Throne Steps

"He's approaching you too fast."

Fordhi threw something into the empty teacup, then picked up the teapot and poured boiling hot water straight into it.He obviously still has the same appearance, but there are some subtle differences in his expression and movements.Li Chen couldn't tell what it was exactly, but felt that compared to before, Fudexi's spirit seemed to be restrained a lot.Of course, when he is not restrained, his spirit is still as sharp as a knife.

For example, when he first saw Menzel who shot rashly.

Li Chen saw his flowing movements and asked, "What did you put in?"

The teacup was [-]% full, and Fudexi put down the teapot: "Flower tea, soothe the nerves."

Li Chen leaned over to look, and saw a beautiful flower bud floating in the hot water.After a while, the petals gradually opened, as if blooming against the wind, very beautiful.

Li Chen smiled: "You can do this too."

"It's just an elf's style." Fudexi sneered twice, and poured himself a glass, "See if everyone says they're putting on airs, but in fact, the elves are the ones who put on the most airs."

Li Chen picked up the teacup with a smile: "If I'm not mistaken, you are also an elf now, right? ... Oh, this tea is quite fragrant."

"I will always explain my affairs to you one by one." Fudexi glanced at him and took a sip of tea, "Let's explain the matter about Menzel first."

"It's so late..." Li Chen smiled, "I can't finish talking all night."

"If you can't finish speaking in one night, you can spend two nights; if you can't finish speaking in two nights, you can spend three nights. There will always be a day when you can finish speaking." Fudexi put down his teacup, "Anyway, I have time now."

Li Chen looked at him: "So, you are completely... relieved?"

Fordhi held out his hand to him.

Li Chen held it up, and the power of light magic flowed to Fudexi. Li Chen carefully watched his expression.

Fudexi also looked at him, his expression was calm and unwavering.

Li Chen smiled, feeling a sense of relief, and asked softly: "Did they restore you..."

"No, there is no way to restore the broken core, and the elves can't do anything about it." Seeing Li Chen's disappointed expression, Fudexi sneered, "You think they are too miraculous."

Li Chen: "Well, at least you can still use the magic crystal."

The method of using magic crystals without magic power was taught by Li Chen to Fudexi.After hearing the words, Fu Dexi stared at him for a few seconds, and thought of something, and replied in a strange way.

"……do not worry."

Li Chen spent two nights, and finally explained the process of Menzel's journey to where he is today before leaving the small town of Focheng.

"I still think he has ulterior motives," Ferdhi commented.

Li Chen blinked his left eye at him.

"Don't make such a disgusting action all of a sudden." Fudexi said unceremoniously, "What's the matter with Clement? Just let him enter the core like this, know the secret like this, and get close to you like this?"

Li Chen looked at him indifferently for a few seconds: "Okay, tell me, what's wrong with a guy with so many dog ​​chains?"

Fudexi felt that there was something in his words, but he couldn't distinguish his true meaning, so he could only reply according to his own thoughts: "Dog leashes, I have them, Clement has them, and you have them too. Ask yourself, you are chained Is it? Are you not disobeying that Highness in everything?"

Li Chen wanted to say that he didn't follow the rules, not because the dog leash didn't work, but because His Highness didn't want to pull his leash.But he won't say it, he just said: "But as long as he wants to control me, he can do it at any time. Even thousands of miles away, he can kill me with a flick of his finger."

Fudexi understands that Li Chen is using this as a metaphor for his relationship with Menzel.In fact, Fudexi also knows that it is difficult for Menzel to play tricks. Menzel has more constraints than him and Clement. If Menzel can take advantage of the loopholes, it means that Li Chen can't be 100% to himself and Clement. rest assured.

"Even so, it does not mean that he has no other purpose. You must know that something that is not a betrayal of you may not be harmless to you." Fudexi said, "This matter is not that simple. I request that he be removed from you. Isolate yourself."

"Okay, okay, I'll listen to you." Li Chen raised his hands to show his weakness, "As soon as you came back, you threw away the people around me, you are really jealous."

"Li Chen!"

"Okay, you are already an elf, learn from their calmness, and don't always get angry at every turn." Li Chen smiled, "Now, let me tell you, 'Two or three things about Menzel—— lower part'."

Fordhi frowned: "What?"

"I mean, I'm going to say what I really think about Menzel."

It was said that they wanted to discuss Menzel, but Li Chen's topic started with a question about the loyalty contract.

"If a guard disobeys the master's order in order to protect the master, does this count as a breach of the loyalty contract?"

"This..." Fudexi hesitated for a moment, "It still depends on the specific situation."

