As a villain, he could do whatever he wanted.

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"When the heroine heard this, Rosalind narrowed her eyes slightly, a look of surprise flashing in them."

“That’s right. And let me remind you again, as long as the battle against the cultists tonight is made public, the reputation of both the church and the heretics in the main country will rise. In fact, it could be said that... at this point in time, it is the best time for the two churches to begin long-term cooperation.”

"What! Long-term...cooperation?" Rosalind's eyes flashed with surprise again. "Yes, that's only natural. Although we've temporarily driven back the cultists, we still can't pinpoint their exact location. Your sect has the manpower and resources to investigate, while the heretics have unique magic to search for them. Only by combining the two sects can we build the strongest defense against potential future attacks. Pope Rosalind understands that, doesn't she?" Hearing Lius's words, Rosalind clenched her fists even tighter, her face showing a troubled expression.

With reason, she knew that what Lius said was true; the conflict between the sects had escalated to an exaggerated extent! It had even reached the attention of the royal family.

If it weren't for the attack by the cultists that forced the two sects to cooperate, Rosalind believed that one day the Pope Flora would personally reorganize the church to quell the turmoil. At that time, both the church and the heretics would suffer huge impacts and losses, something the Pope would never accept. However, when Lius mentioned the "long-term cooperation" with the heretics, Rosalind didn't know how to respond.

Especially when she recalled how she treated Bishop Nottica, Rosalind would always feel a strange panic when facing her, as if she were facing a deadly demon, causing her heart to stop for a few beats and awakening a strange fear.

"What...what's wrong with me? Why did I have such feelings? What secrets does this Bishop of Notica hold?" These thoughts lingered in Rosalind's mind, refusing to fade from her thoughts. Just then, as if sensing some of the thoughts in the white-robed pope's mind, Lius glanced at her, then revealed a meaningful smile, and continued speaking to Rosalind:

"If Your Holiness is considering Bishop Notica, then I have a suggestion, and I wonder if you would be willing to accept it." Prince Lius, you still have a suggestion? "That's right. For example, I can see that you are very curious about Bishop Notica and want to further explore matters concerning him. In that case... wouldn't long-term cooperation between the churches give you enough opportunities to make contact with Bishop Notica?"

Rosalind glanced at Lius's statement, then hesitated, pondering how to respond to the suggestion.

Chapter 335: The Pope's Gratitude (Part 4)

"If you would like to learn more about Bishop Nottica, then I suggest that cooperation between the two churches would be the best idea. Your Holiness, would you be willing to give this matter serious consideration?"

A seductive tone flowed slowly from Leus's mouth and into Rosalind's ears, causing her to be momentarily stunned. She quickly recovered and frowned, pondering Leus's words.

"Is it your true intention, Prince Lius, to have the two churches cooperate... in order to investigate Bishop Nottica?"

"What's this talk of sincerity or not? I'm just offering a suggestion to Your Holiness based on the current situation. Whether or not to do it is entirely up to you. Even if I'm not sincere, what's the problem?" Lius shrugged and replied.

"Is there really no relationship between you and Bishop Nottica?" Rosalind asked, looking at Lius.

"Of course, I am making these suggestions to Your Highness only to minimize the conflict between your two sects. Otherwise, if we let you continue like this, won't your church turn the territory upside down? And if we continue to let it go like this, wouldn't it be even worse for Your Highness to have to take action personally?"

Faced with Lius's earnest words, Rosalind pursed her lips slightly, seemingly pondering the blond boy's words again, and remained so for a few minutes with a furrowed brow.

When her throat opened again, a soft sigh escaped her lips, sounding tinged with helplessness. She then turned her gaze to Lius's face and nodded slowly.

“I will give this proposal a good consideration… but Bishop Notica might not be as easy to talk to as I am, so please be prepared, Prince Lius.”

"Don't worry, I'll go see Ms. Luo Yi in a bit. As long as she and I join forces, there's nothing we can't persuade."

With a look of excitement in his eyes, Lius nodded vigorously to the white-robed pope in front of him, and then slowly stretched out his hand towards Rosalind.

"Your Holiness, thank you so much. Thank you for heeding my advice. Regardless of the outcome, please allow me to express my gratitude for your attitude today."

