Late at night, the banquet broke up.
When the doors of the banquet hall opened, a strong smell of alcohol wafted out.
Queen Riku supported the dead-drunk King Riku and was the first to apologize to Rosse, then took the king away to settle him.
Scarlett was responsible for escorting Rosse to where they were staying.
This should have been Kyros's job, but because of Rosse's earlier attitude, King Riku and his wife didn't dare let him appear again.
They didn't want Scarlett to go, either, but they couldn't persuade her, not at all.
"Rosse-nee, are you alright?"
Smelling the wine on Rosse, Scarlett blinked and looked up at him.
She actually hoped Rosse would be as drunk as her father, so she and Gion could one on each side half-carry him.
But unfortunately, Rosse looked very sober, not drunk at all.
He had clearly drunk more than her father, and yet, 'Ah, my father really can't manage it; he couldn't even get Rosse-nee drunk.'
Scarlett felt a pang of disappointment.
'What a pity. Such a great opportunity wasted.'
"I'm fine. You had some too, have the maids take you to rest. We already know where we're staying."
Rosse smiled and ruffled Scarlett's head; the thoughts of a young girl were basically written on her face, easy to guess.
But unfortunately, he didn't have any special feelings for the girl, not yet.
She was still a bud, not yet time for him to pick her.
In two years when the flower blooms, then it will be his turn to pick.
"Um, but...", Scarlett was a little unwilling and wanted to stay with Rosse longer, but seeing the smile in Rosse's eyes, she finally opened her mouth and said, "Alright then, I'll go with you to the Holy Land tomorrow. Rosse-nee, Sister Gion, have a pleasant night."
Scarlett forced back her reluctance, lifted a brilliant smile, stepped back two paces, and performed a ladylike exit bow to Rosse and the others.
Her heart was fluttering, but good courtly education told her she mustn't act childish now, or she would only provoke Rosse and the others' dislike.
The future was long; she believed she could win Rosse's favor.
"She's a decent girl," Gion watched the departing pink figure, a smile tugging at her lips, 'A good appraisal.'
At first she thought the girl was just a fangirl of Rosse, but after some contact she found Scarlett to be a princess in the mold of Sora: capable, with a good sense of the bigger picture, only limited by Dressrosa's constraints.
If Rosse could guide her, she might not reach Sora or Otohime's level, but exceeding Princess Titi should be doable.
"If she can one day be Otohime's deputy, she won't have disappointed my expectations," Rosse smiled slightly and gave his thought.
Since Scarlett trusted him so readily, he should repay that expectation.
In terms of talent, Scarlett had no innate gift.
But because of excellent education, serving as Otohime's or Sora's aide in the future wouldn't be a big problem.
After all, they still lacked people.
Although his influence was growing, Rosse knew many of those gains were like castles in the air.
Don't talk about facing a Child of Fate; even if Dragon visited more places to liberate them a few more times, the territories Rosse controlled might not hold up.
Even his deepest control, Jaygar District, lacked someone who could truly garrison it and bind the people's hearts.
Such a person cannot rely on brute force alone; strong political skill is required.
Among his many subordinates, only Otohime and he could do that.
But Otohime could not be distracted. She didn't work by tactics but by exchanging true heart for true heart, which takes even more time.
When Fishman Kingdom stabilizes, Otohime would be sent by Rosse to the more important Levely, not to Jaygar District.
But in any case, the lack of people was an undeniable fact.
He didn't want his forces to be like the World Government's influence over member nations, that kind of dependent relationship was too flimsy.
Even if he couldn't make everyone believe in him, he had to capture the hearts of key people like Otohime.
"Why blend in with the flock?", Kaido, reeking of wine, suddenly spoke; those seemingly glassy, drunken tiger eyes shimmered with an unmistakably clear light.
Bored that evening, Kaido had drunk more than anyone.
But now, he was clearer-headed than anyone.
He didn't believe Rosse did useless things, so he wanted to understand Rosse's thinking more.
Kaido's original intention was to learn more, study more, and then surpass.
But unbeknownst to him, if he continued like this he would only gradually blunt his fangs.
Even if he became similar to Rosse, it would be walking Rosse's path. How could he surpass someone on a road they themselves had opened? It would be mere imitation.
"The flock? In your view, what is this world?", Rosse smiled at Kaido and didn't mind talking a bit more.
Learn from others and die.
The more you learn him, the more you're forced to play by his rules.
Others don't have his burdens; he has them.
Others are darker; he's darker still.
Playing by his rules, how could you ever beat him?
"Survival of the fittest. The strong rule the weak."
Kaido sneered and glanced at Zephyr in disagreement, then added:
"Even so-called justice is just the strong enforcing their will, under the banner of doing good for the weak, arranging life for the weak."
"Then what is strong? What is weak?", Rosse asked calmly.
"Strong is the strong in power; weak is the weak," Kaido answered decisively.
"Is it only power? Cobra was loved by a million people, while Kozuki Oden couldn't handle even a few in Kuri. Which of you is stronger?", Rosse asked with a smile.
"Cobra was killed by the Red Count. Oden couldn't manage people, but at least he wouldn't have been killed so easily by the Red Count," Kaido replied instantly.
His concept of strength and weakness was that simple: whoever has the bigger fist should control everything.
"So you'll always just be a pirate. Even if you occupy Wano and rule it through fear, you'll only be a temporary tyrant," Rosse smiled.
"A tyrant, so what?", Kaido retorted defiantly.
His old dream wasn't world domination, but to at least stand equal with the World Government. Rosse's words clearly belittled him, not in strength, but in other aspects.
Even without formal education, he didn't think himself inferior to King Riku or Cobra.
What were those clowns; how could they compare to him?
"If your ideal is to be a local lord, a tyrant can keep your dignity while your strength declines. But if you govern all of Wano, manage the New World, manage the whole world, will only killing be useful?", Rosse countered.
This question made Kaido fall silent.
Not because he accepted Rosse's words, but because he was seriously considering whether his own ideas were feasible.
If it came to killing, both Rosse and the Celestial Dragons had killed far more and with more malice than he had.
But even the Celestial Dragons didn't adopt an attitude of 'disobey and die.'
Otherwise Wano would long since have been wiped out by the World Government; it wouldn't have lasted to now.
So then.
'What prevents the World Government from killing?'
'Is ruling by slaughter and power truly a pathless future?'
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.