They don't want me to try anymore.

"Oh?"

Aaron parried the puppet with his shield, looked thoughtfully at the furious foreigner before him, and then sneered:

“This is a piece my family bought at a museum auction. It has special characteristics, and I think it would be perfect for use as bullets… Wait, you wouldn’t happen to be a Guamara person, would you? What is this? An ancestral skull?”

Anton replied in a deep voice, "These are ritual objects we use to worship our ancestors..."

"Ah, I see. That's about right."

Aaron felt no embarrassment or apology whatsoever; instead, he found it amusing and laughed even more arrogantly: "What, can't stand seeing your own treasure being used by me so casually?"

"Shut up..."

Anton growled, trying to take the gun himself, but his strength was no match for that of a shield guard.

Aaron shoved the man away, then pulled out his pistol and rapidly shot down several puppets. He continued:

"LOL."

“I am the conqueror, the emperor, and you are the conquered, the barbarians, who should be at our mercy! I will use your ancestors as bullets, so what can you do about it?”

"I also want to tell you that my family bought a lot of other Guamala goldware, some of which I thought were ugly, so I threw them into the servants' latrine, hahaha..."

With each word spoken, Anton became furious.

However, anger does not necessarily bring power. The next second, his remaining puppets were torn apart by bullets, and Aaron used his shield to push him against the nearby city wall.

"Dissatisfied? You're just an ant trying to rebel... that will get you killed."

Aaron smiled cruelly and deliberately pressed down slowly with his shield.

Feeling his ribs cracking, Anton recalled the expectant looks in the eyes of his family and friends when he left his hometown.

...Although he knew at the time that his trip was most likely to fail.

But even if I fail... how can I bear to see my hometown's treasures insulted like this!

Even if it costs me my life, I will not give up!

Anton reopened his eyes, released the puppet threads, and tightly bound himself and Aaron together.

"Huh? What are you..."

Aaron tried to break free, but as a shield guard, he was not good at cutting things, and even the bronze-level puppet threads were difficult for him to get rid of quickly.

In that split second, Anton seized the opportunity to gather the remains of the puppets around him.

This time, it was his turn to smile at Aaron.

"...What's so scary about death? If I don't try my best, I haven't truly lived!"

"you……"

At that moment, Aaron remembered that the puppeteer profession seemed to have a hidden, desperate tactic: making the puppet self-destruct...

boom!

Before the words were even finished, the puppet remains exploded instantly, and towering flames instantly filled half of the garden.

Yes, Anton plans to use self-destruction to trade one for one with Aaron.

however……

The difference between silver and bronze is still too great...

After the smoke cleared, Aaron knelt on the ground. Although his armor was torn and he was coughing up blood, at least he was still on the field.

And Anton has disappeared.

The exchange was actually very fast. In the sky, Richard had just finished dealing with William's attack when he caught a glimpse of Anton leaving the scene.

He remained silent, recalling the difficulties he had faced when he first encountered Linda, and then thinking of past events from his previous life, he couldn't help but empathize with Anton.

Now that Anton has self-destructed and left the scene, it's unclear whether he triggered the scroll's protective mechanism in time; his fate is uncertain...

Richard glanced at the seriously injured Aaron and narrowed his eyes.

Today, for the second time since encountering the man with the gold-rimmed glasses, he harbored murderous intent towards someone.

However, William's voice also rang out from the other side.

"Finally, some peace and quiet... Richard Targaryen, if you don't mind, I have a few words I'd like to say to you..."

Richard was startled. Looking back, he realized that half of Catherine's body had been absorbed into the wall beside her, as if the stone wall were quicksand.

Sophia, on the other hand, lost control of her own elements, her lower body frozen in place by her own ice magic.

Ah this...

Weren't they evenly matched just a moment ago? What happened?

It only took the blink of an eye!

Why did all my teammates lose?

Richard was surprised, as were the spectators outside.

