Category: As a villain, I just want them to behave

Chapter 191: Carol’s Ambitions

The Abyss was shrouded in a black curtain. According to the Werewolf King, the curtain was a magic spell that masked their presence.

They had to wait for nightfall. Then, the black curtain would not only cover the Abyss but also the entire second mine.

Using the curtain, everyone could perfectly conceal themselves, and their unique aura would be the best way to identify allies.

As night fell, visibility within the black curtain decreased, now only about thirty meters, barely enough to see the surrounding environment.

At 5:00 PM, the Abyssal forces had assembled.

All participants were ninth-rank mages, their numbers exceeding ten. Native Abyssal mages only accounted for half of the total.

The old Dragon King Bolton was assigned the vanguard position, accompanied by Roden and his two companions.

“Old Wolf, do you think we have a chance of defeating the Temple of the Celestial God and reclaiming the mines?” Bolton sighed, looking towards the second mine.

He knew that he had been abandoned by the Abyss, at least by the Abyss’s high command.

Except for those who were still kept in the dark, the Werewolf King had chosen a more conservative approach.

Because of the changes in the world, the Temple of the Celestial God had offered him more options.

Not everyone could let go of their past grudges. Some things were deeply ingrained. The Werewolf King was an exception.

“Yes, we have the advantage in numbers. What can the Temple’s garrison use to fight us? Charge with confidence, Bolton. If anything happens, I will definitely take good care of little Bella for you.”

The Werewolf King smiled and glanced at the teammates behind him. He saw many interesting expressions on their faces.

He didn’t think the Abyss would lose, but he didn’t think they would gain a significant advantage either.

For a certain entity, this was a necessary attrition, both for the Abyss and for the Pope’s forces.

Only when they had exhausted each other would that entity be willing to accept them.

Were there other options?

Yes, Kailun and the White Jade Alliance were both different choices, but the former was too domineering, and the latter was too weak.

Choosing the Temple of the Celestial God might not be the most righteous path, but relying on this giant tree, they could survive.

Chaos was approaching, and he had lost his ambition. Being able to protect his race’s continuation was already a great achievement. Sacrificing the others in the Abyss for this purpose was not unacceptable.

“Screw you! My Bella has someone to take care of her. You don’t have to worry.” The old Dragon King cursed.

Bella was very popular in the Abyss. Everyone was willing to take care of her, and many clan chiefs even treated her as one of their own.

Mentioning Bella, a sad smile appeared on Bolton’s old face. His granddaughter didn’t even bother to express concern for him before he went to war. She had said, “I trust Lord Kailun’s judgment. You will be safe and sound.”

He would really thank her. If Kailun sold him out, Bella might even help count the money and complain that he wasn’t worth much.

He was exhausted. He might as well just find a grave and lie down.

The Werewolf King smiled and shook his head. “It’s good to be on Kailun’s side.”

Bolton’s heart skipped a beat. “Old Wolf, if you’re interested, I can have Bella introduce you.”

“It’s too late.” The Werewolf King glanced at some people behind him and lowered his voice. “If something unexpected happens, I would like to ask you to take care of my race. These children have been sheltered by me for too long and have lost their fighting spirit. With a little guidance, they will be very obedient.”

Bolton didn’t say anything more after hearing this.

Roden glanced at Kailson and Philip, signaling them with his eyes to proceed according to the plan.

Kailun had arranged everything. They just needed to follow the steps with Bolton.

Forming alliances and fighting battles from thousands of miles away, effortlessly destroying the enemy with a smile… This kind of grand strategy made even the old butler Roden’s blood boil.

The world only knew that Kailun was holding a grand wedding, but they didn’t know that he had already made thorough preparations on the Abyssal battlefield.

The White Jade Alliance, the Abyss, the Empress, and even the Pope, who was cooperating with him, were all part of his calculations. It wasn’t an exaggeration to call him ruthless.

Ordinary morality couldn’t restrain Kailun. In the eyes of the public, he was someone who did whatever he wanted.

Kailson suddenly felt very fortunate to be on Kailun’s side. If he were his enemy, would he, with only eighth-rank strength, have a chance of survival?

Philip was even more convinced of the correctness of his decision. Only by following Lord Kailun could he fully demonstrate his abilities.

Two hours later, the black curtain completely enveloped the mine.

With the Werewolf King’s order, everyone charged towards the mine. Bolton and his three companions, at the front, quickly disappeared from the main force’s sight.

As they charged, Bolton suddenly noticed that the auras of the three people beside him were surging, as if their strength had doubled in an instant.

Bolton: “???”

It was too surreal, beyond his comprehension.

……

“We’ll go back home and get married after we win this war.” On the top of a mountain near the mine, Koya was holding Paul’s shoulder.

She looked up at the sky. The world was covered by a vast black curtain, her senses suppressed to the limit.

This suppression seemed to affect both friend and foe, disorienting everyone. It was a type of magic she had never heard of before.

“Okay, I promise you.”

Paul forced a smile. He had finally escaped from the two old men, only to encounter Koya.

When the black curtain covered the sky, he realized that a major battle was about to break out, so he wanted to find a safe place to hide and reap the benefits.

But he had run into Koya. It seemed that he couldn’t avoid it now.

He had absorbed most of Henry’s memories and his actual combat power had reached the level of an ordinary ninth-rank mage. He could participate in battles of average intensity, but a large-scale chaotic battle like this… He might be instantly killed if he wasn’t careful.

“Are you scared? Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

Koya smiled gently at Paul, stroking his face with her hand, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

As long as they won this war, she would have Paul return to the Temple of the Celestial God and become an important member.

“We should trust Her Holiness. She sent me an important magic letter this afternoon. I’ll give it to you now. You can learn it in half an hour.”

Koya chuckled and took out a crumpled magic letter from her pocket.

This magic letter not only contained various warnings from the Pope but also a special magic circle.

The effect of this magic was to alter one’s aura, transforming it into a special state.

Koya didn’t know why they had to do this, but since it was the Pope’s order, it definitely wouldn’t lead them to their deaths.

“I’ll try.”

Paul took the magic letter and carefully read the Pope’s warnings. The main content was to have Charles and the others learn the magic and be prepared. If the Abyssal forces attacked, they should activate the magic circle immediately.

But for some reason, he felt that this way of conveying information was somewhat familiar, familiar in a way that made him uncomfortable.

Paul looked at the magic circle. It was a special type of magic, not too difficult. He could probably learn it in an hour or so.

Koya: “Watch out!”

Whether it was luck or misfortune, before Paul could start learning, Koya deliberately shielded him.

She looked towards the Abyss with a serious expression, a strong sense of unease in her heart.

Within five seconds, four figures in black robes emerged from the black curtain, charging towards them with unstoppable force.

Koya didn’t have time to think. She quickly activated her defensive magic circle and took Paul to join the others.

With a deafening explosion, a chaotic battle erupted under the cover of the black curtain.

……

“Checkmate. You lost again, Your Holiness.”

Kailun ruthlessly checkmated the Pope again. This was their fifth game tonight.

“Want to play another round?” The Pope asked, looking at Kailun with a strange expression.

In the previous game, she had noticed that Kailun’s moves were becoming slower and slower, his thinking time longer and longer. The gap between their calculation abilities seemed to be narrowing.

Not only that, but she also felt that Kailun’s aura had weakened, although she wasn’t sure if it was intentional.

“No more. I’ve given you five chances, but you failed to seize any of them.”

Kailun played with the chess pieces while glancing at his communication device. He hadn’t received any messages for five minutes. The battle had probably already begun.

According to his calculations, this battle would last a long time.

Since the Empress’s people were using their unique auras to identify friend from foe, Kailun would use a similar method to blur their vision. This war would turn into a chaotic free-for-all.

He would have Roden and the others retreat at the right opportunity. Then, no matter how the two sides fought, it wouldn’t affect him.

The predetermined script was for the Abyss to achieve final victory, and both the Empress and the Pope of the Temple of the Celestial God would pay a heavy price.

The Pope shrank back, seeing the mischievous smile on Kailun’s lips. She felt that this demon had tricked her, but she couldn’t figure out what had gone wrong.

“If my calculations are correct, the Temple of the Celestial God is already fighting the Abyss. Who does Your Holiness think will win?”

Kailun put away the chessboard and asked.

“Shouldn’t the Empress’s faction be the ultimate loser?” The Pope frowned. “Don’t forget our agreement. The consequences of breaking it are not insignificant.”

Kailun took out the contract scroll from his pocket and opened it in front of the Pope. “The Empress will certainly be one of the losers, but not the only one. Having only one loser wouldn’t do justice to my plan. I have no intention of breaking the contract. I won’t order my subordinates to kill yours. But here’s the question: What if they die at the hands of someone else?”

The Pope’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing Kailun’s words.

She thought for a moment. Her instructions had been very conservative. As long as Charles and the others followed her orders, they shouldn’t suffer heavy losses.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe me. I’ll return your communication device. You can verify it yourself, Your Holiness. I hope you receive some interesting information. This way, you can make the right choice tomorrow.”

Kailun tossed another communication device to the Pope. “No need to thank me. After all, you’re my fiancée.”

He stretched and decided to go to the luxurious room next door to sleep. He couldn’t go back to his own room. If Afra discovered anything, he would be torn to pieces.

He was only first-rank now, with an estimated combat power of only a few minutes. It wasn’t reliable.

The Pope stared blankly at Kailun’s retreating figure, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

She was worried that her subordinates would be harmed and that she would be dragged to the wedding tomorrow, losing face in front of the whole world.

Then she would not only lose her position as Pope but also everything else.

But how could she agree to the other conditions? Become a pet? Let Kailun be the Pope?

It would be better to just smash her head against the wall.

As the Pope hesitated, Kailun suddenly received some news and rushed out of the dungeon. Not long after, she saw Afra, Chrissy, and Phils arrive, looking for Kailun.

For some reason, she felt a sense of oppression when the three women stood together.

Perhaps sensing her gaze, Chrissy secretly stuck her tongue out at her, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

……

Meanwhile, Kailun had hidden in Carol’s bed.

The most dangerous place was the safest place. Afra and the others would never think of looking for him next door.

He had to thank Anna tonight. If it weren’t for her warning, he would have been in deep trouble.

“Let me hide for a bit. I’ll go back to the dungeon later.”

Kailun rested his face on Carol’s smooth abdomen. Her fragrance calmed his restless heart.

“You’re not going anywhere!”

However, Carol was like an angry kitten. She wrapped her legs around Kailun’s neck, forcefully keeping him beside her.

“Ugh…”

Kailun gasped for air, his nose buried in her soft flesh. His breathing became even more rapid.

The thin nightgown couldn’t block his sensitive nose. As he lowered his head, he came into contact with different textures.

“Hmph~”

Kailun’s hot breath tickled Carol’s skin. She let out a strange sound, her legs tightening their grip, as if trying to merge him with her body.

Perhaps dying under a peony flower was truly a beautiful death. Kailun, his mind hazy, gradually sank into the embrace of her softness.

Fortunately, he quickly regained his senses. He pushed against her with his nose, making Carol’s body go limp.

Seizing this opportunity, Kailun freed himself from Carol’s grasp. He moved up and lay beside her pillow, pinching her cheeks.

“Your behavior just now made me very angry, so I’m going to punish you. Punish you for a lifetime…”

“A lifetime of what?”

Carol’s beautiful burgundy eyes sparkled with anticipation, her hands instinctively grabbing Kailun’s collar.

She suddenly realized that Kailun was very weak tonight, so weak that he couldn’t even resist her.

Realizing this, the anticipation in her eyes turned into a dark glint.

“My stomach hurts. I need to use the bathroom. I’ll tell you later.”

Kailun sensed danger and quickly got out of bed.

“Thump!”

However, Carol didn’t give him a chance to escape. She grabbed his ankle, pulled him back onto the bed, and then sat on his waist.

The dark glint in her eyes intensified. “I want to take what belongs to the Pope. I want you to miss tomorrow’s wedding. I want…”

Chapter 190: Will You Marry Me?

At 7:00 PM, Kailun left the dungeon.

Their negotiations had gone smoothly. After all, the Pope would rather let the Empress suffer losses than experience them herself.

If she ever saw the light of day again, she could still use her remaining power to seek opportunities. Otherwise, she would truly have nothing left.

The Empress’s support for the Abyss clearly had ulterior motives, and Kailun’s reasons for supporting the Abyss were unknown.

If she did nothing, her people stationed at the mine would be attacked from multiple sides.

Although they had a few reinforcements from the White Jade Alliance, how much effort would those outsiders put in?

After considering these issues, she reached a cooperation agreement with Kailun, targeting the Empress together.

To ensure the smooth progress of their cooperation, she sent magic letters to Charles and Koya under Kailun’s watchful eye, ensuring the success of the subsequent plan.

Thus, the Abyss, the White Jade Alliance, Kailun, and the Pope temporarily stood on the same side.

“Have I betrayed the Temple of the Celestial God?”

The Pope looked up at the dim light in the cell, her eyes filled with dejection.

In just a few days, she had been reduced from the proud Pope to a captive at the mercy of others. Even she found it hard to accept such a blow.

She couldn’t understand how someone from a remote small country could surpass her at the age of seventeen or eighteen. It was irrational, completely defying common sense.

She knew that she had only reached her current level thanks to the sacrifices of the Saints. Without the “self-sacrifice” of past Saints, she wouldn’t have been able to reach the ninth rank.

So what about Kailun?

Not only him, but even that silver-haired girl was absurdly strong.

According to the Temple of the Celestial God’s investigation, two months ago, Kailun was just a useless first-rank mage. The entire Xiya Kingdom didn’t even have many seventh-rank mages. It was a small, insignificant place that didn’t even catch the attention of major forces.

But in just two short months, a demon named Kailun had emerged in the Xiya Kingdom. He had not only seized control of the royal family but also eliminated all opposition.

Even the Temple of the Celestial God’s army couldn’t defeat him, and Saint Chrissy, who had gone to investigate, had been captured.

Two months ago, the Abyss was the land of destruction. Now, the Xiya Kingdom was the catalyst for the world’s demise. The Pope believed that the root of all evil lay with Kailun.

She had to investigate this thoroughly!

“Can I really not kill him with my own power?”

The Pope then raised a new question. She desperately wanted to kill Kailun and end all of this, but the harsh reality told her that she didn’t have the ability.

Not only could she not kill Kailun, but she was slowly falling into his rhythm.

Chrissy was her weakness, the power of the Temple of the Celestial God was something she didn’t want to let go of, her own honor… she cared about it a little.

She wanted everything but could get nothing.

To preserve her own power, she had chosen to sacrifice the Empress’s forces. Everything was developing according to Kailun’s wishes.

