"That's right." Ayanokouji nodded and answered softly, "But it will still take a few days."
"That's exactly what I'm looking forward to." A smile appeared again on Elsa's face.
"They should have a fortress in the forest. Find out its location."
"Understood."
Elsa nodded, the smile on her face becoming more pronounced, then she turned her attention to Melli lying on the bed.
'Maybe it's better to let Melli stay in this environment,' She thought to herself.
❀❀❀
"The Bowel Hunter is actually very obedient..."
"I didn't expect the Bowel Hunter to have such a side. I thought she was just a regular perverted killer..."
"Ayanokouji actually thinks the Bowel Hunter is his subordinate, and he's desperate to keep his life."
At Hyakkaou Private Academy, the students talked amongst themselves. No one stood by the gambling tables; they were all gathered in front of the TV, watching the live broadcast attentively.
"Not to mention subduing Elsa, does Ayanokouji Kiyotaka really intend to use Petelgeuse? That guy is insane!"
Ryota said with a worried expression. He could feel the resistance in his heart when he saw Petelgeuse's face earlier; he might have nightmares when he returns.
Sitting next to him was Yumeko, wearing her uniform and black stockings. She placed her hands on her face, her cheeks slightly red, mouth slightly open, and her eyes full of excitement.
"The more dangerous it is, the more fun you can have."
A meaningful smile appeared on Yumeko's face, and she couldn't wait to meet Ayanokouji.
"We will definitely get along."
❰❱SKY SCREEN❰❱
The scene changed to the next day in the afternoon.
"The contract signed with Beatrice lasts seven days. It seems I have to get rid of Petelgeuse within seven days."
Ayanokouji whispered to himself in the room.
"But before that, we need to extract some value from Petelgeuse first. How to approach him?"
He thought proactively. He showed up voluntarily, likely because of the Witch's scent on his body. If he could draw their attention.
But the question now is how to prevent his actions from being misunderstood by the people in the mansion.
In this life, he only stayed in this mansion for two nights. Ram and Rem didn't trust him much. He was worried that once he left the mansion, they would follow him. If he did anything abnormal in their eyes, they might attack him, and his relationship with Roswaal might even turn bad.
They still had value now and couldn't be let go.
Additionally, Ram also had the ability of Clairvoyance. Although it didn't last long, if she used this ability to find out that Ayanokouji was connected to people from the Witch Cult, he wouldn't know how to explain it.
He had no way to tell others about his plan now. If he told them now that there were Witch Cult activities in the forest, it would arouse suspicion. It was impossible to know the situation in the forest, and he wasn't ready to tell anyone about his Return by Death ability.
A trump card should never be revealed. Ayanokouji clearly understood that this was his greatest advantage in this world.
But how to avoid the surveillance of Rem and Ram?
His brows furrowed slightly, and he already had an idea in his mind. Using Meili was a very good method.
Use Meili's ability to control Demon Beasts and let them attack the village. In this way, Ayanokouji could take advantage of this opportunity to create chaos. He could use this chance to enter the forest and make contact with the Witch Cult, then let Emilia use her power to create a savior identity by driving away the Demon Beasts, allowing her to build a good image in front of the villagers and win the villagers' love, and Ayanokouji also played a role in it to gain the trust of Rem and Ram.
In the last regression , he noticed that Rem had a very good relationship with the people in the village, and he might use this to lower her guard against him.
In the end, he could blame the Witch Cult for the Demon Beast invasion, so no one would suspect him.
Ayanokouji had already made a plan in his mind. He walked to Meili's room and told her his plan. After the other party understood his intention, he then went to the mansion's kitchen. Although they were two maids in name, most of the work was done by Rem. In terms of housework, he was far inferior to his sister.
"Ayanokouji-sama, what's the matter?"
Rem noticed his arrival, turned around, and asked.
"Sorry, are there any snacks, cakes, or sweets in the mansion?" Ayanokouji asked.
"Yes, quite a few." Rem nodded and asked, "Is there something wrong, Ayanokouji-sama?"
Although her words sounded very respectful, Ayanokouji could sense the hostility.
"I made a promise to Meili yesterday to bring some small gifts for the children today." Ayanokouji said slowly.
Using Meili and the children in the village as an excuse, Rem wouldn't refuse.
"The children in the village?"
A confused expression appeared on Rem's face. She didn't expect the other party to care so much about the children in the village.
"Well, that's Petra and Garu. They said they liked sweets, so I'll bring them some." Ayanokouji answered.
