I am a hero of the former civilization.

So the question is, what benefits does he gain from doing this?

The Moth of Fire is controlled by Parliament, and all major issues are decided by vote. He only has the power to execute decisions. If you calculate the time, there are still three months left in his four-year term.

But then...

Hmm? It seems like I'm the direct beneficiary? The one who should be the most suspicious?

He suddenly widened his eyes, feeling the shackles around his neck disappear. He had to force himself to calm down and realized that this was wishful thinking. The Moth Chaser was an organization jointly established by all forces in the world, and it could not be handed over to any one person. Therefore, the chief of staff could not be re-elected.

If only someone could help me deal with Parliament and get these guys who are constantly fighting amongst themselves to compromise.

Karius seemed to have guessed something. The Fire Chaser Council would never tolerate being out of touch for a long time. If online communication didn't work, they would take the risk of going offline to bring together the councilors scattered all over the world.

For a moment, he felt a chill run down his spine, realizing that Ryan's appetite was bigger than he had imagined.

What exactly does he want to do? And what should I do?!

Two questions lingered in Karius's mind, making this seemingly most powerful man in the world somewhat uneasy.

I feel like I've reached another crossroads in my life.

Chapter 249 I've had enough of the red tape

Southern Europe, Rome.

The autumn sun shines warmly, casting dappled shadows on the concrete ground. A flock of white doves takes flight in the square, skimming over the bustling coffee shop.

Under the parasols, square tables and wooden chairs were set up, and well-dressed men and women sat around the tables, chatting about recent events. Occasionally, white pigeons would land and gently peck at the bread crumbs on the ground.

Coo coo, coo coo.

A white dove passed by the feet of a blond youth, prompting him to gently lift his leg.

He was wearing a sharp gray suit, his blond hair was neatly combed back, and he wore frameless glasses, just like any artistic young man you could see anywhere in the square.

"Get away from me, I'm not like you."

Ryan stomped his foot, scaring away the dove and dodging a shovel of bird droppings it spewed out, then glared at his laptop and grumbled.

After leaving Twilight Street, he arrived in Rome, the city of art. In this pre-civilization city, there were no amphitheaters, only many opera houses or concert halls.

The sound of violins filled the air as several young painters sketched the enormous church before them, while worshippers prayed in the square.

"This atmosphere is making me a bit more artistic too." Ryan shook his head, his fingers flying across the keyboard, while scoffing at the comments urging him to update.

What do you mean by "entering the palace"? Foolish! You clearly have no idea what I'm doing. Your character is simply impeccable.

How could my character not be strong? I just left Twilight Street, killed a bunch of enemies, crossed three lines of blockade, and started writing as soon as I got my butt warm.

Other authors get arrested for gambling, drinking, whoring, and prostitution, but I killed a Herrscher and am still preparing a plan to overthrow the world. It's already quite an achievement that I can still update weekly.

He took a sip of coffee, looked up slightly, and gave a self-deprecating smile.

This feeling is really great. I can even imagine the Fire Chasing Council holding meetings all night, frantically making arrangements for their next move, while I'm enjoying the afternoon sun and afternoon tea.

Ryan glanced at the Moth of Fire soldiers at the edge of the plaza. He hadn't noticed his wanted poster these past few days, only overhearing a message on the public channel:

Moth of Fire demanded that he return to headquarters immediately for questioning, though the wording wasn't too harsh.

“That’s more like it. My enemies are only a part of you. Most of the Fire Chaser councilors don’t actually have any conflict of interest.”

As May suggested, a more moderate approach would be to gradually identify these individuals and then, through a power game, remove them from the game. But how should I put it?

I'm fed up with all the red tape. I don't want to hand over such a useful tool as the Moth to Flame to a bunch of idiots.

Ryan's smile widened, and he chose an even more radical approach. Fortunately, May was persuaded and the first phase of the plan has already been implemented.

"Now let's see if the Commander-in-Chief can cooperate. I'm here to help you out."

