Sinola's thirst for an answer was written in her eyes. The Poet of Great Love did not refuse to meet her gaze, nor did he deny her.

"Perhaps you're right, but perhaps that's just the beginning of another catastrophe—"

"Even if the demons regain their status by conquering the Protoss Empire, their desires will soon be unsatisfied. They will occupy their respective territories and begin to develop their power."

"And then, they'll start seizing the territories of other countries. You should understand this process better than I do."

The Poet of Great Love calmly narrated a story.

Sinola was silent for a moment.

She did indeed understand the other possibility he spoke of, and she had witnessed it with utmost clarity.

"Because this is the history that has been, and will be again."

The Poet of Great Love added.

"But who says that this will definitely happen? We've already made a mistake once. With the previous lessons, wouldn't it be good for you to rule us?"

Sinola stroked her chest and asked her question again, a little agitated.

As a conservative, she hated the demons of the previous generation who insisted on carrying on the war. What she had long hoped for was this new king who could see everything so clearly!

Her eyes held a hint of resentment.

What she didn't want to see now was the new king having this ability but not daring to take on this responsibility!

"When you're ready to sacrifice yourself, you're also more likely to sacrifice others. This applies to you and me equally. So, what kind of leader do you expect me to be?"

The Poet of Great Love seemed to understand what Sinola was thinking and asked without haste.

"..."

Sinola swallowed nervously, stunned by his words.

She realized that she seemed to be getting a little carried away, a little offensive, and that it was a contradictory proposition.

Of course, she wanted the new king to be a leader who could be considerate of his subordinates.

Yet, she also expected the new king to have the most resolute determination.

This was inherently a kind of greed and an unfair demand.

However, the other party didn't seem to be angry because of her attitude, giving her some time to think and not intending to avoid the real question she had just raised.

"According to what you said, even if I were to control the demons, the vast majority of other creatures would not think they had too much resources and enjoyment. Once they have the strength, they may try everything, including vicious and hypocritical means, to plunder all our resources. Then, should I expand the scope of rule until I completely conquer the world?"

The Poet of Great Love continued,

"If you encounter this situation, what would you choose?"

He smiled.

"...I don't know."

Sinola's eyes darted around, until they dimmed. She couldn't answer Lan Qi's question.

She couldn't understand the thoughts of this demon who had the qualifications to become the new king. He seemed to understand the nature of living beings and the rules of the world better than she did.

The longer she communicated with him, the more she realized that she seemed to be one big step closer to the real answer. But the more she knew, the more she thought, the more she felt she didn't know.

Between them, silence lasted for a long time.

"Humans are always imagining the future, and this future should actually be frightening."

The Poet of Great Love's emerald green pupils glowed with gentle light, as if he had already given it deep thought,

"But most humans are not afraid because they cannot understand the meaning behind it. The demons are the same."

"Then, can't we do anything... Just stagnate here? What's the difference between this and being in prison?"

Sinola asked, certain that she couldn't find a conclusion at the moment.

She was now in a most confused state.

She felt that what she had insisted on for a long time might not necessarily be right, but she couldn't find what was truly right.

"..."

"Don't dwell on the past for too long, and don't over-expect the future. The past is gone, and the future has not yet arrived. Now—"

The Poet of Great Love seemed to savor the ray of warm light falling diagonally into the prison, a faint smile on his lips, pausing his voice,

"Seize the present. Only the present is most important."

When he looked at Sinola again, he only had one last sentence.

"And I will give you the best present."

Every word of the Poet of Great Love struck Sinola's heart like the heaviest piano keys.

The prison was silent for a long time.

Sinola stood in the shadows, lowered her head.

"I can't understand your words for a while... But I need time to think. Maybe I can figure it out, maybe I can't..."

Is it really good to let go of the past, break the future, and start over?

There was a sense of punishment in her heart, as if she had betrayed the demons.

Antanas, who was standing on the other side, remained silent. She really felt that Sinola's heart had been shaken.

She was very gratified that this child next to her had sincerely answered Sinola's initial question about the restoration of the country without using any deception.

Now, she just felt too scared.

Antanas didn't know why this guy next to her seemed to have a unique demonic nature, able to reach directly into the heart and conquer the other party ideologically.

The currently confused Sinola was just one step away from making a decision that went against all her previous knowledge.

What was still missing?

Seeming to notice Sinola's daze and Antanas' idleness, the Poet of Great Love also began to chat with Antanas, leaving Sinola time to think.

"To be honest, whenever I think of Talia living happily and beautifully, I find it hard to imagine the suffering you have endured in Helrom Prison over the years."

The Poet of Great Love whispered to Antanas.

Sinola's ears twitched, her eyes staring blankly at the Poet of Great Love.

Is Talia doing well?

Judging from this black-haired, green-eyed girl, her father would definitely not be bad in terms of talent or appearance. After all, with Talia's vision, the person she could be moved by must be one in a million.

"If Miss Sinola hadn't wasted these hundred years, she would definitely be living better than Talia. After all, Miss Sinola looks much better than Talia in every way. She's clearly a popular type of woman. If she has to be locked up for another hundred years... Alas..."

The Poet of Great Love continued to shake his head and sigh.

"..."

Sinola's slender shoulders trembled.

Thinking carefully about these hundred years, she had wasted precious time in prison and missed so many opportunities to enjoy the good things in life.

Then compare it to Talia...

Jealousy, jealousy to the point of grinding her teeth to pieces!

She couldn't even imagine what kind of life Talia was living at the moment, and what Talia's husband looked like!

"That..."

She finally spoke.

"What's wrong, Miss Sinola?"

The Poet of Great Love tilted his head in confusion.

"Let's go. I want to seize the present. I don't want to waste a second!"

Sinola said resolutely, clenching her fist. Her eyes were now only filled with the desire for happiness, and she believed that the new king had the ability to fulfill this promise, and his ideas and philosophy were also extremely correct.

Although she hadn't seen the true face of the new king, she didn't care anymore. What she believed in was the beautiful soul that she was communicating with.

She had never thought that there would come a day when there would be someone so worthy of her loyalty. Even though she was still confused about some things, she was sure of one thing: every minute and every second of communicating with him was valuable. Without communication, without guidance, she would once again wander astray and waste her life.

"Very good."

The Poet of Great Love smiled.

He felt very gratified to have saved another lost young woman.

"..."

Antanas' eyes twitched. After witnessing it firsthand, she moved a little further away from the Poet of Great Love. Now, she increasingly felt that something was wrong with this guy.

Your talent magic isn't brainwashing, is it?

If you continue to brainwash the Protoss Empire like this, Sinola's initial demands were actually too conservative, and what you're doing is the real Protoss Evil God.

Current extra chapters owed/total chapters owed: 23/36

(End of chapter)