Chapter 711: Reasons for Wanting to Die

Lolth calmly finished presenting her perspective before turning to A Qiu.

"So… what do you think of this ‘answer’ to the question?"

Lolth’s counterquestion drew a soft exhale from A Qiu.

"Seeking confirmation about your hypothesis?"

"There’s actually a simpler method… Lord Lolth."

With these words, she willed a subtle fissure to appear within her blade-forged domain enveloping Tum City.

Instantly, Lolth sensed the piercing "scrutiny" from the Plane Will.

As A Qiu resealed the domain, the intrusive presence vanished.

"Did you sense it?… Had your words been false, there would’ve been no reaction."

A Qiu’s explanation left Lolth momentarily speechless.

"Such a thing is possible?!"

Her astonishment rippled through the air.

"You’ve truly mastered the Plane Will’s workings."

A Qiu merely shrugged. "Just a spark of ingenuity—I harbored countless mischievous notions during my girlhood…"

She took a step closer to Lolth, her voice softening.

"As for this answer… it satisfies me completely."

"Congratulations—you’ve unraveled the ‘Third Layer’s’ mystery."

A Qiu’s hands came to rest lightly upon Lolth’s shoulders as she spoke.

Then…

Her form began dissolving.

Yet unlike before, this dissipation didn’t merge her essence with the surrounding domain. Though still transforming into sword essence, it now shimmered around Lolth like protective stardust.

Gradually…

The entire domain contracted toward its creator.

The Sword Saint Seychelles’ blade realm, once blanketing Tum City, diminished its reach until only a single path remained…

At this road’s terminus stood a familiar pie shop Lolth had previously visited.

Lolth recognized its owner without doubt.

The establishment belonged to Mrs. Anno—Isabella’s birth mother.

Though shuttered and cold, its oven still dormant…

The comforting aroma of flour lingered, kindling warmth in Isabella’s heart.

Her lips parted slightly, eyes glimmering with unvoiced words, yet silence prevailed in the end.

Because upon the stone steps before the shuttered pie shop sat a youthful maiden.

Appearing scarcely fifteen or sixteen, her eyes held crystalline clarity and luminous intensity, spine erect as a blade embedded in stone.

Though her facial features had not yet matured, the nascent resemblance to A Qiu lingered unmistakably.

Clad in the coarse gray linen robe of a sword apprentice yet conspicuously unarmed.

"The fourth stratum… and the final one."

Her gaze rested upon Lolth as she spoke in feather-soft tones.

"The trial of this stratum is straightforward—Lord Lolth."

"Slay me."

A Qiu uttered these words as one might comment on the weather.

Moreover, Lolth perceived.

This entailed no ritual of challenge, no ceremonial combat to the death.

Merely… an invitation to execution.

Here she sat, blade-less… manifestly devoid of martial intent.

Though A Qiu disclosed no particulars of her current cultivation stage, Lolth discerned absolute absence of transcendent energy—not the faintest ripple of supernatural surge.

Uncertain which fragment of A Qiu’s life journey this phantom reflected, Lolth knew with certainty: at this precise temporal intersection, even a mundane mortal could sever that slender throat.

Should Lolth strike now, neither resistance nor evasion would follow—futile gestures both.

Instantaneous demise.

This truth resonated not solely within Lolth’s consciousness, but vibrated palpably through every witness present.

Lolth exhaled a measured breath, drawn from fathomless depths.

"I require justification."

"Through three preceding trials I adhered to your protocols, abstaining from inquiry…"

"Nor pondered why you shaped your domain into this ‘Fourfold Sword Game’ construct."

"Initially I presumed obstruction, yet you name this crucible a ‘trial’—and trial it resembles."

"Assaying combat prowess, testing decisive resolve, probing comprehension of worldly truths and transcendent essence—yet upon reflection, these prove tangential to my purpose."

"Since when do such concerns merit your vigilance?"

"Moreover, neither ‘trial’ nor ‘obstruction’… fully encapsulates."

"A dissonance persists, whispering of deeper stratagems."

"Thus I demand now—what purpose underpins this elaborate theater?"

"Particularly… this final act."

Lolth’s voice flowed like glacial meltwater.

"Absent satisfactory exposition, I shall relinquish this endeavor entire."

A Qiu’s laughter blossomed then, unrestrained and full-throated.

"Ah—indeed it is."

"Isn’t it strange…? Whether as Seychelles’ Guardian Sword Master, the continent’s mightiest swordsman, a demi-god level Superoperator, or even A Qiu the pie shop girl – all these roles feel oddly misplaced."

"So this illustrates one thing, Lolthlinda…"

A Qiu leaned back on the stone steps, palms pressing against weathered stone as she tilted her face skyward.

"None of those… are truly ‘me.’"

"Even if they factually constitute my existence, to my core… they feel too detached."

"You may embody the ‘Succubus Interrogator,’ ‘Lolthlinda,’ or ‘Lord of Hillenbrand Town’… Your identities coalesce into selfhood, but my reality fractures differently."

"You must have sensed this truth through our journey, Lolthlinda."

Her voice crystallized into icy melancholy.

"You must comprehend this."

Lolth gazed silently at the speaking girl, but behind her…

"What exactly… are you implying?"

Isabella’s query pierced the air before she could restrain it, momentarily setting aside the pie shop’s possible significance to her.

She couldn’t reconcile…

The Sword Master’s symbolic weight mirrored her father Duke Heidegger’s stature among Seychelles’ people – an invincible emblem of opposition.

Witnessing this living legend’s human vulnerability already strained comprehension, but now…

A Qiu, Seychelles’ sword saint, was exposing raw fragility.

The vulnerability permeating her words and countenance…

This revelation shattered Isabella’s understanding.

