Life is tough, so Honglong resorts to performing?

Chapter 80 Choice
"It seems that my little girl's family is still as leaky as ever."

Charles sighed. He had thought that the ordeal would have helped her grow.

"Miss Denise is still quite naive; some betrayals are not due to personal gain or malice."

"She relies too much on the abilities of professionals."

The leader opposite him spoke, his mask obscuring his expression, but there was a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Yes, because of the greater good, because of something else. After all, they didn't do anything too significant, just passed on some trivial things, but you were able to piece together her thoughts and ideas from them."

Charles was also helpless; if he wasn't good at scheming and maneuvering, he wouldn't be a good family butler.

If you're too good at scheming and manipulating others, it's not good to be a druid.

That was the case at the beginning; an old man like him didn't need to care about these things.

The problem is that living things don't start out as old beings.

Youthfulness and passion are things we must always experience; it's part of nature.

As a long-lived species, individual strength must always be the top priority, so it's okay to be slower in this aspect.

It's better than being old-fashioned and having to be forced to change.

Premature maturity is not a good thing, because it is not true maturity.

"In fact, this is also the problem that we Transcendent Ones have realized. At the same age, if it were a short-lived species, Miss Denise would definitely be a ruthless politician right now."

"But now, she is still an innocent and naive little girl. Although she has courage and confidence, she is easily led astray by others."

"She won't always be so lucky to be rescued by your arrangements, right?"

"Don't you think it would be better to hand over this job to us instead of letting them spend time learning things they're not suited for?"

The leader's voice remained smiling, as if he were considering their best interests.

"Rapid growth means short-sightedness, especially for some plans that take hundreds or thousands of years. Even the Federation today has become such a mess. I don't even want to imagine what the Federation would become if it were completely under your control."

Charles chuckled. There were so many conflicts caused by various beings that many old friends' professional levels had been stagnant in order to resolve these issues.

A political system entirely ruled by short-lived races?

Even if tomorrow is the end of the world, they will still argue about who is the boss and who is the last today!
Charles found it hard to believe that a civilization composed entirely of short-lived species could so confidently carry out an outrageously long-term plan in the face of apocalyptic natural disasters!
“You have misunderstood us. The problem you mentioned does not actually exist. After all, even among the short-lived species, there are elders with long-term vision. Given our population, these problems can be completely avoided.”

The leader's voice, though coming through his mask, still carried a hint of laughter.

"Useful? It would be a miracle if someone with a long-term vision could even get into power. People will say anything to get in. If you want to do long-term things, you have to feed the short-term people first. And this group will only grow larger and more difficult to feed."

"Under the current federal system, this loose alliance is headed for destruction."

"Yes, in a federal system, what if a strongman unites everyone, say, an empire?"

The leader didn't seem to be in a hurry, chatting casually with Charles.

"Using the world's resources to please one person? One emperor? If emperors were useful, so many empires of the old era wouldn't have been swept aside by the Federation!"

Charles sneered, "What good is the empire? Are the elves not strong enough or the dwarves not fierce enough?"

An entire human empire from the old era, with a population of tens of millions, cannot withstand a single ancient dragon and its tactical forces in the simulation; they completely overwhelm and wipe out the entire empire!
Even if they are a nation favored by the gods, possessing multiple divine artifacts and demigods, it's useless!
"What if this emperor was the former First Consul?"

Suddenly, the leader spoke up.

Silence. Suddenly, Charles fell silent.

Although the First Ruler had failed to ascend to godhood when he was born, Charles's parents were among those who fought and fought for him.

He grew up listening to that person's story, and he knew very well how dazzling that person's glory was.

If it were him...

After a long silence, Charles slowly spoke.

"The First Ruler's attempt to ascend to godhood failed and he has gone missing; this is something everyone knows."

"Even if he were still alive, he wouldn't choose to become emperor. According to your logic, you wouldn't want an immortal being above you either, would you?"

Charles looked serious; he was a little suspicious of what these guys were going to say next.

Could it be that the First Consul didn't die, or that he faked his death to escape?
"So I say, you have misunderstood us. We pursue the fleeting moment, because we are but a candle flame, but there must be things that are eternal, like the eternal stars."

The leader spoke slowly and deliberately, as if he were preaching to ignorant lambs.

"Hehe, just find yourself a master. Even though the gods don't care about anything now, it doesn't stop you from believing in them. Do you really need a personified god who causes trouble? You're just asking for it."

Charles found it somewhat amusing that a group of people plotting against the drow elves actually wanted to establish a human god for themselves and then worship him!

Then what's the difference between you and the drow? Is the god you chose righteous and just?
Even the drow thought so in front of Rose!
I believe it even more than you do!
"A thousand years has really changed a lot of things. Those who were once promising fanatics can now only be considered heretics."

Who posted that sentence on the Magic Crystal Network? What was it called again?

Is worship the furthest distance from understanding?

That actually makes sense.

In the current federal era, most believers understand the gods as something that doesn't ask for much money and occasionally even provides welfare, so they believe in them to some extent.

Nowadays, priests are promoted based on their understanding of doctrine, writing articles to explain the profound meaning behind the gods' past actions, and just how boundless the gods' love truly is.

Anyway, the gods won't send down divine pronouncements to say whether what you're saying is right or wrong.

In short, churches of all kinds have become much more secularized.

Although the pursuit of money, wealth, and power is more intense and blatant than before, it has at least become public and overt.

Scandals like having sex with young boys are no longer a big deal, but getting caught and taken to succubus shops does happen occasionally.

Of course, the drow of Spiderweb City are an exception; they still strictly adhere to the old ways of the game, constantly scheming against each other, plotting and betraying one another.

This sub-divine artifact dagger that was given away might just be the work of some matriarch who went mad and wanted to drag someone down with her!
So what are your plans?

The leader put away the sub-divine artifact dagger and asked Charles seriously.

"If I don't agree, you'll detonate this place and take us both down with you, right?"

“No, I would say that the assassination attempt failed, that you had anticipated it, and then launch the operation when you went to return the dagger.”

"So, the question is, what is your choice?"

The leader asked again.

"Let me think about it. Although it seems pretty good, I still choose to refuse!"

(End of this chapter)