“If I can’t find a solution, will I really have to marry him? I might as well die…”

The Pope habitually banged her head against the wall, but this time, it was a light tap.

Just as she was feeling utterly defeated, Helena entered the cell, carrying a food box. She first glanced around and then whispered, “Your Holiness, I brought you some fresh food. Please eat. I didn’t poison it.”

The Pope looked at the excited Helena: “…”

If the food wasn’t poisoned, she would smash her head against the wall on the spot.

“Thud!”

A whip fell from Helena’s sleeve and landed on the floor. The Pope followed the sound and saw that the whip had barbs.

“Sorry, I found this in the corridor. Maybe Phils dropped it.”

Helena quickly picked up the whip. She didn’t have the key to the cell, so she couldn’t enter. What a pity.

“Pell, aren’t you afraid that I’ll take revenge on you after I escape?” The Pope asked, sighing.

Helena smiled confidently. “Don’t worry, Your Holiness. I’ve investigated. Once someone is targeted by Lord Kailun, they have no chance of escaping. Hilna, Chrissy, and now you. You will pay the price for your recklessness. Venturing alone into enemy territory was your biggest mistake.”

“It seems you don’t understand anything, Pell. I told you before that the Xiya Kingdom is connected to the root of the world’s destruction. I only dared to infiltrate because I was certain that this trip to the Xiya Kingdom wouldn’t lead to the world’s demise. I just didn’t expect…”

The Pope’s voice trailed off, her heart filled with confusion. Her head was about to explode.

“Then did Your Holiness foresee your own capture?” Helena asked.

Pope: “… The results of divination are not reliable. Don’t be obsessed with that thing anymore.”

She had never considered the possibility of being captured. After all, as one of the most powerful people in the world, she was confident in her ability to come and go freely.

“Anyway, let’s eat first. You haven’t eaten anything all day.” Helena urged again, holding the food box.

The Pope glared at Helena and ignored her. She went to a corner, lay down on the wooden plank bed, and turned her back to Helena.

She would sleep now. It was better for this world to be destroyed.

……

The next day arrived as scheduled. Not only the manor but also the entire Xiya Kingdom was bustling with activity.

News of the wedding had spread throughout the kingdom yesterday, and the already lively Royal City was now decorated with lanterns and streamers, cleaned and tidied up.

They didn’t know who the bride was, and there were many speculations circulating among the people.

Many major forces cast doubtful glances. They couldn’t understand why Kailun would hold a grand wedding at this time. It didn’t make sense.

However, to avoid being targeted by Kailun, many leaders secretly sent their subordinates with valuable gifts.

At this point, Kailun’s status had been acknowledged. No one dared to underestimate him.

After all, he was a formidable figure who could stand up to the Temple of the Celestial God. If they provoked this madman, who knew if he would launch a surprise attack from thousands of miles away?

The world was currently divided into four parts: the Temple of the Celestial God, the Xiya Kingdom, the Abyss, and the White Jade Alliance. It seemed chaotic, but many had already chosen their sides.

Many mid-sized forces wanted to take this opportunity to establish diplomatic relations with the Xiya Kingdom. Numerous kings took the initiative to visit the Royal City, some even offering their kingdoms in exchange for protection.

Any discerning person could see that the world was about to undergo a major reshuffle. It wouldn’t be easy to survive by playing both sides.

Kailun woke up early today. He had read almost all the books he needed to read and currently had no obvious weaknesses.

He decided to take Carol for a walk around the manor and see if there was anything else that needed to be arranged.

He didn’t have much feeling for these ceremonial things. As long as Carol was satisfied, it was enough.

“The preparations will be completed by tonight. The wedding can be held smoothly tomorrow. Do we need to prepare a wedding dress for the Pope?”

Carol, walking beside Kailun, asked in a resentful voice.

“No, the Pope can wear her own clothes.” Kailun replied without turning his head.

Seeing Kailun’s indifferent attitude, Carol became even angrier. She quickened her pace and grabbed his sleeve. “Really? No need to prepare a wedding dress for the Pope?”

“The Pope has her own clothes. Not many people will be coming to the manor. It won’t matter.”

Kailun patted Carol’s head.

The wedding would be held at his manor, and only a select few invited guests would be attending.

He would also host a banquet in the Royal City for the other guests. He would cover all the food and drinks tomorrow.

For Kailun, the small building and courtyard in his manor were private spaces, not suitable for a wedding.

The square in the manor was perfect, spacious and grand, without any restrictions.

“Alright, I understand…” Carol bit her lip.

She wanted to say that tomorrow was also her birthday and ask Kailun if he had prepared any gifts, but the words wouldn’t come out.

What kind of maid actively asked for gifts? Wouldn’t that be overstepping her boundaries?

“Don’t overthink it. You’ve done very well. You can rest after today. If you’re too busy, ask Winnie and the elf sisters to help you.”

Kailun gently pulled Carol’s cheek.

He wasn’t oblivious. He could tell what Carol was thinking.

He could have told her directly, but that would ruin the surprise. So he hesitated.

In a way, this kind of “delayed gratification” surprise was meaningless.

But seeing Carol’s resentful eyes, he couldn’t help but want to tease her, to see her happy expression afterwards.

It was his wicked sense of humor, his bad personality. He was lucky he hadn’t been beaten to death yet.

Kailun should be grateful that Carol couldn’t defeat him now.

There was no denying that Kailun’s very existence was twisted. Those around him were more or less affected by this, and currently, only Carol seemed relatively normal.

Afra was purely obsessive, Anna’s love was twisted, Phils was a complete pervert, and Illusion and Vivian were definitely not normal.

Fox had her own issues, but they hadn’t fully manifested yet.

As for Hilna, Winnie, and Ella, they were just three little pets.

Bella, the dragon girl, carried the desire to continue her lineage, Isabella was still an ally for now, and Edlin could be easily manipulated with money.

Currently, only Queen Rose and Carol were relatively normal. The others were less significant and would be dealt with later.

Recalling all this, Kailun realized that he had gathered so many “confidantes” in less than two months. Perhaps, as others had said, he had a fetish for collecting pure and beautiful girls.

“Let’s go and take a look at the square in the manor. It should be almost decorated by now.”

Kailun rubbed Carol’s cheek again.

Seeing her resentful gaze, he couldn’t help but smile. “If, and I mean if, if I proposed to you, would you agree?”

Carol rolled her eyes at Kailun and replied in a jealous tone, “I’d rather be your maid for life than your wife. I would reject you outright and make you sad for a whole day!”

“Is that so? I’ll remember that. Let’s go, let’s go for another walk.”

Kailun held Carol’s hand and walked ahead. He didn’t dare to turn around because Carol would see the smile on his lips.

Dishonest people should be punished.

Yes, he was talking about Carol.

Chapter 189: Different Stances

“Transfer one million gold coins to Carol for backup. Give her more if it’s not enough. We’re not short of gold now.”

After saying goodbye to Carol, Kailun found Phils. Most of the domestic finances were currently managed by Phils and Ella.

He had previously mentioned letting Hilna manage the economy, but it would take some time for her to master dancing.

“One million gold coins? Do we really need that much?”

Phils was taken aback, her hand pausing as she was writing.

“It’s not much. This wedding is a large-scale event, and there are many expenses.”

Kailun sat down beside Phils, leaning back in his chair and observing her.

When she was focused, Phils didn’t seem like a pervert at all. She looked like a beautiful girl with a noble aura.

He reached out and played with her smooth chin, a subtle smile on his lips.

“But Queen Rose just spent five million gold coins yesterday to acquire the Madden and Kaz Kingdoms. She depleted a lot of her reserves. She’s going against you, deliberately inflating the price and draining your resources to make things difficult for you. Given how much the kings of Madden and Kaz fear you, one or two million gold coins would have been enough.”

Phils rubbed her chin against Kailun’s hand, dissatisfied with Rose’s actions. This kind of “betrayal” deserved punishment.

And she would love to be involved in the punishment.

Kailun stroked Phils’s moist red lips with his thumb. “I know about this. Bruce told me from the beginning. Not only that, but the kings of Madden and Kaz also contacted me. You said they fear me, so how could they dare to keep the money for themselves?”

He chuckled. “So, the five million gold coins will eventually return to my pocket. But since it was a purchase, I’ll still symbolically give them one million. This way, only Rose will be kept in the dark. When she comes back, I can use this opportunity to confront her. I wonder if Her Majesty will cry.”

Phils felt much better after hearing this. “Take me with you then. I also want to see how this queen cries.”

She then asked, “Are you really planning to marry the Pope?”

“Guess.”

Kailun withdrew his hand. This was a surprise. It wouldn’t be fun to reveal it too early.

“Then… Do you think I have a chance?”

Phils rubbed her hands together, her eyes shining. She still dreamed of becoming a princess.

Kailun: “Yes, when your family becomes a ducal family.”

Phils pushed Kailun away, speechless. “… Go play somewhere else. I have work to do. Don’t disturb me.”

Whether her family became a ducal family or not was just a matter of Kailun’s words. He was clearly making excuses.

Phils felt a bit unhappy. Anyone but the Pope.

Why let an outsider be the first?

“What a stubborn girl, just like Carol.”

Kailun stood up and ruffled Phils’s hair. Satisfied with her annoyed expression, he left the room.

There were only two days left until the wedding. He not only had to bring his parents over but also make many other preparations.

Although he would invite many people, most of them probably wouldn’t come.

After all, he had a history. The first time he had hosted a banquet, he had eliminated the forces of the First Princess and the Second Prince. The second time, he had almost killed all the nobles.

Anyone who knew about his past wouldn’t dare to come.

Their lives were more important. Who knew if Kailun would suddenly go on a killing spree during the wedding banquet?

Moreover, most people were currently focused on the Abyssal mine. That was the main battlefield.

The information Kailun had released only mentioned that he was holding a wedding. The specific details were unknown.

Leaving Phils’s room, Kailun pondered for a moment and then left the manor, heading for the Chamber of Commerce. He needed Ella’s help to prepare some things.

……

“Which kingdom do you want to acquire next? Is three million gold coins enough? Not enough? Then five million!”

Queen Rose pointed at the map with an air of confidence and excitement. She was happy because she had spent five million gold coins.

“Sigh, Kailun will hold a grudge against you for this. Why bother?”

Bruce sighed. His stubborn granddaughter was retaliating against Kailun in her own way.

But she didn’t realize that all of her actions were within Kailun’s grasp. The current Rose was just his plaything.

If Kailun lost interest in Rose one day, would his granddaughter still have the capital to be arrogant?

“It doesn’t matter. As long as he suffers a little, I don’t care if he holds a grudge against me. In fact, even if I don’t do this, he won’t let me go. In his eyes, I’m just a toy that can bring him pleasure.”

A glint of madness flashed in Rose’s eyes. Kailun’s actions had driven her to extremes.

“You’re quite open-minded. If you have the chance to contact Lord Kailun in the future, please put in a good word for me.”

Bruce chuckled, as if imagining something pleasant.

Rose: “…”

The grandfather in front of her had become a stranger, even worse than a stranger. He wouldn’t hesitate to sell her for a chance to advance to the ninth rank.

Perhaps this was the norm in this world. Everyone prioritized their own interests. Family affection was the least valuable thing among royalty and nobility.

They valued their families, but what they truly valued was the family’s glory, not the family’s bonds.

Bruce glanced at the map. “Lord Kailun said there’s a wedding in three days and asked us to go back. Acquiring the kingdoms can be postponed.”

“I’m not going.” Rose clenched her fists stubbornly.

Bruce: “Suit yourself. If you don’t go, the Rose Kingdom might be attacked by thieves again. And no one will be able to help you then.”

“… I’ll go!”

Rose’s clenched fists loosened.

She couldn’t take it anymore. She would go back and “self-destruct” with Kailun!

……

“I have a bad feeling. Do you think they will really fight?”

In a hidden corner thirty miles away from the second mine, a group of people hidden in the trees were talking among themselves.

They belonged to the Empress and had been ordered to lie in wait and reap the spoils of war.

Their targets were not only the ninth-rank mages from the Abyss but also those under the Pope’s command.

Before the operation began, they had realized that this was a power struggle, a shift in the balance of power within the Temple of the Celestial God.

Another person, sitting on a branch, replied, “They probably will. The reinforcements from the Temple of the Celestial God have arrived, and the Abyss has agreed. Everything is proceeding according to Her Majesty’s plan.”

“Then the question is, everyone else’s reinforcements have arrived. Where are ours?”

“I don’t know. I heard that the Empire has been infiltrated by a large number of illegal miners, and Her Majesty is dealing with it. Some say these miners are dangerous. They can self-destruct, and their power is comparable to ninth-rank magic.”

“I know about this. Last time, the Pope was about to win her expedition, but then some people self-destructed and repelled their attack. I heard that these self-destructing ‘fireworks’ come from Kailun of the Xiya Kingdom. Do you think this is a new type of ninth-rank magic?”

“…”

They all fell silent. They understood the implications of a “firework” that could self-destruct at any time.

If the Empire was truly infiltrated by these miners, it would be like having countless unexploded ninth-rank magic spells lurking within its body.

Therefore, the Empress had sent many people to hunt them down, but the number of miners was too large. They had concealed their identities and infiltrated the Empire from various directions.

“Let’s wait for Her Majesty’s orders. We have five people here. It should be enough.”

The leader, standing at the highest point, looked at the second mine and sighed.

Everyone was restrained. Both the Temple of the Celestial God and the Abyss were stuck here, unable to move.

They had invested too much and couldn’t easily withdraw. If this war wasn’t fought well, they wouldn’t be able to smoothly complete the power shift and would suffer heavy losses.

They were numb. Everyone was carefully preparing for war, but Kailun, the catalyst for this conflict, was holding a wedding.

The leader felt exasperated upon learning this news. Kailun was the one who had caused all this!

“The Abyss will attack tomorrow night. We’ll wait until the Pope’s forces and the Abyss have exhausted each other, then we’ll enter the fray and reap the spoils. There are three of our people on the Abyss’s side. Pay attention to their auras. Don’t kill the wrong people.”

After giving his final instructions, the leader disappeared from the treetop.

The remaining people looked at each other, a sense of foreboding washing over them.

……

As time passed, various arrangements were being made.

Besides Carol and Phils, even Fox and Bella expressed their dissatisfaction with Kailun. Illusion and Vivian even suggested sleeping in separate beds, saying they wouldn’t talk to him for the next few days.

It was clear that they were very unhappy with the Pope, believing that this enemy wasn’t worthy.

