When Mohe returned to the mansion with a group of people, Doro and Lisidorwei had become much closer. At the very least, when the two appeared in front of everyone, they were holding hands. That posture was quite natural, and it was really hard to imagine how such a drastic change in their relationship could happen in just two days.

Mohe thoughtfully stared at their clasped hands, as if he had learned something, and nodded: "We saw the recruitment notice in Sim City. The Human Central Empire finally intends to truly show its fangs to the world. The Snow Elves are probably in grave danger this time—this is a great opportunity to earn merits. Mr. Doro, do you have any thoughts on this?"

Doro held Lisidorwei's hand: "I just got married, and now I have to enlist and go to the front line to fight? Isn't this script somewhat contrived? I'm not interested in that sort of thing. Even if the sky falls, it was the Snow Elves who attacked the human kingdom first. Then the humans launched a counterattack, and their strengths are not even in the same league. Wars like this are just for seeking merits. I have no background, so why would I go?"

He casually waved his hand: "Anyway, I'm not going."

"Hey~ It's just as well you're not going. Earlier, our Fallen Wine sold quite well. I'm planning to expand the cultivation scale this year, and I just happen to need manpower. When the time comes to hire new people for the mansion, you must help with the training, Mr. Doro. You're very familiar with the affairs of the mansion."

What does that have to do with me?

"What kind of people do you plan to hire?"

"What kind of people? Slaves. Although the slave trade hasn't been expressly prohibited since the war started, it's already declined. But as the war continues, this industry will become prosperous again, and everywhere will need flourishing populations." Mohe gave his answer without hesitation.

Actually, in Sim City, there's already a not-so-obvious slave market, but Mohe knows that the really "good goods" will take a while. For now, there aren't many people in ruined households. Once there are more ruined households, naturally, there will be more slaves. Of course, the premise is that I won't become a slave.

In reality, Sim City's location is far from the Ice and Snow Kingdom, even if brains are blown out, it won't spill over here. It's just that the local lord is recruiting soldiers, intending to send a troop to the battlefield to gain some merits. In these times, nobles are still quite ambitious, with each wanting to raise their own rank even more.

Doro's intention was to directly tell Mohe that he wasn't going to get involved in this matter.

As many had anticipated, the Hero had no stance on this issue. Regardless of the reason, it was a fact that the Snow Elves initiated an attack on the human territory. Doro had no grounds to stand idly by when the Snow Elves struck, only to intervene when they got hit. That kind of conduct didn't align with his style, and besides, he just got married.

He doesn't feel there's anything wrong with his current life. Just as he told Lisidorwei, marriage was the beginning of their relationship; he needs to nurture their relationship well, not meddle here and there.

Regarding Mohe's plan to purchase slaves, he also has no solution. Although formally hiring some workers to work in the mansion is an option, Mohe is obviously more fond of this one-time deal. Or perhaps, knowing in advance what would happen is also understandable. After all, this Demon King...

Doro tucked away these thoughts.

"You probably don't have much to do lately, do you?"

"Oh~ me? I think, apart from mansion matters, we should be quite free."

— This is a lie.

Mohe habitually doesn't tell the truth; of course, she can't be idle, she has plenty to do. First, there are the affairs within the mansion, to coax Ah Xion to turn towards the Demon Race for Doro, to urge Rose to seduce Doro.

Then there are matters outside the mansion. Doro said he doesn't intend to intervene in the war involving the Ice and Snow Kingdom, but that doesn't mean Mohe won't intervene. Of course, she knows very well that the Hero will surely keep watch over her, preventing her from taking any drastic actions, but who ever said one must personally be present to meddle in a kingdom's struggles?

Apart from the mansion and the war on the Ice and Snow Kingdom's side, she also has to consider the Curse Master Alliance, the Dwarf Kingdom, the Mage Union—this world is entirely the Demon King's property, so of course, she has to manage all affairs under the heavens.

She must intervene in everything to a certain extent.

Ah! Where in the world is there a ruler as responsible as she is!

—

"Adeline, are you alright?"

Looking at the holy and noble woman in front of her, Adeline couldn't help but feel at peace.

