Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

The fusion of these elements will inevitably bring countless benefits to Liu Daolingxia, and her aptitude will undergo a dramatic transformation through continuous nurturing.

Although Semiramis's words were laced with malice, purely for a small act of revenge, and incidentally...

Watching blasphemy is a source of amusement.

But it must be said that Liu Daolingxia has indeed grasped the "future".

Meanwhile, at the Thousand Worlds Castle.

Fiore, who was busy working under the lamp in the head of the household's office, put aside the tedious tasks she had finished, stretched, and loosened her muscles a little.

As the girl's wandering gaze drifted through the window past Chief Knight Fiona, who was guarding the courtyard gate with two magic swords in his arms, her brow furrowed slightly, and she turned to ask a question.

"Ruler, are you sure you want to keep them? Isn't this illegally recruiting Heroic Spirits?"

"It was Danic who broke the rules, what does it have to do with us?"

Jeanne, who was working on her math homework by the light, put down her pen, calmly spoke, and then added in a serious tone.

"Moreover, both the World Tree and Danic have already paid the price for this, and they cannot punish us twice for the same issue."

"Fine, I don't understand any of this anyway, whatever you say goes."

Fiore nodded as if she understood, a wry smile on her face.

Joan of Arc closed her workbook, rubbed her aching temples, and looked equally helpless.

"If I had a choice, I wouldn't want to take the risk."

The chaotic battle in the Sky Garden triggered a series of consequences.

The strongest Lancer, Vlad III, died in battle; Darnic also suffered the consequences of his own actions and was attacked by the Church; Berserker Frankenstein self-destructed to cover the retreat...

In addition, a large number of artificial life forms and golems were also rendered useless.

Currently, the Yggdrasil race is in its weakest state.

If the two members of the Fiona Knights were turned away now, their forces would be even weaker.

When war breaks out, the Thousand World Tree Clan will have no chance to fight back.

Therefore, taking in Finn and Diarmuid, and continuing the pact between the Yggdrasil Clan and the Knights of Fiona, was something that had to be done.

However, based on her understanding of that person, since he tacitly approved of the existence of the two members of the Fiona Knights, it meant that the accountability process would continue until Nick's death, and Finn and Diarmuid's participation in the war had already been implicitly acknowledged.

Of course, it would be best if they did not appear as Servants, but rather as mercenaries of the Yggdrasil clan.

Just as Joan of Arc was considering her words, a figure in the night made her frown slightly.

Was it him? What was he doing at the underground magic workshop so late?

After a moment's thought, Joan of Arc rose from her seat and walked towards the door.

However, just before leaving, the saintess turned back to look at Fiore, who was busy behind her, and gently reminded her.

"Your brother has been in a low mood ever since he came back. If you have nothing else to do, you should comfort him."

"Well, I will."

Upon hearing this, Fiore nodded, her expression darkening slightly, and she sighed softly.

It's clear that Berserker's fall was a significant blow to Koles.

Hopefully, everyone can get through this.

Chapter Seventy: The Devil's Trading Platform, Honest and Fair 5k

In the early morning, dappled golden sunlight pierced through the thin mist and shone on the verdant earth. Wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys of an ancient town, and the streets gradually became bustling with pedestrians and residents.

This quiet town, located within the jurisdiction of Tulifas, means "giant tree by the lake" in Romanian, but for various reasons, locals prefer to call their hometown "Floare"—a flower blooming quietly—a word that better suits the town's atmosphere.

Aside from the unusually good weather for this time of year, Thursday was no different from any other day.

As usual, at nine o'clock in the morning, Mayor Alec put on his hat, took his cane, and prepared to leave the town hall residence to inspect the town. He was a highly respected gentleman, in his sixties, who had studied mechanical engineering in the Soviet Union. Half of his once blond hair had turned white, but he had a ruddy complexion and was in excellent spirits. He was kind, humorous, intelligent, and resourceful. He was unmarried but loved this small town as if it were his own child, and was therefore well-loved by the townspeople. This year marked his tenth year as mayor.

However, Mr. Alec's inspection tour was destined to be canceled on this day, as two special guests arrived without warning.

"Oh my, aren't these Miss Fiore and young Master Corles?" Mr. Alec looked at the girl in the wheelchair and the boy pushing it with some surprise. The siblings smiled gently as usual. As the mayor, he certainly knew a lot about this land, including what the true owner of the castle was hiding.

