After Cumberland left, Todd returned to his dormitory with a heart full of concerns.

Pushing open the door at the end of the second floor, the first thing Todd saw was a large hall filled with wardrobes and wooden mannequins.

Evening dresses, hunting suits, capes, hakamas...... A wide variety of styles and styles of clothing make this room a sea of fashion.

Navigating through the closets, Todd pulled open two thick, heavy screen doors and stepped into a studio filled with books and paintings.

The queen of the Acropolis, the Mary of Todd's memory, the beautiful woman who was always tall and as tall as a kaolin flower, was now dressed in a casual oversized dressing gown, sitting cross-legged on the sofa, drawing designs intently.

Todd walked over to Mary and gently squeezed her stiff shoulder, causing her to let out a pleasant gasp.

"When I got back, I thought you were taking a nap in bed. ”

Mary picked up the paintbrush and pointed it to her neck with the end of the pen, motioning for him not to stop: "For me, this room is the place where I relax and enjoy more than sleeping. It's a place where I can let go of all the burdens on my body and just do what I love......"

Todd massaged Mary's satin-like white skin with his fingertips and smiled, "Just do what you like?"

Mary, who was indulging in the pleasure of touch, turned back with difficulty, two blushes clearly rose on her delicate countenance, and she whispered while panting, "If you want, the bedroom is ...... behind"

Although he has seen this flawless face many times, now Todd once again sighs in his heart for her beauty.

Todd shook his head with a smile, let go of his hand, sat down next to Mary, put his arms around the other's waist, and wrapped him in his arms: "You need to rest." ”

"You're really different from everyone else. Mary put her arms around Todd's neck and leaned her whole body against the latter's chest: "Is it just you, or are all the men in your world like this?"

Todd smiled, without saying a word, poured some liquid from the glass bottle on the table, and drank it all.

Savoring the afterglow in his mouth, Todd frowned and looked at Mary: "This tastes ......"

"It's a lot like coffee, isn't it?" said Mary with a smile, "some rue flowers, some Nadona fruit, plus agave powder and a few condiments, to make this drink." ”

Mary took a slow sip from her cup, sighed and said, "However, the taste is still different from real coffee, there is no peculiar aroma, and there is no refreshing effect. ”

Todd smiled, "I think this is more delicious than coffee." ”

Mary smiled and hugged Todd tighter, closed her eyes, and after a long while, asked in a low voice, "Why didn't I see you earlier?"

Todd was a little strange: "See me earlier?"

Mary's voice grew lower and lower: "Our encounter, if in the Holy Acropolis of my childhood, if before I marry to the Silver Ring, if before that woman meets you......"

Todd was silent, and he patted Mary on the back gently, as if trying to comfort the woman in front of him in this way.

Mary slowly raised her head, looked at Todd's face, and suddenly asked, "Do you have something on your mind?"

"Why do you say that?"

Mary sat up straight and stared into Todd's eyes, "Tell me, what the hell is going on?"

Todd sighed helplessly: "In the kingdom, there is indeed one thing that is bothering me. ”

"After the transformation ritual, human beings will become aliens, that is, the 'Holy Cult Army' that people often hear about in daily life. ”

"These alien races, both in terms of physical structure and genetics, no longer have anything to do with humans. And now, the two get along, and all kinds of problems have arisen. For example, religious status, living habits, value orientation, and so on. ”

"In the midst of these problems, the conflicts between aliens and humans, I can also use faith as a buffer to reconcile the contradictions between them. But what really worries me is the union between them, which can have unpredictable consequences. ”

Mary's eyes widened: "Unpredictable consequences?"

Todd said with a headache: "If humanoids and humans combine with each other, the offspring may mutate unpredictably, and in my world, this phenomenon is called reproductive isolation. ”

Mary asked again, "This reproductive ...... Are all the variations produced by isolation bad?"

"There are good and bad. I will use the example of the offspring of donkeys and horses that are called mules, which have a long life span and are adaptable to the environment, but have lost their basic reproductive capacity, the offspring of tigers and lions, which are called ligers, which have better physical strength but have little reproductive capacity of their own, and sheep and goats that give birth to mixed-breed sheep, which are good runners and produce high milk and hair, but are still infertile. ”

Mary sums up Todd's case: "So, the offspring of two similar creatures is likely to inherit the characteristics and abilities of both parents, but lose the basic fertility?"

"There's nothing wrong with that, so I've been worried about the union of the non-human species with humans. The light in Todd's eyes dimmed: "Although this union satisfies the momentary pleasure of both men and women, it will bring indelible physical defects to their offspring, which may be an irresponsible behavior." ”

Looking at the expression on Todd's face, Mary instantly guessed the other party's thoughts.

Although Todd is talking about the union of the Holy Cult Army and humans, he is actually talking about himself.

Todd and Deirdre gave birth to a daughter, Aurora, for which Todd lives in worry and self-blame every day, and he has always felt that most of the responsibility for Aurora's physical problems should be borne by him.

That's why, when facing the human race and the Holy Cult Army, Todd is so hesitant, not wanting these believers to suffer the same fate as himself.

Thinking all of this through, Mary stretched out her fingers, gently smoothed the wrinkles on Todd's forehead, and whispered, "You seem to have forgotten one of the most important things. ”

"The most important thing?"

"Feelings. ”

Mary rested her head on Todd's chest and said slowly, "Humans or aliens. The union of the two parties was inherently voluntary and unforced. When one creature falls in love with another, race, origin, wealth, appearance, family, ...... Nothing will be an obstacle to their love. ”

"Affection is the most powerful force in the world, it can turn the most timid coward into the bravest warrior, and it can also turn the most cruel thug into the most devout believer. ”

Mary kissed Todd's chin lightly and said softly, "Even you, who are respected as the Holy King, can't stop a woman's pursuit and desire for love. ”

Todd lowered his head, looked at the light in Mary's eyes, and said helplessly: "So, what ......advice do you give me about this matter?"

Mary leaned forward and pushed Todd down on the couch, she slowly bent down, touched her hands under her, lowered her head and smiled in Todd's ear and said, "Let it be." ”