Chapter 178

The creature 098 brought back was a honey badger that had just reached adulthood. It wasn't very big, maybe only a little bigger than Rice Cake. It had white fur on its head and back, and round, small black eyes.

Because of its flat head and white fur, the honey badger resembles a gangster with a deliberately shaved and dyed white hair, hence its well-known nickname – "Flat-headed Brother".

But honey badgers not only resemble gangsters in appearance, but also in personality.

Honey badgers are known as "the most fearless creature in the world," always ready to fight or get into a fight. Their mental fortitude can be summarized as. "Don't tell me how strong your opponent is, or who your opponent is, just tell me the time and place."

Honey badgers never hold grudges, because they settle scores on the spot.

"Cough..."

Cyrus hesitated, shifting her gaze, no longer daring to look at the honey badger, silently asking 098 about its origins.

Is it also an unusual creature, like Coalball or Egg Yolk?

098 gave a definite answer: It's not ordinary.

This honey badger is very intelligent. Having lived with a badger since it was a baby, its personality, besides being fond of fighting and holding grudges, is also a bit cold and aloof.

098 brought the honey badger over after discussing it with it.

Cyrus knew that even ordinary honey badgers were extremely intelligent.

He had watched a documentary about honey badgers.

People want to keep honey badgers as pets, but even with iron gates installed and securely locked with wire, honey badgers still manage to find ways to break through the wires and escape.

Afterwards, the people who kept the honey badgers reinforced the door, but the honey badgers escaped by digging a hole under the door.

The zookeepers then conducted several studies specifically on this matter.

They first removed the iron gate, then poured concrete walls around it, reinforcing all four sides without leaving any gaps.

Even so, the honey badger still managed to climb the trees inside the wall, using its body weight (branches) to press against the wall, and then successfully escaped.

So the zookeepers cut down all the trees inside the wall.

After the trees were gone, the honey badger started collecting stones, piling them up in the corner of the wall. Once they reached a certain height, it escaped again.

The keepers then dug away all the stones inside the wall.

However, lacking stones, the honey badger began piling up mud clumps in the corner to escape.

Everything inside the wall can be used by the honey badger.

For example, honey badgers will use brooms forgotten inside by their keepers as ladders to escape.

Very intelligent and persistent.

We will not give up until we achieve our goal.

Cyrus thought the little honey badger that 098 brought back was quite quiet. Since it was released, it had been standing quietly to the side, not barking or shooing.

He asked 098 curiously, and 098 replied that it was a honey badger in an unfamiliar environment, being wary and adapting.

It will recover in a little while.

He did recover after a while, but after exchanging a glance, the honey badger and Cyrus started chasing him and grabbing his ankles.

"..."

Cyrus squatted down and negotiated with it, "I'll take care of you from now on, okay? I'll give you a name, how about 'Flathead '?"

After saying that, he tentatively patted the little honey badger's white head.

The honey badger stared intently at Cyrus with its dark, shiny eyes, and finally nudged his hand with its head, indicating its agreement.

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Cyrus was relieved to see that he wasn't just a brawler and could be reasoned with.

However, he relaxed too quickly. After returning to his residence with the Flathead... the scene was chaotic and terrifying, too horrible for him to bear watching...

That day, even Walker and Ferdinand, who were on duty outside the palace, heard that the lord had brought back another small creature.

But this creature kept provoking the beast, chasing after it and fighting...

In the first round, due to Coalball's curiosity, after Cyrus brought back Flathead, it went over and poked at him, resulting in a fight.

Coalball Ball, having the advantage in size, returned the scruff of Flathead's neck to Cyrus after winning.

Cyrus looked at Coalball with a complicated expression. Oh no, Coalball, you're doomed.

The large tiger with black background and white stripes was completely bewildered.

But then the Coalball understood.

This little creature is so persistent!!!

Honey badger: You weren't satisfied with just nudging me, you even picked me up! You just wait.

Coalball: You can get by, but you can't afford to mess with them; you can avoid them.

I'm outta here.

The big black tiger with white stripes was probably just the beginning; it triggered a chain reaction, and almost every furry creature was chased by the Flathead.

Fortunately, Cyrus was relieved that Gui Gui wasn't serious and as long as he didn't get hurt, that was fine.

After watching the Flathead chase after the Ice Cream again, Cyrus mentally asked 098 about the Plot Deviation Value in the original book.

How do we get to the finish line when we're just one percent short?

098's answer: [The male protagonist's death in the original book will not affect the collapse of the timeline, because this is a novel created from the female protagonist's perspective.]

[As long as the Plot Deviation Value by 100%, and the female lead isn't in any mortal danger, the timeline remains fine.]

[If the host wants the Plot Deviation Value, they can indeed execute the male protagonist from the original book.]

Cyrus: "Besides that, is there any other way?"

098: [Yes, it made the male protagonist in the original book willingly give up the imperial throne]

[Although the host has already conquered the Saint Airo Empire and become the true master of this territory, the Plot Deviation Value will not advance as long as the original protagonist, Warner Gales, has not truly relinquished the throne.]

[Of course, the host can also choose to continue infrastructure construction. Since only one percent remains, the host can just wait a little longer and it will be full soon.]

After all, choices are diverse.

"If I want to use infrastructure to fully utilize the Plot Deviation Value, how long will it take?"

098 thought for a moment: [Unless there are any major changes, the later the Plot Deviation Value to advance beyond the initial plot point, since infrastructure development is phased.]

[Host, keep it up! 098 is here to cheer you on!]

As 098 spoke, he picked up a small flower stick that suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started jumping around.