Curiosity can kill the cat, and it can also drag those who pry into secrets into the abyss. All he can do is protect those who love and respect him.

Now, he calmed down, looked at the two young magicians, and cheerfully lifted the brim of his hat. "What's going on? Why have you two graced us with your presence?"

The girl with long brown hair cascading down her chest wore a neat white uniform, her expression weary. She still possessed the youthful beauty of a girl her age, but even her facial expression betrayed an inexplicable listlessness. Mr. Alec, who knew part of the inner workings of their families and the wealth of the Yggdomerene family, couldn't help but be curious. Moreover, as the mayor, he felt obligated to intervene in these seemingly trivial matters.

He then canceled his morning outing plans and instead kindly invited the two young men to sit in his office.

The only young lady of the Yggdmillennia family nodded demurely, not refusing the mayor's invitation, and allowed her younger brother to push her wheelchair into the building.

After the secretary brought over three cups of coffee and discreetly left the office, Fiore took a sip of the liquid in her cup, then bluntly cut to the chase: "You're a smart man, so I'll get straight to the point, Mayor," she said, her expression serious and her voice solemn, "yesterday we received news that someone has planted plastic bombs in this town. Because my uncle has been unwell lately and rarely inquires about these matters, we simply can't confirm the truth of this matter on our own, let alone investigate the location of these things if it is confirmed to be true."

As if speaking all this in one breath had made her feel tired, Fiore took a deep breath and took another sip of coffee to calm herself down. Meeting Mr. Alec's shocked expression, the girl, who had been in a wheelchair for many years, continued, "I really don't know what to do, but in order to avoid causing too much damage or even casualties, I hope that the residents of the town can leave the town for a while—at least a week—so that we can find someone to eliminate these dangerous factors."

The man, who had witnessed many things in this world, was visibly shocked, and his face quickly turned red with anger: "What a provocative act!"

He could barely maintain his gentlemanly demeanor, panting heavily. "In this day and age, there are still such...such barbaric behaviors, such unreasonable people! It's a disgrace!"

Mr. Alec seemed about to say something even more expressive of his feelings, but perhaps out of consideration for the two children in front of him, he paused for a moment before continuing, "—I understand your feelings very well, Miss Yggdomirenia, but please allow me a question. I do not disbelieve your statement that at least a week is needed to eliminate the danger, but how can you be sure that the ruthless and dangerous person will not cause any damage within this week—no, how can you be sure that he will not cause any damage before all the residents have left?"

This is a question that a mayor would ask within the scope of his duties. In a small rural town like this, the mayor has considerable power, but in return, he must also do his best for the town. Therefore, Mr. Acrylic's question is not surprising at all.

Fiore pursed her lips with some difficulty, and her brother spoke up at this moment: "Actually, sir, we cannot be certain about this, but what we can confirm is that this person is after our family... after something in our family. Therefore, we can deduce that the other party only wants to threaten the Yggdmillennia family with a weapon of mass destruction. As long as our actions do not create a threat or provoke the other party's nerves, such a self-destructive threatening method should not be considered... This is our opinion, but it is indeed very risky."

Following this, Koles added, "During the evacuation, the Yggdomirenia family will do everything possible to ensure the safety of every resident, and afterwards, if any townspeople's houses and property are damaged during the search, we will compensate them accordingly."

After all, this trouble was caused by the Yggdrasil family. If anyone wants to take this opportunity to travel or make other arrangements, the Yggdrasil family will cover the corresponding expenses.

After saying this, the siblings looked at each other and nodded in unison, guaranteeing the promise.

Four days have passed since the battle in the [Courtyard]. After a difficult period of repairs, the Thousand World Tree Castle, which had been severely damaged, has finally been restored to its original state, and the chaotic order has gradually been calmed down through orderly regulation.

After the basic rest is completed, the next step is naturally to prepare for battle and wait for the Holy Grail to reappear.

Considering the uncertainty of where the Holy Grail would appear, and the potential damage that the ensuing battle might cause to the surrounding area, Fiore and Corresponds decided to persuade the residents of the nearby town to evacuate to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

After listening to this sincere account and confident assurance, Alec hesitated slightly. As the old man who was the mayor, he did indeed have a much better impression of this brother and sister than the man who was originally in power in Yggdrasil.

But faced with such a major matter concerning the safety of the entire town, he clearly could not make a hasty decision based on personal emotions. While he hesitated and remained silent, his secretary knocked on the office door and then brought three other guests to the mayor.

