The villainous young master just wants to live a Buddhist-like life.

　Matthew's pupils contracted slightly, but he still frowned and said, "What is this? Why does it have an ominous aura?"

　"Oh, well." Dark sighed. "Are you really that confident that your 'Netherworld Fire' won't be detected?"

　Matthew frowned deeply: "I don't understand what you're talking about."

　Dark said, "Matthew Bilbohm, beating around the bush is pointless. We have no discrimination against those who possess the 'Netherfire,' nor do we intend to plunder it from those who can control it. Your control over the 'Netherfire' is perfect; could you share some of your experience?"

　As he spoke, he also summoned his own "Netherworld Fire".

　Amidst the flickering gray flames, he said, "How did you manage to completely conceal your aura without being affected by it?"

　Then he and Patricia both stared intently at Matthew. Under the scrutiny of two pairs of eyes, Matthew could no longer pretend.

　He suddenly straightened up and said, "Although I don't know what you're talking about, isn't it just a matter of feeding this thing and that's it?"

　"Feed it," Dark frowned, looking at Patricia Polly. Patricia Polly immediately said, "'Netherworld Fire' instills a fighting spirit, a desire that knows no bounds. How will you feed it?"

　Matthew Bilbohm calmly replied, "Human desires cannot be compared. Would you believe me if I said my desires are shallow and easily satisfied?"

　Dark thought for a moment and said, "Tell me about it."

　Knowing he could no longer hide the truth, Matthew said, "I encountered Grayfire last year when I was in the capital on business. Afterwards, as you said, I did develop a certain desire to duel. Because of this, I stayed in the capital for a while to observe. I accidentally discovered other Grayfire wielders; they dueled, plundered each other, and were unreasonable. But I'm different from them… Do you know about paper doll fighting?"

　A look of confusion appeared in Dak's eyes as he "fought the paper doll".

　Patricia Pollin explained, "Paper doll fighting is a children's game. Two or more children place their own paper dolls on a table and blow on them from behind. The one who can knock all the other children's paper dolls off the table wins. That's basically the kind of game. However, as it has evolved, the game has undergone some variations."

　Matthew Bilbohm nodded and said, "Yes. Now some people make paper dolls in a way similar to creating golems. Then they make them fight each other, a kind of tabletop gladiatorial combat. I've loved paper doll fighting since I was a child, and later I accidentally came across paper doll gladiatorial combat and became obsessed with it. When Greyfire approached me that day, my first impulse was to fight with paper dolls. So I immediately found a place, made two paper dolls on the spot, and watched them fight each other."

　"Wait!" Dark interrupted him, frowning. "Fighting against yourself is fine too."

　Matthew Bilbohm said, "Why not? I want to see paper figures fighting each other, not people fighting each other. The ashes reflect a person's deepest thoughts. For me, just watching paper figures fight each other is enough."

　After listening, Dak fell silent in thought.

　Matthew Bilbohm's handling of the "Netherfire" certainly surprised him greatly.

　This is something even Patricia probably didn't expect. This is truly exploiting a version bug.

　However, this is clearly a bug that only works for Matthew and is not widely applicable.

　After all, for people who love fighting, they can't fight with their left hand against their right, that wouldn't satisfy their competitive spirit.

　Another problem is...

　Dark asked bluntly, "Even assuming you filled the void of desire within the 'Netherworld Fire' using this method, how did you manage to completely conceal its aura so that other holders of the 'Netherworld Fire' wouldn't sense it?"

　Matthew Bilbohm said, "You may not have seen it, but after feeding the ash fire, it closes up on its own and enters a state similar to hibernation. You see, when a person is full, they want to sleep. It's the same principle."

　Dark looked at Patricia, who was also speechless. The two exchanged glances and sighed in unison.

　Matthew Bilbohm could indeed do it, but that would likely be because his paper dolls satisfied the "Netherfire's" fighting desires without providing it with new fuel, whereas other people's "Netherfire" would be strengthened after each duel victory.

　In this way, there will never be a day when they are satiated. Dark said, "I can trust you. Can you summon your 'Netherworld Fire' to show us? Don't worry, it belongs to you. As long as you don't harm others, we won't attack you."

　Matthew Bilbohm sneered inwardly, but still obediently summoned "Netherfire".

　And as he said, his "Netherworld Fire" was completely clumped together, like an unopened flower bud, unlike Dark and Patricia's "Netherworld Fire," which flickered with flame.

　After careful observation, Dak confirmed, "It is indeed as you said, take it back."

　Matthew Bilbohm reclaimed the "Hellfire".

　His mind was now completely at ease, and he appeared even more composed. Everything he had said was true, and he was not afraid of Darke's refutation. "It seems things are progressing very smoothly. My previous concerns were completely unnecessary."

　He couldn't help but think that.

