No matter how much Su Li wanted to criticize Egbert and say sothing like, “How is it that you can understand serious matters perfectly, yet sohow manage to misinterpret these completely unrelated behaviors in such a way?”
However, as soon as this thought erged, Su Li realized there was no point in saying it out loud.
Because Egbert would only interpret his response in two ways – either Su Li gave a response or he didn’t.
If Su Li were to respond to this topic, Egbert would say, ‘There’s no need to hide it anymore.’
And if he remained silent like now…
Then Egbert would say: “They’re just irrelevant people, Lord Su Li only needs to keep his eyes on .”
And he would gaze at Su Li with extrely passionate eyes.
Fortunately, despite these seemingly routine actions being ridiculously outlandish, Egbert would actively steer the conversation back on track.
He said, “The Dark Church is acting so brazenly. Whether from her position as princess or as the only viable heir, Ophelia probably won’t let the Dark Church mbers who dare to challenge the royal family get away with this.”
“That’s true,” Su Li promptly pretended nothing had happened earlier. “Up until now, the apparent situation has been that the Dark Church is targeting important figures within the Inner City. The Pope of Light hiding in the shadows barely poses a threat to this city.”
“Even Ophelia’s goal is simply to ascend to the throne. And if she were in that position, although she still wouldn’t achieve absolute freedom, there would be relative freedom to speak of.”
After all, a king ultimately belongs to the sa class as the Pope.
“It’s hard to say whether Ophelia will have further ambitions at that ti.”
Currently, assuming the Pope’s goal is to advance further and ascend to the highest peak of power in the human world. Then Ophelia, who inherited his bloodline, her very existence validates how much one needs to sacrifice to achieve that goal.
Ti, energy, and repeatedly lowered principles.
Absolute freedom cannot exist for humans. If Ophelia becos satisfied with just sitting on the throne and stops there, then the current Dark Church mbers in the Inner City, as well as those who ca from the rcenary City like themselves, would all beco targets of “outward aggression for the sake of internal peace.”
The current situation requires purposefully delaying Ophelia’s ascension to the throne, while also ensuring she maintains so control over the country despite this delay.
Otherwise, upon discovering his pawn isn’t obedient, the Pope could simply strike down his daughter, with whom he shares no emotional bonds, regardless of any consequences.
They need to give Ophelia resistance capabilities without letting her have enough power to directly confront the Pope in relative balance.
Similarly, given Ophelia’s insufficient individual strength, if the Pope were to co to the Inner City, Egbert, who shares the sa attributes, definitely couldn’t be the main combat force.
The Raven could specifically take action, but they also needed to guard against being disposed of after serving their purpose.
When two parties of equal strength want absolute victory, how could it be achieved without paying so price?
If the Raven were to kill the Pope while sustaining serious injuries, who could guarantee that after the Pope’s fall and the Church’s forced retreat, Ophelia wouldn’t develop ambitions to reach humanity’s peak and dominate humans?
From this perspective, they would still face a siege battle where Sadina City would stand alone.
Therefore…
To avoid those outcos, they needed to subjectively guide the Dark Church as a third force.
He asked, “When the Dark Holy Maiden actively inford that the Pope of Light wanted her to guide the Dark Church mbers to assassinate King Amikbi, did the Dark Church mbers take action?”
The question was posed by Su Li, and the answer also ca from him. “That answer was given long ago.”
“So next, we just need to ensure that Holy Maiden Mavis will still take the opportunity even knowing they’re being guided to do certain things.”
Such tactics carried no pressure for Su Li.
Mutual checks and balances were fundantal in role-playing ga faction warfare settings.
“However…” Su Li’s hand, which had been naturally hanging at his side, tightened considerably.
“Whatever goal you wish to achieve, you can choose to command . As long as it’s your desire, I can accomplish anything for you.” Egbert gazed firmly at Su Li, trying to use these words to make Su Li think of him whenever the word “however” ca to mind.
“No, I don’t want that.” Su Li shook his head decisively. He looked back at Egbert calmly and said, “I just feel that when people live in a new environnt different from before, they seem destined to make certain changes to live relatively harmoniously in the new environnt.”
Egbert was stunned for a mont.
He wanted to understand what deeper aning these words held, but while trying to think about it, he suddenly realized…
He seed to have fallen behind in understanding again.
“Is it because of the huge gap between the Inner City and the rcenary City that you say this?”