If the Moth of Flames truly wants to transition from a parliamentary system to a leader-based system, Karius is the best successor, because no normal person would hand over power to a girl in her early twenties who has only joined two years ago. Even for Karius, it would require a great deal of political maneuvering.

But who knows what the outcome will be?

Ryan closed his laptop, picked up the bread from the table, and slowly left.

He is only 60% sure, but that's more than enough for Ryan, since all the conditions are in place.

He hadn't walked far along the edge of the square when the clanging of bells made him stop. He turned to the side and saw the doors of the massive, ornate Gothic cathedral open, and a group of priests walking out.

The leader was about fifty years old, wearing a long golden robe and a crown. He opened his arms with the typical expression of a charlatan, as if embracing the believers in the square.

As he moved, prayers, cries, and calls for atonement arose in succession.

Another charlatan's performance.

Ryan instinctively resisted, yet he had to acknowledge the role of religion; at least the Christian Church was an officially recognized legal organization with a strong global influence.

The biggest difference between them and cults is their attitude towards Honkai.

"God said that as long as mankind has courage, the evil will be destroyed, and after the natural disaster, we will usher in a true earthly kingdom."

"So children, keep hope in your hearts, roar at the devil, and guard our heavenly kingdom."

That's interesting. At least it can fool people. Many of the suicide squads of the Moth Chaser were selected from among the believers.

Ryan listened to the Pope's sermon with his arms crossed. No wonder Rome's defenses were so strong; this kind of spiritual significance also made it a strategic stronghold.

As a scientist, he scoffed at these claims, but as a human being, he understood the human spirit's yearning. The crazier the world becomes, the less it needs reason, because the more rational it is, the more desperate it becomes.

The opposite of those madmen in Snow Prison Town, fortunately, they were very effective, and with their generous treatment, there was no shortage of soldiers.

However, Ryan frowned as he listened. The Pope had gone on to talk at length about sacrifice and adventure. As an insider, he roughly knew that this was encouraging believers to participate in the Fusion Warrior program, which had a very high mortality rate. But then...

“You must open your eyes wide, for demons are terrifying, but their minions are even more deceptive. They lurk among us, stab out their blades in the shadows, kill our guardians, and use their power to intimidate others.”

Why does it sound like you're talking about me?

Ryan blinked, feeling that something was off, but this label could also be pinned on a pseudo-Herrscher. He took a deep look at the Pope in his formal attire and disappeared into the square.

After crossing the Tiber River that runs through the city, Ryan arrived at the West District, which was noticeably more chaotic, with old three- or four-story buildings in sight. Fortunately, due to the lottery system, the security was not too bad.

He slipped into the alley, entered a three-story building, climbed the creaking stairs, and pushed open the door, where Ryan once again wore a helpless expression.

"Qianjie, you have too much energy."

The man, shirtless, was doing push-ups in the middle of the room. Sweat dripped down his muscular physique, and his masculine aura was palpable.

"It's because you never fight me." Qianjie stood up, wiped the sweat with the towel around his neck, lifted his mask to wipe his face, and before Ryan could see clearly, he pulled the mask down again.

"It's been ten days already, how many excuses can you come up with?!"

"Excuses? Do you think I can't beat you?" Ryan put the bread on the table, arms crossed. "Only the weak need excuses. Do you think it's necessary?"

Qian Jie was speechless for a moment. He had witnessed Ryan's combat power firsthand. It was hard to say whether he would live or die, but he was definitely not afraid of him.

"Then why did it take so long?"

"I've already said that fighting you is just an agreement, and I have more important things to do. Besides, with our combined strength, aren't you afraid of attracting onlookers? If someone gets involved, it will have to end hastily again. You don't want to fight a third time, do you?"

This makes perfect sense. Qianjie is holding his breath and if someone tries to cause trouble, it's better not to fight at all.

He's right. Since it's a one-on-one session, we need to eliminate distractions and not let those annoying people spoil the fun.

