The man held a piece of undercooked beef and wolfed it down.
The former "General of Hell" sat opposite the man, monitoring his every move. His eyes, hidden behind a silver mask, were shrouded in a hazy, dark aura. The true master of the puppet was using this dead body to observe the man in what he considered the safest way.
"Unfortunately, he didn't know much, and his knowledge of the 'Temperance' movement was limited to what he had heard of."
Klein rested his hands on the armrests of the chair, with his disguise glasses lying beside him.
"However, judging from what he said, and from the information we've gathered, it seems that there are probably no members of the 'Temperance' faction in Entrepreneurs."
"The xenophobia within the 'Rose Church' is now more severe than we imagined. They don't even spare the common people in the highlands who have no obvious affiliation, let alone the 'Temperance' members who conflict with their 'indulgence' ideology."
As he spoke, Klein stroked his chin and nodded slightly in the direction where Sharon was sitting.
"If any members of the 'Temperance Faction' fall into their hands, and they are 'stubborn elements' who have not repented, they will probably not have a good ending."
Sharon knew these things from the very beginning.
She did not show any unreasonable emotions, but nodded rather subtly.
"I understand."
"So here comes a new problem. The young lady's proposal is good, but it's not very maneuverable. We need to think of another way." Jerry Zarathustra held a cup of fragrant hot tea in both hands. "The idea of infiltrating the 'Rose School' to cause trouble and attract Gostars' to show himself is correct. The biggest problem blocking our way right now is the lack of inside help. Since it is difficult to rely on the strength of the 'Temperance Faction' that may survive and return to the 'Rose School', we must be bolder."
"For example?" Mr. A observed the slightly subdued atmosphere among his colleagues and intentionally tried to lighten the mood with his partner.
"Like this guy, the new round of Highland Wars is an opportunity for the Empire and the 'Rose School,' and in fact, it is also an opportunity for those countries and churches in the Northern Continent that did not receive considerable benefits in the first distribution."
Jerry Zarathustra sipped his hot tea and analyzed.
"I won't talk about the Empire. For the 'Rose School,' the renewed war is more conducive to the expansion of their sect. The more intense the war, the more the Northern Continent's army exploits them in the rear, the more highlanders they can recruit into the so-called resistance."
"Members of the 'Rose School' who have already participated in several blasphemous rituals and whose minds and bodies have been corrupted by the 'Mother Tree of Desire' are certainly not within our consideration. However, those who have recently joined and haven't been too corrupted can be appropriately utilized, and..."
Jerry Zarathustra glanced at his partner and shrugged.
"This happens to be A's specialty; he loves teaching lost sheep to turn back from the wrong path."
He didn't say some things too bluntly. For example, he preferred to directly impersonate the appropriate target, whether by killing the imposter or turning the target into a puppet.
According to Jerry Zarathustra, there is a demigod in the team who is a "diviner". If Klein can put aside his useless mental fastidiousness and create a dozen or twenty marionettes, he can not only find out the information they want, but also confuse them.
Of course, all of this is predicated on the premise that they act discreetly enough to avoid attracting the attention of the "Rose School" demigods.
I disagree.
"Young Miss?"
Jerry Zarathustra stared blankly at Sharon, who usually wouldn't contradict others and rarely offered her opinions on any issue, and for a moment wondered if there was something wrong with his ears.
He doesn't think there are any flaws in his analysis. In every respect, his proposal, even if it's not the optimal solution, is indeed a feasible solution at present.
Why did Sharon show resistance?
Could it be that the young lady's real purpose is to take advantage of the mission to rescue her 'Temporary' compatriots?
Jerry Zarathustra thought this was possible, after all, even when the young lady was imprisoned in Trier, she never forgot her fellow countrymen in exile and tried to find ways to circumvent various restrictions to gather information.
Now that no one is watching him anymore, and the only demigod in the squad is willingly supporting him, there's no reason not to take things a step further.
Everyone has selfish desires, and Jerry Zarathustra's selfishness is understandable.
Just like himself, for him, loyalty and faith must stand behind the name of Zarathustra, and his family is the driving force that supports him in giving everything.
Or rather, the families that can become his backers and supporters, and who may in the future extend his reach of power and status, are the ones he must protect at all costs.
My dear young lady... this is not the time to be childish. Killing Gostars and using Klein's influence and the achievements we made together to advance your career within the Empire would be more beneficial for you to realize your wish to help your compatriots, wouldn't it?
