Elizabeth frowned upon hearing Adam's words, while the officials smiled triumphantly. The group of heroes, especially Angela, grew darker and looked concerned, casting uneasy glances at Leonid, who smiled sweetly, like a neighbor's boy given a chance to become a knight.

"Leonid..." she murmured his name, clearly calling out to him, but the only response she received was being ignored.

The man she had feelings for and admired didn't even bother to look at her, causing Angela's brows to furrow, her eyes welling up with tears, and her fragile body trembling as a ringing filled her ears.

Adam, who was standing next to the hero, witnessed the whole scene. The expressions of the hero's group immediately changed, especially Vanessa, who clenched her teeth and glared at Leonid.

If you're wondering why they didn't suspect Adam, the reason is simple: his aura was so strong that it could passively influence the minds of beings he considered strangers. So, each of them formed a positive impression of him. There were exceptions, like Angela. Adam couldn't influence her mind, even if he wanted to, because she was protected by a goddess. The only reason she didn't become suspicious was that his aura was passive enough not to trigger her sense of danger.

Nevertheless, the hall was now silent. The spectrum of emotions was overwhelming, and Adam, with his ability to see these emotions, could only click his tongue as he felt himself drowning in these emotion-filled spheres.

Somewhere there was joy, somewhere triumph, somewhere worry, and somewhere even depression.

Looking over his shoulder, Adam saw Angela sitting on the floor, burying her face in her knees. While he couldn't see her facial expression, he could tell she was in a state of depression.

Glancing at Leonid, who was carelessly smiling, Adam patted him on the shoulder and nodded toward Angela, sending a signal understood only by men. Leonid finally got it and responded quietly.

"I always treated her like a simple plaything. But then I gave up when I realized I wouldn't be able to sleep with her, but I didn't want to break up; I felt sorry for her. So, I decided to keep feeding her promises that I would marry her once I defeated the demons," he muttered, smirking cunningly. "And she believed it like a fool!"

"I see," Adam nodded, patting Leonid's shoulder, although he felt disdain for him. Then he pointed at Lily, "What about her? What do you think of Lily?"

"Lily? Mr. Adam, with all due respect, she looks like a child, and she's as dumb as a log. I can't even stand talking to her. She's uninteresting, but she'll do as a concubine," Leonid replied.

"I see... I understand," Adam nodded, wearing an understanding expression as he patted Leonid's back, though he felt disgusted.

Somewhere, depression was mingling with anger. As Leonid spoke, he also saw Vanessa, who was upset, looking at them. It was evident she was angry with Leonid for this decision, but she was also wary, looking at Adam.

Seeing her, even without paying attention to Adam's piercing gaze, Leonid described his opinion of her, not bothering to hide anything.

"She... she's a dumb slut. Always bossy and acting all high and mighty. Even though her body is not bad, she's always been watchful, and it's mostly because of her that I couldn't convince Angela to have sex with me. Ugh, damn it. Just thinking about it makes my whole body tremble with anger!" Leonid said, displaying a mix of disgust and lust on his face as he smiled at Adam.

"I see... I see," Adam nodded, patting him on the back in a friendly manner while feeling contempt.

"Y-yes." But for some reason, Leonid felt a shiver run through his body, and his eyes twitched when he received Adam's smile. He looked down at his groin area with a questioning expression, muttering, "What the hell?"

Removing his hand from Leonid's back, Adam stopped supplying magical energy and waved his hand, dispelling the remnants of the spell. He then approached Queen Elizabeth, who was looking at him with furrowed brows and made a half-bow, smiling.

"So, Your Majesty, I request that the hero be given a second chance... and a new team."

***

After the audience...

"Advisor Adam."

A cold yet enchanting voice called out to Adam. He, walking alongside his wife Amarantha through the corridors, turned to see Vanessa with Lily and Angela, all of them looking at him with demanding looks, seeking explanations.

Relaxing the muscles on his face, Adam tilted his head to the side. He was quite tired by the end of the day, and he didn't want to waste much time on these youngsters. He hoped to finish these questions quickly return home to the embrace of his women, and then peacefully fall asleep.

Vanessa saw his fatigue, so she sighed and, regaining her composure, started speaking more politely, her speech becoming more composed.

"I wanted to ask... why did Leonid act that way? Everyone saw you step into the dome, but what you talked about is unknown."

