Ashes in the Mortal World (II)

"Hahahahahahahaha!!! Did you hear that? Did you hear it? Absolutely, absolutely no mistake! Hey--you agree, right!?"

Loud laughter echoed through the villa. The lady grabbed a servant with a barely recognizable face and pulled him close to her, almost face to face.

"Yes, madam, you are always so perceptive..."

"Of course! That's exactly what the 'sound' told me! Sound doesn't lie! Sound records reality! The vibrations of the world told me of her existence! I knew it!!!"

Having received the answer she wanted, the lady casually tossed the servant aside, turned sharply, and her long skirt, adorned with gorgeous lace and gold thread, swept over a porcelain vase placed against the wall, shattering the priceless antique into pieces. Yet, she seemed completely unconcerned.

"Why? Sometimes fate is such a strange thing!!! Something I thought I'd never see again could actually reappear in this form! It's unimaginable!"

The lady laughed heartily, spreading her arms wide and leaning back like an opera singer, as if embracing the sky. A glimmer of light constantly flickered in her eyes. To others, her exaggerated behavior might seem inexplicable, because they are not the lady and cannot see the world from her perspective.

Madam Winsani can see "sound".

Not only can you see and hear it, but you can also touch, smell, taste, and even sense it with a woman's sixth sense.

The world she sees is vastly different from everyone else's.

Even now, she hasn't been to the battlefield in Sadington, nor has she sent out spies, yet she sees everything happening there clearly. "Pulling" sounds from that distant battlefield, visualizing them, and confirming them directly with her own eyes—this is her specialty. That's why, when providing remote assistance, Givinia doesn't dare Consciousness Projection directly onto the battlefield, but rather projects it into Ye and the others' minds to communicate directly with their consciousness. After all, "thinking" doesn't produce sound, and this is the best way to avoid the Madam's spies.

But... things are never perfect!

Just moments ago she was ecstatic, but the next moment she lowered her head, clutched her chest with both hands, and looked sorrowful, as if an opera had reached the point of a tragic aria.

"Not enough! No! It's not the same! She's far inferior to Ai Warrensding! Although she has the same abilities, a similar face, and a similar body, her strength is absolutely not equal!" (Author's note: Thinking about it carefully, it's a bit strange that Blood Sister is still using the Saintess's surname after betraying the Church for so long. From now on, the lady will address her by her original surname, Warrensding.)

With a wave of her hand, the lady abruptly unleashed a sound she had "stored" throughout the villa. Even her most loyal servants couldn't help but step back and cover their ears, for from their perspective, the sound was a deafening rumble like thunder. The lady, meanwhile, stared intently into the void, observing the scene recorded in the form of sound.

"Look at this pathetic strength! Where has your aura of flooding cities with blood gone? Where has your tyranny of wantonly taking the lives of millions for your own use gone? Where is your proud Blood Prison Space? Where is your Blood Crystal Palace, more magnificent than my most treasured collection? Where is your sea of Lycoris radiata, more dazzling than any beauty in the world? How come your endless army of the Blood Sea has been reduced to just a few flying beasts? It's just a lightning-based Super Divine Spell, yet you're forced to withstand it with your bare body? Why did you have to rely on Divine Item artifact to transform into this ugly Rakshasa form? You can't even withstand an attack of this level now!? You've finally met your match, Warrensding!!!"

Roars, howls, howls, and shouts filled the air; the joy of just seconds before had vanished without a trace, and the lady was now enraged. Even the servants, whose emotions had long since become extremely thin due to various forms of mental manipulation, were somewhat surprised to see her like this. The lady loved all things luxurious and extravagant that were "worthy of her," and her outward appearance and emotional expressions were somewhat exaggerated, but even so, such a drastic change in mood was unusual.

"--No! That's not Warrensding! At least not the complete her! It's probably someone who inherited her power in some form... or perhaps an incarnation of hers? But in any case, this level is simply not enough!"

The storm of venting finally subsided, and the lady stood in the center of the messy room, her ample breasts, even more impressive than before when she was Blood Fiend, heaving. She suddenly fell into a deep thought, her delicate brows furrowing slightly, revealing no trace of anger.

"... As expected, even winning against her with an absolute advantage proves nothing, because what I defeated wasn't Warrensding, but merely a substitute... So what should I do? Wait until she grows to a higher level before going after her and crushing every shred of her dignity head-on? Impossible, I can't wait that long... Tsk..."

Seeing their mistress's thoughts seem to be drifting further and further away, neglecting what truly mattered, the attendants were somewhat at a loss. The head guard, standing to the side, considered the situation with absolute rationality—if no one spoke up to remind her, and the lady's thoughts continued to run wild, causing her to overlook important matters, then Lord Gustav and the organization's Leader might blame her. Even his most noble and beautiful mistress would be in a difficult position. Therefore, speaking up to remind her was the best option.

