Chapter : 63

Just like the former Demon King, he was a leader, but not a so-called ruler.

He rallied all the other races to resist the gods, yet still gave them enough freedom for self-governance.

He was good at discovering talent, good at using talent, and gave enough trust, making the most suitable choices at the right time.

Only the Demon King could establish the Eternal Empire.

And William obviously did not have this ability. Perhaps he was indeed a kind child, but he was just a child.

After meeting him only once, Yan Yunqing discovered that everyone around William was accommodating this little boy.

He could still maintain a pure heart now, but when he really took the throne, he would probably grow into a naive tyrant.

It's not scary for an emperor to be cunning, but it's scary for an emperor to be too naive. To be naive in that position is equivalent to being cruel.

Yan Yunqing briefly explained these principles to Alice. Alice's face showed a bit of confusion, but the more she listened, the brighter her eyes became.

"Is that so?" Alice was impressed, "Mr. Magician, you are even more knowledgeable than I imagined, to be able to comprehend so many profound principles on your own."

Yan Yunqing was embarrassed. What knowledge? This was all the legacy of five thousand years of the Zhonghua nation on Blue Star.

He was just standing on the shoulders of giants and looking at the world.

Alice lowered her head and carefully pondered these principles, then realized: "So—Mr.

Magician, when you asked me if I thought I would be the next King of Barto, was it because you think I have the potential to be a leader?"

Yan Yunqing: Hmm? He never said that.

But Yan Yunqing didn't speak, just smiled without saying a word, and patted Alice's head again.

Alice lowered her head shyly, her round cheeks like a rosy apple, "I didn't expect you to think so highly of me, sir..."

"But I..." Alice hesitated, "I don't think I have the courage to walk the path you mentioned right now."

Her fingers twisted together. Imagining becoming the supreme king, imagining becoming the leader of all people, the twelve-year-old Alice showed the trepidation and unease appropriate for her age.

"It doesn't matter," Yan Yunqing said softly, "You're only twelve years old, and that old codger... that man still has a long life ahead of him. you still have enough time to grow."

"If you really want to change this country, then start working hard from now on.

Start with smaller things, for example—persuading that man to allocate military funds to the Sawyer family?"

Yan Yunqing suggested: "Or, try to find the moths buried deep within this country, and then exterminate them."

"Of course, you can take your time with all of this.

The most important thing is that you need to start accumulating your power and strive to become a qualified leader."

Alice was thoughtful, "Is that so? I understand..."

Her eyes became brighter and brighter, and that flame burned more and more fiercely, until one day it would burn away all the darkness in this Bartovita Empire.

"Mr. Magician—no." Alice looked at Yan Yunqing, "Teacher, can I call you that?"

Yan Yunqing was stunned. He withdrew the hand that was on Alice's head and hesitated, "Teacher... you want to be my student?"

No, he himself was just a student who had just finished the college entrance examination. Can he be a teacher now?

Not sure, let's see.

"Yes." Alice nodded vigorously, "You know a lot and have pointed me in the right direction. Sir, I want to become your student."

As she spoke, she got up with a start and bowed respectfully to Yan Yunqing, "Can you take me as your disciple? Teach me those things—how to become an excellent leader."

Huh...?

Yan Yunqing was uncertain: For him, who had really been the Demon King before, it seems he could really teach a thing or two?

"You don't even know my specific identity, yet you want to become my disciple?" Yan Yunqing said, "You trust your eyes too much. On this point alone, I don't really want to be your teacher."

Alice was shocked and quickly shook her head, "No, no—it's not like that!"

She hurriedly explained: "I just—"

"You may not understand, but you really have a special temperament." Alice was conflicted, "I said before that the qi on your body is very special. It gives me a very intimate feeling. No one has ever given me this feeling before, it's as if—"

"It's as if... you are my father?"

Alice looked at Yan Yunqing's current appearance with conflict and changed her words, "No, you are like my mother?"

"...Huh?"

Yan Yunqing looked at the palace maid's dress on himself, then at Alice's eyes full of filial piety, and slowly typed out a question mark.

Is this, painless motherhood?

Yan Yunqing did a tactical lean back, "Although I did disguise myself as a palace maid to get in, I am indeed a male."

Male mother or something, no way!

As for father or something, isn't that just a subtle insult to him? That King of Barto is not a good person.

Yan Yunqing didn't know where the sense of intimacy Alice mentioned came from. He could only attribute it to the fact that the affinity on the Demon King's panel was maxed out.

However, his current system panel did not have an affinity column, so he was unsure if he had inherited this value from the Demon King.

Looking at Alice's sparkling eyes, Yan Yunqing pondered for a moment.

