Volume 1 Chapter 557

Chapter 557: Drinking in Moderation Is Good for Health

Lolth and Patricia took the delicate wine glasses.

Both of them understood what this represented.

In the diplomatic customs of the "Golden Peacock," the representatives served wine to each other, showing that there was no ill will and even a willingness to give up some benefits.

This was a way of willingly stepping back from a leading position, which could also be seen as moving forward by retreating.

Beneath the polished, crystal-clear walls of the cup, deep pink wine swayed gently.

Inside the church, the Holy Light annulus radiated soft light, shining on the wine, making it even more enchanting.

"Is this thing really okay?"

Patricia looked at Lolth and whispered.

Although in her Magic Perception, this cup of wine showed no problems and contained no magic…

However, this wine was given by Maria Diana.

That was the biggest problem.

This woman was the most evil and dangerous being on the continent.

For her, the fine traditions, long history, and manners of her country could also be used to harm others.

If everyone on the continent voted for the leader who seemed most like a "villain," she and King Audister of South Sotua would surely receive the most votes.

In the twelve years of her rule, nearly half of the high officials and nobles of the Golden Peacock had been gradually accused of various crimes and died in prison.

And the other half…

Either powerful heroes were killed by mountain bandits, or noble individuals who cared for their people died in territorial riots.

Some were stabbed six times and committed suicide at home, others choked on fish bones and died, and some fell from their horses and hit their heads on rocks…

Anyone she disliked or fought against suffered and died in painful and strange ways.

The wine glasses and drinks offered by such a person…

It would be strange if there were not more than three types of poison.

Lolth glanced at Patricia and drank all the wine in her cup.

Then, she shrugged.

"I guess it should be fine."

"I think, Ms. Maria Diana, you wouldn’t use such methods against us… This is my basic trust in Ms. Maria."

This action made Patricia jump in surprise.

She watched a visible blush appear on Lolth’s face.

However, there really was nothing "unusual."

With Lolth’s skills and her understanding of various magical materials in the cooking process, she would definitely know if anything safe to eat had a problem after tasting it.

One could know the general idea without even tasting it.

Although Lolth hardly drank, she was very clear about what "Flower Brew Red" should taste like.

After all, she knew the ingredients and how to make this wine.

Knowing the recipe allowed her to guess the flavors, which was a basic skill for her as a top chef.

She could be sure that there were no tricks here.

Not even slow-acting poisons or hidden ingredients had been added.

That’s why she could drink this wine with peace of mind.

Lolth’s trust in Maria was basically zero.

But she believed in her own judgment.

Maria also gently raised her glass and drank the wine in one go.

A glass that looked pink and soft like a fruit juice was actually very strong, yet Maria’s face showed no sign of redness.

Her ability to handle drinks seemed quite good.

Patricia watched the two of them and bit her teeth, pinched her nose like she was taking medicine, and drank it all.

"Gulp, gulp."

After drinking, Patricia’s whole body visibly turned a lovely shade of pink, like cooked seafood, her skin as soft as milk.

"Ah—"

She stumbled, and the cup in her hand fell to the ground and shattered, barely holding on to Green Sky Star Heaven to stay upright.

Then, she started to cough violently.

"Cough—cough, cough!"

This reaction was definitely from drinking for the first time.

She shivered as she looked at Lolth, her face showing an ugly expression.

"Oh no, Róbó… Only my cup is poisonous!"

Lolth glanced at her and sighed.

"Cuìbǎo, this is called being drunk, it’s not poison."

Maria Diana looked at Patricia and burst out laughing.

"Oh dear, even though she is the Great Sage, she is still a little child… I should have given her some juice."

As she said this, Patricia heard her, suddenly stood up straight, and then widened her eyes, staring at Maria Diana.

"Damn it, you are the child, not me! I curse your whole family!"

Patricia showed Maria her middle finger.

Garland, who was standing behind Maria, was about to explode again when Maria stopped him once more.

"It’s alright," she said, looking at Lolth, "so… Miss Lolthlinda, can we talk openly about the issue with Dorothy?"

Lolth looked at Maria Diana’s sincere face and gently shook her head.

"I’m sorry, no matter how you pretend here, we can’t talk."

"Ms. Maria Diana, you want Dorothy to die, while I want her to live… that’s an unresolvable conflict."

As Lolth said this, Maria Diana also shook her head.

"I think you misunderstood, Lord Lolth."

"I don’t want Dorothy to die… After all, she is the only flesh and blood of my dear sister."

"You might have misunderstandings about me; I feel very conflicted and struggle over Dorothy too…"

"If possible, I wouldn’t want to kill her— but as the descendant of a hero, the heir of her bloodline, and my sister’s legitimate daughter… I have to do this."

"This is for the stability of the Golden Peacock… I cannot allow a princess who does not know who her father is and could die at any time to inherit this country."

"Moreover, the ‘curse’ she carries is the deepest…"

"If possible, I would of course wish for her to live happily and peacefully in seclusion— but that possibility does not exist."

"No matter what I do, those with ill intentions will find her, becoming the wedge that destroys the country my sister devoted her whole life to."

As Maria Diana said this, Lolth let out a cold laugh.

"Well said, Ms. Diana…"

"So noble and righteous, I almost believed you… But even if it were true, it doesn’t matter."

"No matter what, I won’t let you harm Dorothy."

Maria sighed again.

"So, Lord Lolth still doesn’t understand what I’m saying."

"Before Lord Lolth appeared, there was no hope for any of this."