“Please do as they say, Mayor,”

A guest with short, tousled hair, deep-set eyes, and a long black overcoat followed the secretary into the mayor's office. The young man, around twenty years old, had a handsome and gentle face. Although he was not old, he had a profound sense of experience accumulated over the years, and a natural leader's demeanor that exuded nobility and commanded respect.

A female priest with a silver-gray ponytail, a violin case on her back, wearing a black priest's robe and a cross embroidered on her shoulder, stood half a step behind the man, respectfully behind him.

In the courtyard, a girl with a short blonde ponytail, wearing hot pants and a tank top, lagged behind, looking around curiously, with an adorable cat perched on her shoulder.

"Oh, Your Excellency Samael!" Amidst the astonished gazes of outsiders, the town mayor walked over in surprise.

In the past, I shook hands with this elegant gentleman.

The mayor felt no ill will toward this man who shared the same name as the legendary fallen angel; in fact, he felt a sense of regret for not having met him sooner, even though they had only known each other for a few months.

He knew that this young gentleman was a new guest at the church, often taking walks around town with a younger girl behind him. Although he was usually a bit lazy and rarely went out, he was a generous and knowledgeable person. He had even attended the funeral of a homeless man who had died in the earthquake not long ago. His words and actions seemed to be perfectly in harmony with the land beneath his feet and everything around him, so much so that many people in the town thought that this somewhat mysterious young gentleman had lived in the town for a very long time, as if he were a natural ruler and leader.

Of course, Samael did indeed walk on this land, but that was a very, very long time ago.

The ancestors of Romanians were the Dacians. Around the 1st century BC, Brebista established the first centralized Dacian slave state. After the Dacian Empire was conquered by the Roman Empire in 106 AD, the Dacians and Romans lived together and merged, forming the Romanian nation.

At that time, he was the regent prince of the Roman Empire.

After shaking hands with the mayor, Samael solemnly expressed his opinion: "—Back to the previous topic, Fiore and Corles from the Yggdrasil family are not children who speak carelessly, Mayor. You should know them better than I do. Although it sounds exaggerated, it's better to believe there's a possibility of something worse than to hope for absolute safety. That's not true 100%—'If things can go wrong, no matter how small the possibility, it will happen!' For the safety of the townspeople, it's always better to be cautious."

"If something can go wrong, it will, no matter how small the chance." This is a famous quote from American engineer Edward Murphy, from the well-known "Murphy's Law".

"really……"

Mr. Alec had no choice but to believe it. As the mayor, he knew some inside stories and some things about the Yggdomerene family. The outside world had undergone earth-shattering changes. Mystery and terror had returned to this land. Cultists, terrorists, and ambitious people who took advantage of the chaos were roaming everywhere. Anything could happen in this world.

Moreover, the sudden explosion a few days ago, and the brilliant fire in the sky, all foreshadowed some unknown changes spreading across this land. Decades of life experience told the mayor that the things that the Thousand World Tree family was wary of were definitely not things that ordinary people like them could get involved in or deal with.

As for what exactly it is, sometimes knowing too much isn't a good thing.

"Lord Samael is right, you can't rely on someone else's conscience to have a change of heart in this kind of thing..."

The old town mayor made up his mind and solemnly promised.

"Since you are all willing to make such a commitment, I, as the mayor, will naturally do my part—Lord Samael, Miss Fiore, and young master Koles, please rest assured, I will do my best to persuade the residents."

After receiving the answer, everyone in the office nodded and took their leave.

However, what Alec didn't notice was that Fiore and Corliss, who were mixed in with the crowd, seemed to move somewhat stiffly, and when they turned to leave, they seemed to be a step faster than the three who arrived later.

"Are you in such a hurry to leave?"

The siblings Fiore and her brother, who had just stepped out, paused in their tracks upon hearing the devilish whisper behind them, and turned around warily and fearfully.

"Don't be nervous. It's rare for us to meet, and the weather is so nice. I just wanted to treat you to a cup of coffee."

Samael smiled and waved, pointing to the outdoor café next door. He stretched in the sunlight, his tone quite easygoing and relaxed.

"Don't worry, it's still a truce, and there are witnesses too."

When the siblings saw Father Calleber, who had somehow followed them along the roadside, they calmed down and, after a moment's thought, nodded in acceptance of the invitation.

Because of the large number of people, everyone sat separately. The two church scribes, Liz Byfeld and Calleber, sat at the same table, exchanging information and occasionally chatting about their work.

