When Rastina got up in the morning, she found that Lisidorwei was missing.
"Lisidorwei has so errands to run and won’t be back for a few days. We don’t need to worry about her."
Rastina couldn’t help but feel a bit worried: "Mr. Doro isn’t going with her? Miss Lisidorwei is a girl, she could be in danger."
"Don’t worry, Lisidorwei isn’t that fragile, and she’s hired so guards, too."
Mohe lied without batting an eye: "Speaking of which, is Mr. Doro going to et your old friend today?"
Doro was taken aback and realized what Mohe was suggesting, then nodded: "Yes."
"Old friend?"
Rastina was a little confused.
Mohe further explained: "Yesterday, Mr. Doro ran into an old friend while drinking, which is why he ca back so drunk. Today, he should formally visit them. Do you need us to accompany you?"
"That’s not necessary."
Mohe thought for a mont, then said: "Today, you can take Rose with you! Having a maid with you saves face for the mansion. You’re now Rose’s master. eting an old friend requires so dignity."
From what Rastina had learned about Doro during this ti, she was certain he would refuse.
But after a mont of silence, surprisingly, Doro agreed to the arrangent.
He seed a little embarrassed but still said to Rose, "Rose, I’ll be relying on you today."
Although Rose wasn’t entirely sure what was happening, she wouldn’t refuse Doro’s request: "Okay, Master Doro, today I will be your exclusive maid."
"I thought I’d have a leisurely ti after arriving in this city, but it’s been busier than I expected. Miss Rastina, it looks like today’s entertainnt is just up to the two of us."
Busy, huh?
Rastina’s impression was that they were always off having fun sowhere, which was quite exhausting but felt fine, yet she always seed to feel others were up to sothing else. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination.
"I’m easy..."
Mohe then smiled, joining Rastina in seeing Rose and Doro off.
The inn was now left with just Mohe and Rastina.
Mohe beca a bit enthusiastic: "Miss Rastina! Today is the rchants’ group’s festivity. Perhaps it’s ti to investigate so business matters. Although doing such things mid-journey seems a bit unprofessional—Would you like to accompany ?"
"Oh~ Of course, Miss Mohe, that’s certainly sothing to do! Business matters are precisely what need research and discussion. My father often tells that business has no fixed thod, and being well-inford is crucial. Never underestimate anyone’s wisdom and haggling is a great skill."
Thus, Mohe and Rastina set out together to survey the comrcial situation of Butuo City. This didn’t seem dull; on the contrary, from Mohe’s perspective, it was rather interesting. They would even chat with small stall owners to see if they had any unique insights.
In this city, there wasn’t much left for Mohe to do.
Of course, if soone interfered, that would be another matter... For instance, the great Saintess, Lady Charlette.
Mohe had inford Charlette of this matter in advance, so by her calculations, she should be arriving soon, right?
Once Charlette reaches here, she’ll be able to push Adeline to her limits.
In such an event, there has to be soone to wrap things up. This person certainly wouldn’t be Mohe or Doro, so it would only be Charlette. After Adeline’s conspiracy is thwarted, the one to punish this alchemist would naturally be Charlette.
Although Mohe personally wanted to convert Adeline to the Demon Race... upon careful thought, it seed there wouldn’t be much use after conversion. After all, the opponent only knows alchemy. Alchemy is sothing she didn’t really need a special alchemist at the residence, especially since Adeline and her alchemical philosophy were different.
...
To say it was a formal visit was putting it lightly; when Doro saw Adeline again, his expression was completely different from yesterday.
Rose, following beside Doro, finally understood who the so-called old friend was. Clearly, they had t in the mansion before. Adeline was obviously a pawn of the Demon King—otherwise, the Demon King wouldn’t have brought them here.
Of course, today Rose’s role was that of a maid.
She always cos out wearing a maid outfit.
So she has no intention to interrupt or greet Adeline.
"Adeline, this is the last ti I’m asking you, are you really not planning to stop?"
Doro got straight to the point.
Adeline answered earnestly: "If I could, I also wish I could stop, but didn’t the Demon King tell you, once the Star Tear is hung, it can’t be stopped?"
The Demon King also told , you hang it up but can’t make it fall... But it’s better not to tell her.
