Although he very much wanted to question Alice, Klein understood this wasn't something he should be doing right now. His right hand touched the "Ninth Law" talisman, while his left hand twisted the doorknob and opened the room door.
The first thing that came into view was the attendant in a red vest standing across the hallway, along with many familiar and unfamiliar foods in front of him.
Steak, dragonbone fish, lamb, Olavi giant lobster…
Klein was counting the types of food when he saw that attendant pick up a fish that had just stopped struggling. The man looked up at him and said with a dazed smile:
"General, I've always been so envious of your food…"
Klein's gaze fell on his abdomen — it was bulging high, as if there was already a fully formed fetus inside.
Gluttony… Klein successfully matched him with the word Alice had listed. Just as he was about to step forward, he heard Alice's voice:
"Don't you want to save him?"
He turned his head. At some point, Alice was already leaning against the hallway wall, eyes downcast, watching that attendant. Yet that attendant seemed not to notice her at all and raised both hands, fiercely biting into the raw dragonbone fish.
Bright red blood flowed down from the corners of his mouth, but he seemed unaware, chewing and swallowing rapidly, greedily. Klein watched this scene and felt a wave of disgust.
He looked away, ignoring the attendant on the ground. While cautiously heading toward the master bedroom, he answered Alice's question:
"If the root of the matter isn't resolved, whatever you do won't have any effect."
Alice lightly followed him, asking from behind:
"So, actually you still want to save them?"
This question wasn't any different from the previous one. Klein had to emphasize to her again:
"Alice, I really wasn't angry at you for ignoring them… or rather, I was already surprised you even looked at me.
"I always thought you wouldn't mind giving me some trouble…"
Alice fell into brief contemplation because of this sentence. They continued walking forward and saw two maids — one constantly yawning, while the other sat on her, strangling her neck, craving praise.
Alice gazed at the two of them and said faintly:
"I really don't mind giving you something to do, or even letting you embarrass yourself a bit, but this… this is a little different.
"The rank of pollution here has already exceeded the range I can handle."
Klein turned back in astonishment.
Alice walked past him, moving ahead, her voice ethereal:
"A star saw this place."
While Klein was still in a daze, Alice placed her hand on the slightly ajar master bedroom door and murmured:
"Do not gaze at the starry sky.
"Don't think about what this sentence means, don't think, just remember it."
This timely interrupted Klein's urge to think deeply. He asked Alice seriously:
"Have you considered asking for help?"
After a few seconds of silence, Alice tactfully said:
"I can't clear the pollution here, because I have a premonition… If I act, there might have to be another me giving birth next.
"Anyway, the ' Mother Tree of Desire' was planning to have a child with you already. At worst, just give birth to one now…"
Klein didn't want to comment on this hypothesis. Alice also didn't wait for him, stretching out her hand and pushing open the door.
Pleasure's scent and sounds poured out. Klein felt his heartbeat speed up, blood rushing downward, and then… then his heartbeat started speeding up again, blood rushing downward again…
After repeating twice like this, Klein couldn't take it anymore and cursed:
"Alice, are you sick?!"
Alice looked at him innocently and said:
"This is for your own good."
During their conversation, the process repeated once more. This successfully made Klein give up talking to Alice and step into the master bedroom.
The blonde secretary Lueran standing by the door looked normal, but just one glance told Klein he was the "Arrogance" Alice had mentioned.
Hopeless, next one.
Expression unchanged, Klein endured his once-again accelerating heartbeat and continued walking forward — and saw the legendary "Lust."
On the bed at the center of the master bedroom lay a three-meter-tall pale body. On its surface grew numerous tree-knot-like brownish-green tumor masses, some of which had already split open, becoming flower-like organs.
Some members of the General Guard and the male attendants in the house were gathered around, in various postures with those organs…
Damn it!
——He started another new loop again.
Unable to admire the lascivious scene in the room, Klein couldn't take it anymore and shouted at Alice:
"Get rid of this thing already!!!"
Alice ignored Klein's words. Watching the people reveling with the "branches," she said teasingly:
"Before you came, Emilius was still worried about Cynthia's chastity. Now he doesn't need to worry at all — everyone here, except for the useless you, has participated in Miss Cynthia's feast!"
Klein stared, dumbfounded, at that tall, pale body and murmured:
"You're saying… this is Cynthia?"
Cynthia seemed to hear them. Her head turned from that three-meter-tall body, cheeks flushed red as she looked down at Klein.
Klein suddenly remembered where he'd seen that expression before.
No, not quite — if it were Alice, the golden hair would be a little brighter, the blue of the eyes a little lighter, and Cynthia was clearly more mature than Alice…
As he wandered in his thoughts, Cynthia, just as he'd feared, spoke with a devil's voice:
"General, I want… I want to have a child with you…"
Klein breathed a sigh of relief.
At least it's not Mr. Fool…
He discreetly glanced at Alice, recalled her words, took out the "Ninth Law" talisman, and recited an Ancient Hermes word:
"Law!"
As the activation incantation echoed, the dark-gold talisman in Klein's palm suddenly turned icy cold. This made him more composed. He continued, issuing the decree according to his earlier deduction:
"This place is forbidden from interacting with the outside world!"
The mysterious Ancient Hermes words spread instantly. Scattered dark-gold lights suddenly intertwined into countless symbolic signs and magical runes like a decree and merged into the void.
Buzz!
A faint ring sounded by Klein's ear. He seemed to see the invisible, desire-filled light being expelled from the room.
Right after, a dreamy and dazzling starry sky floated before his eyes, and a star shining with bright light appeared.
Pop! Pop!
Klein's eyes burst open instantly. A grotesque and horrifying mix of blood and fluid gushed out.
The sharp pain lasted only a moment. He quickly returned to the state before activating the talisman. Free from the influence of desire, he finally no longer had to face that embarrassing situation.
"You see," Alice said with a faint smile in her voice, "I told you, this was for your own good."
(End of Chapter)