Volume Five: Returning from the Other Shore - Chapter 452: My Dearest (2)

"--Well, before that, there are still some messy factors to deal with."

Just when I thought we were about to get into a fight and get my blood pumping, the lady suddenly shrugged, showing no intention of starting a fight at all.

"A jumble of random factors?"

"You're just like Warrensding in your love of playing dumb. Don't you think it's incredibly rude of you to sneak in here, you lovely little girls?"

""Babble!!!""

Oh dear, so unauthorized personnel aren't allowed in after all? I glanced back and saw two small figures huddled in the shadows at the room's entrance, watching my every move with tense expressions until just now. They probably thought they were hiding well, because they were so flustered when the lady suddenly called on them. Oh dear, so cute.

(Oh no! What do we do? We think we've been discovered! Don't worry, Sister Spider will protect you!)

(Sister Little Butterfly, you should protect yourself first. Ugh, why do I have to pretend when things are really going to get dangerous?!)

(Huh, little spider, what did you say?)

(Oh, oh dear?? Sister, did you hear me wrong?)

(Hmm... that's true, how could someone as cute as Spider-Man speak like a menopausal old woman?)

(What?! A menopausal, unmarried woman?! You—what are you saying, Sister Little Butterfly? How annoying... Wait, it seems we've been found out?)

(Yeah, right! This isn't the time for leisurely conversation—wait a minute! Maybe we haven't actually been discovered yet?)

(How could that be!)

(Didn't that gaudily dressed auntie say, "Cute little girls"? She was definitely referring to the mother!)

(In your mind—oh wait, why are you saying that about Sister Kouya? She already used "they"...)

(Because Mom is super~~~ beautiful and super~~~ charming, one mom is more amazing than a group of ordinary pretty girls combined! One bag is as good as two bags of sauce, one section is better than six sections! That's why she uses "they" to emphasize it!)

(This seems to make sense...?)

(Right? Right?)

(That's true... I doubt my sister and I are that bad at hiding...)

(That's right! So hide away confidently, she won't find us!)

(Okay, dear sister.)

(Eek~~~ The little spider is so cute~~~!)

Get lost, I don't have two idiotic daughters like you.

"... Oh my, Ye, I overheard something incredible from their conversation... A daughter? I've never heard you have a daughter before."

Oh no... I've embarrassed myself in front of everyone. I stole a glance at the lady and noticed her expression was a bit... stiff? As if she'd seen something disgusting, or had some unpleasant memory...

I suddenly remembered what Givinia had told me before—"The lady hates marriage and doesn't like children." At the time, I was a little skeptical, but now it seems to be true.

"Hmm... they're my daughters for now. The one with pink gradient hair is the eldest, and the one with black hair in a ponytail is the second eldest. As for their ages... the eldest is thirteen, and the youngest is eight?"

"Such an uncertain tone," the lady flicked her folding fan, glancing sideways at the two little girls, a strange hostility surging in her eyes. "Don't you even know how old they are? Are they the product of being played with by filthy men more than once?"

"But--"

"Don't disappoint me, Ye! Marriage is a tomb, a thorn that entangles roses, an arrow that shoots down birds. So-called husbands, boyfriends, fiancés, and male lovers are utterly boring!"

The sudden, overwhelming pressure startled me. Just moments before, we were having a normal conversation, but the next instant, the lady dramatically arched her back, her long, slender hand covering her forehead, her fluttering eyes revealing endless grief and indignation, and her bright red lips uttering sighs and disgust. Despite the drastic change, it didn't seem abrupt at all when she performed it; it was more like a masterful opera performance, where she was fully immersed in the role.

Why let those filthy and incompetent things bind you for life? Why can't you live a more beautiful life?!

"So you're overthinking it! Although she is my daughter by blood, she's not the product of a sperm-egg union! Aren't you very familiar with Blood Fiend? Then you should know that she can create life with blood, right?"

"Hmm, that's true... And although I haven't accessed your past voice recordings, I can directly tell if someone is lying just by looking at their voice. You're telling the truth."

As I watched her slightly pout and straighten her body, her delicate little fan fluttering as she fanned her Blood Energy cheeks, she nodded as if relieved, but a chill ran down my spine.

Can she distinguish between truth and falsehood simply by listening to a voice? Neither Ling Ye's notes nor Givinia mentioned this! Furthermore, Givinia seems to have said she can directly hear people's "thoughts," meaning all tricks and schemes are useless against her? Only direct combat is possible?

"That's right, it's great that you understood it so quickly."

She covered her mouth with her fan and chuckled softly, a hint of mockery in her eyes.

She heard me, just as I suspected! Wait, if that's the case... I was just thinking of "Givinia," so she must be...

But her expression didn't change. Did she not hear? Or did she hear but choose not to pay attention? Or perhaps... she already knew?

