The moment he finished speaking, Calca instantly woke from her dream.
The dark circles beneath her eyes vanished as if by magic, and her skin glowed with a layer of holy radiance.
She rose gracefully to her feet, and at some unknown point, the magical shackles binding her limbs had disappeared.
Without the suppression of the shackles, the mana within her body once again fell under the Holy Queen's control.
She raised her hand, condensing a holy, platinum-gold orb of light from within her body.
"The shackles are gone. Power and strength shall return to my hands!"
Boom!
A pillar of light shot into the sky like a divine spear, piercing the sky and proclaiming the Holy Queen's return.
...
Watching the pillar of light, Helant nodded in satisfaction. "That's more like it. Take back everything that belongs to you by force."
After speaking, he pondered for a moment before addressing Demiurge again. "By the way, don't let Caspond and those Southern Nobles truly fall into the Holy Queen's hands. Otherwise, there won't be any fun left later."
"Albedo has already made the arrangements," Demiurge replied respectfully, struggling to restrain his trembling body. His emotions at this moment were excitement taken to the extreme.
At this very moment, he finally caught a glimpse of a corner of the Great Supreme Being's plan.
If everything proceeded as expected, the Holy Domain God Lord and the Sorcerer King would soon officially become the center of this world.
The Holy Domain God Lord's Holy Kingdom and the Slane Theocracy.
The Sorcerer King's Baharuth Empire and the Kingdom.
And Jaldabaoth… Thinking of Jaldabaoth, the corner of Demiurge's mouth could not help but curl upward, his cunning face filled with unspeakable excitement.
To think the Great Lord Helant would actually entrust such a task to my hands…
As the thought of becoming a crucial link in the plan surfaced, his fingers rubbed together incessantly, as though some incredible reward were about to appear upon his empty knuckles.
Knock, knock!
The door to the meeting room was pushed open, and Mare and Aura's large eyes shot toward Helant like starlight.
"Father!"
The moment Helant waved at them, the two level-100 powerhouses dove into his embrace at near-teleportation speed.
"Father, I missed you so much." Aura's fluffy little head rubbed repeatedly against Helant's chest, her tone filled with longing and attachment.
Mare also hugged Helant tightly, speaking timidly like a little tagalong. "Father, welcome back.."
Helant rubbed their fluffy little heads and said warmly, "I missed you too."
Helant truly liked these two little ones, one lively and energetic, the other timid and adorable.
With both children in his arms, Helant took out two glasses of iced cola and handed them to them. "Drink up."
"Thank you, Father!"
Mare and Aura happily accepted the colas and began drinking with delight.
As she drank, Aura puffed out her cheeks and complained, "Albedo is really something. Father clearly came back yesterday, but she insisted she had important matters to report and told us not to disturb Father for the time being…"
Aura was actually a little angry with Albedo. What kind of work could possibly take an entire day and night to report?
She probably just wanted to seize the chance to stay by Father's side and listen to stories!
Tsk, such a selfish person.
Seeing the little one's pouting expression, Helant could not help but pinch her cheek and smile. "Albedo was researching [Downfall of Castle and Country] with me yesterday. You know how important World Items are, so we conducted the research very cautiously and seriously for an entire day and night."
"I see…" Aura pursed her lips. If it was official business, then she really could not blame Albedo anymore.
She could only rub against Helant again and act spoiled. "Then, Father, can Mare and I listen to stories tonight~"
Stories!
A look of intense anticipation flashed through Mare's eyes. He wanted to act spoiled like his sister, but when he caught a glimpse of Demiurge standing in the room, his mood suddenly grew uneasy.
Demiurge had said yesterday that he had misunderstood Father's meaning.
The meaning of "shut him up" was for Khajiit to die, not merely to have his mouth stuffed.
Khajiit had seen both the Lich King and himself and was the designated scapegoat chosen by Father.
If he were to speak the truth, it would cause Father's entire plan to collapse.
Mare suddenly felt that the cola in his mouth was no longer sweet. It even tasted a little sour, so sour that tears began to well up.
He looked up at Helant, tears falling drop by drop.
"Father~ I… want to… admit my mistake…"
Seeing this, Aura tactfully jumped out of Helant's arms and stood beside the solemn-faced Demiurge.
Both of them were extremely nervous. How would Lord Helant punish Mare?
Confinement in Neuronist Painkill's room? That was Aura's thought.
Lord Helant would be disappointed in Mare and then take back the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown? That was Demiurge's thought.
Looking at Mare's tear-streaked face, Helant found it amusing and pulled him into his arms, using his right hand to wipe away the tears.
"Regarding this matter, if I think about it carefully, I also bear responsibility."
The moment these words were spoken, Demiurge's body stiffened, and his mind began working at high speed. Lord Helant is taking the responsibility upon himself? Why?
He knew that Lord Helant's affection for Mare would not decrease much. At most, after seeing through his abilities, he would take back the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown as punishment and as motivation for his growth.
But a Supreme Being was still a Supreme Being. Every word he spoke was unexpected and unfathomable.
Mare, who had originally thought he would be severely spanked by Father, was now completely dazed. He spoke timidly, "Father, it's my responsibility. I didn't understand your meaning."
"Actually, you've already done a great job. From stealing the Crown of Wisdom and taking Nfirea away, to arranging the Lich King's appearance, everything was perfect. Even making Khajiit 'shut up' was handled very well. It's just that…"
Just that?
Demiurge, Mare, and Aura all looked toward Helant, waiting to hear what he would say next.
"It's just that I failed to consider that, given your age and experience, Mare, you couldn't possibly understand the deeper meaning of 'shut him up.' That was my lack of clarity in expression."
Helant tapped the tip of Mare's nose and smiled gently. "In fact, I don't blame you, Mare."
Although Helant had initially been surprised by the way Khajiit was made to "shut up," he later realized that Mare was still just a child. Misunderstandings were normal, and his approach to teaching should still be based on encouragement.
"But… but… it's just because I'm too stupid!" Mare sobbed, tugging at his ears in self-reproach, not daring to meet Helant's gentle gaze.
"Let me give you the reward for this mission first, and then you can cry, alright?"
Mare stopped crying and looked up blankly. "Reward?"
Helant took out two wristwatches, and Bukubukuchagama's sweet voice suddenly rang out, "Anata~~ Helant-kun~ did you miss me today~"
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