The villain's way to tame the protagonist

Xin tried hard to control his emotions, not letting the unprecedented joy and happiness in his heart surface, and asked in a serious tone: "So, Mr. Devil, are you deliberately deceiving me?"

"Cheat? I didn't do anything deceiving." Anser looked innocent. "At most, it was just like you said, I used your faith to stimulate you... And this was not intentional. This should be called, um... a test."

He looked at Xin, who was pretending to be slightly angry, and said, "It was a test to see if you had gotten rid of that meaningless belief. Unfortunately, you failed the test."

Xin did not respond. She vaguely felt that Ansel seemed to be trying to take back the right to speak. As long as she continued to follow what Ansel had just said, he would continue to tease her from the perspective of faith.

Now, having thrown everything aside and devoted his whole heart to Anser, Xin discovered many secrets that he had never discovered before. The feeling of gradually becoming aware of Anser's methods and fighting against them made Xin feel a little excited.

"This has nothing to do with what we were talking about just now, Mr. Devil."

She didn't need to make any extra expressions, just stare at Anser straight in the face: "If there are no lies, then what about cheating? Mr. Devil, do you admit that you cheated?"

"Your Excellency the Saint..." the evil Mr. Devil said earnestly, "Do you know what the rules are at the gambling table? If you suspect someone of cheating, you should produce evidence of his cheating instead of asking him to prove his innocence."

"Those slightly immature inferences you just made... can they be considered as evidence?"

Hmm...I really shouldn't have agreed to Mr. Devil.

Xin felt a little regretful, because as for Anser's cheating methods, she had no way to expose them as long as she maintained her disguise.

The sea breeze blew in, and facing Ansor who remained as still as a mountain, Xin's hard-earned sense of victory was wiped out by a strong sense of frustration. It was indeed extremely difficult to defeat the devil. This level...how should he pass it?

If Mr. Devil has made up his mind to cheat, then can I only refuse to fulfill the bet? Although Mr. Devil did not force me to swear an oath in the name of God, if I do so, Mr. Devil will hate me.

The agreements made by believers are very reliable. They are very sensitive to contracts and oaths and often will not break their agreements. The same is true for Xin. She doesn't want to think that Anser will still fail even if he can cheat - after all, she doesn't even understand what Ellalo is trying to do.

Just as Xin was thinking hard, Anser suddenly said, "However, since you are so unconvinced... I will take a step back."

"The bet still has to exist, but the content of the bet... can be changed by you, as long as it is not too different from the original bet."

Hydra chuckled, not knowing what she was thinking. "Your Excellency the Saint has decided the content of the bet. You won't think I'm cheating, will you?"

...Huh? Why would Mr. Devil help me?

Xin didn't believe that Anser would be so kind as to make concessions. The fact that he had exposed his conspiracy might be part of the reason, but what about the other reasons?

"Why, it still doesn't work?"

Anser leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest: "Isn't it a bit too much to ask for more, Your Excellency? Even if you were irritated at the time, wasn't it your fault that you were irritated?"

Xin was silent for a moment, then looked at Anser fearlessly: "Okay, then I'll decide what to bet on, let's bet, let's bet..."

"As for the salvation granted by the God of Gamblers, has it worked for Miss Elalo?"

Her eyes lit up, and the moment she thought of this, she said it out immediately.

Yes, as long as we remove other influences and limit the bet to Miss Elalo, it will be fine. The bet that Mr. Devil made at the beginning... was designed to cheat, so he deliberately designed it so broadly.

"Mr. Devil." Xin, who had regained a lot of confidence, leaned forward slightly and imitated Anser's aggressive posture. "This is the only point you doubted at the beginning, right? In this case, let's just bet on whether the redemption is effective, right?"

"That's fine if you insist, but...what about the standard?"

Anser spread his hands helplessly: "What is the standard for effectiveness? After all, Miss Elalo has done a lot of good things in theory. If you want to say that this is the effectiveness of redemption, then I have nothing to say."

