Yes!

I like people with ambition. Although such people are often hidden bombs, it is absolutely impossible to govern a country well if someone lacks even a shred of it.

The true Doctrine of the Mean is not about being a fence-sitter in every situation, but rather a guide for one's personal self-cultivation.

The state before joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness are expressed is called the center. When they are expressed and meet the proper standard, it is called harmony.

This refers to the expression and control of an individual's emotions, not being a mediocre talent who specializes in smoothing things over and passing the buck.

Only people with ambition will do things seriously, while those without it will only waste their lives.

Ambitious people have the ability and motivation to act, but they are dangerous. If not handled correctly, they can become too powerful to control, and there is even a risk of them turning on you.

However, if one is unwilling to take that risk and employs only those without ambition, the entire order will become stagnant.

Because they have no motivation and no ability, everything only becomes more and more troublesome.

If I were to use a metaphor, I would have only one evaluation for Augus at this moment.

A capable official in a time of order, an ambitious hero in a time of chaos.

With both ambition and ability, as long as I haven't passed away or kicked the bucket, I can keep him under control. But if I were gone, I'm afraid no one would be able to suppress him.

It was all because of his status.

The Eight Nations of the Holy Church are the most prominent human countries, essentially the most powerful group in human society.

And within this group, only eight people can serve as leaders.

Therefore, no matter how great his ambition is, he cannot escape this influence.

There was another point that put me at ease. The disgrace of the Clapham family was so great that many nobles looked down on them.

This actually made me feel safer using him.

"Very well. Since you are unwilling to deal with those troublesome matters... I will assign a few people to your command. Let them do it for you, but you will still need to guide them so they do not cause harm with their good intentions."

Augus nodded.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

At this point, Augus looked up at me.

"Your Highness, what exactly happened outside the West Gate earlier? May I know?"

"Nara, tell him what happened."

Nara nodded and stepped forward, quickly recounting the events that had just unfolded.

Augus pondered for a moment.

"Your Highness, this official has a question. I do not know if it is appropriate to ask?"

I glanced at Augus. His face wore a natural indifference, with no emotions leaking out.

"You want to ask what I used to make the Saintess of Sand act so humbly, right?"

Augus said nothing, merely looking at me and waiting for the rest.

Now that the first trade was complete, the time this matter could remain hidden was running out.

Since I intended to use Augus, it was better not to hide this from him.

"Fine, you are now one of my confidants, so it does no harm to tell you. It was the original contract document tablet."

Augus lowered his head in thought for a moment before suddenly asking, "Does Your Highness mean... that you can contract with the original contract document tablet?"

I instinctively looked at him. The moment our eyes met, I saw a heat in his gaze that could set the world ablaze!

It was a flame called ambition, a fire capable of burning a person to ashes!

"Yes."

Augus suddenly lowered his head, then snapped it back up to look at me with burning eyes.

"Your Highness, please dismiss everyone else!"

What was he doing?

Seeing the intensity in his eyes, I thought for a moment and then waved my hand.

Nara signaled, and the Praetorian Knights guarding the door quickly closed the heavy gates. The little nuns pulled the curtains and retreated from the hall.

Only I, Nara, and Augus remained in the vast hall.

However, Augus suddenly dropped to both knees and prostrated himself on the ground, striking his head against the floor.

"Your Highness, please dismiss everyone! This official has a matter of grave importance to report!"

I frowned slightly and glanced at Nara.

"There is no need. Nara is my confidant."

Augus kept his head down, seemingly deep in thought. After a long while, he slowly looked up at Nara.

"Since Your Highness is unwilling to dismiss this person, then I have one condition."

"You have quite the nerve, don't you? Daring to negotiate conditions with me?"

I looked at him with a smile, but a flash of determination crossed his face as he bowed again.

"It is not that I do not trust her, but this matter must never be leaked. If it is, it will bring about the destruction of our nation!"

"Your Highness, I... I am not like that..." Nara instinctively tried to explain, but I waved her off.

"Enough. Since Augus is so insistent, just swear an oath to the God. It is just a matter of a few words, and I believe you would not speak of it anyway."

Nara glanced at Augus with a hint of disgust in her eyes.

