Chapter 972: The Scales
Chapter 972: The Scales
"Just wait a moment."
Unaware of the anomaly behind him, Lyon, who was busy dealing with the Serpent Director, had his right arm wrapped around Princess Ailier's waist. Without turning back, he said, "I'm not done here yet, you go ahead..."
As he spoke, he seemed to sense something amiss, and his back suddenly tensed. Instinctively, he whipped his head around.
However, even though he reacted, it was already too late. The bronze throat whistle in the Red-haired Director's mouth sounded first, and the dreamy whistle notes, like delicate threads, seeped into Lyon's ears, pulling his will into the dream realm for the second time.
It worked!
Watching Lyon's eyes quickly close in a mix of surprise and anger, "Prince Farmer" couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Then, he staggered backward and fell.
In the astonished gazes of the old king and Princess Ailier, a delicate and slightly distorted shadow emerged from Prince Farmer's body. It wavered a few times before solidifying into a familiar yet not-so-familiar beautiful face, one he had seen in portraits before.
"Grand...
"Grandma..."
"Don't shout! I've already been banished from the royal family!"
After giving the little queen, who wanted to call her grandmother, a stern look, the Red-haired Director grabbed Lyon, who had lost consciousness. She tried to pry open his arm, which was wrapped around Princess Ailier's waist, but even though Lyon had lost consciousness, his arm remained as unyielding as an iron ring on a wooden barrel, unmoving no matter how hard she pulled.
Forget it...
The Red-haired Director sighed helplessly, judging that forcing it further might injure Lyon's arm. She then shook her head and, as Lyon's eyes started twitching, quickly pried open his mouth and poured a bottle of suspiciously colored elixir down his throat.
"Cough..."
Since he had already been sent there once before, Lyon's second trip to the Dream Realm was unusually short. The moment he landed, he rushed back with ease, having memorized the way.
After spitting out the remaining elixir, which tasted like pickled olives, Lyon glared at the Red-haired Director. Prince Lyon, immobilized by the unexpected ambush, couldn't help but scowl.
"The Mirror of Myself? The thing that can swap positions with your reflection?"
"Yes~"
The light and shadow on her body seemed odd, with the light and dark areas not quite harmonizing with the surroundings. The Red-haired Director, now wearing a different set of clothes, nodded and smiled. "That mirror is still in the storage room, and I didn't bring it with me. But before I left, I went to the storage room and took a look at myself in the mirror, leaving this reflection behind. Then I brought this reflection with me... Don't move!"
After patiently answering Lyon's question, the Red-haired Director approached him and poured the remaining elixir from the bottle into her palm. She began smearing it on Lyon's face.
"Ugh, what's that awful smell?"
"The separation elixir I asked Amien for before we came."
After shaking the suspicious little bottle in her hand, the Red-haired Director, looking quite pleased, smiled and said, "This thing prevents the consciousness from controlling the body. It's useless for you in your normal state, but when your consciousness briefly leaves your body, it will take effect. I estimate that after using up this bottle, your consciousness and body will be separated for two to three days, which should be enough to keep you in line for a while."
"..."
Wow, she's even better prepared than I am!
After sniffing the suspicious liquid on his face, which smelled like overripe durian, Lyon couldn't help but ask with a scowl, "So, you had this whole plan to deal with me from the start?"
"I don't have a prophetic abnormality. How could I know which of your traps you'd fall for? These are just a backup plan I kept handy."
The Red-haired Director shook her head and then sighed, "Your suspicions are truly heavy. Since you boarded the airship, you've been maintaining the 【Lake of Heart】..."
"Your authority power ensures that everyone near you is repeatedly inspected. With such tight security, I truly don't have the confidence to capture you."
"Moreover, defeating you and capturing you are two entirely different matters. Especially with your peculiar trump cards, I still haven't fully grasped them all. If I were to act rashly, who knows what trick you might use to escape."
"Regarding the mission files you submitted, I've thoroughly studied each one. I know the consequences of you discovering the issue and escaping. Countless people have already demonstrated that to me. How could I be foolish enough to act without absolute certainty?"
At this point, the red-haired director paused briefly before continuing with a mischievous smile:
"Just like I told you earlier, I was initially prepared to abandon this contingency plan. But after you embraced Princess Ailier, either you couldn't focus on using your authority power, or you felt so confident that you gradually relaxed your guard."
"Even after I sent you into the Dream Realm for the first time, you loosened your maintenance of the Lake of Heart authority power and completely stopped inspecting those nearby. Otherwise, I might not have had the chance to act."
"So don't be discouraged. You didn't lose to me; you lost to your own carelessness~"
"..."
"Alright, don't be glum. You've prepared a lot of countermeasures against me, and I merely returned the favor."
After making a "one-hundred-million" gesture, the red-haired director, still embracing Queen Ailier, turned to Lyon, whose expression was less than pleasant. She pulled over a chair and sat down, gazing at Lyon's expression with a mischievous smile.
"I understand you, just as you understand me. Although I didn't want you to get involved, I knew you would come to me. I could guess that you would, and I would definitely prepare to deal with you in advance."
"Although you're a once-in-a-millennium genius, you've been with the Cleanup Bureau for too short a time, and you haven't had enough encounters with cleaners. It's only natural to stumble over these minor details. Take your time from now on~"
"Alright, I concede this time."
Lyon closed his eyes slightly, then glanced at the red-haired director, who was smiling brightly. He then said with a straight face:
"So, how do you plan to dispose of me? Will you just keep me here until the Palace of Observation is weakened to the point where a true deity can descend? Will you wait until all the people of the Eastern Carleva Kingdom are resurrected?"
