The doctor suffers from amnesia, but not complete amnesia.

“I’m sorry I’m late—I shouldn’t have let you face Helhunzoren at this time, because he is too powerful and you are too young... so I only had time to eliminate Leopold.”

The man's face showed a guilty expression, which then turned into relief.

“I was really happy to hear that you were still alive, and you acted very quickly. It’s clear that my teaching has paid off. You are all students I am very proud of.”

The girls all wore proud smiles, and Herlinmat held Qiao Yelan's hand tightly.

"Thank you, teacher. If it weren't for you, we might still be pawns, or even have been discarded."

Fremont was now completely absorbed in his own thoughts, his eyes fixed on his shoes, as if the dirt and dust on them formed some profound and unfathomable magic.

He finally understood why Qiao Yelan had told him not to say another word.

For some reason, the old lich had begun to miss his tower, which, though dark and deep, was at least simple enough.

"Teacher, if my sister and I don't like that seat—"

“Lizelot—Teacher, is what you said related to the throne? If you need me, I will take up that position.”

The older sister in black interrupted her younger sister reproachfully, then leaned down to Qiao Yelan's ear and whispered a question.

“Herlinmat, let your sister finish what she has to say.”

Qiao Yelan turned her head and looked at her intently.

“You all know your background and what you are in everyone’s eyes—but I am your teacher. In my eyes, you are all my students, and my students should not become anyone’s pawns, not even me, their teacher.”

“I can destroy the Leopold family, so I naturally have the ability. Therefore, whether you become emperors or not, I can accomplish what I want to do. None of you sisters need to worry about my plans.”

“Hildegard, Liselotte, you have both grown up, and everything that bound you has disappeared. You have the right to choose your own future.”

"This is the gift I'm giving you, not a tattered hat made of scrap metal."

Chapter Fourteen: The Art of Language

Herlinmat and Ivignad went to the back of the tent and discussed their future.

Qiao Yelan waited quietly for the two sisters' private discussion, while Fremont continued to examine the dust on his leather shoes.

What do you think they will choose?

Finally, the old lich couldn't hold back any longer.

“They would probably refuse—Herlinmat is the sword, and Ivignad is the shield. The sword only needs to attack relentlessly, while the shield must protect the sword from attacks from all sides. Therefore, Ivignad is well aware of the price of ascending the throne.”

"She loves her sister very much, and she also knows that her sister loves her very much."

Qiao Yelan said calmly.

"I do hope they can refuse. After winning over the hearts of the people and having tasted the benefits in the middle and lower-ranking officers of the Hayden Schwell Legion, they no longer need the deterrent power of the Golden Law Guard to gain a foothold."

"If they want to become nobles, they can simply return to the Haydenschwell district and, with my help, replace Leopold's position. If they want to live in seclusion, with their abilities, they could even travel the world without any problem."

Fremont clicked his tongue. Indeed, given the current strength of the twins, even he wouldn't dare say he had an absolute chance of winning.

"It's a pity. In that case, your plan will probably be delayed for a long time."

"What, do you think you, old man, care about time?"

Qiao Yelan teased.

"Hmph, I am a lich. As long as I can learn knowledge, I never care about time. But you—"

"Shut up!"

The man suddenly cut Fremont off, his face turning ashen.

Old Lich: ?

Why is this little thing turning its back on me?

Then he looked up and belatedly realized that the sisters' discussion had stopped at some point.

Fremont opened his mouth. With his abilities, he could certainly have eavesdropped on the sisters' conversation, but he didn't want to get involved, and Qiao Yelan hadn't asked him to, so he didn't pay any attention.

His conversation with Qiao Yelan was just a casual chat, so he acted quite lazily and didn't even activate his abilities. Given Qiao Yelan's current strength, it was easy for him to overhear their conversation.

What he originally wanted to say was—"But you, you're not going to leave all this to me again and then go do something else, are you?"

The old lich simply wanted to accuse Qiao Yelan of making him work overtime, since he knew very well that Qiao Yelan probably had much more time than he did.

But when Qiao Yelan interrupted him, swallowing back the rest of his sentence, the first part of his statement would lead the unsuspecting Gemini to a completely opposite line of thought—

If Qiao Yelan is not a lich, then is his time running out?

And this guy, by chance, was in a wheelchair and was pushed in by himself!

Yes, Ivignad would refuse, and Helimat loves her sister—so if she insists, the older sister will definitely compromise.

