Yanis's soul felt as if it were frozen, her blood raging within her, causing her cheeks to heat up dramatically.

She had never thought that Roland, under mind control, could wake up in an instant. Even more unimaginable to her was that Roland could fake such convincing performance.

It felt so strange that her hand was licked! It was as if the tip of the tongue's sweep struck her soul.

She remained stunned for a long while before finally snapping back to reality.

Her scepter raised high, her hand trembling.

Just as she hesitated whether to smash down the scepter, Egillina finally realized something was wrong and rushed up quickly.

"Yanis, stop! Roland has already declared his surrender and presented a hand-kissing gesture as a sign of submission. Are you attempting a murder?"

She stood in front of Roland, unyieldingly staring at Yanis.

She was confident Yanis dared not to act rashly. After all, she was a Duke.

If anything happened, without the Risenberg Empire making a move, the Divine Court of Light would have Yanis hung and burned at the stake to appease the situation.

Yanis jolted, coming to her senses.

Her eyes blazing, she stared at Roland. If stares could kill, Roland would have died a thousand times over.

Egillina kept signaling her to calm down. Blocked by Roland's back, Egillina did not see Yanis using mind control or Roland's exquisite acting.

She only saw Yanis reaching out her hand, and Roland presenting a hand-kissing gesture.

If the story had progressed to this point, everything would have come to a good end. However, Roland, for some reason, offended Yanis with his tongue.

Thinking of this, Egillina was somewhat speechless. Because Roland, with his innocent maids, would never act out of lust, and he definitely wouldn’t disgrace himself publicly even before Yanis’s beauty. He was doing this to show his dissatisfaction to Yanis’s arrogance.

But it probably went a bit too far.

Egillina had never seen such a bewildered and bloodthirsty Yanis. How to handle this now?

She smiled and invited Yanis into the castle, trying to ignore what just happened.

"Yanis, it's been three years since we last met! This isn't the place for guests; let's go inside and talk."

Yanis softly shook her head, "Lina, go ahead, I have a few words I want to discuss privately with Lord Galaxia."

The words "Lord Galaxia" were almost squeezed out through her teeth, brimming with anger.

Egillina, somewhat worried, only left uneasily after seeing Roland's gaze.

Roland firmly believed Yanis wouldn't take action.

Even dominated by impulse and anger, she hadn't acted; she was even less likely to now.

Watching Egillina leave, Yanis asked, "Why?"

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"What are you saying?" Roland feigned ignorance.

"Mr. Galaxia, you know what I'm refering to."

Roland was somewhat displeased.

"It was you who started it. Should I not fight back?"

He huffed lightly, asking discontentedly, "Before answering your question...what did you intend for me to do with the mind control?"

"To kiss my shoes."

What? That's it?

Yanis's eyes showed confusion, frustration, and unwillingness, but no evasion.

Clearly, that's what she thought.

Roland suddenly felt she wasn't so frightening. Despite her fierce reputation, she was just a teenager.

Just as Yanis thought he was fabricating lies, Roland said, "When you tried to mind-control me, I sensed elemental fluctuations and released a purification spell in advance so that I was temporarily immune to mind control."

"But I didn't see you chanting spells, you were definitely under control! And you did look delirious!" Yanis couldn't accept Roland's explanation.

"I looked delirious only because I pretended to."

"......Can you do it again? The pretending to be under mind control part."

Roland instantly put himself in the mood. His gaze vacant and lifeless, walking forward like a zombie, even "bending" to kiss Yanis’s shoes. This time Yanis didn't dare extend her hand. She quickly grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

"Okay, okay, I see."

Yanis whispered almost murmuringly, facing the fact she must accept, "I lost."

Yanis was unwilling to accept failure but dared to admit it.

Only by acknowledging failure could there be a chance to win next time. If one lacks the courage to face failure, how to confront even more vicious and cunning enemies in the future?

It was painful, but she had to admit defeat.

Roland was stunned.

In his stereotypical view, the "saints" of religious organizations were aloof beings; he supposed they were too arrogant to admit their mistakes.

Roland had no interest in dealing with those who "never make mistakes". That was why he initially kept a respectful distance from Yanis.

Maybe he was wrong?

With Julia and Lana as precedents, he found it hard to unconditionally trust someone unknown. It was better better to observe first.

Staying at the castle gate for too long, to avoid misunderstanding by the audience, Yanis cleared her throat, continuing to broadcast to the barony.

"Lord Galaxia, since you accept the conditions, I, on behalf of the Divine Court of Light, grant peace to the Minhausen Barony."

"From today, Minhausen Barony becomes a land blessed by the Goddess of Light's glory."

Her clear voice echoed through the skies, soothing the anxious hearts of the barony's people.

Farmers continued righting their ploughshares, whipping their old oxen to continue ploughing, travelers kept on their journeys.

Just as everyone thought the matter concluded, a deep and powerful voice rose, which caused the earth to tremble slightly.

"The Goddess's glory indeed will shine upon Minhausen, but it will be the great Goddess of Nature!"

"Mr. Galaxia, I've come from the north, seeing many lands with severe forest destruction, only your territory retains the forest's original appearance."

"My friend, I acknowledge your respect for nature. Would you like to join the Forest Brotherhood and become one of us?"

With the deep voice's emergence, a tall and young man with deer antler crown and green cloak appeared before Roland and Yanis, his face painted with strange oil colors. He was smiling gently at Roland.

"The Justice" Luet had arrived. He ignored Yanis, directly offering Roland an olive branch.

The Forest Brotherhood was a religious organization with strength comparable to the Divine Court of Light.

Faced with such generous conditions, Roland indeed wavered, but just for seconds. He quickly held his bottom line, slowly shaking his head.

He certainly wasn't controlled by Yanis, nor was he swayed by her beauty, but one cannot be too opportunistic.

Joining the Forest Brotherhood, he could receive better treatment but would completely offend Yanis.

Even if Yanis couldn't do anything to him, what about the Goddess of Light and Darkness?

Accepting Yanis's conditions meant he had joined under the Goddess of Light and Darkness. Changing faith would offend the gods.

After weighing the pros and cons, Roland looked at Luet with righteousness, shaking his head firmly, loudly retorting:

"Luet, this is an insult to my character!"

"Since I've surrendered to Yanis, I naturally accept her arrangements, unless she refuses me, I will not change allegiances! Luet, please leave."

Roland was not a weathercock. Instead he was steadfast!

Luet's steady gaze gained a bit more appreciation.

Yanis's gaze also softened a lot.

She was really worried Roland would defect on the spot. She could hold a grudge against Roland, but she couldn't just turn against Luet on the spot. If Roland defected, she could only grit her teeth and withdraw, then plan revenge.

Fortunately, Roland resisted the temptation and firmly stood by her side.

Maybe her stereotype of Roland was all wrong?

This guy, who she wanted to smash with a scepter just minutes ago, now looked somewhat more pleasing in her eyes.

Loyalty deserved to be rewarded...but with what?

Yanis fell into thoughts.