Women are too emotional and too short-sighted... Just as Jerry Zarathustra was about to risk displeasing Sharon and Klein by speaking up to persuade her, Sharon, whom he considered a sentimental doll, had eyes as calm as ice in her deep blue, ocean-like eyes, and in an extremely cruel tone, pronounced that she would inevitably be accompanied by death in the near future.
"I'll be the bait; I'm a 'moderate' person too."
"Sharon!"
"Miss Sharon?"
"You... Miss?"
Seeing the starkly different reactions of the group, and taking in their worry, confusion, and shock, Sharon maintained an expressionless facade and continued speaking.
"I am a traitor."
She stopped Klein from speaking with a look and shook her head slightly.
"Gostars is an extreme example; he won't allow me to live."
"Even if he hadn't fallen for it, Mahamus would have found a way to kill me."
"If we can kill Mahamus, Gostars will show up. Mahamus is the most respected person in the cult."
Silence reigned in the room. The sound of burning firewood in the fireplace suddenly became the only activity in the world. It desperately consumed itself, but could only watch in vain as the temperature in the room dropped lower and lower. The oppression dispelled the warmth, the physiological heat was overturned, and cold swept into the hearts of the other people in the room.
As the only demigod in the team and with the most special status, Klein wanted to exercise his potential "veto power." Words were stuck in his mouth, trying to squeeze out from between his teeth, but another force from the same source blocked the simple word "no." The two were silently competing.
Mr. A scanned the room, his gaze shifting between the group, sometimes lingering on Sharon's beautiful face, sometimes showing concern for Klein's reaction.
He was least worried about Jerry. He knew his partner too well; if nothing unexpected happened, the guy would immediately and loudly agree to Sharon's proposed plan, after all...
"No, that's unrealistic, don't go crazy."
Jerry Zarathustra's voice, tinged with barely perceptible anger, startled everyone.
This libertine abandoned his usual nonchalant and carefree attitude, not even using teasing words like "Miss," which shows that he was not trying to satirize Sharon's impulse, nor was he expressing approval in a sarcastic way, but was genuinely angry.
With a crash, Jerry Zarathustra stood up, bracing himself on the armrests, and kicked over the chair.
He leaned forward, disregarding formalities, and bent down to scrutinize Sharon's expression. The distance between them was far less than the standard of social etiquette.
If it weren't for the presence of A and Klein, he might have already grabbed the girl by the collar.
"Is it because the patriarch has been too kind to you, making you forget who you really are?"
"Jerry Zarathustra!"
Mr. A immediately realized that the weak "Puppet Master" was no match for the "Shepherd's" powerful physical strength.
The usually mad "shepherd" forced himself to calm down. He had already cursed his partner a thousand times in his mind. Unwittingly, this most disciplined believer had even committed the sin of rage. Fortunately, his basic rationality made him hold back, only pulling his partner away instead of crushing the piece of flesh he was holding firmly in his palm.
Instead of trying to defy his partner, Jerry Zarathustra turned his gaze to Klein, awaiting the opinion of the other "diviner" pathway extraordinary in the room.
Mr. A was also watching Klein's actions; he didn't want to see the brothers of Tongxin turn against each other.
However, Klein's reaction was surprisingly calm. Although his face was gloomy, it remained within a safe range. Rather than a sign that the gloom was about to erupt, it seemed more like he was thinking about a thorny problem, hesitating and struggling to make a choice.
He made no attempt to hide his sigh, ignored Sharon's reaction, and waved his hand, signaling Mr. A to release Jerry Zarathustra.
"Tell me why you think it's not feasible."
"Do you remember the consensus we reached?"
Jerry Zarathustra shook off Mr. A's hand, his expression icy, and met Klein's dark, bottomless eyes, which were exactly the same as those of the "Raider of the Lamp."
"The current situation in Entreles is strange, and a conflict may break out between Intis and the 'Rose School' in the near future."
Seeing that Klein wasn't blinded by his emotions, Jerry Zarathustra relaxed and sat back down in his chair.He took out his cigarette case and, disregarding the fact that they were indoors, lit a cigarette in front of Mr. A and Sharon.
"That's right."
"They'll probably start fighting, and Caesars Harbor will become a less noticeable focus."
"If…" he pointed at Sharon, "if this foolish woman chooses to expose herself now, that inconspicuous regional conflict will immediately escalate into a focus comparable to the most brutal and intense frontline battlefields."
"The Empire has gained a series of advantages in the war. Her self-destruction will destroy everything. The morale of the countries in the North Continent, which have been suppressed, will be rekindled. Those wavering members of the Byron people that your teacher hoped to win over and who were interested in getting closer to the Empire will also return to the sidelines."
