The City Lord's Mansion.
Loni, who had just finished her video call, pursed her lips and walked from the main hall towards the dining room. The elegantly dressed young man stood by the dining table, his eyes alight with a smile as he watched her.
"Who were you video chatting with just now? Do I know them?"
"You probably don't," Loni replied with a smile. "He's a friend I met while I was away these past few years, not from our circle."
"I see."
The young man didn't seem to pay much mind to it, gesturing towards the tea and pastries on the table.
"Try them. I had the staff prepare them specifically for you. Your taste probably hasn't changed over the years; I wonder if these still suit your palate."
"I'm surprised you still remember what I like," Loni's eyes twinkled.
"How could I forget?"
The young man let out a sigh that seemed tinged with a touch of melancholy, his gaze towards Loni carrying a potent and complex emotion.
"Please, try them."
Loni didn't refuse. They sat opposite each other at the dining table, sampling the tea and pastries in silence.
"Counting the days, we haven't seen each other in about three years, have we?" the young man at the table initiated the conversation. "That's right, isn't it?"
"Mmm~"
Loni nodded slightly as she savored a pastry.
"It seems we haven't met since our graduation. You were recalled to serve in the City Lord's Mansion, and I took over the family business. How is it? Are you doing well in the City Lord's Mansion? I remember you telling me your brother was a very strong competitor for you. Caloi, do you still think so?"
Caloi, the young man before her.
The second son of the City Lord.
He had attended the same Royal Academy as Loni, their ages similar, and they had been classmates.
Those who could attend the Royal Academy were, understandably, individuals of social standing within the Tatu Kingdom. And they, as direct descendants of their families, naturally bore corresponding family responsibilities.
After graduation, their classmates began dedicating themselves to their family enterprises.
Loni and Caloi were no exception.
"As for me, I no longer have any desire to compete," Caloi suddenly gave a wry smile, his expression dim and devoid of spirit. "Compared to my brother, I have absolutely no competitiveness. I no longer aspire to the position of City Lord; I don't even want to continue this anymore."
Loni frowned slightly, her eyes filled with confusion.
"Did something happen? You were never this pessimistic before."
"You can probably feel it too, can't you?" Caloi looked up, gazing into Loni's eyes for some unknown reason. "Our Tatu Kingdom is already utterly decadent, isn't it?"
Loni's hand, holding the pastry, trembled slightly; she didn't respond.
The decadence within the Tatu Kingdom.
She had often heard such words from her father's lips. And after taking over the family business, some people she occasionally interacted with had also led her to entertain such thoughts.
However, she dared not voice them.
At least, she dared not say such things in front of Caloi.
She hadn't dismissed Chen Yu's words to her as idle talk; she had truly taken them to heart. It wasn't that she held an unshakeable trust in Chen Yu, but she absolutely believed in her father's judgment.
Since her father had instructed her to follow Chen Yu's arrangements,
She would trust him!
Chen Yu had repeatedly warned her not to create complications, nor to mention the matter of Lu Xilide within the City Lord's Mansion. Thus, she hadn't brought it up with Caloi.
Otherwise, if it were up to her, she would have mentioned it when Caloi called her just now.
Although her relationship with Caloi had been good during their academy days, and she had an inkling that Caloi harbored different feelings for her.
If it were three years ago, she would have trusted Caloi's character.
Now, she couldn't!
Three years were enough to change a person!
She couldn't guarantee that what Caloi was saying now wasn't a trap, and the consequences of her agreement could very well lead to insurmountable repercussions for the entire family.
As a direct descendant of the family and its future steward, she would not allow herself to make such a mistake.
"What, has time made you timid too?" Seeing Loni's prolonged silence, Caloi chuckled. "It's fine. If you don't dare to say it, I will. The Tatu Kingdom is now filled with incorrigible parasites! These parasites huddle together for warmth, and outsiders can never penetrate. I... I was too naive in the past, foolishly hoping to change all this."
Though he hadn't been drinking, Caloi's eyes appeared unfocused, with a hint of intoxication.
"I'm truly laughable."
"Don't be too pessimistic," Loni cautioned, her guard still high, but seeing her former friend and classmate in such a state, she felt a pang of sympathy. "There's always a turning point for everything. I've always had faith in you. Even if you don't become the City Lord, you can still do other things that benefit the people."
Unexpectedly, Caloi shook his head incessantly.
"It's impossible, Loni. I don't know if you're afraid to open up to me, or if you truly think this way. But through my years of service, I can tell you clearly. We, none of us, can achieve it. To truly change the current situation, there is only one method."
"What?" Loni furrowed her brow.
"War!"
Caloi uttered it with absolute certainty, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.
"Do you still remember 'Recommendation of Filial Piety and Integrity'?"
Loni nodded slightly. The announcement of 'Recommendation of Filial Piety and Integrity' was known throughout the entire cave. At that time, Loni was in the royal city and had personally witnessed the appearance of the announcement.
"Do you know the meaning behind the promotion of 'Recommendation of Filial Piety and Integrity'?"
When Caloi asked again, Loni frowned and shook her head.
"Then let me tell you. The purpose of promoting 'Recommendation of Filial Piety and Integrity' is for the Divine Lord to save the kingdom from decay, to cleanse the corrupt dynasty of the cave," Caloi said with a heavy expression. "This idea is actually very good. Unfortunately, the current cave, at least within our kingdom, is no longer something that a mere policy can solve. The kingdom has become so dark and corrupt that it's beyond saving."
Caloi's smile was filled with mockery, his shoulders trembling with laughter.
Loni, her brow slightly furrowed, looked at him intently for a while.
"So, you believe war can solve all this?"
"Of course!" Caloi responded without a trace of hesitation. "Only war, to destroy this decadent kingdom, to rebuild the nation. That is the only solution."
As he spoke, Caloi leaned back in his chair, muttering incessantly.
"Hmph..."
"This corrupt kingdom, from its very inception, was flawed. The roots are crooked. How can a policy possibly straighten it?"
"Better to pull out the roots entirely."
"And plant a new sapling, allowing it to grow slowly."