Rosalind hesitated for a moment before responding with a friendly glance, extending her hand to shake the blond boy's, and slowly saying:

"Although there was some tension between us when we first met, and our relationship was rather strained, I now feel your courage and wisdom. In this regard, please allow me to offer you the Church's message once again."

“It is my honor, Your Highness,” Lius replied with a smile.

"In addition... regarding Anne's matter, I met her in the capital before. I am quite relieved about her current situation. She used to be a nun in the capital church. Now that I see her no longer clinging to the past and getting along so harmoniously with you, Prince Lius, I feel at ease."

"Is that so?" Looking at the white-robed young woman, Lius looked up, but in the end, he still maintained a calm smile, not revealing his true thoughts. He also maintained full respect for the "hypocritical" female pope in front of him.

"Really... He's clearly wary of Aunt Anne, yet he's pretending to be so considerate of her... It seems I should be more cautious in my interactions with Rosalind in the future."

In any case, Pope Rosalind was somewhat dealt with. Next, Lius chatted with the white-robed woman for a while about her previous battle with the "cultist," giving her some guidance and telling her that he had seen similar people in the north and asked her to go there to investigate.

"Thank you for your assistance, Young Master Lius. I will send people to investigate that area. I hope to capture those hidden cultists as soon as possible, especially the cult leader. I also hope to find out his identity as soon as possible. If we can capture him, the process of eradicating the cult will be accelerated."

“Ah. Is that so… Well then, I wish Your Holiness the High Priestess a speedy achievement of your goal, haha.” With that, Lius waved his hand and bid her farewell for the time being. He then returned to the tent on the cliff he had been in before, intending to wake Helen and Nottica and tell them about the church’s next plans.

As they traveled, another young woman appeared, immediately drawing Lius's attention. "Ms. Aurora, you've arrived too?"

Upon seeing Aurora leading her caravan slowly down the mountain path, Lius glanced at her and greeted her. Aurora nodded slightly, yawned wearily, and replied:

"We were planning to go to the capital to provide support, but on the way we encountered guards who came from the kingdom. They said that you, Lius, had successfully driven the cultists away from the capital and were heading in this direction, so we immediately changed course and came here. Judging from your appearance now, have the enemies here been dealt with as well?"

"Of course, it went quite smoothly. Some of the more powerful enemies have been completely defeated, and there shouldn't be any major moves for the time being, so you don't need to worry, Ms. Aurora."

As he spoke, Leus gently moved closer to the dark-haired young woman, a warm smile on his face, and gently put his arm around her slender waist. Aurora, meanwhile, lazily twisted her waist and leaned against Leus, also revealing a meaningful look in her eyes, and gave a smile to the blond boy beside her.

"Ha... So, it seems I made a wasted trip?"

"No, there are still many places here that need your attention, Ms. Aurora. Look, the roads around here are so badly damaged that Her Majesty the Queen will need to send people to repair them. Isn't this a great business opportunity? If you scout around here in advance, you can get a better understanding of the situation here sooner."

"Hehe, that's quite a thoughtful consideration. Alright, take a short rest, then send someone to investigate. As for now," Aurora yawned again, leaning gently against Lius's shoulder, exhaling sweet breath at him with an ambiguous expression.

"Now that things are over... can I, your aunt, take a break for a while and keep you company... in this place?"

Chapter 336: Matters Concerning the Arranged Marriage (Part 1)

"Oh? Ms. Aurora, would you like to rest with me for a while?"

Looking at the dark-haired young woman leaning against him, Lius glanced at her in surprise, then smiled gently, nodded to her, and took the initiative to put his arm around Aurora's waist, leading her to stroll along the forest path on the cliff.

"I can only take a short walk. I need to go see Bishop Helen and the others, so I won't have much time to spend with you, Ms. Aurora. Please understand, Ms. Aurora."

"Heh... On a normal day, you'd be thrilled to see me like this, but now that I'm coming to you, you're hesitant. You must be really busy."

At this point, Aurora looked at Lius with concern in her eyes, and gently reached out her slender hand to place it on Lius's face, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"You've been working hard lately... Once things are settled, take a good rest. I'll donate some tonics to help you recover, as a way of thanking you for your hard work."

