Mage Manual
Chapter 472 - 388: Wanting to be Belladett’s Dog_2

Chapter 472: Chapter 388: Wanting to be Belladett’s Dog_2

"I remember the appearance of all the servants in the manor," the red-haired girl said with a pursed smile. "Nice to meet you, my name is Anfeier."

"How is that possible? This brutal manor has eighty thousand servants, how could you possibly remember them all? You must be talking about the servants in the main house," Ash retorted with a wry smile. "Though I am indeed new here, my name is Akamashi Spartahi..."

"Ash Heath."

Watching Ash suddenly confronted with his True Name, Anfeier blinked, "Don’t worry, no one here is going to report you."

Is this the power of the Dominion Faction? Even though they know I am Ash Heath, they won’t report me? Ash suddenly grew curious. "Why wouldn’t you report me? Don’t you know that I am the top artwork in the ’Art Ranking’, and now the Empire is after me?"

"I know, but this is Belladett Manor, and since you’re working here, it means that the Family Head of Belladett has recognized you," Anfeier explained. "We all trust the judgment of the Family Head of Belladett."

"The Family Head of Belladett? Are you talking about Yvalin?"

"Mm, we usually refer to her as Miss Belladett," Anfeier reminded Ash to mind his references. "You can only address her directly by her name in very familiar circumstances. Normally, we say Miss, Master, or Your Excellency."

Ash hesitated to speak but couldn’t help himself and blurted out, "Do you realize you’ve been brainwashed?"

"Brainwashed?" Anfeier tilted her head. "By the way, you described the manor with the prefix ’brutal’ earlier."

"Though you might not feel it, you are all enslaved by Belladett," Ash briefly summarized Belladett’s conceptual dominion over the people. "...It’s because of her evil miracle of dominance that you all spend extravagantly in your youth, work incessantly in adulthood, and venture out on perilous adventures when old, all to sustain her brutal dictatorship!"

"The reason you won’t report me is also that Yvalin has hypnotized your consciousness with her suggestions, making you dismiss any malice towards me!"

After learning of Belladett’s secrets from Hanna, Ash had been holding back, and fortunately, no one else had approached Ash to probe his weaknesses in the past few days, so the Cult Leader managed to keep his composure. Engaging deeper in conversation with Anfeier, Ash couldn’t hold back any longer and flaunted his knowledge of the dominion secrets, trying to awaken an unaware lamb.

But he seemed to forget, if he truly woke the uninformed lamb and Anfeier refused to obey Yvalin’s commands, Anfeier would lift all restrictions and could report him as an uncaught disaster.

"Oh..." Anfeier nodded profoundly with a thoughtful expression.

Just when Ash thought she had understood, Anfeier sighed, "Mr. Heath..."

"Just call me Ash."

"Mr. Ash, it seems you have many misunderstandings and prejudices about us."

"What, are you saying that what I just said is false? Was I deceived?"

"No, what you said is true, but..." Anfeier pondered, then leaned closer to Ash and said, "Don’t move, just look at that floor-to-ceiling window."

Since there was a lush sycamore tree outside, the green-tinted window could barely serve as a mirror. Ash looked towards the window and saw their faces pressed closely together reflected in it—though it was just a visual misalignment.

Ash understood. "Are you saying, what I said is true, but it’s just one perspective?"

Anfeier nodded. "Let me ask you three questions first. In your youth, didn’t you want to buy many things, go to many places, and experience a lot?"

"Yes."

"When you’re working, don’t you wish to have a beautiful, capable wife, a few naughty but lively children, and to create more memories together on weekends?"

Ash, who had always hoped to find a beautiful wife to marry and have his Substitute handle the household responsibilities, could only honestly respond, "Yes."

"When you are in your fifties or sixties, the children are grown, and you’re tired of your work, wouldn’t you want to see the world as it has changed over the decades, to visit those magnificent mountains and rivers you dared not attempt when you were younger, to take on the final challenge of your life?" Anfeier finished her questions and then shook her head, "But we are still young and can’t answer this yet."

But Ash had fully grasped her point.

"Do you think Mongferans haven’t been dominated by Belladett, and it’s entirely their choice?"

"I’ve also visited other cities and understand the life in various parts of the Gospel," Anfeier continued while mopping the floor. "When young people are most capable of trouble and eager to experience all facets of life, they have plenty of time but no money; during the middle-aged, when people are busiest and most stable, they have lots of money, but lack time; in old age, after experiencing the vicissitudes of life and becoming weary of it, they often get tied down by their offspring."

"If we could give middle-aged money to the youth, many problems would be solved easily. The youth could grow happily, settle down contently, and enter middle age, and when old they would not worry about their offspring, because their children could advance their own middle-aged funds."

"In the city satisfaction ranking, Mongfera’s always been in the top five, but aside from Vatican Mura that uses stimulating gases to cheat, I believe Mongfera is definitely the happiest city," Anfeier declared earnestly. "When we play, we deserve our youth; when we work, we earn our dreams; when we marry, we deserve our partners and children; when we age, we honor the years; and when we die, we deserve ourselves."

"Yes, Belladett influenced us just as you said, subtly, using our labor to build this manor. But which city doesn’t have dominance, doesn’t have governance? Vatican Mura? Modora? Nabistin? Or the wilderness and abyss?"

"Mongferans are not ignorant; they know everything, understand everything, yet still choose the life they enjoy. You could ask any Mongfera citizen randomly, and he would answer you, ’I lived my life to the fullest, Belladett did nothing wrong to me.’"

"All things in this world are under the cycle of dominion. Time, space, the past, environment, lineage, race... even gods might not dare declare themselves free," Anfeier chuckled softly. "To recognize reality and bravely embrace challenges, that is what makes us Mongferans."

"What do you think, Mr. Ash?"

I think my ass!

I almost let you convince me!

Damn, being Yvalin’s dog does seem pretty appealing!

I might as well explode with 100 million shell points for a lavish fulfilled life and let my Substitute work off the debt!