The Chief didn't have to think much to respond, and he didn't even have to use any words.

Raising his hand, he joined his index finger and thumb to make a single number, and seeing it, Daneel raised his eyebrows and said, "You underestimate me, and forget that I was a mage, first and foremost, before reaching my current level of Fighter prowess… But I don't blame you. You won't be the first whose mind I'll be changing… But that's not important. Unlike how it may appear, I'm not doing this for satisfaction alone… Just like I announced, my aim is to make the Big Four better and prepare them for what is to come. In the Fortress, my approach was correct because the main thing on which those blockheaded Fighters operate is pride, and by crus.h.i.+ng it, I know that I have created the zeal to improve and show themselves to be more than what they proved to be. If I did the same thing here, though… I'm pretty sure it would backfire. Those in the Sect of Hedon are known for their hedonistic lifestyles, just like their name, so if I do make a challenge, first, all of them might not even partic.i.p.ate, because most of them are used to searching for the perfect opportunity and then deciding on the place of confrontation to ensure victory. Second, even after beating a lot of people, the thing that will be instilled in their minds is that they should use underhanded methods to defeat me, and not to improve and maybe unite. And of course, that's exactly the opposite of what I want."

With a nod, the Chief who had been smiling said, "That's why I said the chances were zero, King, if you used the same approach. Each of the Big Four was created so that talented individuals of the continent would have a place to go to which matches both their powers and their temperaments, thereby giving each of them the best place that they can use to hone themselves. Of course, when I say created, I don't say that they were made specifically for that purpose, but that they were able to last for this long and rise above all of the rest as they could slot the inhabitants of Angaria between themselves. In the days after the apocalypse, in the records, it was written that with each generation, new demographics of individuals would emerge, and new inst.i.tutions would be set up to hopefully use these individuals and rise in status and power. With the current state of the Energy level of the continent, though, and with the present Big Four being too strong, the chances of that happening are not very high. And of course, that is also the reason why the epidemic that you are speaking about has spread its wings everywhere. It is actually the perfect time for it to be eradicated – because otherwise, we will be the ones who meet the same fate. I really commend what you're doing, King, and I'll follow you on this journey to help you succeed, with the hope that the wisdom that I have attained from living for so long might help you in some way or the other."

Hearing the Chief's words, the king looked like he had gotten an idea, as he had sunk into deep thought towards the end of his speech, but after he was done, he snapped his head up and flashed a brilliant grin before saying, "You might have done that already. But first… I have a plan. You don't know about my escapades in this sect before, right? Well, I'll be doing something that blows all of that out of the water, anyway, so keep watching… I think I will need your help in the other two, but here, I've got it covered. So sit back, old man, and enjoy the show… Heavens know you've been all wound up about finding a Legacy Disciple for way too long."

Relief shone in the old man's eyes again as Daneel said this, and seeing this, he raised his hand to pat his shoulder twice, before descending to the headquarters of the sect.

The fight had been definitely exhilarating, but afterward, Daneel had used the system to find out about all of the reactions of everyone around him.

In the process, he had been informed about a very interesting individual called Rico whose hobby aligned perfectly with one of the largest corporations on earth which wouldn't be a bad thing to bring to Angaria, and the emotions that had been present in the Chief's size, which he had been able to decipher easily based on all of the conversations that he had had with the man before.

His plight reminded Daneel of the plight of many fathers with large businesses on earth, who would look with expectant eyes for an heir who could satisfy their standards and a.s.sure them that they would take forward their life's work in the right manner. In far too many cases, this wouldn't happen, and the family's legacy might end up going into the ground, so it was truly a lucky thing for the old man to have succeeded in his goal, which was much more important than anything that Daneel was comparing it to, before the time came for his already prolonged life to end.

Reaching the headquarters, Daneel first let out a breath and looked around, as he had many fond memories of this place.

It was here that he had undertaken one of the first major operations of his life in the Big Four, and it was also here that he had made a foe whose life he had ended after a lot of difficulties. Of course, there was also a different foe who was currently rotting in the special prison of the Order, but that was someone he would get to at a later date.

For now, though, he directly entered the headquarters and reached the room where a man was already standing and waiting for his arrival.

Daneel was actually familiar with this man – back when the Mad Doctor had been injured and was being protected by Heroes so that he would not be targeted by the Church who would want to whittle down the important Champions of the continent, this was the one who had been in the room.

