Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

“It's your turn now. Today, all those who attacked Blackmoon Castle will be judged.”

Watson flapped his twelve wings and let out a roar that shook heaven and earth, announcing the death of everyone there.

Plop!

No one knew who knelt first, but soon, the remaining mages and mercenaries all knelt in Watson's direction. Their expressions were ashen, and they did not want to resist anymore.

“My lord, I do not wish to attack Blackmoon Castle. It was all President Audrey's idea! I was coerced, and I am willing to submit to Blackmoon Castle and pay the price for my sins, only that you spare me. I am Leonard, the Mage Guild's Vice President.

At that moment, he looked up at the sky as his beard quivered.

He had a hunch that Watson was not someone he could provoke. It was true, but he had not expected that even the astrologer was not a match for Watson.

He no longer cared about his dignity or his face as long as he could live; he only wanted to live.

“You are a sc.u.mbag, Leonard! You betrayed Lady Audrey and even begged the enemy for mercy. You have no backbone at all!”

Not far away, Martin, who was also a Mage Guild elder, rebuked Leonard angrily. “Do you think he will let you off just like that? How foolis.h.!.+ I'm different from you. Even if I were to die here today, I would protect the President.”

He did not kneel. Instead, he stood upright.

“Is your name Leonard? Please accept my apologies.”

Martin wanted to curse again, but a voice filled with authority suddenly echoed from the sky; it caused his body to tremble.

Watson's huge magical beast's eyes swept past Leonard and landed on Martin. “I'm not a cruel person. I can give anyone who surrenders a way out. Sometimes, death is not a punishment but a relief. Those who surrender will be Blackmoon Castle's slaves for the rest of their lives to make up for their sins! As for you, you said that you wouldn't surrender even if you died here. You have a lot of guts.”

“I—”

Martin's expression changed. He gritted his teeth and knelt on the ground with a plop. “I was just joking. I surrender too.”

He said those words because Watson did not even listen to the astrologer's words and was determined to kill them. In any case, he would rather die than be stubborn. Who would have thought that Watson would allow him to surrender? Then what was the point of his pretense?

Watson could even kill an astrologer. Martin admitted that he could not even begin to compare to the astrologer. It would not be exaggerating to say that Watson could kill him with just a glance.

“Martin, you—”

Audrey's face was livid. Her fingers that were pointing at Martin trembled slightly. Faced with her gaze, Martin turned his head away in shame and said, “I'm sorry, President. I don't want to die.”

Audrey turned her head to look at the remaining two Mage Guild elders.

Hilbert, the so-called Unbreakable Barrier, had long knelt on the ground. Anna was the same. She looked at Audrey innocently. “President, as long as you surrender, you can live. If you live, you will have a future. Why don't you get down on your knees?”

“If you want to kneel, you can kneel. I won't kneel! I am Audrey, the Mage Guild President. I'm a heroine in this world. No one has the right to make me kneel.”

Audrey pursed her lips. She raised her neck arrogantly when she was about to die.

Pa!

As soon as she finished speaking, she was. .h.i.t in the face. She was pushed to kneel on the ground with great force. A bright red palm print appeared on her cheek, swelling up at speed visible to the naked eye.

Audrey turned her head in disbelief and found that Watson had deactivated the Great Sin Beast transformation. He had teleported in front of her and gave her a hard slap before he stared at her coldly.

“You appear to be very pleased with yourself. You've clearly committed acts of aggression against others, and yet you don't know how to repent?”

Repent?

Ptui.

Audrey spat out a mouthful of blood as she maintained her kneeling posture and smirked disdainfully, “Little Brother, don't get it wrong. You were the one who killed my subordinates and destroyed the Demoness Bandit Gang before I launched an attack on you! What I've done is justice. There's nothing to regret. If I don't regret it in the past, there's no way I'll regret it in the future.”

“Your subordinates wanted to harm my family for their own selfish desires! The Demoness Bandit Gang had done many evil deeds on the border. Countless families have suffered because of them. How can you say that what you did was justified?