Kailun just chuckled and didn’t say much. To deceive the Pope, he had to deceive his own people first. This way, the subsequent plan could proceed smoothly.

He hadn’t expected that even Carol would be kept in the dark. It seemed that her talent wasn’t omnipotent after all.

In the evening, Kailun went to the dungeon again to visit the Pope.

The first thing he saw when he opened the door was Chrissy playing chess with the Pope. Helena was standing beside them, holding a whip, eager to try.

Seeing that their game was nearing its end, he stood aside and watched. After a few minutes, the Pope crushed Chrissy with an overwhelming advantage.

“Your Holiness, would you like to play a game with me? If you win, I’ll let you return to the Temple of the Celestial God.”

Kailun shooed Chrissy away, sat down on the warm chair, and asked.

“Are you serious?” The Pope asked, licking her dry lips.

Kailun rearranged the chessboard. “Of course, I’m not that bored. If you don’t believe me, we can sign a contract.”

“What if I lose?” The Pope asked again.

“There are no conditions if you lose. I just want to play a game with you.”

Kailun casually took out a standard contract scroll. “I told you we can sign a contract. I’m a very honest person.”

He wrote down the detailed terms and left his mark.

“You’re so skilled at this.” Chrissy couldn’t help but comment.

His movements were fluid and practiced, as if he had done this countless times.

“It’s nothing. I’m used to it. Too many people have signed contracts with me.” Kailun tossed the completed contract to the Pope.

She looked at it with confusion. The content was very normal.

If she won, Kailun would release her and let her return to the Temple of the Celestial God. If she lost, there would be no punishment.

She looked at Kailun, unable to understand his thoughts.

Did he really think she would win?

What a joke! The only person in the entire Temple of the Celestial God who could match her in chess was the Empress. What made this mere teenager think he could win?

“You will pay for your arrogance.” The Pope snorted coldly.

Five minutes later, the Pope leaned forward, her hands on her knees, her face filled with dejection. “I lost…”

She had lost utterly in just five minutes, her intelligence crushed, her calculations completely overwhelmed. She didn’t even have a chance to fight back.

Kailun seemed to be playing without thinking. Each of his moves took less than a second, always following her lead.

The relentless pressure made her suffocate.

She looked up, and he smiled kindly at her. “Would you like to continue, Your Holiness?”

Pope: “…”

[Your extraordinary mental power terrifies the Pope. She’s starting to fear you. Goodwill -1, Total Goodwill -86]

This was good news for Kailun.

“I don’t understand your moves. Did you calculate all the possibilities?”

Chrissy’s eyes were filled with curiosity. So this was what Kailun looked like when he was serious. Invincible.

Kailun put away the chessboard. “More or less. It was just a simple calculation.”

“Don’t brag. How could a human’s mental power be capable of considering all possibilities?” Chrissy poked Kailun’s face.

“I can let you try next time. You can play a few games with the Pope. But now, we need to talk about some business. For the sake of Her Holiness’s dignity, you two should leave first.”

Kailun handed the chessboard to Chrissy, urging her and Helena to leave.

Helena hesitated for a moment and then nodded. She wouldn’t cause trouble for Kailun when it came to business.

After the dungeon door closed again, Kailun got straight to the point. “I believe Your Holiness might not know that the Abyss will launch an attack on the second mine tomorrow night. They will have close to ten ninth-rank mages. It might seem like their numbers are similar to the forces you have stationed at the mine, but have you considered that the Empress might also participate?”

The Pope was startled. She quickly stood up. “The Empress wouldn’t do that! It would be a loss for the entire Temple of the Celestial God!”

“Oh? Does Your Holiness really think so?”

Kailun reached through the bars and grabbed the Pope’s hair. “What if I told you that the Abyss’s reinforcements actually came from the Empress?”

The Pope didn’t slap Kailun’s hand away. She was stunned by his words.

She asked, “What do you want? How can I believe that your information is accurate?”

“Cooperation. I will do my best to preserve your forces, and you will help me weaken the Empress’s forces. As for how to believe me, I have a way to help you verify it.”

Kailun’s hand moved to the top of the Pope’s head, pressing down on her.

The Pope instinctively shivered and shrank back.

Chapter 188: Carol’s Resentment

The heavy iron bars of the dungeon gate divided the world into two sides. One side was immersed in sorrow, while the other was lost in desire.

The sounds of passion echoed through the prison, tormenting the Pope’s mind.

Watching Chrissy, the one she cared about the most, with her changing expressions and gazes, a chill ran down her spine.

The Pope wanted to cover her ears, but Chrissy held her hands tightly, leaving her trapped.

She wanted to kick Kailun, but he was hiding behind Chrissy, enjoying himself.

More importantly, her strength was completely suppressed. She could only exert the power of a first or second-rank mage, not enough to harm Kailun at all.

“Don’t… Don’t do this…”

The Pope shook her head sadly, her long blonde hair swaying behind her.

The reality she witnessed shattered her composure, her strong defenses crumbling.

“Your Holiness still cares about me. But it’s too late now. I can’t escape anymore. I just want to indulge in this moment of bliss forever. Do you know? This feeling of living in a dream…”

Chrissy let go of one of the Pope’s hands and stroked her head, a satisfied smile on her face.

“…”

The Pope remained silent, her lips sealed. She had so much to say, but the words were stuck in her throat.

She couldn’t understand this twisted mindset. It was irrational.

“Stop teasing the Pope. If you keep pushing her, she might have a mental breakdown. The noble and pure Pope can’t handle this.”

Kailun tied Chrissy’s golden hair into a ponytail and held it in his hand.

He gently pulled on her ponytail, and Chrissy tilted her head back, letting out a soft moan.

“Ugh~ You’re the one teasing the Pope. It has nothing to do with me. Chrissy knows nothing~”

She leaned back, pressing against Kailun’s waist.

‘This little vixen,’ Kailun thought with amusement and increased the pressure on her hair.

“Can you two just die already…”

The Pope, seizing a moment of Chrissy’s weakness, broke free from her grasp and ran to the corner of the room, covering her ears with her hands and closing her eyes.

Only by blocking out the sights and sounds could she calm down. If this continued, she would definitely be “corrupted.”

“Snap!”

However, Kailun casually drew a magic circle, amplifying all the sounds in the Pope’s mind.

“Your Holiness, did you think covering your ears would be enough?”

Kailun chuckled. He had learned many strange spells from Kailson.

“Demon!”

The sounds of passion echoed in her mind again. She opened her eyes and glared at Kailun.

The Pope, in a moment of desperation, slammed her head against the wall.

With a dull thud, she fainted as she had wished.

Kailun praised, “If only the First Princess had this kind of determination. She wouldn’t be in her current state.”

“What a pity. It feels like it’s less fun now that the Pope has fainted. Are you slacking off?”

Chrissy turned to Kailun, hinting that he wasn’t doing enough.

He rolled his eyes and pulled on Chrissy’s skirt. “Why have you become even more perverted than Phils? This isn’t a good sign.”

“Don’t you like this kind of pervert?” Chrissy pouted, swaying her hips.

Kailun considered it for a moment. “Not bad. Please intensify your efforts.”

He snapped his fingers again and cast a healing spell on the Pope. The high-rank magic circle covered her body, and she regained consciousness within moments.

However, for the Pope, this was just a continuation of her torture. She looked at Kailun, seeing the mischievous smile on his lips.

She swore that if she ever had a chance to escape, she would tear Kailun to pieces.

[The Pope’s malice towards you is boiling over. Goodwill -3, Total Goodwill -85]

Thinking of this, the Pope slammed her head against the wall again, this time with even more force.

However, her suicidal actions didn’t stop Kailun. As long as she didn’t die instantly and her soul wasn’t destroyed, he wasn’t worried.

Don’t forget, among the magic copied by Fox, there was time-related magic. He could now perform short-range time reversals.

However, this time reversal had significant drawbacks: long casting time, high mana consumption, high cost, many restrictions… He wouldn’t use it lightly unless the Pope was dead.

To be honest, although this magic sounded powerful, its practical use was limited. It wasn’t suitable for combat and didn’t live up to its name.

“Thud!”

“Thud!”

“…”

For the next half hour, the sound of “thuds” echoed through the dungeon. If you listened carefully, you would notice that the impact became weaker and weaker until it stopped completely.

The Pope lay sprawled on the ground, her vision blurry as she looked at the dark ceiling above.

“Just give up. You can’t kill yourself by doing that. Kailun will only get more excited. Sigh, Your Holiness, why don’t you surrender and enjoy yourself with me? Then we can conquer Kailun together, north and south.”

Chrissy couldn’t help but try to persuade the Pope to surrender.

She was a traitor, but she hoped for a better ending for the Pope.

Considering Kailun’s perspective, only a living Pope was a useful Pope.

Moreover, could the Temple of the Celestial God’s hegemony last forever?

The answer was no. She didn’t think their dominance could be maintained.

The world had suffered under their tyranny for too long. Many harbored a desire for revenge, and Kailun’s existence had, to some extent, intensified this change in mindset.

But for now, most people were more concerned about their immediate interests. After all, the Temple of the Celestial God still held absolute power.

But what would happen after this new war?

Thinking of this, Chrissy continued in a soft voice, “Your Holiness might not know this, but Kailun has already made plans for the second mine. If you don’t face this matter seriously, the Temple of the Celestial God might suffer a huge loss.”

Hearing this, the Pope quickly got up from the ground, clutching her dizzy head as she walked towards the bars. “Tell me, what do you want?”

The Pope’s voice was filled with helplessness. She felt like she was going crazy.

She couldn’t do anything, only watch helplessly as Chrissy became the kind of person she despised.

She felt that she was neither a competent “mother” nor a qualified leader.

She had infiltrated the enemy’s territory, only to be played like a fiddle. Because of her mistake, the entire Temple of the Celestial God would suffer a major blow.

“I think I’ve made my demands very clear. Three options: Let me be the Pope, kill the Empress, or be my pet.”

Kailun looked at the Pope, his expression slightly more serious this time.

“No.”

The Pope hesitated. Making these choices was worse than death to her.

Kailun shrugged nonchalantly. “It seems we have nothing to talk about. Then I can only bully you while waiting for the wedding. I’ll introduce you to the whole world and let everyone know about your existence.”

“Can you tell me who’s behind you? If you can tell me that, I might consider your demands. After all, you have to let me know who my enemy is before I make a choice, right?”

The Pope gripped the bars, her eyes bloodshot.

Both Kailun and the silver-haired girl in the robe were too strange. They possessed power beyond the norm.

Kailun chuckled. “I can tell you, but you have to make a choice first. Or we can wait until after the wedding.”

Pope: “… You’re truly impossible to deal with.”

“Time’s almost up. I have to go and prepare for the wedding. I’ll let Chrissy keep you company. I’m sure you two have a lot to talk about.”

Kailun released Chrissy’s ponytail and adjusted his pants.

“Ugh~”

Chrissy moaned softly, a satisfied look in her eyes.

“See you later, Your Holiness. Don’t miss me too much.” Kailun waved to the Pope and left the dungeon.

“That demon will be punished by heaven sooner or later!”

The Pope glared at Kailun’s retreating figure, cursing through gritted teeth.

She then looked at Chrissy’s long leg, clad in a black over-the-knee stocking, with a mixture of disgust and heartache. “Aren’t you going to wipe it?”

Chrissy looked down at her thigh. “I’m used to it. It doesn’t matter. Your Holiness, you don’t know. When I first met Kailun, he always bullied me. He would spend hours with me every day. Now that I think about it, that time was probably the happiest.”

“Call me by my name. Don’t call me ‘Your Holiness’ or use honorifics.”

The Pope’s heart ached even more. She reached her hand through the wide gap between the bars, caressed Chrissy’s cheek, and asked, “Why did you choose to follow him? He’s the demon who bullied you! Come back to me, okay? We’ll find a way to escape together.”

Chrissy held the Pope’s hand. “Escape? No, you misunderstand me. I never thought about escaping. We were enemies at first, but we don’t have to be enemies forever. Now, I can see more interesting things, find more exciting pleasures, and enjoy a more fulfilling life. For me, this was the right choice. I believe he’s someone who can change the world.”

Chrissy’s stance had changed. She was completely on Kailun’s side.

Initially, she had only been drawn to Kailun because of her mental contamination, but as they interacted, a feeling beyond physical desire had gradually developed.

This feeling was purer, more captivating. Chrissy wanted to explore it further.

That was why she was trying her best to bring the Pope to her side.

However, she also knew that it would be difficult to change the stubborn Pope.

So she made a new suggestion. “Let’s play chess, like we used to.”

The Pope nodded dejectedly. “… Okay.”

……

Leaving the dungeon, Kailun saw Carol at the entrance.

The moment she saw him, she leaned closer and sniffed his clothes, then made a disgusted face. “It smells like Chrissy.”

Kailun coughed awkwardly and asked, stroking Carol’s hair, “Have you finished planning the wedding?”

Carol lowered her head, her small hands behind her back nervously intertwined. “I’ve made a preliminary plan, but the specific details still need your approval.”

Her voice was tinged with grievance. It was her birthday, yet she had to plan someone else’s wedding.

Kailun had even told her to be in charge of everything, to do it according to her ideas, to make it perfect.

It felt like watching someone steal Kailun away from her, and she had to smile and congratulate them.

It hurt, it hurt so much.

Carol glanced at Kailun resentfully. He was actually chuckling.

“Tsk! You pig…”

Carol stomped on Kailun’s foot and ran away, not even bothering to probe his mood further.

Chapter 187: Where Are You, Your Holiness?

After leaving Chrissy’s mansion, the group was greeted by a scene of devastation, with numerous collapsed houses.

Fortunately, the battle between Afra and the Pope had ended quickly, keeping the property damage to an acceptable level.

Once the area was deemed safe, the Royal City knights began clearing the debris and assisting the affected civilians. The cost of the damage would be temporarily covered by the national treasury.

However, all expenses would eventually be billed to the Temple of the Celestial God, with interest, at a more opportune time.

Only a few people knew about the incident. Kailun immediately released a statement claiming he had been targeted by a ninth-rank assassin and was currently investigating the motive behind the attack. He also publicly inquired if any organization would claim responsibility.

“Take Her Holiness back. The manor’s dungeon hasn’t had a new guest in a while. Oh, right, I need to prepare the worst cell for the Pope. We have to let her experience the life of a captive.”

Kailun and his group reached the carriage. Helena was carrying the Pope.

“Understood. I will take good care of Her Holiness and ensure she has no chance of escaping.”

From an angle hidden from the others, Helena secretly pinched the Pope’s butt.

Her interests aligned with Kailun’s, so restricting the Pope was a necessity.

