The Silence of the Lambs

"... In the previous battles, we made the wrong choices, resulting in immense losses for our people. This was not merely material, but also a profound spiritual wound. I understand your anger, sorrow, and despair at the thought that your husbands, children, and loved ones will never return. But what we can do now is not to hide at home and weep, nor to turn away and force ourselves to forget those unbearable memories, but to bravely raise our heads and look forward. Though they are dead, their souls have gone to the abode of our great gods. They gave their blood and lives to uphold justice and peace. We cannot let their efforts be in vain. Friends, I know you hesitate, doubt, even fear. But we have no way out. The evil Magic Empire is closing in step by step. This is not propaganda for war, nor is it a provocation intended to incite. I think many of you understand that these are facts. They need no slaves, no subjects, no citizens; all they need are corpses."

Some might say, "We can escape, but where can we escape to? Where on this continent can we find refuge?" If we merely flee from the harm and threats brought by evil, we will ultimately be swallowed up by evil and darkness, destroyed, and vanished without a trace. Then, those who sacrificed themselves so that we could continue to live, to continue to enjoy the sunshine and peace on this warm land, will never find peace. Please put aside prejudice and fear, and move forward with our country... Just as dark clouds are always dispelled by the sun, as long as we continue to strive, we will achieve final victory.

As she spoke, Catherine closed her eyes, making a devout gesture of prayer, her wings fluttering slightly behind her. The atmosphere was solemn, heavy, and sacred; no one spoke. They all bowed their heads in homage to Catherine's gesture, praying for their deceased loved ones and warriors.

"Fight for light, love, and justice..."

This is what Catherine said at the ceremony to comfort the souls of the fallen.

It must be said that Li Lin's trap had indeed dealt a significant blow to the United Kingdom, and the government desperately needed something to stabilize the chaotic and clamorous public outcry against its incompetence. With Gabriel absent, Catherine naturally took on this heavy responsibility without hesitation. She not only had to pray for the soldiers who died in the war, but also to quell the discord within the Temple.

To some extent, this defeat made both the United Kingdom and the Temple realize one thing: Catherine's significance is unparalleled.

Whether it was Gabriel or Mobius, although they had both been active under various identities, ultimately, they were not figures people could trust. Only Catherine was the only one who could help them out of their predicament. Although Gabriel came from Upper Planes, she ultimately had no connection with the people of this world; she was simply too distant for them. And although Mobius was once proclaimed as the savior by the Temple, he had not performed any actions worthy of praise, and therefore, he too could not be mentioned.

But Catherine is different. Born in this country, she enjoys a high reputation throughout Dideyasi and the entire continent. Her dual identity as a saintess and princess also exempts her from accusations and doubts regarding power and command. In addition, some of Catherine's previous correct advice and "reminders" have deepened the public's understanding of this saintess's wisdom. To fight against the Magic Empire, the support of the Temple is indispensable. And as things stand, apart from Catherine, no one else in the Temple is qualified to mobilize the Paladin Order.

Gabriel won't work either.

"Your Highness Catherine."

As soon as Catherine stepped into the corridor, she heard a man's voice. She turned around, revealing a gentle expression, and looked at the man in front of her.

"Mr. Mobius?"

The young paladin was no longer dejected; now he was full of vigor and confidence, and his face was beaming with an unprecedented smile.

"Yes, Your Highness Catherine, I have come to say goodbye."

With that, Mobius solemnly performed a paladin's salute to Catherine.

"Thank you for your previous guidance. I think I finally understand what I should do... Indeed, as you just said, simply running away won't solve the problem. We must face it and resist it. Light and justice need our protection to manifest; if we abandon this responsibility, then they are meaningless. Naturally, we must fight for everything we have."

As he spoke, he took two steps back.

"I will return to the front lines. Of course, I may not achieve anything immediately, but I believe that with patience and hard work, the God of Justice will surely smile upon me."

"Of course, may the gods bless your destiny."

Catherine nodded slightly, smiled at him, and then watched the young paladin turn and leave, a hint of mockery in her eyes.

That's right, it's just a chess piece on the master's chessboard. I've already put in so much effort, if I don't work harder, then all my hard work will be wasted.