"Of course, this is nothing in the face of the absolute power of the Creator and His Highnesses, but the Zarathustra family will be burned at the stake and suffer the loss."
"You will become a laughing stock, and another faction within the empire, which was already dissatisfied with your behavior, will take the opportunity to attack you and kick you when you're down."
"And A and I, who are close to you, will also share their attacks, and there will be no future for us."
"Ha..." Zarathustra's lips curled up, a mixture of sarcasm and pity in his expression.
"I can understand Sharon's thoughts. If I were to face a similar choice one day, I would probably be blinded by my emotions as well."
"Moreover, the Zarathustra family is also implicated in making this judgment. If she really brings about the worst-case scenario, we can only suffer the consequences ourselves."
"After all, we were the ones who imprisoned her, locking her in a greenhouse for more than a decade."
"She didn't experience many setbacks; her limited but stable life lacked the tempering and forging of the world."
"Go on."
Klein had already guessed what Jerry Zarathustra was worried about, which was why he didn't get angry.
"Okay, I still need to explain my intrusion to Miss and A. First of all, I apologize; I was a bit overwhelmed."
As he spoke, Jerry Zarathustra clasped his hands together in a somewhat insincere apology. The fact that he picked up the words again, which carried a hint of irony, showed that the tense atmosphere had found a chance to break the ice and cool down.
"The head of the family has many reasons for adopting the young lady. The 'Immortal Princess' Renette Tinicol of the Highlands died in the war, and the Highland royal family was also slaughtered. Naturally, the 'Immortal Princess's' apprentice became one of the most valuable political figures in the Highlands."
"The empire will eventually take the highlands into its hands. The great cause of the Creator may not need too many worldly considerations, but His Majesty the Emperor's great cause of restoring the country cannot be separated from a complete southern continent, or rather, the support of a stable southern continent."
"Previously, the Empire was troubled by the numerous colonies in the Southern Continent. Bailang and the Empire had a long-standing feud, making it difficult to take action. The head of the family seized the opportunity with the young lady, raising and protecting her, all in order to wait for the right moment. When the Empire was about to take over the Highlands, he would do His Majesty the Emperor a favor, and also give the civilians in the Highlands who were not members of the 'Rose School' a reason to surrender and give up resistance."
"Just like the role that 'Death Archon' Azik Eggers now hopes to play, of course the young lady is not nearly as important as that prince."
Jerry Zarathustra opened his palm, fiddled with his thumb, and lowered his head.
"A government-in-exile is a good thing. The government in the Highlands was unlucky. It didn't even have the chance to go into exile and become a puppet government manipulated by others. But we can create one ourselves, make Sharon our mascot, and win over a group of warlords from the Northern States. There are plenty of people among them who are willing to be dogs for the Empire."
"The patriarch didn't tell anyone in the Zarathustra family about these ideas, or perhaps I'm not high enough in rank."
"However, any Zarathustra with a brain would have thought of this. Other members of the angelic families and those with some status in the Empire who knew of Sharon's existence also assumed that this was our plan."
"Regardless of the family head's initial purpose in adopting the young lady, now, in the eyes of others, we just want to make the young lady a part of the 'legitimacy' for us to completely occupy the high ground."
"Just shouting about justice and freedom and then going to war on foreign soil, even if you manage to get the land, it will be hard to settle down in the future. Having this kind of method is always better."
"The Highlanders have a miserable life, but they are fortunate that the 'Rose School' has been brainwashed by the 'Mother Tree of Desire,' and most of them are no longer human. Ordinary Highlanders only need one reason to become obedient citizens."
"The Empire can provide them with a stable life and a solution to their basic needs as the first reason, and the existence of the young lady can be the second."
"But if the young lady were to deliberately expose herself to the area that the 'Rose School' could reach beforehand, then the few intelligent people in the 'Rose School' would realize that if they wanted to continue fighting under the banner of righteousness, they would have to kill the young lady."
"Just like they did before, taking advantage of the fact that the former government of the Highlands led by the 'Immortal Princess' suffered repeated defeats in the war of self-defense, denying the legitimacy of the other side, this is also their chance to completely extinguish the seeds of 'Temperance'."
"Even if the young lady is really killed, the empire will not suffer any losses. At most, it will be disgusted. The Creator will not care."
Jerry Zarathustra paused, his expression gradually becoming more sincere.
He looked at Sharon, whose eyes were slightly vacant, and said, word by word.
"But the Zarathustra family cannot escape this. We will lose the trust of the Empire and the Creator, and we will be hated by the 'Red of War'… Young lady, I apologize for my lapse in composure just now."