The extent of Helena’s former respect for the Pope was now matched by her rebellious spirit.

“I trust your judgment. But tonight, stay with Chrissy at the mansion and keep up the act. Come find me tomorrow. We’re going back to rest now. We’ll probably be quite busy in the next few days.”

Kailun took the Pope from Helena, greeted Chrissy, and jumped into the carriage.

Afra followed closely behind, still acting as the coachman.

Watching Kailun’s carriage leave, Chrissy shook her head regretfully. “What a pity. I thought I could share a bed with the Pope and fight side by side with her tonight.”

“Indeed, it’s a shame. But there will be other opportunities to whip Her Holiness. I believe Lord Kailun won’t lie to me.”

Helena rubbed her dagger with a satisfied expression. An assassin without a dagger wasn’t a good traitor.

She was tired of being the Pope’s “dirty glove.”

Although the life of blood and blades could stimulate her senses, it wasn’t as exciting as whipping the Pope.

Wouldn’t it be interesting to see the once high and mighty Pope reduced to the same state as Chrissy?

“Let’s go back and rest. We’ll wake up early tomorrow and go find him.”

Chrissy stretched, yawning as she walked towards the mansion. Within a hundred meters, only the building she resided in remained intact.

……

“Any new instructions from Her Holiness?”

“No, probably proceed according to the original plan.”

“We have to trust Her Holiness. There are already ten ninth-rank mages gathered at this mine. What power does the Abyss have to challenge us?”

“That’s true.”

At night, the group from the White Jade Alliance sat around a table, talking.

It was worth noting that Paul was sitting at the head of the table, flanked by the two old men. Koya and Charles sat opposite him.

If it weren’t for the bigger picture, Koya would have chosen to sit beside Paul.

Charles was the most frustrated. His leadership was subtly being usurped by Paul.

The two old men favored Paul, and so did Koya. Due to his own actions, his colleagues at the mine also looked down on him.

This put Charles in an awkward position. What was even worse was that he couldn’t contact the Pope.

“By the way, can we join the Temple of the Celestial God as long as we cooperate this time?” One of the old men asked, playing with Paul’s hand.

They had agreed to help not only because of Paul’s strange charm but also for their own benefit.

The White Jade Alliance might have many strong individuals, but they were a disorganized mess, incapable of achieving great things. It was more reassuring to rely on a behemoth like the Temple of the Celestial God.

They had to hedge their bets.

“Yes, Her Holiness said that as long as we protect the second mine, she will allow you to join the Temple of the Celestial God.”

It was Paul who answered. After speaking, he even raised an eyebrow at Charles triumphantly.

Four against one, the advantage was his.

Although the process was a bit disgusting, as long as he could achieve his goal, it was a success.

Charles gritted his teeth, wanting to kick Paul.

He should have risked injury and forcefully killed Paul. He could tell now that Paul was a disaster waiting to happen.

But as soon as he had this thought, Koya glared at him warningly.

He couldn’t defeat Koya, let alone the two old men sitting beside Paul.

Charles suppressed his anger and sighed deeply, standing up. “I’m going out for some fresh air.”

Everyone stared at him with mocking smiles.

Charles clenched his fists inside his sleeves. Just as he was about to leave the room, his communication device received a new message.

He thought it was a magic letter from the Pope and quickly took it out, but it was just some unimportant information.

“Heh, I didn’t expect Kailun of the Xiya Kingdom to be targeted by a ninth-rank female assassin. They even damaged a corner of the Royal City. Good, that’s great. It would be even better if they had killed Kailun. But I wonder where this assassin came from. The Abyss? Or the White Jade Alliance?”

He read out the contents of the message, his voice filled with regret.

It didn’t matter if the assassin was dead or alive. The key was that Kailun was still alive.

He guided the others to speculate. After all, no matter how you looked at it, the assassin couldn’t be from the Temple of the Celestial God.

As a trusted subordinate of the Pope, he felt that he should have received prior notice of such an event.

Moreover, the current Temple of the Celestial God didn’t have many people capable of assassinating Kailun. Wouldn’t it be suicidal to randomly send a ninth-rank mage?

Charles didn’t believe that Kailun would send all his vice presidents to support the Abyss. It wasn’t realistic.

“There’s nothing to regret. Kailun should be killed by my own hands.”

Paul snorted and looked at the two old men beside him and Koya with a smug expression. “Kailun won’t live much longer. With our help, the Temple of the Celestial God will become even stronger. Then we will gather a powerful force, crush the Xiya Kingdom, and take back everything we have lost.”

“Good! Ambitious! I support you! To be honest, I’ve never liked that Kailun. He killed two of our comrades from the alliance.”

The old man sitting on Paul’s left patted his shoulder.

The old man on his right reached for Paul’s thigh. “Indeed, indeed. The good days of the Xiya Kingdom are numbered. Kailun will eventually fall under the iron hooves of the Temple of the Celestial God. The great Pope will never let him go. His existence is just a flash in the pan, unlike Paul, whose ‘chrysanthemums’ are blooming.”

Paul: “…”

He had to endure it. For Harry’s sake, he had to endure the humiliation.

“Unreasonable.”

Charles glanced back at them and walked out of the room. He went to the top of the mountain where the mine was located and looked towards the Abyss.

Since the day before yesterday, a black curtain had appeared in the sky above the Abyss, blocking out everything.

Strangely, the black curtain was spreading towards the mine, like an approaching storm.

However, they hadn’t received any attack orders from the Pope, so they couldn’t act rashly.

As reinforcements, their task was to defend their position and ensure that the second mine didn’t fall into the hands of the Abyss.

They would only consider attacking if there was an opportunity to pursue the enemy.

Charles felt that this strategy was too conservative. Even with Kailun’s support, the Abyss might not be able to withstand their attack. If they borrowed some people from the Empress, wouldn’t it be a massacre?

“Where are you, Your Holiness?”

Charles looked at his communication device, still waiting for a message from the Pope.

He leaned against a large tree, looking in the direction of Alaye, hoping that the Pope would sense his plea and respond.

However, Charles didn’t know that the Pope was currently heading in the opposite direction of Alaye.

……

As the sun rose and set, Kailun not only recovered his energy but also studied a parchment scroll.

Because of Afra’s excellent performance last night, he had rewarded her, almost causing her to bite off his shoulder.

At 7:00 AM, Kailun covered Afra with a blanket and went to the dungeon. Passing by the study, he picked up a wooden box and placed the Pope’s communication device inside.

He had, of course, modified it, similar to what he had done to Chrissy’s device.

“Creak!”

Pushing open the heavy door, Kailun saw the Pope inside the cell.

She glared at him with resentment, as if she wanted to skin him alive.

“I’m so touched. Your Holiness’s affectionate gaze truly flatters me. I can’t wait to announce our wedding to the world. If we’re lucky, maybe that mysterious Empress will even attend our ceremony.”

Kailun walked outside the cell and placed the wooden box on the ground.

“You won’t do that. Slandering me is the same as slapping the Temple of the Celestial God in the face. You will face the most severe retribution.”

The Pope sat on the dirty floor, her gaze unwavering.

Kailun chuckled at her words. “Your Holiness is quite the joker. It’s not the first or second time I’ve slapped the Temple of the Celestial God in the face. So where’s your retribution? Is it the delicious Saint Chrissy who offered herself to me? Or is it the noble Pope herself? Don’t tell me you’re deliberately sending yourselves to me as a group?”

Kailun carefully examined the Pope’s attractive figure. “Although you’re a bit older, you’re not exactly unmarriageable. Plus, you have your young daughter, Chrissy. You might even be quite popular. But I understand. After all, you can’t reveal your true identity. Otherwise, it would shake the foundation of the Temple of the Celestial God. It’s the first time we’ve had an Empress and a female Pope. So who will be eliminated by the established rules?”

Pope: “…”

[Pope’s Goodwill -1]

Kailun was right. This was the problem facing the Temple of the Celestial God. Although neither she nor the Empress had mentioned it, they were both aware of it and were always wary of each other.

If news of her capture reached the Temple, the Empress wouldn’t send anyone to rescue her. Instead, she would seize her power and completely unify the Temple.

For the Empress, this was a golden opportunity.

Most of the Holy Temple’s forces were deployed outside, and the Pope was captured by the enemy. It would be unreasonable for her not to take action.

“Alright, I’m willing to give you a chance to protect your power and invite your friends and family to our wedding.”

Kailun pointed at the box on the ground. “I’m returning your communication device. I’ll also lower the restrictions in the dungeon so you can receive magic letters. How about it? Don’t you think I’m very considerate?”

“You think I don’t know that you can manipulate communication devices?”

The Pope sneered. After the incident with Chrissy, she had become more vigilant.

After being released, she had investigated Chrissy’s replies and discovered some clues, concluding that Kailun could alter the magic letters sent and received through communication devices.

“Not bad. You’re a bit smarter than Chrissy. She believed it easily.”

Kailun nodded. It was an expected reaction.

The Pope, after all, was someone in a high position. She had seen much more than Chrissy.

That was why he couldn’t treat the Pope the same way he treated Chrissy.

First, he didn’t have enough time. He didn’t have enough time to increase the Pope’s goodwill to a positive value.

The higher one’s mental power, the less susceptible they were to his influence. With the Pope’s mental power, it would probably take twenty or thirty days of continuous effort.

It was too long, he didn’t have that much time. He only had three days.

However, these two days weren’t the time to negotiate with her. He had to break her spirit first, constantly lowering her bottom line.

Everyone had a bottom line, something they cherished. He just needed to find the right pressure points.

Coincidentally, he knew exactly what the Pope cared about.

“Master, I’m here~”

With light footsteps, Chrissy threw herself into Kailun’s arms. “I missed you all night. I couldn’t fall asleep until two or three in the morning. Aren’t you going to reward me?”

Chrissy’s sweet voice made the Pope feel like she had swallowed a fly. Chrissy had never acted so spoiled with her.

Helena, following behind, carried a large sack. “Lord Kailun, I found some whips and candles on the way. Do you need them?”

She said she had “found” them, but in reality, Helena had gone out early in the morning to buy them.

When there were more pedestrians on the street, she and Chrissy had deliberately walked into Kailun’s manor with swagger.

Kailun smiled at Helena. “Put them aside for now. I might need them later. I’ll call you when it’s time to ‘educate’ the Pope. For now, please guard the gate and don’t let anyone in.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Helena glanced at the Pope in the cell with regret and put down the sack.

She went to guard the gate and thoughtfully closed it behind her.

The door had good sound insulation. She didn’t have to worry about hearing anything she shouldn’t.

“I wonder if Your Holiness has ever experienced the purest form of love between a man and a woman?” After Helena closed the door, Kailun looked at the Pope meaningfully.

The Pope’s pupils constricted. “It’s useless even if you get my body. It’s just a shell. I don’t care.”

Kailun waved his hand dismissively. “Your Holiness, you misunderstand me. I’m a traditional man. I won’t touch you before the wedding. But it’s okay for your lovely daughter, Chrissy, to ‘serve’ in your place, right?”

“Madman! Stop it!”

The Pope quickly stood up and ran to the bars, glaring at Kailun. “I advise you not to even think about it, or I will kill you!”

“Then you’ll have to get out first.”

Kailun patted Chrissy’s butt with a cheerful smile. She understood and bent over.

Chrissy, her eyes filled with affection, looked at the Pope through the bars. Seeing the rage in her eyes, Chrissy, as if possessed, reached out and intertwined her fingers with the Pope’s. “Can we stay together forever?”

But the Pope glanced at Kailun behind Chrissy and let out a desperate cry, “No!”

“Thump~”

[Pope’s Goodwill -3, Total Goodwill -82]

Chapter 186: Insubordination

The spacious room was filled with the flickering glow of candlelight, the curtains swaying seductively.

A hazy fragrance permeated the air, creating an atmosphere of intimacy.

“Clink!”

Two wine glasses filled with red wine clinked together, the liquid sloshing slightly.

“Cheers to a beautiful tomorrow~”

Chrissy smiled radiantly. Having a date with Kailun in front of the Pope filled her with delight.

“Cheers.”

Kailun smiled back at Chrissy and took a sip of the wine.

Because of a strange taste, he only tasted it and didn’t swallow.

Not only was the wine suspicious, but the fragrance in the air was also problematic. It seemed that the Pope was truly pulling out all the stops.

He carefully sensed the surroundings. The magic in the air felt slightly oppressive, suggesting the presence of an inactive anti-magic circle.

If an ordinary ninth-rank mage stepped into it, they would probably be unable to escape. But unfortunately, the Pope’s opponent was a knight with terrifying attributes.

“How is it? Does it taste good?”

Chrissy rested her chin on her hand, her eyes sparkling.

“It’s not bad. It tastes like lies. Tell me, what’s your real purpose for inviting me here?”

Kailun played his role well. If he acted too fake, the one hiding in the shadows might slip away.

Afra, clad in a black robe, stood behind him, while Helena guarded Chrissy’s back. They stood facing each other.

On the surface, Kailun’s strength was at the eighth rank, while Afra’s was at the sixth rank.

“Sigh, you’re such a buzzkill. Being so straightforward won’t win you any favors from girls.”

Chrissy swirled the red wine in her glass, a mischievous smile on her lips.

“Heh, that’s not what you said when you climbed into my bed last time. Let me recall… You called me ‘daddy’ to please me. Not only that, but you also said the Pope is your ‘mommy,’ and you wanted to…”

Kailun didn’t finish his sentence, leaving it hanging for the best effect.

[Pope’s Goodwill -1]

As expected, the Pope was eavesdropping somewhere nearby. The fact that she hadn’t attacked yet meant she was exercising restraint.

“Oh, you! How can you be so blunt? If the Pope knew, she would definitely scold me for being shameless.”

Chrissy didn’t care about the eavesdropping Pope at all. She believed that Kailun would win in the end.

Slandering the Pope in front of her, this was true pleasure. Her rebellious heart was burning with passion.

While saying that the Pope would scold her, she had already taken off her shoes and slipped her foot, clad in a white stocking, under the table, resting it on Kailun’s leg.

“Ugh~ I’m already a ‘tainted’ Saint. The Pope will also become a ‘tainted’ Pope. We’ll all be the same in the end.”

She gently pressed her foot against him, the clear outline making her eyes sparkle with desire.

“Then would Saint Chrissy be willing to be my Saint? From now on, I’ll be your Pope.”

Kailun enjoyed Chrissy’s massage while dancing on a minefield.

Faced with Kailun’s straightforward question, Chrissy replied directly, “Of course! You’re the perfect candidate for Pope. Only you can bring light to the Temple of the Celestial God. I, Chrissy, will abandon darkness and embrace the light from this day forward. I will use my body and will to protect your glory. May your glory last forever. Cheers~”

Chrissy raised her glass and drank it all in one gulp. Kailun took a small sip, his lips barely touching the liquid.