He remembered their names from the previous regression. Mentioning their names could show Rem that he valued those children, which might lower her guard against him.
Rem was stunned for a moment and looked a bit surprised, but she immediately nodded: "Alright, I'll prepare it right away. I'll go with Ayanokouji-sama later!"
"What are you talking about?"
Emilia heard their conversation and walked over enthusiastically.
"Ayanokouji-sama is going to the village to give some gifts to the children." Rem immediately said with a smile on her face.
Although Arlam Village was a village in Roswaal's territory, the living conditions were not good, and kind-hearted Rem naturally wanted to make their lives better.
However, Roswaal was basically indifferent to the village and didn't ask any questions. Otherwise, with his power and wealth, he could certainly make the villagers' lives better.
"Is Emilia coming along?" Ayanokouji asked.
"Of course, I plan to go together!" Emilia immediately nodded in agreement.
Ayanokouji narrowed his eyes slightly. Since Emilia agreed, then everything was within his calculations.
It was now the afternoon. After walking to Arlam Village, if Emilia played with the children for a while, it would soon be evening. Puck would also feel very safe in the territory while inactive, so there was no need to worry.
"Get ready to go, I'll call Meili." Ayanokouji said.
The scene changed, and they had arrived at Arlam Village.
"Meili, I heard you went to work as a maid at Roswaal-sama's house. How is it?"
After seeing Meili, the other children immediately gathered and asked each other about the current situation. Meili was just a little girl like them, and they never imagined that she was actually a Demon Beast user who had killed many people.
Meili also chatted and laughed with them, looking no different from ordinary children. This might be because she was playing her true character.
"Ayanokouji-sama brought you gifts."
Rem held a basket and handed sweets and cakes to the children.
"Thank you, Sister Rem!"
Although they lived in a poor mountain village, these children were very polite. After thanking Rem, they ran to Ayanokouji one by one: "Thank you, Ayanokouji-sama!"
Among them, a girl wearing a white sweater and a red ribbon in her hair bowed deeply to Ayanokouji.
"Thank you, Ayanokouji-sama, for this. Here's a small token of my appreciation!"
She took out a small white flower from her pocket and handed it to him.
Ayanokouji remembered the girl's name, Petra.
'Picking flowers will only hasten their death and serve no purpose. This type of flower should just be an ordinary wildflower in this world, without any value.'
He thought this in his heart, but didn't show it.
Now he wanted to show that he valued this flower very much. This could bring him closer to these villagers, and Emilia and Rem also saw it as an opportunity to express themselves.
"Thank you very much."
He gently touched Petra's hair, then carefully took the flower from her and put it in his pocket.
'A child's gift is too simple, even crude, but very sincere,' Ayanokouji thought to himself.
"It seems these children like you very much!" Said Emilia, who wore a magic robe beside him.
"A child's mind is very simple. If you're kind to them, they'll be kind to you." Ayanokouji said slowly, his eyes fixed on Meili, "And Emilia, don't forget who you are. For the throne, the most important thing is the people, especially those at the bottom. Although they're not as influential as the nobles in the capital, they're the largest group in the entire kingdom, and you said you want to change the kingdom's status quo, so of course, you should make these people's lives better."
He raised his head and looked at the sky. At this moment, the sky had turned a dim yellow, and the sun weakly emitted its last rays as if it were on the brink of death.
Rem listened to the conversation between the two, and her eyes were fixed on his face. She significantly changed her view of him and became a bit less wary.
"Mm..."
Emilia nodded thoughtfully. She had been striving to gain the support of the nobles in the royal capital but had neglected the people at the bottom.
"With your power, you can make the villagers live a good life. If you want to gain an advantage in the struggle for the throne, you must first take practical actions and let your own people support you."
While Ayanokouji was speaking, he gave Meili a subtle wink, signaling the upcoming action.
Meili nodded in the midst of the crowd, and no one noticed their exchange.
"What should I do?" Emilia sought advice from him, "They must be very concerned about my identity..."
She knew that even in her own village, the villagers still harbored prejudices against her. Many had even protested against Roswaal multiple times, but Roswaal didn't care about their opinions at all.
"First, you should..."
Ayanokouji had just begun to speak when suddenly a flock of birds flew up in the distance as if they were frightened.
"What's happening?"
He knew what was going on but still stood up and asked in a confused tone.
"No, I don't know." Emilia said, a bit puzzled.
"It's a Demon Beast! I can sense a Demon Beast's aura!" Rem's expression immediately turned serious, "Please evacuate immediately!"