Hence, he was also the one who had been hoodwinked by Daneel's actions which had made it so that the Mad Doctor would rise at a time that was convenient to him so that he could meet his end, and at that time, he had seemed like quite a formidable foe whose power was apparently related to the concept of darkness and light, but in a different way when compared to Rayen.

Apparently, he was a Hero who had come from the Sect of Hedon, and with no one else being interested to take up the mantle that was left empty, he had stepped in.

Now, nodding at Daneel, he said, "Welcome. Is this your first time in the sect?"

Daneel wondered whether this was an arrow in the dark, as he was pretty sure that all of his actions in the sect had been carried out in a perfectly discreet manner. All of the ident.i.ties he had used were not his, and no one should know of the connection between the King of Lanthanor and this organization of the Big Four.

Shrugging on getting the thought that he was now at least powerful enough to not care about some random Hero, he said, "Yes, but I do have an acquaintance here through someone else… That someone is very precious to me, and if you're looking for someone to take up your post as you seem to be too busy to handle it, I would suggest his name."

The Hero was startled to hear this. Wearing a weird cloak which would make him occasionally blend into the surroundings and completely turn invisible, he took a small step back and said, "Oh! I did not know that you had someone in mind for my position… but we can talk about that later. May I ask what your purpose is behind coming here? I already know of your position in the Order, as I was there on that day. I must say, what you did with Cain… Was a real treat to watch. I'm one of the few who graduated from the Big Four as a Hero and then went to the Order because of the uniqueness of my Hero path that was formidable enough even though I broke through using the grace of my ancestors, so I know of your actual standing. If you wish, you can bring down your force and flatten all of the Big Four in a single move. So… I really do not know your purpose behind coming to each of us. I was hoping that you would end your journey with the Fortress, as you do have a claim there, but you came here. So… May I ask why?"

The cloak covered the face of the Hero, too, but even though they could not see his expression, both Daneel and the chief understood one thing: this was someone who was clearly saying that he knew exactly what the one in front of him was capable of, but was still not willing to bend head over heels to comply with his every wish. It looked like he had something to fall back on in case the worst came to worst, and after hearing him, Daneel was quite interested to find out what that was.

If Angaria could be likened to a river, then it was his job right now, before he healed, to go all over it and find out all of the obstacles so that he could remove them and make sure that the river could flow unimpeded and unhindered to crash against the Church that was like a large boulder waiting to stop its way forward.

These obstructions could be in the form of the Big Four, or even in the groups of Heroes who had lost all trust in the Order due to what had happened, but either way, using the best method to tackle each and every one of them, Daneel would make sure that they would all be dealt with before he began his final plan that would create a stand against the Church.

But first, he had come to handle the Sect of Hedon, and he would finish his mission here before sorting out the one in front of him.

Getting a smile on the corner of his lips, he responded by saying, "You may not have heard my words in the Fortress, even though you clearly know what happened there. I said that I'm going around stamping out the egos of those in the Big Four who think they're hotshots on the continent, and my next target is this Sect, which famously declares its penchant for scheming and underhanded methods. I would like… to propose a contest. It will fall in perfectly with everything that the Sect of Hedon represents, and in the same way that I accomplished my goal in the Fortress, I will shatter all of the misconceptions of those who are a part of your home. I don't think this is an unreasonable request… Do you? After all, it will help you, too, in the long run."

Daneel's words were followed by silence, so it was obvious that the Hero was quite taken aback, because he must definitely not have expected something like this.

But after thinking it through, it seemed like he found no reason to not agree, especially given what the one in front of him could call on if things didn't go well.

Seeing him nod, with an obnoxious smirk, the King of Lanthanor said, "Great! Let's do the announcement right now, then! Follow me!"

As if he was very familiar to the place, he went directly to the square in the center of the sect when everyone usually congregated if there was something going on, and as he took in a deep breath and started to shout, the Chief began to get flashbacks to what had just happened in his home.

"Listen up, ya' little maggots! Your superior in every way is here! Today, I've come to flatten this sect! If I win, all of you will forever have to live with the fact that one person outsmarted an entire Sect! If I lose…well, how about this: if I lose, I will use my personal forces to make the Sect of Hedon the best sect in the Big Four. If you're dumb, it basically means that all of you will be showered with resources! As for the contest, it's called…'Make a Scam'!"