Lola held her notebook to her chest, adjusted the frames on the bridge of her nose, and answered with a serious expression.
"Your Highness, he has already been confined in the Demon-Sealing Prison."
"Is it secure?"
Luo Li was still a bit uneasy. The nature of the demon race gave them strength far exceeding humans of the same level; if he escaped, the consequences would be catastrophic.
"Please rest assured, Your Highness. No one can escape from the Demon-Sealing Prison."
Lola pushed her glasses up, her voice brimming with confidence.
"Even a Demon King could not break out."
Even a Demon King?
Fine, I'll take your word for it for now.
After all, I was the one who chose her.
As they say, if you use someone, don't doubt them; if you doubt someone, don't use them.
"Your Highness, how should the traitor be handled? Do the members of his family need to be detained as well?"
Lola asked earnestly. Her attitude was always like this, expressionless when she spoke, giving off a very stern impression.
"How should they be handled?"
"They are to be held in the Demon-Sealing Prison to await a Holy Trial followed by execution by fire. All family assets will be confiscated, and immediate relatives will be branded as slaves for public auction. As for the rest of the Cavendish family, they will undergo interrogation and baptism to ensure there are no other traitors before being released with a fine."
"Slaves?"
"Yes."
Luo Li looked up at the gold-rimmed frames on Lola's face. The transparency of those lenses was clearly glass.
Judging by the curvature, those glasses were for nearsightedness.
While she didn't know what level the technology tree of this world had reached, being able to refine glass and grind it into lenses suggested they were near the era of an industrial revolution.
Even if they hadn't reached it yet, the seeds were at least planted.
And yet, in such an era, there were still 'slaves'?
Luo Li was an upstanding youth of the new century, raised under the banner of progress and modern values.
Inwardly, she loathed the institution of slavery. But in this era, it was likely the mainstream norm. To try and break the system would mean facing more than just slave owners.
She would likely be fighting against the entire era itself.
She didn't know what others thought, but she knew that a single person trying to fight an entire era was a joke.
Even an Emperor would be powerless.
Using history as a mirror, one could see the rise and fall of civilizations. In thousands of years of history, countless people stood at the forefront to challenge their times, but those who fought against the era usually met a miserable end.
Reforms in history were equivalent to trying to change an era, and those who led those reforms often faced tragic conclusions.
If she wanted to do this, she couldn't do it personally; she had to find someone else to take the heat for it.
Countless thoughts flashed through her mind, but it was only for a split second.
It seemed she was gradually starting to think like a leader.
Truly, where you stand depends on where you sit.
"I understand. Proceed according to the existing regulations. By the way, what is this baptism you mentioned?"
Lola placed her index finger in the center of her frames and pushed them up slightly.
"A full-body rinse with Holy Water."
"Holy Water? Is that effective against the demon race?"
"Yes. Demons can take on human forms, but they will be scorched when they come into contact with Holy Water. Therefore, using Holy Water to test for demons is the most direct and fastest method."
"There is such a method?"
Doesn't that mean they could conduct screenings regularly?
"How much Holy Water do we have left? How is it produced? And where is it kept now?"
Luo Li's heart was full of anticipation to see this Holy Water, but she suddenly noticed that Lola's expression had become somewhat strange.
She looked as if she wanted to speak but didn't dare to.
Seeing her hesitate for a long time, Luo Li urged her anxiously.
"If you have something to say, just say it. Is the supply of Holy Water insufficient?"
"No... well, Your Highness, do you remember the room where you were baptized before?"
Lola's face flushed slightly, making her look a bit more radiant.
"The baptism room? You mean the room where I bathe? What about it?"
Lola nodded, staring straight at Luo Li as if trying to convey something with her eyes.
"Wait a minute... Lola!!"
Suddenly, a terrible thought flashed through her mind!
Who am I?
I am the Saintess! The messenger of the Gods!
So... what would the water that shared the word 'Holy' be?
Luo Li's heart was a mess of emotions, and her voice lost its usual calm, trembling slightly as she asked.
"Lola... you aren't trying to say that my bathwater... is the Holy Water, are you?"
Lola didn't respond verbally; she simply lowered her head and gave a tiny, subtle nod.
Luo Li slapped her own face with her palm and looked down, her pupils dilating and contracting repeatedly.
You have to be kidding me!
My bathwater is the Holy Water!?
Good grief, does that mean... during a baptism, everyone looks at each other, laughs at the sky, and says, 'Everyone, let's down this bowl of bathwater, I'll go first,' and then they all get baptized together!!
No, I don't even want to imagine that scenario.
This isn't a baptism!
This is total social death!!
Her previous death was embarrassing enough, and now she had to face an environment even more prone to social suicide!?
"I... I have a small question. What exactly are the steps for baptism?"
Lola's voice was as quiet as a mosquito. If they hadn't been the only two in the large tent, Luo Li might not have heard her at all.
"Rinsing or... drinking it."
"Sigh..."
Taking a deep breath, Luo Li closed her eyes, feeling a buzzing in her head and waves of dizziness.
This wasn't just because of the shock of this revelation, but also because she hadn't rested at all for a day and a night.
She propped her head up with one hand against the corner of the table.
"Lola, issue a decree. This is my highest command. From this day forward, baptism is only allowed through rinsing. Drinking it is strictly forbidden. Anyone who violates this will... go and build roads for me!"
"Build roads? Does Your Highness intend to repair the roads within the city? If I may be so bold as to advise, Your Highness... Brilliant City's finances are currently very tight. Furthermore, the roads haven't developed any issues yet, so spending funds like this..."
"No, the road building I'm talking about isn't that. You'll understand later. Also... starting today, the slaves from the traitors are no longer to be sold at public auction. I have other uses for them. Are there any other slaves currently in the city?"
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