"I don't think you're going to give me any choice?"

After a moment of silence, Quillin asked coldly and politely.

"How so?" Lydia smiled, lifted her dress and sat casually on the windowsill, looking out the window at Visa, "You always have a choice. Life or death, protection or destruction...... It's a beautiful city, isn't it?"

She wore a long dark green dress, woven with faint vines, and the sunlight shining through the window illuminated her green jewel-like eyes—a beautiful woman, but with a gloomy aura, as if death itself was terrible and charming.

“...... Is this a threat?" said Quillin's tone, with a hint of forbearance.

"Just a friendly reminder. Lydia narrowed her eyes unconcernedly, "I'm guessing you already know that I don't need a single soldier to destroy a city...... Calculating that it would take a few days is a little fun. ”

She spoke so carelessly, as if it were just a trivial matter.

"I also know that it's not like no one can stop you. Quillin said coldly.

He had been warned by Ed, but he didn't take it as too serious. Whatever choice he makes, the priesthood who believe in the Temple of Collins will not turn a blind eye to the plague that threatens Visa. Using this to make him feel guilty...... Maybe one day he will be able to make amends.

"If you're counting on any pastors, I can guarantee that they will never have time to take care of themselves. Lydia slowly straightened her long sleeves, "After all. We have allies now. ”

Ante Bofford...... Quillin instinctively refused to believe that the king would join forces with the necromancer, especially since this phrase came from the mouth of the necromancer. But deep down, he had faint doubts. That's not impossible. Ante's predicament was more difficult to cope with than his...... There are many true but unbelievable stories in history about how crazy a desperate king can be to keep his throne.

"I don't have any spells to tell a lie, but that doesn't mean I'm going to trust a necromancer. He unconsciously clenched the hilt of his sword, "Not to mention that even if I stand on your side and bring this city to ...... Isn't it still destruction in the end?"

“...... You seem to have some misunderstanding about the Necromancer, but you can't be blamed for that. Lydia sighed and spread her hands, "What do you think we're trying to do, to turn the whole world into a land of the undead, and what's in it for me? Otherwise, I wouldn't have survived just thinking about the smell of the air - you probably only remember that we would use the corpses of the dead, but forget that all we wanted was to be free from the shackles of death...... All we want is true freedom. ”

“...... There is one thing to do. Quillin whispered.

"That's the real lie. Lydia sneered, "Deliberately repeated over and over again for fear of humanity's quest for immortality." A lie that threatens the fate of the soul...... But I'm not interested in arguing with you about faith and life and death here, you just have to believe that I can easily destroy everything you have - your loved ones, your territory. Your city ...... Think of it as a threat. In any case, this is definitely not a lie. ”

Cold sweat oozed from the corners of the forehead little by little. Quillin was silent, angry at the woman's blatant threat and his own powerlessness at the moment, but ......

"Maybe you'd like to take a chance?" Lydia smiled and tilted her head, "I know it's hard for someone like you to think of yourself as a knight to admit that you're powerless to resist...... But with all due respect, you are powerless to resist. ”

Quilin's bloodless face was imprinted in her eyes, and she looked like an undead...... It would have been easy for her to kill him, and she had been so patiently entangled until now......

“...... What do you want me to do?" the lord of Visa City threw down his sword. Swallowing all his humiliation and anger, he felt only bitterness in his throat. "Or should I ask, what does His Majesty want me to do?"

Lydia's eyebrows were furrowed, and her smile was kind and sweet. She tapped the windowsill graciously and invited, "You may be seated, my lord, I think we have a lot to talk about—and, I don't think I need to remind you that I accept the choice...... But never accept betrayal, whether for the sake of honor or profit. ”

There was a wry smile on Quillin's lips. This flamboyant female mage may not know that there is no honor in his original decision. Her presence may have given him an excuse to forgive himself - at least, he didn't do it just for himself.

Walking into the mansion hidden among the mountains, Lydia turned around and gave a crisp and resounding slap to the young man behind her, who was hanging his head in frustration and panic, but still with a smile on his face.

