It's so hard being a hero!

Frey also stated her purpose directly.

"I was researching summoning magic not long ago, and yesterday I conducted an experiment that unexpectedly summoned Su Lan's soul back from the underworld."

The old emperor's expression stiffened the moment those words were spoken.

He stared at Frey for several seconds, as if trying to determine whether she was joking.

But when he saw Frey's very serious expression...

His gaze involuntarily drifted to Sophia beside him.

Logically speaking, Frey had no reason to bring a student to see him, no matter how talented she was.

"What did you say?" The old emperor frowned and asked for confirmation.

Frey turned to the side, allowing Sophia to stand completely in the old emperor's line of sight.

“Your Majesty, Su Lan’s soul is currently temporarily attached to my student’s body. I know you have a lot to say to him. Ask him now before his soul returns.”

The old emperor was initially shocked, then looked at Sophia.

"Is what she said true? Are you Su Lan?"

The old emperor asked in a trembling voice.

Sophia sighed and took a step forward.

She did not kneel in worship, but instead bowed as she had done decades ago.

"Your Majesty, it's been a long time."

Sophia greeted the old emperor in the tone she used in her past life.

Upon hearing this tone, the old emperor visibly trembled.

He stared intently at Sophia's face, his lips trembling several times, as if he wanted to say something.

He slowly stood up from the chair, his movements somewhat sluggish, but his gaze never left Sophia's face.

"You, you really are Su Lan?" the old emperor asked, his voice trembling.

Sophia did not avoid his gaze, and then smiled.

"Your Majesty, I never imagined that you would have aged so much in more than twenty years."

The old emperor stared at her for a long time, then slowly walked up to her.

He bent down slightly, as if looking at a lost treasure that had been found again.

"Your appearance has changed, but your eyes are still the same as that kid's eyes back then."

Sofia didn't beat around the bush anymore.

“Your Majesty, I have heard from Frey about your plan to attack the Orc Empire, but to be honest, I do not support it. I hope you will abandon the plan.”

The old emperor's expression stiffened slightly, then he looked at Frey.

He naturally felt that Frey had deliberately summoned Su Lan's soul back to persuade him.

Sophia didn't dwell on what the old emperor was thinking, but continued speaking.

"Your Majesty, you should know that with the current national strength of our Delos Empire, we are simply not confident enough to take down the Orc Empire. Moreover, once war breaks out, the surrounding Elf Kingdom and the Demon Clan of the Demon Realm will not stand idly by. At that time, it will be a multi-front war."

At this point, Sofia sighed.

"Alas! Your Majesty, you are old, why be so attached? It's time to let go."

The old emperor's expression kept changing.

The light, which had initially been tinged with excitement, gradually dimmed, replaced by a sense of struggle.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, then smiled and said helplessly.

"Yes, I'm getting old, but you should understand that that's precisely why I have to fight."

Sophia frowned.

"why?"

The old emperor straightened up, took two steps back, and sat back down in the armchair, but his gaze remained fixed on Sophia's face.

The excitement and nostalgia in his eyes had mostly faded, replaced by something more complex.

"I've waited too long for this day."

After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice carrying a tone that sounded like he was talking to himself.

"Back then, you told me that if the empire wanted long-term stability, it had to unify the entire continent."

He looked at Sophia, a strange light swirling in his eyes.

"You said this was the only way out. When you said those words to me, I started preparing. But you suddenly died, and I'm getting old. I don't have much time left. I must fulfill our ideals while I'm still alive..."

His voice grew louder and more agitated.

"So you want me to give up? How is that possible?"

Sophia understood.

The old emperor wasn't trying to reason with her anymore; he was talking to a shadow from over twenty years ago.

The words that shadow had spoken had been fermenting in his mind for decades, and had long since become a part of him.

“Your Majesty, that was an idea from decades ago; the situation is different now.”

Sofia still wanted to persuade her.

"What's the difference?"

The old emperor interrupted her, his voice suddenly rising several decibels.

"I've been preparing for so many years, and the army is almost fully mobilized. Now you're telling me we can't fight?"

His breathing became rapid, and the flush on his face was even more pronounced than before.

That excited look reappeared, even more intense than before.

That is the power of desire.

It was so strong that she could clearly feel it even standing several meters away.

He is no longer a normal person.

Daniela's potion had amplified his desires and obsessions to the extreme, turning him into a tool that could only move in one direction and was completely unable to turn back.

What made her heart sink even more was that she could clearly feel that the power of desire was rapidly consuming his life force.

On the surface, they appear energetic, but in reality, they are accelerating the burning of their last remaining candle.

The old emperor won't live much longer.

This judgment took clear shape in Sofia's mind.

So she stopped trying to persuade her.

Because they couldn't persuade them anymore.

The old emperor's words just now made it very clear that he wasn't talking to Su Lan, but to his own decades-long obsession.

No matter who came, they couldn't stop him.

Sophia was silent for a moment, then let out a heavy sigh.

"Well! Since His Majesty has already made his decision, I won't say any more."

Upon hearing this, the old emperor's excitement gradually subsided, as if he had come to his senses.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he just waved his hand.

"Alright, go back now. This is a matter for us living people, so let's not trouble the dead."

Sophia gave a wry smile.

"Your Majesty, please take care."

After saying that, she turned and walked towards the door.

But as she left the palace, the old emperor said something to her.

"Young Su, it'll be soon. Just wait a little longer. If you're too lonely down there, I'll come and keep you company soon."

These words caused Sophia a pang of heartache, and she pushed open the door and walked out.

Outside the door, Frey and Vic were standing in the hallway waiting.

When Frey saw her come out, her gaze lingered on Frey's face for a moment, as if she could read something from her expression.

Vic, on the other hand, didn't beat around the bush and went straight up to ask a question.

"How's it going? Have you managed to persuade them?"

Sophia shook her head.

"We can't persuade him. The power of desire within him has completely taken control of him. He's no longer a normal person and won't live much longer."

Her voice was calm, but beneath the calm was a suppressed anger.

"You can use the final solution."

Frey glanced at her, didn't ask any further questions, and simply nodded.

"Okay, I'll take you back to the academy."

After saying that, she raised her hand and made a sweeping motion in front of her, and a spatial rift silently opened up.

Sophia glanced back at the side hall door one last time before turning and walking inside.

Chapter 99 Launching a Coup

Sofia returned to the academy.

She stood there in a daze for a while, her mind still replaying the conversation she had just had with the old emperor in the palace.

Especially that phrase, "It'll be quick, just wait a little longer, I'll come to be with you right away."

This sentence kept lingering in her mind.