"But… Lord Lolth, since you have become her teacher, this unexpected twist of fate has actually provided another solution to the problem."

Maria Diana raised a finger and drew a half-circle in the air.

"As a disciple of the demon race, she is seen as a traitor, and I can officially exclude her from the Golden Peacock royal family."

"All you need to do is continue being her teacher and never set foot in Golden Peacock again."

"It would be best to take her to the abyss…"

As she said this, Lolth showed a thoughtful expression.

Then, Lolth began to laugh.

"Oh dear… that is indeed a good suggestion."

"But, Ms. Maria Diana, I would like to ask you something."

Maria looked a bit confused but still nodded gently.

"You can say it."

"You tricky folks, do you like to offer drinks to people when you negotiate?"

Lolth asked sincerely.

"What does it mean?"

Maria Diana frowned.

"It’s nothing, just remembering a certain hellish demon who treated me to tea," Lolth smiled and continued, "But your proposal is indeed much more sincere than hers, and you aren’t playing any word games… I can feel that you truly wish for me to take Dorothy back to the abyss, never to return."

"This might be better for you than if Dorothy were dead—after all, a dead person can still have their name used, but a traitor can never regain their honor."

As Lolth said this, she sat up straight.

"It sounds nice; I continue my life with Dorothy, and you, Ms. Maria, have one less worry…"

At this point, Maria squinted her eyes slightly.

"But what?"

She asked softly.

Maria could tell that Lolth definitely did not want to agree.

"But this is very unfair to Dorothy."

Lolth’s voice suddenly became cold.

"The harm you did to her in the past, your wish to kill her, the pain you caused her—can those just be forgotten?"

She stood up and looked down at Maria Diana.

"This is not fair to Dorothy… She might not want this kind of life."

"Her mother is still asleep, and her mother’s hard work is left in the hands of someone like you… I don’t think Dorothy would agree."

"I cannot agree either; my student has been called a traitor and is being scorned."

"The throne of the Golden Peacock belongs to her, and your sins must also be accounted for."

"In short…"

"Go to hell! Fool!"

Lolth also gave her the middle finger.

Patricia behind her also started laughing loudly.

"Well said—go to hell!"

Maria Diana looked at the two and remained quite calm.

"Well then, the negotiations have failed…"

"It’s a pity; I didn’t want to fight with you two."

"You should know, my rank puts many limits on what I can do…"

"Moreover, this is still on the territory of The Church of Light."

Maria Diana pretended to have a headache.

Lolth looked at her with a serious expression.

"It’s okay; if you die here, no one will hold you accountable."

As she said this, Maria Diana showed a very curious look.

"I know you can actually face the embodiment of the divine without being at a disadvantage."

"But Lord Lolth, I need to remind you of something…"

"The demi-god on the ground might not lose to the descending divine being, you know?"

"Moreover… half of your trump cards should already be unusable, right?"

As she said this, there was still no magical energy around her.

However, the invisible pressure made Lolth feel almost suffocated.

This was not a mental attack.

It was simply the pressure of rank.

It was enough to do this without showing any magical energy.

A demi-god actually had a divinity equal to that of a deity!

Although there was still a long way to go to be a true god…

But just as Maria Diana said— they would not be suppressed by the Plane Will.

A demi-god on the ground might be even scarier than a descending god’s avatar!

After all, gods must be very careful when dealing with those who are below them!

Although demi-gods also have to be cautious, they are not targeted or suppressed by the Plane Will!

However, facing Lolth, who dared to take action against Murphy Yates, she would naturally not back down.

She looked at Maria Diana and smiled.

"Even though I don’t know how you found out… my trump card is no longer usable…"

As she said this, she wiped her nose.

"Patricia… stay away."

When Patricia heard Lolth’s somewhat hoarse voice, she showed a look of shock.

The pressure from Maria moments ago made this Great Sage feel danger and fear.

But that came from Maria Diana’s own strength.

It was completely different from the chilling feeling of pure "danger" that Lolth had at this moment.

The difference was like facing a tall, steep mountain and a venomous snake showing its fangs.

The first would fill you with awe, yet you would still have the courage to climb it.

However, the fear of the snake would make you shiver with fright.

The power of the Holy Light in Lolth was slowly fading away.

In fact, even when Lolth was not pretending, it was hard to see that she had the magical energy of an Abyssal Demon.

Calm, generous, pure; aside from her race’s natural energy, her magical presence and aura even resembled that of a Great Sage more than Patricia.

Yet, at this moment, the magic within her was becoming chaotic and aggressive.

It seemed ready to destroy everything completely.

Just like a true Abyssal Demon.

"Damn it…"

Patricia knew she couldn’t involve herself in such a battle for now, so she turned and ran.

Even Maria Diana showed a look of surprise.

Then, she started to laugh.

"Should I say… you truly are an Abyssal Demon?"

"Is this your real self… then your disguise is really deep!"

Lolth looked at her, with red pointed horns on her head and a tail appearing behind her.

Even the pink lines on her face became more noticeable.

Her eyes were covered by a layer of pink mist—looking almost out of control, but without desire.

Instead, it was very dangerous.

"Disguise? Maybe… To be honest, I don’t know what will happen next…"

"But if we’re talking about my secret card, this is actually the one I would never use easily…"

"I really dislike you so much, Maria Diana."

Lolth said, gently letting out a long breath.

Pink smoke covered the entire sacred church.

"You shouldn’t have let me drink."

She said.