"Wow, Ms. Aurora wants to give me something? That's rare. Usually, she asks me for other things in exchange. Is it going to be the same this time, where you ask me for money after I receive the gift?"

Looking at the dark-haired young woman beside him, Lius feigned a wary expression and deliberately said this to her.

"Hey... Do you think I have such a bad image? I'm usually quite generous, right? Aside from needing to support the caravan and maybe taking a little extra profit from you, Lius, I'm not that stingy in private, am I? Why are you saying this about me?"

With a slight pout, Aurora nudged Lius's chest with her elbow, complaining like a little girl. Lius, watching the young woman's adorable expression, couldn't help but smile, gently stroking Aurora's long, soft hair as he continued:

"Ha, just kidding, Ms. Morola, please don't mind. Who doesn't know that you and our family are the best allies? And it's not just our family that's so close, the bond between you and me is also unshakable. I've seen all the care you've given me. I really want to thank you, Ms. Morola. Thank you so much, Ms. Morola."

"Tch, sweet talk. You're only doing this because I'm easily swayed. Otherwise, if you made me angry, you wouldn't be talking to me for months." Looking at Lius, Aurora continued to snort arrogantly, then revealed a mature and seductive smile. She gently rested her luscious red lips against Lius's neck, like a vampire, and gave it a light peck. Then, blushing slightly, she gently withdrew, a satisfied look adding to her smile.

"Hmm... nice touch, I feel much better now. Whew, I'm so tired from the night. I was hoping you, Lius, could help me release some of that fatigue, but it seems I can only use this method as a temporary substitute. Hmm... come on, Lius, you should also show some respect to your elder."

Aurora smiled and spoke to Lius as she gently touched his lips with her finger. Lius returned a meaningful smile, leaned down, and pressed his lips against the neck of the beautiful woman in his arms. He caressed her smooth, fair skin with his lips and noticed a crystal-clear ruby ​​necklace around her neck, which piqued his curiosity.

"Wow... Ms. Aurora, business is booming lately. You've managed to buy such a high-quality ruby ​​without any flaws. It's the first time I've ever seen one like it."

“It’s quite rare, isn’t it? Hehe, this is one of the treasures our caravan has recently acquired. Without exaggeration, in the entire kingdom, apart from the jewels made exclusively for the royal crowns, there is no other gem that can compare to the one I’m wearing around my neck. And let me tell you something else, Lius: this gem… wasn’t naturally formed.”

"Oh? It's not naturally formed, so it's man-made? Can humans create such a flawless gemstone?"

Upon hearing Aurora's words, Lius once again showed a look of astonishment, reaching out to stroke the ruby ​​on his chest, feeling its smooth yet hard texture, his respect for it deepening even further.

In his memory, whether it was his own experiences over the past ten years or the background settings he remembered about the game world, there were very few that were so detailed about magic.

In this world, most magic is used for combat, with offense as the primary focus and support as a secondary function. Even if one can use magic to create gems, most of them are magical gems used to buff oneself, full of cracks and extremely easy to break, quite different from this flawless ruby.

And now... upon hearing the words spoken by Aurora, Lius was initially shocked, but then curiosity welled up in his eyes. This curiosity was also conveyed to Aurora's face, allowing the black-haired young woman to understand Lius's feelings at this moment.

"Hehe... Judging from your expression now, Lius, you seem quite surprised that someone can use such a powerful ability. Don't you also want to know who has this ability and who can create such a beautiful ruby?"

"Well... Ms. Aurora, you're asking a question you already know the answer to. Since you took the initiative to tell me about this ruby, it means you intended for me to ask these questions from the beginning. Otherwise, why would you be so secretive? Now that you've piqued my curiosity, you should naturally help me solve these problems responsibly. That's fair."

Looking at Aurora, Lius shrugged and said this to her. Aurora, at this moment, revealed a smug smile, gently pinched the ruby ​​around her neck, and slowly spoke to the blond boy in front of her:

"Hmm...not bad, it seems you understand my feelings quite well, Lius. In that case, I won't hide anything from you. The creator of this gem...is my adopted daughter, the one I mentioned earlier, the girl I was planning to marry you. What do you think now that you know this, Lius?"

"That girl who was planning to marry me?!"