Samael, who had extended the invitation, naturally sat down with Fiore and the siblings Koles.

As for Mordred, the brat couldn't stand the dull atmosphere and disappeared in the blink of an eye, running off somewhere.

In the strangely tense atmosphere, Corles and his sister stood close together, sizing up the demon lord across from them as he added sugar to his coffee, while muttering under their breath, "They could have just sent Jeanne d'Arc and Mr. Calleber. The Church has a good reputation locally, and at the very least, they could provide some magical hints..."

Fiore, the older sister, gently shook her head, her tone gentle: "Of course, we're here to play the emotional card. Mr. Alec has practically watched us grow up. Although our uncle wasn't very popular before, the people in town are still willing to take care of us children." She paused for a moment, then continued, "...This disaster ultimately stems from the desires of the Yggdrasil clan. As members of the family, we need to bear this responsibility, step forward to explain, and fulfill our due obligations..."

Immediately, he looked up at the opposite side and chuckled.

"Moreover, Mr. Samael even treated us to coffee, I believe that..."

He's the kind of person who wouldn't hold a grudge against us kids during the truce.

Koles choked for a moment, his expression showing that he had been persuaded, but his gaze towards the other side held a hint of hesitation.

“There are some things you don’t understand as well as your sister, Koles—I really wanted to take action against you, do you think it would have taken this long?”

Samael put down his spoon, looked at the somewhat embarrassed little guy, and smiled faintly.

"However, everything has its pros and cons. It's okay not to care about interpersonal relationships. You are more focused on academics and are more suited to be a magician than she is. She is more suited to be a pampered young lady who doesn't have to carry any burdens."

As he spoke, he turned his head, picked up his coffee and took a sip, looking at the two siblings with gentle eyes, like an older brother or father in the family.

The younger brother blushed quickly upon being praised like that. After coughing twice, he argued softly, "It's okay if you don't understand interpersonal relationships. I've always followed my sister and supported her. This kind of thing has become a habit. Just do it this way from now on... Sister?"

Before she could finish speaking, the older girl reached out and forcefully pinched half of her younger brother's cheek, forcing him to look at her. Her usually doll-like face was unusually serious: "We can forget about the way things were before, but you can't say things like that anymore, okay? Koles, you'll be an excellent magician, that's something Mr. Avisblom is certain of—so you can't say things like 'just follow behind your sister' anymore. We're siblings, and we'll move forward together from now on, right?"

“Sister…” Koles stared blankly at his elder sister, seeing a rare seriousness and earnestness in her eyes. A thousand words that could have expressed his feelings were swallowed back down his throat, and he nodded forcefully. “—I know! Sister, I will definitely try my best!”

Soon, the heartwarming scene passed, and the affectionate siblings suddenly realized that the person sitting opposite them was not a family elder, but an enemy of the Thousand World Tree. They awkwardly separated and continued to maintain the proper distance and vigilance.

"It seems your mental state has recovered quite well, Koles."

Samael smiled nonchalantly, stirring his coffee with a spoon, and spoke leisurely.

"How about we make a deal? I want something you have, and in exchange, I'll pay you a fee, like..."

As he pondered, Samael's deep gaze fell on Fiore's withered legs, and he gently raised the corners of his lips.

"To enable your sister to walk again..."

While hesitating, Kaules's gaze instantly hardened upon hearing the reward offered, and he nodded without hesitation.

I feel it!

A moment later, Fiore's trembling hand caressed her calves, which were gradually becoming fuller. Her face was filled with surprise and disbelief. The mutation of the magic circuits had been completely eliminated, and a part of them had connected with the necrotic nerves in her body, gradually repairing her original body.

"You've been sick for too long, so don't expect to be able to walk around for a while. You'll need to recover slowly. But when you get back, you can ask Teacher Ma, oh, that is, your Archer, to prescribe some medicine for you to take care of yourself."

Samael got up, downed his coffee in one gulp, left a playful remark, waved, and walked away.

"Well then, it's a pleasure doing business with you both..."

As the siblings behind him disappeared from sight, Samael took out a yellowed manuscript with intricate human figures from his pocket, glanced at it with satisfaction, tossed it into the magic circle, stretched out his arms and looked ahead, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Next, it's time to find the next partner.

Chapter 71 Everyone's a Traitor, Zhen is Heartbroken (4.3k)

As noon approached, the streets were bustling with people under the bright sunshine, and the whole town was full of vitality.