Ren didn't know how many times he had died, but each time he instantly came back to life and kept talking, which annoyed Puck endlessly.
Emilia held her head, in pain, but couldn't remember anything.
"What's the point of this? Nothing will progress if we don't sit down and talk." Ren had already come to Emilia's side.
"You monster." Puck spoke cautiously. Every time Ren died, he left a pool of blood, but he would immediately revive on the spot. It was unbelievable. He admitted it—he couldn't kill Ren.
"Finally, can you calmly listen to me?" Ren sat cross-legged, as if nothing that had just happened had occurred.
Emilia eventually fainted, refusing to subconsciously touch those memories.
"Looks like it was too shocking for her." Ren looked at the unconscious Emilia and shook his head.
This option didn't seem ideal either.
Crusch Karsten wasn't under consideration. She was a noble of the Dragon Kingdom. She hated the Witch Cult to the bone because of its actions, and her Divine Protection somewhat restrained Ren.
Then there was a child, a girl even more arrogant than arrogance itself.
The only viable option seemed to be her. Anastasia was actually the most normal choice, but Emilia was the easiest to control and use.
Ren and the others didn't have to wait long. Emilia woke up.
"Puck, sorry."
"You're awake. Hello, I'm Ren. These are Ram and Rem." Ren introduced them.
"Why are you looking for me? I have nothing here, nothing to offer you." Emilia looked at Ren, feeling a strange familiarity.
"Indeed, right now you have nothing. Your heart isn't mature, and you hold fantasies. But, from another perspective, you'll see that you have unlimited room to grow." Ren's tone was as gentle as possible.
"Unlimited room to grow?" Emilia murmured. She was actually touched. It was the first time she'd heard a way to unseal this forest.
"Moreover, if you become king, this frozen forest can also be saved. No snow will remain unmelted, no ice will stay forever frozen. In the end, the snow will merge."
Ren continued feeding her hope. With someone so emotionally immature, his encouragement always hit the mark.
"No snow stays forever," Emilia murmured, seeming to forget the unpleasant witch-like aura on the other person.
"Yes, snow will eventually melt. The question is which path you choose—wait for someone's conscience to thaw it, or rely on your own effort to make it melt yourself. Both are paths," Ren calmly explained the options.
"I want to try on my own. But is it okay? I'm a half-elf," Emilia said, feeling naturally encouraged, though she grew uneasy thinking about the villagers' attitudes.
"There is a race in this world, the demi-humans. They are mixed-blood. Because they think like you, they feel inferior, face discrimination, and eventually shrink into themselves. Do you want to be like them?"
Ram and Rem exchanged a glance, seeing from each other's eyes that Ren was probably spouting nonsense.
Ren continued, "They have no goals, no direction in life, so they willingly bind themselves. But you are different. You want to free this place. You have your own goals. Though you are still young and inexperienced, I believe in the future, you will succeed."
"Thank you for your blessing. Sorry, I misunderstood you just now. I might need to discuss this with Puck," Emilia said, showing an apologetic expression.
"Alright. We won't disturb you further," Ren said, leaving with Ram and Rem.
Puck watched Ren, Ram, and Rem walk away, his expression tense.
One of them was overwhelmingly strong; if he didn't become the Beast of the End, there was no way he could handle him.
The other had a strange ability—Puck couldn't kill him, and the endless talking was disgusting.
"Puck, I want to unseal this forest," Emilia said after a long silence.
"Alright, but you cannot choose him. He is skilled in deception, and your sincerity won't change him," Puck sighed. He had to prevent Emilia from participating in the royal selection through Ren.
"Hmm," Emilia replied, half understanding, yet agreeing with Puck. Deep down, she felt the person's aura was unpleasant.
Puck exhaled deeply. From the start, he didn't want Emilia interacting with outsiders. Now, facing someone like Ren, there was nothing he could do.
…
"Does Lord Ren have faith in her?" Rem asked.
"No," Ren shook his head.
"Ram thinks she should be used," Ram shared her opinion.
"Yes." Ren understood clearly. He probably didn't even need to set a verbal trap. Just making the other person deny their own words could trigger his power.
But that was meaningless. Doing that wouldn't be any different from Pandora. He didn't want to force innocent people using the same methods as his enemy.
"Has Lord Ren suddenly developed a conscience?" Ram asked in confusion. Could someone who had stolen from the nation really feel pity for others?
"It sounds like I'm being hypocritical, but it doesn't matter. Using her to achieve my goal gives me no sense of accomplishment," Ren said after a moment of thought.
"Are we still looking for other Royal Candidate nominees?" Rem asked quietly, like she was barely there.
"No need. That merchant seems interesting. Let's see if she can rise from the ashes or just sink into the mire." Ren remembered the Hoshin Company struggling in the trap he had set, which piqued his curiosity.
"Lord Ren really has a cruel sense of humor. I'm worried Rem will pick up bad habits," Ram complained.
"Sister, Rem won't listen to Lord Ren," Rem replied immediately.
"You two really have some nerve. Is this how you tease your Lord? And yet, you still won't obey me." Ren held one of their heads in each hand. Aside from other things, it felt nice.
"Lord Ren makes Ram work in the cold. That's too cruel. And now you're touching Ram's hair. If she doesn't grow taller, it's your fault."
"Rem will warm Sister," Rem said, breaking free from Ren's hand and hugging Ram. They huddled together for warmth.
"Lord Ren, why did you say those things to her?" Ram asked, puzzled. She didn't understand why he would encourage her.
"Things are boring if the future is set. Besides, talking is my specialty," Ren said casually.
"Sister, Rem understands. Lord Ren is being foolish and making trouble for himself," Rem said, raising her hand.
The group laughed and joked as they left, heading toward Priestella.
"Archishop Ren, the time hasn't come yet. Your power is not enough yet. Will the caged bird open its own seal?" A silver-haired girl appeared where Ren had just been. She smiled, glanced at the frozen forest, and then vanished.
Ren had no idea. Every move he made was being watched by Pandora, who seemed both absent from the world and yet everywhere at once.
**********
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