When Catherine returned to her room, Gabriel was still lying naked on the bed—though, judging from the magically glowing chains on her limbs, she appeared to be bound.

"I believe you have heard my speech, Lord Gabriel."

Catherine glanced at Nalu, who was respectfully waiting for her return, and then slowly walked towards Gabriel.

Ten days have passed, and the Archangel, now stripped of her divine power, remains incredibly difficult to deal with. Although she is heartbroken by the betrayal of the gods, this hasn't given Catherine sufficient means or opportunity to delve into the darkness and desires hidden deep within her heart. After all, she was once an Archangel. Truly formidable... Catherine is somewhat worried about whether she can successfully complete her mission. She doesn't want to face Angela's mockery and rage. At the same time, along with her worry comes a desire for challenge and conquest.

"How many times has she gone since I left, Nalu?"

Looking at the wetness between Gabriel's legs, Catherine asked with a mocking expression.

"Thirty times in total, Your Highness Catherine. This archangel's body is even more lewd than it appears."

"Snort...!"

Faced with their mockery, Gabriel turned away angrily, but in reality, she was filled with confusion and surprise.

In recent days, Catherine and Nalu had been trying different methods to train the archangel. Indeed, under their tutelage, Gabriel's body had begun to change and be affected, but her soul had not been altered or stimulated much. Although she often screamed and fainted from intense pleasure during their advances, once she regained her senses, Gabriel would become as calm and serious as she had been when she was the archangel. In a sense, it was precisely because of their continuous training that the archangel had no more time to wallow in self-pity for being abandoned by the God of Justice.

Even so, Gabriel still couldn't believe why Catherine and the Nalu would betray the God of Justice. While he wasn't entirely familiar with Catherine, he knew the Nalu completely. Gabriel had witnessed her creation and understood her loyalty to the God of Justice. Just moments ago, while Catherine was giving her speech, he had seized the opportunity to try and persuade the Nalu, attempting to awaken this Weapon Spirit bewitched by darkness and evil, but to little avail. The priestess 'God of Justice was gone, replaced by angry hatred and Abomination. Gabriel would never know what had happened to her, but she had a feeling that it could very well happen to her as well.

But she has persevered until now.

"What... what exactly do you want, Catherine?"

Gabriel stared at the saintess before him, utterly bewildered by her thoughts. From Gabriel's perspective, Catherine's speech was flawless, perfectly befitting a genuine, devout, and kind saint's declaration to inspire the people. But it was precisely this that aroused Gabriel's suspicion. Why was she doing this? Continuing to incite the United Kingdom to resist the Magic Empire? With her current status and position, splitting the country would be effortless. So why was she doing it?

What do I want to do?

Catherine looked surprised, as if Gabriel had asked an extremely boring question.

"It's very simple, just as I said, the United Kingdom will continue to fight against the Magic Empire. Isn't that right? Do you think I'm wrong? Gabriel?"

"But why you? You've already sided with the evil Magic Empire, haven't you, Catherine? What good will it do you? Are you planning to incite them to fight, and then destroy them? Do you really think it's that simple? Humans aren't so easily controlled by you. What they crave is freedom, kindness, and justice, not..."

"Actually, I have a different opinion from yours, Lord Gabriel."

Catherine interrupted Gabriel with a half-smile.

"Most humans are actually foolish and ignorant. And I... with just a word, can incite them. Without reason, without calm thought or attitude, they will completely obey everything I say, like dogs wagging their tails... If you don't believe me, then just watch, I'll soon prepare a good show for you. And I can tell you with certainty that even with love, wisdom, justice, and courage, in the face of absolute power, all of these are nothing but pale and powerless lies. Of course, before that..."

As Catherine spoke, she moved closer to Gabriel. This made the girl instinctively try to escape, but the electric shocks from the chains forced her to abandon the action.

"As a gift I'm giving to my master, you still need more training."

Soft, slender fingers easily slipped between the girl's open legs. Soon, Gabriel's will was once again overwhelmed by the surging pleasure, and he could no longer think of anything else.

In the end, Gabriel understood what Catherine really wanted to do.