Even without drinking it, he could taste the excessive sweetness of the wine today.

Pope: “…”

The Pope, hiding in the shadows, maintained a calm expression, but her heaving chest betrayed her desire to slap the two people at the table to death.

Their obscene words assaulted her sanity. Especially seeing Chrissy’s slightly trembling body and imagining the “battle” happening under the table, her mind was filled with impure thoughts.

According to her plan, Chrissy would trick Kailun into drinking poisoned wine and stall for time, allowing him to inhale enough of the “fragrance” in the air.

But she couldn’t hold back anymore. These two were flirting right in front of her.

Every word they said, every taunt they threw at her, reached her ears. The Pope’s composure was gradually crumbling.

She had misjudged Chrissy. She had raised her like a daughter, but Chrissy had betrayed her and used her as a pawn.

Her heart ached. If she hadn’t infiltrated the Xiya Kingdom, she might have remained in the dark.

Ignoring how Kailun had managed to deceive Chrissy, all she wanted to do now was tear him apart.

[Pope’s Goodwill -1]

“Cheers!”

“The steak tastes good.”

“Are my feet comfortable?”

“Not bad. Barely passable.”

“Hmph~”

“…”

After listening for another ten minutes, the Pope was certain that the “fragrance” in the air had affected Kailun.

Sensing the opportunity, she closed her eyes and concealed her killing intent.

“Die!”

The Pope muttered softly, activating the anti-magic circle.

“Buzz!”

With a buzzing sound, Kailun and Afra felt immense pressure.

At the same time, the magic the Pope had been accumulating surged towards Kailun.

She also charged at Kailun, holding a dagger, following the trail of her magic.

The Pope’s path was similar to that of a battle mage. She was proficient in both magic and close combat.

The moment she appeared, a strange feeling washed over her.

Kailun and Chrissy were smiling, clinking their glasses, completely ignoring her presence.

Only Helena and Afra looked at her.

Especially Afra’s cold gaze, which gave her the illusion of being targeted by a dragon.

But there was no turning back once the arrow was released. In the blink of an eye, the Pope, along with her magic, reached a point five meters in front of Kailun.

“Clang!”

A sound like a sword being drawn, but not quite clear.

It was followed by a crescent-shaped white flash, cutting through the magic and clashing with the dagger in the Pope’s hand.

“Boom!”

The sound of metal clashing reverberated through the air. A gust of wind erupted as Afra single-handedly blocked the powerful Pope.

The slightly wild wind lifted her robe, revealing Afra’s youthful face to the Pope.

“You’re not sixth-rank?!”

Failing to land a blow, the Pope retreated hastily, looking at Afra in shock.

“Yes and no.”

Afra raised her sword and charged again, not giving the Pope a chance to escape.

From their brief clash, she could tell that this so-called Pope was inferior to her in both strength and agility.

“Chrissy, you betrayed me!”

Blocking Afra’s sword again, the Pope’s heart ached even more.

She had come prepared, but so had Kailun.

Even though their battle was fierce, the two people at the table hadn’t even glanced at them.

There was one thing she couldn’t understand: Why did this girl in a black robe possess such terrifying strength?

She was younger than the Pope, only in her early twenties. Normally, even geniuses would only be at the fifth or sixth rank at this age.

“Your Holiness, don’t talk nonsense! I didn’t betray you! Master discovered it himself!”

Chrissy rummaged through her pocket and found two pills, handing them to Kailun. “This is the antidote. Take it, and you can drink with me. I said it was a candlelight dinner. Don’t run away.”

“Of course not. I wouldn’t want to miss this good show. I didn’t expect the legendary Pope to look like this. You seem… quite fertile.”

Kailun swallowed the antidote Chrissy gave him. With most of his attributes allocated to Afra, he only had the strength of a third-rank mage now. The “fragrance” in the air could significantly affect him in this state.

“Traitor! Chrissy, you traitor! You heartless wretch!”

While defending herself, the Pope couldn’t help but curse Chrissy.

Her heart ached, it shattered. She wanted to explode on the spot.

No one could accept being betrayed by their own “daughter,” whom they had personally nurtured.

What was even more infuriating was that she couldn’t even punish this “daughter.”

“Go ahead, keep cursing! I’ll tie you up later and throw you on Kailun’s bed, let him have his way with you. I want you to experience the same treatment I did. I’m sure it will be the peak of pleasure, hehehe…”

Chrissy smiled mischievously, clinking glasses with Kailun.

“Chrissy, you’re broken.”

It was Kailun who said that. The current Chrissy could no longer be viewed through the lens of a normal person.

“It’s good to be broken. Otherwise, my conscience would be tormented by guilt. Instead of that, I’d rather have the Pope break down with me. Let go of all those rules and regulations, throw away that boring power, and enjoy every day, experience every heartbeat. That’s what I want now.”

Chrissy chuckled, placing her other foot, clad in a black stocking, on Kailun’s leg.

“Crazy! Crazy! Pell, kill Kailun! Now! Immediately!” The Pope gave Helena a new order.

She didn’t even have a chance to cast a spell now. It would be difficult to escape, so she could only pin her hopes on Helena.

Fortunately, the girl in front of her couldn’t fully control her own power, giving her a chance to hold on.

It wouldn’t be difficult for the eighth-rank Helena to kill Kailun, who had been reduced to the third rank. As long as Helena restrained Kailun, the girl in front of her would stop attacking.

“Pell, what are you waiting for? Do it! I’ll give you a chance to become a ninth-rank mage!”

The Pope urged Helena again, seeing that she hadn’t moved.

Helena took out the fake dagger, hesitation in her eyes. “I…”

Chrissy glanced at Helena. “Choose wisely. Don’t regret it later. I don’t think anything those people from the Temple of the Celestial God say can be trusted.”

Although she said that, she didn’t believe Helena would dare to attack Kailun.

“Helena, I’ll give you a chance to whip the Pope. Do you want it?”

Kailun swirled his wine glass, looking at the assassin girl.

Although he was only third-rank now, he wasn’t worried about Helena’s attack.

After spending time together, Helena’s obedience to him had reached a very high level.

“Not only that, but I’ll also return your dagger.” Kailun thought for a moment, took out a dagger from his pocket, and placed it on the table, increasing his bargaining chips.

You had to feed the horse if you wanted it to run.

As he had expected, Helena’s eyes lit up when she saw the dagger on the table.

“Thump!”

After only a second of hesitation, Helena knelt on one knee. “Helena is willing to follow Lord Kailun. Your will is my highest command.”

“A wise choice. I’ll save you a spot when we ‘educate’ the Pope.”

Kailun nodded with satisfaction and tossed the dagger on the table to Helena.

She happily caught the dagger, pressing it against her cheek.

Last time, to steal back her dagger, she had not only been silenced by Kailun but also thoroughly teased.

If she had known that betraying the Pope would get her dagger back, she would have declared her loyalty earlier.

Under Chrissy’s influence, the once loyal assassin girl had changed her way of thinking.

Pope: “…”

She was speechless. Chrissy’s defection had dealt her a heavy blow.

Having lost her last resort, the Pope tried to escape. She jumped towards the window, and Afra quickly followed.

It wasn’t because Afra couldn’t catch up with the Pope. She deliberately let her escape so they could fight outside.

Her actions were based on Kailun’s safety. Only when Kailun was safe could Afra unleash her full power.

“Will the Pope escape?”

Chrissy asked worriedly.

Helena, clutching her dagger, nodded, also worried about the Pope’s revenge.

If the Pope escaped this time, she would definitely use the full force of the Holy Temple to strike the Xiya Kingdom.

“Don’t worry. Afra is stronger than the Pope now. She just needs some time to adapt to high-intensity combat. We just have to wait.”

Kailun took out his communication device and contacted Roden, asking about their latest situation.

Chrissy and Helena exchanged glances, occasionally looking out the window.

Explosions could be heard outside, becoming more and more intense. Occasionally, they could even hear the sound of buildings collapsing.

When they first arrived at the mansion, Kailun had already ordered the Silver Moon Knights to evacuate the surrounding residents, so there was no need to worry about collateral damage.

After another ten minutes, Helena was about to go to the window to check the situation, but Afra returned first.

She stood on the windowsill and, from a distance of ten meters, threw the Pope onto the table, at Kailun’s feet.

“Mission accomplished. I captured the Pope.”

She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, her chest puffed out proudly, like a little girl waiting for praise.

“Thank you for your hard work, Sister Afra. Are you alright?” Kailun looked at Afra with concern.

“Wait a moment.”

Afra jumped down from the window and landed on the ground. She clutched her stomach and, after a moment, said, “Because my constitution is too strong, my injuries have already healed completely.”

Kailun stood up and smiled at the Pope, who was lying at his feet, bound hand and foot. Then he put a slave collar on her in front of everyone.

“One more pet. Does Your Holiness have anything to say?”

Kailun squatted down and poked her dirty cheek.

“Snap!”

The weakened Pope raised her head and tried to bite Kailun’s finger, but he dodged.

“What a wild horse. You’re not bad. It seems I have a new toy to play with for the next few days.”

Kailun waved to Helena. “Come and ‘educate’ your former superior. I think Her Holiness needs to face reality.”

“That’s not very appropriate…”

Helena hesitantly walked over to Kailun. She glanced around, grabbed the tablecloth, threw it over the Pope’s face to block her vision, and then kicked her butt hard twice.

As soon as she finished kicking, she hid behind Kailun and said, “Forget it, forget it. I don’t have those vulgar desires.”

Kailun watched this scene, amused. He pulled the tablecloth off the Pope’s face and saw her glaring at him with resentment.

[Pope’s Goodwill -1]

“I’m sure the noble Pope has never experienced the pleasures of the mortal world, but it’s not too late now. Since you’ve always considered yourself Chrissy’s mother, then it’s okay for me, Chrissy’s self-proclaimed father, to be your husband, right? But it’s no fun if only we know. Should I hire people from all over the world to tell them that the Pope is my concubine and we have a daughter named Chrissy?”

Kailun pinched the Pope’s face and smiled.

The Pope, who valued her reputation, shivered upon hearing Kailun’s words. “Are you a devil?”

“Thank you for the compliment. I’m not as kind as a devil.”

Kailun grabbed the collar around the Pope’s neck and threw her onto the seat he had just been sitting on. “It’s settled then. The wedding will be held in three days. I’ll invite people from most of the major forces. Let everyone see what the legendary Pope is really like.”

“What do you gain by humiliating me? We can sit down and negotiate. I can fulfill any reasonable requests you have.”

The Pope frowned. If things turned out as Kailun had said, she would not only lose face but also the entire Temple.

No one would recognize her position then. Everyone would see her as a traitor.

She would rather die than let that happen.

“Alright, I want you to be my pet. Is Your Holiness willing?” Kailun walked over to Afra and wiped the dust from her face.

The Pope shook her head with a grimace. “Give me another option.”

Kailun: “Hand over the Temple of the Celestial God to me. Let me be the Pope.”

Pope: “No, give me another one.”

“Help me kill the Empress.” Kailun raised an eyebrow.

The Pope immediately replied, “Another one.”

Kailun spoke faster. “I’ll let you go.”

The Pope instantly answered, “Another one.”

Pope: “…”

“I see. You can’t do this, you can’t do that. What good are you besides staying here and being ‘disciplined’?”

Kailun’s voice was filled with disdain. He shook his head in disappointment. “I’ll give you two days to think about it. If you can’t choose one of the first three options by the day of the wedding, then become a mother in the truest sense of the word. Now, it’s time for you to sleep.”

Kailun chopped the Pope’s neck, knocking her unconscious.

[Pope’s Goodwill -5, Total Goodwill -78]

Afra frowned and asked, “Are you really going to marry her? Is it worth it?”

Kailun smiled and flicked Afra’s forehead. “What are you thinking? She can only be a pet at most. I’m just saying that to scare her. The more noble someone is, the more they cherish their reputation. I believe the Pope will make the right choice.”

“So, are we still preparing for the wedding?” Chrissy asked curiously.

“Of course, why not? If we don’t prepare for the wedding, how would the clever Pope believe that I really want to marry her?”

Kailun shrugged. “We’re not only going to prepare for the wedding, but we’re also going to invite a lot of people.”

Afra asked, “What about your parents?”

Kailun: “Of course, we’ll invite them too.”

The wedding would be held, and people would be invited, but the bride wouldn’t be the Pope.

The Pope?

Just someone’s stand-in.

Chapter 185: Arriving for the Banquet

“Anna and Ella will work at home today, and so will Phils.”

After breakfast, Kailun laid out the day’s plans, imposing some restrictions for safety.

He had received Chrissy’s invitation last night but didn’t rush to reply, delaying it until morning.

After Carol finished wiping his mouth, Kailun took out his communication device and replied to Chrissy, “No problem, but I’m quite busy today. I can only come over after 6:00 PM.”

Chrissy: “I will prepare a candlelight dinner. I hope you can grace me with your presence.”

Her reply was much faster than Kailun expected, almost instantaneous. Judging from her handwriting, she seemed very excited.

Kailun calmly replied and then looked at Afra, who was sitting opposite him. “Sister Afra, don’t be angry. Today’s plan is very important. If something goes wrong, the Xiya Kingdom will cease to exist.”

“Clang!”

As soon as Kailun finished speaking, the spoon in First Princess Hilna’s hand fell into her bowl with a clatter.

Thanks to Kailun’s tolerance, Hilna could now eat at the same table as them.

Seeing Hilna’s worried expression, he smiled. “It seems that our Princess is still concerned about the country. In that case, you should practice your dancing more seriously. My promise remains unchanged. This is your only chance.”

“I know.”

Hilna raised her voice, her tone like a bird’s chirp.

“So you’re still going to take the risk?” Afra looked at Kailun with concern in her eyes.

Kailun: “It’s not really a risk. The advantage is mine.”

The odds of winning were at least 80/20 in his favor. If he played his cards right, it might even be close to 90/10.

The kind-hearted Pope had decreased his goodwill by 10 points last night, causing Kailun’s attributes to increase by another ten percent.

Afra’s attributes were close to those of six ordinary ninth-rank mages, while the Pope only had the equivalent of 3.5. How could they possibly lose?

It would be very difficult.

Despite his high attributes, Kailun wasn’t arrogant. He knew that his foundation was still weak, and he couldn’t face the entire Temple of the Celestial God head-on.

“Store grain widely, build walls high, and bide your time to become king.” This was a truth proven by history.