"Overall, I actually have a pretty good impression of you~" She snapped her fan shut, the tip pointing at me. "You have good manners, you didn't rush to ambush me right away, you're no less handsome than Warrensding, you know how to appreciate beauty, and you can maintain your individuality even when you're fully aware of everything. You always manage to stay rational at inappropriate times, when your companions die, when facing life-or-death crises, so sometimes you can seem cold... And, most importantly, you never bore me. You always surprise me. Although I knew you had a high-quality same-sex lover, this is the first time I've heard you have a daughter."

"... I always feel like you know me quite well? Leaving aside the challenge we exchanged in the mountains last time, this is only our first formal meeting. How could you possibly know so much from just this short conversation?"

"After all, he is an important opponent, the heir of a destined nemesis. How could I not understand him?"

"Is using your ability to detect distant sounds to peep a lady's hobby?"

"Spying? I would never do something so unrefined, it's too boring."

"That's Mind Reading?"

"Doing this all the time is just too boring."

"...?"

Seeing her mocking expression, I suddenly felt uncomfortable.

He doesn't do boring things like spying, but he knows a lot about me, some of which didn't seem to be mentioned in our conversation just now.

How did she find out? When did she find out?

Just as I was lost in thought, the lady walked past me and reached out her hand to the two little girls—

"Why are you hiding, my little guests?"

"Wow! Woohoo! Woohoo! Woohoo! Woohoo! Woohoo! Woohoo!!...

The lady's sudden approach startled them. In the ensuing chaos, Little Butterfly scrambled to her feet, only to fall flat on her face, landing squarely on the little spider.

"Honestly, why are you so scared? I'm not going to eat you... On the contrary, I'm quite happy that you're here."

I advise you not to touch them!

With a clang, my long-unused Void Greatsword pointed directly at the lady's fair and slender neck, its blade ablaze with burning Blood Flame, making even the air feel scorching. The lady glanced at me as if I were a comical clown.

"I just praised you for your basic manners, and you've disappointed me so quickly. This sudden display of hostility is hardly ladylike. When did I ever say I wanted to hurt them? Of course, a musical needs an audience. Do you expect us to just keep performing like fools? So, come on—" She ignored me, bent down, and extended her hands to Little Butterfly and the Sick Spider, "—lovely little guests, why don't you come and be our audience? You also want to witness Mother's victory...or fall, don't you?"

"Little Butterfly, come here!"

I gave a soft shout, Little Butterfly immediately ran over to me like she'd found a savior, leading the Sick Spider, and jumped into my arms.

"Waaah~~~ Mommy, Mommy, this auntie is so scary! I feel like she's so dangerous!" Little Butterfly said, her eyes filled with tears.

"Indeed, it's... unsettling." The Sick Spider feigned fear, though I sensed it wasn't entirely acting.

"It's okay, sweetie, but this is really not something you can interfere with, so listen to Mommy, obediently leave here and stay far away, okay?"

"But, Little Butterfly, I was so worried! I thought Mom was dead, but... but after searching for so long, we finally found her! I was so worried!"

"What nonsense are you talking about, child? Your mother is right here, isn't she?"

"Seeing that state, anyone would think Mom was in grave danger! The once beautiful spire only got worse with each passing year, so much was destroyed, God knows what might have happened to Mom inside!"

"... Um?"

Watching her wipe her nose with my skirt, I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine.

A sense of incongruity.

The intense sense of unease made it hard for me to breathe.

Wait a minute.

"Seeing that state"? "It gets worse every time"?

However, this area, including the spires, is relatively well-preserved.

No, no! Something was strange before that!

Let me recall my experiences before I came here.

A ritual suddenly began, and the paladins Divine Spellcaster all collapsed, while I strolled leisurely towards the central spire of the Cathedral of the True God. There I encountered rows of orderly servants and maids, and was then led here to meet the lady.

"--wrong!!!"

That's strange! Why have I been ignoring that all this time?

I remember very clearly what happened on the way here.

But what about the two of them— Little Butterfly and the Sick Spider?

Shouldn't they always be following me?

They weren't in my memories, and yet I never felt anything was wrong!?

I immediately looked at the lady--

She covered half her face with a small fan, her eyes narrowed into two crescent moons, revealing a glint in them.

"Little Butterfly! When did you get here?"

"Uh... just now?"

"No, I want to know—didn't you say 'after searching for so long, we finally found it'? What exactly is this—"

"We searched for a long time! Mom suddenly disappeared, and then a lot of things started collapsing, like an earthquake! Little Butterfly led Little Spider to run and search and search, and it took them a long time to finally find Mom in this tower!"

For a long time...

It's been less than five minutes since I entered the room.

She said it felt like an earthquake... but I didn't feel anything.

Think back to our conversation...

"The showdown has already begun." "You seem to know me quite well." "This is the first time I've heard you have a daughter."

"Tsk..." My head hurts so much.

A strange feeling of intoxication.

My body felt weak, and a chill spread through me.

I tried to moisten my dry throat with my saliva as I asked the lady my dry, lifeless question.

"Is this our first official meeting?"

"Aside from the time I challenged you to a duel in the Starfall Mountain Range, that's certainly true."

"So... tell me, how many times have we met for the first time?"

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Philosophical dialogue