Persuasion

Can I use persuasion on her? Lowell thought, "I should be able to."

The wind and snow seemed to freeze at that moment. Solitär's words, a mixture of innocence and cruelty, doubt and mockery, pierced a warm dream like an icicle, laying bare the bloody reality on the snowfield. The faint sobs and fearful gasps coming from the direction of the village added to the chill.

Lowell listened in silence, his face showing no anger at the other's sharp words. Only a complex, weary, and knowing look, seemingly weighed down by a thousand years, flickered in his deep eyes. He waited until Solitär finished speaking before slowly opening his own voice, which, though not loud, possessed a strange penetrating power that suppressed the howling of the wind and snow:

"Solitär, you should know that you are no match for me."

Solitär tilted her head, her face still bearing that sweet, doll-like smile, her tone light as if discussing afternoon tea pastries:

"Of course~ Although Solitär believes she has improved a lot over the past thousand years, she still has that much self-awareness compared to Your Majesty the former Demon King." She even stretched out her slender finger and gently tapped her chin, revealing a look of reminiscence.

"I've fantasized about it countless times... imagining that one day I might be killed by some powerful human hero. Before I die, I'll kneel down crying and see if they show pity, disdain, or pleasure... that would be very interesting data~" Her eyes shone with a pure thirst for knowledge.

"But now, it seems that what will end my life is not the epic chapter I had envisioned, but rather Your Majesty, the symbol of the 'past'... This is truly unexpected for Solitär."

"No, Solitär," Lowell shook his head, interrupting her reverie, "I don't want to kill you."

His gaze swept over the desolate village behind him, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable power:

"War is something that has lasted for thousands of years, and it's inherently difficult to say who is absolutely right and who is wrong. Racial conflicts have always been like this, with hatred spiraling back and forth, and the source is long gone. I am only responsible for what is happening now. What you did in the past, and what role you played in that war, has no direct connection to me, and I do not wish to use that to arrogantly judge you."

He took a step forward, his gaze meeting Solitär's unfathomable green eyes. "Believe me, the path to coexistence is not an illusion. Even if the starting point is constraint and balance, the seed can still sprout in the soil of reality."

Solitär let out a very soft laugh, as if she had heard a funny nursery rhyme. "My Lord Demon King... you really are... a thousand years have passed, and you are still so naive..." She raised her hand, pointing to the snow-covered sky in the distance, then to the ground beneath her feet:

"Orcas can never breathe with gills; they are mammals. Whale sharks, on the other hand, are fish that filter seawater through their gills... Just like us Demons and humans, although we look similar and can speak the same language, we are fundamentally different species. Our thoughts, emotions, and ways of life are all built on different foundations. How can two such beings truly 'coexist'? So-called understanding is nothing but an arrogant illusion."

"No, you're wrong." Lowell's tone was resolute. "Humanity itself is not monolithic. Dwarves are resilient and pragmatic, elves are indifferent and long-lived, and human nations have vastly different ideologies, even engaging in warfare. Differences exist among them, and these are not insurmountable barriers." His gaze swept over Frieren, Lupa, and Linié beside him, finally returning to Solitär.

"Demons and humans are not necessarily incompatible. Even if this coexistence is initially based on deception, compromise, or even the intimidation and balance of power, as long as there is a sliver of possibility, the seed can sprout. Solitär, I know you very well..." He paused, his tone filled with insightful certainty.

"You care about the Demons race, but you would never place the survival of the Demons above your own life. Survival and observation are your highest priorities. Besides, no matter what, we are both Demons... Given this disparity in strength, and the fact that I have offered another way of 'observation,' based on rational calculation, you should be willing to make the more 'cost-effective' choice."

Solitär's smile faded slightly, her pale green pupils narrowing as if she were reassessing the former Demon King before her. The wind and snow swept through her long, light-colored hair, bringing a moment of silence. She remained silent for a while before speaking again, her voice less playful and more inquisitive:

"Is that so... You certainly know me well. Indeed, I, Solitär, am a cowardly, fearful Demons who craves immediate pleasure... You win. In assessing the probability of survival, your options seem more pragmatic."

She abruptly changed the subject, as if suddenly realizing a crucial question, and tilted her head to ask:

"However, if that's the case, why don't you go and persuade the current Demon King Lord directly? Discal, my 'friend'... If the two Demon King Lords joined forces and suppressed all dissenting voices with absolute power, wouldn't that be a more efficient way to achieve your ideal of 'coexistence'? With your combined strength, you should be able to crush all discordant voices, right?"

