterious, but as he keept thinking about his identity, many things start clicking in his mind, especially when he thought about the relationship between two people in the future.

That was the relationship between Jesse and Donald. It was only after connecting the dots and comparing Donald's appearance with Trader Bill's that he realized they were related.

He didn't need to contact anyone about information on Donald since he had already dug up things in his previous life, finding him as mysterious as his father.

Donald Christensen, the sole son of Bill Christensen, was the most prosperous entrepreneur and merchant in Roia. It was only a matter of connecting the dots at that point. As for the disappearance of trader Bill in the previous timeline, it was simple to solve.

Since he was of such high importance due to his connection with the emperor and probably many other influential people, the demons decided to get rid of him.

William knew that he needed to keep an eye on Trader Bill and his actions. He had already proven to be a valuable asset in terms of information, and he could be a powerful ally in the future.

As he walked back to the strategy meeting, his mind was already working on how to use this newfound knowledge to his advantage. He knew that he needed to be careful with what he revealed to Trader Bill, as he didn't want to give away too much of his own plans and intentions.

But for now, his focus was on the battle with the demonic elves, knowing how dangerous a half-demon on the loose was. He had a new ally in Vincent. It was only a matter of time before he could use these resources to their full potential.

As he entered the tent, the other strategists looked up at him with a strong gaze. William cleared his throat and began to lay out his strategy for the upcoming battle.

He knew that others didn't have have to listen to a kid like him, but it was better to try than give up before he could do anything.

But in the back of his mind, he couldn't shake off the feeling that if they didn't do this job properly, the consequences would be drastic and probably cause the demons to escape their seal earlier.