Qian Jie clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, feeling extremely annoyed. However, it was precisely because he wanted a fair and all-out battle with Ryan that he had recently managed to restrain himself.

"So, how long until your damn problem is finally resolved?"

“It’ll be quick, what’s the rush?” Ryan replied for the nth time, smiling. “If you’re willing to help, it might even be faster.”

"Get out!!" Qianjie roared in anger; it was already quite an achievement that he could hold back.

Ryan shrugged, rolled away from the grumpy older brother with a rounded gait, and found it amusing to himself.

If we can find Qianjie's weakness, we can barely control him, since what he said makes sense.

"A moth drawn to a flame will cause trouble, but I'm not afraid you won't take the bait. Anyway, I won't object to a fight with you. As for my pent-up fighting spirit, there are plenty of ways to unleash it."

Ryan walked into the inner room, pushed open the door, and saw Padofelis scratching her head at the table, while Aponia sat beside her wearing glasses, giving instructions like a female teacher.

Seeing these two, Ryan's mind started to build up with complaints.

I originally wanted to teach Pado how to fight, but this guy is not suitable at all. He is afraid of pain and is also unusually cautious. He is really not suitable to be a combatant.

Aponia, on the other hand, still had that slightly mystical look, spending most of her time in a daze, so I simply handed over the task of tutoring her.

"How is it?" Ryan walked over and put the drinks he brought back on the table.

"Yay, it's milk tea!" Pato cheered, took a sip with relish, and pushed the other cup to the nun. "Sister Nia, let's take a break."

"Thank you." Aponia said regretfully, inserting a straw, taking a small sip, and revealing a subtle smile. "Mr. Ryan, I didn't expect life after leaving Twilight Street to be like this."

“Yes, yes, we thought it was very dangerous.” Pado nodded quickly, these days felt like a dream.

Aside from the daily studying being a bit annoying, she moved into a decent house, slept in a soft bed, ate delicious food, and even went to two concerts.

This isn't a task, it's clearly a vacation!

"Paddo, what do you think it's like outside Twilight Street?" Ryan also took a sip of coffee, squinting his eyes with a slight smile.

"Of course, it's being chased by countless people, living a life of hardship, constantly hiding and fearing being discovered by the enemy." The girl counted on her fingers, then stopped talking. The gangster movies she watched could only reach this level.

“It’s truly amazing, just like most people in Twilight Street who can survive battles of that scale,” Aponia said softly, her azure eyes filled with curiosity.

Her premonition was wrong for the first time, and after leaving Twilight Street, it was wrong even more, and she never expected the outcome to be like this.

Aside from not being able to go out freely, it was nothing like the turbulent world she had predicted. No, even Qianjie was surprised that this man would be so honest.

“So, Pado, that’s why I’m making you study hard. Stupid people will be led by the nose, while smart people—” Ryan shrugged, his right palm loosely clenched.

"Take control of everything before deciding to do it."

Chapter 250 A Guide to Living with Qian Jie

Padophiles naturally didn't understand, at least not a single word of it could be found in these textbooks, but Ryan wasn't trying to fool anyone.

When I left Mu Continent, apart from minor adjustments made later due to the current situation, the overall framework had already been prepared.

How to escape, how to hide, how to manipulate the world's changes while having afternoon tea thousands of miles away like a chess player, and even how to use weapons and props in multiple ways.

For example, the appearance of the Herrscher prevented Twilight City from conducting a thorough investigation, naturally concealing the whereabouts of Aponia and others, making a large-scale manhunt impossible. The optical simulator and mirage system, for instance, were merely part of the plan to impersonate the Herrscher; Ryan had already considered the issue of concealing his identity at the time.

The world is so big that it's impossible to thoroughly investigate the real enemy. If Ryan wanted, he could hide until the end of the world.

"Are you saying that human wisdom can change fate?" Aponia asked hesitantly. As far as she knew, fate was very stubborn, and this man's ability to do so was by no means as simple as wisdom.