A hint of unspoken heaviness flashed across Lowell's eyes. He exhaled softly, and the white mist quickly dissipated in the cold air.

"... It's not that I haven't considered this possibility. But," his voice lowered, carrying a sense of fatalistic helplessness, "In the countless fragments of the future I've 'seen'... my meetings with him have always led to only one result—I personally killed him countless times."

He raised his eyes, his gaze seemingly piercing through time and space, seeing a blood-red end:

"He... in the end, we didn't want to walk the same path. His 'coexistence' and my 'coexistence' are essentially diametrically opposed. Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together."

Solitär listened quietly, her green eyes gleaming as if processing the information. After a moment, she let out a soft "Ah," her tone hollow, as if she had no idea it was related to her.

"Is that so...? That's really... a regret that leaves one feeling nothing at all." She touched her chest with her hand, the movement elegant, yet devoid of any genuine sadness.

"In other words, my friend, Discal, the current Demon King, who is even more obsessed with ridiculous ideals... is destined to be killed by you in the 'future' you see, harboring his illusory dream of 'coexistence'... or rather, the fact that you haven't killed him now proves that he will die at someone else's hands... right?"

Lowell remained silent for a moment.

"Right."

Solitär's innocent smile returned, and she clapped her hands. "Ah~ What an... exciting development! Solitär's last friend is about to die~ Ah~ So, Your Majesty, the great former Demon King, how do you intend to deal with me, this surrendered Demons? Or rather, what exactly do you want Solitär to do through your so-called other means of observation~?"

Lowell said no more, and stretched out his hand, revealing an object in his palm. It was a ring carved from a dull, grayish-white stone that seemed to bear the marks of time. Its shape was simple and ancient, and it was covered with intricate and complex ancient runes that were definitely not from the modern magic system. It exuded a restrained yet powerful binding force.

"This is the 'Dominating Stone Ring'," Lowell explained calmly. "It's a replica I made, modeled after a magical artifact used by a sage from mythology to imprison others. The effect is similar. Wearing it won't fundamentally affect your magic power, your thoughts, or even your research desires; you will remain yourself."

"However, from this day forward, without my explicit permission, you may not attack anyone who has not attacked you first. Similarly, any form of control, imprisonment, psychological interference, or even large-scale inducement into desperate situations to observe reactions, is prohibited."

He looked into Solitär's eyes. "Follow me, and you can observe humanity just as easily. Moreover, compared to your current inefficient and risky method of slaughtering a village and then moving on to the next target, you can stand safely in the sunlight for a long time, observing the workings of human society up close and continuously, even integrating into it and living alongside it. For you, this is a more stable, more enduring, and more accessible source of data from multiple samples. Isn't that a greater temptation?"

Solitär's gaze fell on the seemingly simple stone ring, her green pupils flickering slightly. But after only a few breaths, the hesitation and weighing on her face vanished, replaced by an excited gleam, like someone who had discovered a new toy.

Almost without hesitation, she stepped forward, extending her slender wrist towards Lowell, a sweet and innocent smile on her face, "It does sound much more interesting than hunting, hiding and waiting for meals! Lower risk, longer reward cycle, and unparalleled sample diversity—I'd love to... Demon King Lord, your proposal is accepted by Solitär!"

Lowell gently slipped the stone ring onto her fair wrist. The moment the ring touched her skin, it contracted slightly, fitting perfectly, and then its light dimmed, as if it had become one with her wrist, no longer noticeable.

Immediately afterwards, Solitär a step back, gracefully lifted her skirt, knelt on one knee in the cold snow, tilted her head back, revealing her slender and delicate neck, and wore a smile that was almost pious, yet also contained a hint of playful challenge:

"Then, with this stone ring as my pledge, Solitär hereby pledges her allegiance to you, Lord Demon King."

The wind and snow continued, but the tense, imminent atmosphere of destruction had quietly dissipated. The village remained silent, but the pervasive shadow of death seemed to have temporarily faded. Frieren's emerald eyes swept indifferently over the kneeling Solitär, then looked at Lowell, still expressionless. Lupa's grip on her spear loosened slightly, her heterochromatic eyes still filled with vigilance. Linié watched quietly, her deep blue pupils reflecting the scene of this contract being formed.