It seemed feasible. The players would be online in less than a year.

The world would definitely undergo earth-shattering changes then. If he continued to be a lone wolf, it would seem very passive.

He didn't know what was going on with that so-called game company. Yan Yunqing felt that he had to build up some of his own forces before the players came online.

Although his previous identity as the Demon King had left him with a considerable force, but... that was two thousand years ago.

Things had changed, and he didn't even know how many of his former retainers were still alive.

Most importantly, Yan Yunqing still couldn't tell if the few game notification text messages he had received before were real or fake.

What if some retainers really wanted to kill the king? Wouldn't he, a pitiful level thirty-five, just be serving himself up on a platter?

So he had to start building a new force now, and this eleventh little princess of Bartovita was very suitable to be his first assistant.

Alice had a certain status, was young and easy to control, and had excellent talent. With a little maneuvering in the future, she might even become the next King of Barto.

No matter how he looked at it, it was an excellent new subordinate card. He had drawn an SSR on his first try.

With this in mind, Yan Yunqing nodded readily, "Since you want to be my student, of course there's no problem, but I have to make one thing clear beforehand."

Yan Yunqing said solemnly, "I may have an irreconcilable conflict with your Barto royal family. If you choose to stand on my side, it will be equivalent to betraying everyone in the royal family. Do you understand?"

Not to mention the matter of the Augreer family, just the fact that Bartovita had massacred all the civilians of the Eternal Empire's capital together with Romunik after its founding, as the Demon King, he was already on the opposite side of these two great empires.

In "Demon King," those civilians were just some numbers in the population column, but when this game became a real otherworld, those people had become the subjects of the Demon King.

It was only a few sentences in the historical records, but for the common people at that time, it was a heavy mountain.

Alice hesitated for a moment, "Does that include William?"

Yan Yunqing nodded, "If you want to walk down this path, then all your brothers and sisters will become your enemies, including William."

In a power struggle, where is there room for family affection?

Alice lowered her head to think. She pondered for a long time. Yan Yunqing looked at the time and stood up, "Since you still need to consider, I'll leave first. I still have things to do."

"No need." Alice raised her head, her mind made up, "Teacher, please guide me!"

Yan Yunqing didn't expect Alice to be so decisive, "...You don't need to consider it anymore?"

Alice shook her head firmly, "Since I've already decided to walk this path, indecisiveness is a major taboo.

However, Teacher, if possible, I hope to leave a way out for William. He is indeed not a bad child, and his mother once raised me."

Yan Yunqing: "...I don't think I ever said I was going to kill William, did I?"

What kind of image did he have in Alice's heart?

Alice was relieved, "That's good enough."

As for the lives of her other brothers and sisters? She didn't care.

Yan Yunqing pondered for a moment. He made up his mind, and the [Roleplay] skill was deactivated. He instantly switched to Joker's persona.

An image of a high ponytail of chestnut hair, a black formal dress, and a red masquerade mask on the face appeared in front of Alice. This scene of a person changing in an instant startled Alice.

She widened her eyes, her mouth forming a round "o" shape, full of surprise, "Is this your talent skill, Teacher? No wonder you could turn into Majina and come in at the beginning."

Yan Yunqing paused, "You even know that I disguised myself as Majina to get in?"

Isn't this Eye of Truth a bit too much of a bug?

Alice was embarrassed, "At that time, I felt that the banquet hall was very stuffy, so I went to the window for some fresh air. I happened to see you coming in disguised as Majina. You know, my ability allows me to distinguish between Majina's and your qi."

...Good. In the future, if anyone transforms into his appearance to deceive this little student of his, they should be recognized very quickly.

"In that case, I will also inform you of my purpose for being here today." Yan Yunqing observed the distance between the top of the clock tower and the ground, visually estimating that it did not exceed twenty meters.

[Bow and Arrow·Absolute Aiming]: Within thirty meters, hit rate 90%, critical hit rate increased by 40%.

The clock tower that Alice had brought him to had unexpectedly become an excellent long-range sniping point. It was truly a case of finding something by chance when you were looking for it everywhere.

Alice assumed a listening posture.

"I'm going to kill Feu."

Yan Yunqing's dark red eyes locked onto Alice's direction, seemingly with a hint of bewitchment, "My student, can you help me lure your fifth royal brother to this place?"

A trace of confusion appeared in Alice's eyes, and she quickly realized, nodding, "I understand, Teacher."

She turned around, took a few deep breaths, and then walked firmly towards the exit of the clock tower.

Although she had already made her decision, she still hesitated before actually making a move.

Then she would be decisive and become the sharpest sword in her teacher's hand.