The Pope and the Empress were wary of his “fireworks” and his mysterious power, but as the conflict intensified, this wariness wouldn’t last long.

For example, the Pope had infiltrated the Xiya Kingdom because of Chrissy.

“I think you’re deliberately trying to anger me. I’m going to train Eve. Remember to call me when it’s time to leave this afternoon.”

Afra sighed and left the table.

She wouldn’t interfere with Kailun’s decisions. She knew he wasn’t reckless.

Besides worrying, all she could do was try her best to protect this foolish brother of hers.

Afra gripped the sword at her waist. The cold hilt gave her a sense of security.

“Still not honest enough.”

Kailun smiled, watching Afra’s retreating figure. He leaned back in his chair and pondered for a moment. It seemed that there was nothing important to do today except for tonight’s “Hongmen Banquet*.”

*The Hongmen Banquet is often associated with treachery and hidden agendas. If a character mentions the banquet or finds themselves in a similar situation, it may indicate that they are being deceived or that someone is plotting against them.(Betrayal and deception)*

He had read almost all the books he needed to read. His magic talent had reached an extremely high level.

Only two extremely difficult parchment scrolls remained unread. He planned to allocate all his attributes in a few days to quickly conquer them.

Based on the timeline, the war between the Abyss and the Temple of the Celestial God would begin in two days.

Fortunately, the Pope wasn’t personally participating in the battle. Otherwise, the final outcome would be difficult to predict. It seemed that the bait plan had been very successful.

The entire Temple of the Celestial God wasn’t a monolithic entity. As long as Kailun could seize this opportunity to take down the Pope, he could create a huge crack in their organization.

Perhaps the Empress behind the scenes would even thank him. After all, the Pope and the Empress were essentially competitors.

“Wait!”

Kailun suddenly stopped, his aura becoming sharp.

He wondered if he could use this opportunity to become the “Pope.”

After all, in the public’s perception, the Empress was female, so the Pope must be male.

The reason the current Pope concealed her true identity was that her existence wasn’t accepted by most members of the Temple of the Celestial God.

Although the Empress and the Pope ostensibly had the same status and power, the Empress’s legitimacy was higher.

In just a few seconds, Kailun’s mind was filled with ideas of “swapping the prince with a civet cat.”

He would pull off a switcheroo and then strike at the root of the problem. If the plan succeeded, he could not only control the current Pope but also have Chrissy vouch for him and acknowledge his identity.

It wouldn’t matter if the Empress didn’t believe it. As long as most people did, it would be enough.

“Contact Edlin and ask her to set aside two thousand miners in a safe area. I’ll pay her 200,000 gold coins directly for this.”

After making a preliminary plan, Kailun instructed Carol.

She nodded without hesitation and quickly contacted Edlin as instructed.

However, Edlin was on the road most of the time, so she couldn’t reply immediately.

“Do you have another dangerous plan?”

Carol leaned closer and poked Kailun’s cheek with her finger.

Kailun grabbed her finger. “It’s not a dangerous plan, but an interesting attempt. If I can pull it off, I can infiltrate the Temple of the Celestial God. However, there are still many details that need to be optimized. It’s just a preliminary idea for now.”

“So you’re leaving again?” Carol poked Kailun’s cheek with her other finger.

Kailun glanced at the others at the table and lowered his voice. “I can’t hide anything from you. Remember not to tell Afra and the others.”

“Take me with you!”

Carol looked at Kailun with determination.

Not only her, but Bella, who was sitting closer, also wrapped her tail around his foot. “Me too.”

Fox, sitting further away, didn’t hear their conversation, but she was looking at them with a serious expression.

Vivian and Illusion exchanged glances, the two little girls remaining silent.

Kailun clicked his tongue. He wasn’t free anymore.

“I’ll think about it. Whether it works or not depends on whether the Pope is willing to cooperate. By the way, Carol, your birthday is in three days, right?”

He skillfully changed the subject, pressing down on Carol’s other finger.

“Yes, I’ll be seventh-rank by then.” Carol bumped her forehead against Kailun’s.

“I’ll remember that. Just wait for my surprise.”

Kailun released Carol’s finger and stroked her hair.

“What about me?!”

Bella, feeling ignored, let her tail crawl up Kailun’s leg. She had a mischievous idea in mind.

Kailun reached under the table and grabbed Bella’s tail. “Of course, Bella is the gift giver. Well, the dragon teeth giver.”

“Let’s go. Let’s go pull out your teeth. Actually, I’ve always wanted to pull out a few dragon teeth and sell them.”

Kailun pulled Bella’s tail and walked out of the dining hall. Bella could only follow, protesting, “Those who pull out teeth are heretics! My teeth are worthless!”

Carol hesitated for a moment and chose not to follow.

She looked at the elf sisters standing by the table. “You two clean up the table. I’ll go help Master tidy up his room.”

Fox’s hands itched at the mention of pulling teeth, but she didn’t intend to follow.

As a smart person, she could tell that this was just an excuse for Kailun to get some privacy.

There was an invisible pressure weighing on his shoulders, and she wanted to help but couldn’t.

Her specialty was Fate Magic, but her former talent had abandoned her.

So Fox looked at Isabella and, after a moment’s thought, asked, “Miss Isabella, can we talk privately? About fate.”

Isabella wiped the remaining cream from her lips with a napkin. “With pleasure.”

“Are you really going to pull out my teeth?”

Bella was dragged by Kailun to a secluded corner outside the dining hall. She covered her mouth with both hands and looked at him pitifully. “How about I give you my dragon scales? They’re also very valuable.”

Kailun released Bella’s tail and was taken aback. “Dragon scales? What dragon scales?”

“They’re… they’re dragon scales that can be used to make weapons and increase defense. They have many other uses too. They’re very tough because they’ve never been pulled out.”

As she spoke, Bella blushed, her eyes darting around.

“Interesting. I’ve never seen them before.” Kailun nodded thoughtfully.

Dragon teeth and dragon bones were the most popular treasures. He had rarely heard of dragon scales.

“Actually… dragon scales look like this.”

To fulfill the arduous task of continuing her lineage, Bella slowly lifted her skirt in front of Kailun.

First, her thighs, above the “absolute territory,” came into view, followed by her white underwear, which looked strangely cute, and finally, the shimmering dragon scales covering her lower abdomen.

Compared to ordinary humans, it looked a bit strange, but not repulsive. They reflected the sunlight, possessing a unique beauty.

As if afraid of being disliked by Kailun, Bella explained, “Because the Dragon Clan has been evolving towards a human form for thousands of years, these dragon scales don’t affect my body shape. As long as… I pull them all out, I’ll be exactly like a human girl.”

Having evolved to this point, the dragon scales were no different from hair to Bella. After removing them, her abdomen would be smooth and beautiful.

However, these dragon scales were too private, so she had never considered pulling them out and selling them.

Fox had mentioned it before, but she had firmly refused.

Bella had flipped through some of the old Dragon King’s books. The dragons in the illustrations had all shed their scales. She was considered a more “primitive” type.

She still remembered the name of that illustrated book: “Dragon Mating Positions and Postpartum Care.”

It was that book that had opened her eyes to a new world.

“Pervert!”

As Kailun was carefully observing, he heard a disgusted voice beside him.

He turned his head and saw Hilna, who had happened to pass by, looking at him with disdain. He seemed to have become a villain who was coercing an innocent girl.

Kailun didn’t bother to explain. He calmly greeted Hilna, “Take a look.”

Hilna: “…”

“I’m going to practice dancing. I don’t have time to waste. If you want to watch, follow me.”

Hilna ran away in front of Kailun. It was no big deal to show him privately, but asking her to lift her skirt in front of Bella was too embarrassing.

“Did Hilna misunderstand me?”

Bella’s face was so red that it was about to bleed, her hand trembling as she held her skirt.

“Don’t worry. Your dragon scales are beautiful. Hilna can’t compare.”

Kailun patted Bella’s head, comforting her. “Put your skirt down. We’ll talk about the dragon scales next time. Let’s go for a walk in the manor and chat. I need to think about what to do next.”

“Okay!”

Bella obediently lowered her skirt and wrapped her arm around Kailun’s, pressing it against her chest.

……

Meanwhile, Carol returned to Kailun’s bedroom. She first tidied up the sheets, cleaned the room, and then put the magic books on the bedside table back on the bookshelf.

She could have left these tasks to the new elf sisters, but she preferred to do them herself.

It took her half an hour to finish tidying up the room. Finally, Carol stopped in front of the wardrobe.

Master had said he had prepared a surprise. Carol had a guess about what it might be. She thought it might be some kind of clothing because Kailun had asked the maids to take her measurements before.

“I’ll just take a peek, just a peek…”

Unable to resist her curiosity, Carol secretly opened the wardrobe. As Kailun’s exclusive maid, she knew his habits well.

She stood on her tiptoes and opened the top drawer. Inside, there was a beautifully decorated gift box.

She hesitated for a long time, wanting to untie the ribbon and see what was inside, but her hands stopped at the last moment.

Carol was worried that the contents might not be what she had imagined.

She was unusually conflicted, her mind in turmoil.

……

“Lord Kailun, Saint Chrissy sent me to pick you up.”

At 5:30 PM, Helena arrived at the manor’s entrance and met with Kailun.

Before getting into the carriage, Kailun frowned and asked Helena, “What happened to your face?”

“Nothing. I just tripped and fell.” Helena lowered her head, covering her face with her hand, and took a step back.

Kailun stood there for a few seconds, saying nothing.

After a while, he grabbed Helena’s wrist and jumped into the carriage. “Let’s go. Let’s go to our date tonight. It’s only fair to let everyone participate in something so enjoyable, don’t you think, Helena?”

Hearing her name, Helena abruptly looked up. “You still remember my name…”

Before Helena could finish her sentence, Kailun pulled her to sit beside him. “Sister Coachman, let’s go. Chrissy and the others are waiting for us.”

“Hmph~”

The person addressed as “Sister Coachman” snorted softly.

Hearing Kailun’s words, Helena quickly looked towards the driver’s seat. She only saw a slender figure hidden under a black robe.

It seemed that Kailun had come prepared. He probably already knew about the Pope’s infiltration.

So did he really have a chance of defeating the incredibly powerful Pope?

For some reason, Helena imagined a scene where the Pope was pinned down and slapped by Kailun.

If she could, she also wanted to join in and slap the Pope in the face.

Lost in her fantasy, Helena didn’t notice the passage of time. By the time she came back to her senses, the carriage had already stopped in front of the mansion.

“We’re here. Get out of the carriage, Master Kailun.”

Afra, the coachman, dressed in a black robe, opened the back door and glared at Kailun.

Judging from her aura, Afra currently only had the strength of a sixth-rank mage.

Chapter 184: Luring Kailun Out

For the next few days, Kailun spent over seventy percent of his time in bed.

It wasn’t because he had an insatiable desire, but because he needed more time to study the magic on the parchment scroll.

His remaining attributes weren’t much, and his efficiency had decreased significantly, requiring more time for understanding and research.

He spent the rest of his time strolling around the city with a large group of people, but with few strong individuals, emphasizing a high-profile presence.

Kailun also asked Isabella to spread half-truths, saying that several vice presidents of the Xiya Kingdom had suddenly resigned.

The purpose of doing this was naturally to attract attention and control the risks within a certain range.

It was worth mentioning that he would either take Fox or Bella with him on these outings, subtly hinting at the connection between the Xiya Kingdom and the Abyss.

Of course, he always had Afra follow them secretly.

To enhance Afra’s combat power, Kailun had been urging her to study hard these days.

For example, on the third night, Kailun chatted with Saint Chrissy through his communication device while guiding Afra in learning ninth-rank knight swordsmanship.

She was almost at the final stage of her training. Once she mastered it, she would have no weaknesses, and even veteran ninth-rank mages might not be her match.

She was Kailun’s favorite, receiving his full attribute boost. Her overall attributes were equivalent to four and a half ordinary ninth-rank mages.

However, combat power wasn’t simply a matter of adding up attributes. Afra, with no weaknesses, had become a terrifying force.

Kailun compared the attribute points provided by the Pope with Afra’s, and he felt that if they really fought, it would probably be a 20/80 split, with the Pope at 20 and Afra at 80.

After all, he could still give Afra the last ninth-rank attribute point, making her equivalent to five and a half ordinary ninth-rank mages.

What about the Pope?

She was probably equivalent to three and a half ordinary ninth-rank mages. Her absolute power was far inferior to Afra’s.

Don’t even mention how much more combat experience the Pope had compared to Afra. It wasn’t necessarily true. She stood too high and hadn’t personally participated in many battles. Her experience and skills weren’t enough to bridge the gap between them.

Most importantly, Afra would be hiding in the shadows, while he would be the bait in the open.

As for why he was using the Pope as an example?

Mainly because Isabella had divined that a “big fish” would be “caught” soon.

After considering all possibilities, the Pope was the most likely candidate.

“Don’t look at me. Read your book.”

Kailun, leaning against the headboard, saw Afra looking at him and slapped her butt, producing a crisp sound.

Anna, lying beside him, might have been woken up by the noise. She snuggled closer to Kailun, found a more comfortable position, and fell back asleep.

“Heartless demon~”

Afra pouted, her back to Kailun, one hand holding his leg, the other holding the book.

She couldn’t focus, not at all. Her entire body was filled with strange sensations.

There were only a few pages left, but she couldn’t help but moan softly.

Kailun had ordered her not to move, or he would withdraw his attribute boost and bully her again in front of Anna and the others.

After these past few days, her reputation was probably ruined. Everyone in the small building looked at her with strange eyes.

The nickname “Three-Minute Afra” popped into her mind, making her want to show Anna and the others the recording stone around her neck.

She wanted them to see what invincibility looked like, what a solo kill looked like, what a true knight looked like!

“Don’t move. If you make me lose my focus, you’ll be in for another round of ‘training,’ Sister Afra.”

Kailun slapped her again, seeing Afra squirming restlessly.

He had allocated most of his attribute points to Afra’s mental power, so he, in his weakened state, had also become more sensitive.

Every tremor of Afra’s body sent shivers down his spine, making him pause and grit his teeth as he wrote the letter. It was a strange kind of stimulation.

While gasping, Kailun received a reply from Chrissy.

Chrissy: “Everything has been quiet in the Temple of the Celestial God. There haven’t been any changes. The Pope hasn’t contacted me either. I wonder if she has forgotten about me. Also, are you really coming to see me tomorrow? You said the same thing yesterday, but you didn’t come.”

The passionate Chrissy always wrote long messages. She seemed to have endless things to say, as if she wanted to fly to Kailun’s side immediately.

