The hatred born from three hundred years of slavery and oppression was not easy to erase.
Freeing the enslaved men and giving them equal rights and opportunities as witches was no different from putting a dagger in the free men's hands.
If the matter wasn't handled carefully, the free men could stab the witches in the back.
Nevertheless, the number of men who actually bore deep-rooted hatred for witches should be a minority among the group of enslaved men. After all, many men had lost their own will when all they had known their entire lives was to obey the witches.
The absolute authority of witches was ingrained in the minds of many men living within the seven witch kingdoms. They were turned into simple-minded men due to their upbringing. As such, they were already plenty content with what they received and didn't greed for what they could get.
However, such simple-minded men were also the easiest to manipulate.
They could be influenced and incited to revolt by true insurgents who strongly desired the end of the witches' reign and waited for such an opportunity to realize it.
"We can't let insurgents ruin the future we are trying to build in this kingdom," Henrietta firmly stated before asking, "Do you understand me, Prime Minister Evanore?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Evanore acknowledged resolutely.
Since the Black Rose Transcendent Witch placed such great expectations on her, she did not want to disappoint her.
Whether it was foreign or domestic problems, Evanore vowed to uproot them all.
Whether it was foreign or domestic problems, Evanore vowed to uproot them all.
Meanwhile, in another part of Rising Sun District, Vaan stopped by for a visit shortly after he finished spending the night with Solana, Dahlia, and Aeliana back in Sunpeak City.
The lack of urgent news from the northern parts of the city allowed him to understand nothing big related to Gehenna's Gateway had happened during his absence.
Chaezi's report, which he received moments after his arrival, also coincided with his conclusion.
Since the fluctuations in Gehenna's Gateway had stabilized and no movements had been detected from Gehenna's side, the Black Rose Kingdom was safe for the time being.
All there was left to do was…
Before Vaan could leave the area, an eight-year-old, naïve-looking boy in somewhat neat clothing rushed up to him after discovering him in a small alley with a passing glance.
"You're my idol, Lord Vaan!" the boy looked up at Vaan with sparkling eyes of worship as he asked, "What can I do to become like you?"
"I have someone I like, but I don't have the courage to confess… However, the person that I like also has a lot of suitors. I'm afraid if I don't confess soon, someone else will take her away."
"What should I do?" the boy asked with urgency, worry, and expectations.
Although Vaan felt like dealing with such a trivial matter was a waste of time, he also didn't have the heart to turn down a kid who came to him with such high hopes.
Perhaps shattering the little boy would turn into a villain if he shattered his hopes and dreams.
"If you want to be like me, you have to put in a lot more hard work than anyone else," Vaan coolly said before adding, "However, if it's just confessing to the girl you like, we can deal with it easily."
"First, we have to understand the kind of girl you like. Second, we have to understand your competitors. Only when we understand these two things will we hold the key to victory."
"So tell me, little brat. Where is the girl you like?"
Shortly after Vaan nonchalantly asked, the eight-year-old boy did his best to explain the location since he last saw her.
It had only been a few minutes since the little boy last saw the girl he liked.
As such, the girl had to be nearby.
After using Omni-Sense and locking onto a target that fitted the little boy's description, Vaan grabbed the little boy and relocated with spatial shift.
The location was just in the neighboring district beside the Rising Sun District.
The two stood on the roof of a building and gazed down at an adorable little girl of a similar age to the little boy being followed by a small group of other snot-nosed brats.
Vaan briefly observed the group of kids while explaining to the little boy what he needed to pay attention to. It was clear that the little girl didn't like any of her followers, but she did enjoy the attention.
"Alright, listen up, brat. You can't be like those other snot-nosed brats. Don't be a wuss like them. You need to be different from them to stand out. Being the head of that group isn't good enough. You have to set yourself apart from them completely."
"Also, everyone likes compliments. However, how we act when complimenting people can produce completely different effects. You have to drop the timid look and project yourself as a confident person. Only then will your girl catch some interest in you when you compliment her. Do you understand, brat?"
"Y-Yes, Lord Vaan… But what do I say exactly?"
"Anything positive about her. Her looks, her character, her smile, anything. For example, you can tell her, "You're beautiful." The key is to be confident and sincere. If you are awkward and timid, it will also make things awkward and weird for her."
"That's why, be confident and sincere. You already have all the advantages by looking better than those other snot-nosed brats. So, if you can add a confident smile, your sincere compliment will definitely make her heart skip a beat. Do you understand, brat?"
"Good! Nothing like the present to put what you just learned into practice."
"W-Wait, Lord Vaan. I'm not ready—!"
Vaan patted the little boy's back and sent him straight in front of his crush through spatial shifting.
The little boy was caught completely unprepared, but the other children were equally taken aback. At the same time, the little boy's sudden entry also surprised and amazed them.
Seeing the girl he liked right in front of him looking back at him full of curiosity, the little boy quickly mustered up his courage.
Vaan didn't intend to see how it unfolded. Thus, he prepared to leave and find Henrietta. However, he could still hear the children's conversation in the background.
"Stacey, I have something to tell you."