Doro felt sowhat heavy-hearted: "Then can you tell your reasons?"
"Haven’t you already decided to do sothing? At this point, what’s the point of asking for reasons?"
"I want to hear the answer firsthand, to give up certain fantasies, just like talking to Charlette. That way, when I act, it’ll feel much better in my heart." Doro never used to say such things; he thought perhaps he finally experienced so change, this change... is sowhat related to the Demon King.
Adeline seed to realize sothing, she closed her eyes, adjusted her breathing, then reopened them, her resolve beca firm: "Although talking about political matters to you all might just be a waste of breath, since you’re insisting on an answer, for the sake of past feelings, I can tell you."
"The simplest answer is that I need to be responsible for the Alchemists. Before becoming a mber of the Hero team, first and foremost, I am an Alchemist. I have studied the knowledge that countless Alchemists have continuously explored through ancient years, thereby continually growing, being able to do certain things as a mber of the team is based on this foundation. Alchemy is my true essence, so—my loyalty is to Alchemy. Can you understand?"
Her explanation seed sowhat cold and unfeeling, but it was reasonable: "I can understand. But what does that have to do with what you plan on doing? Over the years, Alchemists have also lived their lives, Alchemy is still flourishing—what necessity is there to establish a country, and why resort to destruction?"
"This question is sothing you should be asking the Demon King."
"I wanted to hear it from you. This is between you and ."
Adeline felt Doro’s determination, she realized Doro was ready to make a decision. But she did not intend to share her thoughts with Doro, after all, betrayal is already a reality; during the last visit to Mohe’s residence, Adeline had already reached an answer— they, all mbers of the Hero team, can no longer return to this man.
He has already decided to abandon them.
At this point, even if she were to set aside her dignity, like an abandoned dog pleading for his shelter, what good would it do?
She also has her pride.
So, it’s better this way, for him to hate and despise her, it’s better than being completely uncared for.
"At the end of the day, it’s a matter of money. Using money makes it easier to understand... using resources, wealth would be more ambiguous—this is related to mathematics, which you don’t quite understand... so you only need to know that when the number of Alchemists reaches a certain level, the existing system will only be dragged down by the many Alchemists, or in other words, the system hampers the developnt of Alchemists. In short, establishing a nation is an inevitable developnt. The more Alchemy flourishes, the stronger the necessity."
She said Doro didn’t quite understand because she also didn’t understand before; it wasn’t until she beca a leader of an organization that she comprehended these things, without practically mastering an organization, without practically running an organization, without facing those challenges—you cannot know these issues. The effort and considerations required to maintain a large organization.
Doro didn’t have this experience, so he wouldn’t understand.
"But once the Alchemist Association establishes a country, it faces another problem, inherently borderless Alchemy becos bordered. Who gets the results of Alchemy? Who doesn’t? Should we involve ourselves in disputes between nations, how should the Alchemy Country further expand?" Adeline ntioned so issues, "In reality, what I’m doing is the simplest of expeditions."
Her attitude was very candid: "You think I’m doing sothing terribly excessive, but if I rember correctly, you don’t involve yourself in conflicts between nations, war is sothing you tacitly agreed to, isn’t it? You’re looking at the problem from the wrong perspective, Gedora, you think it’s the Alchemist Adeline conducting brutal actions to obliterate nations... you should rather think of it as the Queen Adeline of the Alchemist’s Country invading the Human Central Empire.
This is war, Gedora!
It’s my plan to carve out a piece from the Human Central Empire!"
War—Doro finally understood Adeline’s thoughts, much like the past war where the united races attacked the Demon Race, the casualties then couldn’t be counted, even Hero A·Gedora had to face all kinds of sacrifices.
Adeline stared at Doro: "Back then when you were the Hero, you didn’t stop the war. Now, how do you plan to stop ? Accuse of launching a war? You ought to know the aning of war."
Doro remained silent for a mont, then said:
"I, as the Demon King’s apostle, stop such a war from occurring, the world belongs to the Demon King, everything is the Demon King’s private property, I must protect the Demon King’s private property."
Adeline was taken aback, then she laughed.
"What an excuse, Gedora, are you serious?"
"I’ve said it many tis, I am Doro, not A·Gedora."
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