She then clasped her hands over her chest and lowered her head toward the statue.

"I, Nara, the believer, shall not reveal the secret conversation between Augus and Your Highness today. If I break this oath, I am willing to accept any punishment!"

After speaking, Nara looked down at Augus.

"Minister Augus, are you... satisfied now?"

Augus looked up at Nara and nodded seriously.

"Though it is still lacking a bit, it will suffice."

The moment those words left his mouth, I heard the sound of teeth grinding.

I peeked at Nara and saw her cheeks puffed out like a bloated toad, her little silver teeth gnashing audibly.

I suspect that if I weren't right here, Nara would have already jumped down to brawl with Augus.

I looked down at Augus's thin frame. He had no levels at all and suffered from a chronic illness. He really might not be able to win a fight against the little girl by my side.

"Alright, you've had your way. Stop being mysterious. What exactly do you want to say?"

I stared at him intently as the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly heavy. Suddenly, Augus looked up at me.

"Your Highness... please contract the Pope's original document tablet immediately!"

"You..."

I froze. This idea was not something I hadn't considered, nor was it something I hadn't done.

But until now, no one knew about it except for me and Lola.

Part of the reason for creating so many replicas of the document tablet was to deceive others.

After all, a tree is hidden in the forest. Only by having so many could the loss of one or two original tablets go unnoticed.

And those missing original document tablets were, of course, with me.

They were in my storage space.

I didn't know what hidden attributes the document tablets had, but I knew that besides hiding Sacred Treasures, the storage space could also hold original tablets.

I had not revealed this point.

So far, my storage space held my own Sacred Treasure, some high-level weapons from the display room, and the original document tablet belonging to the Pope, which lay dormant inside.

If the news that the Saintess of the Moon possessed the Pope's original document tablet ever got out...

The consequences would be terrifying!

The Holy See would never allow a second Pope to emerge, and the Saintesses of the other six nations would fight frantically for the chance to become the Pope themselves.

In such a situation, the other seven nations could easily be brought together by someone with ulterior motives, each harboring their own goals as they marched their armies to our borders!

No wonder Augus said this would lead to the destruction of the nation.

This was a true national catastrophe!

If this matter were exposed, not only would the seven other nations be watching us like hawks, but even the demon race...

Wait a minute!

The demon race!?

I had always wondered why the demon race went to such lengths and spent so much effort trying to kidnap me.

At first, I thought they wanted my Authorities.

But every Saintess had her own Authorities. Although the Kingdom of the Moon was closer to their lands, its safety was something the other seven nations watched closely.

The other seven nations would never allow the Kingdom of the Moon to collapse, let alone allow a Saintess to be kidnapped.

Of course, that ambitious Pope didn't count, but anyone with normal logical thinking would not allow the Kingdom of the Moon to fall.

The Great Wall was the buffer for the Kingdom of the Moon, and the Kingdom of the Moon was the buffer for the Eight Nations of the Holy Church!

To target the Kingdom of the Moon, they had wasted over two hundred thousand elite troops and exhausted every means to secretly send so many demons into the country.

All of this, including the subversion and plotting, likely took over a hundred years.

Why did they spend so much time and effort?

Was it simply for a Saintess's Authorities?

It wasn't necessary, was it?

If they wanted a Saintess's Authorities, they could have chosen the Kingdom of the Sun or the Snow Country.

Why bother?

But... if they knew beforehand that this generation's Saintess of the Moon could contract with the original document tablet...

Everything suddenly made sense.

What they wanted was not the Saintess's Authorities, but the ability to contract with the original document tablet!

A Demon Marshal, two demon generals, over two hundred thousand demon elites, and hundreds of thousands of demon fodder.

To smuggle them past the Great Wall without being noticed, the process could not have been done in a single day.

Even with hundreds of people crossing daily, it would have taken several years.

"So... that's how it is."

It was as if I had been constipated all night and finally found relief.

All my thoughts suddenly became clear.

The demon race had exhausted their efforts and sent a Demon Marshal and demon generals at any cost, even using their mole Martha who was close to the Saintess.

When the Heavenly Punishment Knight was far from the Kingdom of the Moon, their first choice was not to destroy the country, but to kidnap the Saintess of the Moon.

