After picking up Feiliya and throwing her onto the lawn between the two of them, Leon looked up at the climbing sun, then turned his gaze to the somewhat at a loss Prince Andre.
"I’ve given you the person; can that sun stop now?"
"You’re not planning on going back on your word, right?"
Although I wasn’t planning on going back on my word, your reaction... why does it seem a bit different from what I expected?
Looking at Leon, who without a moment’s hesitation and with decisive straightforwardness handed over Feiliya, Prince Andre subconsciously opened his mouth, but in the end, said nothing.
What I truly wanted to see was, when faced with such a dilemma, the helplessness and torment Leon endured before making a choice, the despair and pain at the moment of decision, and the suffering and regret he would endure afterward, but...
Why the hell can you be so decisive!
"The sun cannot stop now."
Glancing at Feiliya, also stupefied on the ground, and guessing that Leon might just be holding on, Prince Andre gritted his teeth and said:
"The condition I mentioned earlier was not for you to hand over Feiliya, but to hand over her corpse, so you... you wait a moment!"
With a shout mixed with astonishment and anger, a huge clock face suddenly appeared behind Prince Andre.
And as the shorter "hour hand" on the face lit up, Leon’s actions instantly slowed down by a whole sixty times, and the [Silver Dagger of Cutting], initially almost a blur of silver line, revealed its true form as it slowed, narrowly avoided by the green-eyed girl, who was startled.
He really made a move...
Seeing the silver dagger, which would have slashed across Feiliya’s throat without his intervention, Prince Andre’s face darkened.
Releasing the effect of the Scepter of Time, Prince Andre asked in a low voice while looking at Leon, who still maintained a calm demeanor:
"Do you really believe that I would undoubtedly intervene to save her?"
"It’s not that I think you’d save her, it’s that you got it wrong from the start."
Retrieving the [Silver Dagger of Cutting] and feeling a sense of relief himself, Leon replied with an odd expression:
"It’s not that I trusted you to save her, but the choice you offered me doesn’t make much difference regardless of what I choose... In truth, I’m curious why you think threatening me to kill your own sister with the lives of your own citizens would put me through torment?"
Silenced by this question, Prince Andre stared at Leon for a while, then slowly shook his head and said:
"No, you are still deceiving me, I don’t believe you are as carefree as you seem, someone like you wouldn’t not care..."
"No, you’re not finished yet, are you?"
Interrupting Prince Andre, Leon said with a face full of impatience:
"You gave me a choice, and I made it; you changed the condition to wanting a corpse, so I started to provide you with a corpse; I’ve already cooperated with your madness so much, why are you still talking all this nonsense?
How about this, I’m actually quite good at acting, so if you really want to see me in pain and torment, breaking down and crying, can I perform a little for you right now?"
"No! You’re just deceiving me!"
After staring into Leon’s eyes for a moment, Prince Andre took a deep breath and resolutely judged:
"You’re saying all this to infuriate me, to make me choose to kill you in a fit of rage!
And only after killing you would I have no reason to harm others, only by doing so could I simultaneously save Feiliya and all the citizens of the Crolock Kingdom from my hands!"
"Alright, whatever you say..."
Faced with Prince Andre’s obstinate argument, Leon, feeling somewhat numb, helplessly asked back:
"So if that was truly my plan, how do you intend to further punish me? By first dealing with your only sister and then roasting all your citizens with the sun, to make me suffer intensely?"
Indeed, that was my plan, that is indeed the scenario, but why does it sound so strange when explained by you!
Killing one’s last remaining family member, then destroying a kingdom and its citizens that should be one’s own, just to make you suffer a bit... this description is ridiculous just to hear.
What is even more ridiculous is being unsure if doing so would indeed cause him pain.
If my judgment is wrong, and he does not intend to sacrifice himself to save everyone, but truly doesn’t care... then I fear I would be more ridiculous than a mere clown...
Through Leon’s description, and with a touch of normal human thinking clearing the logic, Prince Andre, bursting with anger and ready to abandon everything to retaliate against Leon, became entirely stuck in awkwardness.
Doing nothing, clown.
Doing something, still a clown.
Doing it wrong, clown of clowns.
It seems my life no longer has a second option, since after Leon spoke those words, regardless of what I do now, the ultimate destination seems to lead to the same inevitable conclusion.
"Honestly, why don’t you just concede?"
Seeing the lost expression twisted on Prince Andre’s face, Leon pondered for a moment before tentatively advising:
"Your painting was cut by me, those fake parents made with remnants of souls can certainly no longer be found, but I do have some connections in the Realm of the Dead and know quite a few people there, maybe I could arrange for you to meet your real departed parents once more."
Upon hearing Leon’s words, Prince Andre’s eyes widened suddenly.
"You... what did you say?!"
"I said, if you choose to surrender now, I might be able to allow you to meet your deceased parents once more."
Recalling some information about the Realm of the Dead, Leon continued to explain:
"In the Realm of the Dead, there’s a place called the [City of Regret], where souls with regrets and guilt too intense to move forward in afterlife temporarily reside until they resolve their regrets or are forgotten by all living."
Considering your family situation... hmm... their regrets and guilt are certainly extremely strong, and many who have met them still remember them, so they are likely waiting for you there in the [City of Regret]."
Finishing his explanation of the [City of Regret], Leon glanced at the trembling Prince Andre and walked slowly towards him, extending his right hand. The source of thɪs content is NovᴇlFir(e).nᴇt
"Prince Andre, as long as your resolve is strong enough to support you through the long [No Return Path], and reach the front of the [City of Regret], it may be possible to see your family again and apologize to them for your mistakes...
So, are you interested in my proposal?"