Faced with the dark-haired young woman's knowing smile, Lius glanced at her, then suddenly realized that Aurora wanted to say something to him, causing him to frown and look at Aurora with a thoughtful expression.

Chapter 337: Matters Concerning the Marriage Alliance (Part Two)

"The creator of this gem, and the user of this magical artifact that you, Leus, want to know about, is my daughter, who was also the marriage partner we planned to have. So, Leus, what are your thoughts now?"

Looking at the blond boy in front of her, Aurora smiled and asked him, while Lius, after glancing down, realized what Aurora really wanted to say, and frowned slightly. He continued to say to Aurora, "Ms. Aurora, although we agreed before that I would give the matter of the marriage alliance a good consideration, and that you and I would get along well after the marriage, isn't it a bit too sudden for you to bring this up again now?"

"Really? I think it's perfect time to talk about these things. After all, it was you, Lius, who brought up the ruby ​​first, and I'm just mentioning it casually. What's the harm?" Aurora continued with a smile, shaking the ruby ​​on her chest.

"Um... I really can't refute that. I should have just ignored that treasure. Now that you, Ms. Aurora, have brought up your daughter's matter, it sounds like a lot of trouble..." What's so troublesome about it? Didn't we already discuss the general idea last time? I'm not that kind of delicate young girl. Since we've already confessed to each other, I won't feel ashamed about this kind of topic anymore. Lius, do you feel embarrassed to talk about these things?

Looking at Leus, Aurora smiled and said, while Leus pondered for a moment, then gently shook his head and continued speaking to the dark-haired woman in his arms:

"I'm not as innocent as you think, Ms. Aurora. I'm just a little curious. Since we've already reached a conclusion, why do you need to say more, Ms. Aurora?"

"Naturally, it's all for my daughter's future happiness." As a businessman, I need to plan all my resources carefully. As a mother, I will also carefully consider my daughter's life. You should understand this, right, Lius? Otherwise, you wouldn't have so many female confidantes around you.

“Hmm…that makes sense. After all, Ms. Aurora, you and your daughter will be together in the future…how should I put it,” accompanying me. Since that’s the case, we must take this matter seriously. However…I don’t have any ideas about this yet. After all, I haven’t even met her yet, so how can I consider the next steps…Looking at Aurora, Lius said this, and when Aurora heard Lius gradually relent, a glint of smugness flashed in her eyes, making her smile deepen, and her body pressed even closer to Lius’s chest.

"Ha... Lius, I feel at ease about my daughter's future now that you have such thoughts. Hehe... There's really no need to worry about you and my daughter. I've been making arrangements within the family recently and have mentioned you to my daughter many times to test her attitude towards you."

"And what was the result? What did she think of me?" Lius continued to ask.

"Well... although my daughter didn't actually show it, she was clearly thinking about something after hearing your name. I can guarantee that, from the time I adopted her, she has never had such a serious expression on her face. Therefore, I have a feeling that my daughter has a very good impression of you."

"Ms. Aurora, are you really so sure?"

For some reason, Lius had a strange sense of unease and asked the black-haired woman in his arms again.

"Hehe, of course. No one knows a daughter better than her mother. As her mother, how could I not know my daughter? Actually, I've already planned it out. Once these trivial matters are over, I'll arrange a date between the two families to help advance the relationship between you and my daughter. When the time is right, we'll officially announce the marriage between our two families. If all goes well, we can get married in six months."

"Are you planning a date?"

Hearing Aurora's words, Lius frowned, his voice seemingly surprised by the young woman's words.

"Yeah, what's wrong? You look so surprised. Is something the problem?" Noticing Lius's furrowed brow, Aurora tilted her head slightly and asked him.

"No. There's nothing wrong, it's just... I didn't expect these words to come from you, Ms. Aurora. And you're still leaning against me, so close to your future son-in-law, giving advice to me and your daughter about how to get her to go on dates to improve our relationship. How should I put it? It's really a bit strange." You know it's strange? Why didn't you say so when you confessed to me last time? You even played with my feet for so long, saying you wanted me and my daughter to go with you... Humph, pervert... How did I end up with a foot-loving pervert like you?