Because, at the very next joint meeting, Catherine openly made the following request.

"I believe that a large part of the main reason for our previous defeats lies in the current system. Some high-ranking officials do not care about the long-term interests of the country; they only plan for themselves. They release false and erroneous intelligence to guide public opinion, which indirectly contributed to the defeat. If we want to win this war wholeheartedly, we must reform the current administrative system."

Although the meeting was held in a highly confidential manner afterward, the entire United Kingdom soon learned of it. Catherine demanded that she take full control of all power in the United Kingdom, both military and political, and that she be fully responsible for everything. Of course, other nobles and high-ranking officials could offer their opinions, but the final power of veto and decision rested with Catherine.

In the past, this news might have caused quite a stir, but now, people have generally kept quiet.

Although they yearned for and envisioned the future of democratic politics, the previous failures had led many to question whether such a political system, guided by decisions made by the majority of the people, was truly correct. As for the aristocratic class, they cheered even louder. They had already become accustomed to a country being ruled by a king rather than a parliament, and had long harbored resentment towards the previous boring, time-consuming, and meaningless democratic parliament. Now that Catherine had proposed this, it naturally resonated with the voices of most of the nobles.

Of course, compared to Dideyasi, the Xialuo Kingdom wasn't entirely in favor of this idea, but they also had nothing to say. After all, most of those who supported sending troops in the previous battles were Xialuo people, and now, they naturally couldn't raise any objections. Although there were some dissenting opinions within the Temple, who believed this was an open attempt to change the will of the God of Justice, Catherine was, after all, a saintess, and the support for her proposal within the Temple was very high. Therefore, the opposition could only ultimately fizzle out and had no further say.

Ultimately, after a round of unanimous voting, Catherine changed the entire nation's system. She did not dissolve Parliament, but weakened its functions. Now, any major military or political changes must be approved by Catherine. Moreover, Catherine also changed her position to lifelong—meaning that as long as she lives, the power of the entire United Kingdom will be in her hands.

This is blatant deception!

Gabriel angrily accused her, but she was powerless to do anything about it.

"You are deceiving the people! You are not acting in the best interests of the United Kingdom! You just want to destroy it!"

"That's right."

Standing by the window, looking down at the view below, Catherine's eyes revealed a hint of disdain.

"I did this to destroy it. But so what? The people won't think I did it for that reason; they'll foolishly believe I did it for the prosperity of the entire nation, won't they, Archangel? I remember you once said that only through popular participation in politics can a nation move towards a better future. And what's the reality? Look, haven't I become the ruler of the entire United Kingdom? I can issue orders to kill anyone at will, without any opposition or resistance, because they have neither the right nor the ability. I can do whatever I want to this country now, and no one can stop me."

As she spoke, Catherine raised her hands and looked up at the sky. A smug smile appeared on her face, and her voice was full of self-satisfaction.

"Now, in this country, who can stop me? Who can stop me? Who can defy me? No one! No one can! My power, all this power, is given to me by them. They voluntarily gave up their power, voluntarily became inferior lambs to be herded, didn't they? They voluntarily submitted to my rule. Everything I have now comes from the voluntary dedication and sacrifice of the people. I haven't oppressed them, forced them, or intimidated them, have I? Just as the master said, this boring, fragile, and hypocritical system will only bring disaster and destruction to the country, because those foolish and ignorant people are unwilling to take responsibility. They only want to stand by and watch, making irresponsible remarks. And when they are required to take responsibility for their foolish decisions, these pigs will turn their heads away, ignoring their mistakes, or silently denying its existence."

"..."

Gabriel closed her eyes and remained silent. She was unwilling to accept this, and she wanted to argue, but now, Gabriel herself didn't know what to say. After all, reality was laid bare before her. No matter how evil and terrible Catherine's thoughts were, it was clear that these people hadn't seen through her true colors; they were simply immersed in her lies and had ignorantly made a foolish decision.

"And you will soon become one of them, Lord Gabriel."

Catherine's voice rang out once more, and Gabriel, for the first time, began to tremble.

After witnessing firsthand how easily everything he had worked so hard to build was destroyed, the archangel's deepest despair and fear finally began to sprout.