I don't want to be an elf!

Seeing that the Holy Emperor had no suspicion of him at all, but instead had his eyes on his granddaughter, Tendo Kikunojo stroked his long beard, concealing the mocking sneer at the corner of his mouth.

“The Holy Emperor is on my side, and I have not lost yet.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Common Interests

After that, Kikunojo Tendo left the sacred residence.

They arrived in a great hurry, but left quite calmly.

After learning that the Holy Emperor had listed Tendou Kisara as a suspect in the theft of the Seven Stars' relics, he was no longer worried.

However, even as the Holy Emperor's right-hand man, he failed to discover one fact.

The Holy Emperor is a smart person. After serving as the highest leader of the Tokyo area for so many years, she has learned more than just how to be tough.

At the same time, there is also disguise.

After Tendou Kikunojo left, the Emperor, who was sitting quietly on the sofa, gradually lost his smile.

"It's really him."

If there were any doubts about Honjou Nia's explanation just now, those doubts have been completely dispelled after a discussion with Tendo Kikunojo.

She was now certain that Kikunojo Tendo was the mastermind behind it all, the culprit who deliberately lost the Seven Stars' relics.

He bribed the guards of Shengju, stopped the police officers who had found Qixing's belongings, rushed to Shengju, shifted the blame to his granddaughter, and even wanted to personally investigate to confirm the slander.

The Holy Emperor closed his eyes in anguish.

Kikunojo Tendo's contributions to the Tokyo area were something even the Holy Emperor could not achieve.

Even the previous emperor held this old man in high esteem.

In fact, the Holy Emperor would have been willing to relinquish the throne of Tokyo to Kikunojo Tendo.

Because Kikunojo Tendo is more experienced, more shrewd, and possesses more of the authority and ability of a ruler than she does.

During the early period of her rule, all matters, large and small, of the government were handled by Kikunojo Tendo, and everything was managed in an orderly manner.

It's as if the Tokyo area could still function normally even if she, the Holy Emperor, didn't exist.

Even though the two of them sometimes disagreed on some matters, this could not stop the Holy Emperor from relying on him.

The Holy Emperor was even willing to be a puppet for life, a doll who only needed to remain pure and noble, and be revered and worshipped by the citizens.

If only Kikunojo Tendo can make the Tokyo area a better place.

But this time, he went too far.

Driven by selfish desires, they actually used the relics of the Seven Stars in an attempt to attract the Gastrea of ​​the Zodiac.

This is something the Holy Emperor absolutely cannot allow.

Under Nia Honjo's guidance, she finally realized the true nature of the person she trusted.

That dark, twisted heart that would rather destroy everything than fail to defend what it has.

If we want to make Tokyo a better place, and if we want to elevate the status of the Cursed Child, Kikunojo Tendo must disappear.

"Your Majesty, I think you understand now."

At this moment, a maid standing behind the Holy Emperor spoke up: "That old fellow is not to be trusted. Although his loyalty is beyond question and he will never usurp the Holy Emperor's throne, he is willing to do anything to suppress the Cursed Son, except for usurping power."

If Tendo Kikunojo hadn't been so flustered and had taken more time to examine the situation carefully, he would have discovered that the maid standing behind the Holy Emperor was someone he had never seen before in the Holy Residence.

This is of course.

Because this maid was actually Nia Honjo in disguise.

To avoid meeting Kikunojo Tendo directly, after obtaining permission from the Holy Emperor, she used the ability of her Divine Armor to replicate ordinary clothing and changed into the maid outfit of a Holy Palace attendant, thus replacing one of the Holy Emperor's personal maids.

"But I won't believe you either."

The Holy Emperor opened his eyes and turned to look at Honjo Nia: "Even if what Lord Tendo just said was all lies, there is only one thing he was right about, isn't it?"

With her beautiful eyes fixed on the person who claimed to be a nun, the Holy Emperor said expressionlessly, "You are indeed a suspicious person."

“If His Majesty the Holy Emperor is unwilling to believe that I am an agent of the gods, then my actions can indeed be considered suspicious.”

"Ms. Honjo, while I appreciate that you helped me see the true nature of Lord Tendo, I will not allow you to take his place."

“Oh? That’s a huge misunderstanding.” Nia Honjo shrugged. “I know absolutely nothing about politics. Even if you asked me to help you, I would only find it troublesome.”

"Isn't your goal to expose Tendo Kikunojo's true colors, gain my trust, and then take his place?" the Holy Emperor asked, slightly puzzled.

It must be said that although the Holy Emperor's methods and shrewdness were still shallow, his mind was sharp enough.

Even though Nia Honjou had not yet shown any intention to replace the Tendo family, she still sensed her purpose.

Given her persona as a lazy bum who just loafs around and waits to die, the real Nia Honjo shouldn't have gotten involved in politics.