While saying this, Egbert was thinking in his heart, did Lord Su Li who spoke these words perhaps think that the Inner City… had no reason to exist?
Otherwise, wouldn’t Lord Su Li’s words contradict his previous behavior?
Su Li was clearly soone who wouldn’t be changed by external things, and compromising with so facts didn’t an the compromised things were correct.
Therefore, by the sa logic, the Inner City that forced Lord Su Li to compromise for irrelevant things…
Did it have any reason to exist?
No.
When this answer erged, Egbert suddenly felt enlightened.
He hurriedly said, “I’m sorry, please pretend I said nothing. Also, please be sure to tell what your thoughts are.”
Su Li looked at Egbert for a full three seconds but couldn’t read anything from his expression, so he promptly gave up trying to read his face.
Finally, Su Li said helplessly. “The only way I can think of to balance the current situation is to have the Dark Church mbers assassinate the nobles and officials who support Ophelia becoming king.”
“And spread the ssage that the Dark Church is targeting the King, that anyone who sits in that position will beco an assassination target.”
“…Maybe I’m not smart enough, but this bloody balancing thod is all I can think of.”
Su Li sotis wondered what Ophelia would do if she were in his position.
The conclusion was obvious – if in the sa position, that princess would unhesitatingly kill those who supported her ascension to the throne, and make the spread ssage even more profound.
For instance, telling the world that those randomly pushed onto the throne weren’t worthy of being assassinated by the Dark Church. Only those truly qualified to sit on the throne were worth being assassinated by Dark elentalists.
Because this way, Ophelia would be locked in a delicate position of having real power but unable to reach the top.
Su Li told Egbert, “Although we can investigate beforehand whether there are scoundrels among the officials and nobles supporting Ophelia, and target such types as priority targets, this still doesn’t completely alleviate so… irrelevant…”
Guilt.
“I really want to give up.” Su Li looked up at the inn’s ceiling, deeply suspecting that it must be because dinner was so awful that he could feel this dejected now.
“But we have no choice but to do this, right?” Egbert lowered his head. He knelt on one knee, trying to look up at Su Li who was staring at the ceiling, and said, “As long as it’s what Lord Su Li wants to achieve, whether it’s killing and burning, or destruction and creation, I will follow your orders.”
“I agree with the first and last parts, but just how deranged would I have to be to make you go killing and burning?” Su Li wiped nonexistent cold sweat from his forehead.
“That’s not being deranged, it’s just that you believe I have value in being commanded and controlled by you.” Egbert devoutly stared at the position of Su Li’s knees. He placed himself extrely low, but clearly understood this wasn’t self-deprecation.
He simply felt that Su Li always stood in a position he could never reach, so he sincerely believed that just being able to stand in Su Li’s shadow was enough to make him happy.
Su Li’s mouth twitched.
“That’s why I’m saying, I really have no intention of making you kill and burn.”
Egbert: “But even if you don’t want to, I want to tell you loudly that I can do all these things for you!”
After things had been said to this extent, the Raven, who had been observing this sche’s birth throughout, rcilessly swatted Egbert’s head with a wing.
“You this, fellow…”
Su Li noticed that the Raven’s way of speaking seed to have returned to when he first transford into human form.
At this mont, the Raven was speaking in that chanical dialogue manner. “Do not, when knowing certain actions, will not be commanded by Su Li, still try to urge him, to take, those actions.”
For the first ti, Su Li felt that the level of understanding between humans and beasts could be so profound.
The Raven understood him!
Su Li reaffird that intelligent life had nothing to do with physical form – as long as there was dialogue and communication, it ant there was possibility for exchange and understanding.
Then, the Raven stared directly at Egbert and said in a bass voice, “Even if, you want to show your sincerity through this, it’s not allowed.”
“I understand, but that doesn’t an, Su Li can understand.”
……
…………
That night, risking possible assassination and death, Su Li drove both Egbert and the Raven out of his room.
Three days later.
“Those who jumped the highest, who approved of the princess’s thods, and who privately used the weak as slaves and pets…”
“They’re all dead now.”
When Su Li t Mavis again, the Dark Holy Maiden was sitting in the inn’s dining area, holding a plate of roasted at in one hand and a at-cutting knife in the other.
That silver-gleaming small knife kept spinning continuously in her palm as she spoke, being played with skillfully.
Mavis was propping her feet on the table, balancing her chair on its back two legs. With a face splattered with blood, she showed an undisguised bloody smile to Su Li who was walking down from the inn’s second floor.
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