I! Cleaner!

So this is what Feiliya meant, by simulating past scenes to keep all the Atifie bodies in minimal cognitive activity when not in use, to "preserve" the brain?

After glancing around the preservation hall and seeing six or seven "preservation vessels" similarly opened up like the middle-aged man, Leon couldn't help but hiss, feeling a tingling sensation on his scalp.

This is truly... quite perverse...

After shaking his head wordlessly, Leon hesitated slightly but then did not disturb the "small theaters" of these Atifie bodies. Instead, he activated the Secret Tail and found a seat towards the back.

"Fein, what are you talking about?!"

Before the royal family members below could respond, the queen beside the middle-aged man, with a face full of shock, demanded:

"Didn't we already agree that such a crazy thing is absolutely not allowed? How can you..."

"I... I'm sorry..."

It seemed that after the brain was taken out, it affected the body's ability to express "emotions." Facing his wife's angry questioning, King Fein first let out a mechanical sigh, then read aloud expressionlessly:

"You understand the current situation of the Kingdom. Whether it's non-renewable resources represented by Thunder Ore or consumable materials like Hover Crystals, in recent years, they've been insufficient. Nearly 20% of factories have shut down, and over sixty thousand people have lost their jobs.

Our contract with the Vandastone Kingdom is about to expire in half a year. They are preparing to raise energy prices. Over twenty mining areas such as Cheshire and Black Mountain have been causing trouble since last year, trying to break free from being just mine locations; the kingdom's current situation is not optimistic.

If a stronger 'Atifie' could appear to manage the entire kingdom, these losses could be reduced by a minimum of 15%, with a maximum reduction of up to 35%. The crisis facing the kingdom could be greatly alleviated, so..."

"It's not about how much we can reduce!"

The queen interrupted the middle-aged man's explanation, angrily scolding:

"Feiliya is our daughter! She's just a teenager! How can you say such heartless things as a father?"

"Besides being Feiliya's father, I'm also the King of the Crolock Kingdom, and although Feiliya is just a child, she is also the princess of the Crolock Kingdom."

Lowering the open skull slightly, King Fein continued in a seemingly pained voice:

"Whatever a person gains from their identity, they must bear the corresponding cost. I've enjoyed the authority brought by being king, and so I must bear the responsibility of maintaining the kingdom. Feiliya has enjoyed the benefits of being a princess, so she too has the responsibility to bear with that identity..."

"She's still a child! What do you want her to bear?"

The queen fumed:

"Fein! You make me sick! Do you know what you're saying? If Andre finds out..."

"If I don't do this, neither Andre nor Feiliya will live to see their 15th birthday!"

"What?!!"

Hearing King Fein's impulsively shouted words, the queen was stunned, and even Leon below couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

In a moment of complete silence, the brain-opened King Fein sighed and then spoke in a low tone:

"As you know, due to the influence of our bloodline, our family generally has frail bodies, but our brains are naturally much more developed than normal people's.

But Feiliya and Andre... The difference between their brains and ours is even greater than the difference between ours and ordinary people. This extraordinary talent isn't so much a gift from heaven as a curse."

Pausing a bit here, King Fein continued with a more oppressive tone:

"These two children have brains which are different from everyone else's. Some parts that should have matured and then stopped developing during infancy will continue to develop endlessly, crazily occupying space from other brain tissues.

While they're still young, there aren't many abnormalities, but as their brains continue to develop, it'll gradually affect their motor skills, potentially bringing about losses in vision, taste, and touch.

In the final few years, they will even completely lose control over their bodies, losing all sensory perception of the outside world, and will be helplessly confined in an empty prison by their wildly operating genius brains until death."

"This... this..."

Shocked by the truth King Fein revealed, the queen exclaimed:

"Then Andre has been frequently falling and complaining of blurry vision in the mornings recently, is that because..."

"Yes."

King Fein nodded.

"Andre's brain is gradually becoming overloaded, and there's no way Atifie at its current capacity could sort out his brain, which is a hundred times more complex than usual, but... Feiliya could.

So the choice now is either to do nothing and watch both children little by little... or to choose to sacrifice Feiliya to give Andre a chance to grow up healthy."

"Oh my god..."

Learning the truth of the matter, the queen's eyes instantly reddened, and she sobbed softly:

"Why... why must we make such a cruel choice? Moreover... Feiliya and Andre are so good. If he finds out in the future that it was by sacrificing Feiliya that he lived, that child... that child might..."

"He won't find out."

King Fein shook his head, reading aloud expressionlessly:

"As I initially said, the decision to sacrifice Feiliya is mine alone as her father, moved by Atifie to save the declining kingdom, having nothing to do with Andre... Everyone!"

At this point, King Fein made a gesture of removing his crown, then bowed profoundly to the silent audience below.

"When I make this decision, I ask that you not stop me and keep it a secret, never allowing Andre to know what happened today."

"..."

After a long silence, one of the Atifie bodies below, a white-haired old man, sighed and nodded slightly.

"Fein... it has been hard on you."

After the elder's statement, four more older royal family members nodded in succession.

"There's really nothing else we can do."

"Sigh... even saving one child is good."

"But Andre might hate you for life."

"How about this, let's say it was us who forced you to do it, and that you agreed because of the pressure from us elders... would that be a bit better?"

"..."

Well then... you sure handled this...

Upon hearing this, Leon couldn't help but stand up and glance at the last elder who made the suggestion.

No wonder Andre harbors such resentment, wiping out all the royal family members in one go. If I'm not mistaken, this single sentence probably led to the extermination of the entire Crolock royal family.

At this moment, the queen, who was crying bitterly in the front, suddenly sat up straight and smiled familiarly at Leon.

"Mr. Leon."

With her hands clasped at her abdomen, returning to her original graceful posture, the Crolock Queen—or rather Atifie 00—using the queen's "body," smiled and inquired:

"I wonder if this piece of history has satisfied you?"