"I implore you, considering the care the head of the family has shown you—He may want to use you, but He has truly made you the only young lady of the Zarathustra family—please carefully consider the potential consequences of every choice you make in your next action."
...
"There is another way, we can create a 'temperamental' bait ourselves."
After observing for a while and seeing that the situation had calmed down and the companions were no longer at odds, Klein tentatively spoke up.
A very novel perspective… Jerry Zarathustra nodded.
Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, the guy slapped himself.
"yes."
He agreed.
"How could I forget that? We are the 'Faceless Men,' the 'Secret Order.' Aren't we best at distorting the truth and smearing others?"
There was another silence, but this time it wasn't because of anything else; it was simply because people were speechless at Jerry Zarathustra's behavior.
"It's actually entirely feasible; creating a 'moderation advocate' isn't difficult at all."
Jerry Zarathustra is a great actor, and Klein's suggestion is exactly what he had expected Klein to do.
He had always wanted to persuade Klein to use the "Trickster's" ability to create incredibly realistic puppets, preferably twenty, to confuse the "Rose School" and create trouble for the enemy by feinting to the east while attacking the west. However, due to Klein's fastidious nature, he had never found an opportunity to bring it up.
Now that Klein has taken the initiative to speak up, he will naturally do his best to make this proposal a reality.
"You can control a puppet, so don't worry about its abilities. We can create a coincidence to make a 'werewolf' or 'zombie' disappear, while Intis and the 'Rose School' are fighting."
"Both sides are holding back big, and the number of deaths will only increase. At that time, no one will pay attention to the whereabouts of one or two mid-sequences, except for 'zombies' and 'werewolfs'. 'Rose School' believers who convert low-sequence and ordinary human components can also be used as cover and bait, since you can control dozens of mystics."
Sharon nodded stiffly, crossed her hands on her knees, and pursed her lips.
"I have no objection."
She was probably still worried about Jerry Zarathustra's impulsive and careless remarks earlier.
If she hadn't been adopted by Friedrich Zarathustra and had spent over a decade wandering the streets, perhaps she wouldn't have become so despondent because of a few words.
It must be admitted that the long period of confinement had worn away her outward edges, but her statement that "I will become the bait" also proves that under the cover of "restraint," her soul, which had suppressed all kinds of desires for too long, was already restless.
To flaunt one's desires and intentions is a major taboo in the practice of "moderation."
"Then what should we do with the one you caught?"
Mr. A looked at the empty wall and stared at the man in another room behind it, who had just finished eating meat and was taking a nap under Ludwell's watchful eye.
"Send it back."
Of the four, Jerry Zarathustra was the most ruthless, utterly acquiescing to the death sentence handed down to the man next door.
"Now that we have a new plan to take action while Intis and the 'Rose School' are at war, we absolutely cannot let him live."
"By tomorrow morning at the latest, the people of the 'Rose School' will find that one person is missing from the dungeon."
"If it were an ordinary person, we could pray to the 'Angel of Fate' for good fortune, but not him. He's a 'Rose School' member who 'made a mistake.' While other people's disappearances might not be noticed immediately, he's definitely being closely monitored."
"We can send him back, manipulate another person in the cell, kill him, and then make the person we've manipulated commit suicide, creating an accident."
Jerry Zarathustra looked at Klein, as if searching for something.
"The underground altar continues to absorb the negative emotions that are growing on the surface of Entreles. The reason why the prisoners in the dungeon are quiet is simply because they are weak. The 'prisoner' we captured is still in good physical condition. He may be affected by the negative emotions attracted by the altar and may also be able to attack the other people in the cell."
"Logically speaking, an ordinary person who is lacking rest and nutrition cannot kill a 'prisoner,' so we control two, three, or four, and we must get rid of him."
Under Jerry Zarathustra's gaze, Klein yielded.
He first took a deep breath, then relaxed his body, and his tense shoulders slumped down.
You're right.
"We hadn't planned ahead, and we took many details for granted. Bringing him back was an accident."
"So we have to pay the price for the accident." Jerry's eyes relaxed. "Although I don't think it's a price, everyone has a different standard of judgment."
After saying that, Jerry Zarathustra stood up and walked towards the door, seemingly prepared to take the risk and create an accident.
This was a piece of cake for him. Ever since he was in Intis, he had participated in these shady operations countless times, using the most despicable and inhumane methods to achieve one goal after another for himself, his family, and the empire, and to win one victory after another.
For him, this was just another ordinary after-dinner relaxation session.
"Mr. V, what do you think? Who should we do it?"
...