However, the side quest issued by the system requires her to assist the Holy Emperor in cleaning up the Tokyo government, so cooperating with the Holy Emperor is a necessary condition.

Yes, the reason I came here in person today is to gain the Holy Emperor's trust and replace the Tian Tong family in his place.

However, this was only their first meeting.

She couldn't reveal her purpose before the two had gotten to know each other, otherwise she would definitely arouse suspicion.

This is clearly detrimental to future cooperation.

Therefore, whether it was to gain the Emperor's trust or to play the role of Honjou Nia well, she could not show any eagerness to get anything from the Emperor.

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty, I have no interest in power or this city whatsoever,” Nia Honjou said calmly. “To be honest, this world has become so corrupt that I don’t even want to give it the bare minimum of care. Rather than scheming against others and getting involved in struggles, I’d rather stay in my church and draw comics.”

“I thought your mission was to spread the gospel.”

"Yes, for those who need the gospel."

"Who?"

“The cursed children.” Nia Honjou sighed softly. “If there are any innocent people left in this world worth saving, it is these cursed children.”

"Isn't that a bit too arbitrary?" the Holy Emperor retorted. "Not everyone is like His Highness Tiantong. There are many good people in this world. Does that mean they don't deserve to be saved?"

“If you want to eat the part of an apple that is not rotten yet, it is not only time-consuming and laborious, but also risky,” Nia Honjou said helplessly. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty, I don’t have that kind of patience, nor do I want to take that kind of risk.”

This sounds like a heartless conclusion.

It was as if it had lost hope in humanity from the very beginning, and thus given up on the futile struggle, filled with helplessness and coldness.

The nun's desire to save innocent children was an act of kindness.

To stand idly by in the face of this corrupt world is the indifference of a god.

However, the Holy Emperor did not know how to refute it.

She didn't even have enough power to implement the Gastrea Protection Act; amidst overwhelming opposition, no one understood the meaning of powerlessness better than her.

Even she herself wanted to give up several times.

Looking at the gray-clad nun before him, the pure white-clad Holy Emperor opened his mouth, but could not utter a single word.

“Your Majesty, I do not crave power, nor have I ever wanted anything from humanity,” Nia Honjou said. “The only reason I chose to help you is because you stand on the side of the Cursed Child, which allows my plans to proceed more effectively.”

"Your plan?" the Holy Emperor pressed. "What plan?"

"I want to make Kikunojo Tendo disappear, and make the entire Tendo family disappear from politics."

“That’s impossible. Over the past ten years, their roots have spread throughout the government. Besides, I also need the Tiantong family.”

“Don’t worry, my plan will not have any impact on Tokyo. I will even help you gain real power faster, so that you no longer need to rely on anyone and can become the true Emperor of Tokyo,” Nia Honjo said. “On the condition that you are willing to cooperate with me.”

"I don't trust you."

“I don’t need your trust either,” Nia Honjou said calmly. “Cooperation is for mutual benefit, not for making friends. You want to help the Cursed Child, and I want to help the Cursed Child. You want real power, and I want the Tendo family to disappear. There is no more reliable ally in Tokyo than me, is there?”

The Holy Emperor was silent.

After a long silence, she finally spoke, "Too many things happened today; I need time to think."

"Then you'd better hurry, Your Majesty."

Nia Honjo's maid outfit disappeared under the changing light, and she returned to her usual attire.

"Because your time, and our time, are running out."

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Today's Erya

Chapter Thirty: The Initial Construction of the Shelter

The next day, noon.

"Cheers!" X6

In a private room at a Tokyo hotel, Nia Honjo and her group of six clinked their glasses in a celebratory manner.

Everyone's face was beaming with a genuine smile.

Even the most bitter and resentful of them all, Tendo Kisara, seemed unusually relaxed.

No, I should say she was the most relaxed one of them.

From the moment we started eating until now, the smile on Tendo Kisara's face has never left. She probably hasn't smiled as much in the past four years as she has in a single day.

"Ms. Honjo, she must have been drinking juice, right?"

Seeing Tendo Kisara holding Nibelko, Aihara Enju, and Shiraishi Hina in his arms, rubbing his face against hers as if he were drunk, Satomi Rentaro couldn't help but ask.

"Hiccup, it must be juice, if she didn't secretly mix my beer in." Honjou Nia shook the beer in her glass, looking tipsy.

"I've never seen Kisaragi look like this in my life, and I feel a bit complicated."

"Hey kid, anyone who achieves their ideals in love and career in a short period of time will do this."

As a reward for successfully recovering the relics of the Seven Stars, the Holy Emperor transferred the agreed-upon reward to the company's account early this morning.

A full billion.

A poor high school girl who can't even afford rent is suddenly hit on the head with a billion yen overnight, which is bound to make her dizzy.