Thinking for a moment, Kailun replied to Chrissy’s enthusiasm, “Be careful these days. There might be spies from the Temple of the Celestial God watching you. I’ll come to see you tomorrow, probably in the afternoon.”

Chrissy: “That’s great! I’ll be wearing my prettiest stockings for you…”

Although Chrissy’s magic letter was successfully delivered to Kailun, the content abruptly stopped there.

Besides the unfinished sentence, Kailun also saw a long smudge, as if it was left in a hurry.

“In that case, I’ll come to see you tomorrow. Good night.”

Kailun frowned and sent another magic letter, but he didn’t receive any response.

Cautious, he immediately contacted the members of the Silver Moon Knights who were stationed near Chrissy’s mansion. They reported that there were no abnormalities.

“It seems the fish has taken the bait.”

Chrissy’s disappearance confirmed his suspicion that the “big fish” was the Pope. After all, only she could sneak into the Royal City and capture Chrissy without anyone noticing.

He wasn’t worried about Chrissy’s safety. The Pope had always treated her like a daughter. Even if she knew about Chrissy’s betrayal, she wouldn’t harm her.

The Pope’s appearance was earlier than Kailun had expected, but he was no longer afraid. A mere Pope couldn’t affect him.

“What bait?”

Afra asked, turning her head out of boredom. She couldn’t focus on the book at all.

“You, you fool!”

Kailun put down the communication device, withdrew his attribute points, and pinned her down.

“No! I want to study! I want to read! Leave me alone!”

Afra widened her eyes, trying to struggle, but Kailun held her firmly. The decrease in his attributes made her realize what was about to happen, and she instinctively clenched her legs even tighter.

“It’s too late to study now.”

Kailun ignored her protests and started his “lesson.” A good fisherman was patient. The Pope was the one who was anxious, not him.

……

“Chrissy, is this how you treat me?”

Inside the mansion, the Pope dispelled her white light and appeared before Chrissy in her true form.

She wore a thin veil, concealing her beautiful face, but her eyes stared at Chrissy with a stern gaze.

The Pope pointed at the magic letter on the table and questioned Chrissy. She was so angry that her chest heaved like waves.

“I really misjudged you. I thought you were sacrificing your dignity for the Temple, but it turns out you’re enjoying it.”

The Pope clutched her chest. Although she was a powerful ninth-rank mage, she felt like she was about to be angered to death by Chrissy.

Chrissy was the Saint she had nurtured with all her heart and soul, the one who could inherit her mantle if something happened to her.

She hadn’t expected that everything would be ruined by Kailun, that he would “devour” her completely.

“I didn’t betray the Temple of the Celestial God! I’m just trying to get close to him and gather information!”

Chrissy retorted with red eyes. “Have you forgotten who provided you with those crucial pieces of information before, Your Holiness?!”

She was putting on a good act, but in this face-to-face situation, Chrissy could no longer deceive the Pope.

“You dare to say you’re doing this for the Temple? How dare you betray us! I’m going to kill you, you ungrateful Saint!”

The Pope rushed towards Chrissy, raising her right hand.

“Go ahead, kill me! I’ve contributed to the Temple, I’ve risked my life for the Temple. If you kill me, who else will believe in you, the high and mighty Pope?”

Chrissy stepped forward and placed her cheek under the Pope’s hand. “Kill me! I’ve already been played by Kailun countless times. I’m no longer a pure and innocent Saint. Wouldn’t killing me make you look even more righteous?”

After spending time with Kailun, Chrissy had clearly learned a few tricks. She knew what the Pope cared about and that she genuinely cared for her.

But unfortunately, she couldn’t turn back now. She could only survive on mental pleasure.

The lost Chrissy couldn’t find any other meaning in life, nor did she want to. She just wanted to indulge in this pleasure forever.

“You, you, you…”

The Pope’s hands trembled with anger. Chrissy’s attitude made her both furious and heartbroken.

A good Saint, reduced to this state by Kailun. That demon deserved to die!

[The Pope is extremely furious. Goodwill decreased. Goodwill -10, Total Goodwill -70]

“Your Holiness, please calm down. Saint Chrissy must have her reasons.”

Helena, the assassin girl, who had been watching the drama unfold, quickly ran over and grabbed the Pope’s hand, which had been frozen in midair, giving her a way out.

“Slap!”

However, the slap that was meant for Chrissy landed on Helena’s face instead.

Pope: “You dare to stop me? As Saint Chrissy’s guard, you not only didn’t stop her from doing something stupid, but you also hid it from me? Pell, what are you trying to do?”

“I… I…”

Helena, lying on the ground, covered her burning cheek with her hand. The Pope’s fierce gaze made her feel like she was falling into an abyss.

Her heart turned cold. Her faith was crumbling.

So the high and mighty Pope could also act like a shrew when dealing with family matters.

Hearing her codename, Helena let out a bitter laugh.

It was this cold laughter that ignited a murderous intent in the Pope’s heart.

“An assassin who can’t even kill her enemies is useless. Return everything I gave you.”

The disappointed Pope decided to deal with Helena first.

But Chrissy spread her arms, shielding Helena. “We didn’t do anything wrong! I told you, I’m deliberately getting close to Kailun, trying to gain his trust. And I’ve succeeded!”

“You… You…”

The Pope took a few deep breaths, suppressing the urge to slap Chrissy to death. “Alright, since you say you’ve gained Kailun’s trust, then lure him out tomorrow. Here!”

“Okay, I’ll lure him out for you!”

Chrissy snorted triumphantly and took back her communication device. From an angle the Pope couldn’t see, a mischievous smile appeared on her lips.

This was exciting!

Chapter 183: Am I, Kailun, a Demon?

With the return of Fox and Shirley, the courtyard became much livelier. Even Winnie, who had been holed up in the library improving herself, came out to join the fun.

To liven up the atmosphere, Kailun called out Anna, who had finished processing the intelligence reports, and the dancers, asking them to perform a fiery dance in the courtyard.

He lay in Carol’s arms, enjoying her massage, eating grapes fed to him by Fox, feeling utterly content.

Looking at the beautiful women before him, he felt like he was in heaven.

Looking up, besides Carol’s burgeoning “mountains,” he also saw Isabella standing by the window of the small building, holding a scroll in her hand.

However, judging from her posture, Kailun suspected that she was standing on a small stool.

Perhaps sensing Kailun’s rude gaze, Isabella glared at him, shook her cute little fist, and left the window.

“If I remember correctly, you had something you wanted to ask me before?”

Kailun retracted his gaze and looked at Fox beside him.

“Ah? Did I? You must be mistaken.”

Fox denied her previous behavior while fighting Bella with her tail.

“Oh, is that so?”

Kailun ate another grape fed to him by Fox and didn’t ask any further questions.

Not everyone could enjoy this kind of tolerance. For example, poor Hilna was currently helping Shirley sort and categorize the parchment scrolls in the large chest.

What was even more heartbreaking than the labor was that she could see the incredibly valuable knowledge on the scrolls but couldn’t absorb any of it.

What was even more depressing was that her loyal knight, Shirley, had gone “crazy.” Influenced by Kailun, she could no longer distinguish her own position.

Hilna learned about what had happened in the town from Shirley, and she was even more convinced that Kailun was a demon.

“Shirley, do you think we still have a chance to escape?”

Hilna hung her head low, not even noticing her red hair falling to the ground. She was a stark contrast to the lively courtyard.

Everyone else was happy, but she had nothing.

“Your Highness, please don’t think like that. Kailun’s terror is beyond the norm. Not even you, let alone me, can resist him.”

Shirley couldn’t help but speak the harsh truth, as if bullying Hilna had become her instinct.

“What do you mean by ‘not even you’? Shirley, you’re truly evil.” Hilna swatted Shirley with a scroll.

“Sorry, sorry, it was a subconscious reaction. I hope you don’t mind. In my heart, Your Highness will always be the closest person to me. Your orders are my motivation.”

Shirley corrected her attitude and declared her loyalty.

“…”

Hilna: “Since you’re so obedient, can you go over to Kailun and kick him hard?”

“I can’t. I can’t do it, even if I get beaten.”

Shirley shook her head repeatedly and moved away from Hilna. She wouldn’t do such a suicidal thing.

She might have tried to obey in the past, but not now.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t loyal anymore, but she would now consider the pros and cons. Doing something meaningless would only result in being “ground” by Kailun, without any reward.

Hilna said angrily, “Shirley, you’ve disappointed me. I’m going to replace you with a more obedient knight.”

“Give up, Your Highness. You’re already restricted by Kailun. You can’t even leave this manor. Where would you find a more loyal knight? Look around. Everyone here is Kailun’s person.”

The honest Shirley spoke the truth again. She wanted Hilna to face reality so they could make the next step of their plan.

Let alone a deposed princess, even the newly formed White Jade Alliance didn’t dare to provoke Kailun. They had already lost two ninth-rank mages.

“Forget it. You can follow that demon.”

Hilna stood up angrily, grabbed the notebook with the inventory, and walked towards Kailun.

“Slap!”

Hilna, still fuming, threw the notebook in front of Kailun. “See for yourself. I’ve finished the inventory.”

After saying that, Hilna turned to leave.

“Stop!” Kailun narrowed his eyes and shouted softly. “Princess, are you taking out your frustration on me because you didn’t get enough sleep?”

Hilna, a chill running down her spine, came to her senses. She quickly explained, “No, I just…”

“See those dancers on the stage?”

Kailun pointed at the dancers in their revealing outfits. “Find some time to learn from them. If you’re too embarrassed or think it’s beneath you, you can ask Winnie for help. If you perform well, I might even return some of the power of the Xiya Kingdom to you.”

Hilna: “…”

The first part of his words made her sad, but the latter part made her think that it might not be a bad idea.

Her life couldn’t get any worse. She had lost almost everything she could lose. Even her once loyal knight had been “corrupted.” So why not think about herself for a change?

Instead of living like a walking corpse, she wanted to regain what belonged to her.

She didn’t ask what Kailun meant by “power” because she knew he wouldn’t give her a clear answer right now.

“I understand.”

Hilna bowed to Kailun and left the courtyard. As she passed by Illusion and Vivian, the two little girls gave her mocking looks.

She pretended not to see them and quickened her pace, deciding to endure it for now and seek revenge later.

After Hilna left the courtyard, Shirley walked up to Kailun and asked, “You’re more tolerant than I imagined. I thought you would bully the Princess even more ruthlessly.”

Kailun said nonchalantly, “Constant oppression will only break her spirit. I need a pet that can continuously bring me amusement. Since she can’t forget about her power, I’ll indulge her. But she also has to bear the consequences of her incompetence.”

He had already paved the way for Hilna. When her dancing could successfully catch his eye, Kailun would hand over the Xiya Kingdom’s economy to her.

Then Hilna would face the Rose Kingdom, whose territory had expanded several times over.

This was a game between two queens, but one was real, and the other was fake.

Kailun was curious how Hilna would handle it. The pressure was far beyond what her delicate shoulders could bear.

He didn’t care which of them gained control of the economy because the Rose Kingdom was already his vassal state. Profits and losses were just a matter of transferring money from one hand to the other.

If they fought fiercely, it might even stimulate the economy.

He wasn’t worried about them messing things up. The vast amount of treasure stored in his treasury could cover their losses many times over.

If Hilna could actually grow from this opportunity, it would be even more interesting. He could have Queen Rose pouring him wine on his left and Queen Hilna massaging his feet on his right.

Hmm… He was missing one more. Then his “collection” would be complete.

“I don’t understand your thoughts. You don’t seem to want to completely destroy her.”

Shirley scratched her head, curious about Kailun’s true intentions.

Kailun: “Don’t overthink it, Shirley. Just focus on getting stronger. You can report any resources you need to Anna or Phils. There’s plenty.”

He saw Shirley’s confusion but didn’t intend to interfere. This was an opportunity for her to examine herself.

Shirley was a talented knight, worth nurturing. If she was trained well, her abilities wouldn’t be inferior to Eve and the others.

After dealing with Shirley, Kailun continued to enjoy his leisure time. Without external pressure or harassment from Chrissy and Phils, he could relax and enjoy the lively atmosphere.

Queen Rose, with Bruce’s help, would “acquire” the surrounding kingdoms. Under normal circumstances, no one would be foolish enough to stop them.

Dean Edlin was directing the miners to sneak into the Temple of the Celestial God’s territory from various directions. Some of them had been intercepted along the way, giving Edlin a big headache.

To her, every lost miner represented a loss of gold.

According to reports from the front lines, the people sent by the White Jade Alliance had arrived at the second mine and were currently stationed there.

The old Werewolf King’s faction had received more reinforcements, estimated to be two.

At this point, almost half of the world’s top forces had gathered around the second mine. A major battle would erupt in a few days.

For Kailun, it wasn’t necessarily a good thing for more people to gather at the second mine. If it exceeded a certain limit, it would become a headache for him.

Paul, on the surface, belonged to the White Jade Alliance, but secretly, he was a member of the Temple of the Celestial God. In reality, he was a double agent.

It was a very twisted situation. Kailun was curious what Paul would do during the battle.

He suddenly thought of something and turned to Carol. “Where’s Afra? I haven’t seen her all afternoon.”

“Sister Afra is planning to go back to the Duke’s territory. She’s probably already packed her bags and is planning to leave this evening,” Carol replied after a moment’s thought.

She clearly remembered the change in Afra’s expression when she learned that Fox was returning this afternoon. She had looked like a little girl who had done something wrong, perhaps afraid of Kailun’s punishment.

Carol didn’t know the details, but she knew that Afra had achieved a major victory last night. Otherwise, Kailun wouldn’t have woken up so late this morning, looking completely drained.

Therefore, Carol guessed that Afra was avoiding Kailun’s “revenge.”

“Tsk, that’s no fun. She’s the pillar of the Xiya Kingdom during this time. I can’t do without her.”

Kailun stood up and looked around.

He would be allocating most of his attribute points to others during this period and needed Afra’s protection. Although he had set up many magic circles in the manor, it wasn’t foolproof.

If someone like the Empress came to assassinate him, he wouldn’t be able to resist, unless he disregarded the lives of Roden and the others and chose to protect himself first.

Admittedly, there was only a slim chance that Roden and the others would be exposed after he withdrew his attribute points, but ignoring that slim chance could ruin everything.

“I’m going to bring Afra back. You guys have fun. Just don’t kill anyone.”

After saying that, Kailun left the manor using Instantaneous Movement magic. Fox and Bella, who were beside him, exchanged glances and pounced on each other. This time, they used not only their tails but also their hands and feet.

Unfortunately, they were both eighth-rank mages. This kind of fighting wouldn’t kill anyone.

