Kanna-no-Miyatsukasa still yielded to Tanaka Ken'ga's displeasure.
After casting one last, unwilling glance at the Shimada brothers and Chizuru Ginshiro, Kanna-no-Miyatsukasa finally returned to his seat in a huff.
Tanaka Ken'ga then cleared his throat and, taking over from Kanna-no-Miyatsukasa, grilled Chizuru Ginshiro and the Shimada brothers:
"His Majesty is magnanimous, and this time, your mistake will be overlooked for now..."
"What you need to do now is to find ways to compensate for our losses as much as possible and not falter in subsequent plans!"
"Do you understand?"
Seeing a turn of events, the Shimada brothers quickly kowtowed profusely, agreeing to the matter.
Although Chizuru Ginshiro did not appear as eager as them, she silently nodded.
With the initial impulse subsided, Kanna-no-Miyatsukasa's expression improved slightly.
Seeing a slight softening in both parties' attitudes, Tanaka Ken'ga shifted his gaze back to Chizuru Ginshiro:
"This cheating incident has already placed our Sakura Nation in an extremely disadvantageous public opinion environment, and the incident is still escalating..."
"Let alone other impacts, even this point alone is fatal enough."
"Therefore, we cannot afford any more mistakes in the next matter!"
"As long as we can completely turn Lin Ran into one of ours, and he himself comes forward to clear our name, we can reverse the situation..."
"Otherwise, I fear that from now on, Sakura Nation will become a globally notorious existence!"
In truth, Tanaka Ken'ga's words were quite disingenuous.
From his own perspective, he actually hoped that the current Sakura Nation would become more infamous.
Because that way, when he launched his usurpation activities, he could use resonant slogans like "Revitalize Sakura," "Reform the Government," and "Change the Status Quo."
After the usurpation, he could easily draw a clear line between himself and the notoriously foul old Sakura regime, appearing wise through comparison, and even gaining the support of other countries by courting them.
Furthermore, after the change of dynasty, he could shift all the blame for any mistakes and dirty dealings onto the previous government, thus having a chance to start anew...
Therefore, for him, tarnishing Sakura Nation's reputation now was more beneficial than not.
Upon noticing Tanaka Ken'ga's gaze, Chizuru Ginshiro hastily opened her mouth to speak, but then, as if suddenly remembering something, she closed it again.
Originally, out of confidence in her so-called Set-Up Power and Divine Arts, she had wanted to say confidently that there would be no problem.
However, considering the almost invincible, huge mistake that had just occurred, she was no longer daring to make such absolute statements...
Especially the scene where Lin Ran used brute force to defeat the Set-Up Power had almost shattered Chizuru Ginshiro's faith, leaving her still reeling.
Thus, the words on her lips turned into:
"Regarding this... I will have to consult my Master..."
"If she says there's no problem, then there will definitely be no problem..."
"But I don't expect any major issues..."
"After all, Master is a genuine tenth-tier expert, with top-notch mastery of Divine Arts and Set-Up Power, so I believe it will be quite stable."
Faced with Chizuru Ginshiro's vague yet strangely firm phrasing, Kanna-no-Miyatsukasa snorted in displeasure:
"Then you must get a clear answer when you return..."
"This matter involves the destiny of our Sakura, and the implications are extremely crucial!"
"As long as we succeed in turning Lin Ran into our divine puppet, many problems will be easily solved..."
"But if we fail, many things will become exceptionally troublesome and tedious."
"Not to mention Lin Ran's terrifying potential and combat power; if we can secure him, he will undoubtedly become Sakura's ultimate human weapon, ensuring our peace for at least a thousand years..."
Tanaka Ken'ga nodded in agreement:
"Indeed..."
"But the prerequisite for doing so is to gain Lin Ran's extremely high level of trust."
"So, when we express our sincerity, we must make sure it's more than enough for him..."
"Now that things have already fallen apart to this extent, we should no longer care about the cost."
"Compared to the potential gains, any so-called costs are trivial."
"In conclusion, I suggest..."
"We act tonight! And make our first contact with Lin Ran!"
"Whether it succeeds or not is secondary; at the very least, we must show our sincerity."
"And it would be even better if Lin Ran were to lose to Adam Hammer tonight..."
"Not only would it slightly blunt his overwhelming arrogance today, but it would also provide him with an incentive."
"For example, after taking our things, he suddenly becomes able to defeat Adam Hammer – wouldn't that be perfect?"
"Therefore, I believe tonight is an almost perfect time. What does His Majesty think?"
Kanna-no-Miyatsukasa nodded:
"Of course, no problem..."
"Lord Tanaka, you handle this yourself. I trust you the most..."
"However, the only thing to be mindful of is, if possible, it would be best to also capture that Adam Hammer."
"This guy's combat power has also reached a terrifying level..."
"Even without Lin Ran's unique fortune, his own inherent strength makes him a perfect fighter!"
"On our path to revival, he will undoubtedly provide considerable assistance."
Hearing Kanna-no-Miyatsukasa mention this, Chizuru Ginshiro's spirits finally lifted, and she interjected:
"Please rest assured about this, Your Majesty!"
"Adam Hammer's existence is very special, and it perfectly matches our Divine Arts..."
"I had already consulted Master beforehand, and she said she is one hundred percent confident, even if the final executor isn't herself."
"And regarding Adam Hammer, we don't even need his consent; we can even take him by force..."
"Therefore, this block of iron, Adam Hammer, is already within our grasp!"
Kanna-no-Miyatsukasa then nodded with a degree of satisfaction. He was about to give further instructions, but feeling a slight vibration from a jade pendant in his embrace, he changed his mind:
"Let's leave it at that for now. I'm tired and need to rest..."
"You should go and attend to your own affairs. Don't linger here any longer."