"In this world, there are many types of antagonists. There are those who manipulate power, tying anyone who opposes them to the stake, represented by the former Pope Julius of the Empire. Then there are those who rely on fanatic faith to control minds, promoting their doctrine through cruel and unconventional sacrifices, represented by Old Ba. Of course, there are those who leave an imprint of fear in people's hearts through sheer violence, represented by Lindong... Ouch, what are you doing!"

As expected, Lindong, the subject of the conversation, retaliated after Rowena's cheeky comment. Despite being mischievous, she was ready to make a run for it. However, a cat's reaction is faster than a bat's. Before she could flutter her wings and take flight, Lindong leaped from Ethan's shoulder and, like a tiger pouncing on prey, captured Rowena.

"I thought you were going to say something else."

Lindong bared his teeth and extended his claws at Rowena fiercely, "A dog's mouth can't produce ivory, after all."

"I'm a bat!"

The little purple bat struggled and sent a distress signal to Ethan, who was witnessing the scene, "Old Sen, help—!"

Ethan was no stranger to such sights; Rowena was perpetually unyielding when dealing with Lindong. Her spirit could be described as indefatigable. Although she never gained any advantage, she consistently provoked Lindong through conversation. Through Rowena's tenacious efforts, people had come to stereotype Lindong as a frequent breeze blower.

However...

The frequency of Lindong huffing was indeed high, but nine out of ten times it was directed at Rowena. Ave, Other Shore, and Miss Keroy, who were also companions, were rarely subjected to Lindong's huffing.

What was that saying again?

Ethan gazed at the little bat struggling under the cat's paw, "Sometimes you should reflect on your own issues."

"Fine!"

The little bat couldn't believe it. She never expected even the kind Ethan to betray her, "You, you truly are a united couple, cutting through metal like a knife through butter!"

Eh?

After saying it, she paused.

That phrase didn't seem like an insult.

Lindong, who was pulling on her wings, also paused, tilting his head in thought, easing his grip slightly.

This bat occasionally does say something human. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Anyway, what I mean is, can you imagine Old Sen being like those three representative figures?"

Unable to break free, Rowena simply leaned back and lay flat. After all, Lindong knew how much force to use, showing his claws just to intimidate her, never leaving any wound on her. The more she interacted with Lindong, the stranger she felt—if a day passed without a cat huffing at her, she felt like something was missing from her life.

Rowena's outcry sparked the thoughts of other onlookers.

"Now that you mention it, indeed."

Other Shore was the first to express an opinion. The black wolf wagged its tail, circling Ethan.

The question arose, if you met Ethan on the street, what would your first impression be?

The answer would be a sunny and cheerful young man, the kind who would voluntarily help an elderly lady across the street—this was also the impression of the Imperial Capital people towards Ethan. Despite Aelium's new cabinet, led by Ave, fervently promoting Ethan's divine side in the "Imperial Truth" after taking office, the Imperial Capital people, having interacted with him for some time, would affectionately call him Old Sen upon encountering him.

According to an anonymous survey from last quarter, Old Sen was especially popular among those above 45 in the Imperial Capital. Among surveyed citizens, 99.5% expressed a desire to have their children learn from Old Sen.

Bear in mind, even at the peak of support for the Henry Royal Family, their national approval rating never reached Ethan's height.

Other Shore thought for a long time, finding it hard to imagine what Ethan would look like as an antagonist leader.

"Right! So Old An, what about you? From a different perspective, what do you think of Ethan?"

"Me?"

The Little Octopus pondered, sharing its thoughts, "A trustworthy psychologist, you'd be very comfortable entrusting your children to his care."

With that said, Aelium raised a tentacle, which is how the octopus tribe signals "+1."

"So my main point is, Old Sen can't follow the traditional antagonist route. Forcing himself into it won't create the sense of oppression typically associated with antagonists. Instead, it would look quite laughable."

Rowena said, "Old Sen, you don't want the people of this country to view you as an antagonist, do you?"

Ethan nodded but felt there was something odd about hearing this from Rowena.

It was like a veteran comedian giving advice to aspiring youngsters based on personal experience. Based on Rowena's image in his mind now, he immediately grasped her earnestness—Rowena, the former Great Mage of the Astrology Guild and a core member of the Nightmare organization, whose bounty reached six figures, had long been a nightmare in the hearts of the Empire's residents, especially the nobles.

Ethan once saw a daily report sent from Gear City while working as a clerk at the Adventurer's Guild in Ximu Town. Just from the crime scene sketches, Rowena absolutely lived up to her notorious reputation.

And now?

Theoretically speaking, Rowena had attained the power of a pseudo-God of Trickery and had officially ascended to become a Saint. Considering the entire Empire, how many could match Rowena in strength?

Yet when Ethan looked at Rowena, he found it hard to sense any aura of intimidation from her, frequently getting an impression more akin to a small animal—loud when shouting but becoming docile once pounced on by a cat.