Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam

"What happened to Ophira afterward?"

"Since they left, the Deep Sea Council completed its reorganization, and at least for a short time, it's thriving."

Upon hearing this, Palansi breathed a sigh of relief, feeling his last inner worry dissipate.

He knew his personality was straightforward, and in youth he only used fists to resolve issues. Thinking was not his forte, so after Henry I established the Empire, he voluntarily gave up his capital duties and returned to his homeland.

In peaceful times, a sharp sword like his was not needed.

Palansi also understood that people like him were often the easiest to deceive.

He said, "That proves he is a man of his word. I don't understand what other reason we have to reject him, Kadela. Let's go back, as long as you are with me, we can surely persuade the others. Now is the time the Empire needs manpower the most, they would certainly be happy to accept Divine Attendants."

"That's precisely the problem, Palansi."

Kadela said, "He can always unite people's hearts, can't he?"

Palansi was the best example.

As someone who has lived for centuries, he quickly accepted Ethan's theory and was even willing to accept his invitation.

"I've only seen such talents in a few rulers."

He paused for a moment and said, "Indeed, everything now seems to be heading in the right direction, but once such ability goes out of control, what results might it trigger? Think about it, Palansi. If we share the secret of eternal life with him, the upcoming Seventh Epoch might become an eternal existence, no longer experiencing periods of decay or dynastic changes. What awaits us would be a world like stagnant water."

Palansi followed Kadela's thoughts.

If, one day, Ethan ceased to be kind, if he became a follower of the Evil God, or even willing to release the Old Gods from their seal...

Such thoughts instantly made him shudder.

He couldn't imagine anyone stopping Ethan, especially when the empire's people might willingly offer their souls to the Old Gods under Ethan's call.

Palansi seemed to see images from the future.

Kadela continued, "We exist not just to observe; when civilization veers off its proper track, someone must correct it."

"Doo loo loo, doo loo loo loo—"

The sound of the phone interrupted their conversation.

Palansi hesitated for a moment before answering the call. From the shell phone came an immediate inquiry filled with concern. He then remembered it belonged to the other side in the hospital, handed to him at that time, which he carried along but had pushed to the back of his mind.

The other side had discovered the broken glass jar and asked where he was now.

She hoped Palansi would return to the hospital or a mansion to stay overnight, because the capital was dangerous now. Based on news from the Mage Tower, the scholar was assassinated, which implicated a follower of the God of Trickery, possibly hidden somewhere in the capital...

"Understood, I met a friend here and will head back soon."

Palansi hung up the phone.

He knew well that the "killer" mentioned was now right before him and had just brought up the matter not long ago.

His expression darkened; were it not for that call, Kadela would have almost persuaded him.

Yet, the events in the Mage Tower precisely contradicted Kadela's earlier plausible arguments and theories.

"The scholar was backfired during the meditation process, right? That's the case you're mentioning, isn't it?"

This defied the behavior standards of the Divine Attendants.

The scholar, as the highest leader of the academy, held a significant position in human society. Handling such a person required discussion and voting at the "Puppet Gathering," consulting the opinion of each Divine Attendant. Although Palansi did not support Turzan's means, he won by one vote at that gathering.

However, Kadela skipped this process.

"Ah, you figured it out."

Kadela's face grew darker as he looked at the shell Palansi held, "That should be what people refer to as a phone, right? Really convenient, with it, the form of 'Puppet Gathering' would no longer be needed."

"What's the reason?"

Silver-white radiance emerged from Palansi's body, sensing strong malicious intent from Kadela.

He had seen many like this.

This is the expression when the sanctimonious ones have their masks torn away.

"Because she almost discovered it... There's no point in trying, the little thing you're clutching seems yet to be advanced enough to penetrate the realm, which really gives me relief."

Palansi became aware of the changes around him.

He saw countless threads, densely falling on the ground like a heavy rain, controlling not just humans, but flowers, trees, soil, and stones also became its object of control. Only he, under the protection of the Holy Seal, was spared from being controlled by the threads.

"Well, blame Ethan. She should have comfortably been a scholar yet insisted on touching knowledge that didn't belong to her."

"...It's you!"

Palansi's eyes widened, he suddenly realized a terrible fact.

It made his hands and feet go cold.

A follower of the God of Trickery hadn't birthed a saint for a long time—that's an undisputed fact, even he didn't know in which epoch the previous Great Mage saint ascended.