　After frequently encountering the maids who possessed the "Netherworld Flame," Dark had long since become accustomed to it and had lost the initial high level of vigilance he had shown upon first seeing it.

　But there is nothing we can do about it.

　In his current view, "Netherworld Fire" is nothing more than food for "Death Coffin," and it has truly lost its prestige.

　After becoming a professor, he was somewhat influenced by Professor Cazell, and his behavior and conduct were becoming more like Professor Cazell's.

　Students' privacy will not be violated unless absolutely necessary.

　For Matthew Bilbohm, how to use "Netherfire" is his private matter.

　Dac did not delve into this aspect.

　With both sides exercising relative restraint, no conflict occurred during the meeting.

　Dark simply confirmed that Matthew Bilbohm was the wielder of the "Netherfire" and that he was able to control the desires it evoked without harming others.

　Afterwards, he would report the matter to Professor Sylph, and how to handle it would be a matter for Professor Sylph to consider.

　For Patricia Pollyne, the method Matthew used to satisfy "Netherfire's" dueling desires was clearly more appealing. But after discovering that it wasn't widely applicable, she let it go.

　As for Matthew Bilbohm, he naturally had no objections.

　Therefore, after this matter was over, he walked out of the office with a heavy sigh of relief, and then walked back the way he came with a determined look, and soon disappeared.

　After he left, Winnie Skadi and several other girls walked through the wall and out.

　"I thought there was going to be some good show, but this is all I got," one girl said disdainfully. "Why would we need a clown for such a beautiful night?" another girl said sarcastically, pointing to where Matthew had disappeared.

　Winnie Skadi also frowned, pondering why Pandora had not yet arrived.

　Meanwhile, in the office, Dak and Patricia did not leave but continued to drink tea and discuss.

　The two initially discussed "the fire of the underworld," and then moved on to "paper doll fighting." Patricia Bolin even made two paper dolls on the spot and played with them for a while.

　Then, as they talked, they talked about "Ragnarok," "the resurgence of the gods," "the king regaining his glory," and the various changes within the kingdom.

　The aroma of tea filled the air, the tea leaves rippled, and the atmosphere in the office continued to build. Winnie Skadi and the others, having seen Matthew leave, assumed Patricia would emerge soon. So they went to wait, but unexpectedly, they waited for over half an hour.

　Instead of Patricia appearing, they were greeted by another person. "Why are there so many people?"

　Pandora walked over calmly and greeted Winnie and the others.

　Winnie and the others looked at each other, then immediately perked up.

　"Good evening, Senior Doragon," Winnie said with an uncharacteristically sweet smile. "Why are you so late?"

　Pandora reached over her shoulder, picked up the invisible bird Winnie had sent, tossed it to her casually, and smiled slightly, "It's better to wait a little longer."

　Winnie was completely confused.

　But Pandora, of course, didn't come to catch them in the act, as she had imagined. Tonight, the moon is bright and the stars are few; it's a perfect night for a stroll under the moonlight…

Chapter 843 [Seeking Monthly Tickets] Brother Da's Family, A Kiss (4k)

　Unaware that his beloved senior was already standing outside the door, Dak continued chatting with Patricia Pollin.

　People always have a need to express themselves, and Dark is no exception. Moreover, Patricia Polin is truly a gifted conversationalist.

　When Dak first met her, he was greatly surprised by her humor. After getting to know her better, he found that Patricia Pollin was indeed very funny.

　Although Patricia Pollin was not a disciple of a sage, she was born in the knowledge capital of Saines and, through her upbringing, developed a scholarly air about her.

　Moreover, during last year's holiday, due to the "Demon King's Execution" and the "Netherworld Fire," she had a deeper connection with the sages. Perhaps after another holiday, she will also be a disciple of the sages.

　Therefore, people's encounters are always very mysterious.

　When disaster strikes, there is often also an opportunity for good fortune. Dak had a pleasant conversation with him and gained more insights from a perspective outside of his own.

　Among these insights, her understanding of the kingdom's changes was of greatest help. During her time at the academy, Patricia Boling maintained correspondence with several sages she had met during her holidays, thereby gaining access to considerable inside information.

　There are some insider details that even Duck doesn't know.

　The main focus is on the changing attitudes of the eldest prince Charles and the eldest princess Elizabeth.

　In fact, the king's sudden recovery did not have as great an impact on the kingdom's people as one might have imagined—or rather, the impact had not yet spread from the top down.

　However, it had already caused an earthquake in the royal capital's political circles.

　At first, the nobles thought the old king's recovery was a short-lived phenomenon, a kind of "last gasp before death."

　However, as things have progressed to this point, the old king has recovered to his prime and has clearly shown that he has "no intention of passing the throne to others." The various factions that had previously made their own way of siding with Charles or Elizabeth have been reshuffled, with most of them returning to the king's side, and only a small number still tied to Charles or Elizabeth.

