Inside the palace, the king sat in a high-backed chair, his cloudy eyes staring at the open door.
His fingers trembled slightly on the blanket, and his lips moved slightly as if he were silently reciting something.
"His Majesty."
Gazef walked over to him and knelt down on one knee.
Are you alright?
"Fine."
The king's voice was very soft.
I just feel a little tired.
Gazef lowered his head.
"Your Majesty is incompetent and has been humiliated."
It's not your fault.
The king shook his head.
"That person... is not someone you can handle."
He paused.
"And he's right."
"His Majesty--"
He's right.
The king interrupted him.
"I am not a good king. I am just a mediocre king who tries hard but not hard enough."
He looked up at the ceiling.
"Zanac... Renner... they are probably indeed stronger than me, otherwise this terrifying being wouldn't have chosen them. Perhaps... it's time. But I'm worried about... that child Barbro..."
In his original plan, his eldest son was the one who should have inherited the throne.
But with just one sentence, Higashino Makoto excluded him from the list of candidates for king.
Gazef fell silent.
He knelt there, looking at the king's aged face and the tears glistening in his cloudy eyes.
Lakyus stood to one side, his emerald green eyes swirling with complex emotions.
She remembered what Higashino Makoto had said—
"A gardener who was passing by. A gardener who couldn't bear to see this fertile land turn into a weed-infested desert."
She didn't know what it meant.
But she knew one thing.
That person is indeed changing the world.
In a brutal, unreasonable, and irresistible way.
"Lakyus."
The king's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Exist."
Regarding Mr. Higashino's "Eight Fingers" matter... you'll be responsible for cooperating with him.
Lakyus bowed slightly.
"Yes, sir."
"Besides--"
The king paused.
"Tell Zanac and Renner to... get ready. I'll ask them a few questions; it might decide who the next king will be."
Lakyus raised his head and looked at the king.
"Your Majesty, are you really planning to—"
I had no choice.
The king shook his head.
"But at least, I need to consider it."
Lakyus paused for a moment, then nodded.
"Your subject understands."
She turned and walked towards the palace exit. After a few steps, she stopped without looking back.
She stepped out of the palace.
Sunlight streamed in from outside, falling on her blonde hair and outlining her figure in a golden silhouette.
The king watched her retreating figure in silence for a long time. Then he lowered his head and looked at his withered, wooden hands.
"Hehe..."
He said in a low voice.
"Really, a mediocre king..."
Outside the window, sunlight streamed onto the stone walls of the palace, making the ancient carvings exceptionally clear.
In the distance, Higashino Makoto and Illya's figures had disappeared at the end of the street.
In the northern district of the Royal Capital, the abandoned noble mansion resembled a lurking beast in the night.
Higashino Makoto stood on the rooftop opposite the mansion, the night wind blowing through his long black hair, his dark robe gleaming coldly in the moonlight.
Illya stood beside him, her long, silvery-white hair swaying gently in the night breeze, her purple dress standing out vividly in the darkness.
His crimson eyes gazed at the mansion, the faint candlelight shining through the window reflected in his pupils.
"Big brother, why don't we just go in?"
"Waiting."
Higashino Makoto's tone was flat.
"Wait for Lakyus and the others to be in position."
What happens after you're in position?
"Once you're in position, go in, break their arms and legs, get the list, and then leave. Hmm, should we leave a few monsters behind to guard them?"
Illya tilted her head, a hint of curiosity flashing in her crimson eyes.
"Big brother, why don't you just use 'All-Race Charm'? Wouldn't that be more convenient?"
"It is convenient."
Higashino Makoto's gaze fell on the window of the mansion.
"But it's not enough to vent my anger."
Illya blinked.
"Feels better?"
"Yes, it's cathartic. More accurately, it's when people are in a bad mood that they need to vent."
"Moreover, the act of fighting evil itself brings pleasure. It makes you feel like a high and mighty god descending to Judgment."
"Big brother is a god!"
Higashino Makoto did not refute Illya's words.
Immortality and immense power—to humans, and indeed most creatures in this world, they truly believed themselves to be no different from gods.
"Heh, maybe."
Higashino Makoto's voice was calm as he reached out and ruffled her hair.
"Illya, I know that there is no absolute black and white in the world. Underground organizations and criminal organizations are things that will definitely exist. The so-called Eight Fingers just happens to be standing in the black position."
"Sigh... why did you do that, big brother?"
Hearing Illya's puzzled voice, Higashino Makoto rubbed his temples.
"To be honest, I've noticed a significant change in myself lately. When someone discovers they can do whatever they want, their values shift rapidly. Whether it's murder or other crimes, I guess after a while, I'll become completely numb to them."
"Unfortunately, they were unlucky..."
He paused, but didn't say exactly where their bad luck lay.
He simply delivered his verdict to the Eight Fingers in a calm voice.
"Break their limbs, let them taste the pain, then question them. If they don't talk, heal them, then break them again. Repeat this several times, so they know what retribution is."
Illya looked at him, a glint of light flashing in her crimson eyes.
Big brother, are you angry?
"No."
Higashino Makoto answered without hesitation.
Why should I be angry?
They had neither heard the cries of the victims nor witnessed the miserable plight of the oppressed.
Humans find it difficult to empathize with things they haven't personally witnessed.
"That's a lie."
Illya tilted her head.
You're clearly angry. Your tone is different from Peace.
Higashino Makoto shook his head, offering no explanation.
Are you angry?
Maybe, perhaps a little bit.
But at most, it's similar to seeing an infuriating video online in my previous life.
But such feelings come and go quickly; who would truly let a stranger affect their mood?
He'd just hurl a few insults to express his superior sense of justice, and that would be about it.
Unlike his previous life, the current Higashino Makoto happens to have the power to freely point fingers at others.
To quickly improve my mood, I guess I'll just have to suffer a bit for those of you with Eight Fingers.
He simply stared at the mansion, his dark eyes devoid of any emotion.
In the distance, several dark figures darted through the alley.
Lakyus wore a full suit of white and gold armor, with the Demon Sword Kilineiram hanging at her waist, and six floating swords slowly rotating behind her.
Gagaran followed behind her, his deep red full-body armor gleaming dark red in the moonlight.
Tia and Tina slipped in from the alleys on either side, like two silent cats.
Evileye stood on the outer rooftop, staff in hand, her long golden hair fluttering in the night wind.
Lakyus raised her head and glanced in Higashino Makoto's direction. Higashino Makoto nodded slightly.
The operation begins.
Higashino Makoto jumped off the roof and landed on the ground without making a sound.
Illya followed behind him, her long silver hair fluttering in the night breeze, her purple dress leaving a faint trail on the ground.
The mansion's main gate was made of wood, thick and sturdy, with its brass door knockers gleaming a dark yellow in the moonlight.