Looking towards Lius, Aurora puffed out her flushed cheeks again, seemingly recalling what happened in the palace, causing her black-stockinged breasts to unconsciously rub against the ground.

"In short... since I agreed to your perverse idea, Lius, you now have to take responsibility for me and my daughter. If you dare to treat my daughter badly, then I—I absolutely won't do that! As long as a girl is by my side, I will never neglect her, and I will love her wholeheartedly. Please rest assured, Mother-in-law."

Looking at Aurora, Lius adopted a serious and earnest expression, loudly making his promise to her. Aurora seemed somewhat taken aback by Lius's sudden seriousness, and after glancing at him, she couldn't help but smile again.

"Ha... You're calling me 'Mother-in-law' at a time like this? Honestly, you said it was a bit strange that I arranged a date for my daughter, and now you're sticking so close to me, your mother-in-law. Isn't that even more immoral?"

"Well... anyway, the marriage is still in the planning stage. There aren't many formalities between us, Ms. Aurora. The way we addressed each other just now was just to get acquainted. Ms. Aurora, your face is so red. Are you nervous? If you don't like it, Ms. Aurora, I won't address you like that anymore."

Looking at Aurora's flushed cheeks, Lius said this, and Aurora, as if waking from a dream, shook her blushing cheeks and whispered a few more times to the blond boy in front of her:

"Hmph, you idiot... I'm not so easily embarrassed by you calling me that a few times. I'm just a little surprised by your boldness. Don't flatter yourself."

“Is that so… Well…” Lius rolled his eyes, then leaned closer to the young woman’s ear and whispered, “Then… Mother-in-law, would you like your son-in-law to continue accompanying you?”

"Hmm... still using that title? Lius, you really have a twisted sense of humor." "I knew I should have said a different title." Fine, fine, since I've already said it, there's no need to change it. It's only for this part of the journey. You... call me whatever you want, I have no say in it.

Looking at Lius, Aurora continued, her face flushed, as she leaned against his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her voluptuous body against him.

"Let's go, I want to see how the mountains are over there. I can hear the sound of flowing water. I haven't washed up yet, come with me."

"Yes, my dear... fiancée."

With a hint of ambiguous smile, Leus softly uttered this address to Aurora, and Aurora's body stiffened, then slowly went limp, allowing Leus to embrace her and lead her to the clear spring in the mountains, where she would spend a sweet and heartwarming time with the blond boy.

Chapter 338: A Young Girl's Pouting (Part 1)

"So, Ms. Aurora, are you about to set off?"

"Of course, I'm not as relaxed as you are right now. Once you've finished your business here, I should head out to take care of things in the capital. I won't keep you any longer."

After their brief time together that morning, Aurora returned to the camp where everyone had gathered. She had changed back into her usual noble and solemn demeanor as a caravan leader. With a mature and alluring aura, she put on her travel cloak and bid farewell to Lius.

"Regarding my daughter... please make your preparations accordingly, Lius. I will contact you frequently to keep you informed of the current situation."

"Um... I'm really sorry to trouble you so much, Ms. Aurora. It's so embarrassing that I, as your son-in-law, have to personally plan this date for you, my dear mother-in-law."

"If you hadn't been grinning mischievously when you said that, it might have been more convincing... Look at how excited you are, are you already imagining me and my daughter entering your room together? Lius, your perverse sense of humor has been completely exposed, I just can't help you..." Looking at the blond boy with the ambiguous smile in front of her, Aurora shook her head helplessly, making a few sarcastic remarks about her future son-in-law whose eyes were shining. Then, after hesitating for a moment, she took off the necklace around her neck and threw it into Lius's hand.

"Here you go, consider it a gift. Seeing how curious you were earlier, you can study it carefully." "Just give it to me like that? No reward needed?"

"...How long are you going to keep going on about this? I promise I won't take anything from you, just take it."

Aurora rolled her eyes at Lius, then said nothing more. She simply turned her body away, waved slightly to the other members of the caravan, and a group of her subordinates gathered around her.

“Well then, let’s head to the capital first. Lius, didn’t you say you were going to see Bishop Helen? You can go now. Once things are settled here, please get to the capital as soon as possible. I believe the Lady and the Princess have many questions for you.”

"Yes, I understand. Go ahead, Ms. Dinola."