The other's words carried a calming power. Adeline knew this was because the other's Divine Magic Power was very strong, unconsciously radiating a calming aura around, allowing people to remain tranquil even without the use of the "Calm Heart Technique".

"Charlette..."

Adeline was brought into the tower where Charlette resided. She felt the sacred power flowing through her body—this power was not aggressive, and she knew it was Charlette checking her body for any remnants of the Demon King's power. She accepted it calmly.

"It seems the Demon King hasn't left any hidden traps within you, Adeline, and this isn't exactly good news."

Charlette calmly stated this fact.

Adeline's face was ashen: "Yes, this isn't good news... I know... she knows I've already been destroyed, I will never have the courage to challenge her again, I can't even use alchemy properly anymore... my only reason for living in this world is for her to smile again when she sees me."

Charlette couldn't help but frown, her sacred power rippling: "You just lost a battle, and you're in such despair? I heard about the war there—losing to the Demon King is not unusual. Only Gedora has ever defeated the Demon King, so why are you so despondent? If I were in your position, should I have committed suicide on the spot after Gedora defeated me, and returned to the embrace of God?"

"No, it's different... Charlette, it's different." Adeline looked somewhat dazed, even as she stood close to Charlette, even though the tower was filled with divine power, Adeline still seemed somewhat frantic, "She negated everything! She destroyed everything right in front of me! She made me realize how ridiculous alchemy is! She made me know! Humanity's struggle, human history! Everything! All of it! It's just her toys! Things she accomplished and discarded over long ages! Alchemy has no meaning! None at all!"

She grabbed Charlette's shoulders, shouting and screaming at her, even the brilliance of divine art couldn't calm her down.

"Haha! So ridiculous! Only pure strength can fight against her, everything else is illusory, curses, divine art, stargazing skill, magic... everything that can be called 'technique' or 'art' or 'logic'! All of it is meaningless to her! It's all within her sight, she watched these things be born! She watched these things develop! She observed everything in the world! No… wrong, maybe these things were born from her in the first place, it's just that, just that people only know that curses originated from the Demon King!"

Adeline abruptly let go of Charlette, fell to her knees, clutching her head, Mohe's smile floated before her eyes, the music Mohe played echoed in her ears: "No! Humans, creatures, from the very beginning of creation, are her toys, everything exists to amuse her, our true mission is just to please her, to dedicate our whole lives to winning a smile from her! That is our mission!"

Charlette's expression finally broke, her face looked rather ugly, she never imagined Adeline would be so devastated to this point. She had met the Demon King; although the knowledge of the Demon King also filled her with fear, it wasn't to this extent...

After all, divine art belongs to the realm of gods.

She couldn't empathize with Adeline's feelings, didn't know what Adeline truly felt at that moment, but she knew she couldn't let Adeline continue like this, otherwise—the church's purpose in freeing Adeline from petrification would be for nothing, purely a loss.

Adeline herself was valuable; if this were the case...

Charlette crouched down, placing her hand on Adeline's shoulder.

Adeline's trembling gradually ceased, she slowly lifted her head, as if hoping for something.

Then came a slap.

The hand on Adeline's shoulder suddenly turned into a slap, striking Adeline across the face and sending her flying, crashing into the tower wall.

This tower, suffused with divine power, would not be easily damaged. Adeline thus hit it solidly.

She slid down from the wall to the ground.

Holding her face with her hand, she looked at Charlette with a bewildered expression.

Charlette slowly approached Adeline once more: "Adeline, I don't know your inner feelings, but if you want to die, I can help you. I can't save you, but I can kill you, I have the ability, if you feel your existence is meaningless, then I can liberate you, helping people return to God's embrace is also my mission."

The gentle and warm divine power inside the tower became fierce and surging at this moment, as if it were about to drown Adeline in a sea of divine art in the next instant.

"I..."

"If everyone in this world is a plaything of the Demon King, the Demon King wouldn't be divided; what Gedora could do, we can do too. Since you say only pure strength can defeat her, then go embrace pure strength. Won't you see the foolish things you are doing?"

Adeline looked blankly at Charlette, utterly at a loss: "Embrace pure strength... how should I embrace pure strength?"

"Go and sacrifice the things you would never have sacrificed in the past."

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