During the handover of Dimensional Rift technology, Kong Zhiwang had asked Baldy Burke if Elysia could truly represent the entire White Eagle on her own. Burke's response was an unequivocal yes.
In an ordinary country, a leader who enacted wildly unpopular policies would likely face public backlash and removal from office.
Take the European Union, for example. If its leaders were to issue decrees like tax cuts for Great Britain or preferential treatment for Britons within the EU, mass protests and demonstrations would be inevitable.
But the White Eagle was no ordinary nation. It had a deep-seated culture of personal worship, further fueled by the increasingly powerful Church of Elysia within its borders. This combination had propelled Elysia's popularity to unprecedented heights.
In a sense, it wouldn't be wrong to consider the White Eagle a quasi-religious state at this point.
While a secular leader might face opposition for unpopular policies, any divine decree issued by a god would be unconditionally obeyed by their faithful followers.
Of course, the White Eagle hadn't yet reached such an extreme state, but Elysia already controlled her own territory, temporarily managed the Scholar's territory, and Robin held sway over the Prophet's territory.
Furthermore, Harold Wendell, recently elected to the White Eagle Eight to replace the Wizard, had been rescued by Elysia once and was now her fervent admirer.
In essence, half of the White Eagle's power was now firmly in Elysia's hands. As for the remaining half, the Hunter's territory had yet to elect a suitable White Eagle Eight member, the Hermit remained missing, and the Mad Lion rarely interfered in governance. This left only the Manor Lord, the final member of the White Eagle Eight, who might occasionally voice mild objections to Elysia's commands, but his influence was negligible.
I should pay the Manor Lord a visit soon, Elysia mused silently.
Time flew by, and seven days passed in a flash. Baldy Burke and Kong Zhiwang were working tirelessly on the Dimensional Rift, while Elysia had a wonderful time playing with Hui. The adorable Doggirl's affection for Elysia grew stronger with each passing day.
It's worth noting that if Li's ancestors were Golden Retrievers, Hui's were likely Border Collies—dogs renowned for their intelligence and beauty.
As it turned out, Hui was indeed both adorable and stunningly beautiful. Her intelligence was equally impressive. During her time with Elysia, she rapidly adapted to modern life, mastering new skills with remarkable ease.
Meanwhile, Lingsha had been busy purchasing numerous medical books and beginning a systematic study of medical knowledge. After all, her System Objective for her current identity was "Physician," requiring her to heal the sick and save lives.
During her time in the Beast-Eared Girl World, Ikezawa alone had contributed over twenty percent to her progress, as he was constantly falling ill and she was constantly treating him. Now back in the Main World, Lingsha needed to strategize how to quickly advance her System Objective.
Later that day, around noon, Ikezawa was discharged from the hospital for the second time. He rushed straight to the Longcheng Bureau of Anomalous Investigations to register as an Outsider, then immediately began complaining to Lü Heng and Invincible Bro. "What kind of artificial respiration did you two teach me? It wasn't saving my life; it was trying to kill me!"
Lü Heng was nearly doubled over with laughter, but Invincible Bro sighed helplessly. "Actually, I tried to warn you, but someone stopped me."
Ikezawa glared at Lü Heng, his expression fierce. But Lü Heng swiftly produced his 'secret weapon': several photos that he placed on the table.
Ikezawa's attitude changed instantly. "My apologies! I was speaking too loudly just now! I sincerely apologize!"
Truthfully, Ikezawa wasn't genuinely angry. Though the experience had been... unorthodox, it had undeniably strengthened his bond with Li.
Returning to his main concern, Ikezawa sighed. "Do you guys know where Elysia is now? I really want to see her again. Why did I have to faint from excitement last time we met?"
Lü Heng shrugged. "She's the leader of White Eagle, you know? She's probably busy with something important. How could someone like her possibly have time for ordinary people like us?"
After the Dragon Nation and White Eagle officially began their joint operation, Kong Zhiwang immediately transferred a large number of elite agents from the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations to completely replace Zhong Wanhong's team. This meant that the Dimensional Rift was no longer Zhong Wanhong's team's responsibility, and their duties would remain unchanged.
Moreover, today was their day off. If Ikezawa hadn't needed to process his Outsider registration, Lü Heng would have been relaxing at home.
Suddenly, Lü Heng remembered something. "Oh, right! The sequel to that really good movie we saw last time is out. Now that the paperwork is done, want to go see it together?"
Invincible Bro pondered for a moment. "Oh, that one? I saw some online reviews. It sounds pretty good. Sure, I'm in."
Ikezawa, however, showed little interest. After all, Lü Heng had mentioned it was a sequel, and he hadn't seen the original. What if he didn't understand it? Besides, what was the point of watching a movie with a bunch of guys? He'd rather go shopping with Li.
Still, out of politeness, Ikezawa didn't immediately refuse. Instead, he asked, "What's the movie called?"
His plan was to let them briefly describe the plot, then find some excuse—like saying he didn't like that genre—to politely decline.
Then, Lü Heng said, "I think it's called 'The Final Lesson.'"
"Cough! Cough!" Ikezawa suddenly choked, despite not having taken a drink. He stared at Lü Heng in disbelief, his face contorted with shock. "What the hell?!"
Even at this point, Ikezawa clung to a sliver of hope. What if it's just a coincidence? The title "The Final Lesson" sounded like a perfect fit for a movie—maybe it was a campus drama?
But Lü Heng quickly dispelled that notion. He pulled out his phone, tapped a few times, and showed Ikezawa the movie poster: a red-haired woman wielding a massive greatsword, locked in a tense standoff with a white-haired young girl.
Ikezawa's jaw dropped, his mind completely blank. Distracted, his phone slipped from his grasp and clattered softly to the floor.
The sound was followed by Lü Heng's anguished cry: "Holy shit, my phone!"