“In this world, the strong are respected. The strong ones are always right. So what if I step on the weak? They deserved it. It's their honor to be stepped on by me.”

Audrey chuckled coldly, “If I could turn back time, I would still do the same thing! It's a pity. I had wanted to kill your family and friends and hang them up after taking down Blackmoon Castle. I wanted to let the people at the border know the consequences of opposing me. You're lucky this time. However, the kingdom won't let you off after you killed the astrologer. No matter how strong you are, how can you resist the entire kingdom's army? It seems like it won't be long before you come to accompany me. I'll be waiting for you.”

“You take bullying the weak for granted. You should be very proud of yourself.”

Watson was a little moved. Audrey had successfully angered him. It did not matter what she did to him, but using his family to threaten him had touched his sore spot. “You just said that it wouldn't be long before I accompany you. It's a pity that you won't be able to see that day! I was wondering if it would be too much to punish you like that. Since you said that, I'm relieved. Like I said, sometimes death is a relief.”

“What do you want to do?”

Audrey had a bad omen. Watson ignored her and shouted, “Someone, get me the Head Housemaid, Capella.”

“Yes, Young Master Watson!”

Immediately, a guard entered the castle. Not long after that, Capella walked out of the mansion and quickly came to Watson's side. A few high-ranking members of the former Demoness Bandit Gang trailed behind her. They looked at Audrey with a conflicted expression.

“Pride…”

“You guys are alive?” Audrey was a little surprised when she saw her former companions. Then she noticed that they were dressed as maids. Her expression changed. “What are you guys doing? Did you guys defect to Blackmoon Castle? Trash, you guys are tras.h.!.+ You're a disgrace to the Demoness Bandit Gang.”

“Pride! So what if we defected? You've seen Watson's strength. We're not in a hurry to die like you.” Wrath's eyebrows rose. “In the end, didn't that happen because you weren't at the Demoness Bandit Gang?”

“Forget it, Wrath.” A young woman grabbed Fury's hand and turned her head. “Pride, Blackmoon Castle isn't as bad as you think. You've also seen how Watson successfully fuse with the Great Sin Mask! According to the rules of the Darkness Church, whoever can repair the Great Sin Mask is our leader. Why don't you also admit defeat and come here to Blackmoon Castle? It's not good for anyone to continue fighting like this.”

2

They had seen the scene where Watson had fused with the Great Sin Mask and transformed into the Great Sin Beast to kill the astrologer while they hid in the castle. They had been forced to enter Blackmoon Castle, but they had pledged their complete loyalty by then.

The price of disloyalty was their lives.

“I have nothing to say to you traitors. Anyway, you will die sooner or later if you follow that kid Watson.”

“But if we don't follow him, we'll die right now,” Envy interjected. “Audrey, don't think that I don't know what you're thinking. You wanted to restore the Great Sin Mask to revitalize the Demoness Church for your own good. All you want is to gain power and become a leader.”

Hmph…

When she saw that her past companions had betrayed her, Audrey snorted coldly and turned her head away. Envy was right. She really did think that. “There's no need to say any more nonsense. If you want to be killed or flayed, it's up to you.”

She did not believe that, other than killing her, Watson could do something else to her. Perhaps, torment her?

She was not a simple woman either; mere torture would not make her yield. She would count it a loss if she called out once.

“I'll grant you that wish.”

Watson nodded and pointed at her and Capella. “System fusion, activate.”

Audrey was still thinking about how Watson would treat her when, suddenly, her body began to melt and gradually turned into light. Then, she screamed in panic, “No, wait, wait…”.

Her eyes became fearful. She felt that something terrible was happening to her. She wanted Watson to stop, but it was too late.

In just a few seconds, she had turned into light and covered Capella's body; it made her even more voluptuous and tall. The freckles on her face disappeared, and her ordinary appearance became exquisite, vaguely resembling Audrey.

At the same time, a system notification sounded in Watson's ear.

[Congratulations, Master, for successfully fusing a gold-tier combat maid. The combat maid will inherit all the strength, looks, intelligence, and decision-making abilities of the fused person.]