"Shall I let you find out what the Earl knows and what he wants to do, or will I let you try out the new magic you have just learned?" she asked softly.

The young man lowered his head and unconsciously clenched his fists.

"Can you tell me why the hell I would make you my apprentice?" Lydia sighed as she reached out to lift his chin, "Oh, no, I think I'm looking at my 'reason' - your face." And, I have to say, I kind of like the way you look, at least not like a rabbit that's been targeted by a fox. You still look like you're going to want to bite me, don't you?"

The young man looked at her in a daze, his eyes changing, as if he didn't know how to react.

Lydia chuckled softly and patted him on the cheek, "Go find a place to lick your hurt self-esteem, at least for now, you haven't annoyed me...... Think of this as your victory. ”

She threw down this, as well as the young man with a complicated expression, and walked straight to the staircase on the west side of the hall without looking back.

The empty basement under the stairs was as bright as day, and the magic flames burned unhesitatingly, causing Lydia to be dazzled for a moment, and she had to raise her hand to cover it.

A blonde-haired elf in a shawl glanced back at her and said coldly, "I said none of your apprentices were useful. ”

His eyes were slightly clouded in the bright light—poor eyesight had made him rather irritable lately, but his ears didn't seem to be impaired.

Lydia shrugged unconcernedly, "Oh, don't say that, they have some other use. ”

Ignoring the disdain that the stiff muscles on the elves' faces could display, she walked to the row of cages on the west side.

The cage seemed to be embedded in the wall, small enough for one person to stand, separated by stone walls, and the iron fence was half-open and half-closed, as if there were no prisoners in it.

In fact, none of the cages were empty, but the people inside had completely lost the ability to resist.

At least, for most of them, Lydia wasn't worried that they would run away - they might have lost all their desire to live, or even a soulless shell that was still breathing.

But there was one of them, she wasn't so sure.

"Not to doubt your abilities, Your Majesty. She waved her hand to slam an iron door shut, "But don't underestimate this kind of guy who is more stubborn than a dwarf...... Or do I need to warn you that it's not like no one has escaped from here?"

"It was just an accident...... I won't allow anyone to escape from here again!" The elf's exasperated voice came from behind her, and the door opened on its own in front of her again, "I don't like to waste time opening and closing a useless door!"

Lydia chuckled, she should have known that such a move would backfire, but sometimes she just couldn't help it.

"You have eternal time. She said lightly.

"But there is no eternal body!" the elf growled in exasperation, "I can't feel the breeze, I can't smell the flowers, I can't taste the food, I can't even feel the pain...... What is the meaning of eternal time!"

Lydia couldn't help but pout - the guy behind him was still an elf after all, and he had a lot of problems with elves. "Eternal time" just makes him even more annoying...... But she never underestimated the power that time brought to him.

Not from the gods, but of his own making—if it weren't for some senseless insistence, he would never have had to hide in her basement to continue his research.

If she could have the same amount of time, who could imagine everything she could do?

"And how long are you going to keep him?" she asked, taking a few steps closer and looking with interest at the unconscious prisoner in front of her. She remembered the look on that face—high, stern and cold, as if she were a god......

"I have one or two interesting little plans for him...... You can't take away all my fun. She smiled, but the smile couldn't hide the hatred that lay beneath it.

"It won't be long. The elf walked up behind her, "He's a stubborn fellow, as you say...... I've dug quite a few things out of his head, but I'm sure there's many more buried deeper. By the time I'm done...... I don't think you can get much more pleasure out of him. ”

"Don't underestimate me so much. Lydia smiled and held out a finger and shook it, "I can always find my own fun." ”

She turned and walked out of the basement with graceful and unhurried steps.

Without this special "guest", the upcoming show will be much inferior...... But she should be able to find other things to enjoy.

Behind her, the man who was firmly locked to the wall remained unmoved. He lowered his head, his face under his short gray hair was still pale and thin, and because his eyes were closed, he unexpectedly showed a little softness.

Although the elf stood in front of him, he was once again immersed in his unfinished calculations, completely oblivious to the man's eyelids moving slightly at a certain moment.

(To be continued......)