"I didn't see it clearly. How did William overpower Catherine and Sophia just now?"

"It seems to be due to an explosive torrent of elements... This person has not only mastered elemental transformation, but his explosive power is also almost on par with that of a gold-level expert!"

"I knew before that the Clintons' eldest son was exceptionally capable, but I never imagined he was this strong..."

"The outcome is already decided; Catherine's team is doomed to lose."

"Haha, I bet on the Clintons to win!"

“Richard…” “Your Highness…”

Zoe and Katyusha, the two little girls, nervously grasped each other's hands as they looked at Richard, who was all alone.

However, even they couldn't help but feel that Richard had no chance of winning at this moment.

On the highest stand, Lauren Tolly also let out a long sigh.

It seems my clumsy granddaughter can only go this far...

Inside the scroll.

Richard took a deep breath and calmly asked William, "What does Your Excellency wish to say to me?"

They clearly have the upper hand, yet they don't deliver the decisive blow. What kind of wicked scheme are they plotting?

William didn't get straight to the point; instead, he slowly smiled and said:

"I've been following you ever since Linda lost to you, and I've always felt sorry for you."

"Oh?"

"You clearly possess world-class talent, but because you were born into the marginalized Connaught family, you haven't received the opportunity to cultivate and utilize it. The moment you show your talent, you are suppressed by the Dulles family..."

William seemed genuinely sympathetic to Richard, and sighed, "If you were an Imperial citizen, you would probably be adored with honors, a guest of honor in countless great families, and at the center of the world stage by now."

"...So what are you trying to say?"

Richard raised an eyebrow: "You think I should be an Imperial citizen and want to give me citizenship?"

"Even as a joke, this seems too shabby."

William shook his head and said in a deep voice, "I have always believed that the empire should sincerely seek out the best talents in the world."

"So I do want to bring you into the empire, but not just give you citizenship; I invite you to become the true core of this country."

He waved his arms and walked around Richard, saying, “If you stay in Connaught, you’ll be king of half a million men at most. But if you join the ruling circle of the empire, it’ll be a completely different story.”

"I can offer you a large number of shares in Standard Fruit Company, recommend you for a marriage alliance with an imperial family, and guarantee you the potential to become a legion general and obtain a dukedom in the future... As for your feud with the Dulles family, I can also help mediate."

Seeing that Richard did not reply, William looked directly into the latter's eyes and continued:

“I know you’re pinning your hopes on Lord Lauren to protect Connaught, but no matter how conservative he is politically, he can’t give you lasting peace… Unifying humanity is the Empire’s destiny, and it’s unstoppable. You’ll join the Empire sooner or later, so why not take the initiative?”

So that's how it is. It's the same old routine from the simulation, no different from the promises Luvia and Albert made.

Richard scoffed: "Arrange a marriage... what if I want to marry Luvia?"

William visibly hesitated for a moment, then replied, "I am sincerely inviting you, but all conditions must be based on reality."

Huh? You don't even have the confidence to agree? Why don't you go ask Luvia first?

Pshaw, it's neither original nor sincere!

Richard blinked, then said seriously, "Alright, Mr. William, let me ask something practical... What will happen to the ordinary people of Connaught after I join the Empire? You're willing to give up shares in Standard Fruit Company, so why not just shut the company down?"

William scoffed: "As a genius destined for the Golden Age, why should you care about mortals? A lion shouldn't be tethered by a sheep..."

"I understand what you mean, it is indeed a very tempting offer..."

Richard smiled and replied, "But I refuse."

Chapter Ninety-Eight: You're using this to test your cadres?

"William Clinton, right?"

Richard waved his hand and laughed, "You imperialists are all cut from the same cloth. It's one thing to be arrogant and selfish, but you all think everyone else is the same. If the empire were full of people like you, it would be doomed. I would never join."

William withdrew his arm, which he had been reaching for a handshake, his expression slightly somber.