"What's so specific?" Li Chen said, "Essentially, the guards disobeyed the master, but in essence, the guards are for the master. These two points are not contradictory, but they stand on the opposite side of the so-called 'loyalty'. "

Fudexi felt that this made sense, but felt that something was wrong, so he thought silently.

"Well, let me give you an example." Li Chen said, "In a very critical time, I wanted to stay, and you thought I would die if I stayed, so you didn't listen to my decision, but got me away ...So, do you think you betrayed me?"

This seems to be something that Fudexi has done, so he didn't have to think for too long before replying: "No."

"The answer is really straightforward. It seems that I will give full consideration to this point when I give orders in the future." Li Chen said half-jokingly and half-seriously, and then said, "Look, you don't think you have betrayed me about this matter. , did nothing wrong, I think you were disobedient and disobeyed me, what do you think is the calculation?"

This sounds extreme, but in reality it is not uncommon.Fudexi knew that Li Chen's question was just an introduction, so he didn't think deeply about it, and just asked, "What exactly do you want to say?"

"I want to say that this so-called contract judgment actually has loopholes to exploit."

Fu Dexi was taken aback: "...what?"

"The boundary is actually in your heart." Li Chen said, "If you think you have betrayed, you have violated the contract; if you think you have not betrayed, you will not have violated the contract."

"It's impossible." Fudexi sat up straight. "According to what you said, the judgment standard is determined by the people who are loyal. If this is the case, no one will be bound by the contract. What's the use of the contract?"

"No, you didn't understand what I meant." Li Chen replied, "Still using the original example, the guard violated the master's wishes. If the guard thought he was doing it for the master's benefit and did not really betray the master, then he would not Sanctioned by the contract; if he thinks that although he is for the master's good, he still violates the master's wishes and is a forced betrayal, then he will still be sanctioned by the contract."

Fu Dexi frowned: "You mean, as long as the loyal person thinks that his behavior is not betrayal, he will not be considered as betrayal by the loyalty contract?"

"I think that's the case in theory, otherwise how can we find the standard?"

"No, wait, what you said is still too simple." Fudexi said, "There are so many loyalty contracts, it is impossible for you to understand this matter alone. If you can not violate it, why are there so many? People rely on this thing to control people?"

"This is a subconscious problem." Li Chen said, "For example, you always lie to yourself and others that you are a human being. But in fact, you know that you have elf blood, and you are not a complete human being. .”

Fudexi seemed to understand a little bit: "You mean, like a person who knows the law and breaks the law, even if he finds various reasons for himself..."

Li Chen nodded: "As long as he realizes that he is breaking the law, he will be sanctioned."

Fudexi thought for a while, and then said: "Is that why you told me about the loopholes in the loyalty contract?"

"As you said, I'm not the only one who noticed this. But compared to being monitored by loyal people, loyal people know what they are doing best, don't they?" Li Chen shrugged, "You You can escape my monitoring, but you cannot escape your own heart."

This has actually entered the field of psychology. Li Chen has dabbled in it before, but there is no need to discuss it too much with Fu Dexi.

"According to what you say, Menzel can't escape." Fudexi said, "Not only does he have a loyalty contract, but he also has many oaths for a single event. Counting these, even if he can get the loyalty contract, he can't escape it." Break those single vows."

"Actually...it's possible." Li Chen rubbed his chin, "For example, the oath prevents him from speaking, as long as he fundamentally believes that he didn't say anything, he won't violate the oath."

"Wait, didn't you say that he didn't know?" Fudexi frowned, "How could it be possible to say that he didn't know from the bottom of his heart?"

"There is a way to do it." Li Chen replied, "Let him forget and make him feel that he didn't say it, that's fine."

Fudexi stared at him: "What way?"

... hypnotized.

Li Chen's mouth moved, but in the end he still only said: "Anyway, it can be done."

"you can?"

"No."

"Who can do it?"

"I don't know." Li Chen was stared at, but smiled indifferently, "Isn't this just looking for someone who can control him?"

Fudexi felt that the topic had gone full circle, and finally came back.

Li Chen continued: "If someone can manipulate Menzel in this way, this person can manipulate anyone and infiltrate any kind of force. If I kick Menzel out of the game because I noticed this, I won't be able to follow the clues If we can find the person behind him, the harm will be even greater in the future. Well, the gain outweighs the loss, can you understand such a simple truth?"

Fudexi looked at him for a long time, then slowly said: "Even so, you shouldn't easily tell him the whole story of 'time wandering', I still think it's too hasty."

"Who said I 'confessed'?"

"... Hasn't he already successfully used 'Time Wandering'?"

"Indeed." Li Chen blinked, "But the reagent he used was prepared by me myself!"

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