But what if they discover that their choices actually require their beloved teachers to pay a higher price?

Ivignad also loves her sister—so if her sister insists, will she give in?

Fremont firmly shut his mouth and fixed his gaze on his shoes.

He absolutely, absolutely, absolutely will not speak another word to this man.

--------------------------------------------------

“Teacher, we are willing—no, we want to inherit the throne of Letania.”

Is this your final decision?

Qiao Yelan's eyes were filled with complex emotions: disappointment, worry, but mostly happiness and relief.

It's like a father watching his child finally grow up. Although he feels disappointed by his child's rebellion, he is also genuinely happy that his child can make his own choices.

Ivignad looked into Qiao Yelan's eyes and nodded gently.

“Yes, teacher, it has nothing to do with anyone else, I want to give it a try—my sister also supports my decision.”

Helena stood beside her sister and smiled.

"Alright... Now that you've answered my questions, it's my turn to tell you about myself."

Qiao Yelan sighed and forced a smile.

He quickly explained the matter of Helhunzoren, the Tower of Origin, the Void Realm, and the demons to the twins.

Throughout this process, Fremont did not utter a single syllable other than nodding.

"So, teacher, you hope to rebuild a new tower on the site of the Tower of Origin, using the building materials of the Tower of Origin and the spells of the Witch King, and use this tower to communicate with the wedge that Helhunzoren has driven into the Void Realm."

“That’s right—I don’t need your help at all. I just want to buy this land in Vidonia and build a tower. Even if you don’t want to be emperors, just knowing this and understanding that it’s dangerous here is enough.”

Qiao Yelan's words made it very clear that even if the twins left, he could still complete his plan.

"This was once the palace of the Witch King. Even if the new emperor razes this place to the ground and digs three feet into the earth, he will not allow a new tower to appear here. Just how long will it take you to do this?"

Ivignad shook her head firmly.

“I have plenty of time, Liselotte. Haven’t you noticed that I don’t look much different from when I was teaching you? —Fremont and I were just chatting.”

“Teacher, as I said, this is our decision and has nothing to do with you. My sister and I have been together for a long time, so we also want to try out what it’s like to be an emperor. Letania has an electoral system, so if we get bored, we’ll of course run away.”

Ivignad winked playfully.

"Teacher, you can't refuse us when we come over for a free meal, okay?"

The man couldn't help but laugh.

"Okay, don't worry, the teacher will cook delicious food for you all herself."

"Then it's a deal!"

As if afraid that Qiao Yelan would change his mind, Ivignad immediately stuck to this point.

"Alright, teacher, it's time to get down to business—we've already discussed this before. The biggest problem standing in our way right now is that the army led by Shi Tong, under the command of Elector Werner von Hochberg, is still in Vidunia."

Herlinmat coughed lightly, interrupting the interaction between her sister and teacher.

“We were once comrades-in-arms, and I don’t want to fight them, but I’m not quite sure what that young elector is thinking. Teacher, do you have any ideas?”

Chapter Fifteen Negotiation

"It would be better to have Fremont come with me. The city is a mixed bag right now, so you should try to avoid being exposed to the main army."

With the copy of the Golden Melody on his lap, Qiao Yelan spoke to the person pushing him from behind.

"After all, it is about persuading an Elector. You and Professor Fremont are not well-known, so sending me would show more sincerity—and besides, I'm bringing a team of Golden Law Guards with me, aren't I?"

Herlinmat carefully lifted Qiao Yelan, wheelchair and all, over a small indentation.

"This is to force Fremont to choose sides against his will—many old men in Letania know him and are well aware of his relationship with the Witch King. The crowns of Letania have changed hands many times, but the liches have always remained in their towers. They have gradually become like the Golden Law Guards, regarded as people who can only be commanded by the Emperor."

“If you send him on a mission as your messenger, it will mean to them that the liches have chosen you. Once the Golden Law Guard and the liches are on your side, many restless people will calm down, and you will truly gain support.”

Qiao Yelan spoke casually, as if he were talking about someone he didn't know at all.

"The place where we are stationed now is also a mixed bag, and I expect news of Fremont's visit will spread soon. He came with a copy of the Golden Melody, but did not take it with him afterward, which means that he has reached an agreement with us—and the effect is the same."

Helene Marte explained.

"It's more important to persuade Elector Hochberg right now. If we can get him to leave Vidunia peacefully, then we can declare the election ceremony over. Even if the remaining electors intend to send troops, they will lose their legal basis."