"Do not harbor any hope that I will lower my guard against you. No matter how much vigilance one maintains against a conspirator like you, it is never enough!"
Listening to Patriot's words, Kashchey—wearing Talulah's face—flashed a joyful expression, as if Patriot's statement was the highest compliment he could receive.
Patriot's crimson eyes scrutinized Kashchey's every move. He noted that since occupying Talulah's body, Kashchey had refrained from making any overly large physical gestures.
On the other side, Frostnova also sensed the tension in the atmosphere, though she felt somewhat awkward being so on edge. Seeing that Jeanne had no reaction and was simply "eating melons" (watching the drama) on the side, she sat down to watch the two old-timers play their game of wits.
At this moment, the scene felt like a return to their very first conversation, except this time, Patriot was no longer facing a naive young dragon, but rather a crafty old snake.
Patriot was internally conflicted. Had he encountered Kashchey in the wild, he would have torn him apart with his halberd without hesitation, but the snake now occupied Talulah's body. Even more frustrating was his lack of knowledge regarding secret arts for soul extraction. Such things were rarities even among the Sarkaz; aside from the Demon King, almost no one knew them.
"Eh? Mr. Patriot, what are you all doing here? Have you had a falling out with Talulah?"
Alina, seeing the scene from the side, walked over to inquire. It was strange; she had simply slept in on her day off, only to find both members of her household gone. Since she didn't know the specifics of what had transpired, she assumed they were quarreling over some issue. Moreover, Talulah's demeanor seemed quite odd.
"Don't get close to Talulah! She isn't Talulah right now! She's dangerous!"
Frostnova quickly warned Alina, hoping she would stay away. The nun appeared physically frail, and she worried Kashchey might take her hostage to escape.
"Talulah is dangerous?" Alina, who had just reached Talulah's side, heard this and looked at the "off" version of her friend. She instantly understood. "Mr. Kashchey, did Talulah let you out today?"
Kashchey nodded, continuing to lock eyes with Patriot with great interest. Patriot, however, hadn't expected that even Alina was aware of Kashchey's existence.
"You... also know of Kashchey? A dangerous thing like him has seized Talulah's body, yet I see the two of you aren't worried at all."
"Actually, there's nothing dangerous about it. Mr. Kashchey is currently undergoing 'ideological reform' and is also teaching Talulah a few things. We aren't worried about him pulling any tricks."
As she spoke, Alina held up the crucifix around her neck and moved closer to Kashchey. Talulah's body immediately recoiled a significant distance.
Kashchey wanted to cry but had no tears. Of the three people in this household, two could completely suppress him. How was he supposed to live like this!
"Miss Alina, let's talk things out nicely; let's not bring out such dangerous things. Even if it's not meant for me, it wouldn't be good if that thing hit me, would it? I was only called out by Talulah to explain the situation. If you don't believe me, ask Jeanne..."
"You... have actually become like this? In my impression, you were a conspirator who viewed everyone as a chess piece."
Patriot tentatively accepted that Kashchey was currently harmless, but he could not erase his deep-seated prejudice. The image of the black snake still loomed in his mind. What Patriot loathed most were those who plotted behind backs and treated others as pawns. He would rather slaughter demons than deal with such a conspirator.
"Your impression is not wrong, Buldrokkas'tee."
Kashchey switched back to a tone that was cold, tinged with a hint of contempt and arrogance, agreeing with Patriot's assessment.
"To this day, I am still that Deathless Black Snake who enjoys using everyone as a chess piece. It is just that, right now, I am not playing the game."
"Why? If your personality is truly as 'Old Dad' says, how could you possibly not be carrying out some plot? Otherwise, why stay dormant in Talulah's soul without coming out?"
Frostnova picked up the thread of the conversation. Patriot sat down again, watching him silently. If Kashchey made any move, Patriot would surely restrain him instantly.
"I certainly want to go out, but I don't want to die so pointlessly. As for why I'm not designing conspiracies..."
As he spoke, Kashchey's gaze landed on Patriot. "Buldrokkas'tee, having witnessed His descent, can you truly not figure this out?"
Kashchey spoke with a sense of resignation. "No matter how precise or perfect my plans are—even if they could run themselves after my death to achieve their goal—what is the point?"
He pointed toward the sky. "Everything on this chessboard is being watched by Him. People like that don't play by the rules; they can just flip the entire board over. No matter how much talent you have, it's useless."
Looking at the despondent Kashchey, Patriot actually felt a trace of desolation from him. A fellow who had plotted a world-shaking conspiracy, only to have someone flip the board...
"Bring Talulah back. I have understood the general details, but I still wish to hear her thoughts."
Talulah's body swayed slightly. When her closed eyes opened once more, the Talulah they were familiar with appeared before them.
"I already know of your connection to Kashchey. I believe someone like you would never cooperate with a fellow like that. As long as your body has not been seized, we are willing to trust your words."
Hearing Patriot's words, Talulah felt relieved. They shouldn't be hung up on her complex relationship with Kashchey anymore.
"Rest assured, I do not subscribe to Kashchey's ideology. I will prove through my actions that I will lead everyone to seek a future."
"Then we shall see. After all, the current situation is that the nobles already perceive us as a single unit. If we separate now, there is no benefit."
Just as Patriot said, if they went their separate ways at this moment, only their enemies would benefit. Such an outcome had to be prevented at all costs.
"Then for now... if our two sides are to cooperate, under what name shall we act? I feel that using either of our previous names wouldn't be quite right."
After seeing her stubborn "Old Dad" agree to join forces with Talulah, Frostnova asked the question she had been meaning to ask for some time. Whether it was the Guerrillas or their Liberation Front, those were names from the past. Keeping the teams divided would create a sense of fragmentation.
"How about the 'Avengers'? Or the 'Infinite Love Mutual Aid Society'? I think the 'Infected Relief and Guaranteed Common Development Federation' is also quite good..."
The others instinctively ignored Jeanne, who was happily coming up with names. You truly couldn't expect someone who named an Earth Dragon "Wangcai" (Fortune) to come up with a good name.
"Actually, I've thought about a name too," Talulah said seriously. "I hope to integrate all suffering people to resist together. Therefore, the name of this organization shall be—the Reunion Movement (Reunion)."