Mr. Pantalone has no crazy plans today.

Seeing this, Piero nodded, then looked at Pantalone and added a comment.

"There's one more thing. In order to fill the vacancy, I need you to submit another plan to me."

After hearing what Piero the Clown said to him, Pantalone was stunned for a moment, and then realized what the other man meant.

This means...

work overtime?

Chapter 15: Conversations in the Winter Palace

Under the cold light of a winter night.

The pale, cold light was the only ray of light in this darkness. The cold moonlight poured onto the black and white chessboard, illuminating the entire board and revealing its entirety.

The figure sitting in front of the black and white chessboard gazed silently at the chess pieces before him. In his dark blue eyes, as deep as the stars, there were thoughts and considerations that ordinary people could not understand.

He was none other than Piero, known as "The Clown," the chief and leader of the Fools' Executors.

In the cold Winter Palace, Piero, known as "The Clown," whispered words that only he could hear in the dark and deep palace.

"The tide of war... has turned. Pantalone has made an unexpected move, but what kind of variables does this change mean for 'His Majesty'?"

This is reminiscent of Arecino's impeachment of Pantalone today.

To be fair, from an idealistic perspective, he acknowledged the feasibility of the Pantalone plan.

Having witnessed the destruction of an ancient kingdom firsthand, he understood better than anyone that excessive actions and plans would only attract the attention of divine justice, bringing about divine wrath and destruction prematurely.

It's all too early now.

However, this plan is not without its merits and can serve as a backup plan and means.

Even though he didn't approve of that approach, the seemingly crazy plan was actually quite feasible as a backup plan.

Raising the banner of resistance against Tianli was something that was never guaranteed to succeed from the very beginning. Having witnessed the destruction of an ancient kingdom, he understood better than anyone the significance of what he was doing.

But this is not a reason to give up, as the chief of the Fools' executive officers.

The original fool was Piero, who was called "The Clown".

He knew from the very beginning what this would symbolize and represent after all this was over.

This is the origin of the name "Fools." They are the "fools" who attempt to raise the banner of rebellion against the principles of God. They do this not because they believe they will succeed, but because they want to do so.

As a "clown" who mocks fate, he doesn't think about what would happen if he failed. He will only firmly walk on the path of defying the laws of nature and keep going.

This is precisely the reason for the emergence of the Fools.

In a sense, Piero, known as "The Clown," was also a pure loser and pessimist, but he knew that even if he failed on the path he was on, he would still continue.

That is why he was the first fool.

Only a foolish person would steadfastly forge ahead on a path destined for failure.

However, this does not mean that all options should be abandoned. This is why Pantalone's proposed plan was considered highly feasible and workable in his eyes.

However, as mentioned before, it's still too early.

Winter has not yet accumulated enough power; prematurely lifting the veil of deep sin will only lead Winter to the same end as Canria.

Under the gaze of "Clown" Piero, one of the chess pieces was instantly stained with a special color, a color different from the other pieces on the board, which also represented the piece's existence as an anomaly on the board.

He gently reached out his hand and moved the chess pieces on the board. As the pieces moved, the situation on the board changed from being clearly black and white to becoming intricate and complex.

“Unexpected piece, what changes will your variation bring to this game, Pantalone?”

A tall figure rose from in front of the chessboard, piercing through the endless darkness ahead.

His boots made a crisp sound on the ground, but he made no attempt to conceal his movements.

After traversing the deep, dark corridors and passing through the vast palace grounds, he arrived at the deepest part of the Winter Palace.

This journey is to pay homage to the most exalted ruler of winter, the only figure to whom the executors of the Fools and Piero, the "clown," are loyal, and who sits on the highest throne with unparalleled purity.

This is the supreme and absolute ruler of winter, the Ice God who governs the entire northern land during winter.

Gazing at the Empress's figure, Piero, playing the "clown," greeted the "Her Majesty" to whom he served.

"Your Majesty, the results of this council meeting are in, but some unexpected outcomes have occurred."

"Is that so?"

The empress responded softly, her tone revealing no emotion.

"Then tell me, Piero."

"This is simply my duty."

Piero responded respectfully.

"Unexpectedly, during the parliamentary proceedings, 'The Rich' Pantalone took an unforeseen action. He proposed creating synthetic beings capable of storing memories, endowing them with blank intelligence souls, and uploading human memories into these blank personalities to create a race that would not change its will and could maintain its original nature."

“During the parliamentary debate, I vetoed the implementation of this plan. Amid the impeachment of other executives, such a creation could not guarantee that, under the accumulation of memories and the evolution of time, the personality and consciousness would see itself as one of humanity’s fellow human beings.”

"Perhaps this can ensure the survival of the flame, but it does not align with the current interests of Zhidong. I cannot guarantee that such an action will not attract the attention of divine justice, causing Zhidong to fall into divine wrath and destruction like Kanria."