Xin realized one thing from Ansel's teasing expression.

Anser may be prepared to cheat, but he may also truly believe that the redemption that Elalo received was a mistake.

"I've said it before, Mr. Devil." Xin's tone changed, and he continued to emphasize solemnly with the solemnity of a believer who respects the power of God, "God's salvation is not such a simple thing, and I will not use the standard of salvation just to win a gamble."

Her behavior was reasonable, and Anser showed no doubt at all. He just looked at Xin for a while and shrugged: "Since you said so, let's change the content of the bet to this."

He did not set any verbal traps but agreed readily, as if he fully believed that he would be the winner in the end.

It turned out to be like this...

From the very beginning, Mr. Devil did not believe in the power of redemption, and fundamentally did not think that Miss Ellalo could be redeemed.

He has always held this idea, so he is so convinced that Miss Ella has become stupid and blind. Mr. Devil is not denying Miss Ella's actions, but... denying salvation itself.

In this case, in this case...

I think I can win?

The inexplicable burning sensation came again, and it was hotter and stronger than ever before.

It's not enough for me to just know it. I want to see it, I want to hear it, I want Mr. Devil to admit it himself... He lost to me.

I want to beat Mr. Devil, I can beat Mr. Devil.

The moment this thought came into her mind, it penetrated deeply into the deepest part of Xin's consciousness. A huge desire dominated her. Under this desire, there were more emotions that had never been so vivid before: anxiety, excitement, impatience, longing... They were surging in her heart.

At this moment, Xin even forgot one thing - was she looking forward to fulfilling her duties, or was she just... looking forward to a confrontation with the devil?

"Oh, has it already started? It's happening faster than I thought."

Anser's words pulled Xin back to reality from her fantasy. She followed Anser's gaze and looked into the distance. She found that the number of sailors and dock workers had increased over time, and they were crowded together, as if they were on strike...

No, that's not right. The dazed look on their faces didn't seem like they were planning to go on strike.

Looking further away, Xin saw a merchant ship docked... and it actually forced all the sailors on board off.

Yes, today, a long-planned riot, an unprecedented general strike, occurred in the territory ruled by the Triumph family.

But it was not the labor force that was on strike, but the merchants and the aristocracy.

It is all the rentiers who suffered losses in this absurd transformation of Ellalo.

Chapter 6: Concealment within Concealment within Concealment (K)

"You're lucky, Miss Saint." Anser looked at the crowd moving in the distance as if he was watching a play. "If you had changed the bet later, you would have lost now."

Xin's brows gradually furrowed, and although he remained unshakable, he couldn't help feeling confused.

Only six days had passed since the initial bet was made, and it had not yet reached the seven-day limit. Including the time when Ellalo officially took office, it had only been more than a month so far.

Are her actions really so unpopular that the nobles under the Grand Duke of Triumph are so dissatisfied?

Or did Ms. Spider and Ms. Viper take advantage of this opportunity and do something secretly under the orders of Mr. Devil?

Wait…where is Miss Doll?

Xin suddenly discovered something very important - Ming Fuluo... was not with Anser, not even in Donggang.

She clearly remembered that Ansher had expressed many times his desire to help Ming Furo get to know Donggang better and to help Ming Furo understand something more deeply.

Although Xin didn't know what Anser wanted Ming Furo to understand, according to her understanding, if it was just to get to know Donggang better, wasn't now a better opportunity?

She didn't care about worldly rules and order, and she felt that the experiences of the past few days were a little too... exciting. If she were a smart person like Ming Furo, she would obviously be able to understand more from this experience.

But why isn't she in Donggang?

Xin, who was focusing on Ansel, could notice the differences around him more than ever before. Even so, she only realized now that it was normal for Ming Furo to be absent at any time, but not at this time... there was something wrong.

Did Mr. Anser deliberately transfer Miss Doll away? Is it because if Miss Doll was here, this kind of thing would not happen?

