In this struggle of ruthless plunder, Hobart naturally had no intention of leaving future troubles behind.
Besides, as members of a noble family, they should have been prepared to meet such a fate, just as every Beyonder tacitly accepted that they had entered a life-or-death competition.
Furthermore, noblewomen generally fell within the scope of spoils of war. That was why Grove had asked.
Although Hobart had previously said he would take possession of all Viscount Teuton's women, that had merely been to plunge Teuton into deeper suffering.
"Those willing to return home may do so," Hobart said. "Those unwilling to return can be sent to the Lord's Manor across the river for Lady Lord to handle."
Hobart involuntarily recalled the scenes that had surfaced in his mind during his advancement. He suddenly realized that they had been the Potion corroding his consciousness. Perhaps when he caused others to fall into Degeneration in the future, he would also fall into Degeneration alongside them.
To prevent that from happening, Hobart believed he had to hold firmly to his bottom line. He could not allow others to fall into Degeneration while he followed them down.
This was, in fact, a process of resisting the Potion. Beyond granting Beyonders their abilities, Potions also influenced their temperaments and wills.
Only then did Hobart suddenly realize that, in the past, he would certainly have looked into something like killing Teuton's sons, or at least felt some unease in his conscience.
But now, Hobart discovered that he felt nothing at all.
That was not right. They had been several lives, after all. It was fine to order their deaths for his own purposes, but he had to know what he was doing.
Otherwise, what difference was there between him and a tyrant who regarded human lives as