"..."
Upon hearing this, the red-haired director's smile faded slightly. After a moment of silence, she couldn't help but ask:
"Is my plan that obvious?"
"It's even more obvious than that!" Lyon retorted.
"You still have the nerve to bring it up!"
Upon hearing this, the red-haired director stood up abruptly, her face slightly flushed with anger.
"Do you know what you've destroyed? It could have produced an infinite amount of fine wine... Never mind..."
After biting her lower lip, the red-haired director, who had been reminded of painful memories, took a deep breath and sat back down. With a sullen expression, she asked:
"Why did you eat it... I mean, what do you think of the Sake God... Ahhh!"
After covering her head and screaming, the red-haired director pinched her thigh. Then, gritting her teeth, she said:
"What I mean is, that pearl of yours... Ahhh! Never mind, you must know what I'm asking! You tell me!"
"Alright."
Lyon glanced at the somewhat frantic red-haired director, then opened his mouth and silently blew a breath of wine towards her.
"Huff, the fact that you don't want the Cleanup Bureau to know proves that they don't want this to happen. Huff, the fact that you don't want me to know proves that I don't want this to happen either. Huff, after gathering these conditions, it's not hard to guess what you plan to do. What... What are you doing? Sit down!"
The only movable head leaned back slightly, creating a bit of distance. Ri, the embodiment of fine wine, threatened with a stern face:
"..."
"Alright, it's time for negotiations."
After blowing out a breath of the strongest wine, Lyon, still embracing Queen Ailier, lifted the corners of his mouth. Mimicking the red-haired director's previous expression, he said with a mischievous smile:
"Now it's my turn to ask you. For every question you answer, I'll turn a bottle of clear water into fine wine. How about that?"
"Huff!"
"..."
"You've already caught me, what else could possibly worry you? Huff, huff!"
Drawing a circle with the only movable part of her body, her head, Lyon indicated that she was now left with only her head capable of movement, and had no means of resistance. The red-haired director's triumphant smile, inherited from her superior, faded as she spoke with sincerity.
"This time, you've truly won. In my current state, there's nothing I can do to stop you. My only thought now is to know what the future holds..."
"Huff, huff, huff, huff, huff, huff, huff, huff!"
"Stop huffing!"
Overwhelmed by the rich, aromatic wine, Lyon took a few steps back, but the red-haired director couldn't resist the allure of the wine bug. She glared at Lyon, then pursed her lips and hummed.
"You ask the question first! I'll decide whether to answer after hearing it!"
Lyon understood that the content of the question would determine the amount of wine she'd receive.
Nodding in agreement with the red-haired director, Lyon offered a knowing smile. She then sent a command to the young 'Ha' in the Mirror World, instructing it to temporarily refrain from stamping the 'Interim Notice of the Decision to Expel Olivia Farlan from the Royal Family' in the Mirror World. Lyon then fixed her gaze on the red-haired director's eyes and asked earnestly:
"I have my first question... Will you die?"
"What?!?!"
"Or I can rephrase the question."
Noticing the director's slightly stunned expression, Lyon narrowed her eyes and said:
"The Palace of Observation remains unweakened, and the citizens of the Eastern Carleva Kingdom are resurrected... Are you planning to exchange your life for these two outcomes?"
"..."
"Great, I've got your answer... Bring the water."
As Lyon watched the silent red-haired director, she shook her head slightly. Holding a cup of clear wine sent by the young 'Ha' from the Mirror World, she took a sip and then bit the edge of the cup, using her teeth and neck strength to fling the entire cup of aromatic wine across the room.
Strangely, the red-haired director, usually a wine enthusiast, didn't reach out to catch it. Instead, she let the cup fall and shatter into pieces on the floor.
"Lyon..."
Calling out Lyon's name, the red-haired director gazed at the wine splattered everywhere and asked with resignation:
"Is my plan really that obvious?"
"More obvious than that."
Lyon calmly responded to the question. Staring at the director's downcast eyes, she spoke in a steady tone:
"As you said, I understand you, just as you understand me.
You may hold grudges, act hypocritically, love to tease others, drink during work hours, habitually owe money without repaying, and have abnormally low moral standards... But you are indeed a good cleanup officer.
Resurrecting the citizens of the Eastern Carleva Kingdom is a condition you can't refuse. However, if the price of fulfilling this regret is weakening the Palace of Observation and allowing deities to descend upon the mortal realm, causing mass casualties, you would never agree to it."
"..."
Thank you for your evaluation of me... It would have been better if you hadn't taken the opportunity to criticize me!
After listening to Lyon's words, the red-haired director felt a warmth in her heart, but also a sense of unease. She shook her head and said:
"But didn't I stand on your side? How do you know I'll do as you expect..."
"I understand you, just as you understand me."
Repeating these words, Lyon spoke with conviction:
"I know where your bottom line lies. The only situation that would make you side with the Serpent Director is having the citizens resurrected and the Palace of Observation protected, placed on one end of the scale. The other end, which would be weighed down, can be balanced with other weights."
Considering that you even tried to hide from me and refused to inform me beforehand about the 'Serpent Director's actions,' it proves that you believe that even if you told me the truth, I would most likely disagree with your plan.
The only 'new weight' I can think of that meets these conditions is your life! You're willing to put yourself on the scale, becoming the side destined for destruction!"
(End of Chapter)
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