"Even though you have been instilled with a mission and your emotions have been neutered, your instinct is still biological. You still long for your homeland, and even after it is destroyed, you will still feel pain and agitation."

Mistofen sighed lightly, and said:

"Li Aozi's return is not only beneficial to the Empire. Seeing your current state, he certainly won't ignore it. The Layer Abyss is his base."

Dialan lowered his head and said:

"Is this why many powerful individuals, despite their talent, resurface halfway through submerging—right?"

"As long as they don't ascend to godhood, they are mortals. Mortals have their seven emotions and desires, and they long for the mundane. Only the grand narrative belief that transcends the individual can make people give up personal desires and sloth, sacrificing everything for the nation and faith. The narrative will respond to their fervent dedication through action."

The Crown Prince said lightly:

"The Starry Abyss will not remember anyone, but the narrative carries everyone's beliefs. As long as the fire is passed on and not extinguished, the narrative will eternally exist."

"This is the difference between our narrative civilization and ordinary civilizations. Each of us is willing to sacrifice our spirit for the continuation of the grand narrative. We are willing to abandon personal and familial constraints, accepting the transformation and deployment of the grand narrative, whether it's the Empire, the Temple, or the group. We have our noble faith."

"Before becoming the Crown Prince, I was just an ordinary civil servant with my family and happiness. But when the Philosopher King chose me, I had to give up all my ideals and hobbies, devoting myself wholeheartedly to serving imperialism, dedicating my life, and eventually, even my personal will would be erased, becoming a vessel for the administrative machinery of the Philosopher King."

"Ordinary individual powerhouses have an escape route. When faced with difficulties in ascension, they either linger and retire in retreat or return to hang idly. People without faith and organization are like this; don't expect much contribution to the people and ideals."

Dialan spoke:

"If Li Aozi joins the Empire, will he be like you?"

—Even now, she is still concerned about Leoz's safety.

The Crown Prince nodded, it seemed his estimation was not wrong.

As a Prime Minister, tolerating rumors of secret lovers or even mistresses to spread, it was clear that Dialan was not as indifferent to Li Aozi as she claimed.

"Yes."

The Crown Prince said:

"You can rest assured, Li Aozi will not lose himself. The Imperial Parliament certainly won't assign him roles like Philosopher King, Crown Prince, or Elector that would impact his personality."

"Then what exactly do you need from him, no, from the God of the Present World, Leo?"

"In principle, I can't say, but I can explain it in another way."

The Crown Prince shook his head:

"During the time when the 'Farmer' invaded the Empire, I was briefly trapped in a strange place, a crevice between the timeline and the Starry Abyss. It did not belong to three-dimensional space, nor was it four-dimensional or a higher dimension, but there you could browse through billions of years of history at will, like the Primordial Abyss Will."

"The future holds countless possibilities, but when I looked at Li Aozi, I saw only two paths."

"Two paths? Are you saying there are only two outcomes for Li Aozi?"

"It seems you understand what kind of curse one who has contacted Lord Entropy would bear."

The Crown Prince Mistofen smiled, then immediately turned serious and said:

"One path cannot be described in words. Even if portrayed in text or brainwave monitors, it would only become a clump of meaningless information, an unspeakable and dreadful future. But the narrative civilization should have known these things early. The evidence is that since the war against Lord Entropy, both the group and the temple have increased their intelligence gathering on Li Aozi."

"And the other outcome."

The Crown Prince looked at Dialan and said:

"I saw you."

"You will bring Leoz back. I see Leoz becoming immensely powerful at this moment. Once he joins the Empire, enjoying a beautiful life, the union of Leoz and the Empire will repel the Evil God & Society Allied Forces. It will assist the Empire in achieving dominance, and your mission will be fulfilled."

"Dialan, I'm not considering you; I'm telling you a fact:"

"Li Aozi joining the Empire will complete your mission."

"At this point, do you still plan to do nothing?"

Mission.

Though they had been negotiating for quite a while, until this word was spoken, Dialan had shown no sign of compromise.

When the Crown Prince mentioned the mission, Dialan could no longer remain silent.

"Please give me time to think about it."

Dialan said:

"It won't take long. You can go have a cup of coffee or something. I will have an answer for you soon."

The Crown Prince nodded, stood up, and left:

"I will be nearby, waiting."

Mistofen kept his word, leaving without stopping, clearly indicating that his time was tight as well.

As the door closed, Cynthia rushed in: "Your Excellency, the Prime Minister—"

Dialan interrupted:

"Cynthia, where is my magic storage bag?"

"I have it with me."

Cynthia took out a small, pouch-like storage bag from her backpack, handing it to Dialan:

"Returning it to its rightful owner."

"I need to put on some makeup. You go out and engage with the government people first. Later, I'll go to negotiate with the Crown Prince."

Dialan sent Cynthia away, listening until the sound of high heels completely faded away, and opened the storage bag, taking out a small bottle of sparkling silver-gray metallic liquid.

It was like mercury, but much clearer, resembling blood.

"This is the last bottle of Ether Blood. Only a sage like the Wild Armor can provide reliable opinions. It won't be easy to find more in the future."

Dialan clenched the bottle, unplugged the stopper, and before it could unintentionally dissipate, tilted her head back and drank it down.

Gulp gulp—

All the Ether Blood was consumed, and Dialan put the bottle away, laid on the bed, and quietly waited.

As the familiar dizziness and hallucinations hit, Dialan's vision gradually became dark.

Dialan... Dialan... Dia...

The murmuring voice grew clearer as Dialan gradually regained control over her body, opened her eyes, and shouted:

"Wilde Chimaera!"

Her voice caused echoes, and Dialan raised her head, looking forward.

She was no longer lying in the ward of a field hospital in the Empire, but standing in a serene, unfamiliar night garden.

Dialan gazed blankly at her surroundings, resembling a church's back garden. Butterflies flitted through clusters of flowers, alighting on the shoulder of a tall, slender man.

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