The pie shop’s mundane backdrop intensified her unease.

A Qiu’s lips curved at the noblewoman’s bewilderment.

"Little Heidegger scion—"

"Your confusion is natural."

Naivee exhaled deeply, resting a hand on Isabella’s shoulder.

"She comes… courting death."

"Courting death?"

Isabella’s features contorted with deepened perplexity.

"Why would the Sword Master of Seychelles seek death?"

Tina exclaimed incredulously.

"To be precise, she never had many years left," Kanor murmured, narrowing her eyes. "She’s being eroded—this domain remains too pristine even for God’s Domain."

"A realm containing only the ‘sword,’ a singular concept where even fundamental laws strain to maintain cohesion—such overwhelming focus appears powerful yet breeds instability. This same principle consumes her being. The very concept of ‘sword’ gradually dissolves her humanity."

"Soul. Life. Consciousness. Memory. All unraveling."

"What perplexes me…is how avoidable this was."

"As Master Lolth observed, her comprehension of the sword should’ve deepened naturally with time—as effortless as breathing."

"Yet this innate gift was entirely within her control. From birth, she possessed a direct path to God’s Domain that most Superoperators couldn’t glimpse in three lifetimes."

Naivee inclined her head.

"True enough…This apparent proximity to death simultaneously signals her approach to divinity."

"Surely she’s not incompetent at something as basic as ‘breathing’?"

The silver-haired woman suddenly fixed her gaze on A Qiu.

"Tell me…This isn’t some misguided refusal of godhood inspired by Lolth’s ramblings about divinity and the End of Days?"

"That would be monumentally stupid—not that the world would particularly miss you!"

A Qiu’s lips curved in amusement as she shook her head.

"Don’t mistake me for some paragon, oh Seven Seas-blessed one."

Kanor’s eyelids fluttered rapidly.

"Boredom, then?"

When the younger girl posed the question, A Qiu spread her palms theatrically.

"An elegant excuse! Were tedium my ailment, death might hold appeal."

"But alas…" Her eyes crinkled with genuine mirth. "My existence proves rather engaging, wouldn’t you agree?"

"Thus, child, preservation stems not from ennui."

The Sword Master’s expression softened.

"You misunderstand fundamentally. I neither court death nor resent life."

"Truthfully? Maintaining this state stems from…difficulty. The world resists peaceful dissolution."

"Though suicide remains an option, until achieving absolute purity, attachments still bind me."

"My oath to Seychelles. The thrill of unsolved mysteries. My master’s dream for our sword style. The aroma of spiced apple pies. Collaborating with fascinating souls like Lolth…"

"These threads weave a tapestry worth preserving."

A Qiu adjusted her posture, sunlight catching in her hair.

"Retrospect reveals an existence brimming with color—reveling in ‘genius’ privileges, playing the capricious Sword Master across continents."

"Yet…" Her voice dipped. "A single compelling reason could shatter this equilibrium. Make death preferable in an instant."

"Understand—contemplating mortality differs entirely from acting upon it."

"But the reasons are indeed entirely the same."

As she spoke these words, Isabella and Tina wore expressions of utter bewilderment.

"But you’re on the verge of becoming a ‘god.’ What could possibly be so grave for someone like you?"

Tina inquired, her puzzlement evident.

Isabella’s delicate brows knitted together in consternation.

"I can’t comprehend…"

Even Naivee and Kanor found themselves only partially grasping A Qiu’s meaning.

While they had come to understand A Qiu’s emotional state, their fundamental query remained – it had merely shifted from "Why does A Qiu wish to die?" to "What forged this death-seeking resolve within A Qiu?"

After pausing in contemplation, Kanor rephrased her inquiry.

"Then… why Master Lolth?"

She directed her gaze at A Qiu as she posed the question.

"Because she now possesses the capacity to assimilate all ‘Authorities.’ Through extraordinary means, her sister and a supreme entity have rewritten the fundamental principles governing Plane Will," A Qiu explained. "Do you comprehend the magnitude of catastrophe that occurs when divinity-tainted beings like gods and demi-gods perish without proper ‘management’?"

"From the instant I discovered this pie shop, I recognized that a bearer capable of claiming Authorities would eventually arrive… hence my intention to bestow upon her an additional Authority."

"The Fourfold Sword Bureau indeed serves as a ‘trial’… though its primary purpose is to assess a ‘successor’s’ qualifications. Technique, resolve, and enlightenment traditionally form the crucible for advancement in most swordsmanship traditions."

"Therefore, when relinquishing the Authority pertaining to ‘swords’… proper evaluation remains essential. These matters carry profound significance."

At this revelation, Kanor appeared to glimpse a fragment of truth.

"’Sword’…?"

Her eyes widened momentarily as she stared at A Qiu.

The young girl’s lips trembled slightly, her eyes glistening with gathering moisture.

"Could it truly be… this reason?"

In that fleeting moment, Kanor’s composure seemed to fracture like fragile glass.

"What reason are we talking about?"

"How dreadful must it be… to make Kanor weep! I’ve never witnessed her like this before."

Naivee’s confusion deepened as she observed Kanor’s emotional display.

"It’s not about dread, but rather her unique perspective allowing deeper empathy."

After prolonged silence, Lolth finally gave voice to her thoughts.

Her sigh carried the weight of centuries as she regarded A Qiu.

"The reasons behind her refusal to ascend, her desire for demise, and the trials… they’re fundamentally simple. I’ve reiterated this truth countless times."

"’The sword.’"

Lolth’s gaze descended to the floor as she uttered these words, her eyelashes casting shadowed crescents beneath her eyes.

"The truth is… you’ve always loathed ‘the sword,’ haven’t you?"