That would have been the perfect opportunity to destroy the nation!

The Kingdom of the Moon had only eight Guardian Knights.

Four of them were not in Brilliant City, and the Heavenly Punishment Knight was on a mission to the Snow Country.

In such a vulnerable state, they didn't first attack the Great Wall but instead surrounded Brilliant City.

Their purpose... was likely to prevent the Kingdom of the Moon from calling for reinforcements and preparing in advance.

They surrounded Brilliant City directly but did not force a siege. Instead, they used Martha, someone who could influence the life-and-death struggle of the nation, to lure the Saintess of the Moon out of the city.

Everything... suddenly became clear.

"Your Highness, what is wrong?" Nara asked with concern from the side.

I looked up at her and shook my head slightly.

"It is nothing."

I couldn't say it. The best-case scenario for this matter was to let it rot in my own stomach and never speak of it.

I turned my gaze back to Augus, who remained kneeling on the ground with his head lowered.

"Look up."

"Yes."

Augus slowly raised his head. When our eyes met, I saw that burning ambition in his gaze once more!

"What do you want to do?"

"This official... does not."

"No, you do. You want me to unify the Eight Nations of the Holy Church, don't you?"

Augus took a deep breath and looked directly at me. After a long pause, he spat out a single word, his voice powerful and resonant.

"Yes!"

Are you joking? One Kingdom of the Moon is already giving me this much of a headache, and you want to unify the world?

Do you really think I'm some once-in-a-century emperor?

"Augus, that idea is too big, too distant. All I can think about now is governing the Kingdom of the Moon well, resisting the demon race, and guarding against the Holy See. Nothing else matters."

Augus blinked, and a sharp light suddenly flashed in his eyes!

"This official... understands!! Please rest assured, Your Highness. I will do everything in my power to help you manage the Kingdom of the Moon and prepare for your great dominion!"

Pffft!

You bastard, what exactly do you understand!?

I meant I want to govern the Kingdom of the Moon well and live out my days in peace!

How on earth did you misinterpret that?

"Um... Augus, that's not what I meant. I'm saying..."

"Rest assured, Your Highness, I understand. Things have not yet reached that stage, so we must not overthink. How can one rule the world without first governing a country! Your Highness truly has the world in your heart!"

The world?

I looked down at myself.

Mmm... besides my deep career line and two large mounds of white flesh, there was nothing else.

And you're telling me this is the 'world'?

Of course, for some old gentlemen, it indeed is a world of its own, but this is just a simple career line!!

"Augus, listen to me..."

"Your Highness need not say more. I understand!"

Bastard! You don't understand a damn thing!!

Augus looked up at me.

"Your Highness, please allow this official to withdraw."

"What are you going to do?"

"This official will naturally do what a subject should do. Please rest assured, Your Highness. I will devote all my strength to helping you achieve your dominion! I shall take my leave."

"No, I actually..."

"Your Highness, be careful of ears behind the walls."

Augus said his piece. Looking at the fire in his eyes that seemed capable of melting a person, I found myself unable to defend my position!

I really didn't mean it like that!

I never thought about claiming supremacy.

I just wanted to look after my own little corner of the Kingdom of the Moon and retire in peace.

I watched Augus's back as he turned and walked away. His gait was more forceful than before.

Though he was still sickly and thin, every step... seemed so heavy!

I stared blankly at his retreating figure until he left, and I didn't even know how to explain myself.

I turned my head stiffly toward Nara.

"Nara, did he... misunderstand something?"

Nara looked at me and suddenly knelt on the ground.

"Your Highness, I will also give my all to help you achieve your dominion!"

Nara, that's not what I meant! Don't let him brainwash you!

"No, I must investigate everyone present today. If the secret is leaked, it will be disastrous. Your Highness, please return to your bedchamber on your own today."

I watched Nara's back as she turned and left.

She left me with a stomach full of words I couldn't say.

For a moment, the hall was empty, leaving only the sound of the wind blowing against the window frames and the rain pattering on the trees.

I collapsed weakly onto the bed, wanting to cry but having no tears, staring up at the dim yellow magic lights above.

"My future... who is the one in charge of it?"