The magic cards I made are absolutely flawless!

He glanced at Cornelia.

Cornelia shook her head.

It means: Go ahead and hit him if you want, I won't protect him this time.

"Is there a way that's a little less torturous?"

Chloeux is a mild-mannered and steady person who generally does not resort to violence.

He thought for a moment, then continued to ask.

Because you said Dekan's advice was bad, but he really can solve problems.

You say his suggestion is good, but it definitely doesn't sound like something a mentally sound person would come up with.

Perhaps if we compromise, Dekan might have some brilliant ideas.

Dekan crossed his arms and nodded earnestly.

"The third strategy—"

Dekan continued speaking to Chloeux:

"Go to the capital and find Mie, then find Sheen. Try to persuade them both, gather the bonds between the Holy Maidens of Light and Darkness, assemble the original team from the Holy Kingdom, fight your way from south to north, unify the Kingdom Federation and the Saron Empire, and revive the glory of the Holy Kingdom. When you are crowned Holy Emperor, Judith and Sheria Claire, considering your great achievements, may have let go of their resentment. At that time, whether you marry them or not, or how many you marry, I think they will have no objections."

"??!!"

Chloeux was speechless after hearing this.

speechless.

He simply couldn't believe his ears!

He even began to wonder whether it was a problem with his hearing or with Dekan's mental state.

"...Is there anything even more outrageous?"

Chloex swallowed hard; he wasn't so worried about himself anymore.

He was worried that Dekan's condition had worsened after two years apart!

"Of course,"

Dekan smiled knowingly and nodded with absolute certainty.

"There's a fourth possibility, the ultimate ending for Teacher Da Ke—you go directly to the capital and propose to Mia. She'll probably be stunned, but after thinking about it carefully, she'll realize that if she actually dares to say yes, both love triangles will be resolved in one fell swoop, because it will completely explode beyond repair. At that point, everyone can finally give up and no longer have any illusions or hopes, nor suffer any more torment..."

However, before he could finish speaking, Cornelia pinched his cheek.

He looked at Cornelia with a bewildered and innocent expression, seemingly not understanding why Cornelia would suddenly attack him.

"That's absolutely inhuman, Dekan!"

Cornelia said angrily.

She could feel the pain just by listening to it.

He may not be able to make everyone happy, but he can make everyone unhappy by using his amazing brain!

"It's a good thing you don't write novels, otherwise I can't imagine how painful it would be for your readers if you had an attack."

Chloeux pinched his brow and said to Dekan.

"Heh heh, actually I haven't finished yet!..."

Dekan's triumphant words were cut short.

Because Cornelia covered his mouth with both hands.

Physical silencing.

"Ugh... Cornelia... Ugh!"

This was the first time in his life that he had been silenced.

Cornelia controlled Dekan with a complicated expression.

She didn't know why.

Even though Dekan hadn't used [Blood Mimicry] to transform into a little succubus, she felt like she was subduing a little imp.

a long time.

"Thank you, Dekan. I think I understand now. No matter what decision I make, it won't be worse than your suggestion."

Chloeux seemed relieved, raised her head, looked at the twinkling stars outside the window, and said.

I couldn't help but sigh at the passage of time and let my thoughts drift far away.

As expected, it has to be Teacher Da Tong.

Only a few noisy sounds remained in the office, the solemnity of the lord's mansion gone, making it feel just like the happy church group that used to play together in the capital.

Side Story 18: Dekan's Prayer

The gentle morning light pierced through the thin mist, gradually illuminating the beautiful estate of the Earl of Kuran.

The ancient buildings in the manor appear solemn and mysterious in the morning sunlight, while in the exquisite garden, various flowers bloom in competition, emitting a charming fragrance.

The gardeners, dressed in their work clothes and carrying shovels and shears, were busy tending to the flowers and plants, while the chefs entered the kitchen early to prepare a sumptuous breakfast, filling the kitchen with various wonderful aromas.

As the sun rose higher, breakfast was already prepared on the magnificent dining table in the Earl's mansion. Exquisite tableware and various delicacies were laid out on the table, everything was perfectly prepared for the Earl and his guests.

At this moment, only Zestellila's small figure was sitting at the dining table.

Having grown up in a church, she had never experienced being treated like a count's daughter.

Although she was awake, her eyes were vacant.

It still feels like a dream.

She would nervously glance around every now and then; if it weren't for the butler and maids being exceptionally kind and gentle to her, she would have been extremely anxious long ago.

Finally, he saw the restaurant door be pushed open and several figures walk in.

It was Dekan and Cornelia, whom she had been hoping for, along with a young man she didn't recognize.

However, judging from his attire and the respectful attitude of the steward waiting in the restaurant, he should be the owner of this house.

However, before they could even get close...

"babble!!"

The moment Zestellila saw Chloeux, she was so frightened that she froze, jumped up from her chair, and hid in the corner.

"Uh……"

Seeing her reaction, Dekan quickly understood what was going on and hurried over to her side.

Before Dekan could even speak, Zestellila hid behind him, just like when she had encountered Countess Lislina.

She tugged at Dekan's clothes, timidly peeking out to look at Chloeux one last time.

This light brown-haired man clearly showed no malice, or rather, he seemed to be a very gentle person.

But the magic he possessed was terrifying.

Zestellila felt an instinctive fear.

"Let me introduce you to the Earl of Kuran. He's the one who will teach you how to control magic."

Dekan patted Zestellila's head, signaling her to come out and greet Chloeux properly.

Am I scary?

"Kroix asked, somewhat puzzled."

"Well, for a child who can almost see the intensity of magic, it might indeed be a bit scary."

Dekan knew that Zestellila had some special talents.

Generally speaking, Chloex is unlikely to frighten children; Zestellila is an exceptional case due to her extraordinary magical talent.

"How about this?"

As Chloeux asked the question, Zestellila suddenly peeked out as if in a daze, looked around, and then stared blankly at Chloeux.

She felt that all the magic in this person had suddenly disappeared.

"Looks like I'm not afraid anymore."

Dekan said with a smile.

He knew that Chloix had completely suppressed her magic, which was why Dekan believed that Chloix was Zestellila's best teacher.

As far as Dekan knows, the only human capable of freely controlling pure magic to this extent is Chloeux, and also Bishop Evans of Ruin.

However, if Evans had become Zestellila's teacher, it's hard to imagine what kind of person she would have become.

Fortunately, I optimized Evans early on.

"Let's have breakfast first. Later, after the Earl and I have finished dealing with some matters, he can teach you. Today, Cornelia will take you to explore the town."

After Dekan finished speaking, Zestellila seemed to have forgotten all her previous fears, and became all smiles, happily jogging over to Cornelia's side.

……

Breakfast at the Earl's mansion ended not long afterward.

The servants were clearing the table.

Cornelia and Zestell have happily embarked on a sightseeing trip in the main city.

Meanwhile, Dekan and Chloeux remained seated at the long table.

They were waiting for the Marquis of Prin, who would be visiting shortly.

"Actually, Marquis Prin and his two daughters have been staying in Kuran territory recently. They came over when they heard that I wasn't too busy with official business today."

"Kroix said."

He had actually been using official business as an excuse to avoid the Marquis of Prin for several days.

Now that he's come out of the office, he has to give his father-in-law an explanation.

Dekan nodded.