Chapter 704: A New Journey

Lolth opened her eyes in the bed of the torture tower.

Sensing both her soul and magic restored to their peak condition, she exhaled slowly and arched her back in a languid stretch.

"Truly… the first proper sleep I’ve had in ages."

She murmured this while attempting to sit upright,

only to discover…

an unusual weight anchoring her arms.

Glancing sideways, she found Isabella and Tina clinging to her limbs like drowsy kittens.

Isabella lay curled like a comma, her thigh draped over Lolth’s forearm and cheek glued to the curve of Lolth’s shoulder. Tina nestled flush against her, face buried in the valley between Lolth’s chest and arm.

"Huh…?"

Bewilderment colored Lolth’s features.

Either girl alone might have made sense, but this synchronized invasion…

defied all precedent.

Her shifting roused the pair simultaneously. Four sleep-softened eyes blinked up at her through matching yawns.

"Morning… Lolthlinda."

Isabella’s murmur hung honey-thick in the air.

Tina responded by nuzzling deeper into Lolth’s sleeve, her silence louder than words.

"What’s… the meaning of this?"

The question escaped Lolth’s lips despite her dawning comprehension, accompanied by an exasperated sigh.

A blush bloomed across Tina’s cheeks.

"I… I noticed you wouldn’t wake up. Delegated my duties to City Hall staff to… attend to you properly."

Lolth stiffened.

Though submerged in slumber, the God of Light’s enchanted rest had preserved her temporal awareness – five full days, each hour accounted for.

Five days of Tina’s meticulous care…

"Thank you, Tina."

Her gaze shifted to the other offender.

"And you, Isabella?"

The noblewoman averted her eyes, fingers plucking at the bedsheet.

"Merely supervising. One can’t trust this scheming creature near vulnerable royalty."

When Tina heard Isabella’s words, she gave a soft smile.

"Isabella truly has been quite helpful…"

Master Lolth observed their exchange with a more surprised expression.

"Your rapport… has significantly improved, hasn’t it?"

Nevertheless, this being a positive development, Master Lolth didn’t dwell on it further.

"Well… in any case, a harmonious relationship is always a positive thing."

"Moreover, it appears Hillenbrand Town now functions smoothly without my presence," Master Lolth paused meaningfully, "and would continue doing so even during your temporary absence."

At these words, Isabella’s face clouded with melancholy.

"Indeed, the town’s self-sufficiency during my stay… proves somewhat disheartening."

While pleased with the residents’ independence, Isabella remained acutely aware of her own nature…

As one raised under chivalric tenets, she inherently thrived on being needed –

the fundamental raison d’être for most knights.

"Protection" forms the immutable heart of knighthood… regardless of school, this remains a knight’s paramount virtue.

Tina adopted a more philosophical perspective.

"This precisely demonstrates the efficacy of Master Lolth’s systems. They require neither Isabella, Tina, Qiong, Gandhi Alter, nor Master Lolth herself. Epic-tier mages and legend-level knights prove unnecessary, let alone royalty or nobility… While formidable defenses might repel invaders, the town’s daily operations maintain themselves flawlessly."

"Even without current administrative experts, someone will inevitably emerge capable of learning governance here."

"Regarding external threats… this place holds scant appeal for the powerfully ambitious. Conversely, it becomes an ideal sanctuary for formidable souls seeking seclusion."

Tina concluded her analysis while turning to Master Lolth.

"Thus, our absence truly poses no issue."

Master Lolth gently smoothed Tina’s silken silver tresses as she listened.

"You’ve matured remarkably since last we met… and grown wiser, Tina."

"Though still impulsive – I’ve scarcely awakened and not yet mentioned planning a journey…"

As Master Lolth spoke, both women suddenly realized…

They’d revealed too much.

"Kanor informed us of Kululu’s… ‘insinuation’ or prophecy-like utterance…"

Isabella confessed with visible contrition.

"No need for chagrin. I shan’t reprimand Kanor or either of you – secrecy wasn’t essential," Master Lolth exhaled, rising to retrieve the neatly folded, faintly perfumed jacket. "However… since you’ve heard Kululu’s roundabout riddles and received Kanor’s hints, you must have surmised our initial destination’s nature."

The women exchanged glances before Tina nodded imperceptibly.

"My homeland? The Ryman Empire?"

Isabella’s whisper met Master Lolth’s headshake.

"No – that comes second."

Both warriors’ faces mirrored astonished disbelief.

"The frost and snow alongside the lone wolf shall cherish the warmth of home…"

Tina murmured the words softly.

"Doesn’t this clearly refer to Isabella and her homeland in the Ryman Empire?"

Isabella, being the implied subject of this phrase, nodded in agreement.

"That’s how I interpreted it too…"

"Your interpretation isn’t incorrect," Lolth interjected with a brief pause. "Kululu’s riddling skills are notoriously clumsy. But that scheming mind of hers remains peerless – even when handling serious matters beyond her expertise, she simply can’t resist embedding hidden layers."

She curled her lips into a knowing smirk. "Naturally, Isabella wouldn’t be aware of this. Through certain… circumstances, I’ve come to possess slightly more information regarding your ‘family heritage’ than you yourself."

"Our first destination," Lolth declared, "shall be Tumu in the Republic of Seychelles."