"Madam, with all due respect to your loyal servant, it seems you have just perceived the message of the 'Rakshasa True Word.' If this is not reported to the Leader or Lord Gustav immediately, I fear—"

"--Huh? Shut up!!!"

Like the sound of a giant water balloon being popped, the captain of the guard's head exploded.

"Normally it wouldn't matter, but no one is allowed to make a sound while I'm thinking about Warrensding! Maid squad, come here and clean up this brain matter!"

The lady waved her hand impatiently, and immediately a group of respectful maids entered and cleaned up the filth all over the floor in an orderly and swift manner.

"Don't mention reporting the Rakshasa True Word to me, and don't act on your own! Even if it's a substitute, I want someone who truly possesses power! If the Rakshasa True Word can narrow the gap with her Warrensding, then let her have it! My honor is above all else, above all else, and even the organization cannot interfere!"

At this point, the lady looked at the "voice" in the void and suddenly revealed a cold smile.

"As for you, pink-haired little girl... you should grow stronger quickly, the stronger the better, the closer you get to Warrensding the better... I will prepare the most magnificent banquet and wait for you in Gloria..."

But,

Who knows what level she can reach?

Should I... personally step in and give her a push?

"You mean... a traitor?"

"Loxue, this is no joke."

"When did I ever joke?" Loxue asked Nid and Brad in surprise, her face grim. "Actually, you two must have sensed it long ago, right? One accident is an accident, but multiple accidents are no longer accidents. There must be an inside traitor colluding with the Vatican... Moreover, each time the anomaly appears at the most crucial moment, which shows that guy is very careful. In order to avoid me noticing anything, he has been holding back until the critical moment before passing on the decisive information to the Vatican—"

"--If that's the case, there's a very high possibility that the traitor is lurking among the Blood Blade's upper echelons," Brad added.

"But... how can we find the traitor without alerting them?" Nid frowned slightly.

Loxue shrugged and sighed softly, "Alas, it's a pity we don't have a good solution in the short term. Fortunately, we don't have to worry about the threat from the Holy See for now. Although we can only be at ease for a short time, it's enough for us to do a lot of work."

"Then, I will begin by thoroughly investigating all personnel at the deputy commander level and above within Blood Vanguard."

"Please, Uncle Brad, but we have to leave here the day after tomorrow."

"Leave?" Nid looked surprised for a moment, but then seemed to remember something.

"Sister Xue, do you mean... we're going back to Bradwich's house?"

"That's right. We must manage the forces attacking Gloria within this timeframe, and we also need to draw talent from the family to fill the important gaps left after the Sadington campaign. There are mountains of things to deal with, and I must personally return to the family."

"So, does that mean we're just temporarily leaving this new base?"

"Yes, Nid, as the Commander-in-Chief, you also need to go back. And this temporary departure should not cause any trouble, so I have decided to only take you and Uncle Brad."

"I'm fine... what about Uncle Brad?"

"Since this is necessary, we must go. But Loxue, who should be in charge of things here? Don't forget there are spies around."

"That's why I only brought the two people I absolutely trust—you two. I really can't fully trust anyone else. As for the main tasks here, they are to appease the people and build necessary facilities. Even if we're not here, there won't be any problems. Miss Haoyue has also agreed to help; she's very reliable in this regard."

"Since it's your decision..."

"Alright, enough chit-chat. Holding a grand ceremony to comfort the soldiers who have lost their comrades and loved ones is important, but I'd rather use this time to do something more effective. You two go and make the preparations; we'll leave tomorrow night."

""Clear!""

Uncle Brad strode heavily out of the room, while Nid lagged behind.

"Nid, do you have any questions?"

"..."

"Nid?"

"... Hey, Sister Xue, what exactly did I do in this battle?"

"Nid ..."

Loxue's expression turned sad for a moment, but she quickly regained her usual gentle smile.

"Many things are beyond our control. You've done your best, so don't blame yourself anymore."

"... So, does that mean this is all I can do, even if I try my best?"

"Well..."

"Blinded by rage, I fought the Chief alone and was completely suppressed. I failed to defeat the Heavenly Law alongside the Blood Emperor, and I failed to protect my comrades and innocent people... Is this all I can do?"

"... Now is not the time to worry about these things, Nid. Listen to me, deal with the present first. Ultimate victory will be your best way to repay the fallen."

"Um... I'm sorry, Sister Xue, I said something strange."

"It's alright, I suggest you get some rest and recuperate."

Nid shook his head and continued walking towards the door—then he stopped and asked a strange question.

"Sister Xue, what do you think is the difference between a boy and a man?"

"Huh? The difference? Even if you ask that... is it an age difference?"

"... Uh, never mind, it's nothing."