Her question was laced with venom and traps. She seemed to suspect that Adam had done something to Leonid that couldn't help but amuse him. After some thought, Adam tossed a semi-transparent sphere to Vanessa.

"I simply asked him what he desired. As men, and as peers, we had a conversation, and I understood his desires. This sphere contains a recording of our conversation, so... you can check for yourself. Goodbye for now."

Waving his hand, Adam's and Amarantha's bodies dissolved into mist, leaving the three girls in the corridor, exchanging puzzled glances.

Changing locations, the girls sat on a couch in a guest room and activated the sphere. The voice of Leonid, along with Adam's, filled the room.

[Leonid, as men, and as peers... what's stopping you from achieving more? I can see you're very strong, you could even compare to a Superior Demon. What's the problem?]

"Heh..." Leonid fell silent briefly, making the girls wary. They felt their heartbeats quicken, sensing something bad was about to happen.

[In my team, there are nothing but useless idiots.]

"Huh?"

"W-What?"

"Huh?!"

Surprised exclamations and gasps from the girls echoed throughout the room, while Adam's voice on the recording pulled them out of their shocked states.

[Understandable... but I thought you were very close. And overall, it's a good team, isn't it?]

"No, that's just on the surface. Honestly, I kept them on my team only because they are beautiful. I hoped to sleep with at least one of them, but... I think I'd better find a new team."

CRASH!

Angela and Lily snapped out of their shock, watching Vanessa ruthlessly pound her fist on the table, leaving a dent in the wood's surface.

"Vanessa..." Angela began to speak with her voice and expression on the verge of tears.

"That bastard!" Vanessa yelled, kicking the table and sending it crashing into the wall. The table shattered upon impact, but the wall remained intact. "Dirty animal! Lustful beast!"

Sounds of blows resounded as Vanessa mercilessly began to destroy the furniture in the room, while Angela and Lily, sitting on the couch, could only watch in shock. It seemed that Vanessa's actions helped them snap out of the gloomy atmosphere.

However, the recording continued, and Leonid repeatedly uttered hurtful words, inflicting wounds on the unprepared hearts of the girls.

"Seriously..." Adam's voice sounded surprised, [Leonid, they are your team. I thought you were all very close.]

"No, well... I just pretended, didn't I tell you? I got bored when they resisted and didn't let me close," Leonid replied, bursting into laughter. "Ugh, damn it. Just thinking about it makes my whole body tremble with anger!"

"Ah..." Angela trembled and tears began to flow from her eyes, her legs shaking.

"Ah-ah..." A sad cry full of despair burst from her throat.

At the same time, Adam and Amarantha were sitting on the balcony, at a round table, while other women read a newspaper and discussed the news.

On the table was a bottle of expensive wine and grapes grown on beastman lands. They sat in silence, each lost in their thoughts. Adam twirled the glass in his hand, swaying the liquid inside.

"Do you regret it?" Amarantha suddenly asked.

"I regret many things, so I'm not sure what you mean," Adam replied, taking a sip of wine from the glass.

"The nun. I mean that nun. You, in essence, deceived her."

"Ah... I see."

Adam leaned back in his chair and sighed, looking up at the starry sky. Tonight, the stars were dimmer than usual, and the moon was hidden behind clouds.

"But I didn't deceive her. Everything Leonid said was his sincere feelings," he continued, lowering his head and gazing into Amarantha's tender green eyes. "I didn't want him to take advantage of her kindness. Women like them are worth their weight in gold."

Amarantha leaned back in her chair, echoing Adam's sentiments and closely watching his face. She remarked, "Where does this sentimentality come from? You don't seem to care much about others."

"Heh, you're partly right, but..." Adam sighed and scratched the back of his head, "I'm speaking sincerely. Kind, caring, and naive women are worth their weight in gold. Unfortunately, such women often lack good men, and they suffer because of it."

Closing his eyes and taking in the fresh air, Adam opened his eyes, shifting his gaze to Elyra and the girls playing together. "They are my treasures. I would even sacrifice my life for them. Elyra - my beautiful nymph with a pure soul. Elara can be poisonous at times, but a little affection turns her into a caring kitten. Claire and Mary - lovely maids who always help me. And Shizuka, a woman who deserves kindness." Then he turned to Amarantha, smiling. "And you, Amarantha, my love. Your wisdom and advice have been of great help, and your embrace and support have been vital to me. I love you just as much as I love them. Madly in love."

To be continued...

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