Both Isabella and Tina wore expressions of bewilderment, though the two young women quickly composed themselves.

"Understood. When do we depart?" Isabella inquired earnestly.

"Whenever you’ve finished preparations," Lolth replied, then added as an afterthought, "Ah… and we’ll need to collect Kanor along with her turtle."

"That chatter-shelled companion… Naivee, was it? Rather than chasing after her, we should trace her magical signature. She’s likely lurking somewhere between Hillenbrand Town and the torture tower."

As Lolth spoke, peculiar scratching noises emerged from beneath the bed, accompanied by distorted spatial fluctuations that promptly collided with Lolth’s pre-set wards. The sorceress sighed audibly before rapping her knuckles against the wooden frame.

"Enough of this farce. Emerge."

A basin-sized turtle rolled into view, its shell scraping against the floorboards.

"Remarkably flat-bodied as ever, Naivee," Lolth remarked dryly. "Most convenient for sneaking about."

The turtle maintained prolonged silence before contorting its features into an awkward grin. "Your Lordship must be burdened by countless responsibilities to mistake me thus! I’m but another turtle – we reptiles share similar magical auras to your kind…"

Lolth massaged her temples in exasperation. "Naivee. Naivee. Naivee. How many articulate turtles do you imagine exist? Shall we compare Hillenbrand’s turtle census with New York’s radioactive sewers? Perhaps you’ve mutant siblings and a rat sensei hidden beneath your shell?"

Though unfamiliar with the reference, Naivee recognized her ruse had collapsed. "Merely napping beneath beds," the turtle chuckled nervously. "Kanor’s youthful curiosity prompted her to request surveillance updates regarding your plans with Isabella and Tina."

A youthful voice echoed from within the shell: "Such thorough betrayal, Naivee."

Kanor’s disembodied complaint froze the turtle’s expression mid-grin.

"You’re being unreasonable here—my tone was downright unyielding just now!" she accused Kanor indignantly.

Kanor’s breathing within the turtle shell grew abruptly labored. "Naivee, damn you and your—"

*Smack!*

"Language, child." The crisp admonishment carried landlady Fuen’s distinctive cadence.

"…You scold me with such conviction when you’re the traitorous one! I never should’ve trusted you!" Kanor swiftly amended her outburst.

Lolth could only sigh in resignation. This disciple of hers possessed every virtue except one—a mind too brilliant for its own good. The cleverest souls always sought to grasp everything within their reach, clutching tighter to what mattered most. This hunger for more "information" to optimize every action… oh, how intimately she recognized this compulsion. The burden of genius inevitably forged such chains, leaving her little ground for reproach.

"Enough, Kanor… you’re complicit in this too," Lolth declared before addressing the shell. "Mrs. Fuen, apologies—I’ll need to borrow your charge a while longer."

The response came swift as an arrow. "Nonsense! She’s your disciple as much as mine. Journeying beyond these walls serves her well." Fuen’s voice took on a wry edge. "Since witnessing the former Hero’s methods and clashing with the Great Sage ‘Never-ending Night,’ that sharp tongue of hers has dulled considerably. Few more expeditions might cure this meddlesome habit of overcalculating every breath. Let danger be her tutor and genius her whetstone—though I suspect your path won’t lack for either."

Lolth’s lips curved faintly at the genuine pride warming Fuen’s languid tone. "Set your heart at ease—this pilgrimage shall indeed draw multitudes and calamities aplenty."

She understood better than any. The gathering storm promised geniuses in legions, perils multiplying exponentially, complexities intertwining like serpents. Last time, facing deities, she’d wielded divine power herself with godly allies at her back. The Church of Light’s viper pit became her sanctuary through the Director of Heretic Tribunal’s authority and the Pope’s covert support. Unbeknownst to her then, the Holy Capital—guarded by her divine mother the God of Light—had proven safer than Demon King Castle’s shadowed halls.

Even Maria Diana’s scheming had been anticipated. But now…

Kululu and Xiletor’s stance, her own mother’s silence—all confirmed what chilled her marrow. Every ally, every steadfast supporter… their hands were bound. For the quarry this time was no mere enemy, but the Plane Will itself. Her memories—those fractured mirrors—held weight enough to make two Hell Demon Gods’ downfall mere prelude.

Others might stroll this path unscathed, but for Lolth and Kanor? Every step courted annihilation.

"Yet I vow this—Kanor shall return alive. More I cannot promise." Her voice hardened. "But the choice remains hers. Kanor… will you go?"

Fuen’s chuckle intertwined with the girl’s instant reply: "With pleasure, Master."

Choice? For Kanor, none existed. Just as Lolth herself…

"’Truth’ and answers blaze brighter than any peril," came Kululu’s voice echoing through Demon King Castle’s obsidian halls. Before the throne she stood, addressing the crowned figure. "However her soul shifts or form alters, she’ll pursue mysteries to oblivion’s edge. Not merely truth—she’s existence forged for revelation itself."

The Abyssal Demon King inclined her plumed helm. "This I comprehend. Yet mark this—Plane Will itself shall not lay finger upon Dear Lolth. Your constraints bind you not me. For the Abyssal Demon King, cosmic wills are… malleable."

Kululu’s laughter rang crystalline. "Precisely why I sought you, esteemed Demon King." Her bow held playful mischief. "Or shall I say… dearest sister?"