"You're overestimating ."
Faced with the middle-aged man's invitation, recalling the changes he had seen in the capital over the past half year and the series of new regulations being implented by the Cleansing Bureau, the red-haired director couldn't help but shake her head, speaking earnestly:
"I might not be a fool, but I'm far from as smart as you think. My perspective is limited to what is familiar around , while truly intelligent people naturally stand higher and can see those places I can't even begin to perceive.
Moreover, you're overestimating yourself too. Although the Cleansing Bureau seems weak now, it's fundantally different from the past. Just wait a generation or two, perhaps we won't need to do anything, and the situation will change on its own."
"Heh."
The middle-aged man sneered upon hearing her words, snorting contemptuously:
"So, you're saying that in the years before my resurrection, a genius suddenly appeared, and the Cleansing Bureau, which hadn't changed for millennia, has now been shifted by him?"
"Yes."
Recalling the docunts she had seen, the red-haired director nodded with a certain conviction:
"Although it's just the beginning, I am very sure now that the Cleansing Bureau and even the entire present world are moving towards a better direction. There's no need for you to…"
"Enough!"
Interrupting the red-haired director's words, the lanky middle-aged man glanced at her with disappointnt and then spoke coldly:
"It was my mistake to expect anything from you. Perhaps we were never on the sa path."
"Don't rush… You just returned, why not observe the situation first..."
"I've seen enough in the first half of my life!"
Raising his voice slightly, the middle-aged man mocked:
"The Heroic Country isn't heroic. Before it was destroyed by you personally, the East Carleighwen Kingdom had already rotted to the core. Thousands die annually in the coliseums, yet those who die resisting can be counted on two hands.
The so-called citizens with Crimson Blood prefer to engage in beastly fights for entertainnt, bleeding dry in muddy arenas rather than standing up against injustice. It would be better to replace their blood with mine, to let make decisions for them!
Similarly, your so-called country of justice is the sa. The nation that claims to see justice as life itself is, in reality, the least trusting of fairness. Only those close in status are deed deserving of justice, and justice is practiced only when irrelevant to self-interest. Conditional justice is worse than none!"
"…"
"You should know sothing about the Seven Vices and Six Virtues among the Thirteen Kingdoms. Do I need to recount the state of these current kingdoms to you?"
Watching the silent red-haired director, the middle-aged man evaluated coldly:
"The Kingdom of Morna claims self-restraint, yet holds the wealthiest land of Gold; Pertti claims compassion, yet has the most refugees among the Thirteen Kingdoms; the Sea Cliff Country, known for diligence, has wasted the most land and, like the Thousand Sails Mariti Country, survives on external plunder.
Indulgent self-restraint, indifferent compassion, unearned diligence, humble arrogance… coupled with the courage-lacking Heroic Country and the justice-lacking Just Nation… I ask you, what's the big difference between the so-called Six Virtues and the Seven Vices?"
"Things will slowly get better..."
Faced with the middle-aged man's questioning, the red-haired director involuntarily closed her eyes, then weakly defended:
"I haven't traveled much these years, but from what I see around , change is happening. If you patiently wait, these problems should be resolved in ti."
"How? By whom? By the Cleansing Bureau, which crafted this situation?"
The middle-aged man chuckled at her words:
"I see it clearly, the present world is in its current state because of the Cleansing Bureau's incompetence! To maintain the old order, to pay the 'rewards' of the palace dwellers, the Bureau won't allow even radically rotten kingdoms to truly fall!
As long as the royal bloodlines of the Thirteen Houses remain unbroken, as long as the Bureau remains insensitive, the corresponding Thirteen Kingdoms will be revived, just with a new face. Dig beneath the surface, and the old rotten roots still erge!"
"The Cleansing Bureau has already…"
"Enough, I'm not interested in debating this with you. You've completely beco like those old relics, even speaking similar lines when advising . I'm not interested in continuing this conversation."
Interrupting the red-haired director once more, though sowhat wearied, the middle-aged man said:
"Weren't you trying to probe my purpose just now? I might as well tell you.
In the Eastern Carleighwen Kingdom, destroyed by the Thirteen Ant Nests, everyone has been replaced with my blood, part of and the Crimson Blood, not truly dead. Now I plan to use this connection to bring them all back at once!"
"?!!!"
Hearing the middle-aged man's words, the red-haired director's pupils sharply contracted, and the cup in her hand shattered abruptly, sending a spray of fine glass shards and inciting a wave of panicked screams.
"I'm sorry! So sorry!"
Quickly comforting the nearby patrons, promising to waive this fee and provide so compensation, the server who had previously served drinks hurried over, eyes full of panic, and asked:
"Sir! Are you hurt? Our glasses are of excellent quality; even hit with a hamr they'd crack at most, shouldn't have shattered… Your hand…"
"I'm fine."
"How could you be fine? That was a loud sound just now…"
"I really am fine!"
With a sowhat pale face, the red-haired director looked up toward the server, and the mont their eyes t, the server's panicked expression instantly smoothed over, and the worry in their eyes settled back down.
After a brief look of bewildernt, the server shook slightly, then instinctively put on a professional smile, showing eight white teeth, and said actively:
"Welco, can I help you? Uh? Why are there so many empty bottles here?"
"I drank them. You can go now, I'll call you later."
After a few words to dismiss the confused server, the red-haired director stared intently at the middle-aged man across the table, her voice trembling with disbelief:
"Are you saying you can resurrect all the citizens of the East Carleighwen Kingdom?"
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