Although it seems to have nothing to do with what is happening now, Mr. Xin feels that this may be something more important.

The real purpose of this chaos...could it be not because of the bet, but something else?

"Let's go, Your Excellency the Saint."

While Xin was still thinking, Anser, who seemed to have already won, stood up, put the tip on the table, and walked towards the crowded crowd in the distance.

He glanced at the Saint Lady who seemed to be still recovering from the shock, and showed the composure of a winner: "Let's go and see what's going on. Even if we lose, we have to lose clearly, right?"

"This is a rare lesson," Mr. Devil said earnestly, "It's a good opportunity for you to grow."

Xin came back to his senses and pretended to be unhappy and serious: "I have learned my lesson. I will never bet with Mr. Devil again."

Anser laughed happily, an expression that Xin rarely saw. After all, the devil she knew looked carefree but was actually very restrained in his emotions. No matter what emotions he showed, they were all within a certain range.

The joy expressed by Ansel made the heat in Xin's heart, which she could not understand, continue to expand without limit.

When he thought that Mr. Devil, who was so proud and happy now, would not only lose in the end, but would not even know that he had been deceived by himself... Xin was even a little worried for a moment that he would not be able to maintain his disguise.

She followed Anser silently and walked into the crowd with Anser, but her mind was not at all on what happened in this port city or even in the entire territory under the command of the Grand Duke of Triumph. Her mind was full of how to deal with Anser next.

When he heard the condescending and arrogant declaration, Xin came to his senses and found that he and Anser were standing at the outermost layer of the crowd, on the outskirts of the port city's coastal square. On the high platform in the center of the park stood a nobleman in gorgeous clothes. The guards below the stage were stacked in layers, separating the crowd from the podium.

"I repeat, there will be no city guards, no cleaners, and all ongoing construction projects will be stopped. The Earl will no longer allocate funds for any projects... All public expenditures that need to be borne by the Earl as a lord must be temporarily suspended!"

The noble man who made the announcement looked down at the noisy crowd below, his eyes full of contempt and arrogance: "Because of the new Grand Duke Triumphant's mandatory requirements to reduce taxes, set minimum wages, improve the living welfare of the people, set minimum survival guarantees... and policies radiating to various fields, the profits of many chambers of commerce have dropped sharply, and under this circumstance, taxation has become even more tense."

He did not disclose how these policies specifically affected the lords' fiscal revenue, or how much, as if he was just trying to give a general reason.

"And these requests from the Duke of Triumph have seriously affected the Earl's overall planning for the White Tide Port City over the past year, so the Earl needs to spend time to readjust the direction and content. The energy required is beyond your imagination. In addition to the reasons just described, the Earl's Mansion is no longer able to bear the majority of public expenditures."

"So strictly speaking, it's not that the Earl doesn't want to maintain order in Baitao Port City, but the city guards, service staff, and other people engaged in public affairs. The Earl's Mansion can no longer maintain their funds. According to the requirements of the Grand Duke of Triumph, we can only cut their salaries to half of the original, so no one is willing to continue working. It's that simple."

The noble man ignored the noise below and emphasized again that all public institutions in the port city would be shut down tomorrow, and even the city guards would not be dispatched to maintain law and order.

"However, the Earl is tolerant and kind, and he also respects the new Grand Duke Triumphant very much."

He said this with a sneer, "The welfare of the people will still be guaranteed. In this way, even if there is no city guard, everyone can hire guards to protect themselves. Hahahaha——"

"To some extent, this is no different from a direct fight... Xin, Xin? Miss Saint?"

Anser raised his hand and waved it twice in front of Xin's eyes: "What's wrong with you?"

"...Ah? I, nothing, I was just thinking..."

Xin, who was still imagining the battle with Anser in his mind, came back to his senses and immediately looked around. After being silent for almost two or three seconds, he slowly said:

"Why do these people not seem particularly scared?"