Cyrus thanked the adorable Tutong with a wry smile.

He pondered for a moment, then led Judas to the tower where Warner and the other two were imprisoned —Tum Tower.

That's right, this is the place where the Third Prince Kashu was once imprisoned.

A special "prison" provided exclusively for royalty and nobility, complete with soft beds, ample food, and even books to keep them entertained.

But there is no freedom.

Everyone imprisoned in the Tum Tower was confined to a small room, forbidden from entering or leaving. The iron gate was locked, and knights guarded the room day and night.

The room had only one small window, barely bigger than a head, used for ventilation and letting in sunlight.

At the very bottom of the iron gate is a small gap, about the size of a square meter, which can be pushed up and down to fit food, items, etc.

When Cyrus brought Judas to the Tum Tower, it was just past mealtime. The knight guarding Warner was taking a meal on a tray out from a gap under the iron gate.

Cyrus glanced at the tray; there was still a lot of food left, indicating that Warner hadn't eaten much.

"Open the door, I'm coming in," he said.

Judas and the knights guarding outside were worried.

"My lord, I'll accompany you inside."

Cyrus shook her head. "No need, I'll talk to him alone."

No sharp weapons were left in any of the prisoner's cells; even the tableware used for eating consisted of heavy wooden spoons and bowls.

Judas: "Then I'll wait for you outside."

He instructed the knight to close the door and, after Cyrus went inside, not to lock it, but to keep a close watch on the inside.

Cyrus went inside.

Although it was daytime, the room was still dimly lit, since there was only a small window on one wall.

This is the top floor of the Tum Tower. A lone beam of sunlight shines through a small window, as if dividing the room into two parts.

Warner stood behind the ray of sunlight, his entire body shrouded in darkness, like a silhouette cast by the sun.

As Cyrus slowly approached, Warner gradually moved closer, bathing in the light.

In just a few days, he had lost a lot of weight, his face was covered with a messy beard, and his once golden hair was unkempt, hanging haphazardly down his back, looking slightly dull.

"What are you doing here?" Warner asked calmly.

Cyrus said, "I came to ask you, what do you want me to do with you?"

Warner seemed to find this laughable, and he laughed too.

"Isn't it up to you to do whatever you want with it?"

"Does the Lord of Denia want to kill me, or imprison me in the Tum Tower for the rest of my life?"

Cyrus pondered, "I've considered both of these options."

"If we want to kill you, to eliminate any future trouble, we naturally have to kill everyone connected to you..."

For example, Kien, Lennar, and the royal nobles of the empire.

Upon hearing this, Warner's eyes flickered involuntarily.

Cyrus continued, "But I am not a murderer."

Moreover, Warner and his associates were not particularly heinous criminals.

He wasn't afraid of retaliation if he spared Warner and the others' lives, because he was confident he wouldn't give them that chance.

"Your policies benefit not only commoners and slaves, but they also hope you can survive."

Warner. is indeed doing things to improve the Saint Airo Empire.

But it was still too late.

Warner understood Cyrus's meaning. "So, you won't kill me, but if you're going to be imprisoned in this tower for the rest of your life, you might as well die."

He was unwilling to accept defeat, nor was he willing to lose his freedom.

Cyrus: "Warner, you should understand that you can't be soft-hearted when dealing with enemies. If I lose this war in the end, what will you do with me?"

"We both know this very well."

Warner remained silent.

Cyrus: "Your sister, Lennar, hasn't found someone who loves her yet, and hasn't experienced the happiness of being a wife and mother."

"She's still young, but now she'll be imprisoned in the Tum Tower for the rest of her life..."

"Stop talking, what do you really want?!" Warner suddenly interrupted him.

Cyrus: "I want you to willingly relinquish the throne, acknowledge to everyone the legitimacy of Dernia's possession of this territory, and promise to live as a commoner for the next hundred years."

"A pledge made to the entire continent..."

"Impossible."

Warner said, "You're stripping me of my dignity!"

Born into nobility, naturally noble.

Making him a commoner is no different from imprisoning him in the Tum Tower.

Moreover, once the oath is established, neither he nor his descendants will ever again be able to become nobles, nor will they ever be able to restore the glory of the Saint Airo Empire...

Because they have voluntarily relinquished their ownership and status, they are no longer eligible.

Cyrus's eyes were deep and dark, as if tinged with ink by the dimness of the room. He said, "Freedom and status are not equivalent."

"It all depends on your choice."

"No matter how long it takes, I will wait for your reply."

After Cyrus finished speaking, she turned and left the room. Then, the door was locked, concealing Warner's silent figure.

This wait lasted for ten days.

The turmoil following the war on this territory is gradually subsiding, and crops such as Potato and Sweet Potato are beginning to be planted, while cotton gins, looms, and other equipment are rapidly becoming more widespread.

Just as Cyrus finished dealing with the fight between Flathead and Eggy, the knight guarding the Tum Tower brought news that Warner wanted to meet.

He agreed to sign the oath.

At the end of October, a pledge document recognized by Warner. was sent to the entire continent.

The Gales family became commoners from that point on.

They left Tum Tower, left the former imperial capital, and no one knows where they went.

Because it was Cyrus's secret person who sent her away.

He needed them to live in a secluded but beautiful valley and fields, far from the noisy crowds, until people no longer associated the Gales family with the Empire.

From the moment the oath was established, the Plot Deviation Value finally reached its maximum, one hundred percent.

After Cyrus saw Gales off, he took Segalot's hand, leaned intimately against the Pope's chest, and looked up with a smile, saying, "Let's have a sweet romance."