　That small portion, and the majority, have an inseparable connection with Charles or Elizabeth, an connection that cannot be severed.

　Among them, the Duke's Mansion, as the leader of the eldest princess's faction, is an example of an inseparable entity with the eldest princess's power.

　On the other hand, the connection between the Holy Church and the Crown Prince was surprisingly not that close. They withdrew their tentacles in a very short time.

　However, the Holy Church did not completely sever ties with the Crown Prince's forces and still maintained limited support.

　But in short, the previous "full support" was no longer there.

　After losing the full support of the Holy Church, the power of Prince Charles quickly collapsed and disintegrated without a trace.

　However, the forces that previously supported him were mostly old nobles from the old era, so it was only natural that they would turn back to the king at this time.

　For a period of time, Prince Charles almost lost his ability to compete for the title of "heir".

　However, after the initial reshuffling of allegiances, he gradually regained some covert support from various forces and managed to hold on.

　After all, the king is getting on in years, and there's no sign of him abdicating now. But it's impossible for the throne to continue for another ten, twenty, or even thirty years, unless... he discovers the secret to immortality!

　Not all members of the House of Nobles were so well-informed. The majority remained completely unaware of the "divine resurgence" and did not consider the possibility of divine involvement.

　Therefore, appearing loyal to the king on the surface while secretly continuing to support the eldest prince is the choice that most nobles would make.

　In contrast, although the eldest princess's power did not disintegrate as quickly as the eldest prince's, the parts that did disintegrate were truly disintegrated.

　Unlike the eldest prince, the eldest princess will most likely be married in ten, twenty, or thirty years, and according to tradition, she will have no chance of inheriting the throne.

　By then, the eldest prince would have essentially won without a fight, unless their next generation rises to power again.

　Therefore, now, apart from some emerging forces that have always supported the eldest princess, most of the forces that are still persisting are after the Duke's mansion.

　Rather than supporting the eldest princess, they were more likely supporting the Duke's family. Moreover, even among those supporting the Duke's family, there were occasional attempts to persuade Alvitt to withdraw from this seemingly meaningless succession struggle.

　Under these circumstances, neither the eldest prince nor the eldest princess had an easy time.

　As a result, both sides naturally changed their attitudes.

　The eldest prince concealed his brilliance and began to conserve his energy, but his covetousness for the throne remained unchanged.

　The eldest princess, however, became unusually aggressive, as if she wanted to finish what she wanted to do before things became completely hopeless.

　But beneath her sharp and assertive exterior, she had actually begun to feel the urge to retreat.

　"Eliza intends to withdraw from the battle for the throne."

　Dark had no idea that he would hear this from Patricia Pollin, his senior.

　He had already made this deduction himself, so he wasn't surprised. However, what Patricia Pollin revealed afterward truly astonished him.

　The first thing the old king did after regaining control of the government was not to purge his cronies, but to start preparing for another event – ​​he intended to hold a "Conference of Heroes"!

　The Gathering of Heroes—a name that evokes a martial arts fantasy—doesn't seem out of place in this era.

　The old king did not reveal his intentions to the public, but secretly summoned some wise men to discuss the matter, among whom was a wise man who was acquainted with Patricia Bolin.

　His stated purpose in holding the conference of outstanding individuals was to select outstanding individuals from all over the country who possessed exceptional talents in various fields.

　Just like the group of heroes who made great sacrifices to end the war in the past, twelve heroes will be selected to support the country in the future.

　Currently, this matter is still in the category of "intention".

　However, according to an unnamed sage, the old king's "intention" is very firm, and given his gradually returning decisive personality, it will probably not be long before he brings this matter to the forefront.

　When the time comes, the announcement will be made to the world, attracting heroes to gather in the capital, which will take about three to five months.

　This matter is neither insignificant nor major.

　In normal times, this could be seen as a way to demonstrate national power, and since it is limited to domestic participants, it does not have international significance.

　However, in the current specific context, it cannot be ignored.

　All the wise men believed that the old king must have some unknown purpose.

　"It can't be some secret marriage contest to choose a princess's husband, can it?" Patricia said in a completely joking tone.

　But after she finished speaking, she noticed a strange look in Dark's eyes: "No way, no way, no way?"

　Dark said helplessly, "What are you thinking? I think that choosing a future husband for the princess can indeed be the second purpose behind the surface. Of course, there will definitely be a third, a fourth... Only with such layers of concealment can the ultimate purpose be hidden deep within. This gathering of heroes is definitely not ordinary."

　Patricia continued with a smile, "If it really happens, have you considered participating? After all, the second purpose is also a purpose."

　Dakwan said, "Well, I definitely have to participate..." "Participate in what?"

　A cold, clear voice suddenly entered his ears, making Dark jump. He saw Pandora Dragon, being pulled by Winnie Skadi, walking straight through the door.