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Jelat smiled and asked, “I wonder if I could hold you for dinner.”

The young monk shook his head with a faint smile and said, “I have a little one waiting back at the residence.”

Jelat was surprised but did not show it on his face and nodded with an amiable expression. He said, “I shall arrange the carriage for you to return.”

Valerian thanked him with a polite smile and then boarded a carriage to leave the place. Jelat did not wait for too long. He turned to look at his most trusted confidante and asked, “Malak, did you see any little one with this boy?”

Malak nodded and then took out a pen and paper to write down everything he observed. Jelat had a thoughtful expression and said, “We can use that girl as leverage.”

Malak thought of something, but then he did not say anything. His mind was confused. Although he had been working with this guy for years, he never understood why Jelat would always try to use leverage against people. However, he did not say anything to the man himself.

...

Valerian returned to the temple and ate a proper meal with the little girl. In the middle of the night, he walked out of the temple and came to the small garden in the back. He looked at one of the trees and said, “Someone might try to harm the child. You better focus on her safety.”

.....

This sentence was pointed at Olivis, the dryad in the shadows. The figure came out from behind a tree and nodded. Valerian was not worried in vain. He was not a fool not to know that his actions today were directly considered an insult toward the enemy.

He was not worried about his safety but about the little girl. Valerian walked around in the garden till late at night. Sometimes, he would gaze at the stars and sometimes at the moon. He did not sleep because he thought about how the enemy would react.

...

While Valerian was thinking about the reaction, the person in question was also thinking about something. The scholarly young man leaned back in the chair, thinking about what Jelat had just told him. After a few minutes, the man revealed a smile. He said, “This guy is fascinating. He indirectly conveyed that if you want to meet me, you must come forward.”

Jelat sighed and said, “Sire, this guy told me he has a child with him. Maybe we can...”

Imperium glared at the man before him and said, “You need to think less. Nobody touches the child. I may be cruel, but children deserve care and love.”

Jelat bowed his head and said, “Yes, Sire.”

Imperium nodded, and after a few minutes, he said, “Very well, I will visit the city tomorrow and have someone deliver the message to the young man. I want to meet this guy in the market tomorrow.”

Jelat nodded and quickly left the place to give Valerian the message. Imperium looked at the back of his minion and said, “I wonder if this guy will pose me any challenge.”

Then the room echoed with maniacal laughter.

...

Malak appeared before the temple the following day and handed Valerian a notice. The young man was not without surprise, however, when he read the content of the message. A few doubts arose in his mind. He thought of the enemy and then, with a smile, bowed to Malak as he said, “I would like to brew some longevity medicine for the master of the state.”

Malak nodded, and then he left the place. Valerian went inside the temple and fished out a few herbs to make a brew as a unique gift for the master of the state.

Valerian did not tell Valerie about what he was doing and worked busily. It took him three hours to properly brew a golden medicinal liquid. Then he carefully poured the drink inside the vial. The young man smiled at the glass vial and said, “Let’s see if you can still go on with the facade.”

After bidding farewell to the little girl, Valerian headed out to the market. Valerie did not make any fuss. The young man bought her a few paint boxes a few days ago, and the child was delighted to paint the place. So every day, she worked hard to renovate the home. She was only four years old, so she could only do a few things independently and would ask for Valerian’s help when he returned to make her meals.

The silver-haired monk appeared in public and caused a slow murmur. He greeted the people and helped a few people on his way to the market. As he reached the market, he found Malak standing at the entrance.

Valerian bowed to the man, who returned his gesture. The young man asked, “Is the lord here?”

Malak nodded, and with a respectful posture, he led Valerian ahead to meet with Imperium. The people in the market were all looking at the situation, and since Imperium was here, he was the center of the action.

Valerian’s arrival attracted people’s attention, and they all recalled the old story of the monk who helped the people and then rose to fame, even becoming the lord of the nation. Following the people’s gazes, the young man deduced where Imperium was.

Soon, he located the person, and then he observed the aura of this person. If not for the fact that the smile hid a blade in it, this person would have made an accurate poster model for an idol official.

Valerian did not say anything to interrupt the scene. Imperium conversed with the people with great enthusiasm. His actions were very calculated. It was to the point where if Valerian had not seen the eyes flashing occasionally, he would have thought this guy was being honest.

In Valerian’s evaluation, this man flipped switches and changed how he acted. What surprised him the most was the high speed of all these changes. Valerian had never met someone as cunning as this person. Suppose his previous opponent was working in the shadow. This guy, himself, was the shadow.

He did not rely on any outsider to implement his plan, and everything that happened in this place was his plan. Valerian needed to bring out the reality to the people. After so many days, he was not interested in waiting for the cards to be played by the rules. Since they worked so hard to make a city, he would make the city take them down.

Valerian was no less cunning but did not want to use his wits for anything. The young man waited patiently, and then Jelat said, “Lord, the young monk is here.”

Imperium’s smile simmered, and he turned around to look at Valerian. The man in the black and gold robes nodded and said, “May Vita be praised.”

Valerian nodded and bowed slightly, “May Vita be praised.”

The young man stood up and said, “I look forward to meeting you.”

Imperium smiled faintly and said, “I also looked forward to meeting you.”

Valerian smiled and said, “I am very moved by what you have done here. Gathering so many people and so many cultures in one place. It is a marvel in the making.”

Imperium smiled. He knew this guy was planning something and said, “Thank you for the compliment, but it is the people who made this dream a reality.”

Valerian caught on to the word dream and said, “When I came here, I discovered the sad story of the people from the temple of mercy.”

Imperium nodded and wanted to say something, but Valerian did not give him a chance to. He said, “I wanted to thank you for the order. Thank you for all that you have done for the people here. Even without the colors of mercy, you are still a merciful soul.”

The people around them nodded, and Jelat felt that something was wrong. Valerian took out the vial and asked, “This is not much but a brew of longevity. You have been working harder every day. This liquid will help you become stronger.”

Imperium was surprised, and asked, “This should be given to someone in a bigger need, don’t you think so?”

Valerian smiled and said, “The people in need will not be able to handle this. They are weaker and need dedicated step-by-step care. I have been working on these things for a few days and a lot of people have improved. If you think I come bearing ill will, then I can take a sip to ease up your mind.”

Imperium was put in a spot. The crowd around began to murmur. Valerian had already told the few people under him to gather in the market and they were all told to support him. One of these people said, “Lord Imperium, take it. You deserve it.”

One cry ignited the forest and the flames spread so fast that Imperium had no place to run.