I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Even a layman would know that "Mael was involved with the French Communist Party" is the most likely conclusion.

Qingdeng didn't know much about Mael; he had only met him once and knew that he was an ambitious arms dealer who wanted to establish a country.

Although there is no conclusive evidence yet, Elodie's words did remind Qingdeng.

If Mael really was colluding with the French Extremist Party, then everything would make sense!

Mael is a very powerful arms dealer.

Qingdeng did not have a detailed understanding of the exact extent of the problem.

But according to Elodie, Mael's ambition to "establish a country" is not an unattainable dream—with the power he possesses, and with the help of good fortune, it is indeed possible to achieve!

We are currently in an era of rampant capital growth.

With enough money and connections, arms dealers can even buy and sell warships!

If that's the case, whether it's the three warships that launched the surprise attack on Nobi or the "Slavic Legion" under the French Extermination Party, Mael might have been assisting them from the sidelines.

The more Qingdeng thought about it, the more he felt that things were not simple. He unconsciously lowered his eyelids and pretended to be deep in thought.

However, he quickly snapped out of his "thinking state" and refocused on the reality before him.

It's not too late to think about this kind of thing later.

Right now, the apprentice beside me is the most important.

Even from a distance, Qingdeng could feel the gloomy emotions emanating from Elodie.

"...Elodie, are you very sad?"

"Eh?"

Before Elodie could react, Qingdeng continued speaking on his own:

"It's understandable to feel sad. The biological father is part of the opposing camp—anyone would feel shocked and at a loss."

"..."

She bent her legs, buried her face between her knees, and hugged herself tightly.

"I...don't like my father."

Her soft voice was like a gentle breeze, lightly brushing past Qingdeng's ears.

"He always dreamed of 'establishing a nation and restoring the Orleans dynasty'."

"In order to train me into a qualified 'heir to the empire,' they demanded unbearably harsh standards from me."

"I've been thankful more than once for managing to escape from him."

"Thanks to this, I was able to come to this country, meet Miss Wu, and meet... Master."

As she said this, she secretly glanced at Qingdeng—but unfortunately, Qingdeng's gaze remained fixed on the distant horizon, and he did not notice her peeping.

"That being said... I do not hate my father."

She looked away and focused her gaze back on the reflection in the water.

“I know very well that the only difference between us is our differing philosophies.”

“I pursue freedom, while he pursues fame and fortune.”

"In fact, I also have some very good memories with him."

"So...I don't want him to be my enemy..."

Her final words were tinged with intense confusion.

Although it is a calm statement, it carries a hint of pleading for help.

Qingdeng's reply came very quickly.

No sooner had Elodie finished speaking than he replied without hesitation, his expression turning serious:

“Elodie, it’s a pity, but if Mael really is involved with the Fazbah Party, then this is a hurdle you will have to face yourself.”

"No one else—including myself—can directly intervene in this matter."

“I’m certain that if I were to directly solve this ‘family matter’ for you and treat you like a baby, it would only do you harm.”

"Whether to run away, submit, or bravely stand up and fight back is a decision you must make."

"Although I cannot make the decision for you, I will do everything I can to help you."

At this point, Qing Deng smiled slightly—unfortunately, due to the angle, Elodie couldn't see his smile at all.

"If you have any worries or encounter any troubles, you are welcome to confide in me or ask for my help—just like tonight."

"No matter how dangerous the situation, I will stand firmly by your side."

"If you go astray, I will bring you back on the right track."

"After all, these are things that I, as the master, should do."

After saying that, Qingdeng raised his hand and rubbed his temples—for some reason, he suddenly felt a throbbing in his head.

After Qing Deng finished speaking, Elodie blinked.

She seemed thoughtful when she blinked for the first time.

When she blinked a second time, she seemed to realize something.

She smiled as she blinked for the third time.

"Master, huh..."

She repeated the word "master" in a meaningful tone.

After a moment, she adopted a more intriguing tone.

"Thinking back carefully... whether it was when we were defending Hachioji or protecting Edo Castle, I always thought of my master whenever we were in danger."

“Even when I want to confide my troubles, I think of my master.”

"Perhaps... to me, Master, you are already an extraordinary being."

As a married man with a family, how could Qing Deng not understand the ambiguous meaning behind it?

The sudden ambiguous remarks left Qing Deng stunned.

Immediately afterwards, he heard the sound of water being stirred.

The next moment, he felt a tremendous force slam into him—but then he saw Elodie swim to his side, grab his shoulders with both hands, and press him against the pool wall next to him!

"Elodie?!"

Qingdeng stared at Elodie in shock—a pair of cloudy, beautiful eyes came into view.

"Eh... That's strange... For some reason... I really want to... really want to... bully Master..."

As she finished speaking, she took several deep breaths—the peculiar smell of boiled sea otter meat continuously filled her lungs.

*******

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It's already the beginning of the month again! Readers who have monthly passes, please be sure to vote for this book! (Crying leopard head.jpg)

Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

PS: Qing Deng pushes down Elodie—how could Leopard Leopard possibly write such a cliché plot! Leopard Leopard's obsession with celebrities is the opposite!

Some readers have already figured it out.

That's right! This scene is a tribute to the "Otter Pot" from the manga "Golden Kamuy"!

I absolutely love "Golden Kamuy"! I've always wanted to include a "sea otter pot" scene in my own novel, and finally my wish has come true! (Leopard Hi.jpg)

I highly recommend this comic! The author is one of the most free-spirited comic artists on earth!

Whether the smell of boiled sea otter meat actually has a purifying effect is unknown to me, but it certainly wouldn't have such an exaggerated effect. Just take it as entertainment.

Incidentally, Kondo and the others in this chapter were indeed engaged in sumo wrestling and did not do anything strange.

Chapter 1023 Elodie's S-Attributes Erupt! [4400]

"Ha ha ha ha……"

"Whirring whirring……"

Two heavy breaths rang out in a race-like exchange.

Kondo Isami and Serizawa Kamo, standing 5 meters apart, leaned against the tree trunk beside them, trying to catch their breath, while glaring fiercely at each other.

In any unarmed combat, without exception, the greater the weight, the greater the advantage, provided it does not affect agility.

This is especially true for wrestling and martial arts like sumo.

After this unique "sumo tournament" started abruptly, the lightest wrestlers, Saito Hajime and Inoue Genzaburo, were the first to be eliminated.

Immediately afterwards, Nagakura Shinpachi persisted for a moment, but also succumbed to his lack of strength.

Now, only the strongest and roughly equal in weight, Kondo Isami and Serizawa Kamo, remain standing.

After a brief rest, Kondo Isami took a deep breath and adopted a solemn expression:

"I must fulfill my duties as the fourth head of the Tennen Rishin-ryu family...!"

Nagakura Shinpachi, lying at his feet, struggled to sit up and said solemnly:

"Kondo, shall we do it? Now? Right here?"

"That's right! Let's settle this now!"

After roaring, Kondo Yuuki powerfully pushed off with his hind legs and pounced forward! Charging towards Serizawa Kamo!

At the same time, Serizawa Kamo, on the opposite side, growled and spread his arms, bracing himself to meet the attack without flinching.

The next moment, the two burly men collided violently, the force of the impact sending sweat and water droplets flying from their bodies.

Immediately afterwards, they grabbed each other's shoulders like two gorillas, trying to push each other to the ground, neither giving an inch.

Despite being called sumo wrestlers, they were actually complete laymen who knew nothing about sumo.

They couldn't perform professional sumo moves like "Teppo" and "Zhangte".