……

“Are we really going back to the Duke’s territory? Will we meet Lord Kailun’s parents?”

Eve, the young knight, asked with a blush, preparing to leave with Afra.

“Yes, they will welcome you warmly. They’re currently enjoying their retirement.”

Afra looked at the pretty young knight with satisfaction.

The Duke and Duchess had long been hoping that Kailun would bring some of his “girlfriends” back to visit, but he had always refused, saying that he was too busy.

However, Afra understood. Kailun had always been busy and tired. He rarely stopped to rest, and even after their “battles” at night, he would frantically read books to supplement his knowledge.

He seemed tireless, always pushing himself to keep running, as if he would face disaster if he stopped.

She decided to take advantage of this free time to go home and visit. She planned to return to the manor in four days, which wouldn’t affect Kailun’s main plan.

Of course, this trip back home also served as an escape. After all, she had transformed into a true “knight” last night and had been quite “ruthless.”

Thinking of the thrill of that “battle,” Afra couldn’t help but clench her legs. She, with her sensitivity, had never thought that she would achieve such a glorious victory.

It was worth it!

Afra smiled at Eve. “Let’s go. We need to leave quickly, or it will be bad if Kailun realizes. I told Carol not to tell him, but she looked at me strangely.”

“Where is my dear sister planning to go?”

Kailun suddenly appeared behind Afra, his warm breath brushing against her neck.

Afra gasped and jumped to the side, clutching her neck. She stared at Kailun, surprised by his sudden appearance.

“Can you tell me where you’re going, cute little Eve?”

After Afra jumped away, Kailun walked over to Eve and pinched her nose.

Eve was dazed by Kailun’s endearment and replied blankly, “Lady Afra is taking me back to the Duke’s territory. We’ll be back in about four days.”

“Good girl. It seems that Eve is the obedient knight.”

Kailun patted Eve’s head with satisfaction and then turned to Afra. “So, Sister Afra, are you planning to run away after winning? If that’s what you’re worried about, there’s no need. I’m not that petty. I won’t hold it against you.”

“No! I’m just worried about the safety of the manor.” Various expressions flickered across Afra’s usually cold face.

“You don’t have to worry about the manor’s safety. Remember the other two young knights who were with Eve? Their names are Kirin and Charlene. I’ve already transferred them back to the territory. They’re the last line of defense.”

Kailun was still smiling, but his smile was cold.

His power was limited. If something really happened at the manor and one ninth-rank attribute point wasn’t enough… he could only apologize to Kailson.

One always had to make choices and compromises.

However, for the safety of his plans, he would stay in the Xiya Kingdom and be the most obvious target.

The undefended Royal City was the most tempting flame. If there were any moths, they wouldn’t miss this opportunity.

‘I really have no conscience.’

He sighed inwardly and grabbed Afra’s wrist. “Let’s go back to the manor. Everyone is waiting for you, their big sister. Don’t worry, I won’t take revenge on you. Am I, Kailun, that kind of demon?”

“Oh~”

Afra, who never learned her lesson, believed Kailun’s words once again.

……

“You demon!”

That night, poor Afra clutched the sheets and denounced Kailun’s despicable actions.

Even the elf sisters, who were standing guard outside the door, could hear her cries.

The two sisters exchanged glances and gulped subconsciously.

Chapter 182: The Pope’s Plan

“By the way, here is the scroll I mentioned before. You can take a look.
After you’re done, share it with Vivian and the others. I think they’ll be curious too.”

Kailun took the scroll from his sleeve and handed it to Isabella. He wouldn’t be stingy, considering the valuable gifts she had given him.

“What is this?” Isabella asked, taking the scroll with a puzzled look.

“It’s a type of magic that can change your body shape. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask Edlin. She invented it.”

Kailun explained to Isabella and continued, “Don’t use your divination casually for the time being. I want you to divine some interesting information for me.”

Isabella tucked the scroll into her arms. “Divination information is not always 100% accurate. Being overly superstitious can lead to being misled by false information.”

“I know, but your divination can be very helpful.”

He patted Isabella’s head. “Fox will be back this afternoon. You can exchange and learn from each other then. She must have learned a lot from her trip to Kuye Town.”

At the mention of Kuye Town, Isabella glared at Kailun resentfully. If it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t have been teleported out and missed out on all the benefits.

Isabella: “If you had let me stay in the town, I might have made even greater progress in Fate Magic.”

Kailun shrugged. “But do you know that someone turned into a bird after entering the town, and someone else turned into a dog? If you had gone in, what do you think you would have become?”

Isabella fell silent. She knew that Kailun had auctioned off a ninth-rank green-feathered bird. There were rumors that the bird was Henry from the Temple of the Celestial God.

However, she hadn’t given it much thought because the source of the rumor wasn’t reliable. Now, hearing Kailun mention it again, she was truly scared.

“Well, what do you think of the Loya Ball?” Isabella hesitated for a moment before asking the question she cared about the most.

“It doesn’t matter what choice the Loya Ball makes. The important thing is that you’re still my ally, aren’t you?”

Kailun squatted down and looked into Isabella’s eyes. “You were the one who signed the contract with me, not the Loya Ball. If they make the wrong choice, I won’t hold it against you. Are you satisfied with this answer?”

Isabella turned her head away, avoiding Kailun’s gaze. “It’s none of my business. I don’t know. I have nothing to do with those stubborn old geezers.”

“Alright, since you’ve said so, I don’t need to worry too much. You look tired. Go back and rest. I’ll have someone call you for lunch.”

Kailun struggled to stand up, using his hands to support his knees. Carol, seeing this, quickly reached out to help him.

Isabella looked at them with confusion but didn’t think much of it.

Never trust Kailun’s apparent strength. You might think he’s first-rank, but he’s actually eighth-rank. You might think he’s eighth-rank, but he could be ninth-rank.

She still hadn’t figured out the reason for his mysterious power fluctuations.

Seeing Kailun again, Isabella felt relieved. Relaxing, she felt a wave of drowsiness.

She stretched and walked towards her room in the small building as if she owned the place.

Carol watched Isabella’s retreating figure and said, “It seems she still chose you. If it were someone else, they might not have come back.”

Kailun sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard. “It was a wise choice, wasn’t it? The Loya Ball has some strength, but they’re too rigid. Just wait. There might be new developments in a few days.”

He rubbed his sore back and slumped on the table. His low constitution made him feel physically and mentally exhausted.

Carol sat beside Kailun and casually picked up a magic book from the box, starting to read.

Kailun didn’t stop her. Carol’s talent far exceeded his expectations. In other words, this was something she already possessed.

He watched Carol’s flawless profile, gradually feeling sleepy. He shifted his position and rested his head on her lap.

Kailun rubbed his cheek against her smooth thigh and closed his eyes.

Carol looked down at Kailun’s face. After a moment’s thought, she covered his face with her skirt, as if playing a prank.

She was now close to the seventh rank, her progress accelerating at an abnormal pace.

She had been having strange dreams at night, more and more frequently.

She always dreamed of Kailun, but he wasn’t real in her dreams. Comparing them with other information, she could easily find inconsistencies.

For example, in her dreams, Kailun often slept with Bella, the dragon girl, who treated him like a sibling, without any of her current desires.

It wasn’t so much Kailun, but rather someone else who had replaced him.

She already had a guess about who had been replaced.

Carol kept these abnormalities in mind. Although many scenes were blurry, they couldn’t affect her feelings for Kailun.

The current reality was the true reality. She firmly believed that.

……

Time flew by. It was already afternoon, and Fox and Shirley were on their way back.

They had sealed the tomb with a special method, making it difficult for ordinary people to enter.

Fox seemed anxious on their way back. After conquering the last magic circle, she had seen a glimpse of her past.

She seemed to understand why she had lost her talent.

Fate was a magical thing. It could be glimpsed and even altered to a certain extent, but its direction couldn’t be reversed.

Large-scale changes to fate required a huge price, sometimes even erasing one’s existence.

Fox named the last magic circle she had copied “Destiny Doll.” In a way, it had reached the limit of ninth-rank magic.

In just a few days, she had fully understood this magic. It had always been in her mind.

Unfortunately, the magic she had seen was incomplete, missing a large part.

This magic could reconstruct the complete form of an object from its remnants, but this form had no consciousness or soul.

It was hard for Fox not to think of Kailun.

“Shirley, do you think humans have past lives?” Fox asked on their way back.

Shirley looked at Fox with a strange expression. “Theoretically, they don’t exist. But since you’re asking such a strange question, I guess you must have discovered something, right?”

“I think Kailun… No, never mind.”

Fox shook her head. It was just an absurd guess, even she found it unbelievable.

She needed more clues. To get them, she needed to see Kailun.

“It’s a bad habit to stop talking halfway through a sentence, just like Kailun.”

Shirley glared at Fox. She hated people who did that. “We’ll be entering the city soon. Maybe Lord Kailun is waiting for us.”

Fox: “No way. How could that guy be willing to wait for us?”

Shirley pointed at the city wall in the distance. “Look, the city wall is quite lively today. Maybe they’re already there.”

Fox looked in the direction Shirley was pointing. With her better eyesight, she indeed saw Kailun’s figure.

Without hesitation, she teleported away, leaving Shirley behind, speechless. “These people always say one thing and do another. They’re not honest at all. I wonder what the Princess is like now. I hope she hasn’t been ‘played’ by Kailun.”

Shirley sighed and quickened her pace.

On the other side, Fox crashed into Kailun’s arms, almost knocking the wind out of him. Seeing that she was fine, Kailun withdrew his attribute points and allocated them to constitution, feeling much better.

“I didn’t expect my Miss Fox to act so spoiled in front of so many people. It’s quite unexpected.”

He chuckled, stroking Fox’s ears. She was trembling in his arms, clearly upset about something.

“Don’t talk nonsense! I want to punch you, you exploitative bastard! I worked so hard for you, and you didn’t even bother to send me a letter.”

Her emotions were still unstable, so Fox didn’t want to lift her head from Kailun’s arms and let everyone see her losing her composure.

Seeing Kailun standing in front of her, safe and sound, the weight on her heart finally lifted.

Bella, watching from the side, wagged her tail, her eyes fixed on Fox. She suddenly felt that Winnie’s “playing hard to get” theory was useless. If she kept waiting, this cunning fox might overtake her.

She glanced around and, using everyone’s blind spot, swatted Fox’s butt with her tail.

The slight pain made Fox lift her head from Kailun’s arms. She saw Bella glaring at her.

She gave Bella a provocative look and then swatted Bella’s tail away with her own fox tail.

Kailun naturally saw their playful banter, but he didn’t interfere.

He looked outside the city and saw Shirley running towards them, carrying a large chest. He turned to Hilna and said, “Princess, go and welcome your knight. Don’t forget about our bet.”

Upon receiving Kailun’s order, Hilna quickly ran down the city wall, instinctively ignoring the so-called bet.

If Kailun really wanted to do something to Shirley, he wouldn’t need to use her. He was just trying to mess with her.

Hilna sighed. She had occasionally hoped that Kailun would treat her as gently as he treated the others.

But unfortunately, hope was just hope.

Hilna patted her cheeks and ran towards the city gate. They soon met outside the city.

“Greetings, Your Highness. I’m relieved to see you safe and sound.”

Shirley placed the large chest on the ground and greeted Hilna.

Hilna: “… Are you still Shirley? I feel like you’ve become a stranger.”

Shirley curtsied to Hilna. “Of course, I’m still Shirley. I will always be your knight. The changes you see are normal. Everyone grows, and I’m no exception. However, Your Highness doesn’t seem to have grown at all after such a long time. This worries me. To improve Your Highness’s competitiveness, I will be your emotional strategist from now on.”

Hilna was stunned. “Compete for what?”

“Of course, to compete with the others for Kailun. This is your only chance for the future.”

Shirley smiled gently at Hilna, but Hilna felt that her smile was very dark.

Hilna: “???”

She was completely confused. The traitor was beside her.

Shirley placed her hand on Hilna’s shoulder. “You seem confused, but please don’t doubt my judgment. This is a necessary step for you to regain your pride.”

Hilna: “…”

“Please don’t look at me like that. You need to learn many new things, such as how to dress beautifully and how to seduce Kailun.”

Influenced by Kailun, Shirley had developed a desire to “bully” Hilna, but it was a different kind of bullying.

“Crazy! You’re completely crazy! You must have been brainwashed by Kailun!”

Hilna shook her head and tried to escape.

But Shirley grabbed her hand first. “Your Highness, if you don’t want to be a pet forever, listen to me. If you continue like this, you will only ever be his plaything. Is that what you want?”

“You’re broken! Shirley, you’re completely broken! Is pleasing him really a good future? Your ideas will only make me lose myself faster. What’s the difference between you and Kailun?”

Hilna didn’t understand. This world must be broken.

“You’re right… I think I’ve been greatly influenced.”

Shirley belatedly realized that her way of thinking had, to some extent, become synchronized with Kailun’s.

Sometimes, she even found herself taking his side.

She looked up at the city wall and saw Kailun smiling at her.

……

“Maintain your disguise. I’ll be leaving the Temple for a while.”

The Pope instructed her trusted confidante while organizing documents.

“But didn’t you say that leaving now would make you vulnerable to being usurped?”

The one who asked was an old woman, hundreds of years old. She also possessed a ninth-rank aura and was one of the pillars of the Temple of the Celestial God.

“Therefore, we must conceal the fact that I’m leaving the Temple. I’ll leave this matter to you. In addition, you need to closely monitor the Empress’s movements and emphasize the threat posed by the miners repatriated by Kailun, forcing the Empress to keep her forces within the Empire.”

The Pope finished processing another document and categorized it.

The old woman asked again, “Should we recall Saint Chrissy and Lord Charles?”

The Pope’s pen paused. “No need. My destination is the Xiya Kingdom. Since Kailun sent forces to support the Abyss, the Xiya Kingdom must be vulnerable now. With my strength, as long as I conceal myself well, I can successfully assassinate him.”

In fact, the key factor that had made her decide was the result of her divination.

Before making this decision, she had borrowed the divination device from the Empress for a day and received a prediction that her trip to the Xiya Kingdom wouldn’t lead to the destruction of the world.

She was curious if the so-called Kailun could defend against an assassination attempt from someone like her.

……

“So she wants to go to the Xiya Kingdom. Interesting. Then the Holy Temple will be mine.”

The Empress stood before the massive Destiny Divination Device, reviewing the events the Pope had divined.

The rewind function was the Empire’s latest research, and the Pope, who was always focused on external affairs, was unaware of it.

Compared to the Pope, the Empress knew much more. She had a unique aura, unlike that of an ordinary ninth-rank mage.