She was a little worried that Anser would notice that she was distracted just now, but fortunately Anser just looked at her twice, then chuckled and said, "Most ordinary people are actually quite dull about so-called political policies. They don't realize what will happen when the ruler does nothing and even fails to maintain the most basic order. They will only feel fear when the consequences come."

Mr. Xin thought that Anser wanted to say these words to Ming Fuluo, after all, she didn't care about these things, but Anser continued: "Now they only care about the benefits that are within their reach. Only when the guy above says that all the original benefits are cancelled, they will immediately become anxious."

"But since the nobles didn't do that, the commoners won't be anxious." Xin tilted his head, "In other words, there won't be chaos, right?"

Anser smiled and shook his head: "Do you think that after the rulers have made such a clear statement, their minions, their money-making tools, will still behave honestly?"

The young man turned his head to look at the merchant ships anchored at the port, his eyes fell on the people standing on the bows watching the show, and he sighed and said softly with pity: "Normally, there are many reasons to justify not paying. Even if there are restrictions now, it is entirely possible to use the means of stopping work as a symbol of resistance."

Xin blinked. Although she was not interested in the plight of either the commoners or the nobles, she gradually realized that this was also a good opportunity to experience from a deeper perspective how to disassemble and analyze the things in front of her, to... learn from Anser.

So, she asked curiously, "But if they stop working, won't they lose more?"

"Losing more? Do you know what losing more means to a businessman, Xin?"

"I don't understand this, Mr. Devil."

Anser's gaze moved from the merchant ship back to the crowd. In just a brief moment, hundreds of years of history from another world emerged in his mind.

"I prefer to call it by another term... but you really don't understand. Anyway, for businessmen, temporary losses are insignificant. What they cannot accept is the permanent and unlimited... increase in costs."

"They may not be completely unable to accept Miss Elalo's extremely harsh decrees, but they cannot accept Miss Elalo's madness."

Anser paused and said thoughtfully: "In fact, if Miss Elalo had compromised earlier and lowered the original standards by a few levels, or if she had not been so tough from the beginning, even if this chaos would eventually come, it would not have happened until a long time later."

"If it is done properly, perhaps more nobles will accept it. Once there are fewer people who accept it, no matter how unwilling the opponents are, they will not be able to achieve this."

"So, Your Excellency the Saint." Mr. Devil's face showed the smile of a winner again. "If you want to change the lives of these civilians and make them live a better life, there are many ways, but Miss Elallo chose a path that seems to be the most effective, but in fact it is just a way of deceiving oneself. Even the most clumsy politicians would not do such a thing."

"Next, no matter who becomes the new Grand Duke of Triumph, I'm afraid he will receive an extremely warm welcome."

Anser shrugged slightly:

"Now, do you still want to say that your salvation is correct?"

Xin didn't say anything, but her frown showed her current mood.

With Anser's explanation, she almost understood the whole story, but she also couldn't find anything that could clear Ellalo's name.

Although he still fully believed in the power of God, Xin's confusion became even stronger - how exactly could Ellalo solve the trouble he had created?

But now... no matter what, she would not admit that the redemption she brought to Elalo was wrong.

"It's not the end yet, Mr. Devil."

Xin stared at Anser: "The power of God is absolute. It enables me to bring salvation to the world, and there can be no mistakes."

If you want to win, you will win.

Xin was entangled in this longing. She wanted to rely on the power bestowed by God to get the reward called victory from the devil in front of her, with whom she could not even have an equal dialogue in the past.

Anser seemed very relaxed: "Okay, then I will continue to watch with you, it doesn't matter how long it takes."

He reached out to Xin, gently grasped the woman's falling hair and played with it, smiling: "Sir Saint, you will eventually realize that your salvation must have been wrong."

But at this moment, Xin was no longer indulged in the worship of God. He did not emphasize the power of God because of Anther's offense. Even though he had mentioned it to Anther repeatedly before, it was just a disguise.

She only cares about the God-given duty, and only cares about Mr. Devil who is more important than anyone else.